36+ Things to do in Miami, incl. map, hotel tips + printable list

No matter if you are planning to spend one week in Miami or only visit over the weekend – there are plenty of things to do in Miami with kids, adults, or as a couple. One of my favorite things to do in Miami is exploring the extensive arts and culture scene and there are several places you have to put on your itinerary for Miami. But Miami is for nature-lovers, sports enthusiasts, and foodies, too!

Things to do in Miami: Dive into Miami’s art + culture scene

Honestly, speaking, I’ve not expected Miami to be such a culturally rich city. When thinking of Miami, palm trees, long beaches, and skyscrapers came to my mind first, followed by the fact that Miami is a popular spring break destination.

This in fact didn’t push Miami to the top of my bucket list. But: Surprise, surprise: Miami is more than beach parties and nightclubs! Street art, street food, music, design, and lively neighborhoods like Little Havana or Little Haiti make Miami a city destination worth considering.

Wynwood Walls & Arts District

While you can find colorful murals all across the city, Wynwood is the epicenter of street art in Miami. Known as the arts district, Wynwood is home to Wynwood Walls, an outdoor museum and gallery dedicated to street art. Former warehouses showcase artwork created by globally known graffiti artists and muralists like Dan Kitchener, Tristan Eaton, Artur Bordalo, Farid Rueda, and Eduardo Kobra.

Photography tip: Come during the late afternoon when most of the visitors are gone and the light is soft and ideal for pictures.

• Opening hours: Daily 11am – 7pm / Fr + Sat 11am – 8pm
• General admission: $12

While Wynwood Walls itself is a relatively small outdoor space and easy to navigate, it’s worth strolling around the neighborhood to find more world-class street art.

Foodie tip: In the area on a Saturday? Stop by Smorgasburg Miami for excellent street food. Smorgasburg is the largest weekly open-air food market in America with three locations in New York City and one in Los Angeles. Since March 2022 it also has a hub in the heart of Miami’s arts district featuring 60+ vendors, music, and outdoor seating space.

• Opening hours: Every Saturday: 11-6
• Free entry

Little Havana for Cuban flair within the city

After Miami Beach, Little Havana probably is Miami’s most famous neighborhood. Even though the Cuban district sees a lot of tourists who either join a Little Havana walking tour or explore on their own. I want to be honest with you: Little Havana is more touristy than I had hoped. All “sights” are located along Calle 8 (SW 8th Street) and can be found in countless city guides.

Still, Little Havana is a neighborhood absolutely worth visiting if you want to dive into the city’s culture. This neighborhood is the heart of Miami’s Cuban population as it’s home to many Cuban exiles and immigrants from Central + South America. It’s them who brought their flavors, rhythm, and hardworking spirit to this once Jewish stretch of Miami in the 1960s and 70s.

Miami Design District

If you are looking to stroll around fashion stores, noble boutiques, design showrooms, art galleries, and chic restaurants, Miami’s Design District is the place to be. Even if it’s only for window-shopping and people-watching, the Miami Design district ranks on top of the most popular things to do in Miami.

Dive into Miami’s infamous nightlife

Sure thing, Miami is a world-class nightlife destination. Whether nightclubbing in South Beach is your thing, salsa dancing in Little Havana, or sipping your cocktail in an artsy rooftop bar – as soon as the sun sets Miami’s nightlife awakens. If you are visiting in late March, Miami Music Week and Ultra Music Festival probably are already on your list of things to do in Miami.

Dates 2023:

• Miami Music Week: March, 22-27 2022; 2023: tba
• Ultra Music Festival: March, 24-26 2023

Art museums in Miami

Wanna dive deeper into Miami’s art scene? Check out the following museums:

• Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), Downtown Miami
• Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami
• Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), Design District
• The Bass, South Beach
• Museum of Art and Design (MOAD) at Miami Dade College, Downtown Miami
• Rubell Museum, Allapattah
• Frost Art Museum at FIU, University Park
• Lowe Art Museum, Coral Gables
• Museum of Graffiti, Wynwood

Great museums in Miami to visit with kids:

• Miami Children’s Museum
• Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Downtown Miami

Things to do in Miami Beach

No question: Beaching is one of the top things to do in Miami either for couples, families with kids, or when traveling with friends. Located in South Florida, the city itself is home to more than 20 miles (32 km) of palm-dotted coastline and the tropical climate make Miami an all-year summer destination.

