Florida · best-of list
40 Top Things to Do in Florida
We narrowed 56 things to do from our curated routes in Florida down to 40, spread across 16 destinations. Expect sights and experiences, with Key West contributing the most (5).
Our curated picks
40 things to do in Florida, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Key West 5 picks
Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
Key West · On our Miami Beach Getaway route + 1 more
Hemingway's 1930s home with guided tours and dozens of six-toed cats.
Tip: Tours run every few minutes; go at opening to beat cruise crowds.
Photo: Bobby Pierce · Google
Harry S. Truman Little White House
Key West · On our Miami Beach Getaway route + 1 more
Truman's winter White House, shown on guided tours of the original rooms.
Tip: Tours are timed; buy tickets at the door or online.
Photo: Bubba73 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Mallory Square Sunset Celebration
Key West · On our Miami Beach Getaway route + 1 more
Nightly sunset gathering on the harbor with street performers and food carts.
Tip: Arrive 45 min before sunset for a spot on the edge.
Photo: Keith Fairbank · Google
Southernmost Point Buoy
Key West · On our Miami Beach Getaway route + 1 more
The painted buoy marking the southernmost point of the continental U.S.
Tip: Lines get long midday; come early or at night.
Photo: Radomianin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Key West Lighthouse & Keeper's Quarters
Key West · On our Florida Keys Adventure route
88 steps to the top for views over Old Town, across the street from Hemingway's house.
Tip: Combine with Hemingway Home; climb before midday heat.
Photo: Jay Papanestor · Google
Bahia Honda & the Lower Keys 3 picks
Bahia Honda State Park
Bahia Honda & the Lower Keys · On our Key West New Year's Eve route
A wide sandy beach on clear, shallow water, about 40 miles up the Overseas Highway from Key West.
Tip: Arrive before 10 a.m. on Jan 1; the park closes its gate when parking fills.
Photo: KimonBerlin · CC BY-SA 2.0
Blue Hole
Bahia Honda & the Lower Keys · On our Key West New Year's Eve route
A freshwater pond in an old quarry in the National Key Deer Refuge, where small Key deer and alligators are often seen.
Tip: Drive slowly on Big Pine; the deer cross roads, and feeding them is illegal.
Photo: EdoDodo · CC BY-SA 3.0Looe Key Reef
Bahia Honda & the Lower Keys · On our Key West New Year's Eve route
A shallow coral reef in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, reached by snorkel boats from Big Pine and Ramrod Key.
Tip: Book a morning boat; afternoon trips are often canceled when the wind picks up.
Everglades 3 picks
Coopertown Airboats
Everglades · On our Miami Beach Getaway route
Family-run airboat rides on the Tamiami Trail since 1945, through sawgrass and hammocks.
Tip: Combine with Shark Valley, 10 minutes west.
Photo: Christina Burnham · Google
Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
Everglades · On our Miami Beach Getaway route
Main park entrance with exhibits and ranger info on what's active that day.
Tip: Ask rangers which trails have the best wildlife that week.
Photo: SH H · Google
Flamingo Marina
Everglades · On our Miami Beach Getaway route
End of the park road on Florida Bay; boat tours and kayak rentals, with manatees and crocodiles often in the marina.
Tip: Check tour times at the marina; kayaking is best in winter.
Photo: Catie · Google
Miami 3 picks
Máximo Gómez Park (Domino Park)
Miami · On our Florida Keys Adventure route
Calle Ocho park where older Cuban men play dominoes all day.
Tip: Watch quietly; ask before photographing players.
Photo: Brent Gifford · Google
Pérez Art Museum Miami
Miami · On our Florida Keys Adventure route
Modern and contemporary art on Biscayne Bay, with hanging gardens on the terrace.
Tip: The bayfront terrace is a good stop even without a ticket.
Photo: Kim Peebles · Google
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami · On our Florida Keys Adventure route
1916 Italian Renaissance-style villa with formal gardens on Biscayne Bay.
Tip: Closed Tuesdays; buy timed tickets online.
Photo: Averette · CC BY 3.0
Old Town & Duval Street 3 picks
Bourbon Street Pub red shoe drop
Old Town & Duval Street · On our Key West New Year's Eve route
A drag performer rides a giant red high heel down from the balcony at 724 Duval, the gay end of the street's New Year.
Tip: Come by 11:30 p.m. and watch from the sidewalk across Duval for the clearest look at the balcony.
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Old Town & Duval Street · On our Key West New Year's Eve route
A Civil War-era fort with the best swimming beach in Key West, shaded by pines at the island's southwest tip.
