An hour-by-hour plan — South Beach + Art Deco · Wynwood + Little Havana · an Everglades day trip · with a total budget and authentic Cuban restaurants.
Honestly, coming to Miami just to "lie on the beach" wastes the place. This city has the largest Art Deco District in the world, Wynwood Walls — a global mecca of street art, Little Havana that feels like a slice of Havana lifted across the strait, and the Everglades, a national park where you ride an airboat after alligators. This plan fits all four moods into 3 days, with an afternoon left for the beach.
Each stop notes how to get there (Uber/walk) and the cost — Miami's public transit is weak, so you'll Uber more than in other cities.
Walk down to Ocean Drive from your hotel — a 2-mile white-sand beach with Caribbean-style turquoise water. Rent a beach chair for $25-35/day or sit free at Lummus Park. Before 11am it's not too hot to lounge, but by midday you'll want shade.
A Cuban diner since 1962 on Collins Ave — the classic Cuban sandwich ($12) + cafecito (Cuban espresso $2). Alternative: Joe's Stone Crab (Oct-May only), Miami's legendary stone crab institution, at least $80/person.
The Art Deco Historic District has 800+ pastel pink/blue/yellow buildings — the largest such concentration in the world. The Miami Design Preservation League runs a daily $30, 90-minute walking tour (10:30 or 16:30) from the Art Deco Welcome Center. Or walk it free along Ocean Dr + Collins Ave.
🎟️ Book the Art Deco tour →A 10-block pedestrian street between 16th and 17th St — designer shops + open-air restaurants. Stop for gelato at Pizza al Taglio or a coffee. A chill vibe before evening.
Head to a rooftop bar at The Setai or Soho Beach House (guests only) — or the easy option, Mango's Tropical Cafe on Ocean Drive ($30-40 cocktail + Latin show). Dinner at Stiltsville Fish Bar or Forte dei Marmi (Italian). Ocean Drive's Art Deco neon is at its most stunning after dark.
A 15-minute Uber ($15-20) from South Beach to Wynwood — once an old warehouse district, now a global mecca of street art. Wynwood Walls is $12 (open daily) with an outdoor space + indoor galleries. Walk the surrounding streets for 100+ free murals.
Brunch in Wynwood — Coyo Taco (Mexican $15), Joey's Italian (pizza brunch $20), or KYU Asian-BBQ ($30). Specialty coffee at Panther Coffee. This is the hippest food district in Miami.
A 10-minute Uber ($10-15) to Calle Ocho — the Cuban refugee neighborhood since the 1960s, every sign in Spanish. Walk from 12th Ave to 17th Ave. Stop at Maximo Gomez Park (Domino Park) to watch the older men play dominoes under banyan trees, with the smell of Cuban cigars in the air.
A 50-year Cuban institution where US politicians have met and Anthony Bourdain once visited. Order ropa vieja (braised beef $18), media noche, a $2 café Cubano. Out front there's a ventanita (walk-up window) for pastelitos (puff pastry) + cafecito.
A 15-minute Uber to the Design District (Buena Vista) — Louis Vuitton, Cartier and contemporary art galleries. Photograph Buckminster Fuller's Fly's Eye Dome + a Tom Sachs sculpture. Then Uber to the Pérez Art Museum (PAMM) downtown ($16, closes 18:00; Thursdays until 21:00), a Herzog & de Meuron building on Biscayne Bay.
Book an Everglades airboat tour via Klook/Viator for $80-120, including pickup + a 60-minute airboat + alligator show + a mangrove canoe. Popular spots are Everglades Safari Park or Gator Park (Tamiami Trail SW 8th). 100+ real alligators; allow 4-5 hours total, back in the city by 13:00.
🎟️ Book the Everglades tour →A quick lunch en route — stop in Coconut Grove (Greenstreet Café $20). Then Vizcaya Museum (3251 S Miami Ave) — a 1916 Italian Renaissance riverside mansion + formal Italian gardens. Ticket $25, allow 2 hours — Miami's most popular wedding-photo spot.
Walk Coconut Grove, an old neighborhood from 1873 (Miami's oldest) with big trees + indie shops + boutiques. Browse the CocoWalk shopping center, then walk to Peacock Park on Biscayne Bay for the sunset.
Uber to Brickell (the financial district) — dinner at Komodo (Asian fusion $80-100) or KYU (Asian BBQ $60-80), the headliners. Finish at a rooftop bar — Sugar at EAST Hotel on the 40th floor (cocktails $20) — for the Miami skyline at night over Biscayne Bay. Budget option: Bayside Marketplace has waterfront bars throughout.
Estimated from the plan above · hotel costs assume a shared double room (split by 2) · excludes flights.
* Miami is most expensive in peak season (Dec-Apr), especially Spring Break (March) when South Beach rooms can hit $700/night. To save: stay in Mid Beach or Brickell instead of South Beach for about 30% less. Flights not included.
Click a pin to see which day each stop falls on.
This plan stays in South Beach both nights — Wherebest has hand-picked hotels within a 5-minute walk of the beach, with prices compared across 3 sites.