Miami and Fort Lauderdale in five days without a car

Why go north instead of south

Most short Miami trips either stay in the city or drive south to the Florida Keys. This one goes north instead, following the coast about 30 miles to Fort Lauderdale and on to Hollywood, Florida — not the film-industry Hollywood in California. The whole route runs on Brightline and local transit, so there is no rental car, no parking fees, and no need to plan around traffic on I-95.

This is a mid-range version of the corridor. A separate five-day luxury itinerary continues past Fort Lauderdale to Palm Beach on Brightline, with a higher budget for waterfront villas and boutique shopping; that trip is not this one. A different guide drives the same general direction as a road trip, covering more ground behind the wheel. Here the pace is slower and the transport is fixed: Miami and South Beach for the first two and a half days, then Fort Lauderdale’s canals and boats, then a short stop in Hollywood before heading back.

Day 1: South Beach and the Art Deco district

Start in South Beach, Miami Beach’s oldest and most walkable neighborhood. The beach itself is public and free; bring your own chair or towel rather than paying for a rental unless you want cabana service. Spend the morning walking the Art Deco Historic District along Ocean Drive and Collins Avenue — pastel-facade buildings from the 1920s through 1940s, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A self-guided walk covers the core blocks in under two hours; a guided tour adds context on the preservation history if you want it.

Afternoon: Lincoln Road for lunch and shopping, then back to the sand. South Beach’s water is calm most of the year, but check for posted flag warnings and occasional sargassum before swimming.

For an on-the-water option this afternoon or the next, a short speedboat run along the coast gives a different view of the skyline than the beach does. A guided speedboat run past South Beach and the causeways runs about an hour and works well as a first-day activity since it needs no advance planning.

Evening: Ocean Drive gets loud after dark. If that’s not the goal, Lincoln Road or a Mid-Beach restaurant is a quieter dinner option.

Budget for the day (mid-range, per person): beach chair rental $15-25, lunch $15-25, boat activity $60-100, dinner $30-50.

Day 2: Downtown, Brickell and the Metromover

Cross back to the mainland side of Biscayne Bay. Miami proper — Downtown, Brickell, and the neighborhoods around them — is a separate city from Miami Beach, connected by causeways rather than being one place with two names. The Metromover is free and loops through Downtown, Brickell and the Omni area; use it instead of a rideshare for short hops.

Morning: Bayfront Park and Bayside Marketplace, then the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) or the Frost Museum of Science if museums interest you. Both sit on the bay with skyline views.

Midday: take the Metromover south into Brickell for lunch among the office towers, then decide on an afternoon activity. Little Havana’s Calle Ocho is a short rideshare or bus ride west and worth two to three hours for Cuban coffee, Domino Park, and cigar-rolling demonstrations — a private yacht cruise out of Fort Lauderdale is a Day 3 activity, not today’s, so save that link for later and treat today as land-based.

Evening: Wynwood for dinner and street art if you have energy left; it’s a rideshare away from both Downtown and South Beach and worth an evening even on a tight schedule.

Overnight in South Beach or Downtown, whichever your hotel is booked in — no need to move rooms mid-trip since Brightline’s Miami station sits in Downtown, walkable or a short Metromover ride from either base.

Day 3: Brightline to Fort Lauderdale, canals and boats

Check out and take Brightline from Miami Central to Fort Lauderdale — about 30 minutes, versus 45 minutes to an hour driving depending on traffic. Trains run frequently through the day; book the Smart fare in advance for the lowest price, though walk-up tickets are usually available.

Fort Lauderdale is a separate city from Miami, about 30 miles north, in a different county, with its own downtown and its own stretch of beach. Its defining feature is the canal system — locals call it the Venice of America — with water-taxi service linking the beach, Las Olas Boulevard and the Riverwalk. Check into a hotel here for two nights.

Afternoon: ride a water taxi along the canals to get oriented, then walk Las Olas Boulevard for shopping and lunch. Port Everglades, one of the busiest cruise ports in the world, sits at the edge of downtown; even without boarding a ship, the harbor views from the Riverwalk are worth a look.

For the water time itself: private and rental boats are Fort Lauderdale’s specialty. A private yacht cruise through the canals and out to the Intracoastal suits a couple or small group wanting a guided, no-driving option. For a smaller, self-piloted option, a mini powerboat rental for a few hours on the water costs less and needs no boating license for short local routes, though check the operator’s requirements first.

