4 Days Adventure Itinerary In Miami And The Everglades

Planning a trip to South Florida? This 4 day Miami itinerary is your guide to experiencing the best the region has to offer—from relaxing beach days and vibrant street art to thrilling Everglades adventures and unique local eats. Whether you’re craving sunshine, culture, or nature, this itinerary strikes the perfect balance between laid-back moments and unforgettable experiences.

This article may contain paid links where we make a small commission for purchases you make from links that you click from this article. By purchasing through our links, you support us at no additional cost. Thank you for your support ❤️. For more details, read the disclosure page.

Over four days, you’ll explore Miami’s iconic neighborhoods, enjoy sustainable luxury at a beachfront resort, zip through Biscayne Bay, and journey deep into Everglades National Park. With handpicked activities, top-rated restaurants, and insider tips, this itinerary is ideal for first-time visitors and seasoned travelers alike looking to make the most of their time in Miami.

4-Day Miami Itinerary

We built this itinerary to be different than your conventional Miami trip. While we wanted to spend some quality time on the beach and enjoying the great weather, we also wanted to get away from the super touristy areas. We were looking for newer areas to explore beyond the art deco district.

As adventure and outdoor seekers, we wanted to explore the Everglades and the surrounding area which is often overlooked as well. That’s what brought us out to the national park and the hidden gems in and around Homestead.

Ultimately, this 4 day itinerary is for those that want their dose of relaxation with opportunities to flex some creative muscles and go off-the-beaten path.

Day 1 – Relaxing At Beach, Pool And Spa

Your first day in Miami is all about the relaxation side of the city. Whether it’s the beach, pool, spa, or all of the above, the mission is to sit back and relax.

Depending on where you’re coming from, you’ll probably need the morning to get into Miami. In our case, we took an early morning flight from Toronto to Miami International Airport (MIA).

From the airport, make your way to the adjacent Rental Car Center to pick up your car for the trip. While they had all the different brands to choose from, we ended up going with Budget because they had a really great rate.

If you’re hungry, you can definitely fit in a restaurant along the way. Originally, we were reminiscing our trip to Peru and, seeing as it’s a popular cuisine in Miami, Ceviche Inka Miami seemed like a great choice. Ultimately, we opted to spend more time at the hotel, so we went straight there.

The entire stretch of Miami beach is filled with amazing properties, but when it came to finding a spot to make our home for 2 nights, we were careful to pick one that reflected our wish to stay somewhere that valued sustainability, had a secluded resort-like atmosphere, and was in a low-key area on the beach where we could truly relax.

Enter The Palms Hotel & Spa, a property that first and foremost puts an emphasis on being a 4 Green Key Eco-Rating Certified hotel, is in the Beyond Green portfolio, and has both visible and behind-the-scenes sustainability initiatives that rise above what others are doing in the industry.

In addition to the givens of a beautifully spacious and comfortable room, superb service, and facilities such as the gym, spa, pool, beach, and their hidden gem of a restaurant, it very much felt like a getaway. That speaks to the quality, privacy, and attention to the small details, not to mention the lush greenery that surrounds you.

After you get settled in, the resort is your oyster. And if your room isn’t ready yet, they can hold onto your bags while you hit the pool or sip on a fresh coconut water beach-side.

From the boozy drinks, hammocks, the beach chairs on sand, and the pool itself, we didn’t even need to leave the property.

For us, we were really excited about The Palms Aveda Spa, so we made a reservation for their Journey into Bliss couple’s massage. Leading us to their outdoor cabana, we were pampered with a fully body massage, complete with personalized aromatherapy and collagen lip masque. This was followed by a glass of Mimosa to round out the experience.

You’re in for a real treat this evening. One of the highlights of our trip was our dinner at Aviv. Beyond that, this was easily the best meal we’ve had for a very long time and that says A LOT!

Located inside the 1 Hotel, Aviv brings a fresh and modern take on Mediterranean cuisine blended in with that South Beach vibe.

With its tapas-sized dishes, everything is meant to be shared. From the surprising halloumi baklava, irresistible house made saluf bread, flavor-packed dorade fish, perfectly charred romanesco, and velvety hummus that’s impossible to stop dipping into, it’s all *chefs kiss*.

Day 2 – Street Art And Thrills

Miami has such a diverse offering of cultures and a neighbourhood that’s been getting a lot of attention is Wynwood so you’ll get your chance to see it up-close. For my thrill seekers out there, we also have something for you too!

Start off your morning at essensia located just downstairs. As a hotel restaurant, you’ll be impressed by their menu that’s farm-to-table and has something for everyone. If you’re hungry, there’s the buffet or you can order a range of healthy, vegan, and gluten-free choices.

