Miami blog — The fullest Miami travel guide blog for a great budget trip to Miami for first-timers

Miami is the largest city in the metropolitan area in South Florida. The colorful city of artful high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, shopping malls with many famous brands, the most luxurious and splendid yachts and countless entertainment venues along with beautiful white sand clear blue beaches. The place can not be miss is Miami’s most famous of South Beach, Coconut Grove shopping center with famous fashion brands and delicious eateries. So, what to do and how to plan a perfect budget trip to Miami? – the vibrant coastal city of the U.S. for the first-time? Let’s check out our Miami travel blog (Miami blog) with the fullest Miami travel guide blog (Miami guide, Miami city guide, Miami FL travel guide, Miami tourist guide) from how to get, best time to come, where to stay, best places to visit and top things to do to find out the answer!

Located on Frolida’s Atlantic coast, Miami is an ideal destination of Florida with warm year-round beaches, exotic forests and upscale restaurants. Rarely does a city have such a blend of beauty as Miami. Miami is considered a city with a unique beauty that blends many different things to create a distinctive color that is both modern, wild and equally mysterious.

Miami blog: Brief introduction about the city of Miami

Miami is a beautiful coastal city located in the southern region of Florida, United States. It covers an area of ​​approximately 160 km2 and a population of about 500,000 people. Thanks to the special advantages of geography and climate, around the mid-20th century, Miami began to have strong developments in tourism and service. Today, tourism industry is still the key economic sector of this city, with more than 16 million visitors per year, of which 80% are international visitors.

The name of the city of Miami is derived from the Miami tribe name which is an indigenous tribe that used to live mainly in the eastern United States and today this tribe is no longer exists.

Miami is not only attractive by the beautiful natural scenery, bustling entertainment venues, but also by the extremely unique Latin American culture. Instead of speaking English, most of the population here speaks Spanish mainly. That is why people also call this city with the nickname “the capital of Latin America”.

Miami travel guide blog: When to visit?

Miami is influenced by a tropical monsoon climate, with warm and pleasant weather all year round. It has a fairly warm winter so many people in other US cities choose to travel to Miami to avoid the cold during the cold winter days. So you can visit Miami at any time of the year.

The time when tourists flock to Miami the most also the peak tourist season is summer, from June to August each year. However, you should not come here at this time because the price of food, hotel and services will increase very high. The good time is probably from August to October. Especially if you go in August, you will have the opportunity to attend the Miami Spice festival with many exciting, unique and interesting activities.

September-November is the hurricane season in Florida, you should not visit Miami during this time, however, if you are lucky enough to visit during a storm-free time you will save a lot of money. So, you should also consider.

December-February is the winter in Miami is the time to see, be seen and watching people passing by from restaurants and cafes, and beach activities are limited.

March-May is the best time to visit Miami with the clubs will be cooled off a little bit while the beaches is heating up with average temperatures rising from 21 degrees Celsius in March to 26 degrees Celsius in May. So, you can go in late April and early May.

Miami travel blog (Miami blog): How to get to Miami?

Miami International Airport is considered one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. It serves up to 45 million passengers a year. In Vietnam, there are also many airlines that are operating routes from Vietnam to Miami for you to choose from such as: Korean Air, EVE Air, Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, Asiana Airlines, … Fares will often fluctuate in from USD 700 to USD 3.000 depending on the time.

Shared Miami International Airport (MIA) Transfers to/from Miami

Miami guide: Getting around Miami

Miami owns an extremely developed public transportation system. The type of vehicle that is used by the majority of people in the city as well as tourists is the Metrobus bus, which costs about USD 2.2/trip. However, for convenient and economical travel, you should buy an EASY Card for about 55 USD at Metrorail stations to be able to travel freely by public transport here.

In addition, you can also rent a bicycle through the Citi Bike system to cycling around in this city. The rental rate for 30 minutes will be about USD 4.5, USD 6 for 1 hour, USD 10 for 2 hours and 24 USD for the whole day.

