GoTourist
Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach

No. 36 Top 100 City Destinations 2025

Miami

United States

Beaches, Art Deco hotels, Latin culture and street art under the Florida sun.

Open in Maps Apple Maps

Photo: Robbschultz69, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Overview

Miami is No. 36 in Euromonitor International's Top 100 City Destinations Index 2025. The city on Florida's south-east coast is a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, and Spanish is heard as often as English.

Across Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach has long sandy beaches and the Miami Beach Architectural District, with hundreds of Art Deco buildings from the 1920s to 1940s.

The Miami skyline across Biscayne Bay
The Miami skyline across Biscayne Bay. Photo: P. Hughes, CC BY 4.0, source

Best time to go

December to April is the dry season, with warm, sunny days; it is also the busiest and most expensive time.

Summer is hot, humid and stormy. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November.

Top sights

  • 1

    South Beach and Ocean Drive

    The beach and its seafront strip of pastel Art Deco hotels; guided Art Deco walking tours start at the Art Deco Welcome Center.

  • 2

    Wynwood Walls

    An outdoor gallery of large murals in the Wynwood arts district, surrounded by more street art, galleries and bars.

  • 3

    Little Havana

    Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) has Cuban cafés, cigar shops and the domino players of Máximo Gómez Park.

  • 4

    Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

    An Italian Renaissance-style villa built in the 1910s for the industrialist James Deering, with formal gardens on the bay.

  • 5

    Pérez Art Museum Miami

    Modern and contemporary art in a building with hanging gardens overlooking Biscayne Bay.

  • 6

    Everglades National Park

    The vast subtropical wetland west of the city, home to alligators and wading birds.

  • 7

    Key Biscayne

    An island with quieter beaches and a historic lighthouse in Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.

Getting there

Miami International Airport (MIA) is about 13 km west of downtown, connected by the Metrorail Orange Line. Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood Airport (FLL) is about 45 km north.

Brightline trains link downtown Miami with Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando.

Getting around

A car is useful for exploring further afield. Metrorail and buses serve the mainland, and the free Metromover loops around downtown.

Miami Beach runs a free trolley service, and ride-hailing is widely used.

Practical tips

Currency
US dollar (USD). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere. Tipping is customary: around 18–20% in sit-down restaurants and a dollar or two per drink in bars.
Language
English and Spanish.
Safety
Use strong sun protection and swim only at lifeguarded beaches, watching for rip currents. Take normal big-city care at night. The emergency number is 911.
Visa & entry
Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries (including the UK, most EU countries, Australia and Japan) need an approved ESTA before they travel; most other visitors need a visa. Canadian citizens generally need neither for a short visit. Apply only on the official site esta.cbp.dhs.gov and check travel.state.gov for the current rules.
Power
120 V, 60 Hz; plug types A and B.

Official information: Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (official tourism website). Check opening hours, prices and entry rules there before you go.

Map

Open in Maps View larger map Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors