If you’re taking a vacation to the Florida Keys and plan on just spending one day in Key West, then I’ve got you covered.

In this one day itinerary you’ll visit some of the best beaches in the state, rich historic sites, vibrant downtown areas, and more! All without spending a fortune.

Florida isn’t always the most budget-friendly place to visit, but there are tons of cheap Florida vacation destinations, and Key West can be one of them. If you plan it right.

We only spent one day in Key West while on a road trip around the state that started in Orlando.

It may not seem like a lot of time, but if you know everything you want to do you can easily hit all the main attractions in a day.

In this itinerary, I share with you all the best things to do in Key West (that are all free or inexpensive) which can be done in a single day. As well as some budget friendly accommodations and the best restaurants to check out!

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Budget-Friendly Hotels in Key West 

A trip to Key West doesn’t have to be expensive. Here’s some of the top hotels in Key West that won’t cost you an arm and a leg:

• Westwinds Inn (Located in charming Old Town Key West offering uniquely decorated rooms, two outdoor pools, tropical gardens, and continental breakfast. Walking distance to the beach)
• Duval House (Caribbean-style guesthouse located in the heart of Duval Street. Offers gardens, a pool, and a continental breakfast featuring Belgian Waffles)
• Seashell Motel and International Hostel (No frills accommodation with a 24-hour shared kitchen and bike rentals. Within walking distance to Higgs Beach and Southernmost Point Buoy)
• Blue Marlin Hotel (Offers microwave, fridge, heated pool, and free breakfast. Conveniently located close to Southernmost Point Buoy and Key West Butterfly Conservatory)
• Pegasus International Hotel (Centrally located Art Deco-style hotel. Offers microwaves and refrigerators, a year-round heated pool, and sun terrace)

Don’t forget your rental car if you’re flying into Key West! Browse some budget-friendly options below.

Best Places to Eat in Key West

Key West has a ton of great food options.

We tend to make our own food out of the car when we go on trips, but since we had a rental car, we had to eat out for most of our meals. Here’s a few of my favorite places:

• Moondog Cafe & Eatery (healthy & light meals, pastries, juices)
• Date & Thyme Organic Cafe (smoothies, acai bowls, light meals, vegan options)
• Fritas Cuban Burgers (burgers, tacos, sandwiches, vegetarian options)
• Kaya Island Eats (island-inspired cuisine, burgers, salads, vegan options)

Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park 

The place I recommend stopping by first on your day in Key West, is Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park.

Not only is this park home to a Civil War-era fort that you can explore, but it has one of the most beautiful beaches in the Florida Keys. 

The park does charge an entrance fee of $6 per vehicle, but this is the only attraction that costs in this itinerary and it’s completely worth it.

Exploring the Fort

If you’re interested in history, you will definitely love a trip to this park. You can participate in a narrated tour of the fort which run daily at 11AM, or you’re free to explore as you please. 

My partner and I enjoyed walking around on our own, viewing the fort’s red-brick corridors, each of the rooms, and viewing the large collection of Civil-War era cannons.

You can even climb to the top where you get a beautiful view of the ocean.

Swimming & Snorkeling in Key West

However, the beach is really what we came to the park for. The soft white sand is like powder, and the water is the most beautiful shade of teal.

This beach is very comparable to the beaches you’ll find on the Gulf Coast of Florida. But I actually preferred the Fort Zachary Taylor Beach over most of the beaches in the Gulf. 

This beach is also known to be a pretty decent place to snorkel in the Keys. 

To see the best underwater sights, you’ll usually need to book a guided boat tour. These trips take you far out into the ocean, where you can explore beautiful coral reefs and view an abundance of marine life.

Unfortunately, there aren’t many good places for beachfront snorkeling in the Keys.

However at Fort Zachary Taylor Beach, you can swim out just a short distance from shore to explore the rocky areas where you’ll see tons of fish hanging out. So definitely bring your snorkel gear when you visit. 

I also want to note that this park can get pretty crowded. It’s recommended to arrive as early in the morning as possible.

We got to the beach around 9 AM and had most of it to ourselves before the crowds started coming in a few hours later. 

See the Southernmost Point in the Continental US

One of the most popular attractions in Key West is by far the Southernmost Point Buoy. This concrete buoy is anchored at the corner of South St and Whitehead St. 

It marks the southernmost point and lowest latitude of the contiguous United States, located just 90 miles from Cuba.

It’s a free iconic Florida landmark that’s definitely worth seeing when you’re in Key West. However, prepare for extremely long lines just to get a picture with it. 

We weren’t interested in getting a picture next to the buoy, but seeing it was still pretty cool. It’s one of those iconic and famous attractions that you have to see just to see it when you’re there.

There’s not much more than 10 street parking spots available near the buoy and there are dozens of tourists who want a photo with it.

I would recommend arriving as early in the day as you can. Especially if you want a picture with the buoy. 

Higgs Beach & Pier

If you need another great beach to check out on your trip to Key West, you won’t want to miss Higgs Beach. 

Higgs Beach is on the southern shore of the island just a 10 minute drive from Fort Zachary Taylor Park. 

We mostly came here to see the pier since we had already just spent a couple hours at the beach, and it did not disappoint! This pier extends 400 feet out into the ocean and gives you beautiful views of the coast and water.

Best of all, the beach and pier are completely free to visit!

Key West Garden Club 

If you’re looking for an inexpensive alternative to the Key West Botanical Garden, I recommend checking out the Key West Garden Club at West Martello Tower. 

This is a smaller scale botanical garden that was created on the site of the remains of one of Key West’s coastal defense systems during the Civil War. However, this tower was actually never used or armed and instead was used for various purposes, like a radio tower before being turned into the gardens we can visit today. 

The Key West Garden Club is free to visit. And it’s conveniently located right next to Higgs Beach so you can easily visit both at the same time. 

Explore Duval Street

Duval Street is where all the action is in Key West. These few blocks are home to several unique shops, restaurants, bars, art galleries, you name it. 

We spent about an hour browsing all the interesting shops and getting souvenirs. Although you could easily spend countless hours walking the street and people watching.

Duval Street is a super lively area that you don’t want to miss on your trip. It gives off that tropical island vibe we love so much about Key West while having a vibrant nightlife scene. 

Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square

Mallory Square is not your average sunset spot. It’s more of a sunset celebration. 

Mallory Square is located in Old Town Key West and known for its nightly art festivals that begin about an hour before sunset. 

Each night locals and visitors alike flock to Mallory Square to view street performers and artists who show off their work during the sunset.

You’re likely to see musicians, fire jugglers, magicians, local artisans, and more.

Once the sun finally disappears behind the horizon, everyone breaks out in applause.

It’s a really communal feeling that makes us all feel connected to one another. It’s beautiful how all these people from different walks of life can come together each night to celebrate the gift of being alive another day.

And that will conclude my one day itinerary for Key West! From beaches, unique attractions, to historic sites, this bustling city offers a little something for everyone.

It’s definitely recommended to spend more than one day exploring the Florida Keys, but one day in Key West was all we had on our trip. So if you’re in the same boat, then I hope you got some inspiration from this post and thank you for reading!