One Week in Miami: What Our 1-Week Miami Itinerary Looked Like

One week in Miami can seem like a long time. But when it comes to Florida’s popular travel destination, it is actually the perfect amount of time to get under the skin of Miami.

At the beginning of March 2026, my husband and I visited Miami for the second time together, and the third time for me (and the “I don’t know how many-th” time for my husband).

We had spent almost two months together in Miami back in 2021, while we were living together in Buenos Aires. We went shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic, and found many parts of Miami had been hit hard by the pandemic.

Even though we had done most of the tourist stuff together back in 2021, we got to revisit many of the popular areas in Miami this time around, too.

So, to help inspire you on what to do in Miami for one week, I’m sharing exactly what our 1-week Miami itinerary looked like: From what we did each day, where we ate, what I’d absolutely recommend, and a few things I’d probably skip next time.

I’ll also include some practical tips along the way, because Miami isn’t always as straightforward (or budget-friendly) as it might seem at first.

My first time in Miami was actually back in 2016 on a short weekend stopover on my way to Colombia. Back then, I completely miscalculated how big and divided Miami is, and I, honestly, didn’t get to appreciate some of the most popular areas.

If you’re currently planning your trip and want a realistic, no-nonsense idea of how to spend a week in Miami, this should give you a solid starting point.

Our One Week in Miami Itinerary: What to Do in Miami in 1 Week?

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How to Spend One Week in Miami?

There are many ways to spend a week in Miami, but here is a summary of how my husband and I spent one week in Miami at the beginning of March 2026.

I hope this Miami itinerary can inspire you on what to do in Miami for a week.

Day 0: Arrival

We arrived at Miami International Airport in the evening after a 10-hour flight from Madrid. Both of us (okay, mostly my husband) had worried about the border control due to the upcoming immigration turbulence in the U.S. during early 2026.

But when it was our turn at the border control, the officer couldn’t care less about us, and it was one of the smoothest entries I’ve ever had into the U.S.

The officer asked us what the purpose of our trip was. Pretty easy: tourism.

How long were we going to stay? Just nine days.

Then, where were we going to stay? At Design Hotel 68 in North Beach. He didn’t ask for any proof of this.

Just asked us if we had anything to declare, to which my husband answered: “No, not really”.

Luckily, the Border Control officer didn’t take note of this. Afterwards, we had a thorough debate about whether this was a clear “no” or a “no” that could have opened for more questions (a debate I later won when we asked my Canadian friend).

Anyways, we got into the U.S., and the process at the border control was very standard.

We went outside and ordered an Uber to the hotel.

Unfortunately, there was a little hiccup when we arrived at the hotel. We had rented an apartment through Airbnb, located inside the 6080 Design Hotel. Unfortunately, the owner of the Airbnb apartment had forgotten to inform the reception clerk about our reservation (ups!).

So, when we arrived, the reception clerk couldn’t find our reservation. It took a little hour or so for my husband to get this sorted, and in the meantime, we got a quick dinner at a restaurant next door.

When we got the room, we simply crashed.

Day 1: Shopping at Sawgrass Mill Outlet Mall

The morning after, we woke up pretty early. I’m a real breakfast person (basically, I don’t function without breakfast). So, a hunt for breakfast was first on today’s itinerary.

After a quick shower, we got dressed and headed out on our breakfast mission.

Morning: Breakfast at IHOP

Our breakfast choice for our first day in Miami became IHOP, International House of Pancakes.

IHOP seemed like a mandatory stop for two foreigners when in the U.S. to go for American pancakes.

We had eaten at the IHOP in North Beach back when we were in Miami in 2021, and it was only a couple of blocks from our hotel on this Miami trip. 

On a Sunday morning around 9 am, the service was fast and efficient.

A huge plus for me is that there is a free refill if you order coffee!

Last time we went was later on a weekend morning, and the place was a lot more crowded, and the service was slower. So, my recommendation is definitely to go early to IHOP, especially if you go on the weekend.

We got two avocado toasts and a portion of pancakes to share. And oh my, we were so full afterwards! 

Midday: Sawgrass Mill Outlet Mall

After our IHOP breakfast, we ordered an Uber (can I just appreciate for a second that you can use the same app in Spain and the U.S. for hiring cars!), to go to the Sawgrass Mills Shopping Mall.

