5 days in Tampa

Day by day

1. Day 1: Tampa Riverwalk and Henry B. Plant Museum

   Tampa Riverwalk, Henry B. Plant Museum and Glazer Children's Museum, then Ybor City Historic District in the evening. A walking day (longest hop 0.5 km, straight line).

   1. Breakfast

      Breakfast: Cuban bread

   2. Morning

      Tampa Riverwalk

      Walk it north at sunset for the view of the Plant Museum's minarets across the river, finishing at Armature Works for dinner. (1–2 hours, free).

   3. Late morning

      Henry B. Plant Museum

      Visit in December, when the rooms are decorated for the museum's Victorian Christmas Stroll. (1–1.5 hours, low cost).

   4. Lunch

      Lunch: Tampa Cuban sandwich

      Ybor City bakeries and cafés and long-running Cuban sandwich counters across West Tampa.

   5. Afternoon

      Glazer Children's Museum

      Bring a change of clothes for the water-play gallery. (2–3 hours, mid-priced).

   6. Café break

      Café break: Guava pastries

   7. Evening

      Ybor City Historic District

      Visit by day for the history and cigar shops, then come back after dark if you want the bars on 7th Avenue.

2. Day 2: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Lettuce Lake Park

   Busch Gardens Tampa Bay and Lettuce Lake Park, then Columbia Restaurant in the evening.

   1. Breakfast

      Breakfast: Café con leche and Cuban toast

   2. Morning

      Busch Gardens Tampa Bay

      Ride the big coasters in the first hour, before queues build and summer thunderstorms close them in the afternoon. (Full day, expensive).

   3. Late morning

      Lettuce Lake Park

      Visit in the cooler morning hours; wildlife is most active and the boardwalk is shaded. (1.5 hours, low cost).

   4. Lunch

      Lunch: Deviled crab

      Cuban bakeries, Ybor City cafés and old-school West Tampa sandwich shops.

   5. Evening

      Columbia Restaurant

      Book the flamenco dinner show ahead; at lunch, the café side serves a classic Cuban sandwich without a reservation.

3. Day 3: The Florida Aquarium and Tampa Theatre

   The Florida Aquarium, Tampa Theatre and Ybor City Museum State Park, then Armature Works and Heights Public Market in the evening. A walking day (longest hop 2.4 km, straight line).

   1. Morning

      The Florida Aquarium

      Time your visit with a scheduled dive show at the coral reef tank; the timetable is posted at the entrance. (2–3 hours, mid-priced).

   2. Late morning

      Tampa Theatre

      Seeing a film is the best way in; guided balcony-to-backstage tours run on some days. (2 hours with a film, low cost).

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Spanish bean soup

      The Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City is the classic place to try it, often with the 1905 Salad.

   4. Afternoon

      Ybor City Museum State Park

      Start your Ybor visit here to make sense of the buildings you will pass on 7th Avenue. (1 hour, low cost).

   5. Evening

      Armature Works and Heights Public Market

      Take the Pirate Water Taxi from downtown and arrive by river.

4. Day 4: Day trip to St. Petersburg

   About 30–40 minutes by car each way. Getting there: Car via I-275 or the seasonal Cross-Bay Ferry.

   1. Morning

      Travel to St. Petersburg

      About 30–40 minutes by car (Car via I-275 or the seasonal Cross-Bay Ferry); about 35 km.

   2. Day

      St. Petersburg

      Across the bay, St. Best for culture, couples and food lovers.

   3. Evening

      Back in Tampa

      Dinner: try 1905 Salad.

5. Day 5: ZooTampa at Lowry Park and Bayshore Boulevard

   ZooTampa at Lowry Park, Bayshore Boulevard and J.C. Newman Cigar Company (El Reloj), then Ybor City in the evening.

   1. Morning

      ZooTampa at Lowry Park

      Head to the manatee area first; it is one of the few places to see manatees up close outside the winter season. (Half a day, mid-priced).

   2. Late morning

      Bayshore Boulevard

      Go at sunrise or sunset to avoid the heat, and look out for dolphins in the bay. (1–2 hours, free).

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: 1905 Salad

      The Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City and its other Florida locations.

   4. Afternoon

      J.C. Newman Cigar Company (El Reloj)

      Book a tour slot online; you can buy cigars rolled on site at the shop afterwards. (1.5 hours, low cost).

   5. Evening

      Ybor City

      7th Avenue's clubs, bars and late-night food, busiest on Friday and Saturday nights and during Guavaween.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Busch Gardens Tampa Bay before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 5 nights, Downtown and the Riverwalk keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Channel District and Water Street ($$$$) suits families, luxury and first-timers. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 28–38 hours of visiting over 5 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.4 hours in December to 13.9 hours in June.

More or fewer days

• One day in Tampa
• 2 days in Tampa
• 3 days in Tampa

Questions travellers ask