Our last visit to Miami was easily a decade ago and the neighborhood of Wynwood wasn’t anyone’s list. What was once a gritty warehouse district, it’s now become Miami’s most creative and buzz-worthy neighborhoods where street art, indie boutiques, and craft breweries collide.

At the center of it is Wynwood Walls, an open-air gallery where every turn offers a new piece of street art to snap a photo with. You can’t help but be at awe of the larger-than-life creations from world-famous artists that’s splashed with color and deeper meanings.

For those looking to do more than just admire the art, Street Art Experience: Spray Freestyle is a hands-on way to jump into the creative process. You get your own spray cans, safety gear, and a wall to make your mark. It’s messy, fun, and gives you a real appreciation for the skill behind those massive murals.

We thought the murals were contained inside Wynwood Walls but once you get here, you realize that it’s the entire neighborhood. If we had time, we definitely would’ve loved to have done the golf cart tour that brings you to all of the highlights.

Wynwood is a celebration of culture, expression, and Miami’s ever-evolving style that you have to see yourself.

After that burst of creativity, you’ll no-doubt be hungry so head around the block to 1-800-Lucky, which has the unique distinction of being the first Asian food hall in Miami.

Bringing together a mix of flavors from all over the continent, you’ll find seven different vendors under one roof. What we loved about that is that we could build our own dream meal, which in our case was a spicy tuna sushi roll, a pork belly bao, dim sum sampler, tonkotsu ramen, Vietnamese coffee, and Miami-style halo.

The overall vibe is fun and fast-paced, with upbeat music, colorful decor, and plenty of seating both indoors and out.

While you’re here, also don’t miss the record shop that’s next to the front entrance which has a lot of fun goodies.

One of the best ways of seeing Miami’s skyline is by boat but with so many different boat tours, which one do you choose?

Instead of a slow sightseeing cruise where you might catch yourself nodding off, opt for the Miami Vice-style experience with Thriller Miami Speedboat Adventures.

For 45 minutes, you’ll be given an ample dose of adrenaline as you zip through Biscayne Bay and hitting speeds of up to 40 mph, blazing past other craft on the water including giant cruise ships. Along the way, your guides will point out famous mansions and yachts by Star and Fisher Islands.

It’s the kind of Miami adventure that hits the sweet spot between sightseeing and straight-up fun.

Head back to The Palms and if you haven’t yet, it just might be the right day to enjoy Miami Beach and cool off in the warm turquoise waters and soft sand.

Talk about a day of contrasts so far, right?

We didn’t realize this at first, but it’s actually really nice to be able to wash up from a beach session in your own room, change, and head down for an incredible meal at essensia.

You expect that kind of convenience in an all-inclusive resort but we never thought we’d be able to do this in Miami.

essensia offers a refreshing take on Miami dining with its farm-to-table philosophy and Mediterr-Asian fusion menu. With a commitment to wellness without sacrificing flavor, everything that we ordered was a hit including their tuna tartare, burrata, braised short ribs, and grilled octopus.

When dining here, you also get your choice of the elegant interior that you see above or the garden terrace under tropical breeze.

Day 3 – Entering Everglades National Park

For the second half of your trip, you’ll be setting off on a different kind of adventure, trading in your beach shorts for binoculars as you make your way into the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.

After another satisfying breakfast at essensia, check out the hotel and hit the road.

Along the drive south, you’ll be passing through the city of Homestead. One of the restaurants that’s well known there is Chefs on the Run and since you’ll be headed into the national park, it’ll be a good idea to grab a picnic lunch for later.

Chef Jodrick brings Puerto Rican comfort food to life with bold flavors and creative twists. From crispy alcapurrias to loaded mofongo and over-the-top burgers, every dish reflects his passion and island roots.

You can’t go wrong with anything on the menu but we ended up ordering the La Mas Basic chicken burger, award-winning ŇO Burger, chipotle mac ‘n cheese, and key lime empanda.

Everglades National Park is massive, covering more than 1.5 million acres in South Florida and it can be accessed through one of three entrance gates. Each gives you access to a specific section of the park and they aren’t connected.

For this trip, you’ll be entering from Homestead which gives you access to the Royal Palm and Flamingo regions of the park.

Before you go through the gate, you’ll find Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, a must-visit to get a short orientation of the park, speak to the helpful Rangers, walk through the educational and interactive “River of Grass” diorama, gift shop, and an observation deck in the back where you have a chance of seeing different birds and alligators.

We found it incredibly helpful to learn about the differences between an alligator and crocodile. Do you know the difference?

While you’re there, make sure to visit the AIRIE Nest Art Gallery in the same building, featuring exhibitions featuring the work of artists in residence in the Everglades.

With your introduction to the Everglades National Park, it’s now time to officially enter through the main gate.

For your afternoon, depending on how much time that you have, pick one or several trails to do. This is the best way to get to understand how dynamic the landscapes and ecosystems in the park are.