Miami has excellent public transportation. To visit downtown neighborhoods including Brickell, Midtown, Wynwood and the Design district, you can take the Mover subway and the free city bus. In South Beach, there are hundreds of taxis available 24 hours a day. Car2Go is a new option that allows you to rent a smart car and pay based on the distance traveled.

The price of taxi in Miami is quite expensive, usually costs about USD 3 for the first km. The next kilometer will cost about USD 0.8. If you need to take a taxi in this city, you should use Uber or Lyft because it will be much cheaper.

Miami blog: What to do and where to go?

Miami Beach

Miami Beach is the first place we want to recommend you on this beautiful city trip. One of the most famous tourist destinations in the city that anyone coming here can not ignore that is Miami Beach. It is located on an island in the middle of the ocean and is connected to the city by bridges. With a seductive and graceful beauty like a true American sexy girl, Miami Beach captivates ten thousands of tourists every year. Not only freely admire the beautiful nature of the sea, but you can also have fun with exciting recreational activities on the sea such as surfing, windsurfing, diving, … Or simply lying on the white sand, sunbathing, enjoy food and watching people pass by.

Ocean Drive (South Beach)

Ocean Drive is one of the first places that anyone traveling to Miami must explore. This is a large, busy and bustling street located right next to the Miami coast. Located along this street are a series of bars, cafes, restaurants, shopping malls and always crowded with tourists, especially at night. There are many famous Hollywood movies that have also been shot in this 2km street.

Little Havana

Little Havana is considered one of the famous tourist destinations in Miami you should not miss. Little Havana is a great destination for those who want to experience the Cuban American lifestyle and culture. It is located in the northern part of the city and always attracts a lot of tourists. The vibrant atmosphere, delicious food and colorful numbers at Little Havana are sure to make you delight.

You can also visit the beautiful Maximo Gomez Park or enjoy tasco with extremely attractive taste at Taqueria El Taquito (Address: 3410 Main Hwy, Miami, FL 33133).

Zoo Miami

If you are an animal lover, you should not miss the opportunity to visit the Miami Zoo. With an extremely large area, this zoo is currently home to more than 2,000 different animal species. Among them are many rare and endangered types. Miami Zoo is built exactly the same as the natural environment. It not only creates a wonderful living space for wild animals but also helps to give visitors the feeling of being immersed in nature with animals.

Zoo Miami Admission Ticket

Address: 12400 SW 152nd St, Miami, FL 33177, United States
Opened: 1948
Area: 2.995 km²
Hours: 10AM–5PM

Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science

Miami Science Museum is one of the great tourist destinations for those who love the fields of science, physics and chemistry, … This is a place to keep archaeological artifacts such as dinosaurs, classic machinery, … The museum grounds are quite large and mostly green, suitable for a cool walk and relaxation of visitors.

Address: 1101 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, United States
Hours: 10AM–5PM
Tickets: $29

Máximo Gómez Park

This is one of the unique parks because of the fun and strange activities. Coming to Máximo Gómez Park, you will be surprised with the game Domino has become an unique Miami culture that visitors can easily see anywhere. In particular, you can also see the old men gather to discuss and calculate the moves for your mahjong game, it will be fun if you can come here and drop by and try this attractive game once.

Address: 801 SW 15th Ave, Miami, FL 33135, United States
Hours: 9AM–10PM

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens

Vizcaya Museum & Gardens, formerly known as Villa Vizcaya. It is the old mansion and estate of businessman James Deering. Currently, Miami-Dade County is its owner and the museum is open to the public.

Villa Vizcaya used to be the heart of Miami. Originally, it was a mangrove swamp and dense inland tropical jungle. It later became the businessman’s Villa. Here you will admire the unique landscape and architecture designed in Renaissance style of Italy in the Veneto and Tuscan regions and Mediterranean Revival architecture with Baroque features.

