Six-day Florida Keys itinerary with kids

You could spend months exploring the Florida Keys, checking out the smaller islands, discovering the family attractions and just revelling in that laid-back atmosphere – but if you don’t have quite that long, you can still pack a lot into a six-day Florida Keys itinerary with kids.

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Running for 113 miles, the Overseas Highway is the only major road through the Keys so it also makes for an easy Florida road trip for families, following the route from the Upper Keys to the Lower Keys, before heading back north again.

Our own trip fitted into around a week, including flight time, basing ourselves in Key Largo, Key West and Marathon but you can go slower if you’ve got time to spare, with plenty of tempting detours to build in over more than 800 keys, or you can cut some of the activities from this Florida itinerary for kids to cram everything into a short break.

Whatever you choose, it’s a great place to explore with children – lots of family attractions, some fantastic boat trips, beaches to relax on, tours to take, history to discover and a welcoming laid-back vibe (read on for tips on when to plan your Florida Keys trip to avoid the crowds).

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Day 1 – Miami to Key Largo

For most people your journey will start in Miami (or possibly Fort Lauderdale) unless you’re driving the whole way to the Florida Keys.

Although there is an airport in Key West, it’s an easy drive from Miami to the Upper Keys and you get the experience of driving all the way down the Overseas Highway, including the wonderful Seven Mile Bridge later on in this Florida Keys road trip itinerary.

With these sweeping bridges taking you from key to key, as you soak up the views of the ocean on the way, the journey is very definitely part of the trip here.

If you have time to spare, it’s well worth setting aside a few days to discover the best of Miami with kids as well, or you could build in a detour to the Everglades, but otherwise it’s around an hour from Miami airport to Key Largo – ideal if your flight arrives late and you don’t want a long journey ahead

What to do in Key Largo

Keep day 1 simple, especially if you’re factoring in a long drive or jetlag – chill out at your resort or head to the beach.

Harry Harris Beach and Park on Tavernier is around a 15-20 minute drive from Key Largo, and it’s great with younger kids. A jetty protects the soft sand beach from the strongest currents, so the water is calmer and there are lots of facilities for families.

Where to stay in Key Largo

We stayed at Reefhouse Resort & Marina (the former Key Largo Bay Marriott Beach Resort) with its own private beach, pool and lovely spacious rooms looking out to the sea.

There are boat trips from the on-site marina and a dive shop if you want to get going straight away, or the property has two bars and Gus’ Grille all-day dining with its outdoor covered patio if you want to relax with something to eat.

There are cookies for kids at reception when you check-in (and for grown-ups if you ask nicely!) plus plenty of parking.

Check out the current rates on booking.com

Where to eat in Key Largo

Don’t miss a visit to The Fish House which specialises in local seafood, including yellowtail snapper, mahi mahi, grouper, Florida lobster and stone crab.

I loved the specialty matecumbe sauce and there are simple options for kids too – it’s all very relaxed too so great for families.

Day 2 – Islamorada

Head a little further south for day 2 to discover Islamorada – you could also make this your first stop from Miami as an alternative main base in the Upper Keys to start your Florida Keys itinerary with kids.

Check out some of the hotels in Islamorada for families here

As it’s slightly further from Miami airport, we chose the shorter drive – it’s just over half an hour from Key Largo to Islamorada so it also breaks up the time in the car with younger kids – and then headed back to Reefhouse Resort for the evening.

What to do in Islamorada

There are plenty of great ways to fill a day on Islamorada with kids, if you don’t feel like a lazy first morning.

Anne’s Beach

Fancy some more beach time? Another contender for the title of most beautiful beach in the Florida Keys, Anne’s Beach is ideal for families as the shallow water is perfect for kids, or you can stroll along the boardwalk here too.

History of Diving Museum

Islamorada is also home to the History of Diving Museum, home to a genuine 16th century treasure chest!

The museum also shares the role South Florida and the Florida Keys have played in the history of diving, while you can learn about everything from free diving to what it takes to dive into the abyss!

