Sarasota to Miami road trip: Drive time, distance & best stops

The best road trip stops on the Sarasota to Miami drive are Fort Myers, Naples and Fort Lauderdale. The distance from Sarasota to Miami by car is 233 miles, with a 3h51m driving time.

Planning a Sarasota to Miami road trip itinerary

The Sarasota to Miami drive takes you from Florida’s west coast to southern Florida’s biggest city.

Miami is a city with several sides to it. The art deco and showiness of South Beach contrasts heavily with the landscaped garden grandeur of Coral Gables, for example.

Top Miami experiences include food tours of Little Havana, sightseeing by speedboat and South Beach cruises that take in the homes of millionaires. Alternatively, try a sunset cocktail cruise, a half day Everglades tour or a scenic helicopter flight.

Attractions worth getting advance tickets for include the Frost Science Museum, the Museum of Graffiti and the Paradox Museum.

The most memorable Miami accommodation is in one of South Beach’s art deco hotels. The Essex House Hotel is an architectural classic. The National has an amazing pool.

Sarasota is home to the Ringling Museum of Art – arguably the top art museum in Florida, with a good mix of modern and old masters. The estate is also home to a Circus Museum.

More Sarasota attractions, including the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, are linked together on the City Sightseeing trolley tour.

Other potential Sarasota experiences include a downtown food tour, jet ski adventures and kayaking through the mangrove tunnels.

Top Sarasota accommodation options with a pool include the Carlisle Inn and the Lido Beach Resort.

Sarasota to Miami distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Sarasota to Miami is 233 miles. That makes for a driving time of around three hours and 51 minutes. The best stops to add to a Sarasota to Miami road trip itinerary are Fort Myers, Naples and Fort Lauderdale.

For more suggestions, take at look at the guides to shorter chunks of the drive:

• Sarasota to Punta Gorda drive.
• Punta Gorda to Fort Myers drive.
• Fort Myers to Naples drive.
• Naples to Fort Lauderdale drive.
• Fort Lauderdale to Miami drive.

Best stops between Sarasota and Miami: Fort Myers FL

There’s a massive collection of Fort Myers experiences to choose from. Top picks include paddleboarding with dolphins and manatees, sunset sailing cruises and haunted history walks.

For a night out the buzzy bars and restaurants of the River District are full of energy, while the Georgian Revival-style Burroughs Home and Gardens does the grand mansion thing.

The cultural highlights, however, are the Winter Estates of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford. Along with lavish gardens, these mansions are full of stories about legendary inventors going on wild adventures.

Great Fort Myers hotel options include the brilliantly-located Luminary Hotel and Margaritaville Beach Resort.

Sarasota to Miami road trip attractions: Naples FL

Naples, the southernmost city on Florida’s west coast, has plenty going for it. You can get some beach time in at Lowdermilk Park, stroll through the Naples Botanical Garden and learn about the heritage of South West Florida inside the Collier Museum at Government Center.

Other Naples experiences include boat tours, sunset cruises, Segway tours and electric trike tours.

Top Naples hotels with consistently excellent reviews include the Escalante and the Bellasera Resort.

Sarasota to Miami drive: Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is sleek coastal city of beaches and canals. For Fort Lauderdale experiences, try narrated 90 minute cruises on the Jungle Queen, Everglades airboat adventures and snorkelling tours on the Fort Lauderdale reefs.

Alternatively, try an evening boat cruise, renting a powerboat or parasailing.

Great beachfront Fort Lauderdale accommodation options include the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort and the Hotel Maren.

More Miami road trips

Miami to Boca Raton | Miami to Boynton Beach | Miami to Cocoa Beach | Miami to Daytona Beach | Miami to Deerfield Beach | Miami to Delray Beach | Destin to Miami | Miami to Disney World | Miami to Fort Lauderdale | Miami to Fort Myers | Miami to Fort Pierce FL | Miami to Hollywood FL | Jacksonville to Miami | Miami to Jupiter FL | Miami to Kissimmee | Miami to Lake Worth Beach | Miami to Melbourne FL | Memphis to Miami | Miami to Naples | Orlando to Miami | Panama City to Miami | Pensacola to Miami | Miami to Pompano Beach | Miami to Port Canaveral | Miami to Port St Lucie | Miami to Punta Gorda | Miami to St Augustine | Miami to Stuart FL | Tallashassee to Miami | Miami to Vero Beach | Miami to West Palm Beach.

More Sarasota road trips

Orlando to Sarasota | Port Charlotte to Sarasota | Punta Gorda to Sarasota | Tallahassee to Sarasota | Tampa to Sarasota.