Cheap things to do in Tampa
Free walks, cold beers, good bowls and zero guilt about the bill.
This is Tampa for the traveller who wants to spend on experiences, not on restaurants with cloth napkins. The three days lean on the city's genuinely excellent free infrastructure: the Riverwalk, the parks, Ybor City at night. It works for solo travellers and pairs who'd rather buy another round than pay a valet.
Day 1: Riverwalk, the museum, a brewery
Start at the waterfront park, step inside the over-the-top Plant Museum, walk the Riverwalk in the late afternoon, and end the night at a downtown brewery that won't dent the wallet.
- 10:15 AM
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
Riverfront lawn facing the silver minarets of the old Tampa Bay Hotel across the water.
Map - 12:30 PM
Armature Works
Food hall in a 1910 streetcar barn at the top of the Riverwalk; pick a cheap stall and eat on the lawn.
Map - 2:00 PM
Henry B. Plant Museum
Gilded Age rooms of the 1891 Tampa Bay Hotel under its silver minarets; paid entry, closed Mondays.
Map - 4:00 PM
Tampa Riverwalk
Free 2.6-mile waterfront walk linking Curtis Hixon Park, the art museum and the Straz Center.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:30 PM
Late Start
Brewery in a former Cass Street corner store; hazy IPAs, a porter, and food from Mighty Fine.
Map
Day 2: The aquarium, the water taxi, Ybor
Spend the morning with the coral reef, ride the water taxi along the bay, grab an early sandwich at Cousin Vinny's on Cass Street, then let Ybor City take care of the evening.
- 10:15 AM
The Florida Aquarium
250,000 sq ft journey through Florida wetlands to a 500,000-gallon coral reef, the neighbourhood's unmissable attraction.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:00 PM
Pirate Water Taxi
Hop-on water taxi along the Riverwalk and bay, free-roaming bay sightseeing for a low fare.
Map - 5:30 PM
Cousin Vinny's Sandwich Co.
Chicken cutlet sandwiches on house schiacciata; it closes at 7pm and on Mondays, so come early.
Map - 7:00 PM
Ybor City
Historic Ybor City is Tampa's nightlife hub, hand-rolled cigars, lively bars and a great free wander after dinner.
Map
Day 3: Bayshore, a pier, a proper local pub
Walk the world's longest continuous sidewalk in the morning, eat cheaply in South Tampa at lunch, and finish at Ballast Point Park's pier before settling in at the neighbourhood bar down the road.
- 10:30 AM
Bayshore Boulevard
Free stroll along the world's longest continuous sidewalk, downtown skyline on one side, South Tampa mansions on the other.
Map - 12:30 PM
Himes Breakfast House
Old-school South Tampa breakfast house; eggs, grits and pancakes at diner prices.
Map - 4:30 PM
Ballast Point Park
Free park at the south end of Bayshore, with a fishing pier and a long view back to downtown.
Map - 9:00 PM
Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Local Ballast Point pub, unpretentious neighbourhood bar a short walk from the park, perfect nightcap without blowing the budget.
Map
Where to stay
The Barrymore Hotel Tampa Riverwalk
The only single-dollar-sign option on the Riverwalk itself, putting Day 1 and Day 2 right outside the door.
Hampton Inn & Suites Tampa/Ybor City/Downtown
Budget-priced and a short walk from Ybor City, so Day 2's late wander ends with a very short trip back to bed.
Make Tampa 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.
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Book ahead
- Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: a few days ahead
- The Florida Aquarium: a few days ahead
- Tampa Theatre: a few days ahead
- Benchmark International Arena: weeks ahead
- ZooTampa at Lowry Park: a few days ahead
- Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Hotels implying a walk to the beach. Tampa is a bay city, and the Gulf beaches are 30 to 60 minutes away across the bay.
- Packaged Ybor bar crawls, Busch Gardens motel deals, and eating at food halls on peak Saturday night without a plan.
The full Tampa travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around