Sawgrass Mills Shopping Mall is a massive, mainly outlet, mall located around a 45-minute drive outside Miami Beach.

My husband is a self-proclaimed shopaholic, especially when we go to the U.S. He had kindly requested that we go to Sawgrass Mills on our first day (in exchange, I got him to agree to wake up super early to go to a Key West day trip later in the week – more about that in a bit!)

To get to Sawgrass Mills Mall, you can either take an Uber, as we did, or take an organized bus tour (like this one on Viator) leaving from Miami Beach to get to Sawgrass Mills Mall.

When you arrive at Sawgrass Mill, I recommend that you focus on where you want to go first, as some shops get emptied pretty quickly.

We prioritized going to the Nike Outlet store, where there are always some great additional discounts on outlet items.

When you get to the Nike store in Sawgrass Mills, head to the back wall of the shop for their outlet items with additional discounts.

Afterwards, I went to Victoria’s Secret, where they had a 3 for 2 deal – yes, please!

Last stop before lunch was Marshalls, which (if you don’t know it already) is a clothing store with clothes from all kinds of different brands at discounted prices.

Marshalls doesn’t just exist in outlet malls like Sawgrass Mill, but also around towns in the U.S.

Lunch: The Cheesecake Factory

For lunch, we met up with my husband’s boss, who lives in Miami, and went to the Cheesecake Factory within the Sawgrass Mills Mall.

Inside Sawgrass Mills, there are several restaurants, cafes, ice cream shops, etc.

Afternoon: Sawgrass Mills Continued

After lunch, we said goodbye to my husband’s boss and continued to walk around Sawgrass Mills and look at stores.

Some of the stores we went to were Samsonite (no luck), Nordstrom Rack (nothing interesting), T.J. Maxx (always a winner), Burlington (also a winner), Columbia Outlet (properly my husband’s favorite store after Nike), and Target (too tired to care about shopping anymore). 

In the end, we spent almost 10-hours in Sawgrass Mills Mall on our first day in Miami, so I think it is safe to say that it was truly a shop-to-you-drop day.

We took an Uber back to the hotel.

Dinner: Microwave Food From Target

For dinner, I brought myself a ready-made dish to heat in the microwave at Target, and that made it out for my dinner.

My husband often skips dinner if he’s had a big lunch, but I’m all about three meals a day, so those microwave-friendly dishes saved me!

Day 2: South Beach & Lincoln Road

On the second day of our one week in Miami, we were a bit tired after the shop-to-you-drop day at Sawgrass Mills, so we took it a bit more slowly.

I had made the genius move (if you ask me, of course!) of buying yogurt and granola at Target in Sawgrass Mills the night before, so I had a cheap breakfast ready for me in the fridge when I woke up. 

Morning: Walk from North Beach to South Beach

After my breakfast, we started the morning with a walk from our hotel in North Beach to South Beach, which is the opposite end of Miami Beach.

South Beach is the more tourist and crowded part of Miami Beach, where most people choose to stay.

Since we were staying longer than a couple of nights, we had chosen to stay in the more calm and residential North Beach.

We walked down Collins Avenue, the main avenue connecting North Beach and South Beach, running in parallel to the Atlantic Ocean. Collins Avenue passes by iconic hotels and buildings like the Faena Hotel, the Casa Faena, and the Fountainebleau Hotel.

I got some photos taken on the way.

Midday: Shopping at Lincoln Road

One of the most popular streets in Miami is Lincoln Road, which is a pedestrian shopping street in the heart of Miami’s South Beach.

Lincoln Road is one of those places you always end up at when in Miami. It was interesting to see how the pedestrian street had picked up after the last time I went to Miami in 2021, just post-COVID.

On a corner of Lincoln Road and Meridian Avenue, there is a Marshall store (the same type of outlet kind of store that we visited in Sawgrass Mills)… So, we made a little stop by there to check out if they had any clothes at a good price. 

They did, and we also got a new toy for our dog, Baloo.

Lunch: Joe’s Pizza

For lunch, we stopped at Joe’s Pizza NYC, a classic New York–style pizzeria founded in 1975 in Greenwich Village.

