At first glance, the Tampa Bay area is all business. But take a closer look - with a local Tampa guide! - and you'll discover things you never knew about Florida's third largest city. See the best and least-known aspects of the city on a private Tampa Bay tour.

While Tampa's downtown is modern glass and steel, just to the north lies the historic district of Ybor, a multi-cultural enclave founded in the 1880s by cigar manufacturers. Walk with your guide along palm-lined, bustling 7th Avenue, recognized as one of the "10 Great Streets in America." Visit a cigar factory museum, and if interested, get tips on how to purchase the best cigars. Your guide can also take you to Busch Gardens, the Aquarium, and any other of the myriad attractions Tampa is famous for.

Enjoy the personal attention and convenience of a knowledgeable local guide on your private Tampa tour.

Tampa

Walking-trolley tour of Tampa Riverwalk and Ybor City

I will try and show you what makes my city so uniquely wonderful. I grew up here in this marvelous place. My family has live St. Pete since the 1940s. I have lots of great stories that I love to share.

Stroll the shores of the picturesque Hillsborough River while learning the history of this fair city. See the historic Henry Plant Hotel where Teddy Roosevelt trained his troops for the Spanish American War, pass by where Ton Jannus landed on his historic flight over Tampa Bay, enter the peaceful nave of the oldest cathedral in the area, and soak in the sun and flavor of Tampa. Take an old-time trolley to the Cuban town of Ybor City, erstwhile cigar capital of the world, passing by the cruise port, Florida aquarium, and an outdoor mall. In Ybor meander the brick streets where you will see preserved ethnic social centers, watch Cuban cigars being rolled, and revel in some old world flavor. Finally, end the tour at the iconic Columbia Restaurant famous since 1907 for its great Cuban food and mosaics.

Blend past and present for a unique Tampa experience

A visit to Tampa is not complete without exploring Ybor City, my favorite neighborhood for walking, shopping, and people watching. Designated as a U. S. National Historic Landmark District, Ybor City was founded in the 1880s by cigar manufacturer Don Vincente de Ybor. The new community quickly attracted a flood of immigrant workers and additional cigar manufacturers. By the turn of the century Ybor City had become known as the "Cigar Capital of the World. "

This 2. 5-hour tour will take your group on a relaxing stroll through the neighborhood to enjoy the charming cobblestone streets, historic architecture, and vibrant café culture. We'll begin the tour at Centennial Park, the neighborhood's central gathering space, and proceed to walk in the steps of early immigrants to explore how they lived, loved, and passed on their legacy to enrich the lives of residents today. Stops of interest will include examples of worker housing, mutual aid societies, former cigar factories, and much more.

Restored casitas originally for cigar workers

The Columbia Restaurant is over 100 years old

A 2.5-hour walking tour of Tampa's historic district

The Golden Age of Ybor City

The tour will let you discover the city seeing various places of interest which includes residential areas, water/ocean side, inland, rural, art and cultural venues, country clubs, various architectural styles.

I will tell you about the history of Sarasota, both positive and negative aspects of SW FL living as well as economic and social issues at play in the area.

The itinerary will be customised based on your request.

Enjoy 4-hour driving tour through the city and learn its history

Sarasota City Tour

St. Petersburg Walking & Trolley Combo Tour

Enjoy a leisurely walk through downtown St. Petersburg. We will also take the trolley to cover a bit more distance and see more. You will stop at an historic old landmark hotel for tea or coffee and check out the glory of a by-gone era of at the Coliseum.

You will see why St. Pete is known as an art and culture center as we pass by museums (Holocaust, fine arts, Dali) and art venues. We will stop at the old small plane airport for music (depending upon time of day) and rest, and then continue our walk past gently swaying sailboats in the harbor before stopping again for tapas and sangria if you wish.

Finally we will stroll through open air market places and plazas to end the tour on a high rise rooftop with a great view of the city and bay.

Lawn bowling. Still some "green benches" in the green bench city.

