Shopping for holiday gifts doesn’t have to be stressful, especially when you can turn to your own backyard for inspiration. If a unique gift for Miami lovers, like a functional cell phone case emblazoned with the Downtown skyline, won’t do, perhaps a Miami experience is more the kind of present you’re looking for. Culled from top picks of things to do in Miami and our favorite things to do in winter in Miami, our list of Miami experiences to give as gifts has something for everyone.
RECOMMENDED: Christmas in Miami
Fishing is one of those quintessential Miami experiences. Still, so many locals have yet to try it. This holiday, gift the angling virgin in your life a spot on a fishing charter, where they’ll get help casting, reeling and cleaning their fresh catch.
Photograph: Unsplash/Clark Young
Every Saturday, a big air-conditioned bus (the fancy kind with reclining seats) whisks people away to South Florida’s hottest breweries for behind-the-scenes tours and copious amounts of sampling. Tours leave from Union Beer Store in Little Havana, and a pregame brew, a beer snifter or pint and snacks are included for each passenger.
A guided kayaking tour is a gift the entire family can enjoy. Tandem vessels make it easy for little ones to ride while exploring areas of Biscayne Bay and the Miami Beach shoreline you rarely get to see.
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/David Berkowitz
Give the gift of flight—sort of—at iFLY’s indoor flight chamber, which blasts you into the air and simulates the feeling of free falling. You’ll have an instructor by your side and the whole experience, including the pre-flight training, will last just under two hours. Flight packages start at $69.95 and go up depending on how many flights you want. Gift cards can also be purchased online or in person, making this a no-brainer for last-minute shoppers.
One of the best museum bargains in town is a membership to Frost Science (not that the $28 admission price is not worth every penny). Visit as many times as you want, bring a friend on said visits and get access to a planetarium show each time you stop by. Members also get discounts on retail, food and numerous other perks.
Curious minds will love a spot on any of Dr. Paul George’s popular city tours, from cruises to Biscayne Bay’s Stiltsville and down the Miami River to guided walks through Downtown. There isn’t a question HistoryMiami’s resident historian cannot answer. Spots fill up quickly but new tours are added each month.
Learn proper knife skills, when to mis en place and other essential cooking lessons at the Biltmore’s esteemed culinary academy. Classes take place in cozy demo kitchens and often wrap up with a yummy meal you make yourself. Bonus: the academy hosts kid-friendly classes for small groups.
For the friend obsessed with taking selfies, gift them tickets to the ultimate backdrop: the Museum of Ice Cream. The made-for-Instagram experience opens its doors in the Faena District this December, bringing loads of interactive experiences and rainbow-colored installations, plus new Miami-only flavors for you to sample.
With one of the best seasons of Broadway Across America to date, and a new production of The Nutcracker this winter, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is brimming with talent. Picking just one show to gift is tough, so why not let them choose? A gift certificate is good for a performance, a ticket subscription and a theater membership. Plus, they never expire.
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