Feed the tarpon at Robbie’s Marina

Head to Robbie’s Marina, with a string of stalls to pick up souvenirs, lots of boat trips, tarpon feeding and plenty of places to eat. If you’re feeding the tarpon, keep an eye out for the pelicans who swoop in to steal the fish – those bills pack quite a peck.

We stayed a safe distance away at Robbie’s of Islamorada for lunch, with a green iguana soaking up the sun near our table – there’s plenty of child-friendly dishes on the menu, as well as great fish and seafood. They’ll even cook your catch if you’ve been out fishing.

Take a snorkeling trip

In the afternoon, head out on a snorkel excursion with Sundance Watersports stopping at a couple of different reefs – these can include Alligator Reef, Cheeca Rocks, or Hens and Chickens Reef depending on the conditions on the day.

Whichever reefs you do visit, the tour sticks to the shallower ones, around 7-17ft deep so even beginners will get a great view of the fish – you might even be lucky enough to spot a turtle (although keep an eye out for the moon jellyfish that they snack on).

Snorkel gear is included although you can bring your own – if your kids have the one-piece full-face mask and snorkel, they won’t be able to use them though, and will need the traditional two piece set

There are other boat tours leaving from the northern end of the key if you’re looking for alternative snorkeling tours in Islamorada

Day 3 – Summerland Key & Key West

Head further south to the Lower Keys, crossing Seven Mile Bridge on the way – your eventual destination is Key West, around two hours from Key Largo and Islamorada, stopping on the way at Summerland Key.

What to do at Summerland Key

We timed our visit for one of the public tours of Mote Marine Laboratory’s Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Restoration, which take place on Tuesdays at 10am (at 24244 Overseas Hwy).

If this doesn’t fit with your itinerary, you can also visit Mote’s other locations in Key Largo and Islamorada which have tours on other days. Tours have limited numbers and must be prebooked.

Better with older kids than toddlers, it’s fascinating to see the work their scientists are doing to help revitalise the reefs – the tour takes you inside their labs to learn more about why crabs are helping their work, the diseases affecting the corals and how Mote is even helping the corals reproduce.

It’s all made very accessible for the public, and even my 11-year-old could follow the tour’s information, so if your kids love nature or are interested in sustainability and conservation, it’s unmissable – and a reminder that the beautiful Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, with its reefs, sea grass meadows and mangrove forests, needs our help.

What to do in Key West

There are so many fun things to do in Key West with kids, that you won’t struggle to fill your time here – we had around 48 hours but could very happily have spent longer.

There’s more time on Day 4 of my Florida Keys itinerary with kids so you don’t have to pack it all into a single afternoon!

Start off with a Key West guided tour to get your bearings – we loved the Conch Tour Train to find out more about the history of Key West.

Stopping a few times on the way, the route passes some of Key West’s most famous sights, including the Southernmost Point buoy (the southernmost point of the continental United States looking out to the Atlantic Ocean) and Mile Marker 0, mixed with quirky stories like how the Southernmost Southernmost House got its name.

There’s also the Key West Old Town Trolley Tours, which travel a little further afield, stopping at some of the hotels further from the Old Town.

You could spend the rest of the afternoon wandering around Mallory Square and Duval Street, or heading down to the harbor. There are also several beaches around Key West, including Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, plus Higgs Beach and Smathers Beach.

There’s also a splash pad at the Truman Waterfront park, which is great fun for toddlers and young children.

Or check out some of the family attractions in Key West, including the fascinating Mel Fisher Maritime Museum, telling the story of his treasure hunting adventures.

There’s also the Shipwreck Treasure Museum, the Key West Aquarium, the Ernest Hemingway Home, Harry Truman’s Little White House, the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory and great views from the Key West Lighthouse, to name a few others.

For my pick of the best things to do in Key West with kids, check out this post for the complete list

Finish the day with a sunset cruise – there are several to choose from although we loved the Sunset Sail from Sebago Key West with a sunset-themed soundtrack and open bar as the sky turned gold.

