Private Tours, Group Visits, & Small Group Gatherings
The Deering Estate offers regularly scheduled events and tours throughout the year. However, Tour Groups, Corporate Groups, or anyone desiring or requiring a private or intimate experience are able to reserve private tour visits in advance with our Group Sales team.
Come kayak the waters of Biscayne Bay with your colleagues, host a Sunrise Photography session for you and your friends, or hike through endangered ecosystems of South Florida with a naturalist to experience Miami in a whole new way! We have several packages to choose from, with almost 450 acres of land, there’s sure to be something for everyone.
Prices vary by activity, and may depend on the total number of participants in the group. Deering Estate Foundation memberships do not apply toward Private Tours, Corporate Group Visits, & Small Group Gatherings.
Bird Walk
With over 444-acres of pristine habitat encompassing 8 ecosystems, the Deering Estate is a birders one stop shop. Enjoy a Naturalist-led tour of the tropical hardwood hammock or mangroves as you look for one of the over 170 species documented in the park. The list includes American Flamingo, Key West Quail-Dove, Thick-billed Vireo, Mangrove Cuckoo, Black-whiskered Vireo and whitecrowned Pigeon – all birds difficult or never seen outside of Florida in the United States. This walking tour is approximately 1 mile on all-terrain paths.
Minimum: 10 people
Duration: 1.5 hours
Butterfly Walk
With nearly 40 species of butterflies documented on the park’s property, the Deering Estate is a great place for beginner and advanced enthusiasts alike. Enjoy a Naturalist-led tour around the main houses where you have the opportunity to see common species such as Zebra Longwings and Ruddy Daggerwings, while also having the possibility of coming across some of the rarer species like Dingy Purplewings and Atala Hairstreaks. This walking tour is approximately .5 mile to 1 mile on all-terrain paths.
Minimum: 10 people
Duration: 1.5 hours
Ethnobotany Tour
Hike with a Deering Naturalist through a globally endangered ecosystem and enjoy a colorful lecture and a special tour of the park will explore the relationship between plants and human culture and history. You’ll get a chance to see, smell, touch, and maybe even taste a variety of native plants that humans have been using as foods and medicines for hundreds of years. Bring your picnic lunch to enjoy in the Royal Palm Grove to top off the day’s activities. This walking tour is approximately 1 mile on all-terrain paths.
Minimum: 10 people
Duration: 1.5 hours
Historic House Museum Tour (Our Most Popular Option!)
Join one of our Education and Interpretive Staff Members on a guided tour to hear the amazing history of the Richmond Cottage, the first hotel between Coconut Grove and Key West, and the Stone House, a tiny piece of Deering’s beloved Barcelona recreated on Biscayne Bay. After Charles Deering’s death in 1927, the mysterious Deering Estate sat for nearly six decades, frozen in time. The houses were immaculately maintained and filled with fine art and antiques. Bring your picnic lunch to enjoy in the Royal Palm Grove to top off the day’s activities. This walking tour is mostly indoors but ventures outdoors to view the exterior of the Museum Homes as well.
Minimum: 10 people
Duration: 1 hour
Kayak Tour
Depart from Deering Estate’s boat turning basin on a Naturalist-led kayak tour of Biscayne Bay. As you paddle, you may observe manatees, stingrays, sharks, and sea turtles, as well as various species of wading birds such as egrets, herons and ibis. Kayaks are two-person/tandem kayaks. Ages 9+.
Minimum: 6 people
Maximum: 16 people
Duration: 2.5 hours
Kayak Tour - Moonlight
You and your group will paddle under the tropical stars on a Naturalist-led tour to the offshore mangrove island of Chicken Key, a seven-acre island and nature preserve, surrounded by sand bars, tidal flats, and seagrass beds. Kayaks are two-person/tandem kayaks. Ages 18+.
Minimum: 6 people
Maximum: 16 people
Duration: 2.5 hours
Kayak Tour - Sunrise
Depart from Deering Estate’s boat turning basin on a Naturalist-led tour of Biscayne Bay. You and your group will paddle to Chicken Key, a seven-acre island and nature preserve surrounded by sand bars, tidal flats, and seagrass beds. Dune habitats and mangrove forests serve as the island’s restored bird rookery. Observe manatees, stingrays, sharks, and sea turtles. As well as various species of wading birds such as egrets, herons and ibis. Kayaks are two-person/tandem kayaks. Ages 9+.
Minimum: 6 people
Maximum: 16 people
Duration: 2.5 hours
Mangrove Hike
Naturalist-led muddy hike through the mangroves. Bring your picnic lunch to enjoy in the Royal Palm Grove to top off the day’s activities.
Minimum: 10 people
Duration: 1.5 hours
Nature Preserve & Tequesta Trail Tour/Hike
Walk an ancient Tequesta path to the Cutler Burial Mound, handle fossils such as a 40,000 year old wooly mammoth tooth and tools, pottery and other artifacts left behind by the Tequesta people. Catch a glimpse of Great Horned owls nesting in our oak tree. Explore the rich cultural history of a people and way of life that vanished long ago. This walking tour is approximately 1 mile to and from Cutler Burial Mound on an all-terrain path.
Minimum: 10 people
Duration: 1.5 hours
Night Hike & Camp Fire
Explore the park after hours with your guide, as we walk the historic hammock trail searching for nocturnal animals. See how the Estate comes to life at night. This walking tour is approximately 1 mile on an all-terrain path. Finish up your night with a toasty campfire.
Minimum: 10 people
Duration: 2 hours
Photography - Fine Art & Nature
Join a Deering guide while discovering the plethora of flora and fauna throughout South Florida’s lush native habitats. Traverse down the Native American footpaths, historic roads, or coastal environments. Bring your camera and photograph fine architectural features of some of South Florida’s earliest buildings. From sunrises to sunsets, seascapes to forest portraits, there are endless opportunities to use as your backdrop.
Minimum: 10 people
Duration: 1.5 hours
Photography - Sunrise Photography
Photograph the sunrise over Biscayne Bay. Bring your camera, tripod, water, and bug spray.
Minimum: 10 people
Duration: 1.5 hours
Pine Rockland Habitat Tour/Hike
Hike through a globally endangered Pine Rockland ecosystem at the Deering Estate and experience the globally endangered habitat of South Florida’s unique pine forest, home to threatened species such as the Gopher tortoise, Rim Rock Crowned snake, and White Crowned pigeon. This walking tour is approximately 2.5 miles on all-terrain paths.
Minimum: 10 people
Duration: 1.5 hours
Team Building
Our experienced team of instructors will tailor the day to your group’s varied skill levels, so that everyone will feel at ease. Our activities enhance a person’s ability to process information and interact with others. These activities increase problem-solving capabilities while providing fun and exciting outdoor activities. At the completion of your day your team members should feel better equipped to work as an effective team. Activities to choose from include land-based activities (i.e. scavenger hunt, initiative games) or water-based activities (kayaking).
Minimum (land-based): 10 people
Minimum (water-based): 6 people
Maximum (water-based): 16 people
Duration: 2 hours
Ready to request a Private Group Tour visit, or need more information? Simply fill out our inquiry form below and we will get back to you.
Our Group Sales Coordinator can be reached by phone at (305) 235-1668, ext. 262. Please note, once we start our private tours & programs for the day we may not be immediately available by phone, but we will contact you as soon as possible.
