How To Spend 2 Days In Miami, Florida Travel Itinerary Arriving At The International Airport, Short History, 10 Things To Do

November 1, 2026

Getting From MIA

Take the free MIA Mover from your terminal to the Metrorail station, then the Orange Line into downtown (~30 min) — or a rideshare/taxi if you’d rather skip the transfer. For a 2-day stay, base yourself near South Beach or downtown and use the hop-on/hop-off bus or rideshares; Miami is car-centric, so factor in travel time between areas.

Short History

Miami is named for the Miami River, itself derived from the Mayaimi people (meaning “big water”) who lived around Lake Okeechobee. The Tequesta tribe occupied the site for millennia, and the Spanish established a mission there in 1567. The modern city began when Julia Tuttle — the only woman to found a major U.S. city, nicknamed the “Mother of Miami” — persuaded railroad magnate Henry Flagler to extend his Florida East Coast Railway to Biscayne Bay after the 1894–95 Great Freeze spared Miami’s citrus. The first train arrived in April 1896, and the City of Miami was incorporated on July 28, 1896 with just a few hundred residents.

2-Day Itinerary

Day 1 — Culture & Art: Arrive at MIA, drop your bags, then explore Little Havana (stroll Calle Ocho, watch dominoes at Domino Park, grab Cuban coffee and food). In the afternoon, head to Wynwood for the open-air Wynwood Walls street art.

Day 2 — Beaches & Waterfront: Start in South Beach — walk the Art Deco Historic District, Lummus Park, and Ocean Drive, then relax on the sand. End with a Biscayne Bay boat cruise from Bayside Marketplace, a walk through Bayfront Park, and dinner in South Beach.

10 Things To Do

#	Attraction	Where / Note
1	South Beach	Iconic beaches, nightlife, and art deco
2	Art Deco Historic District	Colorful 1920s–30s architecture
3	Lummus Park	Beachfront park with boardwalk
4	Little Havana	Cuban culture, food, and music on Calle Ocho
5	Wynwood Walls	World-famous street art
6	Pérez Art Museum Miami	Contemporary Caribbean/Latin art
7	Vizcaya Museum and Gardens	19th-century mansion in Coconut Grove
8	Bayside Marketplace	Dining + Biscayne Bay cruise departures
9	Coral Castle	One-man coral-rock marvel, Homestead
10	Everglades National Park	Airboat safari for gators and wildlife

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