Advice and guide for visiting Miami

[bing]

Hey folks,

So we've got 7 days coming up in Miami and need some pointers I’ve kinda mapped out a rough itinerary below but any feedback would be useful. If there are other areas I’ve missed out on let me know.

Day 1+2
South beach/Art deco areas Mrs wants a few beach days.
Any recommendations for good restaurants or Sunday brunch would be useful.
Day 3
Little Havana & Wynwood
• Morning: Explore Little Havana.
• Afternoon: Head to Wynwood Walls to see the street art and galleries - again any decent places for to eat and walk around after the galley would be great. Thinking of trying Mayami Wynwood or 1-800-Lucky for food but would defo like to explore the area more

Day 4
Down-town Miami
Bayside market - Kuba looks good for food as does black Market - Again happy to take recommendations on food places and things to do before the game
Observation wheel
Boat trip
Kaseya Center to see a basketball game

Day 5
Shopping at outlet looking at either Dolphin or Sawgrass Mills - Again any feedback welcome

Day 6
Empty at the moment. Thinking of a day trip to Fort Lauderdale i or Key west what is the bast way to do this? Uber is around $50
OR if we’re felling really adventurous day trip to Bimini again any good organisations for this would be great, ideally a firm that can sort out transport, beach/resort club and some activities etc.

Thanks

[Matt Harper]

I presume the $50 Uber is to Ft Lauderdale - not Key West. The latter is more than 160 (slow) miles from Miami. Brightline from Miami to Ft Lauderdale might be a better option, depending on how many are traveling.

[Doggleg]

bing said:

Hey folks,

So we've got 7 days coming up in Miami and need some pointers I’ve kinda mapped out a rough itinerary below but any feedback would be useful. If there are other areas I’ve missed out on let me know.

Day 1+2
South beach/Art deco areas Mrs wants a few beach days.
Any recommendations for good restaurants or Sunday brunch would be useful.
Day 3
Little Havana & Wynwood
• Morning: Explore Little Havana.
• Afternoon: Head to Wynwood Walls to see the street art and galleries - again any decent places for to eat and walk around after the galley would be great. Thinking of trying Mayami Wynwood or 1-800-Lucky for food but would defo like to explore the area more

Day 4
Down-town Miami
Bayside market - Kuba looks good for food as does black Market - Again happy to take recommendations on food places and things to do before the game
Observation wheel
Boat trip
Kaseya Center to see a basketball game

Day 5
Shopping at outlet looking at either Dolphin or Sawgrass Mills - Again any feedback welcome

Day 6
Empty at the moment. Thinking of a day trip to Fort Lauderdale i or Key west what is the bast way to do this? Uber is around $50
OR if we’re felling really adventurous day trip to Bimini again any good organisations for this would be great, ideally a firm that can sort out transport, beach/resort club and some activities etc.

Thanks

You don't mention kids so i'll assume you don't have any with you, it would make a difference. Miami/Miami Beach isn't really for kids.

You also didn't say where you're staying Miami or Miami Beach. Uber is the best way to get around if you're not doing big distances but you seem to be aware of that.

Restaurants in South Beach are plentiful. The best Sunday brunch is Mila but it's expensive, up to 145 pp for the cheapest option now I think (bottomless drinks inc.). Well worth it though. There are cheaper options, like Tanuki for example but they aren't as glitzy and upmarket as Mila. We tend to go for brunches that aren't based around heavy breakfast type food, which the majority of them are. That's why we prefer the Asian, Mediterranean, Japanese based brunches. Mila, just off Lincoln Road and Zuma downtown in the Epic hotel are the two best brunches in Miami Beach and Miami IMO. Jaya at the Setai is very good and has lots of food types plus live music in a fantastic setting.

Other restaurants in SB, Papi Steak - crazy fantastic, Catch, Prime 112, Prime Italian if you're hungry, Ocean Grill at the Setai for lunch. Queen for a whole night of glamorous food and entertainment. Smith and Wollensky outside bar for snacks at the bar watching the cruise ships leave between 5 and 7pm. Montys on the marina for casual snacks in a tiki bar setting. Puerto Sagua at midnight for a media noche is an experience. 11th Street diner for that American diner experience in a 50's style setting.

Wynwood is worth seeing for the walls, etc. but it's not what it used to be. The hipster, arty side of it is being lost. It's moving upmarket rapidly and all the small hole in the wall bars are disappearing to be replaced by bars charging men cover charges even if you're with your wife who gets in for free. Some nice restaurants though, Pastis is excellent, as is Doya. Uchi for dinner. Sugarcane, Negroni and Tap 42 in the Design District are a short walk. I don't really know little Havana. Been to a few places on Calle Ocho, Ball and Chain etc. and they are good fun. Latin food is everywhere and it's all good.