Some of the alternatives include the chance to head out on a schooner with Classic Harbor Line, while Sunset Watersports has their own tour.

Prefer to stay on dry land? Head to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration, with street performers (occasionally a bit risque), street food, and stalls selling tempting arts, crafts and souvenirs that pop up for the evening.

Where to stay in Key West

We checked in to Opal Key Resort – the sister resort to Reefhouse Resort in Key Largo – for our two nights in Key West.

Previously Margaritaville Key West Resort & Marina, lots of its spacious airy rooms overlook the marina or the fantastic pool with its poolside bar, plus you can breakfast overlooking the water.

Downtown Key West is right on the doorstep too, so we couldn’t have had a better location, plus the cool blue-green tones of the rooms manage to feel luxurious while still being family-friendly.

Check out the latest rates for Opal Key Resort on booking.com

Where to eat in Key West

You won’t struggle to find places to eat in Key West with kids – there are some great family friendly restaurants, not to mention plenty of places to grab an ice cream.

For somewhere really memorable, head over to Blue Heaven in Bahama Village with its outdoor tables under the trees, live music, and Floridian-Caribbean menu.

Hemingway once refereed boxing matches here, although it’s calmer these days! Famous for its breakfasts (although go early), there are limited reservations for dinner which are well worth doing – the Key Lime pie to finish was the size of my head.

We also had some amazing pizza at Clemente’s Wood-Fired pizza on Fleming Street, which was great for sharing if your kids won’t manage a whole one each.

There are also plenty of places to grab a quick meal including fish, sandwiches, tacos and burgers, like Two Friends Patio restaurant on Front Street.

Or Cuban Coffee Queen has great smoothies and breakfasts as well as Cuban sandwiches.

Day 4 – Key West

With a full day in Key West, you can tick off more of the family-friendly attractions and activities that you didn’t manage to squeeze in to day 3.

What to do in Key West

There’s no driving to do today (unless you want to) so you can make the most of Key West being so walkable and check out more of its family attractions – or head a little further from Old Town Key West if you’ve ticked off a lot of your list the day before.

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park

You could happily spend the morning at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, for example, checking out the historic site before hitting the beach.

Take a kayaking trip

Around 20 minutes from Key West, there’s a two-hour tour of the mangroves from Geiger Key, near Boca Chica Key.

This Key West Kayak eco-tour is led by a guide specialising in the area’s nature – you could spot dolphins, rays and turtles, as well as iguanas, birds and other local wildlife, while learning about the area’s seagrass beds and mangrove forests.

Go dolphin-spotting and snorkeling

You can easily fit in another boat trip too, including the chance to spot dolphins as well as snorkeling near Key West.

One of the stand-out operators is Honest Eco, which uses Key West’s first electric-powered charter boat, Squid, charged by solar panels, including a four-hour dolphin watch and snorkel trip.

But you can also find similar trips with Sunset Watersports andFury Water Adventures, as well as a snorkeling trip from Sebago Watersports.

If you’re looking for more sustainable tourism experiences, the new Florida Keys Eco-Experience Trail Pass highlights some of the eco-friendly options in the Keys, as well as letting you book direct

Day trip from Key West

For an added adventure, the beautiful Dry Tortugas National Park is around 70 miles from Key West – you need to travel by boat or seaplane to this archipelago of seven small islands, where the coral reef and shipwrecks of the national park are perfect for snorkeling and diving in the turquoise waters.

Seaplane Beach, North Swim Beach and South Swim Beach are some of the best beaches. This one is best for families with teens and older kids, as it takes some effort to reach and there’s limited facilities once you arrive.

The Yankee Freedom Ferry is the official park ferry, including entrance fee to the National Park and Fort Jefferson, or if you’ve got the budget, the seaplane to the Dry Tortugas has half-day and full day charter options.

Day 5 – Key West to Marathon

Time to start heading back north today from Key West to the Middle Keys and Marathon – depending what you prefer, you can spend part of the morning in Key West or fit in a stop on the way, but the big activity today is a visit to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon.

Tours there run every 30 minutes until 4pm (and you need to arrive 15 minutes in advance) so plan your day accordingly. It’s around one hour from Key West to Marathon.

What to do – Key West to Marathon

Still got some things to do in Key West to tick off? There’s time to fit some more before you set off, or try these ideas for where to break the journey to Marathon.

Bahia Honda State Park

Stop off at Bahia Honda State Park with its palm-lined beaches on your route north. The small island is just after Big Pine Key before you reach Seven Mile Bridge heading north, and it’s a lovely place to spend a few hours.

There are some gorgeous white sand beaches – award-winning Calusa Beach is especially gorgeous – plus there’s snorkeling, beach combing, as well as kayaks and paddleboards to rent. It’s around a 15-minute drive from the Turtle Hospital.

Kayaking at Sugarloaf Key

Stop at Sugarloaf Key instead for a kayaking trip with Get Up and Go Kayaking through the mangroves and waterways of the Florida Keys backcountry.

The company uses clear kayaks so you’ll get a unique view of the marine life as you paddle.

Marathon Turtle Hospital

One of my daughter’s favourite things to do in the whole Florida Keys road trip was a visit to the Marathon Turtle Hospital. The hour-long tours start with an education segment – and if that sounds dry and boring, think again – covering the threats to sea turtles, the research being carried out at the Turtle Hospital and how they work to protect them.

There’s a chance to see inside the operating theatre (with vets carrying out procedures on some of the turtles during our visit) and then to meet some of the permanent and temporary inhabitants who’ve been rescued and are recovering here.

Including loggerhead, green, hawksbill and Kemp’s Ridley turtles, they all get individual names thought up by their rescuers – Tater and Tot were two examples along with Grumpy and Sneezy during our visit (Snow White had already been returned to the ocean!)

The hospital itself grew out of a hotel with a sideline in rescuing turtles; after a hurricane meant the owner could choose either to restart the accommodation side or focus solely on treating diseased and injured turtles, he chose the latter.

The hospital is now believed to be the world’s only state-licensed veterinary hospital dedicated solely to the treatment of sea turtles, where possible returning them to the wild.

Where to stay in Marathon

Tranquility Bay Resort would be a great choice even if you weren’t planning to visit the Turtle Hospital – set right next door, the accommodation includes beach houses with 2-3 bedrooms (great if you’ve got a larger family or are travelling with grandparents) as well as the tropical garden rooms.

Set right on the beach, there are water sports, plus several pools including one large one at the centre of the resort. Decor is classic Florida beach, lots of blues and white rocking chairs on the balcony or verandah, some looking out through the palm trees to the Gulf of Mexico.

The perfect place to unwind (if you haven’t already) at the end of the trip. You can buy breakfast in the lobby (or there are a few places nearby to pick up something to go), plus it has its own great restaurant for dinner, Butterfly cafe (read on for more details about that).

Check out the latest rates for Tranquility Bay Resort on booking.com

Where to eat – Key West to Marathon

If you’re heading to Sugarloaf Key for the kayaking, not far away on Summerland Key, Mangrove Mama’s is a local favourite, known for seafood and steak plus sides like honey corn bread.

Or on Little Torch Key, Kiki’s Sandbar & Grill is another local favourite and a great easygoing beachfront spot serving fish and seafood, including blackened shrimp tacos and griller snapper filet sandwich. It’s not far from National Key Deer Refuge as well if you have time for a short detour!

If you’re staying at Tranquility Bay Resort, or nearby, don’t miss dinner at Butterfly Cafe – despite the name, this is far more stylish restaurant than cafe, with some delicious dishes for the entire family and very welcoming to kids. One of my favourite places that we ate on our Florida Keys itinerary.

