Miami is pretty awesome! There are tons of things to do and see and we highly recommend you make a little (or big) vacation out of it.
We’ve only been there a few times, so still don’t know quite everything, but here are some places we loved from our experience:
South Beach / Miami Beach
The most popular touristy area with beaches, nice hotels, restaurants and nightlife. It’s pricey, but like any touristy place.
Go to the beach (duh). Or pool.
Walk on Ocean Drive along the beach. Tons of bars and cafes, gets wild at night.
Shopping:
Lincoln Road Mall: outdoors promenade with shops and cafes. Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139
Bal Harbor Shops
Fontainebleau : huge fancy Vegas-style hotel with shops and restaurants.
Restaurants and bars:
Twenty Seven: at the Freehand hotel. Food is amazing. Good drinks.
Broken Shaker : cocktail bar at the Freehand hotel. Outside seating by the pool. Cool vibe. Very good drinks.
Juvia: hip rooftop restaurant. Somewhat fancy. Good view.
Market at the Edition Hotel: Casual setup. Good menu.
The Regent Cocktail Club at Gale hotel: cool bar. live music.
Bodega: super low-key taco shop with good tacos. It has a secret speakeasy bar that you can access through porta-potty door and it turns into a fun party on a weekend.
Pools and Pool Parties:
Delano Hotel Pool and Beach Club
Hyde Beach Pool Party at SLS Hotel
Activities:
Standup Paddle Board in the bay.
Jet skis, windsurf, kiteboard off beach.
Golfing
Everglades Airboat Tours
Museums and Art Galleries
Checkout street art in Wynwood and Design District in downtown.
Coconut Grove
Coconut Grove and Coral Gables is a beautiful lush green area to drive around. You can also checkout the small downtown area with shops and restaurants.
Fairchild Botanical Garden
This is an amazing botanical gardens just a little south of Coconut Grove. You pay for admission and can walk around probably for 1-3 hours. Out of all the gardens and places we checked for wedding venues this one is the top.
Biscayne National Park
Drive out to the island of Biscayne, go to the beaches. BBQ in the park.
Go to Bahamas or Cuba
After the wedding you can consider a short trip to any of the islands in Caribbean or Cuba.
Guide
Here’s the guide that has a lot of info about Miami and what to do and see around.