Ft Lauderdale travel guide

About Ft Lauderdale

Fort Lauderdale is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, 30 miles (48 km) north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the seat of government of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth-most populous city in Florida. After Miami and Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale is the third-most populous city in the Miami metro area, which had a population of 6,166,488 in 2019.

Cheap flights to Ft Lauderdale

The lowest round-trip fare found by Destina Holidays travellers in the last 30 days was $726 from Dublin, travelling 7 Nov – 14 Nov. These are the cheapest fares from the most searched cities.

• LON London to Ft Lauderdale12 Feb – 22 Feb · FLL from$739
• DUB Dublin to Ft Lauderdale7 Nov – 14 Nov · FLL from$726
• CPH Copenhagen to Ft Lauderdale4 Nov – 11 Nov · FLL from$818
• MAN Manchester to Ft Lauderdale10 Nov – 17 Nov · FLL from$1,042
• HEL Helsinki to Ft Lauderdale22 Nov – 29 Nov · FLL from$1,274
• EDI Edinburgh to Ft Lauderdale1 Feb – 18 Feb · FLL from$1,203
• PRG Prague to Ft Lauderdale25 Jun – 12 Jul · FLL from$1,211
• BHX Birmingham to Ft Lauderdale19 Nov – 26 Nov · FLL from$1,090

Cheapest month to fly

Airlines travellers compared most often: Finnair, Aer Lingus, United Airlines.

Prices are per adult in US dollars, taken from searches between 20 Sep and 20 Oct 2026. Fares change often, so search your dates for live prices.

Places to visit in Ft Lauderdale

1. Fort Lauderdale Beach

   Beach

   A long stretch of sand along A1A with a beachfront promenade, cafes and hotels, popular for swimming, sunbathing and watching cruise ships from Port Everglades.

2. 

   Las Olas Boulevard

   Neighborhood · 1 mi from centre

   The city's main shopping and dining street, lined with boutiques, galleries and restaurants, running from downtown toward the beach past canal-side homes and the Isles neighborhoods.

3. 

   Bonnet House Museum and Gardens

   Historic · 2 mi from centre

   A historic estate near the beach with an artist-designed home, subtropical gardens and resident monkeys, giving visitors a sense of old Florida amid the high-rises.

4. 

   Hugh Taylor Birch State Park

   Park · 2 mi from centre

   A green oasis between the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway with walking and biking paths, a freshwater lagoon, kayak rentals and beach access across the road.

5. Riverwalk

   Park

   A landscaped promenade along the New River downtown that links parks, museums and restaurants, with views of passing yachts and water taxis stopping along the route.

6. 

   Museum of Discovery and Science

   Museum

   A hands-on science museum downtown with exhibits on the Everglades, aviation and space, live animals, and a large-format theater, making it a good choice with kids.

7. NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale

   Museum

   A downtown museum with modern and contemporary art, Latin American works and notable holdings from the CoBrA art movement, close to Las Olas Boulevard. Allow an hour or two.

Best time to visit Ft Lauderdale

Based on recent weather records, the most comfortable time to visit Ft Lauderdale is April, when average daytime highs are around 83°F and rain falls on about 6 days a month.

Average daily low and high temperatures and days with at least 1 mm of rain, from recent weather records. Highlighted months are the most comfortable for sightseeing.

Ft Lauderdale weather forecast

• Wed 21 Oct 79° 68° 9%
• Thu 22 Oct 81° 73° 23%
• Fri 23 Oct 83° 76° 53%
• Sat 24 Oct 80° 75° 76%
• Sun 25 Oct 82° 77° 74%
• Mon 26 Oct 80° 78° 45%

Know before you go

Currency

United States dollar (USD)

Language

English

Calling code

+1

Driving

On the right

Time zone

America/New_YorkUTC−4

Capital

Washington, D.C.

Upcoming public holidays in United States

• Wed 11 NovVeterans Day
• Thu 26 NovThanksgiving Day
• Fri 25 DecChristmas Day
• Fri 1 JanNew Year's Day
• Mon 18 JanMartin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Mon 15 FebPresidents DayWashington's Birthday

Banks, offices and some attractions may close on public holidays, and flights and hotels often fill up early around them.

Getting to Ft Lauderdale

These are the airports closest to central Ft Lauderdale. Compare fares into each one, as a slightly longer transfer can sometimes mean a much cheaper flight.

• FLL Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood4 mi (7 km) from the city centre
• FXE Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport5 mi (7 km) from the city centre
• BCT Boca Raton Airport17 mi (27 km) from the city centre

Getting around Ft Lauderdale

The east side of Fort Lauderdale, between down town and the beach, is criss crossed with canals. It doesn't matter if you are in a car, on bicycles, or on foot, you have to cross the canals where the bridges are. This is one town where a good map can save you a lot of backtracking. Surprisingly the best road map of the East side of town is the 'Dolphus Waterway Map".

By car

The easiest way to get around Fort Lauderdale and South Florida is by car. If you are renting—all the major national chains, and several local ones, can be found here—it is substantially less money to rent a car from a location outside of the airport. The city is set up on grid system and is fairly easy to navigate. Downtown is roughly two miles west of the beach. You need to consult a map when on the East side of town because the canals divide up the city and you need to find the bridges.

By taxi

Taxis are generally expensive, but available at almost any time and place.

By train

Tri-Rail, toll-free: +1-800-872-7245. Commuter train which runs north and south parallel to I-95, connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. Tri-Rail provides access to South Florida's three major airports, as well as links to Miami's Metrorail. However, since Tri-Rail trains can sometimes be thirty minutes to an hour late and has trains coming every two hours apart on the weekends so you will probably have better luck taking the city bus system.

Ft Lauderdale travel FAQ