FAMILY-FRIENDLY
THREE-DAY TRIP
Welcome to Tampa Bay! In this document, you will find the plan for your visit to Florida’s fastest-growing tourism destination.
DAY 1
Welcome to Tampa Bay! In this document, you will find the plan for your visit to Florida’s fastest-growing tourism destination.
Take a bite of Tampa Bay’s culinary history at Goody Goody, which began life as one of America’s first drive-in restaurants. The restaurant has been reborn as a modern diner, but the menu and the decorations are rooted in its earliest days, featuring classic diner breakfasts, the historic POX burger, and melt-in-your-mouth butterscotch pie.
*Goody Goody does not accept reservations, so you may experience a wait. You can download the NoWait app to your SmartPhone and join the virtual wait list to save time.
Hyde Park, a neighborhood of walkable, tree-covered streets known for its meticulously preserved Arts-and-Crafts bungalows dating from the 1920s. Hyde Park Village is an open-air shopping district within the neighborhood with great mural photo opportunities!
The Tampa Riverwalk runs for 2.6 miles (4 km) along the Hillsborough River and Garrison Channel, linking downtown’s favorite attractions like gems on a string. At night, the Riverwalk’s canopies are lighted along with the bridges that cross the river.
Unlock endless adventure, culture, and history at eight unique attractions for one low price with the Riverwalk Attraction Pass.
Housed in a carefully restored former trolley barn, Heights Public Market brings together more than a dozen local restaurants in a carefully curated waterfront food hall. Get your favorite and take it to go for al fresco dining by the sparkling Hillsborough River.
*Armature Works is located on the north end of the riverwalk and features a Pirate Water Taxi stop.
*Included in the Riverwalk Attraction Pass
Best suited for children under 12
Whatever children love to do – dress up, climb high, make art, build things -- this museum on downtown’s central Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park is a trove of kid-friendly treasures. The brightly colored three-story building contains plenty to entertain the elementary school set and educate them at the same time.
*Included in the Riverwalk Attraction Pass
The Florida Aquarium helps visitors discover the intricate nature of Florida’s aquatic ecosystems. Visitors follow the water from inland springs and swamps downstream to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, visitors encounter 20,000 aquatic plants and animals, including four sharks in its enormous coral reef exhibit.
Located in the Water Street along the Garrison Channel, enjoy a new dining experience housed in refurbished shipyard crates with 8 different dining options everyone can find something to eat. This is the perfect place to take in the great waterfront views, craft beer, live music, and exceptional dining.
Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters is known for its atmosphere. When you step into one of our cafes, you can feel it instantly. The perfect getaway for work, play, or study complimented with great tasting coffee. In true speakeasy fashion, they roast coffee so good it should be illegal.
*Included in the Riverwalk Attraction Pass
ZooTampa at Lowry Park is the nation’s only non-profit hospital and rehabilitation center for injured West Indian manatees. Since 1991, the zoo has treated hundreds of manatees and released many of them back into the wild. The zoo has 2,000 animals housed in natural habitats including an Australia-themed water park with rides for small children; and an area where visitors can come face-to-face with hungry giraffes armed only with lettuce leaves. The new “Roaring Springs” water ride introduces visitors to Florida’s unique environment with a 30-foot soaking plunge!
The Sail & Big Ray's Fish Camp on the Riverwalk is Tampa’s only 360 degree open air waterfront bar. This an urban oasis serves mouthwatering food & ice-cold drinks with spectacular water views with live music on the weekends. Don’t miss the historic Deviled Crab on the menu!
The Lost Pearl offers the perfect field trip for your campers to spend the day at sea. Bring your little buccaneers to experience a pirate adventure in the heart of Downtown Tampa. Come aboard the Lost Pearl’s 1.5-hour interactive pirate ship and enjoy swashbuckling activities and water cannon fun. We offer cruises for all ages, including pirate adventures, sunset cruises, and more. **Pirate cruises typically depart at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm please check the schedule.
Sunda New Asian is an award-winning restaurant showcasing new Asian, modern interpretations of culturally important classics from all over Southeast Asia and its surrounding islands by drawing inspiration from countries such as Japan, China, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and more.
📍 : 1412 E 7th Ave.
Café QuiQuiriqui is the earliest coffee shop to open in Ybor City at 7 am. Stop by to sip on café con Leche or a nitro cold brew on tap. Grab a table and relax or get your breakfast to-go!
Located right across the street from Busch Gardens® Tampa, Adventure Island® is 30 acres of water-drenched fun in the sun featuring the ultimate combination of high-speed thrills and tropical, tranquil surroundings for guests of all ages. Race down rapids, dig your toes into the sand or relax all day in a private cabana. New at Adventure Island, hurtle high and experience a feeling of weightlessness on Colossal Curl™, Adventure Island’s newest family thrill slide.
Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay combines an African wildlife preserve and breeding program and a theme park filled with pulse-pounding roller coasters. Busch Gardens’ newest addition is Tigris, the tallest launch coaster in the State of Florida. Other rides include Falcon’s Fury, at 335 feet (102 meters) it’s the tallest drop-tower in North America, Cheetah Hunt, which sends riders bobbing and weaving like a savannah cat along nearly a mile of track (1.3 km), and Cobra’s Curse, a family spin coaster.
Located on the Tampa Riverwalk, Tampa Bay’s Straz Center is the largest performing arts space south of the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The complex houses five theaters and regularly hosts The Florida Orchestra, Opera Tampa, and an annual Broadway Series. In addition to Broadway, the Straz offers family focused shows, maks sure to check out the list of events.