About Us

Starting with nothing but a passion for good stories and a love of history, in 2005 Lonnie Herman started a tour company in Ybor City, Tampa. That small idea would quickly balloon into a sensation not just locally, but nationwide. After years of success, he took on a young apprentice – his son, Max Herman.

Since then, the father-son duo has taken the city of Tampa by storm and grown to be known as The Official Tampa Bay Tour Company. Entertaining people from worldwide locations and winning awards annually. The recognition they received would lead them to grow into the “Top Tour in Florida” as designated by Trip Advisor.

With a talented and passionate team of tour guides, we promise our guests an experience that many have said was “the best part of our trip to Tampa.” The many tours on our website come with discounts for groups of 10+ or multiple tours reserved. This is the best way to see the city of Tampa, FL.

The Tours

Ybor City Historical Walking Tour

The rich history of Ybor encompasses manufacturing, immigration, organized crime and revolution.

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The Official Ybor City Ghost Tour

“Cigar City” hosted more than its share of villains, conspirators, Buccaneers, bandits and gangsters.

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The Official Downtown Tampa Ghost Tour

From the bones of Native Americans to the mass graves of the Yellow Fever, the streets of Tampa, FL are crawling with spirits.

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Downtown Tampa Historical Walking Tour

History lives in the streets of Tampa’s Downtown.

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Testimonials

We were fortunate enough to take an Ybor City tour with Max Herman as our guide in late May, 2023. Max was incredible — he provided tremendous, very insightful information in a very fun, unique way and was extremely welcoming and entertaining. My group of six loved the tour and what we learned about Ybor City’s incredibly interesting past. Thank you, Max!

– Sheldon Gulinson

Just wanted to tell you, the OFFICIAL Ybor City Ghost Tour was the highlight of our Florida mini-vacation! Thank you and we’ll be back!”

– Cliff and Dawn Cibelli, Baldwin, GA

We loved our walking tour of Ybor City! Max was a terrific guide – very knowledgeable and extremely entertaining! This walking tour is a “must do” on anyone’s visit to the Tampa Bay area.

– Cynthia & Rob Martin, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

I really enjoyed the ghost tour I took with you last week. It was a great blend of historical information and scary ghost stories, told by a wonderful story teller.

– Cheryl Nelson, Philadelphia, PA

If you plan to visit Ybor City, be sure to take a walk with Max. He brings the rich history of Ybor alive in a unique and entertaining way. He’s a great storyteller and makes the tour lots of fun.

– Denny Hayes, Columbus, Ohio

My husband and I spent two days in Ybor City prior to embarking on our cruise. I am interested in ghosts, so I was really looking forward to taking your walking tour. Thank you so much! I loved the history and the fun, spooky stories…

– Sandy and Jack McCarthy, Springfield, IL

Our Ybor City walking tour was great! A lot of fun, a lot of fascinating history, it was the perfect way to see Ybor City.

– Robert and Sherri Drane, Lakewood Ranch, FL

A neat experience. Great stories about the people that lived (and died!) in Ybor City. We were really pleased. Thanks!

– Patrick and Sarah Cosby, Orlando, FL

Max was the best. He had such knowledge and enthusiasm along with his passion to share. We would definitely recommend!!

– Lori S, Brandon, FL