Things to Do in Key West: Tours, Tickets & Boat Trips
Key West is a two-by-four-mile island, so the days are about the water and the evenings about Duval Street. Morning one: a reef snorkel trip to the only living coral reef in the continental US, six miles out (from $31 for a two-hour sail, $47 with breakfast and mimosas). Afternoon: the Conch Train or trolley through Old Town (from $39), the Hemingway House and its six-toed cats, and the Southernmost Point. Evening: a sunset sail with an open bar (from $64), or the free street show at Mallory Square. Day two: a mangrove kayak and dolphin-watching eco tour in the backcountry (from $64), or the big one — the Dry Tortugas catamaran to Fort Jefferson, 70 miles west (from $215, books out weeks ahead). December to April is high season with the calmest seas; summer is hot, cheap and best for snorkelling visibility.
352 tours · prices per person, book with partner
All experiences in Key West — FAQ
What are the top 10 things to do in Key West?
By traveller ratings: 1) a sunset sail, 2) reef snorkelling, 3) a mangrove kayak and dolphin eco tour, 4) the Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson, 5) the Hemingway House, 6) the Conch Train or Old Town Trolley, 7) Mallory Square’s sunset celebration, 8) Duval Street, 9) the Southernmost Point buoy and Key West Lighthouse, and 10) a jet-ski loop around the island.
How many days do you need in Key West?
Two full days: one for the reef and Old Town, one for the backcountry or the Dry Tortugas. Three days lets you do both the Dry Tortugas and a kayak trip and still have an evening free for Duval Street. Many visitors come on a day trip from Miami (4 hours each way), which only leaves time for Old Town and a sunset.
What can you do in Key West for free?
The Mallory Square sunset celebration with its street performers, the Southernmost Point buoy, Duval Street, Fort Zachary Taylor’s beach (small park fee), the Key West Cemetery’s famous epitaphs, the Mile Marker 0 sign, Smathers Beach, the chickens and roosters everywhere, watching the cruise ships leave, and the Truman Waterfront Park. The Hemingway House charges admission.
What are the best day trips from Key West?
The Dry Tortugas National Park by catamaran (2.5 hours each way, from $215 including breakfast, lunch and snorkel gear) or by seaplane, and the reef and backcountry trips that leave from the harbour. Key West is the end of the road, so the other “day trip” is the drive back up the Overseas Highway to Bahia Honda, Marathon and Key Largo.