A Complete Guide: Best Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale
This travel guide provides all the best things to do in Fort Lauderdale, Florida you need to know before your vacation!
Vacationing in Florida is a fun and exciting spot to visit. From the beautiful beaches, outdoor activities, sunsets on the beach, and delicious seafood, you can be sure to have the time of your life. As someone who has previously lived in Florida, I’m going to go over the best things to do in Fort Lauderdale to help you make the most of your vacation!
In this blog post, you are going to learn about the best things to do in Fort Lauderdale, the best Fort Lauderdale hotel, and the some of the best Fort Lauderdale restaurants too!
After learning about all these wonderful things to do, you’ll be able to easily plan your Fort Lauderdale itinerary for your entire vacation party to enjoy!
This post is all about the best things to do in Fort Lauderdale.
Best Things to Do in Fort Lauderdale
1. Stroll Along the Hollywood Beach Boardwalk
The Hollywood Beach Boardwalk is one of the most popular things to do for visitors. The boardwalk is a one-mile walk along the gorgeous Fort Lauderdale ocean. This one-mile street is filled with so many local restaurants, shops, and live entertainment. It’s the perfect stroll to grab a bite to eat before laying out and soaking up some sunshine at the beach.
2. Hop On & Off with the Fort Lauderdale Water Taxi
One of the best ways to explore Fort Lauderdale is by boat. Mostly because Fort Lauderdale is known as “Venice of America” due to its stunning waterways. The Water Taxi is more than just a boat ride through Fort Lauderdale, you can actually get a guided tour with knowledgable tour guides, where you can learn all about Fort Lauderdale architecture, history, and so much more. You can even spot some celebrity mansions and yacht’s during your tour too! That’s not all though, the Water Taxi is also a hop-on-hop-off tour, so you can explore more of Fort Lauderdale on land too, at whichever boats stops you want.
3. Take a Bike Ride through Hugh Taylor Birch State Park
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is like New York Cities Central Park. This secluded state park is the perfect place for a short hike, bike ride, and even kayaking. The park is a unique experience in Fort Lauderdale where you can immerse yourself into nature. However, even if you wanted to visit the beach afterwards, the park does provide beach access too. It’s the perfect urban getaway for some fun outdoor activities.
4. Take a Boat Ride to the Fort Lauderdale SandBar
The SandBar might be my favorite part of Fort Lauderdale. Mostly because it’s such a fun and lively environment with people on boats, kayaking, swimming, jet skiing, snorkeling, and so much more. The SandBar is located not far from shore, specifically where the iconic “Nu River” meets the Historic Intra Coastal Waterway (ICW).
5. Go Shopping at Sawgrass Mills Mall
Maybe it’s a rainy day in Fort Lauderdale, so you’re looking for some indoor activities. Well, I highly recommend checking out the Sawgrass Mills Mall mostly because it’s one of the largest malls in all of North America. Whether you want to getaway from the rain or do a full shopping spree, you’ll definitely have fun checking out all the stores here!
6. Visit the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is a hot spot for visitors in Fort Lauderdale. This unique Guitar shaped hotel offers a wide range of entertainment from gambling, nightclubs, live events, upscale restaurants, sports bars, rooftop bars, spas, outdoor pools, and so much more. It’s the perfect spot for a date night, concert with friends, or a pool day with the family. You can be sure to find so much to do at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for everyone to enjoy.
7. Take a Day Trip to the Bahamas
Have you ever wanted to visit the Bahamas? Well, now you can! Fort Lauderdale is located just about three hours west of Freeport, Bahamas, and there are so many tours offered to take you straight to the Bahamas for an entire day getaway! You can relax in the white sand beaches, go snorkeling in the ocean, or explore the town on your own.
8. Take a Day Trip to Miami
Miami, Florida is located about 40 minutes from downtown Fort Lauderdale, and while you’re in town, you might as well check off Miami from your bucket list too. This is easy to do through an Uber, Lyft or Taxi. Miami offers so much to do, from the beautiful beaches, skyscraper buildings, museums, boardwalks, and so much more. You’ll be able to easily find things to do for a day trip.
9. Visit the Flamingo Gardens and Wildlife Sanctuary
The Flamingo Gardens and Wildlife Sanctuary is 60 acres of lush gardens and enchanting wildlife offering a Botanical Garden, Wildlife Sanctuary, and Wray Home Museum for visitors. The Botanical Garden provides various flower gardens from orchids, tropical fern, fragrance flowers, and many more. Whereas the Wildlife Sanctuary allows you to explore a crocodile habitat, black bear habitat, flamingo pond, panther and bobcat habitat, and so many more unique wildlife animals. The Flamingo Gardens and Wildlife Sanctuary is a perfect place for a family friends experience.
10. Go on a River Front Gondola Tour at Sunset
Whether you’re with your significant other, a group of friends or family, the River Front Gondola Tour at Sunset is a magical experience to enjoy exclusively with your party. Since Fort Lauderdale is also known as the “Venice of America,” the River Front Gondola tour will take you through all the beautiful waterways and canals. Such a fun time!
11. Snag Tickets to the Rodeo (yes, there is a South Florida Rodeo!)
Embrace your country side in South Florida at the Davie Pro Rodeo. Multiple events are hosted throughout the year, such as horse shows, rodeos, bull riding, festivals, parades, and some family friendly activities too. Be sure to check the schedule and snag some tickets in advance!
12. Take a Guided Tour Around Star Island
Take a guided tour around Star Island, a private island for the rich and famous. From the boat, you can gaze at the million dollar mansions of many celebrity homes such as Jennifer Lopez, Shaquille O’Neal, Sean Combs (P Diddy), and so many more. The mansions are so beautiful!
13. Go on a Guided Kayak Tunnel Tour
Explore the mangrove trails in Fort Lauderdale on a guided kayaking tour. During this tour, you get to paddle through the winding tunnels and observe wildlife in their natural habitat. Such a fun experience for anyone to enjoy!
This post showed you the best things to do in Fort Lauderdale.
And there you have it! The best things to do in Fort Lauderdale! What activities or hidden gems would you add to this list? Let me know in the comments, I’d love to hear about it!
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