A photograph of Miami

City guide · United States

Good for families in Miami, United States

Miami is a dispersed waterfront destination rather than one compact centre. Downtown and Brickell form the urban core on Biscayne Bay; Miami Beach lies across t...

Photograph · Marc Averette · CC BY-SA 3.0

1,102 Places
Suggested stay
3–4 days
Getting around
Metrorail, Metrobus, Metromover and local trolleys

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Miami

Editorial responsibility: Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Miami is a dispersed waterfront destination rather than one compact centre. Downtown and Brickell form the urban core on Biscayne Bay; Miami Beach lies across the causeways, while Wynwood, the Design District, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and Little Havana are separate districts with distinct identities. Plan by area and avoid assuming that places sharing a Miami address are within an easy walk of one another.

Checked 2026-08-26

Practical information

Language spoken
English is the principal language; no federal official language
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+1
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
United States dollar (USD)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
911
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type A and B · 120 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
Water quality is regulated locally; check the current notice for the destination

Planning a visit

November · November stays within the official Atlantic hurricane season through November 30, though it is beyond the main activity peak.

  1. January: best time to visit
  2. February: best time to visit
  3. March: best time to visit
  4. April: good time to visit
  5. May: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  6. June: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  7. July: viable with meaningful trade-offs
  8. August: recurring difficult conditions
  9. September: recurring difficult conditions
  10. October: recurring difficult conditions
  11. November: viable with meaningful trade-offs — current month
  12. December: best time to visit

Sources

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
    02 1 hour

    Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

    Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is an 83-acre botanical garden in Coral Gables, Florida, serving the Miami metropolitan area.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  2. Zoo Miami Zoo Miami
    03 1 hr 30 min

    Zoo Miami

    Zoo Miami is a zoological park located in southern Miami-Dade County. It is recognized as the only tropical zoo in the continental United States.

    • Must see
    • Family attraction
  3. Bayfront Park Bayfront Park
    04 1 hour

    Bayfront Park

    Bayfront Park is a public civic waterfront park on the eastern edge of Downtown Miami, where open lawns, paved paths and gathering spaces meet Biscayne Bay.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  4. Jungle Island Jungle Island
    05 2 hours

    Jungle Island

    Jungle Island is a wildlife and adventure attraction on Watson Island, positioned on the causeway between mainland Miami and Miami Beach.

    • Must see
    • Entertainment venue
  5. Crandon Park Crandon Park
    06 1 hour

    Crandon Park

    Crandon Park is a Miami-Dade County coastal park on Key Biscayne, reached beyond the Rickenbacker Causeway.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  6. Miami Children's Museum Miami Children's Museum
    07 1 hr 30 min

    Miami Children's Museum

    Miami Children's Museum is a hands-on family museum on Watson Island, between downtown Miami and Miami Beach. It turns learning into active play, with child-centered experiences connected to arts, culture, community, communication, and everyday roles.

    • Must see
    • Museum
  7. Everglades National Park Everglades National Park
    08 1 hour

    Everglades National Park

    Everglades National Park is a vast subtropical wilderness at the southern end of Florida. Sawgrass marshes, mangrove forests, pine flatwoods, hardwood hammocks, and shallow waterways form a landscape shaped by seasonal water movement.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  8. Biscayne National Park Biscayne National Park
    09 1 hour

    Biscayne National Park

    Biscayne National Park protects a predominantly marine landscape south of Miami, where aquamarine water, mangrove shoreline, coral reefs, and offshore islands meet. It includes Biscayne Bay, the coral keys, and part of the Florida Reef.

    • Must see
    • Nature site
  9. Flamingo Park Flamingo Park
    10 1 hour

    Flamingo Park

    Flamingo Park is a municipal neighbourhood park in Miami Beach’s South Beach area. It provides a substantial open recreational space within one of Miami’s most built-up coastal districts.

    • Must see
    • Nature site

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

How the city is laid out

Biscayne Bay separates mainland Miami from Miami Beach. Downtown and Brickell sit on the mainland waterfront; Wynwood and the Design District are north, Little Havana is west, and Coconut Grove and Coral Gables are southwest. South Beach occupies the southern end of Miami Beach and is a destination in its own right. Causeways and waterways shape every cross-city journey, so combine attractions on the same side of the bay.

Checked 2026-08-26

Getting around

Use Metrorail for selected mainland corridors, Metrobus for broader coverage and the free Metromover within Downtown, Omni and Brickell. Miami Beach, the City of Miami and Coral Gables also operate local trolley services. Walking is practical inside individual districts but not between most of them. Check Miami-Dade Transit and municipal service notices before travelling, especially when moving between the mainland and the beach.

Checked 2026-08-26

More city guides

Common questions

How many days should I spend in Miami?

Suggested stay for a first visit: 3–4 days. Build the visit around separate district days for Downtown and Brickell, Miami Beach, and the mainland neighbourhoods that interest you.

Are Miami and Miami Beach the same place?

No. Miami is on the mainland and Miami Beach is a separate city across Biscayne Bay. Causeways connect them, but they should be planned as separate areas.

Is the Metromover free?

Yes. Miami-Dade operates Metromover as a free elevated service linking stations in Downtown, Omni and Brickell, with connections to other transit services.

Can I explore Miami entirely on foot?

No. Individual districts can be walkable, but the destination is spread across the mainland, islands and causeways. Use transit or another connection between districts.

Where should I group mainland sightseeing?

Combine Downtown with Brickell, pair Wynwood with the Design District, and treat Little Havana, Coconut Grove and Coral Gables as separate mainland clusters.