Bayside is fun for a few hours but it is the most touristy area other than Ocean Drive. Missus and I normally go there mid afternoon for a few drinks and some food before going to the game in the Kaseya. The food in the arena is basic and there are much better options at Bayside. It's much more expensive of course because it's touristy. Boat trips - never been on any of them but Thriller and Hurricane go past our front window about 20 times a day and are always packed. The slower boats take you around Star, Palm and Hibiscus islands and show you all of the homes of the rich and (in)famous (Diddy's crib). Never done the observation wheel but I've done the London Eye and it's not that. If you're going to be downtown for the day, consider Zuma in the Epic Hotel for lunch/brunch, you won't be disappointed. Frost Science museum and Perez art gallery are excellent.

Before I went to an NBA game I would never have believed how much I would have enjoyed it. It's a brilliant evening's entertainment. Be prepared to wait for an Uber after the game though, it can be a nightmare when you get out onto Biscayne Blvd. You can go back to Bayside for a nightcap then get an Uber no problem.

Sawgrass mills is about 45 minutes drive north of Miami and is several times the size of Dolphin Mall. It's massive. Dolphin has all the normal shops, and outlet versions of a lot of them. I go there for the Under Armour outlet, Nike outlet etc. Food is only the food court if I remember correctly. Sawgrass has many more shops and a whole area of the designer outlets, the really expensive stuff. Food options are much greater as well with proper restaurants, not just a food court. Sawgrass is a day out, Dolphin is a morning or afternoon, maybe.

Fort Lauderdale bores the t*ts off me, far too beige chinos so we are almost never there. Seminole Hard Rock is worth a visit, especially if there is somebody good on at Hard Rock Live. 50 USD is probably about right for an Uber. Key West isn't really feasible for a day trip, it can be 4 hours drive each way due to low speed limits and it's single carriageway most of the way. It's worth the effort but it will be a long day. You could hire a car and do Naples for a day much more easily. Naples is lovely and an easy 100 mile, straight as a die road. Some interesting stops in the Everglades to break up the monotony. Alternatively, take a car to Key Largo, or another one of the upper keys. You'll get a flavour of the keys without it being the full on Key West madness, which you can't really partake in if you're driving back to Miami.

Bimini used to be doable for a day but the fast ferry from Miami stopped around Covid time. It was 3 hours on the ferry. Not much to do on Bimini apart from Resorts World. I think there might be a ferry from Fort Lauderdale now but not sure if it's a day trip or not. You could take a seaplane, they do short trips and sightseeing trips down the keys or to Bimini.

Hope that helps :-)

Cheers.

[SaulGoodman]

We only did a short trip so don't have many recommendations. At Wynward it's worth stopping at Zak the Baker. More of a snack or quick lunch rather than a proper meal. Diagonally across the road is a great PH spot - Walt Grace Vintage. It's a guitar shop but they randomly have some amazing classic cars for sale inside. There was a fantastic Mustang, a couple of Porsches and a Stingray when I went.

We did an architecture bike tour on South Beach, which was ok if a little long. Friend of a friend has a bar here which we visited and was very good - Sweet Liberty Drinks Company.

Key West is too far for a day. We hired a Dodge Challenger which was great, if wasted as it's mostly a single lane with a 55 mph speed limit.

[Crook]

If you like architecture and Miami history you may enjoy this place: https://vizcaya.org/

[bing]

Thanks guys, some excellent information here.

We're staying on south beach with my 18 year old son who's eager to use the gym on muscle beach more then the anything on the trip atm - lol.

Quick question guys

I've booked some tickets to a basketball game in the via ticketmaster US , however the tickets are iOS/Android only. Thing is the Ticketmaster US app is not available for the UK and UK one does not allow you to set location to USA so can't access the tickets.

Has anyone had this? Any ideas for a workaround? Can I just download the Ticketmaster US app when I am in the USA and see if it has the tickets.

thanks

Edited by bing on Monday 21st October 09:58

[Doggleg]

If he's fit enough to work out on Ocean Drive (there are some amazing athletes there) then he would probably enjoy the get together at the lighthouse in South Pointe park. Most evenings leading up to sunset there are loads of people doing highline, acrobatics, juggling, calisthenics type stuff. It gets really busy.

No escaping having an app for your tickets I'm afraid and screenshots don't work. Can't help with a workaround, sorry.