Joe’s Pizza is known for its no-frills approach; it serves up large, foldable slices with a thin, crispy crust, tangy tomato sauce, and gooey mozzarella.

Afternoon: Relaxing at North Beach

After lunch, we took the Miami Beach Trolley back to the hotel.

The Miami Beach Trolley is a free trolley service that connects different parts of Miami Beach. Different lines are running different routes, such as the Collins Express, the Middle Beach Loop, and the South Beach Loop.

The Miami Beach Trolley is a very nice and easy way to get around Miami Beach. Other parts of Miami also have their own free trolley service, such as the trolley running from Little Havana to Brickell.

We spent the afternoon relaxing at the hotel, and I went for a walk on the beach with my camera.

Dinner: Manolo in North Beach

In the evening, we went for dinner at Manolo, an Argentine restaurant located in North Beach.

Manolo isn’t the most charming place to eat. The large eating area gets incredibly noisy when there are a lot of people, and the autistics aren’t great.

It reminds me a lot of the busy old pizzerias at Avenida Corrientes in Buenos Aires, where you stop by for a quick pizza and then move on.

If you’re in North Beach and are looking for Argentine food, Manolo is a good place to stop by. But I wouldn’t travel to get there, honestly.

Day 3: Miami Design District & Wynwood

On the third day of our one week in Miami, we had planned on going to the Miami Design District and Miami’s famous street art neighborhood, Wynwood.

As the day before, I had breakfast at the hotel with my yogurt and granola from Target – such a lifesaver when you’re a breakfast person (and your husband is not!). 

After breakfast, we took an Uber from the 6080 Design Hotel in North Beach to the Design District, which is around a 20-minute drive.

Morning: Miami Design District

The Design District is known as Miami’s most stylish and exclusive area, where design, art, and fashion come together.

In Miami Design District, you’ll find some of the world’s biggest fashion houses side by side with galleries, design shops, and trendy cafés.

But it’s not just about shopping! The whole area feels like an open-air gallery, where buildings, squares, and artworks are an experience in themselves.

The area used to be fairly low-key, but today it has been transformed into a creative neighborhood filled with luxury stores, modern architecture, and art installations.

The main street in the Design District is Paseo Ponti. Along Paseo Ponti, there were some art installations by American artist Katie Stout, including a dog, an oversized crab, and a

We wandered around a bit, and I took a lot of pictures. We didn’t go into the shops (my Spanish salary wouldn’t have survived that!), but around 11 am, people were starting to queue up outside some of the popular stores.

We stopped for coffee at {petite} maman, one of the small cafes at the main square, Palm Court, and sat relaxing and people-watching for a bit.

The Design District is a nice area to visit – even if you’re not into high-end shopping (like me). And if you’re into high-end shopping, I can only imagine that this must be pretty close to Heaven!

After visiting the Design District, we walked down through Miami Midtown towards Wynwood.

Midday: Wynnwood Arts District

Wynnwood Art District is known as Miami’s creative neighborhood, and it’s probably one of the most colorful areas in the city with street art murals everywhere.

Wynwood used to be an industrial district, but today it has been transformed into an open-air street art gallery.

The heart of the area is Wynwood Walls, an outdoor museum where some of the world’s best street artists have created large, impressive murals.

The entrance fee to Wynwood Walls is $12, but we skipped it since we had already visited it last time we were in Miami in 2021. And honestly, there was so much impressive street art outside that we didn’t feel like we missed out.

Wynwood is also full of cafés, restaurants, galleries, and small shops that give the area a very unique atmosphere. There are also plenty of guided tours and activities in Wynwood if you want to spend more time there.

Book a tour of Wynwood

Lunch: Skinny Louie & The Taco Stand

Since we couldn’t decide where to have lunch, we made two lunch stops: first for smash burgers at Skinny Louie and second for tacos at The Taco Stand.

Skinny Louie is a burger chain; you’ll find several places around Miami (and properly in the U.S. in general). They serve traditional American smash burgers, where you can choose the size of the filling. We chose two to get small burgers without fries. 

Afterward, we walked a bit around (and I got to take some more photos!), and we made our second stop for lunch: The Taco Stand.

