If you have an idea to visit Miami, one of Florida’s most beautiful destinations, we’ll tell you the best places to visit in Miami, Florida, as well as the most interesting things you can do in there. This premier vacation destination has beautiful beaches, great weather, history, culture, sports, and entertainment. Then, let’s start our tour of Miami.
1. Miami Beach
The list of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida cannot be completed without Miami Beach. Miami Beach is located on a barrier island and connected to the mainland by a series of bridges. South Beach, the southernmost portion of the island is where you can find many of the top attractions and things to do. The Art Deco Historic District is one of the biggest attractions in Miami Beach.
This expensive tourist district features many beachfront restaurants, shops, hotels, and plenty of sunbathing opportunities. Ocean Drive is the main street in this area. It is home to some beautiful Art Deco buildings. This coastal road was closed to all but pedestrian traffic in May 2020 but reopened to one-way vehicular traffic from 15th Street to 5th Street in 2022. Collins Avenue is running parallel to Ocean Drive. It is the main street in Miami Beach.
2. The Art Deco District
The art Deco Historic District is one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida. If you visit there, you can see uniquely designed buildings, in a range of pastel colors. Many hotels and restaurants, were restored after the hurricane that struck in 1926. These buildings’ lower levels have awnings that provide shade for outdoor dining spaces along several of the main streets. Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive are the two main streets through the historic district. If you like to stay here, we recommend staying at the luxury Delano South Beach or National Hotel Miami Beach, or the Hotel Breakwater South Beach.
3. South Beach
South Beach which is located at the southern end of Miami Beach is one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida. This is the most popular beach in Miami among tourists who plan a beach vacation to Miami. In the summer season, South Beach is filled with visitors. It is a great place to swim and enjoy the shallow waters, as well as sunbathe. South Beach hosts several festivals and events throughout the year as well. Ocean Drive and the coast are separated by a paved boardwalk. Art Deco buildings line the streets and most of them are luxury hotels and restaurants.
4. Vizcaya Museum
Vizcaya Museum is a national historical landmark and one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida. This mansion was built in 1916 and features 34 rooms arranged around a central courtyard. More than 1,100 workers and craftsmen were used to building this Italian Renaissance-style mansion. Most of them were brought over from Europe to ensure authenticity in design.
Vizcaya Museum and its gardens have spread over 28 acres. This building used to be the luxurious winter home of 20th-century industrialist, James Deering. If you visit there, you can see an amazing collection of European furniture and decorative arts from the 15th to 19th centuries. Also, there are beautiful Italian and French fountains, pools, and sculptures in the garden.
- Visit: 3251 South Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida
- Official website: http://vizcaya.org
5. Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park is one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida. You can reach within a short drive from Miami. The park protects one of Florida’s most unique natural features like alligators, crocodiles, snakes, and birds. It covers about 1.5 million acres and offers walking trails and boardwalks for wildlife viewing. Anhinga Trail, which leaves from the Royal Palm Visitor Center is one of the most popular walking trails in the park.
Anhinga Trail is less than a mile long but you can see alligators and other animals. Taking an airboat tour is the most enjoyable way to experience the Everglades. You can go out into the marshes and streams to see alligators and other wildlife via these high-speed boat trips. The Miami Everglades Airboat Adventure with Transport half-day tour provides transport from your hotel to the Everglades. It also includes a 30-minute airboat ride and a live alligator show at the Everglades Alligator Farm.
6. Bayside Marketplace
Bayside Marketplace is a large outdoor-style mall and one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida. It is located along Miami’s waterfront, looking out over docks and boats. The Marketplace consists of more than 120 tourist shops, cafes, and restaurants, as well as daily live entertainment. This area is a great place to soak up the atmosphere.
There is a Tour boat service. They leave from here and visit locations around Biscayne Bay. Hotels in downtown Miami and the surrounding area have access to a water taxi service. The Skyviews Miami Observation Wheel is one of the most attractive places at Bayside Market. This giant Ferris wheel towers 200 feet in the air and has 42 climate-controlled passenger gondolas plus one glass-floored VIP version.
- Address: 401 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Florida
- Official site: http://www.baysidemarketplace.com/
7. Little Havana
Little Havana is the Cuban district of Miami and one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida. It is popular for its distinctive cultural scene. You can find many restaurants and specialty food shops line the streets. The main road that runs through the district is Calle Ocho. You can experience many entertainment activities here.
