Best Places to Visit in Miami

Miami is a popular city and coastal metropolis situated in Miami-Dade County in southeastern Florida. Miami is also referred to as the ‘Cruise Capital of the World’ as the city’s port manages the world’s largest number of passenger cruise ships. Known for its beautiful beaches, thriving nightlife, authentic cuisine, stunning natural environments, incredible museums, fascinating historical monuments, and vibrant culture, it is one of the popular places to visit in the USA. If you are planning a trip to Miami, then go through our list of top tourist attractions in Miami as part of the USA Tour Packages.

Miami Beach

Miami Beach is a South Florida island city, connected to mainland Miami by a series of bridges. With a vivid mix of quiet neighborhoods, lively entertainment-focused areas, great shopping and dining, and long stretches of tranquilizing beaches, the area offers something for every visitor that draws thousands of tourists. The main attraction of Miami Beach is the Art Deco Historic District which is lined up with pastel buildings from the 1930s and early 1940s sporting classic neon signs, especially on the Ocean Drive. Also, this area features several shops, beachfront restaurants, and numerous of sunbathing opportunities. Visited by millions of tourists, it is one of the best places to visit in Miami.

Bayside Marketplace

Set along Miami’s waterfront, Bayside Marketplace is an open-air shopping complex and among the most visited tourist attractions in Miami. Houses more than 150 different kinds of tourist shops, charming boutiques, cafes, and restaurants, many locals as well as tourists come here to soak up the lively atmosphere and admire the bay, with its daily live music and fun. A newly added 200-foot-high Sky Views Miami Observation Wheel is one of the main highlights here. This giant Ferris wheel features 42 climate-controlled passenger gondolas plus one glass-floored VIP version. It is a great place for recreation while holidaying in Miami as it offers some pleasant, comfortable bay breezes in a vibrant, cheerful atmosphere.

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

Set on 28 acres, Vizcaya Museum & Gardens is one of the beautiful museums located on Biscayne Bay in Miami’s Coconut Grove. Also known as Villa Vizcaya, it was once the luxurious winter home of 20th-century industrialist, James Deering. Today, it is one of the most popular museums in Miami and features 34 rooms arranged around a breathtaking courtyard. Influenced by the Italian Renaissance style, the mansion was built in 1916 and over 1,100 craftsmen were bought over from Europe to ensure authenticity in design. The museum is filled with an impressive collection of more than 2,500 European furniture and decorative arts that date back to the 15th to the 19th century. Also, the grounds and gardens around the museum are adorned with beautiful Italian and French fountains, pools, and sculptures.

Miami Zoo

Founded in 1948, the Miami Zoo is the largest zoo in Florida and is famous for providing the animals with a completely natural habitat. Spread over an area of 75 acres, the zoo is home to more than 3,000 animals, including 40 endangered species that are all kept in natural-style environments. Also, the zoo also houses more than 1000 species of trees and plants, including a wide range of orchids. Besides, there are other activities which include rides, tram tours, giraffe feedings, water play spots, monorails, etc. It also offers several educational programs for people of all age groups.

Little Havana

Little Havana is a Cuban neighborhood of Miami, Florida, United States. Home to many Cuban exiles, as well as many immigrants from Central and South America, Little Havana is named after Havana, the capital city of Cuba. This is one of the most culturally rich, iconic, and defining neighborhoods of Miami characterized by its street life, restaurants, music and other cultural activities, small business enterprises, political passion, and great warmth among its residents. Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street), Walk of Fame, the Cuban Memorial Boulevard, Plaza de la Cubanidad, Domino Park, the Tower Theater, José Marti Park, the Firestone Building, St. John Bosco Catholic Church, Municipio de Santiago de Cuba, etc. are the popular places to visit in Little Havana. Its festivals, including the Calle Ocho Festival, Cultural Fridays, the Three Kings Parade, and others, have attracted millions of tourists every year.

South Beach

Located at the southern end of Miami Beach, South Beach is the most stunning coastal neighborhood in Miami. Also called SoBe, it is the most popular beach in Miami as well as in Florida. With the best white sand stretches in the entire USA, the beach becomes crowded during summer with locals as well as tourists from all around the world. With plenty of space, it is one of the great places to swim and enjoy in the shallow waters, escape the heat, and soak up in the sun. Also, the beach area comes alive at night with a good mix of dining options and nightlife. Apart, the area around the beach contains several points of interest including the Art Deco district which contains interesting structures from 1920s, Lincoln Street offers you a wide variety of shops where you can buy anything along with some of the finest restaurants and bars.