Lifeguard towers Miami South Beach

Probably THE no. 1 landmark that everyone associates with Miami Beach are the brightly colored lifeguard towers of Miami South Beach.

Did you know that 5 of the iconic lifeguard towers were designed by architect William Lane after Hurricane Andrew destroyed several of the lifeguard stands in 1992? His unique design became a hallmark of Miami associated with its revival after the devastation and many new lifeguard towers followed as a design competition.

Today there are 36 lifeguard towers located between the very tip of South Pointe Park up to 87th Street, all in different colors and shapes. From light blue, pink, purple, round, and square to lighthouse designs and dragon style, all come in an Art Deco-inspired aesthetic. The red-white-striped lifeguard tower is located at South Pointe.

Ocean Drive & Art Deco District

After you’ve found your favorite color of Miami’s popular lifeguard towers, it’s time to leave the beach and explore Miami’s Art Deco District. This historic district lined with bright-colored facades, pastels, and geometric structures was almost destroyed by developers in the 1970s who planned to build condos.

Thanks to a handful of activists who founded the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL) in 1976 this stretch of historic buildings were preserved.

Miami now can be proud to say the city has the highest concentration of Art Deco buildings in the world. Today the style of the 1920s and 1930s is still alive in Miami South Beach between Ocean Drive, Washington, and Collins Avenue. Even though a cheesy flair has been added by neon lights and loud music blaring from bars during the day. If you love architecture this historic stretch is one of the top things to do in Miami.

Miami North Beach

Quieter, more locals, less traffic. Depending on where you stay in Miami it might be more convenient to visit one of Miami’s northern beaches. Miami North Beach is a neighborhood located between 60th Street to the town of Surfside. I wouldn’t say Miami North Beach doesn’t necessarily attract fewer people, especially not on a sunny weekend. But you’ll definitely find fewer tourists.

Compared to Miami South Beach it lacks the unique Art Deco style, but the skyscrapers representing Miami Modernism (MiMo) architecture are equally impressive.

Things to do in Miami: Visit a major sports event

NBA Basketball: Miami Heat

Watching a Miami Heat game is probably the number 1 sports event that you have in mind when visiting Miami. The NBA team’s home court is FTX Arena in Downtown Miami and can be easily combined with any fun Miami activity during the day. But there is more to Miami than Basketball!

Hard Rock Stadium: Football, Tennis & Formula 1

Miami Open: Tennis at Hard Rock Stadium

Have you ever watched Tennis in a Football stadium? Well, this is one of the fun things that you can only do in Miami. Every year in March the Hard Rock Stadium, home ground to the NFL team Miami Dolphins is transformed into a Tennis arena to host the ATP Masters tournament Miami Open.

Did you know that Miami Open’s home location was Crandon Park in Key Biscayne for 31 years between 1987 and 2018 until the tournament moved to Miami’s Hollywood District in 2019?

The next Miami Open will take place from March 20 to April 2, 2023

Formula 1 in Miami

But not enough: Just recently, beginning of April 2022, Hard Rock Stadium became the venue for yet another famous sports event: After 5 years of negotiations Formula 1 has announced a 10-year deal with Hard Rock Stadium. The first-ever Miami Grand Prix took place on Sunday, May 8^th. Reigning World Champion Max Verstappen won the inaugural Grand-Prix, circumnavigating Hard Rock Stadium at Miami Gardens.

Things to do in Miami for nature lovers

Everglades National Park

When in Miami – no matter for how long – you have to visit Everglades National Park. Of Florida’s three National Parks, Everglades National Park is the most accessible from Miami. Only 2 hours drive and you’ll find yourself in the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. The maze of mangroves is home to the famous American alligator, turtles, snakes, birds, amphibians, even manatees, and the Florida panther.

The Everglades are best explored by boat, kayak, or foot and you can easily head to the Everglades for a day trip with your own rental car. Nonetheless, I’d recommend you to spend at least one night within the national park to fully soak up the vibe.

Find my accommodation tip for Everglades National Park below in the section: Where to stay In Miami. More things to do at the Everglades and how to plan your trip will be coming in a separate blog post soon.

Florida is home to 2 more National Parks close to Miami:

• Dry Tortugas National Park
• Key Biscayne National Park

Both national parks can only be reached by boat or seaplane (Dry Tortugas). So, plan more time to explore these national parks.

