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24 hours in Fort Lauderdale: a one-day itinerary near the beach
Photo: Marriott's BeachPlace Towers 07 by Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
If you are wondering what to do in Fort Lauderdale in 24 hours, here is one of our favorite ways to spend a day when you stay at Turtle Nest Bungalow. It mixes good coffee, time at your own pool, an outdoor adventure, waterfront food, Las Olas shopping and chocolate.
The best part: you can do all of it without spending your vacation in traffic. The nest is central, so the beach, Las Olas Boulevard, the Intracoastal, downtown and the restaurants are all close. For a slower version of the same idea, see our one-day itinerary; for longer trips, how many days to spend in Fort Lauderdale.
The day at a glance
Coffee and breakfast at Press & Grind Café, a slow afternoon at the pool, an EZ Raider tour, waterfront food at Marina Village, then an evening on Las Olas: Gemspire, and chocolate and ice cream from Kilwins.
Morning: Press & Grind Café
Press & Grind Café at the Harbor Shops (1300 SE 17th Street) is a good place to start with coffee and breakfast. Its menu mixes single-origin specialty coffee, organic smoothies, fresh-pressed juices, açaí bowls, sandwiches and salads. It is open every day (7 am to 6 pm as of September 2026), so it works for early risers and slow starters alike.
Grab a coffee, a smoothie, an açaí bowl or a breakfast sandwich, then head back to the house. Local tip: don't over-plan the morning. You're on vacation. More options are in our breakfast and brunch guide.
Afternoon: your own pool
After breakfast, go back to Turtle Nest Bungalow and do something that is surprisingly hard on a busy vacation: nothing.
One of the biggest advantages of a private vacation home over a hotel is your own space to relax. At the nest that means a private heated pool, full sun for lounging and shade for cooling off, poolside loungers, the fire pit and a private backyard. Take a swim. Read a book. Have another coffee. Put on some music. Let the kids play in the pool. You don't have to fill every minute.
When you're ready for some adventure, it's time to head out.
An EZ Raider tour
For something completely different, book an EZ Raider Fort Lauderdale tour. EZ Raiders are quiet, electric, ATV-style vehicles, and the guided tours take you through downtown, along the New River and the Riverwalk, and down Las Olas. Choose the 60-minute ride or the 90-minute tour, which adds a run along the beach. Tours start at 220 Nugent Avenue; book ahead.
Along the way you'll see yachts on the New River, downtown, the Intracoastal, Las Olas and the beach. It is a great pick for couples, families and friends who would rather be outside than see the city from a car. The Riverwalk and Stranahan House guide has the history behind the sights.
Lunch at Marina Village
After the ride, head to Marina Village at Bahia Mar for waterfront food and a little more scenery. Its open-air food hall, The Promenade, lines the Intracoastal with kiosks that run from sushi and tacos to Detroit-style pizza and lobster rolls.
And this is where my New England bias comes in. I'm a girl from New England, so I'm picky about lobster rolls, and my choice here is Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls (849 Seabreeze Boulevard). Mason's does the chilled Classic roll with mayo and lemon butter and the warm Connecticut roll tossed in butter, plus lobster bisque and New England clam chowder. For a New England girl in South Florida, it is a pretty great way to get my lobster fix with a view of the water.
Grab your food, find a spot overlooking the marina, watch the boats come and go and take your time. If lobster isn't your thing, the other kiosks cover sushi, tacos, pizza, gelato and casual favorites. And if you're ready for a drink, The Shorely is right there: a 500-person ferry turned into a waterfront lounge with several bars.
Evening: Las Olas Boulevard
After lunch, head to Las Olas Boulevard, and slow the day down again. Las Olas is one of the best places in Fort Lauderdale to wander without a plan: boutiques, galleries, specialty shops, restaurants, bars and cafés. You don't need a shopping list. Just walk, and save room for dessert. Our Las Olas Boulevard guide maps the whole street.
Gemspire
Gemspire (815 East Las Olas Boulevard) is a crystal and gemstone store that can turn into an unexpected vacation memory: crystals, gemstones, jewelry, candles, gifts and unusual statement pieces. It is a fun stop if you want something different from the usual souvenir shop.
Kilwins
Kilwins is almost impossible to walk past, and the smell reaches you before the door does. Kilwins has made chocolates and confections since 1947, when Don and Katy Kilwin opened a small bakery in Petoskey, Michigan. It is known for hand-crafted chocolates, its original-recipe ice cream, fudge, caramel apples, caramel corn, brittle and fresh waffle cones, and many stores make fudge on site in copper kettles on marble tables. So yes: get the chocolate. Get the fudge. Get the ice cream. You're on vacation.
Why the nest makes this day easy
This itinerary works because of location. You are not spending the day driving from one side of Fort Lauderdale to the other: coffee, home, an adventure, the waterfront, Las Olas, chocolate, and back to the nest. After your evening on Las Olas, come home to the backyard, take another swim, sit by the fire pit, or just relax. That's the part of the vacation we don't want you to forget.
Book direct
Turtle Nest Bungalow gives you a private home base for the beach, the Intracoastal, Las Olas, restaurants, nightlife and the water, with your own heated pool and backyard instead of a shared resort pool. Book directly on our website to skip the third-party platform fees.