Miami is one of the best vacation destinations in the US and in the world. It has the most beautiful sand beaches, the original, colorful Art-Deco District and interesting neighborhoods. The city is known by most of people for parties and night life, but I think that it has many other amazing things to offer. I went to Miami three times since I’ve been living in the US and I loved it a lot! I created this Miami Ultimate Travel Guide to help you to plan your trip to Miami, Florida. It covers how to book affordable flights, where to stay, what to eat and what to visit in Miami. I hope you enjoy it!

when is the best time to visit miami?

The best weather conditions in Miami are between January and March. My fiancé (now husband!) and I, flew to Miami in March 2024 for 10 nights. The weather was great and I considered it to be the best time to visit Miami. In 2023, I also went to Miami in March with my bestie. The weather was sunny and dry, it wasn’t humid at all, the temperature was around 80s. Once, I went to Miami in May and it rained every day and the humidity was high. I remember that one local told us, that May is the rainiest month in Miami. Avoid Miami from June through end of November, since it’s a hurricane and rainy season.Overall, winter and early spring is the best time to visit Miami. The temperature is around 80s, it’s sunny and you can still swim in the ocean.

How to get to miami?

We flew United to Miami (MIA) from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and paid around $335 for a round-trip for one person. You can definitely find cheaper flights if you book earlier, but I still find it a good deal. Our check-in luggage was for free and we also received a free upgrade into Economy Plus. I have a Chase United Card (Business specifically) which allow me to earn miles and get free upgrades and luggages, you can apply for yours here. They have many options, you can apply for this one that suits you and your needs the best. I highly recomend you getting one, especially when you travel a lot as we do. We often get free flights for miles, thanks to this card. Don’t wait longer and order your card for free here.

The view from our window during take-off from Miami International Airport

where to stay in miami?

There are many options when it comes to staying in Miami. We stayed at two totally different hotels, the first one was in South Beach and the second was in Surfside. It depends if you’re looking for a quiet neighborhood where locals live or a vibrant, touristy area. I considered South Beach to be the best place to stay at when in Miami. Don’t stay directly near Ocean Drive since it’s very busy. Somewhere a bit further would be ideal!

South Beach

The first hotel that we loved the most and stayed at, was Urbanica Euclid. We had a beautiful, spacious and modern room overlooking lush palmtrees. A complimentary prosecco was served daily at the front desk and beach towels were provided. The brand has another, sister hotel, Urbanica Fifth, which has a swimming pool on the desk. We had dinner at their restaurant, Editor, the food and cocktails were very good!

SURFSIDE & Bay harbor islands

If you’re looking for more quiet neighborhood, Surfside and Bay Harbor Islands are a perfect place to stay. We stayed at Altair Hotel in Surfside, located about 10 minutes walk for a beach, with a few coffee shops nearby. The hotel has a private beach with free sunbeds and umbrellas where they provide the transportation every hour. Also, they have a wonderful breakfast buffet with many kosher options. It was delicious and very healthy!

WHAT TO do IN MIAMI?

There is so much to do and to see in Miami. From soaking up the sun in Miami Beach, to exploring vibrant neighborhoods, eating great food and visiting designer stores. Here are the best things to do and to see in Miami:

soak up the sun at miami beach & check lifeguard towers

Miami is a great place to relax on the beach, the water is very warm, clear and turquoise! The beaches aren’t crowded at all, you can definitely chill and soak up some sun there. I recommend checking out beaches further from the Ocean Drive, up from Collins Ave & 42th Street. Miami Beach is well known for its picturesque and colorful lifeguard towers. The best way to explore them is to rent a bike and ride along the beachwalk.

BOOK A SUNSET CRUISE

Sunset Cruise in Miami should be definitely on everyone’s bucket list! It’s a great, affordable experience with amazing views of Miami downtown and nearby islands. We went on a golden hour cruise with the company Miami on the Water, one ticket costed $35. I highly recommend you doing this!

Rent a bike aND go to south pointe park

South Pointe Park is a beautiful green space located in the South of Miami Beach. One day, we rented the bikes from our hotel in Surfside (Altair Hotel, you can book it here) and went all the way until the southern tip of Miami Beach. There is a biking route along the beach, where you can just enjoy beautiful views of the beach and lifeguards towers. If you love exploring, this activity is perfect for you! You can stop for a drink or snack, I recommend you to rent the bikes for the whole day and explore Miami Beach. You will love it!

