The best day trips from Miami, FL run along four roads: U.S. 1 south into the Florida Keys, U.S. 41 west through the Everglades, I-95 north to Broward County and the Palm Beaches, and I-75 across Alligator Alley to the Gulf. Almost everything worth the drive sits within two hours of downtown, and the closest three are under half an hour. This guide covers 17 trips in order of drive time, what each one is actually for, and which ones you should turn into an overnight instead.
How Far You Can Get from Miami in a Single Day
Think in roads rather than compass points. U.S. 1 south is the Keys run and it is slow by design, with one lane each way for much of it. U.S. 41, the Tamiami Trail, is the Everglades corridor and the fastest way to see alligators from a paved path. I-95 north covers Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach and the Palm Beaches. I-75 west is the only route to the Gulf.
Distances here are short but drive times are not. VISIT FLORIDA puts Key Largo about 60 miles out, and that hour and a quarter can double on a Sunday afternoon when the Keys empty back toward the mainland. Anything north on I-95 is fine outbound in the morning and painful returning between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
You do not always need a car. Brightline runs from MiamiCentral with stops at Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, which turns three of the trips below into a train day. Everything west or south of the city, though, requires driving.
Under 30 Minutes: Virginia Key, Key Biscayne and Hollywood Beach
Virginia Key: Ten Minutes Across the Rickenbacker Causeway
Virginia Key is about 5 miles from downtown and the shortest trip on this list. Historic Virginia Key Beach Park keeps its restored 1940s buildings and a working carousel, and during segregation this was one of the only South Florida beaches open to Black residents, which is the real reason to come. Next door there are mountain biking trails and kayak launches. The two parks charge separately, so bring a card for each gate.
Key Biscayne and Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park: 20 Minutes
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park sits at the far tip of Key Biscayne, roughly 8 miles out, and holds the 1825 Cape Florida Lighthouse along with one of the most consistently top-rated beaches in the country. Ranger-led lighthouse climbs are included with the roughly $8 vehicle entry, and a paved path runs the length of the island for cyclists. The causeway toll is up to $3 each way, the gate opens at 8 a.m., and the parking lot fills early on Saturdays.
Hollywood Beach and the Broadwalk: 25 Minutes
Hollywood Beach, about 18 miles north via I-95, is the easiest beach day within half an hour of Miami. The Broadwalk is a paved 2.5 mile promenade lined with cheap food counters, and it is flat enough for strollers, wheelchairs and rental bikes. Parking is dramatically less painful than South Beach and the whole strip costs less. Go on a weekday if you want the promenade to yourself.
Thirty to Forty-Five Minutes: Broward County, Homestead and the Everglades
Fort Lauderdale: 35 Minutes by Car or Train
Fort Lauderdale is about 28 miles north and gives you a full day without much effort: Las Olas Boulevard for lunch and browsing, the beachfront strip along A1A, the Riverwalk, and a water taxi that runs the canals. Brightline serves it directly from MiamiCentral, so this is the one trip you can do properly with no car at all. Driving back on a weekday afternoon means I-95 rush hour, which is the argument for the train.
Coral Castle Museum in Homestead: 35 Minutes
Coral Castle is a limestone monument in Homestead, about 28 miles south on U.S. 1, carved single-handedly over 28 years by Edward Leedskalnin. The centerpiece is a nine ton gate balanced so finely that it swings at a touch. Take the audio tour, because the site is genuinely strange rather than polished and the story is what makes it land. There is very little shade, so go early or pick a cloudy day.
Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise: 40 Minutes
Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, about 32 miles out, is one of the largest outlet centers in the country and has a separate designer wing. It absorbs a full day if you take it seriously, and it is a bad idea on a rainy Saturday when every other family in South Florida has the same plan. Butterfly World in Coconut Creek is close enough to pair with it for a half day of walk-through aviaries and gardens. For in-town alternatives, the Miami shopping guide covers the Design District and Bal Harbour.
Shark Valley in Everglades National Park: 45 Minutes
Shark Valley is 34 miles west on U.S. 41 and the best introduction to the Everglades that does not involve a boat. A 15 mile paved loop runs through sawgrass prairie with alligators lying beside the path, and a 65 foot observation tower marks the halfway point. Ride it, bike it, or take the two hour naturalist tram. The National Park Service notes that parking is typically full by 10 a.m. from December through April, so arrive at opening and reserve the tram ahead in winter.