Day 6 – Marathon/Key Largo to Miami

If you’re planning a six-day trip as we did, today sadly marks the final day of your Florida Keys itinerary with kids – but there’s still time to fit in one (or two) final activities before heading north to Miami, including John Pennekamp State Park.

Our own flight back was late at night, which meant we had pretty much all day to explore so depending when your plane leaves (if you’re flying home), just factor in the drive – around two hours from Marathon, or around an hour from Key Largo.

What to do in Marathon

Visit Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters before you leave Marathon – an aquarium with a differences as there’s a chance to get into the water with some of the creatures living here.

We went for a Stingray Experience which was another unforgettable highlight of the trip – with wetsuit, mask and snorkel on, we sat in the pool with the rays, learning the stingray shuffle (to avoid accidentally stepping on any of them) and finding out more about the Southern Rays and Cownose Rays in the tank.

Then having been enthusiastically checked out by some of the curious rays (including Pancake, who could not get enough of blowing bubbles onto me), there’s a chance to feed them and to float in the tank, watching them swim.

Staff were great with my initially nervous daughter, who was so wowed by the experience (as well as the turtle hospital and coral research lab tour) that she’s now setting her sights on a career as a marine biologist.

All have had their barbs removed for safely and – like other experiences, such as the coral reef snorkeling – are suitable for kids. There’s also the nursery encounter if you don’t want to get wet, interacting with baby stingrays, plus the Big Shark Bay encounter where you can safely interact with nurse sharks.

Even if you don’t fancy booking one of the encounters, there’s lots to entertain the whole family here. Much bigger than the Key West Aquarium, it’s mostly outdoors (although there’s some shade) with talks and feeding times taking place during the day.

We saw nurse sharks being fed and checked, tortoises, terrapins and alligators, plus tropical fish galore including a huge grouper and a tidepool touch tank, which is always a hit with kids. You can choose to feed some of the creatures too – we bought some food for the lobsters.

If you’re lucky you might even spot a manatee swimming in the open water nearby. We ended up spending four hours here including lunch and could happily have stayed longer!

What to do in Key Largo

There’s another chance to get out on the water on the Key Largo Princess glass bottom boat tour to explore the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary.

The two-hour boat trip runs three times per day, at 10am, 1pm and 4pm, with seats outside to enjoy the views or in the air-conditioned cabin.

Once you arrive at the reef, there’s commentary to help you understand what you’re seeing through the large viewing windows – in all, there’s 280 sq ft of glass to peer through at the marine world under the waves.

When to plan your Florida Keys road trip

It pays to time your break in the Florida Keys with kids so that you get the best of the weather and avoid the crowds – as there’s famously one major road through the Florida Keys, you don’t want to spend it stuck in traffic on the Overseas Highway!

For more tips on planning a road trip with kids, including what to pack for a family road trip, road trip activities for kids and the best road trip snacks, check out my posts

While March to May has some of the best weather, Spring break wouldn’t be my first choice for a family trip, especially around Key West. December to February is cooler but you can still expect temperatures in the mid 70s, which is perfect for exploring with kids.

When we visited in late October/early November, it was warm, the weather was still generally very good (although occasionally a bit windy for boat trips) and we weren’t fighting the crowds so it’s another good time to consider.

Hurricane season sees the worst tropical storms from mid-August to the start of October, so it’s best to avoid those weeks if you can too, as well as dodging the high temperatures and humidity of midsummer.

You can also check when major events are planned on the Florida Keys Tourism website, as well as checking when cruise ships are docked in Key West, as it can make a big difference if there’s a larger ship in.

For ideas of more things to do in Key West with kids, check out my top picks

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links – any purchases you make are unaffected but I may receive a small commission. My trip and many of the activities listed was arranged via the tourist board for the purposes of review but all opinions remain my own.

Main image/Seven mile bridge/Anne’s Beach/pelican/turtle on a reef/Duval Street/kayaking/Dry Tortugas/Bahia Honda/deer/John Pennekamp park/sunset beach courtesy of Depositphotos/Shutterstock, all other images copyright MummyTravels

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