Expanded Art Week water taxi service returns to Miami Beach

Written by Kelly Sanchez on November 26, 2025

A water taxi service will be returning to Miami Beach for the second time and free dedicated shuttle buses will operate to handle the influx of visitors during Art Week this year.

The water taxi service first launched during Art Week 2024. Only four vessels were in operation at the time, according to Jose Gonzalez, transportation and mobility director for the City of Miami Beach. Up to seven water taxis will operate across Biscayne Bay this year.

“What we’re doing this year is that we’re increasing the number of vessels in service starting Wednesday to be able to meet the high demand,” Mr. Gonzalez said. “The water taxi service was extremely popular last year.”

Art Week runs from Dec. 1 through 7. Water taxis and shuttles will operate about every 10 to 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to midnight except for Sunday, when the hours of operation are from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The water taxi service will have a Miami Beach stop at Maurice Gibb Memorial Park and a Miami stop at Venetian Marina & Yacht Club.

Free shuttles will provide connections between art fairs in Miami and Miami Beach, and one of them will link the two cities. The South Beach Art Shuttle will have two stops connecting South Beach art fairs, the Mid Beach Art Shuttle will have five stops connecting Mid Beach art fairs and the Design District Art Shuttle will have two stops connecting Miami Beach and Miami. The Water Taxi Shuttle will connect the water taxi and the Miami Beach Convention Center, where Art Basel is taking place.

Shuttles as well as other transportation options can be tracked in real time on the Transit mobile app.

“What’s exciting about it is that all modes of transportation are incorporated in that mobile app, including Freebees, our trolley service, county bus service, I think Citi Bike,” Mr. Gonzalez said. “So it’s a comprehensive multimodal trip planning application that also tracks services in real time.”