The Port of Miami sits on its own island in Biscayne Bay, between Downtown and Miami Beach, with cruise terminals along one side and a shipping channel leading out past South Pointe to the ocean. From the causeway it is a row of hulls and cranes. From a helicopter you see the port as a whole: the terminals, the ships alongside when they are in, and the channel between Fisher Island and South Beach. Three private flights on the Miami hub pass it.
The Miami South Beach, Downtown and Islands 30-Minute Helicopter Tour is the everyday choice. It is about 30 minutes in the air and about 40 minutes in total, from US$299 per person with a minimum of 2, which is from US$598 for two. Its route covers the Downtown skyline, Brickell, South Beach, Fisher Island, Key Biscayne, the Venetian Islands, Palm Island, the Port of Miami, Coral Gables, Coconut Grove and Vizcaya.
The South Beach Sunset tour passes the port near the end of its early-evening route, after the islands and Brickell Key, from US$349 per person, minimum 2. The Miami Ultimate tour includes the port in 50 minutes, from US$499 per person, minimum 2, along with the northern beaches as far as Sunny Isles Beach. The 20-minute South Miami flight does not list the port.
Ships come and go, so which vessels are in port depends on the day, and no tour promises a cruise ship in view. The port is a sight from the air only; you do not land there, and the route does not set a number of minutes over it. What the flight does give you is the layout: how the port, the islands and the beaches connect, and how the city’s towers rise just behind them. If you are sailing from Miami, it is also a way to see your departure point from above before or after the cruise.
Every tour is private, so only your group of 2 or 3 flies, and everyone gets a window seat. Prices are per person with a minimum of 2 guests. Tours are offered in English, Spanish and Portuguese, which helps if not everyone in your group is comfortable in English. From the port, the view carries straight on to the Downtown and Brickell skyline and the Venetian Islands, so on one 30-minute flight you get the working waterfront and the city in the same frame. Flights run daily, all through the year.
Meet at the CR Aviation building, Miami Executive Airport (Kendall-Tamiami), 14359 SW 127th St, Miami. Parking is free; there is no hotel pickup. Arrive 30 minutes before departure for check-in, the waiver and a photo ID check; the person who paid shows the card used. A US$19 per person airport fee, paid at check-in, is added to the tour price. Flights need good weather, and a weather cancellation means another date or a full refund. For the port with the beaches and skyline, book the South Beach, Downtown and Islands tour.
See Port of Miami 直升机上空 in Miami. Book the Miami South Beach, Downtown and Islands 30-Minute Helicopter Tour.