Tampa
A port city on the Gulf of Mexico where Cuban, Spanish and Italian cigar makers built a whole district of brick factories at the end of the 19th century, and where a hotel with silver minarets recalls the arrival of the railway. A 4 km promenade follows the river from one museum to the next, and in winter, manatees crowd by the dozen into the warm waters of a power station on the bay.
By PierrickLocal Guide ★8 · 14M+ views on Google MapsBy PierrickLocal Guide ★8 · 14M+ Maps views
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Tampa · Photo Edgar C / Pexels
Things to do in Tampa in 4 days
Day 1
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The former Tampa Bay Hotel of 1891, a Moorish-style red-brick palace with silver minarets built by a railway magnate, whose south wing preserves the hotel's parlours, furniture and art objects.
💡 The museum is closed on Mondays and opens Tuesday to Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday from 12 pm to 5 pm. Cross the river on foot from the Riverwalk via the Kennedy Boulevard bridge, and walk around the outside of the building in Plant Park. Price: paid admission, under $20, about €17, for an adult.
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A 1926 movie palace by John Eberson whose auditorium recreates a Mediterranean courtyard at night under a starry ceiling, still screening classic and independent films with a Wurlitzer organ.
💡 The best way to see it is to watch a film; the programme is posted on the website. Guided tours on the history of the venue, with an organ demonstration, are held every month, and ghost tours in October; they fill up fast. Price: paid film screening; ghost tour $15, about €13.
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A continuous 4.2 km promenade along the Hillsborough River downtown, linking Curtis Hixon Park, the art museum, restaurant terraces and the Armature Works food hall, with views of the Plant Museum's minarets.
💡 Walk it or ride it on a bike share bike in the late afternoon, from the port northwards, and finish at Armature Works, a former streetcar depot turned food hall. A water taxi links the stops along the river and the port. Price: free.
DanTD / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 2
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An aquarium under a shell-shaped glass dome on the port, following Florida's waters from springs and mangroves to a coral reef with sharks and rays, plus a wetlands trail with otters and alligators.
💡 Open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. The price changes by day: buy online in advance, it is cheaper than at the ticket desk. Combine it with the TECO Line streetcar, which has a stop at the port, and lunch at Sparkman Wharf. Price: ticket price varies by date; valet parking $20, about €17, for up to 3 h.
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The historic cigar district founded in 1886, with brick streets, wrought-iron balconies, immigrant mutual aid clubs, cigar rollers still at work on 7th Avenue and the Columbia Restaurant of 1905.
💡 Come by day for the architecture and the factories, then stay for the evening: 7th Avenue becomes the city's street of bars and clubs, especially at weekends. The historic TECO Line streetcar links Ybor to downtown and the port for free. Try the Tampa Cuban sandwich, made with salami, a local recipe. Price: free to wander.
Adrian Demoret / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 3
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A theme park and zoo opened in 1959, famous for roller coasters such as Iron Gwazi and SheiKra, with a 26-hectare savannah of giraffes, zebras and rhinos explored by safari truck.
💡 Buy your ticket online, much cheaper than at the gate, and arrive at opening time for the roller coasters. Parking is extra. In summer, bring a change of clothes: the water rides soak you. Price: one-day ticket from $61.99, about €53, online.
Adog / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Day 4
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One of the world's largest collections of Salvador Dalí's work, shown since 1982 in a concrete building of 2011 with a bursting glass bubble and a spiral staircase, plus a waterfront garden.
💡 The museum opens daily from 10 am to 6 pm, until 8 pm on Thursdays. Book a dated ticket online, as weekend slots go fast. Spend the afternoon in St. Petersburg for the waterfront and its murals. Price: paid ticket, price varying by date, to be bought online.
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At Apollo Beach, a power station's warm, clean discharge canal where dozens or hundreds of manatees gather when the bay cools below 20°C, watched from wooden walkways from November to April.
💡 The centre opens daily from 1 November to 15 April, from 10 am to 5 pm, and is closed the rest of the year. Come on a cold morning in January or February, when the manatees are most numerous. Price: free entry and parking.
MatthewHoobin / CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)"Book" (hotels) and "via GetYourGuide" (activities) are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide). Prices, times and distances are approximate.
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Good to know before you go
🍽️ Must-try food
Burgers and barbecue
brisket and ribs cooked low and slow, done differently in every state.
Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl
the classic lunch on the San Francisco waterfront.
Mexican food
tacos from a truck in Los Angeles, a Mission burrito in San Francisco.
Pancakes and weekend brunch
a national habit, generous to the point of excess.
Craft beer, and California wine from Napa and Sonoma.
Dishes to look for in the good places: Tampa.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Tipping is not optional: add 15 to 20% in restaurants and bars.
- Prices on menus and in shops exclude sales tax, which is added at the till.
- Do not plan more than four or five hours of driving a day: the distances are larger than they look on the map.
- Never travel without health insurance. A night in hospital can cost thousands of dollars.
- In summer, do not hike down into the Grand Canyon in the heat of the day: the climb back out is where people get into trouble.
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The little details that make all the difference once you're there.
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📄 See the full guide: Tampa, detailed month-by-month weather, budget, what to avoid and FAQ.