Little Havana Food and Walking Tour
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Our take
By Matt Spaulding, Founder and writer
A Little Havana food tour is lunch with a history lesson attached. Operators run two and a half to three hours, string together six to eight tastings, and cover about half a mile of Calle Ocho on foot, roughly the stretch between SW 13th and SW 17th Avenues. Expect a croqueta, an empanada, a guava pastelito, fresh guarapo, and a Cuban sandwich or ropa vieja as the anchor. Miami Culinary Tours also stops at a cigar factory, and the route passes Domino Park, the Cuban Memorial Boulevard monuments and the Tower Theater, which is where a guide earns their keep, because Calle Ocho reads as an ordinary strip of storefronts if nobody explains it. The catch is the weather. This is an outdoor walking tour, departures run rain or shine, and from June through September you are on hot sidewalks with highs near 90 and afternoon storms in the forecast. Half a mile sounds like nothing until you do it in that. The second catch is the format. You move on the guide's clock with a dozen or so strangers, you eat what is handed to you, and you cannot linger at the stop you liked best. Vegan diets and severe allergies are generally not accommodated, so check before booking. If you would rather order your own plate and take your time, Calle Ocho is perfectly walkable without a guide.
Quick facts
- How long
- 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on the operator
- Best for
- First-time visitors who want the neighborhood explained while they eat, and anyone comfortable keeping to a group's schedule
- Getting there
- Meeting points cluster on Calle Ocho just west of downtown Miami: the Tower Theater at 1508 SW 8th Street, 1652 SW 8th Street, and the Bay of Pigs Monument at 806 SW 13th Avenue are the three published by operators
- Parking
- Lot behind Maximo Gomez (Domino) Park at SW 8th Street and SW 15th Avenue, with metered street parking nearby when it fills
- Included
- Six to eight tastings that add up to a full meal, plus the guide. Public departures are capped at 14 guests by the operators that publish a limit. Gratuity is separate
- Season
- Runs year round, rain or shine. Winter and early spring are the comfortable months; June through September means walking in highs near 90 with afternoon storms likely
Where it is
Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) between roughly SW 13th and SW 17th Avenues, Little Havana, Miami, FL 33135
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Check tickets →Little Havana Food and Walking Tour FAQ
How long does a Little Havana food tour take?
Plan on two and a half to three hours. Miami Culinary Tours and Little Havana Food Tours both list 2.5 hours for their Little Havana food and cultural tours, while Little Havana Tours lists 3 hours. That window includes the eating, the walking and the stops where the guide talks.
How much walking is involved?
About half a mile in total. Miami Culinary Tours states it walks roughly half a mile on all of its tours with plenty of resting stops between venues, and the same operator says its tours are wheelchair and stroller accessible. The pace is slow because you stop to eat every few minutes, but it is all outdoors on sidewalks.
Is there enough food to count as lunch?
Yes, and you should arrive hungry. Little Havana Food Tours lists eight tasting stops including a beef picadillo empanada, a guava pastelito, a chicken croqueta, fried yuca, a dulce de leche churro, fresh guarapo and a cafecito. Miami Culinary Tours describes its tastings as a full meal built around a Cuban sandwich, with three beverages. Miami Culinary Tours caters for vegetarians on its public tours, but states it cannot cater to vegan diets or to severe or life-threatening food allergies.
Where do you park for a Little Havana food tour?
Both Miami Culinary Tours and Little Havana Food Tours point guests to the lot behind Maximo Gomez (Domino) Park, at SW 8th Street and SW 15th Avenue. If that lot is full, there is metered street parking on and around Calle Ocho. Give yourself a buffer.
What is the best time to go?
Cooler months are easier on an outdoor walking tour, and midday starts are the norm: Little Havana Food Tours departs at 11:30am and 12:30pm, and Little Havana Tours runs daily at 12pm plus 5pm on select days. If you can time your visit to the last Friday of the month, Viernes Culturales takes over Calle Ocho from noon with local artists and live music.
Do the tours run if it rains?
Yes. Miami Culinary Tours states its tours go ahead rain or shine and asks guests to bring umbrellas or ponchos when rain is forecast, noting that guides carry only a few emergency ponchos. Summer afternoons in Miami produce frequent short storms, so pack accordingly.