[Martyn76]

bing said:

Thanks guys, some excellent information here.

We're staying on south beach with my 18 year old son who's eager to use the gym on muscle beach more then the anything on the trip atm - lol.

Quick question guys

I've booked some tickets to a basketball game in the via ticketmaster US , however the tickets are iOS/Android only. Thing is the Ticketmaster US app is not available for the UK and UK one does not allow you to set location to USA so can't access the tickets.

Has anyone had this? Any ideas for a workaround? Can I just download the Ticketmaster US app when I am in the USA and see if it has the tickets.

thanks

Edited by bing on Monday 21st October 09:58

Would it work with a VPN on your phone, you just need to change your location then? Most give new customers good deals, 18 months instead of 12 that sort of thing.

I have found Express VPN to work well but there are lots out there.

[The G Kid]

Martyn76 said:

Would it work with a VPN on your phone, you just need to change your location then? Most give new customers good deals, 18 months instead of 12 that sort of thing.

I have found Express VPN to work well but there are lots out there.

I potentially have a similar issue, as i'm going to LA to see the Lakers on Friday. I have just tried to access my tickets via the Ticketmaster App, and the tickets aren't showing, yet they are when I log into my account online. I have Express VPN, but using that didn't allow me to change location on the Ticketmaster App. I will try and sort when I arrive on Weds, and can then advise if that works.

[bing]

Doggleg said:

If he's fit enough to work out on Ocean Drive (there are some amazing athletes there) then he would probably enjoy the get together at the lighthouse in South Pointe park. Most evenings leading up to sunset there are loads of people doing highline, acrobatics, juggling, calisthenics type stuff. It gets really busy.

No escaping having an app for your tickets I'm afraid and screenshots don't work. Can't help with a workaround, sorry.

Yep we've both scheduled in a couple of days of Cali work on the Beach so defo looking forward to that. South Point park is a good shout actually. Are under 21s allowed into Nikki Beach or Cleavlander (asking for a teenage friend - lol)

[bing]

The G Kid said:

I potentially have a similar issue, as i'm going to LA to see the Lakers on Friday. I have just tried to access my tickets via the Ticketmaster App, and the tickets aren't showing, yet they are when I log into my account online. I have Express VPN, but using that didn't allow me to change location on the Ticketmaster App. I will try and sort when I arrive on Weds, and can then advise if that works.

Mine aren't even showing on my account online

[Doggleg]

bing said:

Yep we've both scheduled in a couple of days of Cali work on the Beach so defo looking forward to that. South Point park is a good shout actually. Are under 21s allowed into Nikki Beach or Cleavlander (asking for a teenage friend - lol)

I'd be lying if I said I knew, it's been a few years since I was 21 :-). Clevelander you can just walk in off the street so should be fine but he'll get ID'd and refused at the bar. Nikki Beach is more of a private club affair, although it is open onto the boardwalk so might be fine.

[The G Kid]

bing said:

Mine aren't even showing on my account online

Ah, that is potentially a bigger issue!

[Saleen836]

Depending on your dates you might be there when 'Cars & Coffee' event is on at the Wellington Mall in Palm Beach... https://www.carsandcoffeepb.com/ (it's a monthly event)

Send the wife to the shops and you can easily spend the 3 hrs it is on looking at most of the vehicles, I say most because it can get VERY busy with anywhere between 1-3k vehicles on show :O

[The G Kid]

bing said:

Thanks guys, some excellent information here.

We're staying on south beach with my 18 year old son who's eager to use the gym on muscle beach more then the anything on the trip atm - lol.

Quick question guys

I've booked some tickets to a basketball game in the via ticketmaster US , however the tickets are iOS/Android only. Thing is the Ticketmaster US app is not available for the UK and UK one does not allow you to set location to USA so can't access the tickets.

Has anyone had this? Any ideas for a workaround? Can I just download the Ticketmaster US app when I am in the USA and see if it has the tickets.

thanks

Edited by bing on Monday 21st October 09:58

My tickets worked fine when I got to the US. I just logged on to the Ticketmaster website and was able to download to my Google wallet.

[tim0409]

I agree with the earlier advice regarding shopping malls. I’ve been to both several times over the years and I find Sawgrass a much more pleasant experience than Dolphin, and it’s bigger.

[Freakuk]

Others have said Ft Lauderdale is a bit bland, but it's been 20 years since I've been. I'd go Key Largo and/or Key West.

However, if you are going that far down it would be daft not to do an airboat ride in the everglades with the local hicks and look at gators.