Best time to travel in Miami?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with 2015-2024 averages
Best time: December to April
Best avoided if possible: June to October (less pleasant weather or big crowds).
Temperatures and rainfall: 1991-2020 normals from the Miami Beach station, NOAA data (public domain).
Tropical: a dry, sunny winter around 24°C by day, a hot, humid summer at 32-33°C with a thunderstorm almost every afternoon from June to September, and a hurricane season from 1 June to 30 November. The best time to visit Miami is January, February, March, April and December, with temperatures reaching 32-33°C (July-August). By contrast, May, June, July, August, September, October and November are generally less favourable (less pleasant weather or big crowds, depending on the destination), though a trip is still possible with a bit of planning. In high season, book early: prices and visitor numbers climb fast.
Go against the flow. To avoid the crowds without sacrificing too much on the weather, aim for May and November: the crowds thin out, prices drop too, and the climate stays pleasant.
Do these months appeal to you? See what's best elsewhere too: where to go in December · where to go in January · where to go in February · where to go in March · where to go in April.
At a glance
Why go to Miami?
Miami is the most Latin American of the big cities in the United States: more than half the people in the metropolitan area speak Spanish at home, and the city's recent history can be read in its neighbourhoods, from Little Havana, founded by Cuban exiles after 1959, to Little Haiti and the Venezuelan and Colombian communities of Doral. You order a cafecito at a pavement window, hear salsa as you leave a museum, and dinner rarely starts before 9pm.
It is also a city of beaches and architecture. Miami Beach, across Biscayne Bay, lines up the largest Art Deco ensemble in the country, pastel hotels from the 1930s facing the sand, while Downtown and Brickell have sprouted glass towers in some twenty years. Between the two, Wynwood and the Design District have made the city a major stop for contemporary art, with the Art Basel Miami Beach fair every December and murals covering entire streets.
Finally, Miami opens onto a natural world you would never suspect from Ocean Drive. The Everglades begin an hour's drive away, with their alligators and waterbirds, Biscayne National Park protects the reefs of the bay, and the road to the Keys runs to Key West over 260 km of bridges. A week lets you combine the city, the beach and these excursions, in winter, when Europe shivers and the thermometer stays around 24°C.
Tourist map of Miami: what's where?
The map below pinpoints the 6 places covered in this guide: a handy way to picture the distances between each stop and plan your route in Miami.
- South Beach
- Wynwood Walls
- Little Havana
- Vizcaya
- Cape Florida
- Shark Valley
How much does a trip to Miami cost in 2026? Budget calculator
Estimate your budget for Miami based on your travel style: accommodation, meals, activities and local transport included (flights excluded). Adjust the length and the number of travellers, and the totals update.
Totals for all travellers over the chosen length; the daily amount is per person. Flights extra, indicative amounts to adjust depending on the season.
Cards are accepted everywhere, contactless included, except in Everglades National Park, where they are mandatory, as cash is refused. Prices are shown before tax: 7% on purchases and meals in Miami-Dade County, about 13% on rooms in Miami and 14% in Miami Beach, plus the resort fees of many hotels. A tip of 18 to 22% is expected in restaurants, except when service is already on the bill.
Safety in Miami: should you be worried?
The areas frequented by visitors, South Beach, Brickell, Wynwood, Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, are safe by day and lively in the evening, with a visible police presence. Theft from cars and on the beach is the most common crime: leave nothing on the seats or on your towel while you swim. Avoid walking alone at night in Overtown and in the deserted streets around Wynwood once the bars have closed. In South Beach, spring evenings and holiday weekends draw drunken crowds and tighter checks. In the sea, swim in front of the lifeguard stations and respect the flags, as rip currents are common. From June to November, follow the National Hurricane Center bulletins: in the event of a hurricane, the authorities order the evacuation of the barrier islands. The sun burns quickly all year round, and mosquitoes are plentiful in the Everglades in summer. Insurance covering medical care in the United States is essential.
