Google completes "first time in miami" with "where should i stay", "what to do", "what should i do" and "reddit". Here are all of them, from someone who lives here, built around the one fact that decides every Miami trip: the Beach and the mainland are different cities joined by causeways that jam at 6pm.
Where to stay#
- South Beach (5th to 23rd): the scene, the Art Deco, the noise; for people who will go out.
- Mid-Beach (40th to 60th): the same sand, a third of the noise.
- Brickell and Downtown: towers, the Metrorail and the free Metromover, restaurant bars, no car needed; the mainland's heart.
- Coconut Grove: leafy, waterfront, walkable village, Metrorail.
- Wynwood: bars, galleries, murals; hotels are newer and nights are late.
- Coral Gables: the Biltmore and quiet; needs a car.
Pick by what you will do most. Solo travel in Miami has the no-car version.
What to do#
- The beach, early: South Pointe at 8am before the heat and the crowd; Crandon on Key Biscayne for quiet.
- Little Havana: Calle Ocho, a cafecito at a ventanita, Domino Park, Ball & Chain for live music at night.
- Wynwood: the walls, the galleries, a brewery.
- Vizcaya and the Pérez Art Museum: the two best afternoons indoors.
- Key Biscayne by bike over the Rickenbacker Causeway.
- The Everglades: an airboat or the Shark Valley loop, half a day west.
- Live salsa and bachata: the thing Miami does that nowhere else in the country does as well.
What to skip#
The Ocean Drive restaurants with the menu held up at you (the food is bad and the bill is worse), bottle-service clubs unless the table is the point, and a trip that never leaves the Beach.
Getting around#
No car if you base in Brickell, Downtown or the Beach: Metrorail, the free Metromover, the free trolleys, rideshare across the causeway. A car for Key Biscayne, the Everglades and the Keys; or a local who drives for that afternoon. Miami without a car.
A three-day itinerary#
Day one, the Beach: South Pointe early, the Art Deco walk, lunch off Ocean Drive, the boardwalk at sunset. Day two, the mainland: Little Havana morning, Wynwood lunch, Vizcaya or the Pérez afternoon, live music in Little Havana at night. Day three, out: Key Biscayne by bike or the Everglades, dinner in the Grove. Things to do in Miami has the full list.
The mistakes everyone makes#
Crossing the causeway at 6pm; treating the Beach as the whole trip; July without planning for the heat; renting a car and parking it on the Beach at $40 a day; Ocean Drive dinner.
Or a local, for an afternoon#
On Roavi you can hire a Local Friend, a Miamian for a few hours at a rate they set (most list $15 to $50), platonic and in public, bilingual, with a car: Little Havana with someone whose family is from there, the Everglades with someone who knows the road, a night of live music where you do not stand alone. Roavi lists no Local Friends in Miami yet, which is the honest number and the reason the first people to list here will get every message; messaging is free for the people who write to you. Rent a friend in Miami.
Live in Miami? Get paid for your time with visitors and newcomers, at your rate, no commission.
Become a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
Where should I stay in Miami for the first time?
South Beach if you want the scene and will go out; mid-Beach (40th to 60th) for the beach without the noise; Brickell or Downtown if you want transit and no car; Coconut Grove for leafy and calm; Wynwood for bars and galleries. Pick by what you will do most, because crossing the causeway at 6pm costs an hour.What should I do on my first time in Miami?
The beach early, Little Havana for a ventanita coffee and Domino Park, Wynwood's walls, Vizcaya or the Pérez, Key Biscayne by bike, a night of live salsa or bachata, and the Everglades for half a day. Skip the Ocean Drive restaurants with the menus held up at you.Do I need a car for a first trip to Miami?
No if you stay in Brickell, Downtown or the Beach and use the Metrorail, the free Metromover and trolleys, and rideshare. Yes if you want Key Biscayne, the Everglades and the Keys in one trip, or hire a Local Friend who drives for that afternoon.