Three-day Miami Itinerary for Kid-friendly Travel
You have made the plan and booked your tickets to Miami - the Capital City of Florida. More than being an urban center, Miami is known for its beaches and party spirit. Nestled in the center of pristine natural beauty, the city is fancy for many. Now the only question is how best you spend time in the city, especially if you have kids in the town. In short, what should your Miami itinerary look like?
We visited the beach city recently with a one-and-a-half-year-old kid and had a great time. All you need is the right planning. We have showcased below a three-day itinerary for Miami which includes activities that are kid-friendly. This is only broad guidance and specific activities would obviously change as per interests and tastes.
For details of various things to do in Miami are available at - Miami, Florida – Things to do with Limited Time
Day 1 of Miami Itinerary - Arrive in Miami and Beach Trips
This is the day you arrive in the city. We generally arrive at the destinations in the mornings to use that day to acquaint ourselves with the city, spend some time unwinding, and cover some easy-going sites. This also helps us avoid getting lost in a new city in the dark. This was no different and so we took the morning flight from San Francisco. We arrived in the city in the afternoon of a summer day on September 12, 2019. The city's charm had us mesmerized even from the flight as we landed at the Miami International Airport.
Once we had our bags, we headed straight to the rental car center and picked up our Avis. We traveled straight to the hotel at Miami Marriott Biscayne Bay. Now, there was some thought spent between the W South Beach and this one and we ended up taking the latter for its views of the bay. We had limited time in the city and knew we would not spend too much time on the beach and hence opted for a view. For someone who may wish to spend more time on the beach, or likes to be charmed by the waves of the sea, South Beach could be a good location too.
Day 1 - Let's call it Activity 0
Once we checked in and settled, we had a good lunch, thanks to the sandwiches wifey has put together from home. After about an hour of rest for the kid and replenishments for the adults, we were ready to begin our exploration of the city. We were really excited as Miami had always been on our bucket list for quite a long time. This was early evening by now and we had chosen to keep the day for time to relax by the beach and explore some of the areas around Miami Beach on the first day of our Miami Itinerary.
Day 1 - Activity 1 - South Beach
Our first stop for the day was the shores of South Beach. It took a scenic 15-minute ride through the maze of islands and bridges to reach South Beach. We were lucky to find a spot in one of the metered curbside parking. South Beach is one of the plush areas of the city and hence has a good crowd bustling in as the evening proceeds. We spent time by the waves trying to absorb the tranquility and splendor of the evening sea.
Day 1 - Activity 2 - Miami Beach
We then proceeded to the northern part of the shore and stopped at Miami Beach (North Beach). This one was more touristy and had the usual touristy crowd trying to make the best of their time in the city. While it was noisier, there is a charm in being part of such groups. We had good fun capturing pictures by the beach and the watchtower.
Day 1 - Activity 3 - Art Deco District
As it grew darker, the buildings across the road with their neon lights and quirky architecture attracted us. Most of these were restaurants with valets covering most of the elevation. Still, the extraordinary architecture finds its way to the observing crowd. This is the Art Deco district of Miami. The quaint buildings with curious architecture are good to spend time with in the evening. The rush of nicely dressed diners and the neon lights does create the overall party ambiance.
Day 1 - Activity 4 - Venetian Causeway - Bridge that opens
This was our first day in the city and we wrapped up the day with dinner on one of the arterial roads leading to Ocean Drive. We got to see the opening up of the Venetian Causeway Bridge at the top of the hour on our way. Ideally, any first-day itinerary involving arriving in the city would look like this. Alternatively, you could fit this into any of the evenings as is. This is not covered by any tourist map but we consider this an important experience on the Miami Itinerary.
A good source for more information on Miami would be their official tourism website - MIAMI, Greater Miami and Beaches
Day 2 of Miami Itinerary - The "Boat Day" - Everglades and Celebrity Homes
This day of the Miami Itinerary would cover two things unique or relatively uncommon and both of them involve a ride on the water. You could even call it a "Boat Day" of sorts. The first one is the Everglades Wetlands.
Day 2 - Activity 1 - Air Boat Tour of Everglades
Everglades National Park covers a huge area of wetlands rich in flora and fauna. The region attracts migratory birds and is home to a variety of alligators and crocodiles. You will enjoy an hour-long scenic drive to reach any of the three primary entry points into the wetlands. All three of them offer a ride on the airboat to explore the wildlife. An airboat is an open boat that uses large fans for propulsion. Though a bit noisy, they are the most economical way to explore the interior of the park. The ride would show you a number of animals and plants. At the end of the ride, enjoy a nice alligator show where the facilitator educates the guests on interesting trivia about these beings. Kids are allowed on the airboats after adequate precautions - life jackets and headphones.
Day 2 - Activity 2 - Bayside Marketplace
With a kid, we always recommend a break during the day when you can come back to the hotel and allow the kid to relax. You can use this time to come to the hotel and have some time before your next trip to the city. Towards early evening, we headed to the Bayside Marketplace. This is a shopping center with all top brands and many restaurants. We explored the shopping center for a bit before proceeding to the port.
Day 2 - Activity 3 - Celebrity Homes Boat Tour
We had booked an evening Celebrity Homes Boat Tour which was to depart from the port at the shopping center. It was a good boat, very different from the morning one, The cruise took us across the Biscayne Bay around Star Island. Enjoy the guide pointing out to all the plush mansions and highlighting their rich owners. The 90-minute boat ride is kid-friendly, though you may like to keep an eye on them.
Day 3 of Miami Itinerary - Getaway to the Key West
We take you on a day trip out of Miami on the third day in the city. We strongly recommend including at least a day trip to Key West on any itinerary for Miami. Key West is the southernmost point of the United States and a great drive to get to. The drive to Key West would be 4 hours at the minimum but with a number of activities en route we expect nothing less than 6 hours on the way. So expect a long day if you plan to cover both journeys in a single day.
Things to remember
We hope you have the best time in the city and the above itinerary would help you plan your visit. We would like to caution you to keep the following in mind while planning the trip.
- Rains and floods - Miami is known for sudden rains and is impacted by multiple hurricanes throughout the year. Slight rains can cause flooding in many areas & corresponding logjams. We recommend following up on the weather closely.
- Traffic and Tolls - You could face heavy traffic on most of the roads in Miami during office hours. Also, you should be aware that most of the roads coming into and going out of Miami Downtown are tolled roads. If you are from outside you may not realize this until the toll hit your rental invoice.
- Choosing Accommodation Carefully - You should explore various potential areas to find your hotel for your stay. The right accommodation can do wonders for your stay.
- Eating In The City - You could try one of the prime restaurants along the beachside on Ocean Drive. You will find a number of eateries at the Bayside Marketplace too.
- Beware of Touts - Similar to any other tourist destination, Miami has a lot of agents and touts trying to make money. Some of them may be genuine, but we recommend taking their word with a pinch of salt.
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