It’s such a fun place to visit with beaches like South Beach and Key Biscayne, as well as the art in Wynwood Walls and Deco architecture in Miami Beach.
With that being said, there are several amazing destinations near Miami that make for a perfect day trip.
In this article, we’ll look at 5 of these places you may want to visit when you’re looking to escape Miami for a day.
Fort Lauderdale Beach
Fort Lauderdale Beach is like Miami Beach’s sister city and is just 45 minutes away by car.
Las Olas and the area nearby remind me a lot of South Beach with its beautiful beach and the shops and restaurants just across the street.
My favorite part of Fort Lauderdale Beach is at the intersection of Poinsettia Street and South Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, and head south.
There are lots of bars and restaurants on these couple of blocks, including The Drunken Taco, Cafe Ibiza, Senor Frogs, Beach House Las Olas, and 411 South Bar & Grill.
Obviously, the beach itself is beautiful and my family and I loved it here.
It’s perfect for water activities such as surfing and jet skiing.
This area is lined up with lots of nice resorts if you’re looking to extend your day trip from Miami into a weekend!
Grabbing a drink and checking out the ocean at The Drunken Taco.
Deerfield Beach
Deerfield Beach is another nice day trip option from Miami and is an hour and 20 minutes north, just past Fort Lauderdale.
If you’re with the family, there are plenty of entertaining activities to enjoy together, such as visiting Quietwaters Park or Sullivan Park, or exploring Butterfly World in nearby Coconut Creek.
There’s also Adventure Vault in Deerfield Beach, which is an escape room and virtual reality arcade.
Boca Raton is right next to Deerfield Beach and has the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and the Boca Raton Museum of Art.
However, my favorite parts of Deerfield Beach include the beach, pier, and boardwalk area, which is perfect for walking around.
Note that the pier is temporarily closed for repairs as of April 2025 and will hopefully reopen this year.
There are lots of beachfront dining options in Deerfield Beach, including JB’s on the Beach.
I’ve also been to and recommend Whale’s Rib, which is just a short walk from the beach. If you like seafood, you’ll love their oysters, and you have to try the Whale Fries!
Whale’s Rib is proud of the fact that they’ve been featured on the Food TV show, Diners, Drive-ins & Dives.
Me visiting the Deerfield Beach Pier before it temporarily closed
Naples
When most people think of Naples, Florida, they probably think of snowbirds and upscale people living here.
This all may be true, but Naples is also a tremendous place to take a day trip when you’re in Miami.
Naples is just over 2 hours from Miami, so you’ll want to leave early for your trip unless you’re staying a little longer.
There are plenty of fun things to do here when visiting, especially if you’re a wildlife lover.
These include Naples Zoo and Naples Botanical Gardens. I’ve also taken a dolphin tour in Naples Bay, and you have a chance to see dolphins, as well as birds, manatees, and other marine life.
These cruises depart from Tin City, which is a cool place to visit in Naples.
It’s a waterfront complex with shops, crafts, and restaurants, such as Pinchers.
Last but not least, Naples has several amazing beaches, including Lowdermilk Beach, Vanderbilt Beach, and Naples Beach, which is my favorite.
Naples Beach has the pier, which is currently being repaired, and will hopefully be open again before the end of the year.
Enjoying a beautiful day at Naples Beach
Florida Keys
If you’re looking for day trips south of Miami, then you need to visit the Florida Keys!
The Florida Keys are very spread out, and you can get to Key Largo from Miami in about an hour and 40 minutes, while Key West is the furthest point of the Keys and is just under 4 hours from Miami.
Even if you don’t want to travel that far, there are lots of fun things to do in the Keys between Key Largo and Key West.
I recently visited the Keys, and the first stop was at Buzzard’s Roost in Key Largo.
While they had good food, the outdoor experience there was a lot more memorable for me.
We walked to the dock after lunch and could see a manatee in the water and a couple of pelicans.
Key Largo also has John Pennekamp State Park, which is an awesome park, especially if you’re interested in snorkeling in the reefs.
A little further in the Keys is Islamorada, and they have several fun places to visit here.
These include Florida Keys Brewing Company, Theater of the Sea, and Robbie’s Marina.
Robbie’s Marina is a cool place to visit because there are a few outdoor shops, a waterfront restaurant, and you can feed the tarpon.
We had the kids with us and they loved doing this.
A few other places in the Keys that are a must-visit include the Turtle Hospital in Marathon, Bahia Honda State Park, and No Name Bar, which is in Big Pine Key.
If you’re looking for things to do in the Keys, check out this post about things for couples to do in Key West.
Spoiler alert, you don’t have to be with a partner to enjoy many of these things!
Checking out the awesome waterfront views at Buzzard’s Roost Restaurant in Key Largo.
Everglades Holiday Park
I recently took my first Everglades Airboat Tour, and I have to say I was impressed!
Everglades Holiday Park is an hour from Miami, and they offer airboat tours, an alligator show, and an animal encounters experience, where you can hold a snake, turtle, and a few other animals.
We did all of the adventures here and it was a good time.
The airboat tour is about an hour long, and you do see several alligators on this tour.
The alligator show is about 20 minutes long, and they have a brave person who does a few stunts with the gators.
Do not try that at home!
Everglades Holiday Park also has a small restaurant and a store where you can eat and buy drinks and snacks. You can even order alligator bites!
Full disclosure: This is not the airboat tour that I did but it has a 5 star rating.
My girlfriend and I taking a picture on the Airboat Tour
Conclusion
As you can see, there are several fun day trips to take from Miami!
Whether you decide to get up and close with the gators at Everglades Holiday Park, or you just want to hang out at the beaches of Fort Lauderdale, you’re sure to have a good time in South Florida!
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