Things to see and do in Miami
Our first-hand favourites, and the great classics:
- South Beach and the Art Deco District
- Wynwood Walls
- Little Havana and Calle Ocho
- Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
- Pérez Art Museum Miami
- Coral Gables and the Venetian Pool
- Key Biscayne and Cape Florida
- The Everglades via Shark Valley
What to book before you go to Miami →
🧭 Discover the Miami itinerary, day by dayMap, timings, budget and where to stay: free to access, to fit your dates. Create my tailor-made itinerary →South Beach and Miami Beach
The southern tip of Miami Beach island, between 5th and 23rd Streets, brings together the Art Deco hotels of Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue, the beach and lawn of Lummus Park, and the pedestrianised Lincoln Road, designed by Morris Lapidus. Española Way, a Mediterranean-style lane from the 1920s, lines up café terraces. South of 5th Street, South Pointe Park has a pier and views of the cruise ships leaving the port. Further north, Mid-Beach and North Beach, around the Fontainebleau, are quieter and better suited to families. The free municipal trolley links the island's districts.
Downtown and Brickell
The business district, on the west shore of the bay, where the office and apartment towers of Brickell, the financial district, have multiplied since the 2000s. The Metromover, a free automated elevated train, loops around it and serves the Pérez Art Museum, the Frost Science Museum and the Bayside marketplace, from where bay cruises depart. Brickell City Centre is packed with shops and restaurants, and the MiamiCentral station is served by the Brightline train to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. In the evening, rooftop bars replace the beaches as the place to go out.
Wynwood and the Design District
Two neighbouring districts north of downtown, transformed by art in some fifteen years. Wynwood, a former warehouse district, has murals on almost every façade, around the paid enclosure of the Wynwood Walls, with galleries, craft breweries and restaurants set up in sheds. The Design District, a few minutes further north, mixes the boutiques of the big fashion houses, contemporary architecture and freely accessible artworks, as well as the Institute of Contemporary Art, a museum with free entry by reservation. Both are easy to explore on foot, better at the end of the day than in the middle of the afternoon.
Little Havana
The Cuban district, west of downtown, stretches along Calle Ocho, SW 8th Street. Between 12th and 17th Avenues come Máximo Gómez Park and its domino players, the 1926 Tower Theater, cigar factories, coffee windows and bars where people dance salsa at night, such as Ball & Chain. The Calle Ocho Walk of Fame engraves the names of Latin stars into the pavement, from Celia Cruz to Gloria Estefan. People come here to eat Cuban food at gentle prices, Cuban sandwiches, croquetas and guava pastelitos, more than for any particular monument.
Coconut Grove and Coral Gables
South of downtown, two leafy districts with a slower pace. Coconut Grove, the oldest neighbourhood in Miami, keeps its streets under the banyans, its marina and its bayside cafés, with Vizcaya on its doorstep. Coral Gables, an independent city created in the 1920s, lines up its Mediterranean villas, the Venetian Pool, the Biltmore hotel and the Miracle Mile, its shopping street. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, further south, displays palms, cycads and orchids over 34 hectares. This is the Miami of the locals, where you dine without the noise of South Beach.
The Everglades, Biscayne and the Keys
The excursions that make Miami a base for a longer stay. Everglades National Park is reached in an hour via the Tamiami Trail to Shark Valley, or in an hour and a half via Homestead to the main entrance, from where the road runs 60 km down to Flamingo and Florida Bay. Biscayne National Park, 45 minutes to the south, protects coral reefs that you visit by boat or with mask and snorkel. Key Largo, 1 hour 15 minutes away, opens the road to the Keys, with John Pennekamp park and its reefs. Key West, at the end, needs at least one night there.
How many days, and which itinerary in Miami?
Three days cover South Beach, Wynwood, Little Havana and a museum. Five days add Vizcaya, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and a day in the Everglades. A week or ten days let you head down the Keys to Key West or up to Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach.