The one trail we managed to fit in was the breezy Mahogany Hammock Trail, a half mile (800 meter) boardwalk loop that takes you through a jungle-like forest including towering mahogany trees, gumbo-limbo trees draped in air plants, and birds chattering above.

If you happen to have additional time, consider Anhinga Trail and West Lake Trail.

Remember, you have your lunch from Chefs on the Run so make sure to eat your picnic lunch somewhere along the way.

Keep driving along Main Park Road (State Highway 9336) until you get to practically the end of the road. This area is called Flamingo, and this is the gateway to Florida Bay which is a maze of mangrove waterways, marine life, and thousands of birds.

For visitors, Flamingo is a popular location because there’s the marina, hiking and paddling trails, bike rentals, and has amenities such as campground, lodge, and restaurant.

Start off at the freshly painted pink, Guy Bradley Visitor Center. This is a newly renovated building that’s worth visiting because it focuses on this part of the Everglades, the history of the Indigenous and settlers here, modern life-size displays of manatees and alligators, and has a great elevated view of the bay beyond.

At the adjacent marina, you’ll find the Marina Store which is your best bet for purchasing supplies you might need in the park and also ice, drinks, food, and souvenirs.

Looking to get active? Next to the store is the Activity Booth by Flamingo Adventures. This is where you’ll be able to take your pick of kayak, canoe, bike, and even boats to rent.

If time allows, you can consider the Back Country Boat Tour, where a naturalist will share the history of Flamingo and point out wildlife and plant life as you float through the waterways.

When we originally started planning this Miami itinerary, we didn’t think it was possible to stay overnight in the park without camping gear. Turns out, it totally is!

Flamingo Lodge is the only hotel right inside Everglades National Park, and it’s a brand-new setup with 24 rooms built from shipping containers and raised above the marsh on stilts. The modern accommodations have a low-key tropical vibe and is perfectly tuned to its surroundings with their balcony views of the water.

What we loved about staying in the park overnight is that we could watch the sunset, see birds when they’re more active, and walk the Guy Bradley Trail without the crowds.

After getting settled into your studio, head to the main building and have dinner at Flamingo Restaurant. This is a refreshing new space where there’s a great selection of wraps, sandwiches, salads, and dessert.

Day 4 – Sweet And Wild Side To Miami

Even though you’re flying out of Miami in the evening it doesn’t mean that you can’t pack it in with a bit of everything that makes the Everglades such a fun playground.

Start your day with a breakfast burrito, bagel, parfait, or smoothie at Flamingo Restaurant and head back to the marina to take advantage of the kayak rentals that are available through Flamingo Adventures.

We recommend that you do the 2 hour kayak rental. Since we didn’t get a chance to do the Back Country Boat Tour, we opted for the canal-side and spent our time enjoying the leisure paddle out to as far as Coot Bay and then turning back around.

While you’re on the water, be on the lookout for crab, shrimp, egrets, pelicans, osprey, and spoonbills to name a few.

Next, make a stop at the legendary and larger-than-life fruit stand, Robert Is Here, which has an unexpected cornucopia of exotic fruits that you’d only expect to find in tropical places in other parts of the world.

From gems like mun khun see mangoes, guanabana, caimito, and 80-pound jackfruit, this is a fruit-lover paradise.

What goes well with hyper sweet fruit? Smoothies and milkshakes! We took the advice of Brandon Moehling (son of Robert) and ordered a guanabana milkshake plus a mango, passion fruit, and banana smoothie with honey.

To our surprise, we also found a full-on petting zoo complete with goats, chickens, tortoises, parrots, and ostriches out back so make sure not to miss it.

We’d be remiss not to experience an airboat while in the Everglades. What you need to know though is that there aren’t any airboat tours inside the national park itself.

There are several companies offering airboat tours but one that caught my eye was Everglades Alligator Farm because of their access to private wetlands and emphasis on longer and faster rides.

The airboat tour at Everglades Alligator Farm is the kind of ride that blasts your hair back and leaves you grinning. Zipping through the sawgrass, your airboat captain pushes the throttle to the max and has you pulling high-speed turns and 360-degree spins to your delight.

Apparently, they are the only ones that can pull these off because their boats are made out of fiberglass instead of the metal boats that everyone else uses.

In addition to the adrenaline, you’ll also appreciate the education along the way, where you’ll learn about the ecosystem and be able to spot some wildlife along the way. In our case, we saw many birds soaring ahead, fish, turtles, and iguanas.

For the grand finale, you’ll be heading to the southernmost winery in the United States. Schnebly Redland’s Winery and Brewery is not your typical winery as we really enjoyed being transported into a tropical escape surrounded by natural coral waterfalls and shaded tiki huts.