The Taco Stand is a Mexican-style taco bar with a selection of different tacos. I tried the taco with shrimp, and my husband tried the one with beef. Both of them were very delicious. 

The Taco Stand in Wynwood is very much in style with the rest of the neighborhood, with painted murals inside the shop.

Afternoon: Wynwood continued

After lunch, we walked around Wynwood a bit more and saw a massive mural of the Argentine soccer player, Leonel Messi. My husband was over the moon with the mural (proud Argentine after all!).

I had seen online that Wynwood was the home of one of the recycled trolls from the Danish artist, Thomas Dambo. After a bit of searching around the area where it was supposed to be, we gave up. Afterwards, I read in a Facebook thread that the troll burned down late last year (2025), so there was a reason why we couldn’t find it!

Around 3 pm, we took an Uber back to the hotel because, at that point, we were both quite tired. 

Evening: (Home Alone) Relax & Edit Photos

In the evening, my husband had a work event, and I stayed in the hotel, editing photos. It was actually very nice with a break!

Before he left, we went to the supermarket Publix in North Beach, located a couple of blocks from the hotel. I got myself some beverages and some more pre-cooked microwave-friendly dinner, which was definitely my savior for a quiet evening back at the hotel.

Day 5: Little Havana, Brickell & Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

For the fifth day of our one week in Miami, we spent some more time outside Miami Beach.

We explored the Cuban neighborhood, Little Havana, Miami’s financial district, Brickell, and ended the day at the Vizcaya Museum.

After breakfast, we took an Uber to Calle Ocho, the main street in the Cuban neighborhood in Miami.

Morning: Little Havana

Little Havana got its name because it became known as the Cuban neighborhood of Miami.

This was the area in Miami where many Cuban immigrants settled who fled Cuba after the Cuban Revolution in 1959.

The Cuban Revolution led by Fidel Castro, dramatically changed the Cuban society over the years following the revolution. The Cubans who had the resources to leave and didn’t sympathize with the Castro regime fled Cuba, and many of them headed to Miami.

The heart of Little Havana is Calle Ocho, which is Spanish for the “Eighth Street” because the English name for the street is Southwest 8th Street.

Right in the centre of Calle Ocho, you’ll find the Máximo Gómez Park, or the Domino Park. Here you can often see older men playing dominoes, just like many do in the streets of Cuba.

Another stop you should not miss in Little Havana is to take a walk down Cuban Memorial Boulevard.

The Memorial Boulevard is located a few blocks from the Domino Park, and features a monument honouring the victims of the U.S.-sponsored attack on Cuba in 1962, known as the Bay of Pigs Invasion. 

Along the Cuban Memorial Boulevard, you can also often find wild chickens and roosters roaming around freely on the street. The chickens and roosters are said to have been brought to Miami by the Cuban immigrants. Over the years, they were abandoned or escaped from the households in the neighborhood and started roaming around freely on the streets.

Today, Little Havana still has many references to Cuban culture and history, but personally, I also felt it was a major tourist hotspot in Miami. Many of the bars and restaurants are clearly geared towards tourists, promoting Cuban cigars and Cuban food.

As someone who has spent quite a bit of time in Cuba (5 months in total) and is familiar with the culture, I have to admit that my expectations of Little Havana were quite different from reality. Calle Ocho is nothing like Cuba’s capital, Havana, but rather a street filled with Cuban restaurants and street art.

Little Havana is an important part of Miami’s history and shows a key side of the city’s development and the significance of Cuban immigrants.

After wandering around a bit on Calle Ocho, we jumped on the Miami free trolley service from Little Havana to Brickell.

Book a tour of Little Havana

Midday: Brickell & Downtown Miami

Brickell is Miami’s financial district, and its tall skyscrapers and modern buildings were a clear contrast to the low houses and street art-filled walls in Little Havana.

We stopped by the Brickell City Centre, a massive shopping mall in the center of Brickell. While my husband went to the Apple Store to look for some new Apple gadgets, I wandered around the mall a bit.

The architecture was impressive and different, but I didn’t care much for the shopping options.

On the third floor, I found out that there was a spot that apparently is a popular photo stop because there was almost a line of people waiting to get their picture taken. 

At that point in the day, I was already starting to get some lunch, so after the Brickell City Centre, we walked through Brickell to find some lunch.