Miami Science Museum

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is a science museum, planetarium, and aquarium located in Miami, Florida. Formerly called the Miami Science Museum, it was established in 1950 in the Coconut Grove location and later relocated to Museum Park in the downtown area of Miami in 2017. Housed in an environmentally friendly building with LEED certification, its extensive exhibitions have everything, from insects and dinosaurs to science, technology, and space flight. The museum consists of a three-story, cone-shaped, 500,000-US-gallon aquarium with a 31-foot (9.4 m) diameter oculus lens at the bottom for viewing the fish, rays, and sharks along with the Planetarium, and the Knight Learning Center with four classrooms.

Everglades National Park

Just a short drive from Miami, Everglades National Park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River. Covering an area of about 1.5 million acres, Everglades is the 3rdlargest national park in the contiguous United States after Death Valley and Yellowstone. UNESCO declared the Everglades & Dry Tortugas Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and listed the park as a World Heritage Site in 1979 and as a Ramsar Site in 1987. The park is the most significant breeding ground for tropical wading birds in North America and contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. The park is home to 36 threatened or protected species including the Florida panther, the American crocodile, and the West Indian manatee, along with 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals, and 50 species of reptiles. One can visit the park through walking trails and boardwalks for viewing wildlife. But the best way to explore the Everglades is aboard a high-speed boat where one can spend half the day exploring the entire area of the Everglades Park.

Miami Sea Aquarium

Founded in 1955, the Miami Sea Aquarium is one of the oldest oceanariums located near downtown Miami. Covering an area of 38 acres, the aquarium houses a lot of marine mammals, fish, sharks, birds, reptiles, manatees, etc. The main highlight is Lolita, the killer whale, who has been a part of this aquarium since 1970. Also, the place has huge variety of exhibits, encounters, and shows like Dolphin Odyssey, Seal Swim, Sea Trek Reef Encounter, Discovery Keys Shark and Stingray Interaction, Caribbean Flamingos Encounter, Rescue a Reef, Top Deck Dolphin, and many more exciting things. Visited by a large number of people, the aquarium will delight every visitor as part of the Miami Tour.

Bayfront Park

Bayfront Park is a 32-acre public park located in Downtown Miami, Florida. This green space is a waterfront hotspot which was actually the first public gathering space in the city. The highlight of the park includes an electronically controlled Pepper Fountain, a huge amphitheater used for musical events and performances, a tower for laser illuminations and features three very important monuments, the Challenger Memorial, commemorating the crew of the Challenger spacecraft, and a children’s playground. Also, don’t forget to visit the statue of Julia DeForest Tuttle, the mother of Miami. It is one of the best places to visit in Miami for those who want to escape from the hustle and bustle of Miami’s downtown.

Miami Children’s Museum

The Miami Children’s Museum is a non-profit educational institution located in the city of Miami, Florida. It is one of the most prominent children’s museums in the country. Founded in 1983, the museum is housed in a colorful and creatively designed facility with around 56,000 sq ft of space. With a total of fourteen galleries, the museum is a great place for children to be entertained and educated where the exhibits are interactive and revolve around arts, culture, community, and communication. Among, some of the exhibits include Miami themed – the ability to explore a cruise ship and the ability to explore the Port of Miami. Also, the museum has a cool Health and Wellness area that teaches children about biology and allows them to show off their strengths. Further, the outdoor activities allow children to play and enjoy the time outside.

Coral Castle

Coral Castle is an oolite limestone structure located in Miami, Florida. Built between 1923 and 1951, it is known for its detailed architecture and stone carvings that took 28 years to complete by the only Latvian American artist Edward Leedskalninand using his own homemade tools. Made from 1100 tons of coral rock, visitors can tour the property where you can see the most famous structure, a giant stone gate, that opens with the touch of a finger, as well as carvings which include stone tables and chairs, unique figurines, and other pieces.

Wynwood Walls

Located in the warehouse district of the Wynwood, the district houses old warehouses, shuttered factories, and other unused buildings which were later transformed into art complexes, galleries, performing art spaces, restaurants, cafes, and other creative businesses. Brought about by Tony Goldman in 2009, the rustic exterior walls of the warehouse have been transformed into colorful pieces of art. Since it was started, over 80,000 sq. ft of the wall has been graced with paintings in this unique art form. Graffiti Painting is one of the main highlights that have brought new life to this area. More than 50 artists were involved in this colorful street art that attracted big names in the world of street art from across North America and around the world. Since the area is pedestrian-friendly, walking on your own feet is the best way to experience the colors and skill of this unique art form. If you are an art lover, then don’t miss this incredible Wynwood Walls street art while holidaying in Miami.

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