The Best Way to See Sarasota & Venice

My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed the Psychic Sunday Tour. First of all, we were greeted with a mimosa at the Trolley Cottage. As we joined our group on the porch, a wonderful energy developed. Deni, our tarot master and intuitive reader, shared some information of what to expect. The trolley was air conditioned, a positive this time of year. As to the content of the tour, it touched on three different facets of what’s available in the area. Deni is really a master in her field. I would highly recommend if this is a field of interest.

We went with a small group of “locals” on the Discover Sarasota City Sightseeing Tour. What a great time! First, the folks at Discover Sarasota are just delightful to work with. They are so friendly and informative and you can tell that they really enjoy being there and interacting with their guests. There’s a quirky little gift shop that’s fun to browse, with a restroom to use before the tour which is 90 minutes. The tour trolley is clean, and pretty, and best of all air conditioned. Our tour guide (I’m so sorry I don’t remember his name. He is originally from Dublin, Ireland.) was just absolutely great. He gave us lots of information and was entertaining and enthusiastic. Even as locals we all learned a lot of things we didn’t know. Take a Discover Sarasota Tour and you won’t be disappointed.

OMG- We have been on many city tours across the country, but this particular tour was the best of all. Our tour guide, Jon and driver Kelly were just fantastic. We learned so very much about the city we didn’t know and we live here. Bus ride was nicely air conditioned, driving was excellent and Jon, our guide, was the best. Jon is an amazing wealth of knowledge regarding the area and has lived in Sarasota since the 70s. We weren’t sure how he could remember so much information. …Well worth the money. We will for sure be going on other tours in the future.

What a fantastic way to learn about Sarasota! Jon was engaging, funny and very knowledgable. Nice air conditioned trolleys that were clean and comfortable. Good insider tips on other things to do and see around town. This felt like a personalized tour from a close friend. You won’t be disappointed. Well done.

I want to thank you again for curating a wonderful event. The team learned a lot, had a blast, and felt appreciated!

This trolley tour of the Amish areas of Sarasota is fantastic! As you will see from my profile, we have done many tours all over the world, and this was one of our favourite tours anywhere. I can't say enough about our guide, Kendra. She was charming, well-spoken and entertaining. She provided so much information about the Amish people. She has many family members who are Amish so has first hand knowledge and stories to share. This made the tour really special. I can't recall the last time I listened to a tour guide so intently. Not a dull moment the entire time. I highly recommend this tour! Thanks Kendra and Discover Sarasota Tours.

Steve was very informative and entertaining. The tour brought us to places that we were not familiar with even after living here for 8 years. We brought my 95 year old Dad who was visiting from up north. He enjoyed the tour. This is a great way for new residents to get an overview of the area. It's also a great way to introduce your guests to the city.

We had a great few hours on the Art Crawl Trolley - visited many galleries that we pass by on a daily basis but never stopped into. Everyone at Discover Sarasota were so friendly and helpful that it makes we want to volunteer for some of their trolley tours. AND we learned about the Lime Light District ! I have lived in Sarasota for 8 years and never heard about that area - what a gem. Thank you all for a fun Valentines evening. Elizabeth & Doug

What a great time we had with our tour guide , Ed and driver, Paul. Ed was so knowledgeable and gave us tons of information in a way that was entertaining and interesting. Paul navigated around all the traffic which was particularly busy due to the boat show and Saturday Farmer’s market. We had a blast and highly recommend this company and the city tour. Ed is so engaging and clearly loves Sarasota. It was one of the highlights of our trip.

This was our third tour with Discover Sarasota and they get better every time. We have always been aware of the large Amish presence in Sarasota but really knew very little about the Amish here or in our native Pennsylvania. Our guide, Lois, was extremely knowledgeable and informative. She comes from an Amish family and has a lot of first hand knowledge. We visited Pinecraft, which is a vacation destination for the Amish from up north. We saw the Carlisle Hotel, which is top rated. We also visited a quilting shop and der Dutchman Restaurant. Our tour went a little overtime which was fine, because Lois had lots of interesting information to relate. After the tour went went back to the restaurant and had a wonderful lunch.

If you’re local to Sarasota, don’t wait for out of town guests to find an excuse to take a Discover Sarasota trolley tour. This summer and fall, we already have booked the city tour, the murder mystery tour, and the circus tour. This fall we’ll be watching to book the Christmas lights tour. And don’t forget the architectural tour. The city is rich with sights. Get out and Discover Sarasota.

Michael was amazing, so much knowledge of the Spiritual History of Sarasota. The whole experience was just relaxing and informative. Thank you for a wonderful day.

The Amish Experience Tour: Bridges to Understanding is an excellent way to understand the history and culture of the community. Kendra is a wonderful guide and narrator, informative and very personable. I highly recommend this tour option and several of the others on which I have participated.

Outstanding experience, absolutely great. Would highly recommend them. Very interesting and entertaining, you can’t go wrong.

Both the owner of Discover Sarasota, Tammy Hauser, and Jerry Chesley, the art historian, were very knowledgeable and accommodating. A party atmosphere while obtaining knowledge is an absolute winner!

The Venice Circus tour was interesting and informative. Our tour guide, Bob, really knows the circus history well and relates it in an enthusiastic way. There are not many circus remnants still remaining, but Bob brings a lot of it to life through memories. The circus train car is also fun to visit as is the train station. Venice is a beautiful town that still has some Florida charm of yesteryears. Well worth your time.

The tour guide Bob told some really great stories of the impact on the circus in Sarasota, FL. He had first hand knowledge of the Ringling circus. I really loved the personal artifacts and photos he passed around during the trolley tour. The trolley is a fun summer activity. The trolley driver did an excellent job of getting us around Sarasota… The house where you check in for the trolley is filled with great vintage gifts and books. Looking forward to taking many more tours. Thank you.

This is my 4th trip with them. Such a packed education on so, so many sculptures and murals. I went home and read more about them.

This was the absolute BEST birthday party we’ve ever attended. The staff and actors were amazing– we laughed, and laughed and laughed some more! Celebrating Michael’s birthday was a hoot!

We had a BLAST! What a fun evening. Very impressed with how well organized the tour was ... guides on each trolley, greeters at each stop, and happy people at each gallery. WONDERFUL time!!!

Sarasota Tours are a great way to get a group together for a night of fun social entertainment. The tour guide shared her personal anecdotes about Sarasota’s spooky history. The actor who came on board was the hit of the party, especially in the third act (no spoilers). This was our second group trolley tour outing and with the complimentary parking, beer, and wine this event is a great value.

We usually drive around and look at lights… BUT this was far more spirit-filling! It’s now an every year tour for us!