Seven days: Miami, South Beach and the Florida Keys

Why split the week this way

This itinerary is two trips stitched together on purpose. The first half is Miami and South Beach, where Metromover, Metrorail and walking cover almost everything — no car needed. The second half is a drive south on the Overseas Highway through the Florida Keys, where a rental car becomes necessary the moment the trip leaves Miami-Dade County. Budget for that switch: return the reflexes of a walkable city and pick up a car for four days of island-hopping by road.

Key West sits about 160 miles (257 km) from Miami by US-1, and the stretch from Key Largo to Key West alone covers 113 miles and 42 bridges. Driven straight through, that is 3.5 to 4 hours each way, more with traffic on a Friday afternoon or after a Keys accident closes a lane — this stretch has no shoulder to pass on for long sections. Treating Key West as a same-day round trip from Miami means roughly 7 hours of driving for a handful of hours on the ground. This itinerary spends a night there instead, which changes the experience: sunset at Mallory Square without the clock running, dinner on Duval Street, an early walk before the day-trip buses arrive.

Because this trip crosses from a walkable city into a driving trip, treat it as two different packing and logistics problems rather than one. See what to pack for Miami for the humidity-driven basics that cover the whole week, and budget separately for the car once it enters the picture on Day 4: fuel, the one-way rental question, and the tolls that some Florida expressways charge cashlessly, which rental companies often rebill with an added fee if it isn’t sorted out at pickup.

Day 1: Arrive and settle into South Beach

Land at Miami International (MIA) or Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL), the latter often cheaper but about 30 miles (48 km) north. Settle into South Beach or Downtown/Brickell — no car yet. Walk Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road, and get oriented in the Art Deco Historic District before the evening crowds arrive. See where to stay in Miami if the base isn’t booked yet.

Day 2: Miami City — Wynwood, Little Havana, Downtown

A full day on the mainland side of Biscayne Bay. Morning in Wynwood and the Design District for street art at Wynwood Walls (partly ticketed). Afternoon in Little Havana: Calle Ocho, Domino Park, a Cuban coffee — see how to order a Cuban coffee before ordering one cold by mistake. Evening back in Downtown and Brickell: Bayfront Park, Bayside Marketplace, a night view of the skyline. The free Metromover loops Downtown, Brickell and Omni all day.

Day 3: South Beach at a slower pace, on the water

South Beach’s public beach is free, and the Art Deco Historic District rewards a slow morning walk rather than a checklist. In the afternoon, get onto the bay itself with a private yacht charter with champagne along the South Beach coastline — a different angle on the skyline than the causeway views. For a lower-key option on the same water, a Biscayne Bay cruise from Bayside leaves right from Downtown. Dinner in South Beach; note that some restaurants here add service to the bill automatically — check before tipping twice.

Day 4: Coral Gables and Coconut Grove, then pick up the car

Morning in Coconut Grove and Coral Gables: the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, the Venetian Pool, tree-lined streets that feel far from the beach. This is the natural cutoff between the car-free half of the week and the driving half — pick up the rental car in the afternoon rather than the morning of departure, so any paperwork issues don’t eat into Keys time. Rentals booked one-way through the Keys or dropped off outside Miami-Dade can carry extra fees; confirm this before signing. Note that many Florida expressways use cashless tolling (SunPass or pay-by-plate), which rental companies often rebill with an added fee.

Day 5: Drive to Key Largo and Islamorada

Leave Miami by mid-morning; Key Largo is about an hour south on US-1. Stop at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park for a glass-bottom boat trip or a first snorkel of the trip — see Key Largo snorkeling and diving for what’s worth booking ahead. Late afternoon, continue to Islamorada and close the day on the water with a sunset cruise out of Key Largo, timed to the light rather than a fixed clock. Overnight in Islamorada or Key Largo — see things to do in Islamorada for the sport-fishing culture that defines the town.

Day 6: Islamorada to Marathon, then on to Key West

Morning in Islamorada: a full-day fishing charter out of Islamorada for anyone building the day around it, or a shorter stop at Theater of the Sea for a lighter morning. Continue to Marathon and cross the Seven Mile Bridge — genuinely seven miles of open water, one of the trip’s landmark drives. Visit the Turtle Hospital, then get on the water with a sandbar boat tour with lunch out of Marathon before the final push to Key West, roughly another 45 minutes to an hour south. Arrive in the evening — see things to do in Marathon if there’s time to linger before pushing on.

Day 7: Key West, then the long drive back

A full day in Key West: the Southernmost Point buoy, Duval Street, Ernest Hemingway’s house-museum, sunset at Mallory Square if the schedule allows a second night, or a morning walk before the day-trip crowds arrive from Miami if not. Key West sits about 90 miles from Cuba and is the southernmost city in the continental United States — worth sitting with rather than rushing past. For the return, budget the same 3.5 to 4 hours as the drive down, and consider leaving with enough daylight left to avoid driving the narrower Keys bridges after dark. Anyone extending the trip toward the Dry Tortugas National Park should know the Overseas Highway stops at Key West — Fort Jefferson is reachable only by official ferry, seaplane or authorized charter, never by road.

