6 best day trips from Miami

Day trips compared

The day trips

65 km · About 1 hour by car

1.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.

Getting there

Car or organised tour

Best for

Families, First-timers

100 km · About 1.5 hours by car

2.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.

Getting there

Car

Best for

Beach, Families, Couples

260 km · About 3.5–4 hours by car

3.Key West

The Overseas Highway crosses the Seven Mile Bridge on the way to Key West, the southernmost city in the continental United States, with the Ernest Hemingway Home, Duval Street and nightly sunset gatherings at Mallory Square. It is a very long day trip; a night or two is far better.

Getting there

Car or coach along the Overseas Highway

Best for

Couples, Nightlife, First-timers

45 km · About 30–45 minutes by train or car

4.Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale has a long beach backed by its wave-shaped beachfront wall and the boat-lined canals around Las Olas Boulevard, where water taxis shuttle between restaurants and shops. It is calmer than South Beach and an easy half-day trip.

Getting there

Brightline or Tri-Rail train, or car

Best for

Beach, Couples, Families

110 km · About 1 hour by Brightline

5.Palm Beach

Palm Beach's Worth Avenue is lined with designer shops around Mediterranean-style courtyards, and the Flagler Museum occupies Whitehall, Henry Flagler's 1902 Gilded Age mansion. The Lake Trail along the Intracoastal Waterway is a pleasant walk or bike ride.

Getting there

Brightline to West Palm Beach, then taxi or rideshare

Best for

Luxury, Couples, Culture

50 km · About 1 hour by car

6.Biscayne National Park

About 95 per cent of this national park is water: coral reefs, mangrove shores and small islands in Biscayne Bay. From the Dante Fascell Visitor Center at Convoy Point, boat tours and paddling trips head out to the keys and reefs.

Getting there

Car to Convoy Point, then boat tour

Best for

Families, Quiet stays

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Metrobus routes cross the causeways to Miami Beach, including an express route from the airport, and free local trolleys run loops in Miami Beach, Coral Gables and other neighbourhoods.
• Brightline trains run from MiamiCentral in Downtown to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando International Airport, and Tri-Rail commuter trains serve the Fort Lauderdale area.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask