How to plan the week
The smart move for a 7-day Florida trip is an open-jaw flight: land at Orlando (MCO) and depart from Miami (MIA), so the whole week flows one direction and you skip the backtrack. A rental car is required the moment you leave the parks. The longest single drive on this plan is Tampa Bay to Miami, about 4 hours across Alligator Alley on I-75, and everything else sits under 90 minutes.
Time it for the dry season, November through April, when the humidity drops, the Everglades wildlife is easiest to see, and the Gulf beaches are at their best. Summer works too, with hotter days and afternoon thunderstorms that usually pass within the hour, but keep an eye on the forecast in hurricane season, June through November. For help picking your dates, read our best time to visit Florida guide, and use the Florida travel guide as your home base for planning.
Days 1 to 2: Orlando and the theme parks
Start with two full park days while your energy is high. Whether you choose Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, or one of each, buy tickets in advance and arrive at rope drop to beat the midday heat and lines. Two days lets you do one Disney park and one Universal park, or go deep on a single resort. Between marathon days, Discovery Cove at 6000 Discovery Cove Way is a reservation-only swim park where you snorkel with rays and, for an upcharge, swim with dolphins, a calm counterpoint to the coaster crowds.
For lodging, Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort at 6550 Adventure Way is a retro-themed value hotel with a lazy river and early park access to Universal, while Hyatt Regency Orlando on International Drive puts you central to both resorts with a big pool and easy dining. Compare your options across the parks on our Florida theme parks page before you commit tickets.
Day 3: Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach (about 1 hour, 55 miles east)
Drive an hour east from Orlando to the Space Coast for a change of pace. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is a half to full day: the Space Shuttle Atlantis exhibit, the Rocket Garden, and a bus tour past the launch pads. Time it right and you may catch a live rocket launch, which are frequent now. Read the Kennedy Space Center guide for tips on avoiding the midday crowds.
Spend the afternoon at Cocoa Beach, the closest ocean beach to Orlando and a laid-back surf town. Cocoa Beach Catamaran at 290 Marine Harbor Drive runs dolphin and sunset sails on the Banana River, and anglers can book a nearshore or offshore trip with Fin & Fly Fishing Charters at 951 Bali Road. This is your first Atlantic beach day, with bigger surf than the Gulf coast ahead. Sleep in the Cocoa Beach or Space Coast area tonight, or drive back toward the Gulf if you want to shorten Day 4.
Days 4 to 5: The Gulf beaches around Tampa Bay and Sarasota
Cut across the state to the Gulf coast, about 2.5 to 3 hours from the Space Coast to Tampa Bay. This is the calm, warm, shallow water Florida is known for, with sand so fine it squeaks. Clearwater Beach and St. Pete Beach anchor the north end. Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Opal Sands Resort & Spa, both on S Gulfview Boulevard, sit right on the sand, while Island Grand at TradeWinds at 5500 Gulf Boulevard on St. Pete Beach is a sprawling family resort with a full lineup of water activities.
On Day 5, drive an hour south to Siesta Key near Sarasota, home to some of the whitest quartz sand in the country and consistently ranked among the best beaches in the US. CB's Saltwater Outfitters at 1249 Stickney Point Road rents kayaks and paddleboards and runs light-tackle fishing charters into the bay, and Siesta Key Watersports offers jet ski and parasail tours. This is the stretch where you slow down. See how the Gulf compares to the Atlantic on our Florida beaches page, and explore more on the Tampa Bay region guide.
Days 6 to 7: Alligator Alley to Miami and the Everglades
On Day 6, make the run across the bottom of the state: Sarasota or Tampa to Miami is about 3.5 to 4 hours on I-75, the stretch known as Alligator Alley that slices through the Everglades. Break it up with an airboat tour. Everglades Holiday Park Airboat Tours at 21940 Griffin Road on the Fort Lauderdale edge of the sawgrass runs narrated airboat rides and gator shows, an easy stop that shows you the River of Grass up close. Learn more on our national and state parks page and the Everglades National Park guide.
Finish in Miami Beach. Loews Miami Beach Hotel at 1601 Collins Avenue and the classic Fontainebleau Miami Beach at 4441 Collins Avenue put you on the sand in the Art Deco district, walking distance to Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road. Spend your last full day between the beach, a Cuban lunch in Little Havana, and the pastel Art Deco streets before your MIA departure. If you want more coast, extend this route with our 10 days in Florida plan or swap the eastern half for the Gulf Coast road trip.