🗺️ Day-by-day Miami itinerary · 📓 Printable Miami travel guide (PDF) · 🌍 Discover all of the American West
The long weekend (3 days)
Day 1: guided tour of the Art Deco District at 10.30am, Lummus Park beach, Española Way and Lincoln Road, dinner in South Beach and Ocean Drive after dark. Day 2: the Wynwood Walls at opening time, lunch in a Wynwood shed, the Design District, then the Pérez Art Museum Miami in the late afternoon by Metromover. Day 3: Little Havana in the morning, cafecito and dominoes in Máximo Gómez Park, Vizcaya in the afternoon, dinner in Coconut Grove.
City, beach and Everglades (5 days)
The three weekend days, then a day to the south: the beach and Cape Florida lighthouse on Key Biscayne in the morning, with the 10am tour, then the Venetian Pool and Coral Gables in the afternoon. On the fifth day, an early start for Shark Valley for the tram tour or a bike ride on the 24 km loop, a lunch of local specialities on the Tamiami Trail, returning via Little Havana for salsa in the evening. A hire car is enough for the last two days.
South Florida (10 days)
Four nights in Miami for the city and the beaches, then the main entrance of the Everglades via Homestead down to Flamingo, a night in Key Largo with a boat trip to the reefs of John Pennekamp park, two nights in the Middle Keys around Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge, and two nights in Key West. Return to Miami in four hours along the same road, or fly from Key West. Allow 650 km in all, and book hotels early in winter.
How to get to Miami and get around?
Non-stop flights link Europe to Miami: Air France flies from Paris-Charles de Gaulle in about 10 hours outbound and 9 hours on the return, and other airlines offer flights with a connection in New York, Atlanta or London. Miami International Airport is 12 km west of downtown and 20 km (12 miles) from South Beach.
From the airport, the Metrorail reaches downtown in 20 minutes on the Orange Line, and bus 150, the Miami Beach Airport Express, runs to South Beach for the price of a bus fare, less than $3, about €2.50. A taxi or ride-hailing car to Miami Beach generally costs $35-50, about €30-43, depending on the time and the traffic on the causeways.
In town, the free Metromover circles Downtown and Brickell, the Metrorail runs south to Vizcaya, Coconut Grove and Coral Gables, and the municipal trolleys of Miami and Miami Beach are free. Contactless payment works on buses and the Metrorail. The Brightline train links MiamiCentral station to Fort Lauderdale in about 35 minutes and to Orlando in about 3 hours 30 minutes.
A car is only useful for the Everglades, the Keys and Key Biscayne. Traffic is heavy at rush hour, the motorways have electronic tolls billed by the rental company, and Miami Beach hotels charge $40-60, about €34-52, a night for parking. Hire one for your excursion days only.
Where to stay in Miami?
South Beach is the most common choice: renovated Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue, often small and noisy at weekends, from €150 to €350 a night in winter, plus daily resort fees and about 14% in taxes. The streets between Collins and Washington Avenue are quieter than the seafront.
Mid-Beach and North Beach, further north on the island, are home to the big beach hotels, from the Fontainebleau to recent towers, with pools and direct access to the sand, better suited to families. The free trolley and buses take you back to South Beach in 15 to 30 minutes.
Downtown and Brickell suit those who want to get around by Metromover and Metrorail, with business hotels and recent addresses at €130-250 a night, and bay views from the upper floors. Wynwood has a few characterful hotels for staying in the heart of the nightlife.
Coral Gables and Coconut Grove offer a more residential stay, around the Biltmore or the bayside hotels, 15 minutes from the airport. Prices drop by 30 to 50% between June and October, in the full heat and hurricane season, and climb during Art Basel in December and American spring break in March.
Our picks stop by stop, in three price ranges →
What to eat in Miami?
Cuban food is the foundation: the Cuban sandwich of roast pork, ham, cheese and pickles, pressed hot, ham croquetas, ropa vieja, rice with black beans and fried plantains, for $12-25, about €10-22, a meal. Versailles, on Calle Ocho, has been the institution since 1971, and the Cuban bakeries serve guava pastelitos and cafecito all day long.
The sea provides stone crabs, of which only one claw is taken and which Florida law allows from 15 October to 1 May: Joe's Stone Crab, in South Beach, has been serving them since 1913. Peruvian ceviche, Venezuelan arepas and Caribbean-style grilled fish complete the menu, and key lime pie rounds off the meal.
