11 Tampa Family Vacation Ideas

Tampa offers easy access to a vibrant city, a bay primed for watersports and a modern cruise port. Florida’s best white sand beaches form a trail of family fun just minutes from its city limits. Waterfront seafood shacks, bustling beach boardwalks, seaside hotels catering to families, free shore-town shuttles and beautiful pale blue waves paint a perfect picture of your next family getaway.

Clearwater tops many “best beach” lists, drawing visitors with its white-sand shores and clear Gulf waters. Beyond the beach, wildlife encounters and safari-style theme parks compete for attention alongside some of the country’s top aquariums and marine research institutes.

Read on to discover some of the best ideas for a Tampa family vacation, including theme parks, outdoor attractions and coastal towns near the cruise port.

Tampa Bay and City Sights

Tampa is home to great museums, food halls and family-centered river fun all within minutes of Port Tampa Bay, making this easy-to-fly-into city a perfect place to launch a family vacation to Florida.

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay. 

● Distance from Port: Within a mile of the port.

● Ages: All ages. 

1. Museum of Science and Industry

Kids can reach new heights of excitement by taking part in the Flight Club Drone Zone and Aviation Evolution exhibits with hands-on flying activities. They can also soar into the stars at the Saunders Planetarium & Digital Dome Theatre. 

Another way to wing it when it comes to science is in the LIVECycles Butterfly Garden. 

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay. 

● Distance from Port: 11 miles. 

● Ages: All ages. 

2. Glazer Children’s Museum

Imaginative play is the key to exploring the world in exhibits like Central Bank, Farm, Firehouse, Forts, Ice Cream Parlor and the always popular Publix grocery store. Let your little sailors get their feet wet at KidsPort, where they can glide boats through water, create thunderstorms and explore what makes Tampa Bay tick.

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay.

● Distance from Port: Within a mile of the port.

● Ages: All ages. 

3. The Florida Aquarium

Thousands of marine critters call habitats like the mangrove tunnel and a 500,000-gallon coral reef home. Stingray beach, dolphin cruises and underwater walking tours using SeaTREK helmets add adventure to an educational day observing marine life at this wildlife conservation facility in the heart of downtown Tampa.

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay.

● Distance from Port: Within a mile of the port.

● Ages: All ages. 

4. The Tampa Riverwalk

This popular 2.6-mile waterfront path connects many of Downtown Tampa’s best activities for families. Parks, museums, restaurants and top attractions are accessible along the walking, biking, scootering, and art-admiring paved trail — with kayak rentals and a Pirate Water Taxi available for those who prefer to float their way to fun. A full schedule of interactive events and live performances keeps locals and visitors entertained.

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay.

● Distance from Port: Within a mile of the port. 

● Ages: All ages. 

5. Busch Gardens Tampa

Even if your kids aren’t impressed by giant roller coasters and thrill rides like Kumba, with its 135-foot drop, this safari-themed amusement park goes big on little-kid options like a new water play area, climbing canopy and cute capybaras to meet. Familiar faces from Sesame Street greet parkgoers in a mild zone where height restrictions have maximums instead of minimums. Don’t worry, your teens and daredevil big kids will find their fair share of pulse-pounding rides to enjoy between rhino and tiger sightings.

If you're more concerned with feeding your own herd than the giraffes, 15 dining and drink spots keep you covered, with five of the eateries participating in a “dine all day” deal that was a huge help when my son and friends were in their bottomless pit phase. 

Check the park’s website for partner hotels with special perks like shuttles and discounts.

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay.

● Distance from Port: 11 miles. 

● Ages: All ages, under 3 free. 

6. Park Your Kids Here for a Good Time

Sometimes traveling with the family means sticking to a strict KISS game plan. So Keep It Simple, Sunshine, and take your crew and a picnic lunch to a park for an affordable day of family togetherness. 

