Skip to main content
Miami
Photo: Dori · CC BY-SA 3.0

5 Days · in Miami

Five Days in Miami: Beaches, Art & Neighborhoods

Five days is enough to see Miami's icons and still explore the neighborhoods locals love. The first three days build a strong long-weekend plan: the downtown bayfront, the museums of Museum Park, Little Havana, and the murals of Wynwood. Days four and five then push south to Coral Gables and Coconut Grove for Vizcaya and Mediterranean-revival landmarks, and across the causeway to South Beach and the Art Deco District. Along the way you'll sample Cuban sandwiches, stone crab, Haitian griot, and celebrated neighborhood restaurants. Each day stays geographically focused to limit transit time, and the variety, museums, gardens, beaches, art, and food, captures the full breadth of the city.

5 days
Things to DoRestaurantsHotelsPhoto SpotsTravel TipsItinerariesLandmarks

Day 01

Downtown, Biscayne Bay & Skyline

Bayfront parks, a history museum, a bay cruise, and the Skyviews wheel.

  1. Morning

    Bayfront Park

    Start along Biscayne Bay at Bayfront Park, walking its waterfront paths and fountains while the downtown core is still quiet. It's the ideal orientation point for a first full day.

  2. Late Morning

    HistoryMiami Museum

    Devote an hour or two to this Smithsonian-affiliate museum, whose galleries trace the city's Tequesta roots, Cuban exile history, and boomtown growth, a short walk inland from the bay.

  3. Lunch

    Bayside Marketplace

    Lunch at the waterfront stalls and restaurants of Bayside Marketplace, with the marina and bay beside you before the afternoon cruise departs from the same docks.

  4. Afternoon

    Biscayne Bay cruise

    Take a sightseeing cruise from Bayside for the definitive skyline primer, gliding past the downtown towers, the Port of Miami, and the celebrity mansions of Star Island.

  5. Late Afternoon

    Skyviews Miami Observation Wheel

    Board the 200-foot Skyviews wheel back at Bayside. Late-day light rewards you with sweeping views over the bay, the port, and the downtown skyline.

  6. Evening

    Brickell dinner

    Close the day in Brickell, whose riverside and Mary Brickell Village restaurants cover everything from Peruvian and steak to modern American cuisine.

Day 02

Museum Park & Little Havana

PAMM, the Frost science museum, and Calle Ocho along the bay and beyond.

  1. Morning

    Pérez Art Museum Miami

    Begin at PAMM for its contemporary collection and Herzog and de Meuron building, whose hanging gardens overlook the bay. Arriving at opening keeps the galleries calm.

  2. Late Morning

    Frost Museum of Science

    Move next door to the Frost for the three-level aquarium, the planetarium dome, and hands-on physics exhibits. A timed entry ticket keeps waits short.

  3. Lunch

    Museum Park lawns

    Enjoy a casual or picnic lunch on the greens of Maurice A. Ferré Park, framed by Biscayne Bay on one side and the skyline on the other.

  4. Afternoon

    Calle Ocho, Little Havana

    Head west to Southwest 8th Street, the heart of Little Havana, to browse cigar shops, fruit stands, and galleries along the city's most storied Cuban corridor.

  5. Late Afternoon

    Máximo Gómez Park

    Stop at Domino Park to watch neighborhood regulars play under the pavilions, then catch live music at nearby Ball and Chain, a landmark since the 1930s.

  6. Evening

    Little Havana dinner

    Dine on classic Cuban cuisine at Versailles or Havana 1957, ordering ropa vieja, lechón, and a strong cafecito to finish.

Day 03

Wynwood, Midtown & the Design District

Murals, galleries, boutiques, and celebrated independent dining north of downtown.

  1. Morning

    Wynwood Walls

    Start at Wynwood Walls, the open-air museum of large-scale murals that turned a warehouse district into a global street-art destination, best seen before midday crowds.

  2. Late Morning

    Wynwood galleries & shops

    Explore the surrounding galleries, breweries, and independent boutiques along Northwest 2nd Avenue, plus the murals tucked down nearby side streets.

  3. Lunch

    Coyo Taco

    Settle in at Coyo Taco for tacos and a hidden back-room bar, or graze the stalls at the 1-800-Lucky food hall a block away.

  4. Afternoon

    Miami Design District

    Wander north into the Design District past its luxury flagships, public art, and the free Institute of Contemporary Art, a stylish, unhurried afternoon of browsing.

  5. Evening

    Midtown dinner

    Head to Midtown or the Design District for dinner, home to some of Miami's most lauded independent restaurants and chef-driven tables.

  6. Evening

    Cocktail bar nightcap

    Finish with a drink at one of Wynwood's inventive cocktail bars or rooftops, soaking up the neighborhood's easygoing creative vibe.

Day 04

Coral Gables & Coconut Grove

A bayfront villa, a historic spring-fed pool, and Mediterranean-revival landmarks.

  1. Morning

    Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

    Spend the morning at Vizcaya, James Deering's 1916 Italian Renaissance villa, exploring the antique-filled rooms and the formal gardens above Biscayne Bay, a highlight for all ages.

  2. Lunch

    Coconut Grove cafés

    Grab lunch in Coconut Grove near CocoWalk, where sidewalk cafés and international spots line the shaded blocks around Grand Avenue and Main Highway.

  3. Afternoon

    Venetian Pool

    Drive into Coral Gables to the Venetian Pool, a spring-fed lagoon carved from a coral rock quarry in 1924, with grottoes and waterfalls, an architecture pilgrimage worth timing for open hours.

  4. Late Afternoon

    The Biltmore Hotel

    Tour the grounds of the 1926 Biltmore Hotel to see its landmark tower and enormous pool up close, a centerpiece of George Merrick's planned garden city.

  5. Evening

    Coconut Grove waterfront

    Return to the Grove for a peaceful walk through Peacock Park and along the Dinner Key marina before dinner.

  6. Evening

    Coral Gables dinner

    Have dinner along Miracle Mile or Giralda Plaza, whose walkable restaurant row covers Spanish, Italian, and modern American tables.

Day 05

South Beach & the Art Deco District

Pastel architecture, ocean beaches, and Lincoln Road shopping to close the trip.

  1. Morning

    Art Deco Historic District

    Begin on Ocean Drive among the pastel Art Deco hotels of the 1930s. A guided or self-guided walking tour explains the district's streamlined design and preservation story.

  2. Lunch

    Española Way

    Lunch on the Mediterranean-style pedestrian lane of Española Way, whose cafés and tapas bars fill a picturesque block just off the beach.

  3. Afternoon

    Lincoln Road Mall

    Stroll the open-air Lincoln Road Mall, an eight-block pedestrian promenade of shops, restaurants, and people-watching in the heart of South Beach.

  4. Late Afternoon

    Lummus Park Beach

    Relax on the wide sand at Lummus Park and walk the palm-lined promenade for classic ocean-and-lifeguard-stand photos.

  5. Evening

    Sunset Harbour

    Wander over to Sunset Harbour for cocktails and boutique browsing in one of South Beach's most relaxed corners as the light softens.

  6. Evening

    South Beach farewell dinner

    End your trip with dinner in South Beach; reserve ahead for Joe's Stone Crab or the district's standout seafood and steak tables.