Florida Keys 3 Day Itinerary (Drive from Miami)
Places we covered in 3 days :
- Theater of sea
- 7 mile bridge
- Schooner ride
- Mallory Square
- Island Adventures
- Conch tour train
- Butterfly garden
- Light House
- Shipwreck museum
- Key west Aquarium
- Aquarium Encounters
Before I proceed, a big Thanks to Florida Keys CVB for hosting us in exchange for sharing our experience with Florida Keys & Key West with our readers
Drive to Florida Keys from Miami :
Day : 1
We went on a 7 Days Miami and Key west trip during summers and after spending 3 days in Miami, we headed towards Key West on our 4th day. As we already rented a car, our plan was to start as early as possible in the morning from our hotel (Eden Roc Miami Beach). I would highly suggest renting a car a day before as it saves lot of time.
THEATER OF THE SEA :
After a 90 miles drive from Miami, our first stop was at Theater of the Sea Located in a Village of Islamorada, It is a small marine park with tons of interactive Shows and Animal Encounters. We did ‘Wade with dolphins’ which is interacting with a dolphin and having some fun in the water which was one of the best experiences we ever had, and also it will be one of the best memories my 3 year old would cherish forever. The trainers were very friendly and informative about the animals and how they rescued them.Your heart will melt to see the beautiful bond they have with these animals.
Location : 84721 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036
Admission : General Admission Ages 11+ : 40$ ; Kids Ages 3-10 : 23$
Parking : FREE
Follow Theater of the Sea here : Website ; Facebook
SEVEN MILE BRIDGE :
When you search for Florida Keys or Key West, the first thing that pops up on google is the ‘Seven mile bridge’ which is the longest bridge in Florida Keys connecting Knight’s Key (part of the city of Marathon, Florida) in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys. It is also one of the most scenic drives in Florida keys so don’t miss to take a halt and sink in the beauty
PARROT KEY VILLAS AND HOTEL :
During our visit to Key West, we stayed at Parrot Key Hotel and Villas and I would highly recommend this place for so many reasons – This hotel is newly renovated which means full points to its Cleanliness,tons of palm trees,Ocean view rooms, your own private lounge chairs , Hammocks , sand , 4 pools and jet skiing . In-short , Parrot Key Hotel & Villas are exactly what you would need for your next Vacation. And last but not the least, It’s nearly impossible to find a Free parking when in Key West but Parrot Key Hotel has Free shuttle available in the area which can save your $$.
Location : 2801 N Roosevelt Blvd, Key West, FL 33040
Follow Parrot Key Hotel & Villas here Website; Facebook; Instagram
MALLORY SQUARE :
After taking an hour rest in our rooms, we headed towards the Mallory Square which was lessthan 3 miles away from our hotel. If you wanna catch the last moments of the sun then Mallory Square is your spot. Mallory Square is full of Food spots,Fun activities and Cruises. Just two hours before sunset there is a free nightly art festival which is called Sunset Celebrations is super fun to spend your evening. And because it is one of the best places to watch sunset, it can get crowded in the evenings.
Location: 400 Wall St, Key West, FL 33040
Admission : Free
Parking : 5$/hour
SCHOONER APPLEDORE :
As soon as we reached Mallory Square, we dint had much time to stroll around as we wanted to catch our sunset cruise at Schooner Appledore. There’s nothing better than watching a sunset over the ocean and a schooner ride during that time will be the ‘icing on the cake’. Key West is famous for its Beautiful sunsets and we took a schooner ride with schooner appledore to experience the last minutes of the sun over the ocean . This two hour schooner ride was the perfect relaxation with a great crew who were very informative about the local places and history of Key West. We have been on many small cruises and ferries but a schooner experience was so traditional and different from the regular cruising. It’s basically a sail on wind power. This is a perfect way to relax with kids after a long tiring Day.
Location : 205 Elizabeth St, Key West, FL 33040
Admission : Adult : 75$ ; Child : 4 and under are Free
Parking : 5$/hour
Follow Appledore here : Website & Facebook
After our sailing, we strolled around the Mallory Square,had a delicious dinner in one of it’s restaurants there and headed back to our Hotel.
Day 2 :
FURY ADVENTURES :
Our Day 2 started at 8 in the morning where we quickly freshened up and headed to Mallory Square again for our water adventure. We did the Island Adventure Tour with Fury Key west and trust me, This was the Highlight of our entire trip. It’s a 4 hour tour where we were taken to the shallow waters somewhere in the middle of the ocean , parked our cruise s , loaded our kayak with snacks, drinks , beach ball and took a ride in one of the most beautiful crystal clear waters I have ever seen .we literally spent two hours in the water with our 3 year old son and i can say that those were one of the best two hours on our vacation. Infact surprisingly it was my little one who had way more fun than we did. Complimentary breakfast and lunch is provided on your cruise.