Tip: Go on Jan 1 morning with snorkel gear; there is a state park entry fee.
Photo: Julian Lupyan · CC0
Mallory Square
Old Town & Duval Street · On our Key West New Year's Eve route
The nightly sunset celebration on the Gulf side, with street performers, food carts and boats crossing the horizon.
Tip: Arrive 45 minutes before sunset on Dec 31; it sets around 5:50 p.m.
Photo: C Watts · CC BY 2.0
South Beach 3 picks
Art Deco Welcome Center
South Beach · On our Miami Beach Getaway route + 1 more
Start point for the Miami Design Preservation League's guided Art Deco walking tours along Ocean Drive.
Tip: Morning tours beat the heat; book online a day ahead.
Photo: Rafael Ochoteco · Google
The Bass
South Beach · On our Miami Beach Getaway route
Contemporary art museum in Collins Park, close to the beach.
Tip: Pair with a walk through Collins Park and the boardwalk.
Photo: Phillip Pessar from Miami, USA · CC BY 2.0
The Wolfsonian–FIU
South Beach · On our Miami Beach Getaway route
Design and propaganda museum in a 1927 storage building; a good air-conditioned break from the sun.
Tip: Check hours before going; it's closed some weekdays.
Photo: Acroterion · CC BY-SA 4.0
St. Augustine 3 picks
Castillo de San Marcos
St. Augustine · On our St. Augustine & Amelia Island route
Spanish coquina-stone fort completed in 1695, the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, on Matanzas Bay.
Tip: Tickets are valid for seven days; closed Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Photo: Juliancolton · CC BY-SA 4.0
Flagler College (Hotel Ponce de Leon)
St. Augustine · On our St. Augustine & Amelia Island route
Henry Flagler's 1888 Spanish Renaissance hotel, now a college, with Tiffany glass and a gilded dining hall shown on guided tours.
Tip: Guided tours sell out on holiday weeks; reserve a time ahead.
Photo: Farragutful · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lightner Museum
St. Augustine · On our St. Augustine & Amelia Island route
Gilded Age collections in Flagler's former Hotel Alcazar, built around a palm courtyard and the hotel's old indoor pool.
Tip: Come back after dark to see the courtyard and towers outlined in Nights of Lights.
Photo: Kiran891 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Winter Park 3 picks
Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens
Winter Park · On our Orlando New Year's Eve route
The lakeside home, studio and gardens of sculptor Albin Polasek, with his work set among the plantings.
Tip: Check holiday hours before you go; the gardens are best in soft afternoon light.
Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY 2.5
Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
Winter Park · On our Orlando New Year's Eve route
A museum of Louis Comfort Tiffany's work, including the Tiffany chapel interior from the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
Tip: Check holiday hours before Jan 1; it often closes on major holidays.
Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0
Knowles Memorial Chapel
Winter Park · On our Orlando New Year's Eve route
A Spanish Revival chapel on the Rollins College campus, near the shore of Lake Virginia.
Tip: The campus is quiet on Jan 1; walk down from Park Avenue along Holt Avenue.
Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY 2.5
Amelia Island 2 picks
Amelia Island Lighthouse
Amelia Island · On our St. Augustine & Amelia Island route
Florida's oldest existing lighthouse, moved here from Cumberland Island in 1838, standing above the Egans Creek marsh.
Tip: The best public view is from the Egans Creek Greenway trails below it.
Photo: NatalieMaynor · CC BY 2.0
Amelia Island Museum of History
Amelia Island · On our St. Augustine & Amelia Island route
Island history from the Timucua to the shrimping era, housed in the old 1935 Nassau County jail.
Tip: The museum's guided walking tours of the historic district are the best introduction to town.
Photo: Ebyabe · CC BY-SA 3.0
Downtown Jacksonville & Southbank 2 picks
Florida Theatre
Downtown Jacksonville & Southbank · On our Jacksonville New Year's Eve route
Restored 1927 Mediterranean Revival movie palace downtown, now a concert and comedy venue.
Tip: Check the calendar for a Dec 30 or Dec 31 show.
Photo: bubba73 · CC BY-SA 3.0
St. Johns River New Year's Eve fireworks
Downtown Jacksonville & Southbank · On our Jacksonville New Year's Eve route
The city's free midnight fireworks over the St. Johns, launched near the Main Street Bridge and the Shipyards.
Tip: The show lasts about 12 minutes; the Main Street and Acosta bridges close from 11:45 p.m.