The villa’s museum contains more than 70 rooms with special architectural furniture decorated with many antiques. The highlight is European furniture and decorative artworks from the 15th to early 19th centuries. Among the furniture containing ceramics, their originals were shipped from England in 1912 but sunk with the Titanic. Luckily Deering bought insurance and replaced them.

Address: 3251 S Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33129, United States
Hours: 9:30AM–4:30PM/Wednesday, Tuesday: Closed

Art Deco Historic District

Art Deco Historic District is an art neighborhood located in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida. The area is famous for being the district where a villa on Ocean Drive is the residence of legendary Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace.

This neighborhood is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Sixth Street to the south, Alton Road to the west, Collins Canal, and Dade Avenue to the north. This is also the place to house up to 960 beautiful buildings. In 1989, it was listed in a guide to Florida’s Historic Architecture.

The buildings here are built in the style of Art Deco, Revival Mediterranean and MiMo (Miami Modern). Visiting the neighborhood, you must definitely visit the Art Decor Museum to better understand the architectural and cultural heritage of Miami Beach.

Address: 1001 Ocean Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Area: 23.27 km²
Hours: Open 24 hours

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park includes the Cape Florida Lighthouse, the oldest structure in Greater Miami. In 2005, the park was ranked as the 8th best beach in the country. In 2013, it was ranked by Forbes magazine as the 7th beach in America.

Florida is known for its sandy beaches, gently swaying palm trees, and a wonderful, relaxed lifestyle. And it can be said, nothing encapsulates the beauty of southern Florida like Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.

The park was named in honor of Bill Baggie, editor of The Miami News from 1957 until his death in 1969. He worked to protect the land from development and preserve somethings in its natural state.

Visiting here, there will be many interesting activities for you to choose from. From cycling, swimming to hiking and rowing. There’s a real treasure of outdoor activities for you and your family to enjoy together.

Address: 1200 Crandon Blvd, Key Biscayne, FL 33149, United States
Hours: 8AM–5:30PM
Established: 1967

Miami Seaquarium

Traveling to Miami, there is a very interesting place you should not miss that is the Miami Seaquarium aquarium. It is located on the main island of Virginia, in the central area of ​​the city. It was established in 1955 and is considered one of the first aquariums in the United States.

Here, visitors will have the opportunity to explore the vast ocean world, watching all kinds of beautiful marine life. Not only that, the dolphin circus performance area at this aquarium is also worth exploring.

Miami Seaquarium Admission Ticket

Address: 4400 Rickenbacker Causeway, Miami, FL 33149, United States
Opened: September 24, 1955
Hours: 10AM–5PM/Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Closed

Hobie Beach

Hobie Beach is a great destination for travelers who want to experience exciting water sports activities such as windsurfing, surfing, kayaking, jet skiing, water cycling and more.

Around the beach, there are many centers that rent out water sports equipment. You can go to these places to rent equipment and even hire an instructor. In particular, Hobie is also the only beach in Miami that offers puppy rental services. Therefore, visitors who just want to lie lazily sunbathing on the sunloungers to relax can hire a puppy to playing with.

Jungle Island

Jungle Island is known as the most famous amusement park in Miami. Coming here, you will have the opportunity to experience many attractive games for all ages. If you are an adventure lover, you should try the outdoor wind tunnel or zipline slide at high speeds.

Jungle Island Admission Ticket with Optional Round Trip Hotel Transfers

Venetian Pool

Venetian Pool is a historic US public swimming pool located in Coral Gables, Florida. The swimming pool was completed in 1924. It was created in 1923 from a coral quarry, where most of the original coral rock was used to contour and accentuate the pool.

The pool was designed by Phineas Paist with Denman Fink. The pool’s original name was unique: “Venetian Casino”. It also has two large observation towers, with beautiful views of the city.

The Venetian Swimming Pool is an underwater facility unlike anywhere else in America. It has been loved by hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world and remains one of the main tourist attractions for those visiting Coral Gables City.