Outdoor enthusiasts and older kids will dig Alafia River State Park’s 20 miles of mountain biking and horseback riding trails. Honeymoon Island State Park features 4 miles of beaches for shelling and swimming, a 3-mile Virgin Slash Pine Forest trail, playground and nature center. Former zoo, Boyd Hill Nature Preserve, sits on 400 acres in the heart of St. Pete, with nature programs and wildlife spotting on its serene trails.

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay.

● Distance from Port: 27 miles. 

● Ages: All ages. 

7. Tampa Fans Know How To Play Ball

Sports fans can time their cruise vacation with major league games featuring their teams taking on the Tampa Bay Rays or the Buccaneers, or get a taste of laid-back spring training with up-close opportunities to see favorite MLB players round the bases at a fraction of the price. The New York Yankees call Tampa their home every year from mid-February through early April.

All venues are within 15 miles of Port Tampa Bay.

8. A Big Splash of Family Fun

If all your crew needs is to just add water, Tampa Bay is the spot for releasing their inner mermaid. Empower Adventures paddleboarding and drive-your-own mini speedboat tours cruise the calm bay waters. A bit farther afield from Tampa, but worth the drive to experience a true Florida marvel, are Crystal River manatee swims with River Ventures

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay.

● Distance from Port: 17-80 miles. 

● Ages: All ages. 

9. St. Pete and Clearwater, a Clear Family Vacation Winner

Clearwater Beach and its charming boardwalk top many lists for the best family trips. The sand is sugar soft, waves (if any) are perfect for hopping into and sunsets are a dream. 

Stop in a local surf shop for a skimboard or Wuboba ball for the beach. Just around the corner in St. Petersburg, affectionately known as St. Pete, the quirky Salvador Dali Museum and Chihuly Collection of wild glass imaginings are perfect shady breaks from the sun. 

If local marine life is a priority, Dolphin Racer Speedboat Adventure sends passengers on a wild ride to spot dolphins, or you can just head to Clearwater Marine Aquarium to commune with the fishies. 

The historic Vinoy Resort and Golf Course is a classic Florida grand dame property overlooking the marina in St. Pete. Sandpearl Resort offers a similar vibe, but on the soft sands of Clearwater Beach. Don CeSar is another beauty, where generations-strong visitors return for a getaway with a focus on family. Staying at these fabulous Florida resorts, even for a few days, builds bonds that last far longer than the sand in your shoes.  

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay.

● Distance from Port: 25-29 miles. 

● Ages: All ages. 

10. Sarasota: Sorta Awesome

Sarasota’s Mote Marine Laboratory might stand out to “Winter’s Tale” fans as the former home of the wayward fluke-free dolphin. They continue to do great work, rescuing and rehabilitating marine animals, and welcoming visitors to learn about their programs. 

The John and Mable Ringling Museum — with live circus performances — is a delightful and immersive museum for all ages. 

Other family-friendly spots are Sarasota Jungle Gardens and The Bishop Museum of Science and Industry, with The Resort at Longboat Key Club being a perfect place to unpack and stay awhile. Boating, pools, kids' activities, restaurants and large rooms are bonuses.

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay.

● Distance from Port: 60 miles. 

● Ages: All ages. 

11. Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel Island

Straight down the Gulf Coast from Tampa sits a true shelling oasis — meaning one of the world's top spots to collect nature’s best souvenirs. Shelling is serious business here, with some beachcombers rising with the wee hours’ tide to find treasure newly washed ashore. I know this, as my Grandma Maggie was featured in the town newspaper for one of her rare shell finds! 

Visit the Bailey Matthews Shell Museum and Aquarium for inspiration and hit the shoreline with a bucket. Pro tip — when kids find their perfect shell, let it sit out on the porch or lanai overnight to make sure it doesn’t crawl indignantly away. 

Families are fans of Sanibel Islands Lighthouse Park and J N Ding Darling Wildlife Nature Reserve, as well as South Seas Captiva Resort for its Kids Camp-tiva, waterslides and 360-acre white sand beach.

● Cruise Port: Port Tampa Bay.

● Distance from Port: 126 miles. 

● Ages: All ages. 

Plan Your Perfect Tampa Family Vacation

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