Key West is the perfect destination for a family vacation. Its warm climate, stunning family-friendly beaches, and numerous places to stay make it the best island to visit with family. From snorkeling to kayaking and exploring the local attractions, there are plenty of exciting things to do on this island. Here are ten must-do activities that will make your trip to Key West an unforgettable family fun experience. These activities are near where to stay in Key West with family for convenience and comfort on your vacation.
Our recommendations for the ten must-do activities in Key West are based on a detailed research and review of the top-rated, reasonably priced, family-friendly tours and excursions. These activities are popular among families visiting Key West and will provide unforgettable family fun.
10 Half-Day Snorkeling Excursion
Families can enjoy an afternoon of swimming and snorkeling at the Great Florida Reef, the third largest in the world and US's only living coral reef. The Excursion tour involves boarding the 69 feet catamaran Marquesa with plenty of deck space to enjoy the sun, refreshing sea breeze, and exciting adventure. The tour provides snorkeling equipment and instructions, while the shallow waters offer an opportunity to see more than 600 species of colored fish, parrot fish, angelfish, porcupine fish, turtles, and lobsters.
- Tour: Half-Day Snorkeling Excursion
- Duration: 3 Hours
- Cost: From $45.95
9 Take a Key West Walking Tour
Visitors can take a guided tour of Key West from Duval Street to see the area's major attractions. There will be a brief stopover at the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, where the guide will explain more about attracting butterflies. They will take pictures at the southernmost point, walk to the Ernest Hemmingway Home and Museum, and photograph the Key West Lighthouse. The group will pass by Duval Street, Key West Aquarium, Mallory Square, Audubon House & Tropical Gardens, and Harry S. Truman Little White House.
- Tour: Key West Walking Tour
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Cost: From $137.50
8 Take a Trip To The Dry Tortugas National Park
Tortugas National Park is 100 square miles of the park on the western side of Key West, home to the excellent Fort Jefferson, rich marine life, turquoise blue waters, and magnificent coral reefs. Visitors can take a family-friendly 10-hour catamaran cruise in a high-speed vessel from Key West, a full-day adventure to the national park. The trip begins with a 45-minute tour of the fort, then walking around the beach collecting shells, swimming, and snorkeling to see sea turtles. Visitors will enjoy a buffet lunch on the boat, along the shore, and a refreshing trip back to Key West.
- Tour: Trip To The Dry Tortugas National Park
- Duration: 10 Hours
- Cost: From $200
7 Visit Mel Fisher Maritime Museum
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum is a dedication to the renowned treasure hunter Mel Fisher with more than 100,000 artifacts dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. Visitors can get admission tickets to the museum to learn about shipwrecks and the real Pirates of the Caribbean and see exhibits of gold, silver, and Spanish jewelry rescued from slave ships cruising the Florida waters. The museum has a display of the Key West African cemetery that showcases the Transatlantic slave trade and the role of Key West in it.
- Tour: Mel Fisher Maritime Museum Visit
- Duration: 1-2 Hours
- Cost: From $17.50
6 Key West Dolphin Watching Cruise
Key West waters are a playing ground for bottlenose dolphins, playful and friendly dolphins with dark grey backsides and light grey bellies. Families can have fun by cruising on a catamaran off Key West's coast to enjoy the views of dolphins feeding and swimming alongside the boat. They can disembark and snorkel on shallow waters at the Key West National Wildlife Refuge and have unlimited soft drinks on board while enjoying the beautiful scenery.
- Tour: Key West Dolphin Watching Cruise
- Duration: 3 Hours
- Cost: From $82.46
5 Visit Key West Aquarium
Key West Aquarium is located at the famous Mallory Square, one of the top attractions for all ages. Families can get admission tickets to the aquarium to learn about Key West's rich marine life. Kids can have the time of their lives at the touch tank and see conchs, sea stars, sea cucumbers, and slate pencil sea urchins. Visitors can see and interact with sharks, sea turtles, and Jellyfish.
- Tour: Key West Aquarium Visit
- Duration: 1-3 Hours
- Cost: From $22.56
4 Take A Walking Tour Of Key West Historic Homes
Key West's old town has many historic homes families can visit for unforgettable fun. Visitors can take a guided small group tour to these homes to learn about history from an experienced guide. The trip starts at Mel Fisher Maritime Museum with brief stops at the Audobon House & Treasure Garden, the Old custom house harboring the Key West Museum of Art & History, Truman Annex Park and Harry S. Truman Little Lighthouse. Other stops include Casa Antigua, 620 Easton Street, and Captain George Carey House.
- Tour: Walking Tour Of Key West Historic Homes
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Cost: From $49
3 Ride The Conch Train
Riding the conch train is one of the most exciting must-do activities in Key West. It offers an opportunity for visitors to experience the best of Key West, including the city's most iconic attractions. The tour train is a part of history and a tribute to Henry Flaglers engineering miracle. It passes by the Key West Aquarium, the southernmost point, the Key West Shipwreck Museum, Sails to Rails Museum at Flagler's station, and stops at Mallory Square.
- Tour: Conch Train Ride
- Duration: 1 Hour 30 minutes
- Cost: From $39.98
2 Key West Ghost And Mysteries Guided Tour
Key West is home to many ghost stories and hauntings, and taking a guided tour of these places is the best way to experience the town's spooky side. The 90-minute walking tour begins in front of Potter Mansion, and participants follow the guide to Rose Lane and stop at Casa Antigua to learn ghost stories of Ernst Hemmingway's first Key West residence. The group then moves up to the Artist's house, where the creepy Robert the doll lived, and to Bahama Street, the site of the oldest graveyard. The guide will teach participants to use dowsing rods to attract spirits and capture them on camera.
- Tour: Key West Ghost and Mysteries Guided Tour
- Duration: 1 Hour,30 minutes
- Cost: From $32.26
1 Tour Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum
The Key West Shipwreck Museum takes its visitors on a journey to 1859 when daring wreckers earned fortunes from the dangerous business. The museum has actors, films, and original artifacts, the remains of Issac Allerton, one of the wealthiest shipwrecks in the history of Key West that sank in 1865 in the Great Florida Coral Reef. Visitors can get admission tickets to see the salvaged sunken treasures from historic ships lost at sea, including the 64-pound silver bar, and climb the 65 feet observatory tower used to spot wrecks of Spanish galleins and cargo ships.
- Tour: Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum Tour
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Cost: From $18.26