There are numerous barber shops are located in this area as well. If you visit Little Havana, don’t forget to visit Cuban cuisine. The Calle Ocho Festival, held in March is one of the biggest street festivals here. It allows you to experience Latin American cultures, Latin American music, and Caribbean cuisine.
8. Bayfront Park
Bayfront Park is a 32-acre green space and one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida. It is situated on Biscayne Boulevard’s east side. If you visit there you can see several interesting monuments and sculptures. The electronically controlled Pepper Fountain is one of the highlights of the park.
The Light Tower, an arena used for musical performances, and the Challenger Memorial that commemorate the crew of the Challenger spacecraft are other highlights of Bayfront Park. You can find some exciting attractions near the park. For example, the Freedom Tower, the FTX Arena, and Maurice A. Ferré Park.
- Visit: 301 North Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Florida
- Official website: http://www.bayfrontparkmiami.com/
9. Perez Art Museum
The Perez Art Museum, also called as PAMM is one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida. It is located in a section of prime real estate on Miami’s waterfront. Artwork from the 20th and 21st centuries is on display at the museum. It has both a permanent collection and a collection of temporary exhibits. The permanent exhibits are displayed on the first and second floors. The temporary exhibits are displayed on the second floor.
The museum is a beautiful building that was designed by Herzog & de Meuron and the building is almost a work of art in itself. It also has a well-regarded on-site restaurant called Verde. If you visit there, don’t forget to enjoy lunch while watching the beautiful views out over the water. The Phillip and Patricia Museum of Science is located next door to the Perez Art Museum.
- Visit: 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, Florida
- Official website: https://www.pamm.org/
10. Miami Seaquarium
The Miami Seaquarium is one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida, and the ideal place for an afternoon of entertainment and education. It is located on the Rickenbacker Causeway on the way to Key Biscayne. The Seaquarium is home to a wide variety of sea animals, such as killer whales, dolphins, penguins, stingrays, and seals.
It also hosts animal shows such as Sealion, killer whales, and dolphin shows. Animal encounters are available for an additional fee as well. You have three options. They are interacting with dolphins, and penguins and swim with seals. The Seaquarium also displayed several educational animal exhibits. You will have to pay for the entrance and an extra $10 for parking.
- Visit: 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, Florida
- Official website: https://www.miamiseaquarium.com/
11. Phillip and Patricia Museum
The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida. If you are looking for something to do off the beach, this is the ideal place for it. Because the museum offers many interesting things for all ages. The museum has divided into four parts. The planetarium offers interactive displays and shows and you can learn about the solar system from here. Also, you can learn all about the ocean, if you visit to the aquarium. You can also see some permanent and traveling exhibits in the North and West wings.
- Visit: 1101 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida
- Official website: https://www.frostscience.org/
12. Children’s Museum
If you are traveling with your kids, Miami children’s park is a place you should visit. There are lots of educational and entertaining exhibits to see in this 56,000 square feet of space. There are fourteen themed galleries which displays which represents topics like arts, culture, community, and communication. If the kids are bored with indoor exhibits the museum offers four outdoor exhibits to play and enjoy time outside. Kids will love to explore the Port of Miami and explore a cruise ship in here.
- Visit: 980 Macarthur Causeway, Miami, Florida
- Official website: http://www.miamichildrensmuseum.org
13. Bill Baggs State Park
Miami has Florida’s most beautiful state parks. If you are looking for a family beach day trip, this is the ideal place for it. The park has a 1.25-mile-long soft-sand beach. It provides beautiful views out over the Atlantic Ocean. If you like to see birds, you can walk Robin’s Birding Trail. Because the park is a migratory bird hot spot.
You need to choose a park according to what you’d like to do here. If you’d like to hit the beach, park #6 is for you. If you like to visit both the beach and the historic lighthouse, you can choose park #7. If you looking for fishing, you can park your vehicle at the far end of the road in the parking lot by the restrooms. You can then quickly make your way to the fishing docks.
- Visit: 1200 South Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne, Florida
- Official website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/bill-baggs-cape-florida-state-park
14. Hobie Beach
Miami city is quite expensive due to restaurant prices, road tolls, and park and attraction admissions. If you are looking for a delightful beach spot without spending more money, Hobie Beach comes here. Hobie beach is located on the Rickenbacker Causeway. This place is one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida. The most important facts about this beach are it is dog friendly and offers free parking facilities. Hobie Beach is located in two different places. As you cross the causeway, the first place you see is the sailing and windsurfing hotspot where you may hire sailboats. Here, the beach is limited and sandy. The main beach area mentioned above is further along.
