5 day Everglades, Florida Keys and Miami itinerary for families
5 day Everglades, Florida Keys and Miami itinerary for families: Explore the Everglades, Florida Keys and Miami with kids, including itinerary, tips, and must-see stops.
NORTH AMERICAFLORIDAITINERARY
5/29/20266 min read
If you’re planning a Florida holiday with kids, one of the biggest decisions is whether to include South Florida alongside Orlando — and if so, how to make it work without the trip feeling disjointed.
This intinerary is for families travelling from the UK with school‑aged children who want to add a 5 day road trip through the Everglades, Florida Keys and Miami — without overcomplicating the itinerary.
Quick Answer: Is This Route Worth Adding to an Orlando Trip?
Yes — it’s one of the best ways to see a completely different side of Florida.
wildlife and open space in the Everglades
beaches and snorkelling in the Keys
a scenic road trip along the Overseas Highway
and just enough city time in Miami
We followed this route ourselves, flying into Tampa, driving south through Big Cypress and the Everglades, continuing into the Florida Keys, and finishing with time around Miami before heading up to Orlando. It’s easy to adapt this itinerary to start and/or end in Miami instead of Tampa if that works better for your flights.
That structure worked particularly well as a family because it includes:
built gradually
balanced activity with downtime
and avoided jumping straight into the intensity of theme parks
Throughout this guide, we’ve included links to the accommodation, tours and stops we used along the way. These may be affiliate links, but we only ever recommend places and experiences we’ve personally tried or would include again on a family trip — with the aim of helping you plan something that feels manageable and genuinely enjoyable.
If you’re planning a longer Florida trip, this fits into a wider route like this:
→ See our full 2‑week Florida family itinerarySouth Florida + Orlando Family Itinerary at a Glance
The Driving Route at a Glance
Fly into Tampa → Drive south → Everglades / Big Cypress → Florida Keys (Key Largo, Islamorada, Key West) → Miami / Aventura → Continue to Orlando
Total driving across the trip is very manageable. The longest day is the arrival drive south from Tampa; after that, each leg is relatively short.
Key distances to be aware of:
Tampa → Everglades area: approx. 3–4 hours
Everglades → Key Largo: approx. 1.5 hours
Key Largo → Key West: approx. 2 hours (longer with stops — and you should stop)
Key West → Miami: approx. 2–3 hours
Day 1 – Big Cypress & Everglades
We started with a full day driving from Tampa down towards the Everglades. It’s a long journey, so plan for a few stops along the way.
We explored Big Cypress National Preserve, stopping at places like Oasis Visitor Center, Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk, and roadside stops where we saw loads of alligators and wildlife.
Originally, we planned to visit Everglades National Park and do the Shark Valley tram, but after the increased entry fees for non-US visitors of $100 per adult, we changed our plans. You can read more about that decision in our Big Cypress vs Everglades National Park: Which Is Better with Kids?.
Instead, we focused on Big Cypress and then did an Everglades airboat ride in the afternoon, which was a highlight for the kids. If you’re unsure whether it’s suitable, see Everglades Airboat Tours: Are They Safe for Kids?.
From there, we drove on to Key Largo for our first night in the Florida Keys.
The airboat tour was one of the highlights for us — a really easy way to see wildlife without much effort. If you’re planning to include it, it’s worth checking options: → Check Everglades airboat tour times and options
Day 2 – Key Largo
Key Largo is a great place to slow down after a busy travel day.
We booked a snorkelling trip at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. It was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip, I was impressed how good snorkelling was in the Florida Keys, with clear water, tropical fish, and even turtles.
If you’re considering it, read Snorkelling Tours in the Florida Keys – Are They Worth It with Kids?.
In the afternoon, we relaxed back at our accommodation. We stayed at Kawama Yacht Club Key Largo: Beachfront Family Accommodation in the Florida Keys, which worked really well for families thanks to the space, kitchen, and private beach area. Read our full accommodation overview here.
This was one of the most relaxing parts of our Florida trip — especially after a few busy travel days — and somewhere we’d happily stay again:
Snorkelling at John Pennekamp is one of the easiest ways to experience the Keys — but timing and conditions matter more than you might expect.
Day 3 – Key West Day Trip
This was one of our favourite days. We drove the Overseas Highway, which takes around 2 hours without stops, but realistically longer with kids.
We broke the journey up with a few stops:
Robbie’s Marina in Islamorada to feed the tarpon
Long Key State Park, where we walked part of the Golden Orb Trail and enjoyed the scenery
The drive itself is a big part of the experience. If you’re planning this, our guide on Key Largo to Key West: One day road trip Itinerary covers the best stops and tips. Other popular stops with kids include the Turtle Hospital or Dolphin Rescue Center.
We spent half a day in Key West, exploring:
Southernmost Point
Old Town
Mallory Square
Kermit’s Key Lime Pie
The sites are quite far apart, I recommend the tram or site seeing bus to get around easily. If you want more time, it’s worth staying overnight rather than rushing it in one day.
Day 4 – Drive to Miami
We left the Keys and drove to Miami, which takes around 2 hours from Key Largo.
That morning, we booked a Raccoon Island boat tour at 9:45 a.m. It was a fun and slightly different experience. Raccoon Island is a small, natural island in Biscayne Bay accessible only by boat. This half-day tour includes a 45–60 minute boat ride each way, a short stop to observe wild raccoons in their natural habitat, and optional water play for children. It’s best suited to school-age kids who enjoy wildlife and light exploration, and provides a unique, informal experience that can complement a Miami family itinerary without taking up a full day. This was a great way to see Miami as it included a sail past the coastline and the local billionaires homes.
For a more detailed overview of this experience, see: Raccoon Island Miami with Kids: Is It Really Worth It?
There’s plenty to do in Miami depending on your pace, from beaches to walking areas and family-friendly spots. If you’re unsure whether to include Miami, see Miami with Kids: Worth Adding or Skip It?.
We stayed overnight in Aventura, which is a quieter base just outside the city.
Day 5 – Aventura / Miami Area
We based ourselves in Aventura, about 40–50 minutes from central Miami. It’s a good option if you want something calmer but still within easy reach of the city, and includes its own Hallandale Beach. You can use this day to explore more of Miami at your own pace—whether that’s beaches, shopping, or just relaxing after a busy few days.
If you’re deciding where to base yourself in Miami, it’s worth checking our recommendations guide: View family-friendly hotels and accommodation in Miami
From here, we continued our trip up to Orlando to visit Universal, Volcano Bay, and Discovery Cove. If you’re planning something similar, see our 7 day Orlando Itinerary.
This was one of those activities we almost skipped — but it turned out to be surprisingly fun and easy to do with kids:
Final Itinerary Thoughts
This 5‑day South Florida itinerary ended up being one of the most enjoyable parts of our Florida trip.
Not because it’s packed with attractions, but because it gives you something completely different:
space to slow down after a long flight
variety before the theme parks
and a mix of experiences that keep children engaged without feeling rushed
The combination of the Everglades, the Florida Keys and a short stop in Miami works particularly well for families. It balances:
wildlife and outdoor adventure
simple beach time
and just enough city atmosphere
without ever feeling overwhelming.
The biggest takeaway for us was how much the order and pacing matter. Starting with a road trip and finishing in Orlando made the whole holiday feel more manageable — and far more enjoyable.
plan your South florida trip
If you’re planning your South Florida trip next, these guides will help you pull everything together:
About Plan Family Escapes
We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.
Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.