Address: 2701 De Soto Blvd, Coral Gables, FL 33134, United States
Opened: 1924
Area: 2 ha

Pérez Art Museum Miami

Pérez Miami Museum of Art (PAMM) is a contemporary art museum. It was transferred to the Park Museum in Downtown Miami, Florida in 2013. Founded in 1984 as the Center for Fine Arts, in 1996 it became known as the Miami Museum of Art until it was renamed in 2013 when was moved to a new building at 1103 Biscayne Boulevard.

Until 2014, the museum’s permanent collection contains more than 1,800 works. Especially 20th and 21st century art from America, Western Europe and Africa. In 2016, the museum’s collection contained nearly 2,000 works.

Since the opening of the new museum building at Museum Park, the museum has had more than 150,000 visitors in the first four months. Although the museum initially only predicted more than 200,000 visitors in its first year at the new site.

Address: 1103 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33132, United States
Hours: 11AM–6PM/Thursday: 2–9PM/Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Closed

Everglades National Park

Traveling to Miami without visiting the Everglades National Park is an extremely regret. This place is not only attractive by the wild and mysterious natural scenery but also by an extremely diverse and rich ecosystem. At Everglades, you will have the opportunity to see first-hand the great alligators, rare East Indian sea pigs and more than 350 species of birds and 300 different fish species.

Everglades Safari Park Admission Ticket

Museum of Contemporary Art (MoCA)

Memorable museums are scattered throughout southern Florida but the MoCA museum designed by Charles Gwathmey opened in 1996 could make Miami a meeting place for the world of contemporary art. Talks, art classes, jazz concerts and more than 400 works of life by Dennis Oppenheim, Alex Katz, Julian Schnabel, Yoko Ono, and Jose Bedia are exhibited here.

Address: Joan Lehman Building, 770 NE 125th street, North Miami, Fl 33161
Hours: Wednesday: 12pm – 7pm/Thursday – Sunday: 10am – 5pm

Bass Art Museum

Bass is an international contemporary art museum, a showcase for works by artists who founded museums and local culture. The museum’s focus is on educational purposes, while offering a number of special programs that teach children about creativity and personal growth through the art.

Not only art galleries, the Bass Museum also houses a boutique, café, educational facility and numerous temporary exhibitions from artists around the world.

Address: 2100 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Hours: 12–5PM/Monday, Tuesday: Closed

Miami Beach Botanical Garden

For those who love nature, want to enjoy a fresh, cool atmosphere, surely you cannot ignore a destination in this city that is the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. This place was established in 1962. It covers an area of ​​2.4 hectares and owns beautiful, captivating scenery. Just walking on the cobblestone paths, checking-in on those bridges and watching the colorful flower gardens at this garden is a very wonderful experience.

Address: 2000 Convention Center Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Opened: 1962
Hours: 11AM–5PM/Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: Closed

Wynwood Arts District

If you want to enjoy art in a large open space, go to Wynwood neighborhood. This area is considered the arts center of Miami. Here, you can find more than 70 art galleries, numerous cafes, dozens of museums and numerous outdoor art collections. So, you just need to walk around Wynwood to see countless unique works as well as take hundreds of stunning virtual live photos.

The wall paintings in Wynwood are painted with many unique images from famous artists of Mianmi. In addition to a unique artistic space, Wynwood is also a great meeting place when night falls for those who seek fun and enjoy the cuisine at restaurants, cafes or bars.

Miami travel blog: What to eat and where to eat?

Miami is a great gastronomic place, with new restaurants, bars and dining rooms opening almost every week. Discovering Miami cuisine will certainly be an extremely wonderful experience that any visitor come here cannot miss. This city has many delicious dishes of which the most famous is the rock crab dish. The best place to enjoy this dish is at Joe’s Stone Crab Restaurant (Address: 11 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States). Although the food is expensive, it still attracts a large number of visitors to enjoy. The price of the dish ranges from $30 – $70/plate (5 – 10 crabs) depending on the size of the big or small (the rock crab season takes place from mid-October to mid-May). In addition, you can enjoy this dish at Michael’s Genuine (Address: 130 NE 40th St, Miami, FL 33137, United States) in the Design District.

