Miami is one of those cities that I find hard to describe. It’s eclectic and overwhelming in it’s mix of excessive luxury and it’s down to earth culture depending on where you visit. Even on my first visit to the city, I fell in love with how Miami just seemed like a jumble of cultures thrown together to make this beautiful urban paradise. Since moving to South Florida, and having the opportunity to visit more often, I’ve only fell more in love with it’s quirkiness. If you’re looking for a unique sunny getaway, Miami is your city!
Quick Overview-
- Location- Miami is the southernmost city in the United States, located in Southeast Florida on the Atlantic Ocean coastline.
- Budget- $$$$$
- Language- Miami is a bilingual city, with much of it’s population speaking both English & Spanish.
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Where to Stay-
If it’s your frist time visiting Miami, I recommend staying in South Beach. It’s definitely more of a touristy area but makes a great base for exploring the city since there are tons of things to do nearby and great transportation options to to get around. Below are some great accommodation options in the South Beach area:
The Clay Hotel– Joe and I stayed here during a long weekend trip before we moved here and absolutely loved it. The hotel is located on an adorable pedestrian-only side street called Española Way, that had amazing restaurants and a lively atmosphere at night. The rooms were small but clean and the included breakfast was an added bonus! The real selling point of this hotel was the location- everything in South Beach was within 10 minutes walking distance. Price is usually around $100-$175 a night.
The Setai Miami Beach– This is my all time favorite hotel in Miami Beach! The rooms are lovely but the pool is what really steals the show. It’s a beautiful setting that makes you feel like your miles away from the hustle and bustle of South Beach. It’s the perfect place to sit back and relax! Their spa is a must and you can get great deals during Miami Spa week!
The Freehand– When I was were booking our first weekend in Miami, we were torn between The Clay Hotel and The Freehand, a boutique hostel that came with glowing reviews from a personal friend. We ultimately picked The Clay due to it’s prime location but anyone we know who has stayed at The Freehand has loved it. The hostel has both dorm rooms and private rooms depending on your preference. They also have an in-house cocktail bar, The Broken Shaker, which is known for it’s unique cocktails. Price is usually around $37 a night for a dorm bed or $99-$200 a night for a private room.
What to do-
Explore South Beach-
South Beach has something for everyone! A great way to start your first day is by walking down Ocean Drive which is the main strip in South Beach. This is the area with all of the art deco architecture and candy colored buildings that you see in pictures. It also runs parallel to the beach so you can pop over and enjoy the beautiful view of the ocean. If you don’t want to walk, Decobike has a service where you can rent bikes all over South Beach and then drop them at a number of drop off points.
If the Florida weather turns on you and it rains, don’t worry– there is a uniquely Miami rainy day experience to be had at the World Erotic Art Museum. It was fun to go and laugh at all of the raunchy art collected by a GRANDMA— yes, you read that right. Admission costs $15 and you can easily kill a few hours here.
I wouldn’t recommend eating on Ocean Drive. Everything is incredibly overpriced. On our first visit to Miami, we made a rookie mistake and ordered drinks from a restaurant that was promoting a happy hours special for buy one get one free– but they failed to mention that one drink cost $45!! Granted the drinks were huge but certainly not worth that kind of money. You’ve been warned. 🙂
Lastly, for a nice evening in South Beach head over to Lincoln Road, an outdoor mall that stretches across the entirety of Miami Beach. Mixed in with your mall favorites you can find unique stores like Dylan’s Candy Bar, a South Beach staple! After this hit up one of the many clubs in South Beach— Nikki Beach is a classic!
Wynwood Walls-
The Wynwood Walls area is definitely up and coming. What used to be a bunch of run down warehouses is now an amazing street art installation that has attracted art galleries and trendy cafes to the neighborhood. This is an instagramer’s dream with amazing walls of art to pose as the perfect Insta background.
Pop into Panther Coffee, an amazing specialty coffee shop, for one of their unique brews while you walk around.
Calle Ocho-
Calle Ocho or “Little Havana” is the Cuban culture center of Miami. No travel guide to Miami should leave out this unique street. The street is dotted with cigar shops and delicious Cuban restaurants. Make sure to stop by Domino Park, where you can watch Cuban men while away the afternoon with friendly games of dominos. If you’re looking for amazing Cuban food, skip Versallies and go across the street to La Caretta which has more authentic food at a lower price tag!
Check out my guide on all the best places to try Cuban Food on Calle Ocho!
Downtown Miami-
No travel guide to Miami would be complete without a visit to downtown Miami. It often gets overshadowed by the neighboring tourist attractions but is definitely worth a look. If you are looking to add a little culture to your Miami trip, then you can’t miss the Pérez Art Musem. The Museum has new and exciting exhibits all the time and is only $16 dollars to visit. (pssst– if you go on the first Thursday or Second Saturday of every month, admission is FREE!)
