10 Best Things to Do in Miami: Beaches, Food and Day Trips
The best things to do in Miami combine South Beach and its Art Deco buildings, Cuban food in Little Havana, street art in Wynwood and time by the water. This guide keeps our contributors’ recommendations and separates city activities from longer Everglades and Florida Keys excursions.
Plan around neighborhoods rather than trying to cross the city after every stop. South Beach is in Miami Beach, across the bay from the Miami mainland. The beach walk, Ocean Drive evening and South Beach food tour below can share the same day.
Choose an experience that fits your day
Art: compare Wynwood Walls admission if you want the museum as well as the neighborhood walk. Wetlands: the optional Sawgrass Recreation Park excursion includes a roundtrip bus in the marketplace listing; it is separate from Everglades National Park.
Check your date, meeting point, final price and exact option. Do not assume hotel pickup, meals or every extra is included. Independent street walks need neither booking.
Miami planning essentials
- Suggested stay: three full days for selected city sights; excursions need extra time.
- Where to base yourself: Miami Beach for a beach-focused stay; the mainland if most of your plans are there. Compare actual journeys from the hotel.
- Budget: separate attraction admission from parking, transport, meals and rentals.
- Timing: durations below are editorial planning estimates unless the operator is named.
- Research: October 1, 2026. Follow linked calendars for your dates; contributor experiences describe their original visits.
Compare more day trips from Miami · Explore our USA destination guide
Miami quick picks
Choose by interest
1. Venetian Pool in Coral Gables
Recommended by Katja from Globe Totting
Miami might be best known for its beaches, but if you’re looking for an alternative place to swim, then the city does not disappoint.
The Venetian Pool in Coral Gables offers a different setting from a conventional hotel pool.
Located in Coral Gables, the pool was originally built in 1924. It was fashioned from a former rock quarry and inspired by Mediterranean architecture. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It features palm trees, coral rock formations, waterfalls, and cave-like grottos. There’s also the pool’s signature bridge.
The pool attracted famous visitors, including Johnny Weissmuller and Esther Williams.
The pool has even been drained for orchestra performances. Today, the architecture is part of the pleasure of a swim here. If you are visiting Miami with kids, check the age and height requirements before planning your day.
Plan your visit
- Location: 2701 De Soto Boulevard, Coral Gables.
- Admission / costs: Nonresidents: age 13+ $23; ages 3–12 $18.
- Hours / access: Check the dated city calendar and closure notices before traveling; Mondays normally closed.
- Time to allow: 2–3 hours.
- Planning tip: Minimum age 3 AND minimum height 38 inches. Bring proof of age; capacity limits apply.
2. South Beach and its Art Deco architecture
Recommended by Talek from Travels with Talek
South Beach occupies the southern part of Miami Beach, a separate city across Biscayne Bay from Miami.
The area has an interesting history and works well as a walking day in your Miami itinerary.
The area’s boutique hotels show off Art Deco designs. Look for the geometric details and pastel facades as you walk.
Ocean Drive brings together hotels, restaurants and nightlife facing the beach. Walk it for the architecture rather than trying to drive from one photo stop to the next.
Continue toward South Pointe for waterfront views at the southern end of Miami Beach.
A self-guided South Beach walk lets you combine architecture, avenues and beach time at your own pace.
For a Miami visit as a couple, leave time for a relaxed meal rather than filling every hour with sightseeing.
Plan your visit
- Location: South Beach, Miami Beach; Ocean Drive and the waterfront toward South Pointe.
- Admission / costs: No attraction ticket for a street walk. Food, tours, rentals and parking extra.
- Hours / access: Plan a daylight walk; follow posted beach and park access rules.
- Time to allow: 2–3 hours walking, longer for beach time.
- Planning tip: Combine this with the Ocean Drive evening stop or the food tour. These overlap geographically.
3. Little Havana and Calle Ocho
Recommended by Pauline from Beeloved City
Little Havana is a colorful district located near Downtown Miami and one of the best neighborhoods in Miami for food and Cuban cultural history.
Start around Calle Ocho, where the Walk of Fame, coffee windows and neighborhood businesses make a rewarding walk.
If you want to experience Cuban food in Miami, this is a good place to spend a few hours.
Versailles is a longstanding local gathering place with a restaurant and bakery.
It’s a great place to start your day. They serve Cuban sandwiches, snacks, and Cuban coffees.
Versailles and Domino Park are separate stops along Calle Ocho, not adjacent sights. Check the route before deciding whether to walk the whole stretch or arrange a ride.
At Máximo Gómez Park, also known as Domino Park, stop to watch the games without interrupting the players. This is a neighborhood gathering place, not a staged performance.