Come play free on Friday evenings. All ages reviving shuffleboard!

North beach on Tampa Bay downtown St. Pete

Come catch a game! Rowdies soccer downtown

Walk and hop the Burg half day experience

Hit the Highlights of Downtown Tampa & Ybor City

With so much to see it can be difficult to choose what to see! On this 4-hour tour, I will take you on a whirlwind journey to experience my favorite spots that highlight both the city's modern downtown core and our historic Ybor City neighborhood.

We'll begin at Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa's communal gathering space, and stroll part of the River Walk. This wide ribbon of pavement hugs the city's beautiful downtown waterfront and connects many top attractions and iconic sights, from the Florida Aquarium to the Tampa Heights Public Market.

From downtown we will travel via streetcar to Ybor City. Founded in the 1880s by cigar manufacturer Don Vincente de Ybor, Ybor City quickly became known as the "Cigar Capital of the World. " We'll take some time to discover this charming neighborhood and its cobblestone streets, historic architecture, and vibrant café culture. Stops of interest will include mutual aid societies and former cigar factories.

University of Tampa - formerly the Tampa Hotel

A 4-hour walking/trolly tour of Tampa's top attractions

I will lead a three hour comprehensive tour of both the Art and Circus museums at the Ringling complex in north Sarasota, Fl. The Art Museum tour covers all 21 galleries and provides a historical overview of the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque art periods exhibited with detailed review of 10-15 paintings. The Circus museum tour reviews the history of the Ringling Brothers circus and the artifacts exhibited in the original Circus museum. A lunch at the onsite Muse Italian restaurant will be had between the two museum tours.

Entrance to the Visitors Center of the Ringling Museums estate. The tour for the Art Museum and Circus Museum begins in the Visitors Center where admission tickets are purchased.

Definitive guided tour of the Ringling Art and Circus museums

Ringling Museums Comprehensive Tour

Bursting with vibrant growth and steeped in local traditions, visitors to Tampa will enjoy the sights and sounds of our city's downtown core. My tour is a perfect introduction to the world-class attractions located in the central district and I'll show you all my favorite spots. As a city in the process of reinventing itself, downtown Tampa is an exciting blend of the modern and historic, with new development taking place alongside thoughtful renovations.

We begin at Curtis Hixon Park, Tampa's communal gathering space, and enjoy a stroll along the River Walk. This wide ribbon of pavement hugs the city's beautiful downtown waterfront and connects many of the newer attractions, including the Glazier Children's Museum and Florida Aquarium. From there, we will detour to take in iconic sights, such as the famous minarets of the former Tampa Hotel, before heading into the urban heart of Tampa for an exploration of the historic district.

A 3-hour walking tour of new and historic downtown Tampa attractions

Discover Downtown Tampa

St. Petersburg "Off The Beaten Path" Car and Walking Combo Tour.

I will try and show you what makes my city so uniquely wonderful. I grew up here and and my family has lived in St. Pete since the 1940s. I have lots of great stories that I love to share.

This is a driving tour with various stops. We will drive through some of the local neighborhoods and stop at some iconic eating and drinking places to relax and savor the scenery. We will also meander some of the downtown and browse the local shops.

This is a good tour to get to know the city a bit if you are thinking of moving here or simply want to see more of the city than the known touristy spots. Feel free to ask about any places you have heard about and would like to see. I am totally flexible in customizing the tour to your desires.

See the city neighborhoods and enjoy iconic eating and drinking places in this half day tour.

Ringling Museum Estate Grounds And Gardens Walking Tour

The Ringling estate is an urban forest with different varieties of palm trees, oaks and flowering exotic trees. The famous Banyan trees are highlighted on the tour as well as the courtyard of the Ringling Museum of Art.

The tour will be focusing on the vast grounds and gardens of the Ringling Museum while you learn details of the lives of John and Mable Ringling and their use of the 70 acre estate.