Planning notes for this route

Leg	Distance	Drive time (no stops)
Miami to Key Largo	~60 miles (97 km)	~1 hour
Key Largo to Marathon	~50 miles (80 km)	~1–1.5 hours
Marathon to Key West	~50 miles (80 km)	~1–1.5 hours
Miami to Key West (direct)	~160 miles (257 km)	~3.5–4 hours

Prices for cruises and charters are shown before Florida’s 7% sales tax (higher again on Miami-Dade hotel stays), and tipping — 18 to 20% at restaurants, and expected for boat crews and guides too — adds more on top. Check the current fare and schedule on the GetYourGuide or Viator listing before booking, since Keys weather and sargassum can shift departure times. Travellers on a Visa Waiver Program country’s ESTA don’t need a separate permit for this route — it’s a domestic drive — but should keep in mind that any side trip to the Bahamas would count against the 90-day ESTA limit, which this itinerary doesn’t include.

Practical basics before you go

This is a domestic US trip inside one time zone — Eastern Time, UTC-5 in winter and UTC-4 during daylight saving from March to November — so there’s no clock adjustment between Miami and the Keys. Prices throughout this itinerary, on tours and in restaurants, are shown before Florida’s 7% sales tax, and a further tip is expected on top: 18 to 20% at restaurants, and boat crews and guides work the same way. Miami-Dade and Monroe County (the Keys) both run on the US dollar, standard 120V/60Hz power with type A/B plugs, and tap water along the whole route is safe to drink, so bottled water is a comfort choice rather than a necessity. The legal drinking age is 21 everywhere on this route, checked at bars and sometimes at tour check-in, and 911 is the emergency number throughout. For a full breakdown of what actually gets added to a bill, see Miami tipping, taxes and resort fees explained.

Driving is on the right, same as the rest of the US mainland, which matters more on the Overseas Highway’s narrow two-lane stretches than in Miami traffic. Visitors from Visa Waiver Program countries need an ESTA approval before flying — obtained only through the official esta.cbp.dhs.gov site, never a third-party page — and everyone else needs a B-2 visa; neither is required again once inside the country for a domestic drive like this one.

A passport isn’t needed anywhere on this route itself, since it never leaves the continental United States; it only becomes relevant if the trip is extended into a Bahamas day trip from Miami, which sits outside this itinerary. Anyone driving this route between June and November should build in slack for the Atlantic hurricane season, which peaks August through October: it rarely cancels a trip outright, but it can shift boat departure times or, in a direct storm track, close the Overseas Highway for evacuation.

Miami to Key West road trip: questions worth answering before you go

Is Key West doable as a day trip from Miami instead of an overnight?

It’s physically possible by bus tour, but the drive alone is roughly 7 hours round trip out of a single day. This itinerary spreads the drive across two directions with a night in Key West, which leaves real time on the ground instead of a few rushed hours.

Do I need a car for the whole seven days?

No. Miami and South Beach are covered on foot, by Metromover and Metrorail for the first three to four days. The car becomes necessary only once the trip heads south past Coconut Grove toward the Keys, where there’s no equivalent public transport along US-1.

How many bridges are on the Overseas Highway?

The stretch from Key Largo to Key West crosses 42 bridges over 113 miles, including the well-known Seven Mile Bridge near Marathon. The full highway, including the approach from the mainland, runs about 160 miles from Miami.

Can I visit the Dry Tortugas on this itinerary?

Not by car — the Overseas Highway ends at Key West. Dry Tortugas National Park, about 70 miles further west, requires a separate ferry, seaplane or authorized charter booking, ideally arranged weeks ahead since space is limited.

What’s the best time of year for this route?

The dry season, roughly November to April, brings sunnier days and less humidity, though it’s also the highest-priced stretch. The Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30 with a peak from August to October; travel insurance and flexible bookings are worth having during those months.

Should I book Keys boat tours before I arrive?

For anything tied to sunset timing or a specific charter size, yes — availability tightens in the dry season. Confirm the current price and departure time on the operator’s GetYourGuide or Viator listing rather than relying on a fixed figure.

Is this itinerary different from a shorter Keys road trip?

Yes. A three-day version skips Miami entirely and starts the driving straight from the airport. This seven-day version front-loads several days in Miami and South Beach first, so the Keys leg starts already rested rather than jet-lagged.

How much extra should I budget for tax and tips on this route?

Plan on Florida’s 7% sales tax on top of every quoted tour, meal and rental price, then 18 to 20% tipping at restaurants and for boat crews and guides on top of that — neither is included in the sticker price shown online or on a GetYourGuide or Viator listing.

Do I need a passport for any part of this trip?

No. This itinerary stays inside the continental United States the entire seven days, so international visitors travel on the same ESTA or visa they used to enter the country, and no passport is checked along the way. A passport only matters if the trip is stretched to include a Bahamas day trip from Miami, which isn’t part of this route.