Miami | thetravelingroses

Miami Travel Guide

Pack your bags and get ready to hit the beach......Miami Beach that is!!! Miami is my go to whenever I am in need of clear beach water, palm trees and delicious cuisine. It’s the perfect getaway since MIA is a short 2.5 hour plane ride from the Jersey/NYC area.

Since you will be spending most of your time on the beach make sure to pack light. Here are some of my packing essentials.

What to Pack:

Love my Bagallini Avenue Tote Bag, it doubled as the perfect carry on item and the perfect beach bag. Love all the compartments for easy access to my favorite gadgets like my GoPro Hero 5, the perfect camera to capture some fun shots on the water.

Another must have is Sunscreen, the UV index can reach levels over 10 so make sure you pack plenty of sunscreen and even a hat. My go to suncreen lotions Neutrogena & Coola!! I am obsessed with Coola, this was part of my Fab Fit Fun (click my affiliate link to join today) summer box and its AMAZING!! Goes on super lightweight so you can even apply it before your makeup.

Don’t forget to protect your eyes and pack your favorite shades.

Miami is all about sun, fun and cute swimsuits!!! I got tons of compliments on this stripped one piece I got from Amazon.

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase

Now that you have your essential items packed it’s time to jump on the plane and head over to the Sunshine State.

Where to Stay:

One of the things I love the most about Miami is that it offers the best accommodation for any budget. We decided to stay at the San Juan Hotel right on Collins Ave. This is a mid range hotel with accommodations averaging about $150/night plus resort fees.

You’ll find that pretty much all the hotels in the area charge an additional resort fee that goes towards the use of sunbeds, umbrellas and towels at the beach. So make sure to read the fine print when booking your accommodations.

I love that the SJH is conveniently located just a couple of blocks from the beach, shopping and great restaurants. The pool area is super clean and the perfect place to cool off

The SJH has a cool bar and lobby, perfect for a drink before hitting the town or if you just want to hang out and play some board games with your friends. So make sure to stop by and check their happy hour specials.

We loved the giant Jenga game in the lobby.

Since the hotel is such in a great location we skipped renting a car and just used LYFT to get back and forth. Much more convenient and cost effective.

Now that you know what to pack and the perfect place to stay make sure to check out the rest of my 5 day Miami itinerary for ideas of what to do and places to eat!

What to do:

Day 1:

Soooo you came to South Beach to hit the beach right??? Our hotel was literally a 5 minute walk to the beach, so after enjoying our complimentary breakfast poolside we walked over to the beach for the day. I loved searching for all the cute lifeguard huts!

After a full day of relaxation on the beach we headed over to the 11th street Diner for dinner.

We enjoyed a delicious burger and an amazing milkshake in this retro styled diner.

We then walked around Ocean Drive and took photos of some places on our bucket list...like the Versace Mansion which is now a hotel/restaurant and the Colony Hotel where they filmed scenes from Scarface.

Day 2:

We spent another fun day at the pool of our hotel then headed to the beach for a few hours.

Our family came over and it was a fun day of just catching up. Once we soaked up enough sun rays we headed over to Bayside Mall, just 20 minutes from our hotel.

We ate at the Latin America Restaurant, they offer delicious Cuban cuisine with a beautiful view of the water! You HAVE to try their mango mojito...it was sooooo good.

Dress from Forever 21

Day 3:

After another full day of beach and pool fun it was time to continue exploring.

We had the biggest pizza slices ever at the Pizza Bar… about a block from SJH right on Collins.

After lunch we headed back to our hotel for a little down time, then we took a LYFT ride over to the Wyndwood Wall section which was about $30/round trip. If you are into cool graffiti walls and a cool hipster vibe you have to check this place out.

We had our taxi drop us off at The Taco Stand and had the BEST tacos EVER!!!! Don’t forget the guac… it’s delish!!!

We then walked a few blocks and walked around Wyndwood walls. This was by far the most instagrammable place in all Miami. We enjoyed walking around and seeing all the cool art.

After we walked the area and took tons of pics....we walked over to TaiyakiNYC for a quick stop for dessert. We ate our yummy ice cream while hanging out in their courtyard area….the DJ played some great jams! It was the perfect way to end the night before heading back to our hotel.

Day 4:

Can you guess what we did today? Yup...more pool and beach time fun!!! After a full day at the beach we worked up some appetite and headed to my favorite restaurant in SoBe.....My Ceviche!!! This was the first time I visited their location since I always just ordered it for the delivery straight to the beach. You can download their APP for easy ordering!!

My go to dish is the Combination Ceviche in a traditional lime/orange sauce, this dish has the freshest fish, shrimp and octopus you can find in town!! Their shrimp burrito is always a good choice too….and lets not forget their avocado & tomato salad…….and no worries for any non seafood lover in your group they also make some delicious Adobo Chicken tacos!

Trust me if there is one place you HAVE to try when in Miami it’s My Ceviche!! Click Here to check out their full menu options!

After getting our dose of My Ceviche, we walked around the block to the new hot spot Big Pink….we were too full to go in for dessert so we opted for a quick photo shoot instead!

Once we took tons of pics we decided to walk off the food and walk back to our hotel.

The humidity and heat in south beach is no joke, after walking about 2 miles we beaded back to the room to shower AGAIN!!

We then got ready and took a LYFT to another one of my favorite places.....Versailles in the Little Havana area. This is another MUST go to place, they serve up delicious Cuban cuisine at insanely cheap prices.

Once you are done with dinner I highly recommend heading over to Ball and Chain for some yummy mojitos and some salsa dancing.

Day 5:

No trip to South Beach would be complete without a stroll around the Lincoln Road Mall area. This area offers tons of stores and restaurants along a long strip. I love walking around all the stores and walking the road filled with music, outdoor shows and tons of laughter.

Our trip to South Beach was quickly coming to an end. We were looking for a fun activity and came across the South Beach Escape Room.

This was a fun activity that you should check out if you are looking for something fun to do with the kiddos.

We then went next door to High Five Skateboard so Sam could pick out her belated birthday gift! Make sure to ask for Alex, he was super informative and took good care of us… not to mention he said I looked like JLO! He gets an A+ in my book just for that.

Sam was super happy with her new board… but now with a blink of an eye our trip to Miami came to an end!!

Our trip ended with a late flight back into NYC where we got to see an amazing sunset from the plane!

When you think of Miami you don’t think of family travel, however there is so much to see and do with the kids. We opted to just chill by the pool and beach but Miami has lots to offer.

check out the Miami Aquarium
You can do an Everglades Tour (check out City-sightseeing Miami)
Grab a Citi bike and just explore the city

As you can see Miami is the perfect place for everyone, whether its a quick weekend with friends, family or even a fun solo trip. Hopefully this guide gives you some insight on what to pack, where to stay, places to eat and things to do while visiting Miami!!

Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a small commission if you make a purchase.As always, ideas and opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.