Cheap things to do in Miami
Free art, cheap eats, and the best local bars money can barely buy
This is Miami without the bill shock: free museums, street food counters, shady park walks, and bars where the locals actually drink. Three days cover Wynwood and Buena Vista, South Beach's Deco strip, and Little Havana from the first cafecito to salsa at Ball & Chain, and none of it asks you to spend big to feel like you belong here.
Day 1: Wynwood, Buena Vista, and Haitian food
Start with coffee and free art in Buena Vista, power through Wynwood's murals and the always-free ICA, then finish with a great-value Haitian dinner and a nightcap at a bar the whole neighbourhood seems to use.
- 9:30 AM
Baker & Barista
Top-rated Buena Vista coffee spot right near the ICA fixture, great start before the museum opens.
Map - 10:30 AM
Wynwood Walls
Curated street art compound; explore the surrounding free murals, Museum of Graffiti, galleries, and Zak the Baker.
Map - 12:30 PM
Enriqueta's Sandwich Shop
Cuban counter for a pan con bistec or Cuban sandwich and a cafecito; cash-friendly and fast.
Map - 2:00 PM
Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami
Always-free contemporary art museum, well-curated and sized for an hour; best-value serious art stop in the city.
Map - 7:30 PM
Chef Creole Seasoned Restaurant
Great-value Haitian spot nearby, serious flavor at a cheap price, exactly what a thrifty traveller wants.
Map - 9:00 PM
1-800-Lucky
Asian food hall and bar in Wynwood with karaoke rooms and DJs; a beer among the stalls.
Map
Day 2: Deco walk, beach, and South Beach sandwiches
A self-guided walk through 800 Art Deco buildings costs nothing, Lummus Park gives you the beach without the spend, and La Sandwicherie proves that the best late dinner in South Beach comes wrapped in paper.
- 9:30 AM
Capital One Café at Miami Beach
Free wifi, no pressure to spend much, good cheap start to the morning near the strip.
Map - 10:15 AM
Miami Art Deco District and Ocean Drive
800+ Deco buildings along Ocean Drive and Collins, self-guided walk is free and the architecture is unmissable.
Map - 12:30 PM
BOTTA Italian Street Food
Cheap Italian street food a block from the beach; a panino or a cone of fried bites to eat on the go.
Map - 2:00 PM
Lummus Park
The palm-lined strip between Ocean Drive and the sand, with the lifeguard huts; swim, then nap.
Map - 7:30 PM
La Sandwicherie
Walk-up French sandwich counter on 14th Street, open very late; the house vinaigrette makes it.
Map - 9:00 PM
Stormy Monday
Laid-back local bar in Miami Beach, no pretension, good for a cheap nightcap before midnight.
Map
Day 3: Calle Ocho, cafecito to salsa
Breakfast at the Versailles bakery, Domino Park and the Cuban Memorial Boulevard, a frita at El Rey de las Fritas, ice cream at Azucar, then live salsa at Ball & Chain.
- 9:30 AM
Versailles Restaurant Cuban Cuisine
Use the bakery side: a café con leche, a guava pastelito and a croqueta for a few dollars.
Map - 10:45 AM
Máximo Gómez Park (Domino Park)
Free; regulars play dominoes all morning under the pergola, below a mural of the 1994 Summit of the Americas.
Map - 11:15 AM
Cuban Memorial Boulevard Park
Two blocks of monuments on SW 13th Avenue, including the eternal flame for the Bay of Pigs Brigade 2506.
Map - 12:30 PM
El Rey De Las Fritas (Multiple locations)
Order the frita, a spiced beef patty under a heap of shoestring fries, and a mamey batido.
Map - 3:00 PM
Azucar Ice Cream Company
Get a cone of Abuela Maria: vanilla with guava, cream cheese and crushed Maria cookies.
Map - 6:30 PM
Ball & Chain
Calle Ocho's 1935 bar, revived; live salsa by the pineapple stage, usually no cover. 21 and over after 8.
Map
Where to stay
Kimpton EPIC Hotel
Not a cheap room, but the Brickell base this plan walks from; book early for the lower rates.
Make Miami your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Shark Valley Visitor Center: a few days ahead
- Faena Theater: weeks ahead
- Crandon Golf at Key Biscayne: a few days ahead
- Blue Monster at Trump National Doral Miami: weeks ahead
- Biltmore Golf Course: a few days ahead
- Tigertail Airboat Tours: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Ocean Drive restaurants with photo menus and a special cocktail pitch; eat a block or three inland instead.
- Beach chair and umbrella setups on South Beach that can approach 100 dollars for two chairs and an umbrella.
- Bayside Marketplace as a destination rather than a boat departure point.
- Club nights at LIV or E11EVEN without doing the bottle service maths first.
The full Miami travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around