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Downtown Miami & Bayfront 2 picks
Bayfront Park New Year's Eve
Downtown Miami & Bayfront · On our Miami New Year's Eve route
Miami's free countdown concert on the bay, with Latin headliners, the Big Orange rising at midnight and fireworks from barges.
Tip: Arrive before 9 p.m. for a spot on the lawn facing the bay; VIP tickets sell separately.
Bayside Marketplace
Downtown Miami & Bayfront · On our Miami New Year's Eve route
Open-air waterfront mall next to Bayfront Park, with a marina, Skyviews Miami wheel and bay views toward the fireworks barges.
Tip: A good fallback viewpoint if the park lawn is full.
Photo: Sharon Hahn Darlin · CC BY 2.0
Downtown St. Petersburg 2 picks
Salvador Dali Museum
Downtown St. Petersburg · On our Tampa New Year's Eve route
The largest Dali collection outside Europe, in a concrete box wrapped by a glass bubble on the bay.
Tip: Buy timed tickets ahead; holiday days sell out.
Photo: bebatut · CC BY-SA 2.0St. Pete Pier
Downtown St. Petersburg · On our Tampa New Year's Eve route
Quarter-mile pier into Tampa Bay with parks, restaurants, a splash pad and a rooftop deck at its head.
Tip: Walk to the end for the skyline view back toward downtown.
Key Largo 2 picks
African Queen
Key Largo · On our Florida Keys Adventure route
The steamboat from the 1951 film, running short canal cruises.
Tip: Book ahead; dinner cruises are popular.
Photo: Jud McCranie · CC BY-SA 4.0
Christ of the Abyss
Key Largo · On our Florida Keys Adventure route
Bronze statue on the reef at Key Largo Dry Rocks, reached by snorkel or dive boat.
Tip: Ask Pennekamp's tours or a local dive shop for Dry Rocks trips.
Photo: David · Google
Walt Disney World 2 picks
EPCOT World Showcase Lagoon
Walt Disney World · On our Orlando New Year's Eve route
EPCOT's New Year's Eve show over World Showcase Lagoon, timed to midnight, with the countries' pavilions lit around the water.
Tip: Claim a rail spot near the lagoon by 10:30 p.m.; the bridge by the United Kingdom fills early.
Photo: Eden, Janine and Jim · CC BY 2.0
Magic Kingdom New Year's Eve fireworks
Walt Disney World · On our Orlando New Year's Eve route
An extended Fantasy in the Sky fireworks show over Cinderella Castle, timed to finish at midnight on Dec 31.
Tip: A park ticket is required, and Magic Kingdom can close to new arrivals; be inside by late afternoon.
Photo: Benjamin D. Esham (bdesham) · CC BY-SA 4.0
Downtown Tampa & the Riverwalk 1 pick
Tampa Riverwalk
Downtown Tampa & the Riverwalk · On our Tampa New Year's Eve route
2.6-mile path along the Hillsborough River through downtown, the free viewing area for the midnight fireworks over the water.
Tip: Claim a spot near Curtis Hixon Park by 11 p.m.
Photo: Zeng8r · CC BY-SA 4.0
Jacksonville Beach 1 pick
Jax Beach Polar Plunge
Jacksonville Beach · On our Jacksonville New Year's Eve route
The city's New Year's Day plunge into the Atlantic, held for over 30 years; more than 1,000 people went in for 2026.
Tip: Plungers gather on the beach by the SeaWalk Pavilion; confirm the start time with the city.
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. Our routes include 56 things to do here; to keep the list readable we show 40, keeping those featured on the most routes and those with an insider tip, and spreading the rest across destinations. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the things to do in Florida?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. Our routes through Florida include 56 things to do; we show the 40 featured on the most routes, spread across destinations. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of Florida has the most things to do on this list?
Key West has the most (5 of 40), followed by Bahia Honda & the Lower Keys (3) and Everglades (3).
Are any of these free?
13 picks on this list are marked free in our route notes: Mallory Square Sunset Celebration, Southernmost Point Buoy, Máximo Gómez Park (Domino Park), Amelia Island Lighthouse, Bayfront Park New Year's Eve, and more. Check ahead, since parking or special exhibits can cost extra.
More lists for Florida
Top things to do nearby
Destinations on this list
- Key West 5 on this list
- Bahia Honda & the Lower Keys 3 on this list
- Everglades 3 on this list
- Miami 3 on this list
- Old Town & Duval Street 3 on this list
- South Beach 3 on this list
- St. Augustine 3 on this list
- Winter Park 3 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.