Experience Tampa Bay, FL Sightseeing, Busch Gardens, Things to Do & Other Great Area Activities

While in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, spend time with your family and friends together to some of the best activities and adventures together. With plenty of options for entertainment, you will have a wonderful getaway to the area. Explore the variety of attractions, cruises, outdoor activities, and fun things to do Tampa Bay, Florida offers for your next vacation.

Popular Activities

Starlite Majesty Cruises

Enjoy a wonderful sightseeing cruise along Clearwater Beach with this amazing cruise liner. Board the luxurious yacht with either a 2.5 hour or 1.5 hour adventure as you are taken along the gorgeous waterways of the area to see the beautiful sights from the water and have an amazing time with friends and family. While on board, you can enjoy live music and a full service bar for handcrafted cocktails and snacks to help make your time on the Starlite Cruise spectacular.

Calypso Queen Cruises

The colorful Calypso Queen Cruises offer a variety of fun cruise options in the gorgeous waterways of the Tampa area. Choose from a fun sightseeing cruise, lunch cruise, or a dinner cruise. The boat is complete with two enclosed dining decks to enjoy your buffet meal, as well as a top open-air deck for great views of the area to sightsee. The evening dinner cruise allows you to listen to live music as you are dining on a delicious meal and viewing the beautiful shoreline.

Busch Gardens Tampa

This amazing theme park is part Zoo and part amusement park! Here, you can enjoy twelve animal exhibits to experience up-close including elephants, gorillas, cheetahs, tigers, and so much more. After seeing the breathtaking wild animals, head to enjoy fun thrill rides for the whole family. The park has a variety of rides for everyone including fun family rides and a variety of roller coasters, Busch Gardens Tampa has it all for your next vacation! The park also includes great eateries for a lovely meal and gift shops for souvenirs of your next weekend getaway.

Snorkel Swim with Manatees Tour

Enjoy an outdoor adventure experience as you are taken to Crystal River to enjoy snorkeling and swimming with this friendly creatures. Manatees are an endangered species and love to move down through the Crystal River for warmth each year. All gear is included and allows you to pet, swim, and experience these fun and friendly marine animals in an unforgettable way. Other animals you may see while on the tour include turtles, fish, and more.

Tampa Bay Water Bike Tours

For a fun outdoor activity with family and friends, enjoy a rental of a water bike while in the Tampa Bay area. With this fun rental, you can explore the sparkling waters of the area as you try one of these unique rides. The bikes are on two stable floatation devices as you peddle the bikes, it paddles through the water for a great one-of-a-kind adventure. No experience is necessary for these fun bikes while out in the Tampa Bay waters.

ZooTampa at Lowry Park

See tons of spectacular wild animals from all over the world at ZooTampa at Lowry Park. The zoo offers a variety of animals to see including stingrays, tigers, alligators, primates, rhinos, a manatee viewing center, and so much more. The park also includes a fun animal themed rides for kids as well as a Australia-themed water park and splash pad during the hot summer months. See all the amazing animals, take a tram ride tour around the park, explore the gift shops, grab a food and drink option at the many eateries, and enjoy so much more while at ZooTampa on your next vacation to the city of Tampa.

Historical Attractions

Henry B Plant Museum

The building is now known for the Henry B Plant Museum as well as the University of Tampa. Before it become these two well-known locations, it was built in 1891 by Henry Plant as a resort along his railroad. The Henry B Plant museum focuses on exhibits featuring tourism of the Gilded Age, lifestyle of past guests at the hotel, and the use of the building during the Spanish-American War.

Ybor City

The historic Ybor City district located just northeast of downtown Tampa was originally founded in the 1880s by cigar manufacturers. The area was populated by immigrants from Cuba, Italy, and Spain and for over 50 years the area served as cigar factory plants where millions of cigars were rolled. The area is now filled with small businesses, boutiques, eclectic retail stores, and diverse restaurants to take a nice stroll exploring at one of the best historic places in the area.

Tampa Bay History Center

This history museum displays a variety of exhibits on three floors. The museum features interactive exhibits and displays of the history of the Tampa Bay area including the first native inhabitants to the area, historical figures of the area, Spanish conquistadors, pirates, and so much more. Learn about the historic district of Ybor City, see artifacts from hundreds of years ago, and learn how the Tampa, Florida grew to where it is today at this amazing History Center.

The Arts in Tampa

• Tampa Museum of Art
• Florida Museum of Photographic Arts
• Michael Murphy Gallery
• USF Contemporary Art Museum

Experience Nature

• Tampa Riverwalk
• Hillsborough River
• Florida Botanical Gardens
• Lettuce Lake Regional Park
• Courtney Campbell Trail

Restaurants in Tampa

• Ulele
• Seasons 52
• Sweet Tomatoes
• Columbia Restaurant
• Eddie V’s Prime Seafood
• Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse