Key Largo to Key West: 1 Day Road Trip Itinerary With Kids

If you’re planning a Florida trip and short on time, you might be wondering:
can you do a Florida Keys road trip in one day with kids — and is it actually worth it?

The drive from Key Largo to Key West is one of the most scenic in the US, and it’s often included in a Florida Keys road trip itinerary with kids. But what many families don’t realise is that the journey itself is the experience — not just the destination.

This guide is for families who want a one-day Florida Keys road trip that feels manageable, not rushed — focusing on the stops that actually work with kids.

Quick Answer: Is a One-Day Florida Keys Road Trip Worth It With Kids?

Yes → if you plan a few key stops and treat it as the experience
But → it’s a long day, so you need to be selective

We found this works really well if you build your day around a handful of high-impact Florida Keys road trip stops, rather than trying to see everything.

In one day, you can realistically experience:

• Robbie’s Marina (Islamorada) → feeding tarpon, one of the best kid-friendly quick en route stops

• Long Key State Park → stretch your legs, quick nature break

• Marathon (optional stop) → good for short pause with some optional family friendly sites

• Key West → the final destination, with plenty to explore

These stops break up the journey and turn the drive into something that feels like a proper Florida Keys road trip with kids, rather than just a long car journey.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the exact Key Largo to Key West itinerary, what to prioritise with limited time, and how to pace the day so it works for families. Where relevant, we’ve included activities and stops we used or considered. These may be affiliate links, but we only recommend experiences we’d confidently choose again — with the aim of helping you make the most of a short visit.

Key Largo: Where we were based

We were based in Key Largo at Kawama Yacht Club, which is a great family-friendly spot with plenty of space, a private beach area, and easy access to activities.

Key Largo is the first of the Florida Keys and only about an hour from Miami, making it a convenient base for exploring the Keys.

We left Key Largo to complete the 2.5 hour drive at 6.30am in order to get to Key West early morning to give us time to make stops along the way and ensure we were able to park and arrive in time to have lunch.

Key Largo has plenty of beach activities for families and is famous for its excellent snorkelling. It wouldn't be achievable to fit this into a one day itinerary. If you want to explore how we fit our one day road trip to Key West in as part of our wider South Florida itinerary, see: 5 day Everglades, Florida Keys and Miami itinerary for families

Stop 1 – Robbie’s Marina, Islamorada (short, don't miss)

About 30 minutes into the drive, we arrived at 7am, stop at Robbie’s Marina in Islamorada. Kids love feeding the huge tarpon, and there’s a small souvenir shop and snack options if needed.

It’s a fun, short stop that breaks up the drive and keeps kids engaged before the longer stretches of highway. They open from 7am so we were first to feed the hungry fish. We paid $12.50 for entry on to the dock and a bucket of fish.

Stop 2 – Long Key State Park (short, highly recommend)

Continue south for another 20 minutes to Long Key State Park. We paid $6.50 entry for the 3 of us to enter the park.

Walk part of the Golden Orb Trail, a kid-friendly loop that lets them spot wildlife and enjoy the unique mangrove scenery. Perfect for a 30 minute stretch, giving everyone a chance to move and stretch legs before hitting the road again.

Stop 3: Marathon (optional)

If you have extra time while driving down the Keys, Marathon is a great midway stop with a few family-friendly options:

• Sombrero Beach – A beautiful, white-sand beach with calm waters perfect for kids to paddle or swim. Great for a picnic or short break to stretch legs. Suggested stop: 30–60 minutes. Cost: free, parking available on site.

• Turtle Hospital – An educational stop where kids can learn about sea turtle rehabilitation and see rescued turtles up close. Suggested stop: 45–60 minutes. Cost: around $20 per adult, $10 per child (check latest prices before visiting).

Including a stop in Marathon breaks up the drive along the Overseas Highway, giving kids a chance to burn off energy and experience more of the Florida Keys beyond the scenic drive. We opted to miss Marathon in order to spend more time in Key West but it is a popular stop for families with school aged children.

Stop 4: Key West – Half-Day Exploration (the main event)

The final leg brings you to Key West, around 2 hours from Long Key if you drive straight, but allow extra time for short stops along the way. We arrived at 10am, we parked for free by Higgs Beach, at this time on a Sunday in April there was plenty of parking. When we returned later in the day it was pretty full.

What to do in Key West with kids:

• Southernmost Point – Classic photo stop.

• Old Town – Walk through streets with shops and street performers.

• Mallory Square – Evening markets, street entertainment, and Kermit’s Key Lime Pie (super yum!).

• Fun fact – Kids are fascinated by the free-roaming roosters and chickens all over Key West!

If you want to see more, consider the Shipwreck Museum, Butterfly Sanctuary, or the Key West Aquarium—all interactive and engaging for school-aged children.

Tip: Walking the city can be tiring and there was a lot of it in Key West —consider the Key West tram to save tired legs, especially if you plan to see multiple attractions in one day. We walked and quickly regretted it in the heat, from where we parked it was 10 minutes to Southernmost Point and from there 15 minutes to Old Town and a further 15 minutes to Mallory Square. To return to our car it was then a 40-minute walk. In the Florida heat with little legs this is quite hard work.

Tips for Driving the Overseas Highway with Kids

• Start early to make the most of daylight and cooler morning temperatures.

• Pack snacks, water, and sunscreen.

• Limit stops to 2–3 main points to avoid too much downtime.

• Treat the day as a relaxed road trip rather than just a straight drive—kids enjoy the scenery and small adventures along the way.

For a longer Florida road trip that includes the Keys, Everglades, and Miami, see our full 5-Day South Florida: Everglades, Florida Keys and Miami Itinerary for Families. For planning, it’s worth reading up on driving in the US, where I talk about booking a car, tolls, and using off line maps and navigation so you’re not reliant on WiFi.

Final Verdict - is Key Largo to Key West doable with kids in one day?

A one-day Key Largo to Key West drive is absolutely doable with school-aged kids if planned properly. It combines scenic driving, wildlife, beaches, and iconic Florida Keys attractions in a single, manageable day.

plan your South florida trip

If you’re planning your South Florida trip, these guides will help you decide what’s worth doing — and what actually works with kids:

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.