Where to stay, what to eat, and how to budget the week
You have park-side bases in Universal's Cabana Bay Beach Resort at 6550 Adventure Way and the central Hyatt Regency Orlando on International Drive, and if the group wants more room, Universal Endless Summer Resort - Dockside Inn and Suites is a strong value option nearby. For meals between park days, the International Drive and CityWalk corridors cover every budget, and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in the Orlando tourist strip is an easy, kid-friendly seafood stop. On the Space Coast, keep it casual with a seafood dinner near the Cocoa Beach pier after your afternoon on the Banana River.
On the Gulf, stay on the sand. Island Grand at TradeWinds and its sister property RumFish Beach at TradeWinds, both at 5500 Gulf Boulevard on St. Pete Beach, are large family resorts with pools and water sports, and around Sarasota the Kompose Hotel Sarasota puts you a short drive from Siesta Key. For dinner in the Tampa Bay area, the historic Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City is the oldest restaurant in the state and does Spanish and Cuban classics, while Bulla Gastrobar Tampa is a livelier tapas spot. Reserve weekend beach dinners ahead in the busy months.
Finish on Miami Beach at Loews Miami Beach Hotel at 1601 Collins Avenue or the landmark Fontainebleau Miami Beach at 4441 Collins Avenue, both steps from the Art Deco district. Eat Peruvian ceviche at CVI.CHE 105 downtown and classic Cuban at Havana Vieja in South Beach before your MIA departure. For the budget, plan on a rental car for the full week, park tickets bought in advance to lock in date-based pricing, and room rates that peak December through April and around spring break. The drives are short, so fuel for the roughly 550-mile route stays modest.
Build flexibility into the week for weather. Summer afternoon storms are brief but heavy, so schedule indoor or pool time from about 2 to 5 p.m. and save the beaches and airboat rides for the calmer mornings, which is also when the Everglades wildlife is most active. If a park day gets rained out, most tickets let you return another day, and the Gulf beaches are your best wet-weather bet since the storms clear fast. For help pacing the trip and packing for both parks and beach, see our Florida weather by month guide and the getting around Florida page.
Leave room for one unstructured day, ideally between the parks and the Gulf. Central Florida gives you good non-park options: the freshwater springs an hour north of Orlando, like Wekiwa Springs and Blue Spring State Park, hold a constant 72 degrees and make a cheap, cool swim, and The Florida Aquarium at 701 Channelside Drive in Tampa is a strong rainy-morning stop on the way to the Gulf beaches. On the food front, do not overthink it: eat theme-park quick service when time is tight, then reward yourself with one proper dinner per region, a steak or ceviche in Orlando, a grouper sandwich on the Gulf, and Cuban in Miami. Book any weekend dinner near the beach a day or two ahead, since the coastal towns fill up fast in season. Keep a soft cooler in the car for water, fruit, and sunscreen so you are not paying resort prices for basics on a hot afternoon.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7 days enough to see Florida?
Seven days is enough to sample three regions well: two days of theme parks, two on the Gulf beaches, and two around Miami and the Everglades, without spending the whole trip in the car. It is not enough to add the Panhandle or the full Keys, which sit at opposite ends of a very long state. For a fuller loop, step up to a 10-day plan.
Should I fly in and out of the same airport?
No. For this route, fly into Orlando (MCO) and out of Miami (MIA) so the week runs one direction and you avoid a four-hour backtrack. Open-jaw tickets often cost about the same as a round trip, and the time saved is worth it. If you must round-trip, Orlando is the most central big airport.
What is the longest drive on this itinerary?
Tampa Bay or Sarasota to Miami, about 3.5 to 4 hours on I-75 across Alligator Alley through the Everglades. Every other leg is under 90 minutes. Break the long drive with an airboat tour so it feels like part of the trip rather than a transfer.
When is the best time for a week in Florida?
November through April, the dry season, brings lower humidity, easier Everglades wildlife viewing, and prime beach weather. Summer is hotter with daily afternoon storms that usually clear fast, and it overlaps hurricane season, June through November, so watch the forecast and consider travel insurance in those months.