Dinner along the New River or on Las Olas.

Day 3 cost estimate (per person)	Range
Brightline Smart fare, Miami–Fort Lauderdale	$15-30
Water taxi day pass	$15-30
Boat activity (canal cruise or rental)	$70-150
Dinner	$30-50

Day 4: Fort Lauderdale beach, then Hollywood’s Broadwalk

Spend the morning at Fort Lauderdale’s own beach — wider and less crowded than South Beach, with a paved promenade rather than a boardwalk. Rent a beach chair or just walk the strip from Las Olas to Sunrise Boulevard.

Midday, head south to Hollywood, Florida — again, the Florida city, not the California one associated with the film industry. It’s a short bus ride or a 15-to-20-minute rideshare from Fort Lauderdale. Hollywood’s Broadwalk is its own oceanfront promenade, distinct from Fort Lauderdale’s canal-front strip: a wide, paved path along the beach with cafes, shops and bike rentals, quieter and less built-up than either Fort Lauderdale or South Beach. Two to three hours covers a walk end to end with a coffee stop.

If you want a family-friendly water activity here rather than in Fort Lauderdale proper, nearby Dania Beach has a short, low-key option: a one-hour family pirate-themed cruise out of Dania Beach runs close to an hour and suits younger kids better than an open-water boat rental.

Return to Fort Lauderdale for a final night, or — if your schedule allows a sixth day — stay in Hollywood instead. This itinerary assumes the return leg happens on Day 5, so plan the overnight wherever Brightline access is easiest for you.

Day 5: Back to Miami

Morning: pack up and take Brightline back to Miami Central — again about 30 minutes. Depending on your flight time, this leaves a half-day in Miami for a last errand, a final meal in South Beach or Little Havana, or simply heading to Miami International (MIA) with time to spare.

If your flight is from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) instead of MIA, you can skip the return Brightline leg entirely and head to the airport directly from Fort Lauderdale or Hollywood — FLL is often the cheaper airport to fly into or out of for this exact corridor.

Where this itinerary stops, and what comes next

This route deliberately ends at Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, about 30 miles north of Miami. It does not continue to Palm Beach. A separate five-day luxury itinerary picks up where this one stops, riding Brightline further north to Palm Beach for a higher-budget trip built around waterfront villas and boutique shopping on Worth Avenue — a different pace and a different price point than the mid-range hotels and casual restaurants here.

This is also not the Miami-to-Palm-Beach road trip, which covers similar geography but by rental car, with stops the train doesn’t reach. If driving appeals more than transit, that itinerary is the one to follow instead — but it requires a car for all five days, tolls, and parking, none of which apply here.

Getting between the cities without a car

Leg	Mode	Approx. time	Approx. cost (per person)
South Beach to Downtown Miami	Rideshare or bus over causeway	20-30 min	$10-20
Downtown Miami to Fort Lauderdale	Brightline	~30 min	$15-30
Fort Lauderdale to Hollywood	Bus or rideshare	15-25 min	$5-20
Within Downtown/Brickell Miami	Metromover	varies	Free
Within Fort Lauderdale	Water taxi	varies	$15-30/day pass

Prices are ranges and change; check Brightline’s site and the Metromover and Metrorail guide for current fares before booking.

Practical notes for a car-free trip

• Airports: Miami International (MIA) sits west of Downtown Miami and connects by Metrorail; Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) is about 30 miles north and often cheaper to fly into. Either works as an entry or exit point for this itinerary — see the Fort Lauderdale airport guide for transfer options.
• Money: prices are shown before tax. Miami-Dade County sales tax is 7%; Broward County (Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood) runs slightly lower on general sales tax but hotels add their own resort or tourist taxes on top of the room rate — see the tipping and resort fees guide before booking.
• Tipping: expected, not optional — 18-20% at restaurants, and for boat crews and guides on any of the water activities above.
• Comparing Fort Lauderdale to Miami Beach: if you’re deciding how to split your nights, the Miami Beach vs. Fort Lauderdale guide breaks down the tradeoffs in more detail than fits here.
• Hurricane season: this itinerary works any time of year, but the Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30, peaking August through October. Flexible bookings and travel insurance are worth having regardless of exact dates.
• What Hollywood offers: for a longer look at the Broadwalk and surrounding area, see things to do in Hollywood, Florida.