It didn't take long for Miami to make its way near the top of the list of our FAVORITE BIG CITIES in the United States.
I mean, the COAST and the CITY in one spot. Does it get much better? Over time, we've talked to many who prefer to go to the beach, while others would rather head to a big city.. Miami fulfills both. and it's absolutely beautiful.
In this travel guide, we want to provide all the information we have on what to do, what to see, where to stay, and what to eat in MIAMI, FLORIDA.
Miami is located on the southern tip of Florida. wayyyy down the Eastern seaboard. It's way far away from everything - 12ish hours from Birmingham, AL (factoring in stops). But, it has a major international airport (MIA), so flying is definitely a good option if you prefer not to drive for many hours.
Highlights of MIAMI
Compared to most major cities, downtown Miami isn't too big as far as sq. miles. Once you get there, most of the city is really accessible with interstates (I-95 & I-395) that run straight through it. Here's some of the highlights that we loved (and some pics to go with it). When you're forming your itinerary, be sure to include these.
Downtown MIA
South Beach & Ocean Drive
Key Biscayne & Bill Baggs Lighthouse
Brickell City Centre
Bayfront Mall
American Airlines Arena
Brickell Avenue Bridge & Surrounding Area
beyond that, there's a few more options that we did enjoy and would recommend seeing, but weren't at the top of the list.
Wynwood Walls
Little Havana
WHERE WE STAYED
We absolutely loved this place. Corner balcony that extends on both sides, right in the heart of the city with skyline views on one side and ocean views on the other. At night, it's spectacular. Here's a few pics from the balcony:
WHERE WE ATE
(and a couple more we wish we could've tried)
Bodega | South Beach
Batch Miami | Downtown
Black Market | Downtown
Bayfront Mall | Downtown
ChillN Ice Cream | South Miami
The Big Cheese | South Miami
NEARBY NATIONAL PARKS & ATTRACTIONS
Biscayne National Park - 45 min from downtown
Everglades National Park - 51 min from downtown
Key Largo, FL - 60 min from downtown
Islamorada, FL - 2 hours from downtown
Key West, FL - 4ish hours from downtown
Dry Tortugas National Park - hop on a ferry at Key West. 2 hour 15 min. ride to Dry Tortugas
Below is a really helpful breakdown of the city of Miami.
Brickell, Downtown, and South Beach was where we spent the large majority of our time.
FAVORITE THING WE DID:
Our last night in MIA, we rented bikes - electric bikes. 2 hours later, we were still riding. Once we were finished, we wished we had done it every night we were there!
Let me tell ya.. if you haven't done it, you need to. We rented from Ride On Miami - they have different stations throughout the city. It's like $3/30 minutes. We rode for 2 hours and it was $12.84. Worth every penny.
On their website, they have a map of every bike station in Miami. You can download their app & create your account. Then, pick your bike up at one station and drop it off at another!
Biking was the best way for us to see a large portion of downtown without having to walk it all. We also rode across the bridge towards South Beach (there is a bike lane on the other side of the guardrail). Because they were electric, it was no problem tackling big hills.
There are Citi Bike Stations all over the place, too. But, they weren't electric. Ride On Miami is the way to go.
STOPS ALONG THE WAY TO MIAMI:
If you're looking to break the drive up, there's a few stops along the way. For us (we live in Alabama), it was only one state south, but it took about 12 hours to get there once you factor in food and bathroom stops. We chose to break the drive up on the way down, but tackle it all on the way back.
West Palm Beach, FL - Scenic Drive, Mar-A-Lago, High-End Neighborhoods, Beach
Titusville, FL - Cape Canaveral, Kennedy Space Center
Orlando, FL - Disney World, Sea World
COST:
The trip ended up costing us a little over $400/person.
Breakdown:
AirBnB: $229 each - We wanted to stay at a nice place downtown with a balcony that had a great view. The place we booked was $381/night for 3 nights ($1,145.22). We split that 5 ways. Totally worth it.
Gas: Gas was about $60/person
Food: Food varied, but was around $125/person.
Souvenirs: varied.
Vehicle: FREE. We took a personal vehicle on this trip to save money - plus, there was only 5 of us this time. We split the cost of an oil change and didn't charge the vehicle owner for gas - simple way to help out.
We hope this guide has been helpful when you're planning your trip to Miami, FL! A city worth spending several days in!
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