Calle Ocho also has Azucar for an ice cream stop.
If you want to know more about the cultural aspect of this neighborhood, you may want to consider going on a guided tour. There is so much history in Little Havana.
A guide can add context to the streets and stories. Pauline’s article on Miami facts and history offers more background.
You will also find cigar shops along the route.
Plan your visit
- Location: Calle Ocho / SW 8th Street, west of Downtown Miami.
- Admission / costs: Street walk free; meals, tastings and guided tours extra.
- Hours / access: Businesses and Domino Park have their own schedules; check the stops you choose.
- Time to allow: 2–3 hours, or the duration of your chosen tour.
- Planning tip: Choose a compact walking route. Ask food-tour operators about allergies, tastings and language before booking.
4. Key Biscayne and Crandon Park
Recommended by Claire from Stoked to Travel
This island is a drive from Downtown Miami but a whole world away from the pace of the city.
To get there, take a bus, a rideshare, or your rental car over the Rickenbacker Causeway. Check the connection from your accommodation.
Make sure to get a window seat to take in the views! Leave room in your schedule for traffic rather than relying on a fixed journey time.
Virginia Key and Hobie Beach are along the approach. They are separate stops from the parks on Key Biscayne itself.
On Key Biscayne, Crandon Park offers a beach, nature areas and golf facilities. Choose the part you want to visit before setting your destination.
The latter part of Key Biscayne is dominated by Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, where you can hire bikes to explore the area at your leisure. Check rental availability and park notices before traveling.
Do not confuse Key Biscayne with Biscayne National Park. The Maritime Heritage Trail belongs to the national park and requires separate on-water planning.
A beach visit and a walk are enough for a relaxed outing; activities, rentals and lighthouse access need their own checks.
Key Biscayne is so peaceful; you’ll quickly forget you are near a large cosmopolitan city!
Plan your visit
- Location: Key Biscayne via Rickenbacker Causeway; choose Crandon Park or Bill Baggs for your main stop.
- Admission / costs: Crandon parking: $7 plus tax Mon–Thu, $10 plus tax Fri–Sun. Other parks and causeway charges are separate.
- Hours / access: Facility schedules differ. Check park access and closure notices for your date.
- Time to allow: Half a day, including travel.
- Planning tip: Set a specific park entrance in your navigation. Confirm rentals and lighthouse access separately.
5. Scenic drives around Miami
Recommended by Charles McCool from McCool Travel
Think of memorable car scenes from Miami Vice, Ballers, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Birdcage, Scarface, Bad Boys, and countless movies and television shows.
Allow time for a Florida scenic drive if you enjoy exploring by car. Compare the full rental cost, parking and toll arrangements before choosing a vehicle.
Explore Ocean Drive on foot and check local traffic restrictions rather than following an old driving route.
I love driving the Miami causeways at night when the sky is clear, and the Magic City lights twinkle. MacArthur Causeway and Rickenbacker Causeway are favorites.
Historic drives like Old Cutler Road (South Florida’s country road) and Calle Ocho (through Little Havana) await culture lovers.
For a longer route, US 41, also known as the Tamiami Trail, heads west from Miami. Treat that as an excursion rather than an extension of a short neighborhood walk.
Choose good weather, obey speed limits and stop only where parking is permitted. A scenic drive is not a reason to head into a storm.
For an even longer drive, head toward the Florida Keys, even if you do not go all the way to Key West.
The Overseas Highway is a classic road trip. McCool Travel also suggests the Card Sound detour between the mainland and Key Largo; compare your route and any tolls before departure.
Plan your visit
- Location: MacArthur and Rickenbacker causeways, Old Cutler Road, or a separate longer excursion.
- Admission / costs: Rental, fuel, parking and applicable tolls. No single sightseeing ticket.
- Hours / access: Road access changes with works, events and weather; check the route before departure.
- Time to allow: 1–2 hours for a selective local drive; Keys trips need much longer.
- Planning tip: Passengers can enjoy the views; drivers should pull over only at permitted places.
6. Wynwood street art and Wynwood Walls
Recommended by Inma from A World to Travel
As with the colorful districts in Mexico City, Miami has a street-art neighborhood that rewards visitors who enjoy murals and color.
Wynwood is on the Miami mainland. Allow for the trip across the bay if you are staying in South Beach.
And it’s easy to see why: the many pieces scattered across a few streets are a backdrop for photos.
But there’s more: many businesses attracted by the place’s fame opened their doors alongside.
Cupcake shops, cafes, vegan restaurants, and the like populate Wynwood, and they make it a place to spend a different day far from Miami’s most familiar beach scene.
