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5 Days · in Tampa

Five Days in Tampa: Icons, Museums & Neighborhoods

Five days is enough to see Tampa's icons and still explore the neighborhoods locals love. The first three days build from downtown and the Riverwalk, out to the Channelside museums and waterfront, and into the historic Latin quarter of Ybor City. Days four and five then move to South Tampa's Hyde Park, Bayshore Boulevard, and the University of Tampa minarets, and north to ZooTampa, the beaches, and the riverfront. Along the way you'll sample the Cuban sandwich, cafe con leche, deviled crabs, and celebrated neighborhood restaurants. Each day stays geographically focused to limit transit time, and the variety, museums, parks, architecture, sports, and food, captures the full breadth of the city.

5 days
Things to DoRestaurantsHotelsPhoto SpotsTravel TipsItinerariesLandmarks

Day 01

Downtown, the River & Riverwalk

Waterfront parks, the art museum, a river cruise, and city skyline views.

  1. Morning

    Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park

    Start at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park along the Hillsborough River while it's quiet, with the University of Tampa's minarets rising across the water. It's the ideal orientation point for a first full day downtown.

  2. Late Morning

    Tampa Museum of Art

    Devote a couple of hours to the museum's Greek and Roman antiquities and its rotating contemporary shows, housed in a striking riverfront building an easy walk from the park.

  3. Lunch

    Tampa Riverwalk

    Lunch along the 2.6-mile Riverwalk with the water and passing boats beside you, a scenic pause before the afternoon cruise departs from a nearby dock.

  4. Afternoon

    Pirate Water Taxi cruise

    Take a Pirate Water Taxi loop for an easy primer on the waterfront, gliding past the convention center, Sparkman Wharf, and the Water Street district along the river and channel.

  5. Late Afternoon

    Lilac rooftop, The Tampa Edition

    Head up to a downtown rooftop such as Lilac at The Tampa Edition for a wide skyline vantage. Late-day light and clear skies reward you with sweeping views over Water Street and the bay.

  6. Evening

    Cuban sandwich dinner

    Close the day with Tampa's iconic Cuban sandwich, layered with roast pork, ham, salami, Swiss, pickle, and mustard, at a classic lunch counter like La Segunda or one of the West Tampa institutions that claim its origins.

Day 02

Channelside, Water Street & the Waterfront

The Florida Aquarium, the history center, Sparkman Wharf, and the channel.

  1. Morning

    The Florida Aquarium

    Begin with the sharks, coral reefs, and the Wetlands trail at this Channelside aquarium. Arriving at opening helps you outpace the day's school groups.

  2. Late Morning

    Tampa Bay History Center

    Walk over to the Smithsonian-affiliated history center for exhibits on Florida's Indigenous peoples, Spanish exploration, and the region's cigar and cattle heritage. A weekday visit keeps the galleries calm.

  3. Lunch

    Sparkman Wharf

    Enjoy a casual lunch at Sparkman Wharf, an open-air food-hall district of local vendors set along the channel with lawn games, framed by the water on one side and the skyline on the other.

  4. Afternoon

    American Victory Ship

    Walk to the American Victory Mariners Memorial and Museum Ship, a restored World War II merchant vessel docked in the channel that you can tour bow to stern.

  5. Late Afternoon

    Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park

    Stroll the waterfront Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park beside Amalie Arena, with wide views across the channel to the port and cruise terminals through the warm-weather season.

  6. Evening

    Water Street dinner

    Dine in the new Water Street district, whose restaurants cover everything from oysters and sushi to modern Southern cooking.

Day 03

Ybor City & the Latin Quarter

Brick streets, cigar history, murals, boutiques, and celebrated Latin dining.

  1. Morning

    Ybor City historic district

    Walk the National Historic Landmark district's brick streets and wrought-iron balconies, starting at Centennial Park and the Ybor City Museum State Park, a green pause amid the neighborhood's cigar-town story.

  2. Late Morning

    Seventh Avenue shops

    Explore the independent shops, cigar rollers, and the J.C. Newman Cigar Company's historic El Reloj factory along Seventh Avenue, plus the galleries tucked into Centro Ybor and nearby side streets.

  3. Lunch

    Casual Ybor lunch

    Settle in for a shaded patio lunch, whether Cuban sandwiches at La Segunda's counter or tacos at one of Seventh Avenue's casual kitchens.

  4. Afternoon

    Centro Ybor & murals

    Wander Centro Ybor and the surrounding blocks past street murals and the neighborhood's free-roaming community cats, a stylish, unhurried afternoon of browsing.

  5. Evening

    Columbia Restaurant dinner

    Head to the Columbia, Florida's oldest restaurant, open since 1905, for Spanish and Cuban classics like the 1905 Salad and paella, with a nightly flamenco show.

  6. Evening

    Cocktail bar nightcap

    Finish with a drink at one of Ybor's historic bars or hidden speakeasies, soaking up the district's easygoing late-night energy.

Day 04

Hyde Park, Bayshore & South Tampa

A landmark riverfront museum, Moorish minarets, a historic neighborhood, and the bay.

  1. Morning

    Henry B. Plant Museum

    Spend the morning in the former Tampa Bay Hotel, now the Henry B. Plant Museum, exploring its opulent Gilded Age rooms and the 1891 building's Moorish Revival design, a highlight for all ages.

  2. Lunch

    Hyde Park Village

    Grab lunch at Hyde Park Village, where sidewalk cafes and chef-driven spots ring a shaded shopping green in one of Tampa's oldest neighborhoods.

  3. Afternoon

    University of Tampa campus

    Wander the University of Tampa campus around Plant Hall, whose silver minarets and Victorian gardens front the Hillsborough River just across from downtown.

  4. Late Afternoon

    Hyde Park historic bungalows

    Stroll Hyde Park's leafy streets to see its restored craftsman bungalows and grand early-1900s homes up close, an architecture walk worth taking slowly.

  5. Evening

    Bayshore Boulevard

    Walk a stretch of Bayshore Boulevard, said to be the world's longest continuous sidewalk, for a peaceful bay view and skyline across the water before dinner.

  6. Evening

    South Tampa dinner

    Have dinner in South Tampa, from the landmark Bern's Steak House and its famous dessert room to the restaurants along SoHo, South Howard Avenue.

Day 05

North Tampa, ZooTampa & the Riverfront

Stadium energy, a riverfront zoo, a bay beach, and upscale shopping to close the trip.

  1. Morning

    Raymond James Stadium

    Visit Raymond James Stadium, home of the Buccaneers and its towering pirate ship. Take a stadium tour, or catch a game if the schedule aligns with your trip.

  2. Lunch

    West Tampa eats

    Lunch in West Tampa near the stadium, home to old-school Cuban bakeries and sandwich counters that fuel game days.

  3. Afternoon

    ZooTampa at Lowry Park

    Head north to ZooTampa at Lowry Park on the Hillsborough River, known for its manatee rehabilitation center, Florida wildlife, and family-friendly rides beside the water.

  4. Late Afternoon

    Ben T. Davis Beach

    Relax at Ben T. Davis Beach on the Courtney Campbell Causeway and stroll the causeway trail for bay breezes and open-water photos.

  5. Evening

    International Plaza and Bay Street

    Finish shopping at International Plaza and Bay Street, an upscale mall with an open-air dining street near the airport.

  6. Evening

    Armature Works farewell dinner

    End your trip at Armature Works, a restored riverfront warehouse in Tampa Heights packed with local eateries and bars; arrive early or reserve for the standout tables.