Go to ocean drive (art deco district)

Ocean Drive is a famous street in South Beach known for its vibrant night life, beautiful Art Deco architecture and long, sandy beach located nearby. The street is lined with hotels, shops, bars, clubs. The thing I love the most about this place is the stuninning architecture with lots of cute, Art Deco buildings. You can find there many iconic hotels such as the Colony Hotel or Avalon Hotel, as well as the Versace Mansion. I don’t recommend staying there (since it’s very loud), but it’s a great place to explore during the day or night.

Afternoon at the Ocean Drive in Miami South Beach

watch sunrise at key biscayne

Key Biscayne was my favorite spot for watching sunrises in Miami. We went to Crandon Park which was filled with lots of palm trees. The place gave us all tropical vibes! We rented a car to get there, it’s like a 20 min drive from South Beach.

Watch sunset from Biscayne Bay Path

I love watching sunset over Miami downtown from this spot. It’s a picturesque walkway along the water, from where you can see one of the best views of Miami. The access is free, but there is no too many parking places. Here you can find the location.

an instagram worthy: miami magic mountain

Miami Magic Mountain is an impressive street art inspired by Seven Magic Mountains in Nevada, near Las Vegas. It’s located in Collins Park, at 2100 Collins Avenue, Miami.

Visit an alligator farm in everglades

We went to Everglades Alligator Farm when going back from Key West. It was such a fun experience! I suggest you adding an airboat ride into your experience, it was amazing! It was short, but we enjoyed it a lot. We also went to Key West for a few days, but I will write a separate blog post about this trip.

Explore wynwood art district

If you love street art and murals, you need to visit Wynwood District. Wynwood is full of eclectic restaurants, designer shops and industrial buildings. It looks very authentic to me, the streets there are absolutely stunning. When in Wynwood, visit Wynwood Walls (the ticket costs $12) with beautiful murals and 1-800-Lucky, which is a big foodhall with great vibes. Check out the speakeasy Dante’s HIFI+, our local friend recommended it and we loved it.

Where to eat in Miami?

As you probably know from my Instagram, I’m such a foodie and I love to explore new restaurants. I grew up in Europe and I have pretty high standards when it comes to the food. I can tell you, Miami has one of the best restaurant selection in the United States! Here are my favorite restaurants that we visited, they serve delicious food!

Gitano miami

Gitano is a beautiful restaurant offering Mexican and Mediterranean cuisine. They have a rooftop lounge on top of Casa Faena, wihch is a boutique hotel. We had there cocktails and mains, I had Branino fish in banan leaves and it was so good! The stuff was great and we loved everything about our experience.

Rooftop Lounge at Gitano Miami (Casa Faena Hotel)

Cafe bastille

Cafe Bastille is a French-inspired cute cafe. This is my favorite spot for brekafast, brunch and lunch! Cafe Bastille has two locations in Miami - one in South Beach and one in Miami Downtown. We visited that one in South Beach, everything looked and tasted delicious. My favorite dishes were salmon bowl and avocado toast with poached eggs.

BurgermEister

BurgerMeister is the best spot for delicious and affordable burgers! We visited their two locations - Miami Downtown and South Beach, the first one was slightly better and less touristy. If you’re looking for a great burger, check out this place!

Fratelli la bufala

This is a cute Italian restaurant located in South Beach Miami, they have delicious pizzas, lasagne’a and more! It was our go-to spot and we had there many dinners. It’s authentic, run by Italians.

NOVIKOV MIAMI

Novikov is an upscale and elegant restaurant with Japanese influence located in Miami downtown. We went there after our sunset cruise, it was only 5 min walk from the dock. We had there delicious cocktails and bao buns. It’s pretty expensive there, this is why I recommend this place for a cocktails and some apetizers.

Dante’s hi-fi

When you will be in Wynwood, don’t forget to add Dante’s HIFI to your cocktail bar bucket list. It’s speakeasy with a great vibes, that our local frien recommended. The cocktails were delicious!

PURA VIDA

Pura Vida is an all-day cafe and chain in Miami. They have delicious iced latte and acai bowls, we loved everything about this place. Check our their locations here.