Discover what to do in Tampa, Florida. It is the second-largest city. Located on the west coast of the state, it is famous mainly for Busch Gardens park. Many tourists who are in Orlando make the trip between the two cities (100km), of about 1h30, just to know the park, and end up being surprised with all the beauty and potential of the attractions of Tampa. Here you can see everything you can do while visiting the city.
What to do in Tampa Florida?
Discover the best options of things to do in Tampa Florida. Tampa is a tourist town located in the state of Florida in the United States. It is full of attractions and receives millions of tourists every year looking for fun, shopping, and beaches. Tampa is about 320 km from Miami and a little more than 100 km from Orlando, being a great option for you to know and be enchanted with this city. Let’s give you some information on unique things to do in Tampa on very famous and visited places in Tampa, including historic sites, arts, entertainment, and more!
Tampa Attractions for Families
Tampa is a popular family resort with many interesting amusement parks. Here is the famous Busch Gardens park, where visitors will find many interesting rides and friendly animals. Part of the park is occupied by a zoo, among the inhabitants of which are zebras, giraffes, and cute squirrels that visitors can feed. Another notable feature of the park is the variety of interesting landscape decorations; there are playgrounds and attractions for children.
There are several wonderful water parks in the city; Adventure Island is considered one of the most visited. It will appeal to both extreme fans and visitors with small children. This water park is open. It is decorated with a huge number of trees and living plants; among this natural splendor, luxurious pools with slides are equipped for visitors. There is a special shallow pool for small children, and there are several steep slides, from which not everyone dares to ride.
Busch Gardens Tampa
The first tip of what to do in Tampa is to visit the radical Busch Gardens Tampa Park, an amusement park with the largest roller coasters on the planet. It is very cool and one of the most famous in the world. He is known for his many super radical roller coasters! It is a park more suitable for older people and with children over 8 years old The site was opened to the public in 1959 and today is one of the largest amusement parks in the United States. For those who enjoy adrenaline, Busch Gardens is an unmissable place to visit. Among the main roller coasters are: SheiKra, Montu, Cheetah Hunt, and Gwazi. There are other lighter attractions like the Congo River Rapids and the Land Of Dragons, and spaces dedicated to the animal world with hundreds of pets from all over the world like Bird Gardens and Edge Of Africa. You can still enjoy Madagascar Livre Operation Vacation, a show with the characters from the movie Madagascar. This park is the main tourist spot in Tampa.
Florida Aquarium Tampa
The Florida Aquarium Tampa is one of the main sights in the city of Tampa. Visiting this great attraction is fun for the whole family. The aquarium complex is huge and has more than 20,000 animals and thousands of aquatic plants native to the state of Florida and other parts of the planet. The attraction opened in March 1995 and today is one of the largest aquariums in the world, receiving thousands of tourists every year. The place has attractions for children and adults, from swimming with sharks to visiting gigantic tanks with thousands of animals.
Museum of Science & Industry
The Museum of Science and Industry is simply incredible. Very educational and at the same time fun, it will be one of the most worthwhile trips in the immense amount of things to do in Tampa. The Museum of Science & Industry is a super fun science museum in Tampa with over 450 attractions and an IMAX Dome Theater – the only one in Florida. Founded in 1982, the museum has interactive spaces for all ages, from Kids in charge (a place dedicated to children to learn science through games); an exhibition in which he knows the human body in all its complexity (The Amazing You); discover ecosystems at Butterfly Garden BioWorks and enjoy the universe through an astronomy show at the planetarium.
Lowry Park Zoo Tampa
Lowry Park Zoo is a 25-acre zoo considered one of the best places to visit with the family in the United States. The place, in addition to being a zoo, is a center for
wildlife conservation and biodiversity in the country. There are many interactive exhibits and you have the opportunity to get close to wild animals such as giraffes, rays, and many other animals. The Lowry Park Zoo has special locations such as a playground, wild rides, and great educational programs for children. For those traveling with children, it is a tour that should be on the list of things to do in Tampa and one of the most fun tourist spots.
Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Tampa
Despite being the second aquarium on this list, this one is a little different: it is an institution that rescues marine animals, taking care of and monitoring the animal’s return to the sea. You will see animals being retrieved in tanks and interact with them – the kids freak out! You can touch, feed, and learn more about each animal, together with the instructor. Be sure to see the famous dolly Willy from the movie.
Chihuly Collection in Tampa
See various installations and works that have traveled the world, by the very famous artist Dale Chihuly. Although the entrance fee is paid, it is very worthwhile to see his works up close – the children love it too!
Dinosaur World in Tampa
A great space to meet with children! Being one of the three existing branches in the United States, this complex is super fun. It promotes a walk through the vegetation and shows huge replicas of dinosaurs. There are also other leisure areas scattered around, housing a museum, theater, and spaces to see fish and skeletons up close.