Wynwood, the Design District and Brickell are home to chef-led restaurants and food halls, such as the Time Out Market in Miami Beach or the Wynwood food halls. Michelin-starred and omakase restaurants cost $150-300, about €130-260, per person, and weekend brunch is one of the local rituals, often a boozy one.
Bills can be a surprise: in Miami Beach, many restaurants automatically add an 18 to 20% service charge, so read the bill before leaving an extra tip. Allow $8-12, about €7-10, for a beer and $16-22, about €14-19, for a cocktail, more on Ocean Drive. Tap water is safe to drink.
Which kind of traveller is it for?
Miami lends itself to a festive, cultural and relaxing trip. Whether you travel as a couple, with friends or even solo, everyone finds their own pace. For accommodation, you will mostly find classic hotels, boutique hotels and resorts.
Entry requirements & practical info
UK, Australian and most EU passports need an ESTA, applied for online before departure, for stays of up to 90 days; a few EU countries sit outside the Visa Waiver Program and need a full visa. Canadians need neither, only a passport. Anyone who has been to Cuba since January 2021 cannot use an ESTA and must apply for a visa.
Rules change: before you leave, check your country's official travel advice.
Once there, to stay online without paying roaming charges, an Miami eSIM activates in a few minutes and works as soon as you land (plans from €3.99). Remember suitable travel insurance too.
Frequently asked questions about Miami
When is the best time to visit Miami?
From December to April, the dry season, with 24 to 28°C during the day, a sea at 23-25°C and little rain. It is also the most expensive period, especially during Art Basel in early December, the end-of-year holidays and spring break in March. From June to October, it is 32-33°C, humidity is high, storms break in the afternoon and it is hurricane season, but hotels lower their prices considerably.
Are there direct flights from Europe to Miami?
Yes, Air France flies non-stop from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Miami, in about 10 hours outbound and 9 hours on the return. Flights with a connection in New York, Atlanta or London are sometimes cheaper. The airport is 12 km from downtown, linked by the Metrorail, and 20 km from South Beach.
Do you need a car in Miami?
Not for the city: the Metromover and the trolleys are free, the Metrorail serves Vizcaya and Coral Gables, and ride-hailing cars are plentiful. It becomes useful for the Everglades, Key Biscayne and the road to the Keys. Hire one for those days only, as parking at Miami Beach hotels costs $40-60, about €34-52, a night.
How much does it cost to enter the Everglades?
$35, about €30, per vehicle for 7 days, valid at all park entrances. Since 1 January 2026, each non-resident visitor aged 16 and over pays an extra $100, about €86, unless they show the America the Beautiful annual pass for non-residents, at $250, about €215. The park only accepts cards. The Shark Valley tram tour and boat trips are paid for separately.
Can you swim in Miami all year round?
Yes, the sea rarely drops below 22°C in winter and exceeds 29°C in summer. Swim in front of the lifeguard stations, keeping an eye on the flags and the currents. In spring and summer, mats of sargassum seaweed sometimes wash up on the beaches, irregularly from week to week.
How many days do you need in Miami?
Three days for South Beach, Wynwood, Little Havana and a museum, five to add Vizcaya, Coral Gables, Key Biscayne and the Everglades. Miami is often the starting point for a tour of South Florida, towards the Keys and Key West or towards Orlando on the Brightline train.
What should you do in the event of a hurricane?
The season runs from 1 June to 30 November, peaking in August-September. Hurricanes are forecast several days ahead: follow the National Hurricane Center and the instructions of Miami-Dade County, which orders the evacuation of barrier islands such as Miami Beach if necessary. Travel insurance covering weather-related cancellation is useful in summer and autumn.
Similar destinations
City🇺🇸 Los Angeles
Countries🇲🇽 Mexico
City🇧🇷 Salvador da Bahia
City🇦🇺 Sydney
City🇺🇸 Charleston
City🇺🇸 San Diego
City🇺🇸 San Francisco
City🇺🇸 Seattle
City🇺🇸 Santa Barbara
Countries