Fort Lauderdale Holidays

Known as the 'Venice of Florida', Fort Lauderdale is one of the most incredible Florida holidays for couples and families alike - 300 miles of canals, a seven-mile stretch of golden sand, and enough personality to make Miami blush for a minute.

Highlights

• The city's 300 miles of inland waterways earned it the Venice of America nickname, and you can genuinely hop on a water taxi and cruise past megayachts and millionaires' mansions as your commute to dinner.

• Families have the Museum of Discovery and Science, Flamingo Gardens, and the Everglades practically on the doorstep (airboat tours run daily).

• Couples get gondola rides on the canals, sunset sailing, and some genuinely excellent restaurants.

• The water is warm enough to swim in year-round (it barely drops below 24C even in January), and the diving scene is properly underrated. Fort Lauderdale has 76 shipwrecks off its coast and some of the only accessible coral reef on the US mainland, just 300 feet from shore at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

Good to Know

• ☀️ Weather: Fort Lauderdale is warm year-round with highs of 23-30C. The dry season runs November to April (perfect holiday weather), while June to October brings afternoon thunderstorms and hurricane season. The sea temperature rarely drops below 24C, so you can even swim in January without doing that sharp-intake-of-breath thing.

• 💰 Money: The US dollar is the currency. A meal at a mid-range restaurant runs about £12-£18 / €14-€21 per person, and a beer is around £4-£5 / €5-€6. Tipping is expected everywhere: 18-20% in restaurants, £1-£2 / €1-€2 per drink at bars. Resort fees of £25-£50 / €30-€60 nightly are common at beachfront hotels and are charged on top of your room rate, so budget for those.

• 🐢 Fun fact: Fort Lauderdale has 76 shipwrecks sitting off its coast, earning it the title Shipwreck Capital of the US. You can snorkel or dive most of them, and at Lauderdale-by-the-Sea the coral reef starts just 300 feet from the shore. It is also one of the busiest sea turtle nesting sites in the world, so if you visit between May and October you might spot a loggerhead hauling herself up the beach at night.

🏨 Fort Lauderdale Hotels

Fort Lauderdale's hotel scene leans heavily on beachfront and waterfront properties. The city's canal network means even hotels that are not directly on the sand often have water views and marina access. Two standout picks on On the Beach cover very different ends of the budget:

✨ What are the best luxury hotels in Fort Lauderdale?

The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale sits right on the oceanfront with views over the Atlantic and the Intracoastal Waterway. The spa is full-service, the pool deck has private cabanas, and Ceros restaurant does seafood with an ocean backdrop. A skywalk takes you straight to the beach without crossing any roads. This is the one if you want proper luxury without flying to the Caribbean.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What are the best family hotels in Fort Lauderdale?

Embassy Suites Deerfield Beach Resort & Spa is a two-room suite hotel sitting on over three kilometres of white sand beach in Deerfield Beach. Every room has a separate living area (a lifesaver with kiddos), and the hotel includes a cooked-to-order breakfast and a complimentary evening drinks reception. Pool, hot tub, and the beach is right there.

👉 All hotels in Fort Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale Holidays 2026/2027 - Travel Guide

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What are the best things to do on a Fort Lauderdale family holiday?

• The Everglades are right on the doorstep, and an airboat tour through the swamp is one of those holidays-within-a-holiday experiences that the kids will talk about for years (you will see alligators, probably more than you are comfortable with). Everglades Holiday Park runs daily tours and it is an easy drive from downtown.

• The Museum of Discovery and Science has an IMAX cinema and enough interactive exhibits on Florida ecology and prehistoric animals to fill a full day. Flamingo Gardens is a 60-acre wildlife sanctuary with bald eagles, Florida panthers, and alligators in a setting that recreates what Florida looked like in the 1930s before the hotels arrived.

• On the water, Bluefoot Pirate Adventures runs hour-long boat tours where the kids get face paint, costumes, and water cannon battles. It is gloriously silly and they will love it. Hugh Taylor Birch State Park is a tropical hammock park right in the middle of the city with hiking trails, kayak rentals, a playground, and a quiet beach.

💑 What are the best things to do for couples on a Fort Lauderdale holiday?

• Start with a water taxi. The all-day hop-on hop-off service cruises the Intracoastal Waterway past megayachts, waterfront mansions, and restaurants you can jump off at. It is like a sightseeing tour that also gets you to dinner.

• Las Olas Boulevard is the place for a proper evening out, with restaurants, galleries, cocktail bars, and enough boutique shopping to fill an afternoon. For something more romantic, book a gondola ride on the New River at sunset (yes, an actual gondola, this is the Venice of America after all).

• The Bonnet House Museum and Gardens is a gorgeous 1930s artists' estate with original art, tropical gardens, and a genuinely fascinating history. For a more lively evening, Riverwalk Fort Lauderdale runs along the New River past parks, restaurants, and the Broward Center for the Performing Arts.

🎉 What are the top things to do for groups on a Fort Lauderdale holiday?

• The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is literally shaped like a guitar (the building, not a room, the whole building). It has a casino floor, nightclubs, restaurants, and live music venues. Even if gambling isn't your thing, it is worth seeing just for the sheer audacity of the architecture.

• For something more active, rent bikes through the Broward BCycle app and ride the beachfront. The Fort Lauderdale strip is properly set up for cycling, and you can cover the whole beach area without breaking a sweat (a lie, it is Florida, you will sweat).

• The craft beer scene is surprisingly good. Funky Buddha Brewery is one of the biggest in the state, and Invasive Species Brewing in Flagler Village does excellent microbrews with food trucks parked outside. For a more old-school night out, Elbo Room is a cash-only dive bar right on the beach that has been pouring drinks since before most of the hotels were built.

More Destinations

If you are looking at Fort Lauderdale, you are probably weighing up a few Florida options. Here is how the neighbours compare:

• Miami is 30 minutes south and has the nightlife, the art deco, and the South Beach energy. It costs more and tries harder, but if you want a holiday with serious buzz, it delivers.

• Orlando is the theme park capital. About three and a half hours north, it is a completely different holiday, all about the parks and the kids. Fort Lauderdale actually works as a beach add-on if you have done a week in Orlando and want to decompress.