Adventure Island in Tampa
The 1980 water park is open between 10 am and 5 pm, with paid entrance. It is full of good attractions, with a current river to ride with buoys and several toboggans to go down with the group. It is a tour idea to cool off during the Florida summer.
Cheapest tickets to Tampa attractions
A tip for anyone going to Tampa is to use the Tampa Citypass. It is a combo of tickets to the five main attractions of the city and you can save 51%, that is, pay less than half of what you would pay, to go to 5 super cool attractions that are in Tampa bay. Included attractions are Busch Gardens, Tampa Aquarium, Tampa Zoo, Clearwater Aquarium, and the Science Museum in Fort Lauderdale. This combo is worth it not only for saving money, but also for time because with these tickets you do not take the ticket lines for each tour, which are usually quite time-consuming. And it costs only $ 99, which is almost the price of admission to Busch Gardens alone if purchased separately, so it is very worthwhile and you get admission to all the other attractions.
Florida mobile tip
One tip is that you can use your cell phone at will in Miami and Orlando, as it ends up being very useful and worth it. You can use the apps of the parks, beaches, and sights, the discount coupon apps, you save about $ 100 for not having to rent a GPS for the car as you can use the cell phone, you can search the addresses and times of the places, see the weather forecast to plan for the tours and of course stay connected with everyone through apps and post your photos of the trip through Florida on social networks.
Best Beaches Near Tampa
Tampa, a resort town on the west coast of the Florida Peninsula, is less well known than its famous neighbors, but still has good beaches in its vicinity to offer tourists. Sit on the white sands of the Caribbean on one of our top-rated beaches.
Clearwater
Clearwater Beach is one of the most developed beaches in Philadelphia. There is a dolphinarium, children’s playgrounds, attractions, cafes, restaurants, bars, boutiques … As well as soft and white sand, warm ocean and luxurious palm trees. In a word, this place makes you fall in love at first sight.
Madeira
Madeira Beach is known as a piece of paradise with white beaches, delicious food, clean air, and immaculate blue skies. This is one of the safest, most peaceful, and beautiful places to stay. People come here to fish, taste the best Philadelphia dishes, sunbathe by the ocean or enjoy the colorful architecture
Ben T. Davis
Ben T. Davis Beach is a tiny island beach located between Tampa and Clearwater. It is famous for its white sand, beautiful landscapes, lots of greenery. It also prepares the best American cuisine and installs furniture for tourists. If you are looking for an inexpensive, cute and comfortable place to stay, this beach is definitely for you.
Apollo
Apollo Beach is a conservation area with dense forests, gorgeous beaches, clean air, and beautiful manatees. There is a lot of free space and even more deserted areas where no one will disturb your peace. People come here to take a break from civilization, improve their health, take a long walk or restore efficiency.
Tampa Riverwalk Restaurants
Whether you are traveling to Tampa Bay for a romantic getaway, or simply want to enjoy the view while you are in the city for a leisurely getaway or business trip, you can dine at one of the many waterfront restaurants in town for a truly unique experience in central Florida …
Nothing spells romance quite like an evening with a glass of your favorite drink and sizzling steak with the sun setting on your doorstep. Even if you are not with significant others, the waterfront dining is bound to make any evening more special.
From Bahama Breeze to Joe’s Whiskey, there are many restaurants in the Tampa area serving all seafood and Italian cuisine with local delicacies like crocodile nuggets and gambas. While some are road and only accessible with a reservation, others offer a more relaxed environment and one is only accessible by boat.
Cafe Ponte (Nearby hotels)
One of the most popular restaurants in Clearwater is Cafe Ponte. This upscale diner is perfect for dating. Here you will find both casual food and cool dishes, so don’t be intimidated by its chic interior. The menu changes with the season and the ingredients are always fresh. Lunch options range from filet mignon to lobster, while lunch brings more casual food such as sandwiches, pizza, and burgers.
Frenchy’s South Beach Cafe
Frenchy’s are Clearwater classics. There are actually five French restaurants in the area, and they all have great reviews and serve delicious food. From seafood to American-style food, Frenchy’s has something for everyone. French Cafe South Beach is famous for its perch sandwiches. However, no matter which Frenchy location you choose to visit in Clearwater, this family run establishment won’t disappoint.
Bahama breeze
At Bahama Breeze, you will find tropical cocktails and seafood, chicken, and steak dishes inspired by the aromatic and colorful ingredients of the Caribbean. In this magnificent Tampa Bay setting, you will also experience patio dining, an island atmosphere with live music, and priceless views of the bay. One word wise: the place gets incredibly busy on the weekend, so don’t think you can just wind up whenever the spirit prompts
Hula Bay Club
As the name suggests, Hula Bay offers Hawaiian-style dining with lounge docks and an island bar. Not only can you dine while watching all the boats amble past, but you can also relax by the pool later with a drink in hand. You will most likely need a weekend reservation and there is even a special “brunch in the bay”
Read also: VEGAS INSIDER FAMOUS ATTRACTION | LAS VEGAS HOTELS AND CASINO
