Day 1 You'll See:
- The Florida Aquarium and Dolphin Cruise
- International Plaza and Bay Street
Day 2 You’ll See:
Day 3 You’ll See:
Day 3 You’ll See:
Get ready to spend 4 fabulous days in Tampa Bay, one of Florida's most diverse cities! Your group will have the chance to see the local shopping and dining scene, spend a day riding the coasters of Busch Gardens, and exploring all the natural wonders the area has at Egmont Key!
1
The Florida Aquarium and Dolphin Cruise
Your group will see over 20,000 sea creatures, including alligators, dolphins, otters, lemurs, chameleons, stingrays, sand tiger sharks, and even cockroaches! The exhibits range from Florida’s freshwater springs to the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico, including such habitats as wetlands, beach, and coral reef. Check out the No Bone Zone invertebrate touch tank exhibit, where you can touch horseshoe crabs, or head over to the Sea Hunt or Madagascar themed areas.
Your group will also go on a 75 minute Dolphin Quest eco boat tour on the Bay Spirit II! This cruise will give you the opportunity to watch dolphins fish, feed, play, sleep, and teach their young, all from a safe respectable distance. You will find the 72-foot Catamaran right outside the outdoor Fins Bar!
International Plaza and Bay Street
With over 200 stores and 16 restaurants, we guarantee each and every member of your group will find something they like here! Spend a couple hours shopping around, with everything from clothes, shoes, accessories, and jewelry to electronics, decor, toys, and fitness apparel available. You can shop for the finest at Tiffany & Co, or perhaps just grab some new gadgets at Brookstone. You're certainly going to work up an appetite, so save plenty of time for a good dinner. Cheesecake Factory, The Capital Grille, and Frankie's Lobstah Trap all make for great group sit down dinners, but if you are in more of a hurry grab a bite from Auntie Annes, HÄAGEN-DAZS, or Starbucks!
2
Busch Gardens Tampa
Falcon's Fury Busch Gardens Credit Visit Tampa
At first, this location was a modern take on traditional German beer gardens, then over 55 years, it has grown into a 335 acre, African-themed, wildlife, and recreation mecca. In the 1960s the African theme began, with the establishment of a 29 acre Serengeti Plain featuring giraffe, zebras, and bongos. A decade later the steel corkscrew coaster Python was introduced to the park, creating the beginnings of the world-class theme park. Since then the famous Kumba, Gwazi dueling wood coaster, Cheetah Hunt’s famous triple launch coaster, and North America’s largest freestanding drop tower, the Falcon’s Fury, have been thrilling guests daily! Perhaps the most important aspect of this park is the wildlife, the whole park featuring over 12,000 different animals spanning across 250 various species. 30 of those species are threatened or endangered, making it a point as an industry to help conserve what they can through their services.
3
Egmont Key Snorkel
Once you make it over to Egmont Key you will experience 'vivid history and beauty' as you explore the white sand beaches and various nature trails. Not only is the nature scene here phenomenal, between the clear gorgeous water and the protected state park wildlife refuge land, but the history scene is spectacular too! Your group will get to see a 1800s era lighthouse, an old soldier cemetery, and perhaps the coolest of all, ruins of Fort Dade. There are 2 remaining forts from the Spanish American War, as well. The snorkeling here is so great because the water is clear, calm, shallow, and teeming with life. Underneath you will either be white sand, grass flats, or the abovementioned ruins of Fort Dade. The ruins provide shelter for some tropical fish, guaranteeing you will see some nearby!
Fort De Soto Park
While here your group will have so many options for fun! You can canoe, kayak, bike, hike, fish, visit the historic fort and museum, or perhaps just lounge around on the beach and soak in the sun. During any hike, you will see gorgeous mangroves, herons, and white ibis, as well as gorgeous shallow water all around! You HAVE to save enough time to visit the Fort De Soto Batteries, the Spanish American War era fort ruins that will enlighten your group on an integral part of local history. See the old artillery hold, firing galleys, mortar battery cannons, and so much more. In the old postal building, you will find the Quartermaster Museum, filled with photos, documents, and artifacts from the war.
4
Lowry Park Zoo
Animals, both native and exotic, endangered and rare, fill the enclosures and wow the minds of all who visit the park. See everything from the endangered Florida panther to Bornean orangutans, Indian gharials to African elephants. Enter through the zoo's main gates and travel to Primate World to see intelligent chimpanzees, funny squirrel monkeys, and the beautiful manes of the golden lion tamarins. Head to the Asian Gardens exhibit to meet clouded leopards, tapirs, and a fabulously colorful array of exotic birds before moving on to Safari Africa and the animals of the savanna. All of your favorites from the African continent plus more await you from African penguins to white rhinos, giraffes, zebras, impalas, and several species of tortoises among others. Hop from continent to continent as you explore the zoo and its many creatures.
Lowry Park Zoo credit Visit Tampa