Ultimate 5-Day Road Trip Through the Florida Keys, Everglades & Miami
Florida is a little slice of paradise! To me, it feels as close to island life as you can get without having to fly to very remote places. Between the laid-back vibes of the Florida Keys, the unique landscapes of the Everglades, and the lively buzz of Miami, this road trip brings together the best of everything that Florida has to offer!
Best Time to Visit Florida
Florida enjoys a warm climate year-round. Summers (June–August) are hot, humid, and bring frequent thunderstorms. Hurricane season runs from mid-August through mid-October, so the sweet spot for visiting is late fall (from November onwards) through early summer.
The bonus? You can swim almost year-round in Florida – I’ve swam at Miami Beach even in February!
How to Get to South Florida
The easiest way for this itinerary is flying into Miami International Airport (MIA). From there, you can either rent a car or take a bus down to the Florida Keys.
There’s also a small airport in Key West (EYW). Flying in to Key West is usually more expensive, but if you find a good deal, you could start your trip directly at the southernmost point of the continental U.S.
Tip: I LOVE using Google Flights to find the cheapest connections!
Getting Around Florida
- By Car: A rental car is essential for the middle portion of this road trip. But in Miami and Key West, you won’t really need one.
- By Uber/Lyft: Perfect for Miami, where traffic and parking can be a nightmare.
- By Greyhound: A budget-friendly way to get from MIA to Key West! We actually took the early morning Greyhound bus from Miami to Key West and loved it. It saved us two days of car rental costs, and the ride was surprisingly smooth, comfortable and very punctual!
How Many Days Do You Need for a Florida Road Trip?
Honestly, you could spend a lifetime in Florida! But for South Florida, I’d say at least 5–7 days. That gives you enough time to see Key West, some of the other Florida Keys, the Everglades, and Miami without feeling too rushed.
This itinerary is written for 5 full days (plus an arrival and departure day), but I’ll share trip extension ideas at the end if you’ve got extra time.
5-Day South Florida Road Trip Itinerary
Day 0 – Arrival in Miami
If your flight arrives late (as did ours), treat this as Day 0. Stay near the airport, get some rest, and kick off your trip bright and early the next morning. If you still have some time left in the day, you could already start your drive down to Key West (approx. 3.5 hours)!
We stayed at the Sheraton Miami Airport Hotel (about 150 CHF for one night). Simple but convenient since it’s right by the Greyhound bus station.
Days 1 & 2 – Exploring Key West
Welcome to Key West! Whether you arrive by car or bus, plan to arrive very early in the morning so that you can spend two full days here soaking up the island life.
Things to do in Key West
- Stroll Duval Street for shops, bars, and people-watching
- Snap a pic at the Southernmost Point of the Continental USA (expect a line!)
- Visit the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum
- Explore Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park & Beach
- Watch the sunset at Mallory Square or Sunset Pier
- Try authentic Key Lime Pie (I’m still dreaming about this many years later)
- Tour the Harry S. Truman Little White House
- Visit the Audubon House and Tropical Gardens
- Look around the Key West Historic Sea Port
- Optional: Take a day trip to Dry Tortugas National Park (only if this is really important to you because it’s quite expensive & needs to be booked ahead!!)
👉 Where we stayed: Key West is not a cheap destination. If you are somewhat on a budget, you might need to opt for an accommodation (like us) that is not perfectly central. We stayed at The Palms Hotel ($160 CHF/night), a charming place about 20–30 minutes’ walk from downtown.
Day 2 Evening – Drive to Marathon
Pick up your rental car in Key West around 5 pm on Day 2 and start driving back up through the Keys. We booked our car with Alamo and had a great experience.
On the way to Marathon, stop at:
- No Name Pub – The cool thing about the Keys is that there are so many random, fun things to explore! No Name Pub is a quirky, dollar-bill-covered pub in the middle of nowhere.
- Barnacle Barney’s – Our favorite restaurant of the whole trip. Go at sunset for some amazing views and drinks!! I’m still thinking about this evening years later 🙂
👉 Where we stayed: Sea Dell Motel in Marathon ($130 CHF/night). Cute, basic, and budget-friendly – it even had a pool!
Day 3 – Marathon → Islamorada → Everglades
Start your day with a visit to Sombrero Beach! We decided to get takeaway breakfast (from McDonald’s, not very creative oops) and have a breakfast picnic at the beach. It was nice to get there so early since we had the beach practically to ourselves!
The next stops of the day will be:
- Robbie’s of Islamorada – Feeding the tarpons at Robbie’s was definitely my boyfriends’ highlight of the entire trip! It’s a really fun activity and you will definitely have some laughs – this is a must do on a Florida Keys road trip!
- Florida Keys Brewing Company – At the Florida Keys Brewing Co you can get a beer tasting board with 5 different beers / ciders of your choice. They have a very cozy backyard where you can enjoy your taster-beers. Since this is a road trip, I do want to mention that the designated driver should ideally focus on the “tasting” part and not the “drinking” part 🙂
- John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park – Famous for snorkeling, diving, and glass-bottom boat tours (you need to book ahead to secure a spot!). If you’re only looking for a beach to relax at, then skip this place – there are nicer places out there (e.g. Bahia Honda State Park!!)
By evening, head toward the Everglades. Stay either in Florida City or near Miami Doral, depending on which entrance (Shark Valley or Homestead) you’ll use.
👉 Where we stayed: Best Western Plus Miami-Doral/Dolphin Mall ($110 CHF/night) … mainly for its proximity to The Cheesecake Factory at the Dolphin Mall (we loooove The Cheesecake Factory) 😀
Day 4 – Everglades National Park Itinerary: Airboat Ride & Wildlife
The Everglades are a must-do in South Florida, and an airboat ride is the best way to see them. I recommend to do a tour early in the morning before the Florida heat and humidity kicks in!
We booked our airboat tour with Everglades Safari Park. Our 1-hour tour was informative, fun, and yes — we saw gators! Afterward, there was an alligator show, a chance to (carefully!) hold a baby gator, and some trails that you can explore.
A slightly controversial part of the itinerary: the restaurant even serves gator bites on the menu. We tried them, they taste a little like chicken nuggets. Not sure I would eat it again though.
Side note: Technically the airboat tours don’t operate within the “official” Everglades National Park due to conservation reasons. The scenery and experience of the land immediately adjacent to the National Park ground are the same though, if not better.
After your tour, slowly make your way among the 6 lane highways into Miami – I hope you are comfortable driving on busy roads! Return the rental car (we dropped ours off at the airport), and take an Uber straight into South Beach.
Day 5 – Miami Highlights in One Day
One day in Miami won’t be enough to see everything there is to do, but here are some suggestions on where to start (you won’t be able to do all of these!):
- South Beach & Ocean Drive – Classic Miami vibes, in my opinion a must do
- Wynwood Walls for colorful street art
- Little Havana for Cuban food + culture
- Vizcaya Museum & Gardens – Stunning historic villa
- Lincoln Road Mall – Shopping & cafes (there’s another Cheesecake factory here if anyone cares 🙂 )
- Miami Design District – Chic shops & galleries
- Cape Florida Lighthouse (Key Biscayne) – Coastal views
👉 Where we stayed: Ithaca South Beach Hotel. We lucked out with a studio apartment for $90 CHF/night, which is an amazing for South Beach! We especially loved that the door lock was numeric (you type in a pin to enter the room), so we could easily leave the room with nothing but our swim suits and some towels and head to the beach, without worrying about any of our belongings!
Day 6 – Departure (or Bonus Day Trip!)
If you’re flying out of Miami, you could squeeze in some last-minute beach time or hit up the rest of the sights from the list above.
We, however, had to fly from Tampa (long story, this wasn’t our initial plan haha). So we rented another car and drove across the Everglades over to Florida’s Gulf Coast. We stopped at Siesta Beach in Sarasota, rated as the 2nd best beach in the US in 2024 and famous for its powdery white sand. My boyfriend and I have been to our fair share of beaches, from the Maldives, to Costa Rica, to Australia, Spain, Thailand, etc… and I can truly say that Sarasota beach is definitely up there with the nicest beaches we’ve ever been to!
Optional Trip Extensions
More Time in the Keys:
- Bahia Honda State Park
- Turtle Hospital
- Kayaking through mangroves
- Dolphin swim experiences
- Sunset cruises
Explore Beyond South Florida:
- Orlando & Central Florida: Theme parks + NASA
- More Gulf Coast: Naples, Marco Island, Clearwater Beach
- Florida Panhandle: The 30A beaches (was on my personal bucket list since 2022, finally made it here in 2025!)
South Florida Road Trip FAQ
Is 5 days enough for South Florida?
No, but you have to work with the time you have, right? With 5 days you can explore the Keys, the Everglades, and Miami. If you have more time, you can extend the same itinerary to 7 days and do it at a slower pace, or continue on to other parts of Florida that are also worth visiting!
Do you need a car in the Florida Keys?
You don’t need a car in Key West itself, but you’ll need one for exploring the rest of the Keys and driving to the Everglades.
When is the best month to visit the Everglades?
December to April is ideal. It’s dry season, so there are fewer mosquitoes and better wildlife spotting.
What is the best starting point for a South Florida road trip?
Most people fly into Miami International Airport (MIA). From there, head south to Key West and loop back up. Alternatively, you can fly directly into Key West (EYW), but flights are much rarer and usually more expensive!
Final Thoughts
This South Florida 5-day itinerary really packs it all in: laid-back Key West, quirky roadside stops in the other Keys, wildlife in the Everglades, and the vibrant energy of Miami. It’s a road trip with a little bit of everything, and it left us already planning a return trip. Sunshine, gators, art deco buildings, and the bluest water—what more could you ask for on a holiday?
Have you ever done a Florida road trip? What was your favorite hidden gem along the way?
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