In addition to rock crab, you can also enjoy many other dishes such as: Mofongo, Churrasco or Cuban sandwich, …

A special thing here is that dinner is considered a competitive world in Miami, as you will need to book in advance at the most popular spots like Yardbird with famous chicken dish and Mandolin.

On the other hand, you can mingle with the locals at locations like David’s Cafecito, La Sandw Richie, Zak the Baker and Panther Coffee. You can dress up your sexiest outfit and have fun at top venues like Nobu Miami, Zuma and Thomas Keller’s The Surf Club Restaurant.

Two locations for an experience in Miami that are unlike any other are 27 Restaurant & Bar (Address: 2727 Indian Creek Dr, Miami Beach, FL 33140, United States/Hours: 6-11PM, closed on Mon, Tue), where chef Jimmy Lebron brings the culture of Miami into engaging dishes and bursts with fresh ingredients of Florida. Especially, at Kiki on the River (Address: 450 NW N River Dr, Miami, FL 33128, United States/Hours: 5–11PM; Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1PM–12AM) – the outdoor restaurant on Miami river with emotional rooms and Mediterranean cuisine perfect for warm weather.

For a taste of the city’s signature Cuban taste, head to Calle Ocho in Little Havana and enjoy live music and mojito at the historic Ball & Chain site (Address: 1513 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33135, United States), along with medianoché and colada glasses (one of a kind Sweet Cuban coffee, in a small plastic cup) at Versailles or La Carreta (both available at Miami International Airport).

Miami blog: Shopping

Bayside Marketplace

If you are looking for a famous shopping place in Miami then Bayside Marketplace will definitely be a great choice for you. This is a large 2-storey shopping mall located right in the city center. In addition to modern shopping stores, Bayside Marketplace also attracts visitors with live music shows and unique bars and restaurants.

There are more than 150 different stores selling everything from fashion, shoes, accessories, electronics, and food. You can find top brands from around the world popping up in the Bayside Marketplace.

Miami blog: Where to stay?

Below we recommend more best cheap, budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

• Mandarin Oriental, Miami, a top rated 5-star hotel with room rates from $239/night (Check rates on Agoda.com or Booking.com).
• Novotel Miami Brickell, a top rated 4-star hotel with room rates from $139/night (Check rates on Agoda.com or Booking.com).
• Kimpton EPIC Hotel, a top rated 5-star hotel with room rates from $189/night (Check rates on Agoda.com or Booking.com).
• Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton – Miami Brickell Downtown, a top rated 4-star hotel with room rates from $189/night (Check rates on Agoda.com or Booking.com).

You can find more, check rates, availability & book for hotels in this city on Agoda.com or Booking.com.

Miami tourist guide: Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Miami you can refer to

• Shared Miami International Airport (MIA) Transfers to/from Miami
• Motorcoach Roundtrip Transfer from Miami Hotels to Key West
• Miami Day Tour from Orlando
• [SALE] Key West Day Trip from Miami with Conch Train, Trolley & Glass Bottom Boat Tour Options
• [SALE] Key West Day Trip and Snorkeling Experience from Miami
• Key West Day Trip and Parasailing Experience from Miami
• Go Miami – All Inclusive Pass
• Miami Guided City Tour
• Bimini, Bahamas Day Trip from Miami
• Miami Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Tours (Open-Top)
• Go Miami Explorer Pass
• 30-Min Adrenaline Jet Boat Ride in Miami
• Zoo Miami Admission Ticket
• Jungle Island Admission Ticket with Optional Round Trip Hotel Transfers
• Everglades Safari Park Admission Ticket
• Miami Seaquarium Admission Ticket

Are you looking for more top things to do in Miami: Tours, activities, attractions and other things? Let’s check it out here.