December is a special month in my family. We get to celebrate my dad’s, Nci’s, and my birthday during the month of December. Nci and I are only a few days apart from each other, and in the last few years, we’ve been really enjoying taking a weekend trip to a new city instead of doing gifts. Between the gorgeous weather, great food, and even better culture diversity, we settled on spending our birthday weekend in Tampa.
There’s so much to do in Tampa that you can barely scratch the surface in a weekend, but you can most definitely try and enjoy everything that the city has to offer. In this post, I’m dishing out the best things to do in Tampa, Florida for a weekend getaway. Get ready for plenty of food options, adventures, and travel tips.
How to Get to Tampa + Transportation
Nci and I flew down to Tampa in our own airplane (named Phoenix because of her paint job), and the flight was around 3-4 hours due to a high head wind slowing us down. If you don’t have your own airplane, Tampa is right on the Gulf side of Florida and is only a few hours’ drive from Orlando. It’s also right next door to St. Petersburg so you have plenty of options to drive or fly into Tampa.
If you’re staying in the Downtown area, then you may be able to get away with just walking or using local transportation to get around. Since I tend to not have a plan when we travel, I always rent a car to make sure we can get to all of the destinations that may be a little too far to walk comfortably.
What to Wear
Tampa, Florida is known for its amazing weather all year around. The only thing that you have to worry about is the humidity, which can be intense during rainy periods or in the summer months. Plan on bringing plenty of lightweight clothes, swimsuits, a light jacket, an umbrella, sunscreen, and a sun hat.
Things to Do in Tampa, Florida
Shop at Hyde Park Village
You can’t spend the weekend in Tampa without doing a little bit of shopping. Hyde Park Village is an outdoor shopping experience that includes 6 city blocks of restaurants and shops. While walking around, you’ll find plenty of Instagram-able photo ops so be sure to wear an outfit to walk and take photos in. You’ll find well-known stores, such as Anthropologie and Lululemon, and plenty of local owned businesses to browse.
Explore YBOR City
Marked as a National Historic Landmark District, YBOR City is a historic neighborhood located just outside of the downtown area. The area is named after Vicente Martinez e Ybor who founded his cigar company in the area.
To see the best of YBOR city, you can take a walking tour to learn more about the history of the Cuban influences in the area. If you decide to explore on your own, then be sure to stroll down 7th Avenue, which is filled with shops, foods, and plenty of clubs for the nightlife.
Walk around Tampa Riverwalk
Nothing screams more Florida like a beautiful waterfront view. The Tampa Riverwalk is a 2.4 mile walkable, bikable path along the Hillsborough River. You could easily spend the day exploring everything that is connected to the Riverwalk from the children’s museum, aquarium, history center, and even the cruise ship terminal. Many athletes and exercise enthusiasts use the Riverwalk as a running or bicycling path so be mindful of others when taking a casual stroll down the river.
Take a salsa class at Salsa Caliente Dance Studio
Within the Tampa community, many Hispanic cultures helped shaped the community to what you see today, and of course dance is also important part of that culture. Learn a new skill during your weekend trip in Tampa by learning how to salsa dance. It’s an easy way to have fun, meet some new friends in a new city, and to shake off some calories while having the time of your life. Salsa Caliente Dance Studio is a popular dance studio in the bay area and offers different classes depending on your prior skill level.
Things to Do in St. Petersburg Florida
If you’re visiting Tampa, then you may be hard to resist stopping by St. Petersburg too. Just one bridge away, you can take a peek of what the neighborhooding city has to offer.
Visit Fairgrounds St. Pete
I’ve always wanted to go to an interactive art museum, and St. Pete just got its own version with Fairgrounds. It’s an indoor, interactive, immersive art museum that combines art and technology to create a unique experience for the whole family. Every exhibit showcased in the museum is created by local artists, who continue to earn commission while their art is displayed, which is pretty awesome. You can buy tickets online or at the booth once you arrive.
Take a glass blowing class at Zen Glass Studios
During your weekend in Tampa/St. Pete, be sure to book a class with Zen Glass Studios to take one of their unique glass blowing classes. They offer classes, workshops, and even private classes for individuals to make their own ornament, pint glasses, or paperweights. The best part about exploring a new city is the chance to learn something new and do something exciting, which I think glass blowing fits the bill perfectly.
Weedon Island
Want to take a stroll through a nature preserve? Located on Tampa Bay, Weedon Island has plenty of natural trails to explore and to view the coastline. You can also go fishing, go birding, and kayaking if you want to be a bit more active. Keep your eyes peeled for turtles and other wildlife on your journey.
Sunken Gardens
Sunken Gardens is a slice of botanical paradise set in the middle of a bustling city. As St. Pete’s oldest living museum, you can expect to see 50,000 tropical plants and flowers, waterfalls, and a flock of flamingos on display for all to enjoy. This botanical garden is home to some of the oldest tropical plants in the region. Expect plenty of walking while enjoying the sites within the gardens.
What to Eat and Drink
King of the Coop
If I had to name my favorite place to eat in Tampa, then King of the Coop has to be my number one on my list. It’s Tampa’s First Nashville Hot Chicken, and it’s been a winner for the best fried chicken a few years in a row. Regardless of if you like your fried chicken extra hot or mild, you can find the most flavorful fried chicken here. I’m obsessed with their mac and cheese bowl that comes with their chicken – chiefs kisses!
Mandarin Heights
This mid-century, Instagram-able bar came highly recommended on TikTok and Instagram when I was researching things to do in the Tampa area. It was definitely a vibe and a cool place to grab drinks and just hang out. Nci and I got a few different drinks between us, and my favorite by far was the LAAIDDD BACCCKKKK. It was sweet and not overpowering at all.
Cake Drip
Located in Hyde Park Village, Cake Drip is one a kind dessert boutique where you get the chance to decorate your own dessert. From cakes, chocolate bars, and even holiday specials, you can bring your dessert visions to life and try your hand at decorating. You have to have a reservation to attend, but it looks like a fun way to spend an evening plus you get to walk away with a sweet treat.
Dough
As seen on HGTV, Southern Living, Bravo, USA Today, and so many more, Dough is a local quirky bakery, creamery, and coffeehouse that is known for their amazing donuts and boozy drinks. The donuts are so large, fluffy, and so good! We forgot to come back to try out more of their desserts, but I’m definitely making a trip to come back to try more on the menu.
Oh Yea Creamery
Get ready to be spoiled for choice when it comes to flavoring your ice cream. Oh Yea Creamery is a create your own soft service ice cream where you can add a variety of mix ins to your ice cream to create the flavor of your dreams. Don’t worry – they also offer premade selections in case you can’t figure out what you want. The mix in options are bountiful.
Ella’s
Located a few minutes from Downtown Tampa, Ella’s is an American restaurant that features a wild variety of drinks, live music, and plenty of art to view. From pork chops, pizzas, and chicken n waffles, there’s a variety of options to choose from. They even have a BBQ Sundays if you’re looking for a BBQ option during your weekend trip.
Bake’n Babes
Bake’n Babes is a local bakery that specializes in cookies, brownies, and over the top milkshakes. Voted as “Best Local Cookie”, it’s only makes sense to stop by and grab one (or a dozen) for the road.
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