If you want to get an overall feel of Downtown Miami, catch a ride on the Metromover. This free mode of monorail transportation is a 4.4-mile loop, that stops at some of the major destinations downtown. Be sure to hop off at the American Airlines Arena to check out the home the Miami Heat!
Why Should You Go to Miami?
I feel like I used the word unique too many times in this travel guide to Miami, but that really is the best word to describe this city. It’s unlike any other city I’ve been to in the USA. I found it fascinating on my first visit and have only fallen more in love with it’s hidden gems the longer I live in South Florida. From raucous nightlife to laid back beaches, Miami truly has something for everyone.
Great guide!! Lived in Florida my whole life and have still only driven through Miami. May have to go stay soon!!
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A great guide to Miami. I love visiting the Wynwood district, there are so many cool murals to snap and cute bars to stop in!
Loved the Wynwood area so much! I have much more exploring of Florida to do now. Can’t wait 🙂
This is an amazing guide! I’ve never been to Miami but I’ve always wanted to go. This has been incredibly helpful.
This will be on my bucket list! my issue is time lol than k you for sharing!
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I lived in Miami for four years so I was curious to read this post! I think you have great recommendations and I agree with the $$$$$ budget! I loved going to Wynwood in college because you can actually find some really good deals during happy hour. South beach is also a must you just have to be prepared to splurge and spend some money!
Too true! I love Wynwood, but even that is becoming a bit too overpriced. It’s definitely important to come to Miami prepared to spend money, even if you try to do it on a budget!
Oh, I love Miami! I’ve been a few times, but I haven’t been back recently and it looks like quite a few things have changed. I would love to go back and check out that famous Wynwood wall! Great well-organized guide!
Yeah Wynwood is awesome. The area seems to change each time I visit, so it’s definitely growing. Totally worth a return trip!
I have been dying to go to Miami – I especially want to see south beach, wynwood, and the Art Deco architecture! Thanks for this guide, will save it for when I go!
Hope you make it here someday! It’s a really awesome city with so much to see and do. I think you’ll love it 🙂
Great guide! I’ve never been to Miami but I’d really love to experience it one day!
Ooooh I want to go take some Insta photos on that gorgeous street! Saving this for the next time I’m back in Florida (which tbh, happens all the time… thanks a lot, Disney World! Hehe.)
I know what you mean! Disney being only a 4 hour drive is super dangerous for me lol. If you do make it to South Florida, give me a shout 🙂
Ok I went to Miami once and it was for a race so I didn’t get to see much, but I really loved the vibe and know I want to go back! I love in GA so it’s not too far for me! Great guide thanks for the helpful info!
I absolutely love Miami! I haven’t been in a few years and I want to go back soon. These are great tips for anyone getting ready for a visit. Great idea to add some packing essentials too. The weather is fantastic so you can’t go wrong with a few lightweight items for day and night.
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Those Wynnwood Walls make me swoon! We swung there recently on the way back from the Keys and got lost in all their colors. Great hotel recs, too—I definitely need to get back for a long weekend soon!
Great post! I love Miami! I didn’t know about a lot of these things though because its been a few years. Though the Grandma owned erotic museum sounds interesting haha. Have to check out some of these next time!
There are so many great places to visit in USA but unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to visit yet. Miami is definitely on my list even though it is supposed to be an expensive location. Probably spend a short while there but I feel it would be sinful to skip it all together!
I was in Miami last year for Ultra and I definitely wish I’d read this post back then. We literally didn’t even look up things to do because we thought we’d be too tired plus the festival wouldn’t have given us much time otherwise. As I scrolled through your beautiful photos and your fun recommendations, I realized what a huge mistake that was!!!!! Seems like I really gotta revisit now!
Your pictures look amazing! I love how colourful and vibrant Miami is!!
Love Miami! And so true that it is a $$$$ city to visit – but also so worth it! Xx, Eleonore
Cool guide. And I love that picture of the colorful wall. Miami = bright colors!
I’ve never been to Miami but I would LOVE to visit! It looks like such a cool city, and your photos are beautiful! Little Havana sounds so cool! I’ll definitely be using your guide when I visit Miami 🙂
Beautiful tropical access in the states. Awesome culture and climate! I’ve visited the Caribbean multiple times, Miami has a thing of beauty with it’s beaches.
This is simply an amazing piece of work. Must read for everybody!
Miami Realy a nice place
This is an amazing guide! I’ve never been to Miami but I’ve always wanted to go. This has been incredibly helpful.