15 Best Things to Do for Your Miami Bucket List
Caught between turquoise waters and electric-colored walls, Miami dishes out the kind of days that make regular life look boring.
This city knows how to turn everything up – here’s your ultimate guide to the 15 most bucket list things to do in Miami.
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1. Explore Wynwood Walls
Miami’s coolest outdoor museum throws a wild party of colors across 35+ hand-painted murals that’ll stop you in your tracks.
This former warehouse district now flaunts work from the world’s top street artists, turning bland concrete into jaw-dropping masterpieces.
Insider Tip: Grab those sun umbrellas from the staff if it’s hot – there’s barely any shade while you’re checking out these massive artworks.
2. Tour Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
This Italian Renaissance villa in Miami is what happens when Gatsby-level luxury meets tropical vibes.
Built between 1914 and 1922, this mega-mansion shows off 34 rooms packed with European art spanning five centuries.
Sneak a peek at the marble bathroom overlooking the water – it’s way cooler than the bedroom.
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3. Experience Little Havana
Calle Ocho is where Miami’s heart beats to Cuban rhythms. This neighborhood drops you straight into Caribbean culture without leaving Florida.
Spot pink stars on the Latin Walk of Fame, sip sweet cafecito, and watch the masters throw down at domino games in Domino Park.
The streets pulse with art, history, and the kind of authentic Cuban food that’ll make you forget about your diet.
4. Cruise Biscayne Bay
Glide through turquoise waters where downtown Miami’s skyline meets Millionaire’s Row on a sun-drenched cruise that’ll make you feel like a VIP.
Spot celebs’ mansions tucked between palm trees as your captain spills the tea on which basketball star lives in that white mega-mansion.
Keep those phones ready – wild dolphins love to race alongside boats, showing off their acrobatic moves.
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5. Take a Segway Tour on Ocean Drive
Zip through Miami Beach’s most iconic strip on a two-wheeled chariot that does all the hard work for you.
These self-balancing rides let you cruise past the Art Deco District while catching those perfect beach vibes.
Ocean Drive’s parade of people jogging and biking makes for prime people-watching as you glide by the pastel-colored buildings.
6. Visit the Ancient Spanish Monastery
The Ancient Spanish Monastery was literally shipped piece by piece from Spain – all 11,000 crates of it.
What Time Magazine called “the biggest jigsaw puzzle in history” in 1953 now stands as one of the oldest buildings in the Western Hemisphere.
Wander through stone cloisters covered in coats of arms, where Cistercian monks walked for 700 years.
The ivy-covered walls and medieval statues make it hard to believe you’re still in Miami.
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7. Visit Pérez Art Museum Miami
PAMM isn’t your grandma’s art museum – this 200,000-square-foot architectural stunner on Biscayne Bay is where art meets Instagram heaven.
Home to more than 1,300 contemporary pieces, it’s got the largest collection of Cuban art in the U.S.
The building itself is a work of art, with massive windows framing water views that’ll make you forget about your phone for a minute.
8. Explore Superblue Miami
This 50,000-square-foot spot takes art off the walls and drops you right in the middle of it.
Get lost in the ‘Forest of Us,’ a mind-bending mirrored maze spread across two floors where reality gets deliciously twisted.
Watch thousands of light bulbs dance to your heartbeat, and float through digital waterfalls that respond to your movements.
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9. Visit the Zoological Wildlife Foundation
Home to over 40 exotic species, from playful capuchin monkeys to majestic lions and tigers, the Zoological Wildlife Foundation offers up-close experiences you won’t find anywhere else in South Florida.
Every visit is by appointment only, ensuring personal attention as you meet the residents.
The animals lead the show here – nothing forced or performative, just interactions with creatures that seem genuinely happy to see you.
10. Ride the Skyviews Miami Observation Wheel
Rising nearly 200 feet above Bayside Marketplace, this giant wheel serves up jaw-dropping panoramas of Downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay.
Hop into one of 42 climate-controlled gondolas for a 15-minute spin that’ll have your camera working overtime.
For extra swagger, book the VIP gondola with its glass floor and custom LED light show.
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11. Kayak at Oleta River State Park
Paddle through a maze of mangrove tunnels that feel worlds away from Miami’s urban buzz.
This hidden gem lets you glide past protected mangroves that shelter baby sea life and maybe even spot a curious manatee or dolphin (your best chance is November to April).
The calm waters inside the park are perfect for beginners, while more adventurous paddlers can venture out to Sandspur Island, also known as Beer Can Island, for a beach break.
12. Tour the Frost Museum of Science
The Frost Museum of Science is one of the few spots on Earth rocking both a planetarium and aquarium under one roof.
The star of the show is a mind-bending three-level aquarium where hammerhead sharks and devil rays cruise overhead in a 500,000-gallon tank.
The planetarium’s 250-seat theater tilts at a funky 23.5-degree angle, making you feel like you’re tumbling through space with its 8K visuals and surround sound.
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13. Explore Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden lets you wander through paths where butterflies and birds play tag around every corner.
The Wings of the Tropics exhibit puts you face-to-wing with 40+ species of exotic butterflies dancing through the air.
Little explorers can unleash their inner scientist in the Children’s Garden, while grown-ups chill under misty trees.
14. Visit South Pointe Park
South Pointe Park is a green oasis located at Miami Beach’s southern tip. The 450-foot pier gives you front-row seats to watch cruise ships glide by, while surfers catch waves below.
The park’s winding trails and grassy spots are perfect for picnics with ocean views, and there’s even a splash pad for kids to cool off.
After sunset, Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse serves up prime cuts with views of Fisher Island across the water.
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15. Tour the Schnebly Redland’s Winery & Brewery
Sip on wines made from lychee, passion fruit, and even mango in a setting that feels like a Southern plantation crossed with a tropical paradise.
The 5,000-square-foot Grand Tasting Room opens to a courtyard with natural coral waterfalls and over 20,000 square feet of connecting Tikis.
Bonus: there’s a craft brewery on site, so beer lovers won’t feel left out.