Location : 0 Duval St, Key West, FL 33040
Admission : Adults : 107$ ; Kids : 85$
Parking : 5$/Hour
Follow Fury Adventures here : Website ; Facebook ; Instagram
CONCH TRAIN :
After a 4 hours of fun in ocean, we were a bit tired but also wanted to explore the place as we wanted to enjoy most of the island. Thankfully, we took a conch train which stopped just across the street in mallory square. It was perfect for us to relax and it’s great way to get around downtown and see Key West. The driver basically tells you the entire history of Key West while pointing out special landmarks in the area.There are 4 stops where you can get off and look around. You get to see more of the island on this train than on feet if you are short on time.Your ticket price includes entry into the Hemingway museum and rides on the train all day
Location : 303 Front St, Key West, FL 33040
Admission : Adults : 32$ ; Kids (4-12) :16$
Follow Conch Train here : Website; Instagram; Facebook
SHIPWRECK MUSEUM :
If you are taking a ride in a conch train then the last stop would be right infront of the Shipwreck Museum .The museum has some interesting artifacts and history of the Shipwreck treasure hunters from years ago and It’s a good place, especially if you are into history and generally curious about the subject of naval development of the area. The main attraction for us was the tower from where you can see beautiful views of the island.It was windy when we went and the tower was shaking,but i guess that’s totally normal and nothing to get scared off.
Location : 1 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040
Admission : Adults : 16$ ; Ages (4-12) – 10$
Follow Shipwreck Museum here : Website ; Facebook ; Instagram
KEY WEST AQUARIUM :
If you have time or if you are travelling with kids, then check out the Aquarium located right infront of Shipwreck Museum.Its small so it doesn’t take much of your time.
Location : 1 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040
Admission : Adults 16$ ; Ages (4-12) – 10$
Follow Key West Aquarium here : Website ; Instagram
CLIMB THE LIGHTHOUSE :
The 169-year-old Key West Lighthouse is located in the center of the town and was originally built to help ships headed to the US Naval Station. Interestingly, when it opened in 1848, it was helmed by one of the first women to hold that job in US history, Now that makes is a historic site for sure.It is Located across from the Hemingway Museum, where you can climb the 88 steps to the top for a sweeping view of the island and Ocean.
Location : 938 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040
Admission : Adults :10$ ; Kids ages 6 and above : 5$
KEY WEST BUTTERFLY AND NATURAL CONSERVATORY GARDENS :
This was our last stop for the day and also one of the most peaceful and beautiful places in Key West with tons of lush green tropical plants, Birds and of course loads and loads of Butterflies. This place is small with Climate controlled glass enclosed habitat which makes you feel like you are in a wonderland.
Location : 1316 Duval St, Key West, FL 33040
Admission : Adults : 12 ; Kids(4-12) : 9$
Follow Butterfly and Natural Conservatory Gardens here Website ; Facebook & Instagram
After taking a look at the nightlife in Mallory square and tasting some unique foods in the restaurants there, we headed back to our hotel
Day 3 :
Our last day in Key west and time to head back to Miami to catch our flight which was late in the evening. We packed our bags and had a delicious breakfast at our hotel and started to Miami at around 11am. But before reaching to Miami, we took a halt at Aquarium Encounters.
AQUARIUM ENCOUNTERS :
If you wanna keep your kids busy for a while then Aquariums would be the best place. You can never go wrong with it as it keeps kids entertained for couple of hours. Aquarium Encounters is the best place if you want to have a very close and personal encounter with Animals like sting rays,crabs, star fish, urchins and a few other critters.Not just that, you can also feed turtles, tortoise, sting rays , fish and get a chance to touch a baby alligator. It’s much smaller and more intimate, so it has a completely different feel.
Location : 11710 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050
Admission : Adults : 22$ ; Kids(4-12) :15$
Parking : FREE
Follow Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters here Website ; Facebook & Instagram
After spending 2 hours at Aquarium Encounters, we headed to Miami and were there by 5 in the evening, Our flight was at around 9pm so we had plenty of time to take look around the city one last time.
Summary :
Key West is a place which will never disappoint you no matter in which ever season you visit. There’s plenty of things for you to do here and all the places which i listed above are also kid friendly. If you follow my itinerary, you are sure gonna have a lot of fun without getting tired. I hope this small itinerary would have given you a complete idea of things to do in Florida Keys. Please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