Photo of Ringling Art Museum which is situated on 70 acre estate. The Gardens/Grounds tour involves the entire estate from the art museum to the Sarasota Bayfront.

Mable Ringling's famous Rose Garden as well as the Secret Garden where the Ringlings are interred.

St Pete is becoming well known as a city of wall art. It has an impressive number of vibrant murals throughout the downtown. We will see many of these as we cycle through the alleyways and side streets of the city.

We will bicycle by the bay through palm gardens, parks, and local neighborhoods. We will pass by the largest shuffleboard courts in the world and see the glory of a by-gone era at the Coliseum where one can still glide on a huge wooden dance floor to the sounds of the big bands.

We will be pedaling by the Dali Museum, the historic old small plane airport, the USF campus, and gently swaying sailboats anchored in the bay. We will stop a number of times to rest and savor the food, drink, and iconic atmosphere of some local St. Pete establishments, ending our tour on top of a downtown rooftop to view the city from on high.

Bicycle tour of scenic St. Petersburg

Bike the Burg

Selby Botanical Gardens and Mote Marine Aquarium Guided tour

I will lead a 3 hour comprehensive and detailed tour (including lunch) of the 2 top attractions in Sarasota after the Ringling Museums. Selby Botanical Gardens are just south of downtown Sarasota and focus on orchids while Mote Marine Aquarium is located across Sarasota Bay on Longboat Key. The tour will also visit the Marine Mammal/Rehab building of Mote Marine which is across the street from the Aquarium-sea turtles, dolphins, manatees, alligators/caimans, and river otters are featured there. The tour lasts one hour at each venue with lunch after the Mote Marine Aquarium tour.

Mote Marine Aquarium entrance fee per person

Selby Botanical Gardens entrance fee per person

Entrance to the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. The Gardens are on both sides of the street.

Entrance to the Mote Marine Aquarium which is located on Longboat Key across Sarasota Bay from downtown Sarasota. Mote Marine's marine life rehab building is across the street from the Aquarium.

Explore and experience both Selby Botanical Gardens and Mote Marine Aquarium

Get to see the beaches the locals frequent to soak up the tropical sun!

This tour takes you to some lesser known beautiful beach spots.

You will see the bayside beaches of vibrant St. Petersburg, a big beautiful beach preserve without a building in sight, a small artsy Florida town on a bay beach where you can stroll and peruse some shops, and stop for some U-peel shrimp while sipping Corona (if you like). The tour ends at sun set on a roof-top for a fabulous 360 degree view of beach and inter-coastal.

Pass-a-Grille beach from top of Hurricane restaurant

Driving tour of the best lesser known beaches of St. Petersburg

Greater Tampa Bay Beaches by the Burg

This tour transports you back in time to a wilder Florida to experience the estuary up close. Birds (egrets, herons, osprey, pelicans, and more), and sea life abound.

There are no alligators in these waters though as the salinity doesn't agree with them. It is possible to spot dolphins and the occasional manatee. We paddle mostly through sheltered channels with a bit of open water for variety. .

The tour can be customized to include a bike ride after the paddle through a couple parks and a 1/2 mile boardwalk stroll over a bird preserve, passing lakes and climbing a tall tower for a 360 degree view. At the end of the tour relax with a cold beer or cocktail by the water at a great Tiki hut.

Saint petersburg tours

Explore with 13 tours and 3 guides.

Kathleen N.

$ 275 (USD)

Skye R.

$ 245 (USD)

Jose U.

$ 450 (USD)

Kathleen N.

$ 275 (USD)

Skye R.

$ 395 (USD)

Jose U.

$ 325 (USD)

Skye R.

$ 295 (USD)

Kathleen N.

$ 275 (USD)

Jose U.

$ 400 (USD)

Kathleen N.

$ 190 (USD)

Jose U.

$ 442 (USD)

Kathleen N.

$ 250 (USD)

Kathleen N.

$ 275 (USD)

Meet your local guides in Saint petersburg

Customize your tour