Itinerary · Miami · United States
One day in Miami
A day-by-day plan grouped by neighbourhood, so you spend your time seeing Miami, not crossing it.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 5. Day 1: South Beach and Art Deco Historic District. Base yourself in South Beach.
Key facts
- Days
- 1
- Sights covered
- 5
- Day trips
- None
- Best base
- South Beach
- Book ahead
- Nothing essential
Day by day
Day 1: South Beach and Art Deco Historic District
South Beach, Art Deco Historic District, Lincoln Road and South Pointe Park, then Little Havana and Calle Ocho in the evening.
Morning
South Beach
For a calmer stretch, walk south to South Pointe Park, where the pier looks out at cruise ships heading to sea. Allow Half a day.
Late morning
Art Deco Historic District
Walk Ocean Drive by day, then Collins and Washington Avenues after dark, when the neon signs are lit. Allow 2 hours.
Lunch
Lunch: Cuban sandwich
Cuban cafés and bakeries in Little Havana, Westchester and Hialeah, and walk-up windows across the city.
Afternoon
Lincoln Road
Check the New World Symphony's schedule for free WALLCAST screenings and bring a picnic blanket. Allow 1–2 hours.
Late afternoon
South Pointe Park
Come in the late afternoon, when cruise ships often depart and the light falls on the water. Allow 1 hour.
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.
Before you go
If it rains
- Swap in Pérez Art Museum Miami (Downtown Miami): Have lunch on the bayfront terrace, then walk next door to Frost Science in Museum Park.
- Swap in Frost Science Museum (Downtown Miami): Look up through the giant oculus lens at the bottom of the aquarium to watch sharks and rays swim overhead.
Where to stay for this itinerary
$$$$ · Best for first-timers, nightlife, beach and couples
South Beach
Art Deco hotels, Ocean Drive and Miami's busiest stretch of sand
Pace and daylight
The sights in this plan add up to roughly 9–12 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.5 hours in December to 13.7 hours in June.
Getting between stops: Metro. Metrorail's elevated lines run from Miami International Airport and Coconut Grove through Downtown, while the free, driverless Metromover loops around Downtown, Brickell and the Omni area.
More or fewer days
Questions travellers ask
+Is one day enough in Miami?
One day is a taster: the plan below covers the essentials, but most visitors want 5. How many days Miami needs.