Robert Is Here Fruit Stand in Homestead: 45 Minutes
Robert Is Here is a roadside fruit stand in Homestead, about 29 miles south, that started selling cucumbers in 1959 and now blends tropical fruit milkshakes from whatever is ripest. Ask for mamey sapote or black sapote if you have never had either, and let the kids find the small petting zoo out back. Weekend milkshake lines are long, so get there early, and check before you drive down because it closes seasonally. In winter, Knaus Berry Farm nearby sells cinnamon rolls and u-pick strawberries, though it is closed Sundays.
Schnebly Redland's Winery and Brewery: 45 Minutes
Schnebly Redland's Winery and Brewery, about 38 miles south in Homestead, makes wine from lychee, mango, passion fruit, guava and carambola rather than grapes. You taste it beside coral rock waterfalls and koi ponds, and there is live music on weekends. Flights run around $30. Sort out who is driving before you leave Miami, because this is a 45 minute trip that ends in alcohol.
About an Hour: The Reef, the Preserve and the First Beach Towns North
Biscayne National Park in Homestead: 1 Hour
Biscayne National Park is roughly 35 miles south, and 95 percent of it is underwater. Snorkel and dive trips out of the Dante Fascell Visitor Center reach the northernmost coral reefs in the continental United States, and glass bottom boat tours cover the same water without getting wet. Book the boat before you drive down. Without one, the visit is a visitor center and a nice view of the bay.
Big Cypress National Preserve: 1 Hour
Big Cypress National Preserve, about 50 miles west on U.S. 41, is the cheapest Everglades day available because entry is free. The Loop Road Scenic Drive runs through dwarf cypress and flooded prairie, the Kirby Storter boardwalk is an easy walk, and sections of the Florida National Scenic Trail start here. Loop Road is unpaved, so check conditions first and keep a low rental car off it after heavy rain. If your own camper only comes out a few weekends a year, RV parking in Miami keeps it off the street in between.
Delray Beach: 1 Hour
Delray Beach, about 55 miles north on I-95, is the most walkable beach town at this distance. Atlantic Avenue runs a long strip of restaurants and galleries straight down to a wide public beach, so you can park once and stay parked. Brightline stops nearby at Boca Raton and West Palm Beach if you would rather skip the drive entirely. Weekend evenings on Atlantic get busy, and that is when the town is at its best.
Key Largo and John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Key Largo is about 60 miles down U.S. 1, and John Pennekamp was the first underwater state park in the United States. Snorkel trips reach shallow reefs, dive boats run out to the Christ of the Abyss statue, and glass bottom tours and mangrove kayaking cover the rest. Entry is around $8 per vehicle plus 50 cents a person, and snorkel trips run near $50 with gear. Reserve on weekends, and expect afternoon wind to cancel summer reef trips. If you trailer your own boat down instead, boat storage in Miami is one way to keep it off the driveway between runs.
West Palm Beach and Palm Beach: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
West Palm Beach is 70 to 73 miles north, and the day works best as two halves: Clematis Street and the waterfront on the mainland, then the bridge across to Worth Avenue and the Flagler Museum on Palm Beach. Brightline runs here from MiamiCentral, which makes it a genuine no-car day trip. Worth Avenue keeps short hours and much of it closes Sunday, so aim for a weekday or Saturday morning.
Islamorada: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
Islamorada sits about 80 miles down U.S. 1 in the Upper Keys. Hand-feeding giant tarpon off the dock at Robbie's Marina costs a few dollars for a bucket of bait and is the best-value hour in the Keys with children. Theater of the Sea has been running since 1946, with general admission around $50 and swim programs on top. Founders Park is the swimming beach, and the Lorelei is where people watch the sun go down.
Two Hours and Beyond: Naples and Key West
Naples: 2 Hours Across Alligator Alley
Naples is about 125 miles west and the only trip on this list where you watch the sun set over the sea rather than behind the city. Gulf beaches, the Naples Pier and Fifth Avenue South for lunch and shopping fill a day comfortably. Alligator Alley is a straight, dull two hours with almost no services, so fuel up before you leave. If a second car spends most of its life waiting for trips like this, car storage in Miami is cheaper on your driveway than on your street.
Key West: 3.5 to 4 Hours Each Way
Key West is about 160 miles down U.S. 1, and the drive is the attraction: 42 bridges, including the Seven Mile Bridge. Old Town, the Ernest Hemingway Home with its polydactyl cats, Duval Street and the Mallory Square sunset celebration are the fixed points. Honestly, this one deserves an overnight. Done in a day it is 7 to 8 hours of driving, so leave before 7 a.m. or take the Key West Express by sea instead.
Parking, Tolls, Traffic and Weather on a Miami Day Trip
Budget for gates, not just gas. The Rickenbacker Causeway tolls up to $3 each way before you reach Key Biscayne, Bill Baggs charges around $8 per vehicle, Everglades National Park charges $35 per vehicle for a seven day pass, and John Pennekamp collects per vehicle and per person. Bring a card, since several of these gates no longer take cash.