Lunch: Restaurant Crazy About You

For lunch, we stopped at the restaurant Crazy About You, which is located right by the shore of the Biscayne Bay.

The place is pretty big and has two outdoor terraces overlooking the Biscayne Bay. Even though it was a bit windy when we visited, we chose to sit outside, and it was definitely worth it.

I had the place saved on my Google Maps list for Miami, but I cannot recall where I picked it up! As we sat down to order, we realized that Crazy About You is actually a Spanish-inspired restaurant. We had a little laugh about having travelled across the world from Madrid to Miami to eat Spanish food.

After lunch, we took an Uber (after a bit of failed attempts to get a car) to the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.

Afternoon: Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Vizcaya Museum is a historic European-style villa, right on the edge of Biscayne Bay in the Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove. Since our visit to Miami in 2021, I had really wanted to visit.

The Vizcaya estate was built between 1914 and 1922 as the winter estate of American industrialist James Deering. The estate reflects Deering’s passion for art, architecture, and nature, blending European influences with subtropical South Florida.

The estate was designed to resemble an Italian Renaissance villa, complete with ornate interiors, European antiques, and beautiful gardens overlooking Biscayne Bay.

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is a National Historic Landmark with a rich history, and I really enjoyed walking through the old rooms and admiring the stained-glass windows.

My husband couldn’t care much for the old building – or maybe he was just annoyed that I stole this post-lunch siesta 🙂

Honestly, it felt like stepping into a completely different side of Miami, and the mansion with its beautifully designed gardens is such a contrast to the Miami most people picture. 

The entrance to the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens is 25 USD per person, and it can be a bit difficult to get there if you don’t have a car. We used Uber both to get there and go back, and apart from having to wait quite a while for the first one, it worked perfectly fine.

We spent an afternoon walking through the gardens and old rooms. Maybe it was a bit overambitious to add another thing to our fifth day in Miami because we were both quite tired afterwards. 

Day 6: Shopping & Art Deco Historic District

For the sixth day of our one-week Miami itinerary, we stayed in Miami Beach and went to one of my favorite neighborhoods in Miami: The Art Deco District!

But first, we stopped by Lincoln Road to return some of the clothes we had brought earlier in the week.

Morning: Lincoln Road

In the morning, we took the Miami Beach trolley once again down to Lincoln Road in South Beach.

We walked around a bit (and I, of course, took some photos), and got to exchange some clothes from the other days at Marshalls.

Lunch: The Cheesecake Factory

After walking around the heat on Lincoln Road, where we could really feel that the spring was coming in early March, we made a stop at the Cheesecake Factory on Lincoln Road for lunch.

The great thing with the Cheesecake Factory is that they have such a variety of different dishes, so it’s a safe choice if you can’t really agree on what to eat.

I had the plate with salmon and potatoes, which was delicious, and my husband got one of their pizzas.

After lunch, we walked on the sea promenade from Lincoln Road down towards Ocean Drive and the Art Deco District.  

Afternoon: Ocean Drive & the Art Deco District

The Art Deco Historical District, or simply the Art Deco District, is one of the most popular and iconic neighborhoods in Miami Beach.

The Art Deco District in Miami has the largest concentration of Art Deco architecture in the world, featuring pastel-colored buildings, geometric details, and retro neon signs.

The area stretches along Ocean Drive and the surrounding streets, and is home to over 800 preserved buildings from the 1920s and 1930s.

As you walk around the area, you’ll notice how each building has its own unique personality while still reflecting the signature Art Deco style.

The preservation of this historic area is largely thanks to the Miami Design Preservation League, an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting Miami Beach’s architectural heritage.

Miami Design Preservation League also offers guided walking tours of the Art Deco District, which I unfortunately found out about too late (honestly, my bad because I didn’t do proper research).

If I go back to Miami at some point, doing one of the Miami Design Preservation League’s tours is high on my list, as I’m sure there is a lot more to learn about the history and design of the iconic buildings than you get from just walking around there on your own.

On the other side of Ocean Drive from the colorful Art Deco buildings, you have Lummus Park, a large public park connecting the beach with the rest of the city.

If you continue to the far end of Ocean Drive, you can access the South Pointe Park, an urban park with a pier that is the southernmost point in Miami.

