Miami · 3-day itinerary
3 Days in Miami: A Grown-Up Itinerary
Three days lets you see three sides of Miami: the Art Deco beach, the Cuban city and the art city, each with a very good dinner and music that isn't a DJ.
- Day 1
- South Beach: Art Deco walk, Standard Spa, South Pointe dinner, jazz lounge
- Day 2
- Vizcaya, Little Havana: Versailles, Cafe La Trova, Ball & Chain
- Day 3
- PAMM, Wynwood Walls, COTE, a Brickell rooftop
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Day 1: South Beach
Architecture in the morning, a spa afternoon and a sunset over Government Cut.
Morning
Official Art Deco Walking Tour (MDPL)
Art Deco Welcome Center, 1001 Ocean Dr
Daily at 10:30 a.m.; book ahead.
The Miami Design Preservation League's two-hour walk through Art Deco, Mediterranean Revival and MiMo buildings, with a look inside several. Daily at 10:30 a.m.; includes the Art Deco Museum.
Afternoon
The Standard Spa, Miami Beach
Belle Isle, off the Venetian Causeway
Hammam, hot tub and a nap by the bay.
More spa than hotel, on the bay just off South Beach: a Turkish-style hammam, sauna, a Roman waterfall hot tub, an ice room and a plunge. Non-guests can buy day access.
Sunset dinner
Smith & Wollensky Miami Beach
1 Washington Ave, South Pointe Park
Ask for the deck and watch the ships sail out.
A big steakhouse at the tip of Miami Beach overlooking Government Cut, with a new second-storey Overlook Deck. Come at sunset to watch the cruise ships sail out.
Late
The Regent Cocktail Club
Gale South Beach, 1690 Collins Ave
Thursday to Saturday: live jazz in the basement.
A basement lounge styled like an old New York jazz club with a Havana twist, reached through Dolce Italian. Live jazz on a proper stage; open Thursday to Saturday, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Day 2: Vizcaya and Little Havana
A villa by the bay, then Calle Ocho after dark.
Morning
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
3251 S Miami Ave, Coconut Grove
Closed Tuesdays; go at opening.
A 1910s bayfront villa full of European antiques, with formal gardens down to the water. Closed Tuesdays; adults $15.
Lunch
Versailles
3555 SW 8th St (Calle Ocho)
Cuban sandwich and a cafecito.
The Cuban-American community's landmark restaurant, open since 1971: ropa vieja, pastelitos and cafecito from the walk-up window. Open late every night.
Dinner
Cafe La Trova
971 SW 8th St (Calle Ocho)
Cocktails, Cuban food and live trova. Book.
Cantinero Julio Cabrera's Cuban cocktail bar with food by chef Michelle Bernstein, a Michelin Guide pick. Trova musicians play every day, and sometimes the bartenders put down their shakers and join in.
Late
Ball & Chain
1513 SW 8th St (Calle Ocho)
Salsa, bachata and Latin jazz, no cover.
A 1930s Calle Ocho club reborn: salsa, bachata and Latin jazz nightly on the pineapple-shaped stage with no cover, and early jazz sets from 6 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.
Day 3: Art and a great steak
Museum and murals, then a Michelin-starred dinner and a view.
Morning
Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)
1103 Biscayne Blvd, Museum Park
Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays; open late on Thursdays.
Modern and contemporary art in a Herzog & de Meuron building on Biscayne Bay, with hanging gardens on the terrace. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays; late on Thursdays.
Afternoon
Wynwood Walls
2516 NW 2nd Ave, Wynwood
An hour among the murals.
The outdoor street-art museum that turned Wynwood into an art district, with large murals and indoor galleries; open daily 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Dinner
COTE Miami
Miami Design District
Order the Butcher's Feast.
Simon Kim's Korean steakhouse, one Michelin star in the 2026 Florida guide: tabletop grills, dry-aged beef and a big wine list.
Nightcap
Lagniappe
3425 NE 2nd Ave, Edgewater
Natural wine and a jazz band in the backyard.
A New Orleans-style wine bar in an old house with a string-lit backyard: 200-plus natural wines, pick-your-own cheese boards and live jazz or blues every night from 9 p.m., usually with no cover.
Swaps
- Here from mid-October? Lunch at Joe's Stone Crab instead of the spa afternoon.
- Fourth day? Head to the Everglades for an airboat and the Shark Valley tram.
- Prefer a show? Book the Faena Theater or a Broadway night at the Arsht Center.
Joe's Stone Crab
11 Washington Ave, South of Fifth
Heads-up: Seasonal: the 2026-27 season opens October 15 (stone crab season runs to May 1). Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
A Miami Beach institution since 1913, run by the fourth generation of the family: stone crab claws, hash browns and key lime pie in a big, bustling dining room.
Everglades (airboat and Shark Valley)
About 50 minutes west
Alligators, wading birds and sawgrass: the classic half-day pairs an airboat ride with the 15-mile Shark Valley tram or bike loop in Everglades National Park.
Faena Theater
Faena Hotel, 3201 Collins Ave
A 150-seat gilded cabaret theatre running glossy productions (OBSESSION plays Thursday to Saturday) and a jazz series.
Dress: Casual chic, strictly enforced: no shorts, sandals or beachwear.
Everything here was checked in September 2026. Seasons, show dates and dress codes change, so confirm before you go.
Questions people ask
Is 3 days enough in Miami?
Yes for a first visit: a day on South Beach, a day for Vizcaya and Little Havana, and a day for PAMM and Wynwood, with great dinners and live music each night. Add a day for the Everglades or Key Biscayne.
Do you need a car in Miami?
Not in South Beach, which is walkable. To move between the beach, Little Havana, Wynwood and Coconut Grove, rideshares are easier than parking.
What should you avoid in Miami?
Ocean Drive's tourist restaurants and the late-night club blocks if you don't want the party crowd, and driving the causeways at rush hour.