Plan the Ultimate Guys' Weekend in Miami

A fun-filled weekend in Greater Miami & Miami Beach is fantastic for anybody, but planning a guys’ weekend takes a little extra investigation. While the destination is teeming with great food, fun outdoor adventures and exciting nightlife, some are perfectly suited for a group of men. So whether you’re here for sports or just to kick back on the water with your boys, here are some great ways to spend a weekend in Miami.

Best Hotels for a Weekend in Miami

Where you stay for a bachelor party or another kind of guys’ weekend depends on what you want to do. If you’re looking for a weekend of luxury with easy access to upscale bars, look at hotels like EAST Miami hotel in Brickell, where a short jaunt upstairs brings you to Sugar, one of Miami’s top rooftop bars. Or check out 1 Hotel South Beach, a MICHELIN one-key hotel with a rooftop bar offering panoramic views of the beach and skyline. Another ideal option is the Kimpton EPIC Miami in Downtown Miami, whose Area 31 restaurant gives you a birds-eye view down Brickell Avenue.

Or consider a boutique hotel in Wynwood or South Beach. Moxy Miami Wynwood is a brand-new hotel with a stunning Mexican restaurant, Casa Madera, while Arlo Wynwood brings much of Wynwood’s artful soul to its walls, with murals and intriguing sculptures throughout. In South Beach, the Marriott Stanton South Beach is right on the beach and close to restaurants in the South of Fifth area. The Kimpton Angler’s South Beach has a small rooftop pool with views over the entire neighborhood, and it’s only a couple of blocks from the beach.

If you’re in town for sports, you’ll want to stay close to the action. The Elser Hotel in Downtown Miami is across the street from the Kaseya Center, home of the Miami HEAT. It has a two-story gym with stellar views, so everyone can get their workout in. For those headed to Miami Marlins baseball games, check out the Rover Hotel, a Little Havana boutique hotel that's only a mile from loanDepot park. If you’re here to watch the Miami Dolphins or Miami Hurricanes at Hard Rock Stadium, check out the Miami Lakes Hotel on Main. It’s in the heart of downtown Miami Lakes, less than 20 minutes from the stadium, with restaurants, shops, movies and a golf course when you’re not at the game.

Daytime Fun on Land & Sea

Some of the best things to do in Miami are done out on the water, and our sunny days offer plenty of opportunities. Deep-sea fishing combines elements of competition and sportsmanship with epic days on the ocean, and you can book charters through several companies. Top Gun at Crandon Marina in Key Biscayne, Miss Britt Sportfishing Charters at Grove Harbour Marina in Coconut Grove, and Bouncer’s Dusky 33 in Miami Beach are all excellent operations.

Renting a boat is easy. Boatsetter offers fully-staffed boats from private owners that can be rented for just a few hours. You’ll also find plenty of large-group party cruises leaving every day out of Bayside Marketplace.

Get an adrenaline rush by going Jet Skiing. Jet-Ski Tours at Bentley Bay Marina on Biscayne Bay in South Beach offers guided tours. If you want to speed around on your own, BouYah Watersports works in conjunction with some of Miami Beach’s biggest hotels and has locations at Miami Beach Marina and Lummus Park.

Golfers will find best-in-class public facilities all around Miami, whether on the island paradise of Key Biscayne at Crandon Golf or at the Miami Beach Golf Club. You can also try the elevated driving range experience at Topgolf in Miami Gardens, where your private bay comes with waiter service.

If you want to live like a bunch of kids again, head to Tidal Cove, a luxury water park at the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa in Aventura with a full bar and day cabanas.

Prime Places to Grab a Bite

Any self-respecting Miami bachelor party includes at least one dinner at a steakhouse, and we have some of the best. At the MICHELIN-starred Korean steakhouse COTE Miami in the Miami Design District, your server will cook rare cuts of premium meats on a grill in the middle of your table. 

Not every meal can be a special occasion, so you’ll want to hit some more-casual places too. In South Beach, Monty’s Sunset is a great place for seafood sandwiches and fried appetizers plus views over Biscayne Bay all the way to the Downtown Miami skyline. Throughout the destination, Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is our home-grown Mexican chain that’s perfect for post-beach tacos and margaritas. Flanigan’s is a local legend for beer, wings and rib rolls, and a souvenir green plastic cup will give you a low-key iconic memento. For barbecue, seek out Hometown Barbeque in Allapattah.

Enjoy Unforgettable Miami Nights

Some of the best things to do in the destination happen after the sun goes down. Miami is home to some of the best cocktail bars. Sweet Liberty in South Beach is a quirky bar and restaurant known for its dollar oyster happy hour that’s equally popular with visitors and locals. The Broken Shaker in Mid Beach crafts drinks from its onsite herb garden and lets you enjoy your cocktails under a banyan tree in the Freehand Miami hotel’s courtyard. In Brickell, stop in at Blackbird Ordinary, where the cocktail bar turns into a live music club. Or hit Panamericano for intricate, exotic cocktails that that look as good as they taste.

While the area’s nightlife has shifted from mega-clubs to more-curated, intimate experiences, Miami still has a handful of clubs that party into the morning. E11even is a nightclub and cabaret in Downtown Miami that frequently features A-list artists playing sets after two a.m. Across the street, Club Space is an icon that’s been going strong for 25 years, with an after-hours patio that keeps the music going from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon.

To sample some of Miami’s best breweries, make your way to Wynwood and try Latin American-inspired beers at Cerveceria La Tropical and Veza Sur. Or head west to Doral and try local brews at MIA Brewing and Tripping Animals. Whiskey lovers will find rare and custom bourbons at Batch Gastropub in Brickell and Yardbird in South Beach.

Make Your Weekend Extra Special

There are things you can do here that you can’t do anywhere else, like taking a swamp walk in Everglades National Park or an airboat ride at Miccosukee Airboats, about 40 miles west of Downtown Miami. Immerse yourself in Cuban culture along Calle Ocho in Little Havana, hitting the bevy of cigar factories that line the street. Stop in and grab a fresh-rolled stogie off the table, then post up with a Cuba Libre at a table outside. Casa Habano near SW 17th Avenue is an ideal place to start.

For a little high-excitement poker and gaming, hit Magic City Casino near Miami International Airport. During certain times of year, the casino also has live jai-alai, the fastest game on earth that you can also wager on. Further west, Hialeah Park Casino in Hialeah offers slots and table games.

Need more ideas? Use our itineraries to plan the perfect vacation in Miami.