The variety of Miami attractions will keep visitors to the city busy throughout their vacations with plenty of opportunities for exciting family outings. From water-related attractions such as Seaquarium to wildlife encounters at Miami Metrozoo, travelers will find plenty of tourist attractions in Miami to occupy their time.

Sightseeing in Miami in the Art Deco district with a self-guided tour or one of the guided walking tours is the best way to see the largest area in the city listed on the National Historic Register. There are more than 800 historic buildings and hotels depicting the unique Art Deco style, and a tour of the ten-block area gets you up-close views of art deco architecture and design.

One of the most popular tourist attractions in Miami is the 34-room estate of James Deering. The villa, called Vizcaya, is open for tours that will take you back to the early 1930s, when luxury and extravagance where at their height. The two-story estate is decorated with antiques, art, vintage furnishings, and formal gardens. The estate is open daily, and self-guided tours through the estate and gardens take approximately two hours. Guided moonlight tours of the gardens, evening talks, and other special tours are also available.

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Sightseeing in Miami by charter boat, airboats, canoe, or kayak is an excellent way to see the beauty of offshore islands only accessible by boat. Signing up for a guided canoe tour to the barrier islands to observe the mangrove, wildlife, and bird species provides an alternative way to see other aspects of Miami's environment. Underwater sightseeing in Miami is equally rewarding, with scuba and snorkeling opportunities available for views of underwater reefs.

A visit to the best Miami Beach attractions would not be complete without stopping by the beaches and surrounding areas of the city, such as Little Havana, a Cuban neighborhood that boasts a cultural atmosphere and authentic dining establishment, and stylish South Beach, which caters to those interested in the best in trendy fashions, upbeat atmosphere, and numerous nightclubs and dancing venues.

Two Miami attractions guaranteed to provide hours of entertainment are the Seaquarium and Miami Metrozoo. At both of these tourist attractions in Miami, you can see a variety of wildlife, including mammals, dolphins, and sharks at scheduled shows, in addition to participating in interactive programs and taking guided tours. These two locations are particularly fun for family vacations.

One of the longstanding Miami Beach attractions, which was established in 1933 by Joseph DuMond, is Monkey Jungle. The 30-acre reserve is home to 30 species, totaling more than 400 primates living in the protected habitat. The reserve is also home to a variety of birds, which can be observed in their open aviary habitat. The Amazonian Rainforest takes visitors through a landscape filled with exotic plants, palms, and trees. This is the only one of the Miami attractions dedicated to wildlife that has a semi-tropical rainforest. The reserve is open daily from 9:30 am until 5:00 pm.

The Monastery of St. Bernard de Clairvaux has one of the longest histories of any of the Miami Beach attractions. Originally built in Sacramenia, Spain, in 1133, the monastery was purchased by William Randolph Hearst in 1925. The monastery, dismantled piece by piece and shipped to the U.S. in more than 11,000 crates, was placed in storage. Not until 1952 were the stones removed from storage and reconstructed to their original state. The monastery is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm and Sunday from noon until 5 pm.