Weather sets the schedule more than traffic does. Miami's wet season runs roughly May through October with near daily afternoon thundershowers that usually pass in under an hour, according to the National Weather Service, so put the boardwalk, the reef and the tram tour in the morning. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 and peaks on September 10 (NOAA National Hurricane Center), which mostly shows up as cancelled boat trips rather than damage. Our guide to the best time to visit Miami breaks the calendar down further.
Gear is what makes these trips repeatable. Coolers, beach chairs, snorkel sets, bikes, kayak paddles and camping kit take up more room than a Miami apartment or garage has, and a 5×10 storage unit in Miami holds the lot without giving up a parking space. Salt air and heavy rainfall are hard on anything with a motor or a battery, which is the case for a climate controlled unit in Miami rather than a shed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best day trips I can take from Miami?
Shark Valley in Everglades National Park and Key Largo's John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park are the two that show you something you cannot see in the city, one on land and one underwater. Fort Lauderdale is the easiest, since Brightline gets you there in about half an hour. For a short outing with children, Hollywood Beach and Robert Is Here in Homestead are the reliable picks.
What is 1 hour away from Miami?
Within about an hour you can reach Biscayne National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve, Delray Beach on I-95, and the edge of the Upper Keys at Key Largo, which runs closer to an hour and 15 minutes. Homestead attractions including Coral Castle, Robert Is Here and Schnebly Redland's Winery sit inside that ring too, at 35 to 45 minutes down U.S. 1.
What is 2 hours away from Miami?
Two hours puts you in Naples on the Gulf Coast via Alligator Alley, or in Marathon in the Middle Keys via U.S. 1. Islamorada is a little closer at roughly an hour and 40 minutes. Key West is not a two hour trip, whatever a map suggests: plan on 3.5 to 4 hours each way.
Can you take a day trip from Miami by train?
Yes, for three destinations. Brightline runs from MiamiCentral to Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach, so Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach by way of Boca Raton, and Palm Beach all work without a car. The Everglades, Homestead, the Keys and Naples have no passenger rail, so those trips require driving.
Which day trips from Miami work best with kids?
Hollywood Beach, Robert Is Here and the tarpon dock at Robbie's Marina in Islamorada all work with young children, because each one has a short attention-span payoff. Shark Valley's tram is good for ages six and up. Skip Key West as a day trip with children, since seven hours in a car undoes the fun. Our list of things to do in Miami with kids covers rainy days closer to home.
Storage Near the Routes These Trips Use
Gear is the quiet cost of living somewhere with this many good day trips. Value Store It keeps three facilities in this part of Miami-Dade, all rented month to month with no long term contract, and the size lineup differs a little between them.
Our Miami location is closest to the causeways and the U.S. 1 run south. It starts with a 5×5 locker in Miami for a snorkel bag and a folding cooler, moves through 10×10 units in Miami and a 10×15 unit in Miami for a household's worth of things, and tops out at 10×20 storage in Miami and a 10×30 space in Miami for a full apartment or a small business inventory.
The Cutler Bay facility sits farthest south, which makes it the practical one if your weekends point toward Homestead and the Keys. 5×5 lockers in Cutler Bay and 5×10 units in Cutler Bay take tackle and camping kit, while 10×5 units in Cutler Bay, 10×10 storage in Cutler Bay and a 10×15 unit in Cutler Bay cover the middle, and 10×20 storage in Cutler Bay or a 10×30 space in Cutler Bay takes the big loads. Climate controlled storage in Cutler Bay suits anything electronic, and boat storage in Cutler Bay, RV parking in Cutler Bay and car storage in Cutler Bay handle the trailer, the camper and the spare vehicle.
The Miami Airport facility is the one to use if you fly in and out often or you are between leases. Sizes run from a 5×5 unit near Miami International and 5×10 storage near the airport through 10×5 units near Miami International Airport, a 10×10 unit near the airport and 10×15 storage near Miami International, up to 10×20 units near MIA and a 10×30 space near the airport, with climate controlled units near Miami International Airport for anything the humidity would ruin.
Planning Your Next Trip out of the City
Start with the ring that fits the day you actually have. An afternoon buys you Virginia Key or Hollywood Beach, a full day buys the Everglades or the reef, and anything past Islamorada is better as a weekend. When the gear starts winning the argument for garage space, Value Store It can give it somewhere to live. If you would rather stay in town this weekend, our guide to things to do in Miami picks up where this one stops.