More outdoor destinations around Miami

• The Florida Keys + Key West
• Bill Baggs Cape Florida State State Park + Lighthouse, Key Biscayne
• Oleta River State Park

Best time to visit Miami

Even though Florida is an all-year travel destination, the spring months between March and May are the best for a city trip to Miami. Summer months are much hotter and wetter due to the tropical climate. Hurricane season makes travel planning more unpredictable.

The downside of visiting Miami in spring is that Florida is a popular spring break destination that attracts lots of party tourists. Hotel prices will be high and it’s more difficult to find calm spots at the beach.

My personal recommendation: Travel to Miami end of March or in April. Then the weather is still pleasant. At Everglades National Park you’ll have better chances of viewing wildlife and almost no mosquitos compared to the wetter summer months.

Where to stay in Miami: Hotels, Airbnbs & Eco-Tents

Depending on what activities you have planned it can be smart to split up your accommodations to different places. The choice between luxury hotels and Airbnbs is huge and if you stay one week in Miami it can make sense to switch locations.

Cozy studio in Hollywood, Miami Airbnb

We’ve split our stay in Miami into 3 sections. At the beginning of our 1-week-trip to Miami, we spent at an Airbnb in Hollywood. This quiet residential area felt calm and safe and was the perfect hub to explore Miami North Beach and visit sports events at Hard Rock Stadium.

We loved the style of the studio, location, and parking spot designated for guests and didn’t mind driving to Miami Downtown, Wynwood, or Little Havana from there. Just took about 30-45 minutes with our rental car. We had a wonderful stay at Magali’s place and I’d definitely recommend it!

Eco-Tents at Everglades National Park

As we didn’t only want to visit the Everglades for a day trip, we spent 2 nights within the national park and I can only recommend this to everyone who really wants to experience the park’s nature.

If you really are into nature, Everglades National Park is a great spot to kayak and camp. If you aren’t as adventurous, or simply don’t have camping equipment with you, Flamingo Campground offers a great alternative: Their safari-style Eco-Tents give you the full outdoor experience without any lack of comfort.

• Location: At the Southern tip of the national park next to Flamingo Visitor’s Center and Marina.
• Equipped with: either a queen or 2 double beds in winter.
• Price: starting at $90/per night.

Hotel tip Miami South Beach: The Betsy Hotel

For a true Miami experience, I cannot recommend enough to stay at Miami South Beach, at least for one night. I was lucky enough to have been invited by Kind Traveler to stay at The Betsy Hotel, a property well-known for supporting the local arts and culture scene.  

This family-owned hotel is not only a place to stay but to experience: Talking a curated events program ranging from yoga classes to live music, in-house photo exhibitions to a comprehensive library, and book collections in every room.

This beachfront gem has been honored by Travel + Leisure as one of the best hotels in the world for a reason: Located at Miami South Beach’s Ocean Drive the hotel is home to 130 guestrooms, including 25 suites that are spread across its two wings crafted by two different architects. Both wings are connected by an orb-shaped sky bridge which is being hailed as a groundbreaking piece of Miami Beach public art.

“The Orb” is just about to become another Instagram hotspot in Miami. A sculptural Poetry Rail honors local wordsmiths.

There are two pools (one rooftop pool and its tranquil counterpart located in the courtyard), a Skyline deck with a cocktail bar, where daily morning yoga sessions take place, and great on-site eateries.

Disclosure: I’ve been invited by Kind Traveler to stay at The Betsy Hotel. It’s been an honor for me to stay at Writer’s Room which has hosted 1.000+ visiting writers, artists, and creators to date.

About Kind Traveler: Kind Traveler is the world’s first socially conscious Give + Get hotel booking platform that empowers travelers to positively impact communities and the environment in the destinations they visit.

When booking The Betsy South Beach on Kind Traveler, you will receive exclusive rates and perks and have the opportunity to make a positive local impact with the South Florida CARES Mentoring Movement. The organization is committed to transforming the lives of at-risk children in South Florida. With 24% of Florida’s children living in poverty, South Florida CARES Mentoring Movement provides critical mentoring services that serve the emotional, social, and academic needs of at-risk children.

Miami Karte mit Sehenswürdigkeiten Restaurants + Hotels

Checklist: 36 Things to do in Miami

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QUESTIONS & COMMENTS?

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