Adapting to the Redland countryside, they’ve crafted over 20 exotic fruit-based wines made from guava, mango, passionfruit, lychee, avocado, and coconut. We tried their wine tasting experience and were surprised and delighted by the 5 different glasses we had. Our favorite was definitely their award-winning Lychee wine.

If wine isn’t your thing, the Miami Brewing Company is right behind and in their large hall, you’ll find pool tables, arcade games, and a delicious line up of craft beers that also take advantage of the tropical fruits that they have access to.

Lastly, you’ll also find The Redlander Restaurant on the grounds where they pair their beers and wines with a menu of sushi, tapas and steak.

In our case, this was the end of our 4 days in Miami. We strategically booked an evening flight back to Toronto in order to maximize our trip and I have to say that it worked out really well for us.

All that’s left is the drive back to the airport and filling up on gas along the way before you return your vehicle.

The Ultimate Miami Escape

Miami’s got more than just beaches—and this 4-day itinerary proves it.

What made this trip truly unforgettable was the way it blended two completely different worlds into one seamless adventure. Mornings spent lounging under swaying palms at The Palms Hotel & Spa, with coconut drinks in hand and the ocean just steps away, gave us that sense of calm we didn’t know we needed. The food was incredible, the spa indulgent, and the little touches. Then came the energy of Wynwood’s colorful murals and a boat ride that had us grinning ear to ear.

But it was the second half of the trip that really surprised us. Venturing into the Everglades felt like stepping into another world. We paddled through quiet canals, watched the sun dip below the horizon from our room at Flamingo Lodge, and zipped across sawgrass on an airboat. Finishing it all off with fruit wine under tiki huts at Schnebly’s? That was the cherry on top.

Map Of Miami Itinerary

We’ve designed this handy interactive map with all the restaurants, attractions, and hotel on this itinerary pinned for you!

Miami Itinerary Packing Guide

Wondering what to pack for your trip to Miami? Don’t worry, we’ve got your back!

The most important thing to factor in is what time of year you’re going, especially if you’re planning on heading down to the Everglades. As you can see on the Mosquito Meter above, the range goes from “Enjoyable” to “Insane” which aligns with winter to summer. That is why the Everglades National Park is most visited between November to Easter.

This handy packing guide includes everything you should bring:

• Sunglasses: A good pair of sunglasses go a long way. We’re huge fans of Maui Jim and we pair them with Croakies Arc System eye glass retainer.
• Mosquito repellent: This will be essential if you’re going to the Everglades in the summer season. We recommend something like Deep Woods mosquito repellent with Deet or Sawyer with Picaridin. If things are getting to “horrible” and “insane” in the Mosquito Meter, you might also need to treat your clothes with Sawyer Permethrin tick and insect repellent spray for clothing and gear, combined with a mosquito net.
• Sun-friendly clothes: You’ll be spending a lot of time in the outdoors whether it’s on the beach or out in the Everglades National Park. You’ll certainly want to bring your best beachwear; you’ll also want to pack clothes that can help you stay cool and covered from mosquitoes such as these long-sleeve and short-sleeve shirts. These convertible pants are also handy!
• Binoculars: Bring some binoculars so you can get a closer look at the wildlife you’ll encounter in the Everglades.
• Pack a hat: Florida isn’t called the Sunshine State for nothing! When you’re out all day exploring, you’ll need a good hat to protect you from the sun.  For even more protection, consider a good wide-brimmed hat.
• Bring plenty of sunblock: Make sure you have a bottle of sunblock with you at all times. Add it to your daypack when you’re out and about sightseeing and reapply it throughout the day to avoid getting a nasty sunburn. Don’t forget aloe vera gel just in case.
• Your best camera: With so many epic attractions and things to do in Miami, you’ll want to snap some pictures of your adventure! As travelers, we’re a huge fan of OM System’s micro four thirds camera system because they are built to be weather-proof and have a large lineup of excellent lenses such as the 8-25mm wide angle and 40-150mm telephoto that are incredibly versatile and lightweight.
• Comfy walking shoes: This trip involves a lot of walking trails, so make sure you pack Altra Lone Peak shoes which have been a revelation since owning them. You might even want to consider bringing a pair of walking sandals too so you can wear those on extra warm days. For the beach, we suggest these flip flops.
• If you’re visiting from another country, remember you’ll need a travel adapter and a voltage converter. In the US they use plug types A and B, so maybe bring one of each just in case!
  • As the US runs off 120V electricity outlets, if you have electronics that run off 240V it’s worth investing in a voltage converter. They’ll save your electronics from getting destroyed!
• Anyone who isn’t a US national should also be up to date with VISA requirements before organizing a trip to Miami. You can find out more and check if you need a VISA or ESTA here.

Miami Frequently Asked Questions

This trip was made possible through our partnership with Visit Greater Miami and Miami Beach however all opinions are our own.