Inma’s original contribution highlighted No Sea No Life by David “MEGGS” Hooke, Free Lolita by Clandestinos, Poupes by Miss Van and Alex Senna’s flamingo. These are memories of that visit, not a promise that the same murals remain on display.
Distinguish the neighborhood’s street art from Wynwood Walls, the ticketed outdoor museum. You can walk the surrounding streets without buying a museum ticket.
Plan your visit
- Location: Wynwood Walls: 2516 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami.
- Admission / costs: Wynwood Walls is ticketed; public street murals outside are free to view.
- Hours / access: Use the museum calendar for your date and last admission.
- Time to allow: 1–2 hours for the museum; 2–3 hours with the neighborhood.
- Planning tip: Buy museum admission only if you want the enclosed collection; a street walk does not require it.
7. An Everglades airboat excursion
Recommended by Jenn and Ed from Coleman Concierge
Miami is a gateway to the Everglades, but the wetland region and Everglades National Park are not interchangeable destinations.
An Everglades airboat tour is one way to experience the landscape.
Guides introduce the wetland habitat from the boat. Wildlife sightings depend on conditions and are never guaranteed.
They’re loud, fast, powerful machines, but these tours show you that the swamps are a wetland that needs preservation.
If you are continuing to Southwest Florida, this separate guide covers Everglades airboat tours from Naples. Do not assume a Naples departure is convenient from Miami.
Plan your visit
- Location: Check the actual wetland park and meeting point in the selected tour.
- Admission / costs: Compare total price, transport, admission fees and optional extras.
- Hours / access: Dated departures; weather and operator restrictions apply.
- Time to allow: Allow half a day from Miami; confirm the full schedule, not just boat time.
- Planning tip: NPS lists authorized national-park airboat operators. The optional Sawgrass trip below is a different destination.
Optional booking: the marketplace currently describes the linked trip as an airboat visit to Sawgrass Recreation Park with a wildlife exhibit and roundtrip bus from Miami. This is not a visit to Shark Valley or Flamingo in Everglades National Park. Confirm the meeting point, selected option and conditions before paying.
8. A Florida Keys road trip to Key West
Recommended by Jasmine from The Life of a Social Butterfly
A Key West road trip takes you beyond Miami. Give it its own place in the itinerary rather than treating it as a quick city activity.
Before enjoying a beach day or tasting the famous key lime pie of the Florida Keys, road trippers can enjoy the view of the Seven Mile Bridge on the drive to Key West.
The Turtle Hospital in Marathon is a possible stop to research in advance; do not build your schedule around arriving without checking its tour arrangements.
In Key West, spend time walking Old Town and noticing its houses, porches and free-roaming chickens.
For snorkeling, compare the actual departure point, equipment and weather policy of the trip you choose.
The sunset gathering at Mallory Square is one of the highlights of visiting Key West.
Duval Street is an option for restaurants and nightlife, but leave time to return to your accommodation.
Jasmine describes her experience in this Key West day trip from Miami. For this itinerary, an overnight stay gives you more room for stops and avoids a late return drive.
I also recommend checking out at least one of the beautiful Bahia Honda Beaches on your road trip.
Plan your visit
- Location: Florida Keys / Overseas Highway to Key West.
- Admission / costs: Transport, fuel, parking, meals and optional attractions; compare an overnight stay.
- Hours / access: Allow for traffic and weather; individual sights require separate checks.
- Time to allow: Preferably an overnight trip; a day trip leaves limited time for stops.
- Planning tip: Do not add an evening in Key West to an already full Miami day. Plan the return before leaving.
9. An evening on Ocean Drive
Recommended by Theresa of Fueled By Wanderlust
During the day, while wandering around Miami Beach to shop or sightsee, a bar on Ocean Drive is the perfect place to stop for a refreshment and a snack.
It’s just the laid-back atmosphere you need to pause and enjoy the view before continuing with your day.
If you would like to see Ocean Drive in the evening, return around dusk.
During sunset, the neon signs of the Art Deco-style buildings begin to illuminate, and Miami Beach truly comes to life.
Choose a bar around the end of the golden hour, after checking its menu and any cover charge.
Choose a venue that suits your evening rather than relying on an old list of bars. Check its current opening hours, age restrictions, reservations and event charges before going.
Plan your visit
- Location: Ocean Drive, South Beach, Miami Beach.
- Admission / costs: Drinks and food; event cover charges or minimum spend may apply.
- Hours / access: Venue-specific opening, entry and age policies.
- Time to allow: 1–2 hours around dusk or in the evening.
- Planning tip: Read the menu first and check whether a service charge is already included. Arrange your ride home.