15. Zoo Miami
Miami zoo is one of the best places to visit in Miami, Florida, especially if you are traveling with your family. It houses more than 3,000 wild animals, including 40 endangered species. More than 1,000 different tree and plant species, including a significant collection of orchids, may be found at the zoo. These animals are housed in environments that match their natural habitats and are mixed in with other species that they would typically be at peace within the wild. Only this zoo is situated in a subtropical zone of the American continent. There are lots of fun activities for kids. The zoo allows feeding the giraffes. If they are bored with the animals, there is a water-themed play area.
- Visit: 1 Zoo Blvd, 12400 SW 152nd Street, Miami, Florida
- Official website: http://www.zoomiami.org/
Those are the most attractive places in Miami, Florida. If you plan to tour to Miami, don’t forget to visit these places. You will be able to get an amazing experience in Miami.
Hotels to stay in Miami
If you visit to Miami, you can stay in the below highly rated hotels. They are close to the most attractive places in Miami.
Luxury Hotels
- Hotel South Beach: The trendiest luxury, 426 rooms, and suites, maritime-themed decor, four swimming pools on-site, including the largest rooftop pool in South Beach, several restaurants with a healthy focus, pet-friendly, visitors have access to rides in the hotel’s Tesla vehicles within a three-mile radius
- The Setai, Miami Beach: Asian-inspired luxury resort, popular with couples on a romantic getaway, on-site restaurants, offers a posh spa and three swimming pools, high-end decor like hand-crafted Duxiana,
- Kimpton EPIC Hotel: A luxury hotel, located in the middle of the Miami skyline with views of the Miami River, downtown, and Biscayne Bay, a dog-friendly hotel, with two on-site restaurants, an on-site spa and fitness center, and two swimming pools with cabanas, This hotel only offers suites, which range in size from studios to penthouses with four bedrooms.
- Four Seasons Hotel Miami: A luxury hotel, located in the heart of the Brickell neighborhood in downtown Miami, two rooftop swimming pools, a kids’ club with organized activities, on-site Equinox fitness center and a spa
Mid-Range Hotels
- Urbanica The Meridian Hotel: Located in the hip South of Fifth neighborhood in Miami Beach
- Marriott Stanton South Beach: Located at the southern side of South Beach’s Ocean Drive, a kids friendly hotel, on site two swimming pools, a hot tub and a spa with a sauna and a modern gym, a good restaurant fronting the sea
- Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton – Miami-Brickell Downtown: Offers a free breakfast and swimming pool
Budget Hotels
- Hotel Shelley: An Art Deco building right on Collins Ave, offers rooms that have minimalist design and marble baths
- The Element Miami International Airport: Located right by the airport, Offers renovated rooms, with small kitchens, and an outdoor pool
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I go when I visit Miami for the first time?
Miami Beach, South Beach, Bal Harbour, Brickell, Downtown Miami, Key Biscayne, Little Havana, Coconut Grove, and Coral Gables are the greatest neighborhoods for first-timers to stay in. These are well-liked tourist neighborhoods with a variety of tourist attractions and services.
What is Miami known for most?
Miami is famous for its strong Cuban influence, gorgeous beaches, pleasant climate, and fantastic diving locations. The Miami Heat, the recognizable Miami tower, and the stunning Everglades National Park are just a few of the well-known organizations and locations that call the city home.
Is Miami truly expensive?
If you’re moving to Miami from high-cost-of-living locations like New York, D.C., and San Francisco, the cost of living is just about 22% higher than the national average.
Which month is ideal for travel to Miami?
Miami is at its most beautiful between March and May. Although the rest of the country is still defrosting, you may enjoy non-peak rates during these months with daily temps in the 70s.
Do I need a car to enjoy Miami?
If you live close enough to your home station and can get off near your destination, Miami’s elevated Metrorail and Metromover train systems can make commuting easy without a car.
Is Miami Beach a swimmable beach?
The beaches in Greater Miami & Miami Beach have always drawn swimmers and sunbathers with their calm, clear water and beautiful, white sand. There is enough of freedom for you and your crew to enjoy a relaxed day by the shore in a way that suits your preferences.
