3 days in Miami

Day by day

1. Day 1: South Beach and Art Deco Historic District

   South Beach, Art Deco Historic District and Lincoln Road, then Little Havana and Calle Ocho in the evening.

   1. Morning

      South Beach

      The beach at Lummus Park, in front of Ocean Drive, is the classic Miami scene: wide pale sand, turquoise water, lifeguard towers painted in bright colours and volleyball courts, with the Art Deco hotels behind.

   2. Late morning

      Art Deco Historic District

      Walk Ocean Drive by day, then Collins and Washington Avenues after dark, when the neon signs are lit.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cuban sandwich

      Cuban cafés and bakeries in Little Havana, Westchester and Hialeah, and walk-up windows across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Lincoln Road

      Lincoln Road is a pedestrian mall running across South Beach, lined with shops and outdoor restaurant terraces.

   5. Evening

      Little Havana and Calle Ocho

      Visit on the last Friday of the month for Viernes Culturales, a street festival of music, art and food.

2. Day 2: Wynwood Walls and Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

   Wynwood Walls, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and Pérez Art Museum Miami, then South Beach in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Wynwood Walls

      The walls inside the ticketed garden are the best known, but the surrounding streets are free; come in the late afternoon and stay for dinner.

   2. Late morning

      Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

      Industrialist James Deering's Italian Renaissance-style winter villa, completed in 1916, sits on Biscayne Bay with formal gardens, a carved stone barge breakwater and rooms full of European antiques.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cafecito and colada

      Ventanitas, the walk-up coffee windows of Cuban cafés and bakeries all over the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Pérez Art Museum Miami

      Have lunch on the bayfront terrace, then walk next door to Frost Science in Museum Park.

   5. Evening

      South Beach

      Big nightclubs, hotel bars and lounges along Collins and Washington Avenues and Ocean Drive.

3. Day 3: Frost Science Museum and Biscayne Bay boat tour

   Frost Science Museum, Biscayne Bay boat tour and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, then Brickell in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Frost Science Museum

      The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science in Museum Park has a three-level aquarium built around a huge Gulf Stream tank, a planetarium and hands-on science galleries for all ages.

   2. Late morning

      Biscayne Bay boat tour

      Take a late-afternoon departure for the best light on the skyline and the mansions.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Croquetas

      Cuban bakeries and cafés across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

      At the southern tip of Key Biscayne, this state park has a long sandy beach, shady trails and the Cape Florida Lighthouse, built in 1825 and the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County.

   5. Evening

      Brickell

      Rooftop bars, lounges and restaurants that turn into party spots at weekends.

Before you go

• Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: Timed tickets are sold online and weekends can sell out; book ahead.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, South Beach keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Mid-Beach ($$$$) suits families, luxury, couples and beach. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 22–27 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.5 hours in December to 13.7 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in Miami
• 2 days in Miami
• 4 days in Miami
• 5 days in Miami
• 7 days in Miami

Questions travellers ask