Tampa Bay has much to explore and we are always ready to hand over the keys to adventure! This selection of Tampa Bay’s top treasures makes it easy to conquer the best the area has to offer. Come take over a destination full of culture, rich in history, and loaded with worth-while experiences.
Enjoy extended summer hours and a fireworks spectacular every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 9 p.m. on the Festival Field along with other fun activations during Summer Nights at Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay,, now through August 11. Get exclusive access to one of The Florida Aquarium’s most popular species ambassadors with the Penguin Encounter, a 45-minute interactive experience where guests go behind the scenes with the Aquarium’s animal care professionals and learn what it takes to deliver the highest of animal welfare to their colony of African penguins. Stingray Shores is a newly reimagined interactive habitat at ZooTampa at Lowry Park featuring the chance to touch and feed stingrays while they swim carefree. Upgrade to an in-water signature encounter and join a member of the care team in the pools for a special enrichment and feeding experience.
Ready to get a serious retail fix? You’ve come to the right place. The region’s premiere shopping destination, International Plaza & Bay Street offers 200+ luxury brands and diverse dining options. The beautiful, open-air shopping destination Hyde Park Village, features a collection of high-end retailers and local restaurants. Just 20 minutes north of downtown, Tampa Premium Outlets is home to big-name retailers at bargain prices. Looking for something local? There are a variety of weekend markets throughout the area, so you can shop small all year long.
Cocktail culture is just as much a part of Tampa Bay as sunshine, craft beer, and hand-rolled cigars. Enjoy your drink with sweeping downtown views at Azure, a rooftop dining experience located at the NEW five-star The Tampa EDITION, or at SIX, an airy elevated rooftop bistro located on the sixth floor of the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street. The Tampa Bay food scene is evolving, and in 2024, two more restaurants – Ebbe and Kōsen – received a coveted MICHELIN Star, joining Koya, Lilac, and Rocca, bringing the total number of Tampa Bay restaurants included in the world’s oldest recognized restaurant rating system to 30. Other rooftop favorites include M. Bird atop the popular Heights Public Market at Armature Works in Tampa Heights and Santo’s Drinkeria, an indoor-outdoor gathering space located atop the Casa Santo Stefano Sicilian restaurant in historic Ybor City. Take a self-guided tour of Tampa Bay’s award-winning craft beer scene with the Bay Crafted Pass, a virtual passport that lets users check in at local breweries and win prizes.
“Hav-a-Tampa” cigar and see how Historic Ybor City turned Tampa into the Cigar Capital of the World. Today, skilled tabaqueros still roll cigars by hand, and you can experience their craftsmanship at J.C. Newman Cigar Co., America’s oldest family-owned premium cigar maker. Enjoy live music while sipping a café con leche at one of the district’s signature restaurants or nightclubs. The original Cuban Sandwich was invented specifically for the cigar workers of Ybor City. Visit Cuba without a passport by stepping through the gates of José Marti Park, where the park’s soil has been owned by the Cuban people since the 1950s in honor of the famed Cuban revolutionary fighter. The Official Ybor City Walking Tours keep the neighborhood’s history and influence alive. Be sure to keep an eye – and an ear – out for Ybor City’s oldest residents, wild chickens that strut through the street and are protected by law from harm due to their historical significance.
The 2.6-mile (4 km) Tampa Riverwalk links together some of downtown Tampa’s most popular attractions, hotels, museums, and parks like gems on a string. At one end, you’ll discover Sparkman Wharf, a popular outdoor food and gathering hub on the Tampa Bay waterfront. Stroll to the other end of the Riverwalk to Heights Public Market at Armature Works, which houses 20 dining options and hosts markets and pop-up events. Looking for good food with an even better view? Enjoy al fresco dining while watching the sunset on the Tampa Bay waterfront from Ulele, Anchor & Brine, or the Sail Plaza. Unlock endless adventure, culture, and history at seven unique attractions for one low price with the Tampa Riverwalk Attraction Pass. Visitors can also enjoy endless adventure, culture, and history with ease with the NEW Accessible Tampa Riverwalk Attraction Pass featuring experiences for people of all abilities.
With colors flying and cannons blazing, you’re invited to join the scurvy krewe loyal to legendary pirate, José Gaspar, as Florida’s only fully functional pirate ship sails into downtown Tampa. The Gasparilla Invasion kicks off a series of events and family fun known as Gasparilla Season. Fans of the arts will find a trove of unique pieces at the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts, film buffs will flock to see up-and-coming filmmakers show off their projects at the Gasparilla International Film Festival, and music lovers can discover the next big artist at the Gasparilla Music Festival.
Bask in the Florida sunshine with outdoor adventures and open-air experiences in Tampa Bay. Take in the stunning views on Bayshore Boulevard, one of the longest continuous sidewalks in the United States, or on the Tampa Riverwalk near Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park which has been recognized for its creative use of open spaces after a $35 million redevelopment. Feeling adventurous? Zip through the trees and conquer the 200-foot over-water suspension bridge at Empower Adventures Tampa Bay. For true outdoor enthusiasts, take a trip to one of the area’s state parks: Hillsborough River State Park is home to some of the only Class II rapids in Florida, or head to Alafia River State Park to mountain bike over 20 miles of single-track trails.
With the City of Tampa strategically situated where the Hillsborough River meets Tampa Bay, there are plenty of ways to get out and play on the water. See the city from a new angle with a sightseeing tour or sunset cruise on Tampa Bay Fun Boat. Or indulge on a culinary and cocktail river journey aboard Craft, a multi-million dollar river cruiser built to leisurely ramble down Tampa’s most scenic waterways. Take the plunge on the Wahoo Remix at Adventure Island or make a splash at splash pads located at The Florida Aquarium, Water Works Park, and Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. Cool off with a ride down the Roaring Springs water ride at ZooTampa at Lowry Park. Find your sea legs and explore the Hillsborough River with a paddleboard or kayak rental from Urban Kai or Tampa Riverwalk Rentals. Hop on the popular Pirate Water Taxi to see all the downtown sights from the water with its fleet of yellow and black vessels. Blast off on the Bay Rocket, Tampa Bay’s 45-minute adrenaline-filled jet boat thrill ride, where riders experience 2,800 horsepower with exhilarating 180-degree spins, turns, and bow dips.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFL) made history in 2020 when they won Super Bowl LV at Raymond James Stadium and became the first team to ever host, play, and win the Super Bowl in their home city to earn their second Lombardi Trophy (also: 2002). The perennial-contending Tampa Bay Lightning are three-time Stanley Cup champions (2004, 2020, 2021) and the winningest team in the NHL – regular season and playoffs – over the last decade. The Tampa Bay Rays (MLB) have advanced to the postseason five-straight seasons and counting and won the American League pennant in 2020. On the pitch, the Tampa Bay Rowdies (USL) have also qualified for the playoffs each of the last five years and captured back-to-back Eastern Conference Titles in 2020 and 2021.
For more thrills and excitement, try your luck at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Florida’s largest casino recently completed a $700 million expansion that included a 14-floor, 562-room tower and an extra 200,000 square feet of gaming space. When it’s time to break for a bite, dine at the famed Council Oak Steak & Seafood r grab something more casual at The Rez Grill or Hard Rock Café. More than just gaming, the Hard Rock also hosts regular pool parties and welcomes renowned musical artists and comedians for performances with an expanded event venue.
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