This time around, we skipped the visit to the South Pointe Park, as we had already visited it back in 2021. Apart from the great view over Miami’s South Beach, there isn’t much more to do at the park.

Day 7: Day Trip to Key West

On our seventh day in Miami, we went on a day trip to Key West.

Key West is known as Florida’s southernmost point, located only 90 miles (145 km) from Cuba’s capital, Havana.

Since the last time we were in Miami back in 2021, I had really wanted to go to Key West, and kind of regretted that we didn’t go back then because we were in Miami for a full month and a half.

So, this time around it had to be!

We found a Key West day trip via GetYourGuide that included transportation back and forth from Miami to Key West. You have free time in Key West to explore on your own.

The only downside (at least according to my husband) was that the tour left Miami at 6 am. So, we woke up early and headed to the pick-up spot.

On the way to Key West, we passed the Seven Mile Bridge, an impressive oversea Highway that connects the different islands of the Florida Keys.

Everything with the pickup and the bus ride went super smoothly. So, if you’re looking to do a day trip to Key West from Miami and don’t want to drive yourself, I can definitely recommend doing the day trip from GetYourGuide.

Between transportation and wandering around Key West, we spent a full day on the trip to Key West.

We were back in Miami at 9:30 pm at night, and luckily, we had had lunch so late in Key West that none of us were hungry. So, we went straight to bed. 

Pro Tip: Another popular day trip from Miami is to the Everglades National Park.

Day 8: North Beach & Miami Beach Botanical Garden

For the last full day of our one week in Miami, we were really tired after the day trip to Key West the day before.

So, we spent most of the time relaxing at the hotel and exploring North Beach, and went for a quick trip to South Beach to visit the Miami Beach Botanical Garden.

Midday: North Beach

North Beach is one of the more relaxed and local areas in Miami Beach, and also a place many people overlook when visiting Miami.

North Beach is located north of the more well-known South Beach and has a completely different vibe. Here, you’ll find fewer tourists, more space, and a more relaxed pace of life.

Instead of beach clubs and loud music, you’ll find local cafés, small restaurants, and long, wide beaches with plenty of room to unwind.

North Beach boasts a stunning shoreline, comparable to that of South Beach, complete with the iconic, colorful lifeguard towers. Additionally, you’ll often find that North Beach is less crowded, offering a more peaceful experience.

We stayed in North Beach during our trip, and it gave us a completely different, calmer, and more relaxed experience of the city.

Afternoon: Miami Beach Botanical Garden

In the afternoon, we took the Miami Trolley to South Beach to visit the Miami Beach Botanical Garden.

The Miami Beach Botanical Garden is located behind the Miami Beach Convention Center and is quite small. So, don’t expect to spend more than 30 to 60 minutes there.

The entrance to the garden is free of charge, which is a huge plus.

There is a small pond and a Japanese-inspired bridge, which is kind of cute. But it felt a bit underwhelming since we went from North Beach just to see the garden.

The Botanical Garden is often overlooked by the many other things to do in South Beach, but it’s a nice little stop if you’re in the area. I don’t recommend travelling for it (as we did).

If you’re putting together a Miami itinerary, I recommend adding this as a quick, low-key stop between bigger plans. Or as a place to sit down with a go-to coffee.

Dinner: Tavern Ocean Side

In the evening, we went to the small restaurant right next to our hotel, Tavern Ocean Side.

The restaurant is located inside another hotel, Ocean Side, and has a lovely outdoor patio where they serve food.

The food is fresh and tasty, and the service by the waiters is really great!

On the Friday evening, where we visited, they even had live music with a musician playing both Spanish and English songs – because it is Miami after all!

The following day, we left Miami in the afternoon after a great week in Miami.

I hope you have enjoyed this 1-week itinerary in Miami and found some inspiration for your next trip to Miami!

Final Thoughts: Is One Week in Miami Too Much?

Personally, I think one week in Miami is a great amount of time to get to explore several different parts of the city without having to rush through it.

You might be able to cut down by a day or two if there are certain areas you don’t find interesting.

But generally speaking, no, I don’t think one week in Miami is too much. I think it is just the right amount of time to both explore the city and its different neighborhoods as well as have time to relax at the beach.