10. A South Beach food tour
Recommended by Noel from This Hawaii Life
While visiting Miami, I was able to do a food tour in the South Beach area run by Miami Culinary Tours.
This account comes from Noel’s original visit. Check the operator’s current itinerary because restaurants and tastings can change.
I loved the diversity of the visits and the Latin-influenced cuisine from the region, making this one of the tastiest food tours I’ve done in the US.
Not only were the food visits delicious, but the historical and architectural details made visiting South Beach fun, with Ocean Drive and the Art Deco influence highlighted on the tour itself.
Combining a local walk, historical details and tastings introduced restaurants and specialty food vendors that are not so easy to discover on your own.
Choose the South Beach tour if you want food alongside Art Deco architecture. Little Havana is a different neighborhood and food-tour experience; you do not need to book both for a short visit.
Plan your visit
- Location: South Beach; confirm the meeting point in the operator confirmation.
- Admission / costs: Operator currently lists $69.99 adult / $49.99 child; confirm final total and inclusions.
- Hours / access: Book a dated departure; dietary requirements must be discussed before payment.
- Time to allow: Operator duration: 2.5 hours; leave time to reach the meeting point.
- Planning tip: Compare South Beach with Little Havana before booking. They cover different neighborhoods.
A realistic three-day Miami itinerary
Day 1: Miami Beach. Walk South Beach and the Art Deco streets, leave time for the beach, then return to Ocean Drive around dusk. A food tour can replace part of the walk and a meal rather than becoming an extra obligation.
Day 2: Miami mainland. Start with Little Havana, then travel to Wynwood for street art and an optional museum visit. Leave a gap for the transfer and avoid booking two tightly spaced guided tours.
Day 3: choose your pace. Pick Coral Gables and the Venetian Pool if its rules and calendar suit you, or take a half-day outing to Key Biscayne. You do not need both. An Everglades excursion can replace this day’s main activity.
Give Key West a separate road-trip stage. For onward planning, see our Florida travel ideas, things to do in Orlando and Tampa guide.
Booking and transport: avoid unnecessary costs
Compare the complete outing, not just the headline ticket: travel to the meeting point, parking, time on the boat or tour, and what you can realistically do afterward. If you are staying on Miami Beach, repeatedly crossing the bay may undo the savings from a cheaper activity. Choose one neighborhood at a time and leave weather-sensitive plans flexible.
Miami travel FAQs
What should I do on my first visit to Miami?
Choose one Miami Beach day for South Beach and Ocean Drive, then a mainland day for Little Havana and Wynwood. Add Key Biscayne or Coral Gables if you have another day. This is a suggested route, not a requirement to see every place in the guide.
How many days do you need in Miami?
Three full days work well for a selective first visit. Add separate time for an Everglades excursion and preferably an overnight stay for the Florida Keys. Arrival and departure days are easier to manage if you leave them lightly planned.
Do you need a rental car in Miami?
Not necessarily for a city-focused stay. Compare the actual routes from your accommodation and combine walking with transit or rideshares. A car can be useful for excursions, but include parking and toll arrangements in the cost comparison instead of considering only the daily rental rate.
What can you do in Miami for free?
Build a low-cost day around neighborhood walks in South Beach, Little Havana or Wynwood. Paid museum entry, meals, guided tours, beach rentals and transport are separate. A free street walk should not be confused with a ticket that includes admission to attractions along the way.
Is a food tour worth booking?
A food tour can be worthwhile if you want a guide to connect local food with neighborhood history. Choose the area first, then compare tastings, walking requirements, language and dietary suitability. Independent meals are a better fit if you want complete control over what and when you eat.
Can you visit Key West in a day from Miami?
You can plan a dedicated day trip, but it is a long excursion with limited room for additional stops. For a road trip with time to explore and enjoy the evening, an overnight stay is the more flexible choice. Do not combine it with a full Miami sightseeing day.
Should I buy a Miami sightseeing pass?
Only after choosing your paid activities. Compare equivalent individual tickets with the pass total and check reservations, exclusions and travel time. The neighborhood walks in this guide do not need a pass, and headline savings do not tell you whether it suits your particular itinerary.
Which Miami activities should I book ahead?
Check dated food tours, timed museum admission and excursions before finalizing the rest of your day. Read the meeting point and transport details carefully. Do not prepay for overlapping tours simply to fill a schedule; leave room for meals, weather and travel between neighborhoods.
- About the Author
- More info
Pauline has a bachelor’s degree in Tourism and is a professional content writer. She specializes in writing about travel and food. Pauline spent most of her career life in Dubai and is a Travel Expert for the United States and Costa Rica.
Awesome, I’ve been quite a few of these places in this exciting city – Miami is very colorful, hip and fun to explore