Miami Layover Guide

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Miami on a layover is beaches, pastel Art Deco, Cuban coffee, and the Everglades on the doorstep. It is spread out and car-friendly, so plan the transfer and pick your zone. Here is how to do a day off like a local.

Getting in from MIA

• Downtown by rail: take the free MIA Mover from the terminals to the airport station, then the Metrorail Orange Line into downtown.
• Around downtown: the Metromover is a free automated loop through Downtown, Brickell, and Omni.
• Miami Beach: there is no train across the causeway, so plan on a bus, rideshare, or rental car for the beach.
• Wider Florida: Brightline runs from MiamiCentral to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando.

The must-sees (book ahead)

• South Beach and the Art Deco District: the pastel 1930s hotels along Ocean Drive, and the beach itself, both free.
• Wynwood Walls: the open-air street-art museum inside the free-to-walk Wynwood Arts District, a small ticket to enter the Walls.
• Vizcaya Museum and Gardens: a Gilded Age estate on the bay, book a dated ticket online before you go.
• Everglades airboat tour: alligators and sawgrass, an hour out of the city. Book an airboat trip.

Off the beach, on a crew budget

• Little Havana and Calle Ocho: Cuban coffee, cigars, and dominoes, best by day.
• Pérez Art Museum Miami: waterfront contemporary art, free every Thursday from 5pm.
• The Wolfsonian-FIU: a design museum in South Beach, free on Friday evenings.
• Miami Beach Botanical Garden: a free tropical pocket in the middle of the Beach.
• Little Haiti Cultural Complex: galleries, a theater, and a Caribbean market from Friday to Sunday, free to enter.
• Bayside Marketplace: a free waterfront market downtown, and the pickup point for bay cruises.
• Biscayne Bay cruise: the Millionaire’s Row boat past the celebrity islands. Book a bay cruise.

Captain AL’s tip: two crew traps here. Never leave anything visible in a rental, Miami car break-ins target beach lots and garages, so bags go in the trunk before you park. And on Ocean Drive, ask for a priced menu before you sit and check for an auto-added gratuity before you tip again.

Eat like a local

• A cafecito and a Cubano in Little Havana.
• Stone crab when it is in season (October to May).
• Fresh ceviche and a mojito.
• Pastelitos from a Cuban bakery counter.

Best time to go

• Winter and spring: warm, dry, and the peak season.
• Summer: hot, humid, with afternoon thunderstorms.
• June to November: hurricane season, keep an eye on the forecast.

Stay sharp

• Car break-ins are the number-one tourist crime, so leave nothing on the seats.
• The sun is intense year-round, so sunscreen and water even for a short walk.

More for your Miami layover

• Renting a car (handy here)? Read our Alamo crew car rental discount guide.
• Landing on a red-eye? Here is what actually helps with jet lag on layovers.
• Booking on your staff rate? See the IHG airline staff rate booking secrets.

Planning more of your stay? Browse Miami tours and tickets on GetYourGuide.

And for this trip, scroll up on this page for the Miami car rental and hotel deals put together for airline staff.