4 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

      Allow Half a day (free). For a calmer stretch, walk south to South Pointe Park, where the pier looks out at cruise ships heading to sea.

   2. Late morning

      Art Deco Historic District

      The Art Deco Welcome Center on Ocean Drive runs guided walking tours.

   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

      Allow 1–2 hours (free). Check the New World Symphony's schedule for free WALLCAST screenings and bring a picnic blanket.

   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: South Pointe Park and Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach

   South Pointe Park, Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach and Wynwood Walls, then South Beach in the evening.

   1. Morning

      South Pointe Park

      At the southern tip of Miami Beach, South Pointe Park has lawns, a playground, a waterfront promenade and a fishing pier overlooking Government Cut, the channel where cruise ships pass close to shore on their way out to sea.

   2. Late morning

      Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach

      Allow 45 minutes (free). Afterwards, walk next door into the Miami Beach Botanical Garden, a quiet green space.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cafecito and colada

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

   4. Afternoon

      Wynwood Walls

      Opened in 2009, the Wynwood Walls is an outdoor gallery of large murals by international street artists, refreshed regularly, at the centre of a district where almost every warehouse wall is painted.

   5. Evening

      South Beach

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

3. Day 3: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and Pérez Art Museum Miami

   Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Pérez Art Museum Miami and Frost Science Museum, then Brickell in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

      Allow 2–3 hours (mid-priced). Arrive at opening to see the gardens and the bayfront terrace before tour groups arrive.

   2. Late morning

      Pérez Art Museum Miami

      Its shaded terraces, hung with vertical gardens, look out over the bay and the port.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Croquetas

      Cuban bakeries and cafés across the city.

   4. Afternoon

      Frost Science Museum

      Allow 3 hours (mid-priced). Look up through the giant oculus lens at the bottom of the aquarium to watch sharks and rays swim overhead.

   5. Evening

      Brickell

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

4. Day 4: Day trip to Everglades National Park

   About 1 hour by car each way. Getting there: Car or organised tour.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Everglades National Park

      About 1 hour by car (Car or organised tour); about 65 km.

   2. Day

      Everglades National Park

      The Everglades is a vast subtropical wetland of sawgrass, mangroves and hardwood hammocks. At Shark Valley, a tram tour or bike ride follows a 24 km paved loop to an observation tower over the sawgrass, with alligators often basking beside the path; airboat rides operate just outside the park along the Tamiami Trail.

   3. Evening

      Back in Miami

      Dinner: try Pastelitos.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Vizcaya Museum and Gardens before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 4 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 19–23 hours of visiting over 4 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
• 3 days in Miami
• 5 days in Miami
• 7 days in Miami

Questions travellers ask