7 days in Miami

Day by day

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

   South Beach and Art Deco Historic District, then Lincoln Road in the evening.

   1. Morning

      South Beach

      South Beach · Half a day · free.

   2. Late morning

      Art Deco Historic District

      South Beach · 2 hours · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cuban sandwich

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

   4. Evening

      Lincoln Road

      Check the New World Symphony's schedule for free WALLCAST screenings and bring a picnic blanket.

2. Day 2: South Pointe Park and Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach

   South Pointe Park and Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach, then Little Havana and Calle Ocho in the evening.

   1. Morning

      South Pointe Park

      South Beach · 1 hour · free.

   2. Late morning

      Holocaust Memorial Miami Beach

      South Beach · 45 minutes · free.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cafecito and colada

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

   4. 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.

3. Day 3: Wynwood Walls and Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

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

   1. Morning

      Wynwood Walls

      Wynwood · 2 hours · low cost.

   2. Late morning

      Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

      Coconut Grove · 2–3 hours · mid-priced. Timed tickets are sold online and weekends can sell out; book ahead.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Croquetas

      Cuban bakeries and cafés across the city.

   4. Evening

      South Beach

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

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

      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.

5. Day 5: Pérez Art Museum Miami and Frost Science Museum

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

   1. Morning

      Pérez Art Museum Miami

      Downtown Miami · 2 hours · mid-priced.

   2. Late morning

      Frost Science Museum

      Downtown Miami · 3 hours · mid-priced.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pastelitos

      Cuban bakeries in Little Havana, Westchester and Hialeah.

   4. Evening

      Brickell

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

6. Day 6: Day trip to Key Largo

   About 1.5 hours by car each way. Getting there: Car.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Key Largo

      About 1.5 hours by car (Car); about 100 km.

   2. Day

      Key Largo

      The first of the Florida Keys is home to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first undersea park in the United States, with glass-bottom boat trips, snorkelling and diving over the reef, and kayaking through mangrove channels.

   3. Evening

      Back in Miami

      Dinner: try Frita cubana.

7. Day 7: Biscayne Bay boat tour and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

   Biscayne Bay boat tour and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, then Wynwood in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Biscayne Bay boat tour

      Downtown Miami · 1.5 hours · mid-priced.

   2. Late morning

      Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

      Key Biscayne · Half a day · low cost.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Frita cubana

      Long-running frita counters on Calle Ocho in Little Havana.

   4. Evening

      Wynwood

      Breweries, cocktail bars and clubs among the murals, busiest on Friday and Saturday nights.

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 7 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 23–28 hours of visiting over 7 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
• 4 days in Miami
• 5 days in Miami

Questions travellers ask