The best shopping malls and places to shop for cruise passengers to the Port of Miami: Bayside Market, Brickell City Center, Design District, Lincoln Road and Dadeland Mall
Most cruise passengers visiting Miami looking for shopping opportunities have heard about famous malls like Aventura, Sawgrass, Dolphin Mall, or the shops in Bal Harbor. All these malls have distinctive characteristics, but all are many miles away from the Port of Miami.
Contents
- The closest malls to Port of Miami
- Bayside Market
- Brickell City Center
- Design District
- Lincoln Road Mall
- Dadeland Mall
Shopping Malls overview
Cruise passengers must know that it is far from affordable to get to any of these shopping malls. The famous Aventura Mall is 18 miles (30km) north of the cruise port; US$30 by Uber or Lift, and around $50 on a regular taxi; over 90 minutes by bus (Route #93 at Downtown MetroBus Terminal). The equally famous Dolphin Mall is 15 miles (24km) East of the Port; between 30 and 45 minutes drive, US$25 by Uber or Lift, and around $45 on a regular taxi.
The luxurious Bal Harbor Shops are not that far from South Beach if staying overnight in the area, but it is at least a 40-minute drive from the Port of Miami; US$25 by Uber or Lift, and around $45 on a regular taxi.
The Sawgrass Mills Mallis over 35 miles away; no less than 50 minutes driving; US$55 by Uber or Lift, and around $100 on a regular taxi. The cruise visitor will need at least half-day to shop at any of these malls.
The shops and Shopping Malls close to the Port of Miami
The good news is that there are other malls closer to the Port of Miami with more affordable transportation. Like the Bayside Market, which is just around the corner from the Port of Miami. The Brickell City Center is within walking distance. The Dadeland Mall is just 15 minutes away by train.
Bayside Market, Miami
Photo © IQCruising.com
Bayside Market
The Bayside Market has been for many years the most popular among cruise visitors. It has a good number of stores and lots of booths and stalls with souvenirs of all types. Amongst the famous stores, you will find the following:
- Bath & Body Works
- Brookstone
- Claire's,
- Disney Store
- Footlocker
- Gap
- Sunglass Hut
- Victoria's Secret
The Bayside Market is equally famous for its eateries and restaurants to enjoy a meal all fresco in well-known places like Bubba Gump, Hooters, Chili's, Fat Tuesday, Five Guys or the massive Hard Rock Cafe.
Brickell City Center
However, not known by most cruise passengers, there are 3 other major shopping malls closer to the Port of Miami and with easy access - two of them recently open. The Brickell City Center is within walking distance, just south of the Miami River.
Brickell City Center, Miami
Photo © IQCruising.com
The Brickell City Center is a luxury ultra-modern mall anchored by Sacks Fifth Avenue surrounded by over 50 shops filled with beauty, home decor, jewelry, and apparel brands like:
- Acqua di Parma
- Adolfo Dominguez
- Armani
- Audemars Piguet
- Bally
- Boss
- Coach
- Cole Haan
- Lululemon
- Richard Mile
- Sephora
- Stuart Weitzman
- Ted Baker
- Tommy Bahama
- Victoria's Secret
Design District
The Design District is the most recent urban development in Miami (north of Downtown) and has already become a must. It is easy to reach on the Biscayne Trolley (FREE).
Design District, Miami
Photo © IQCruising.com
The wonderful Palm Court of the Design District and the four blocks around it are worth a visit. Here are the top shops and brands cruise passengers will stumble upon at the Design District:
- Armani
- Bulgari
- Cartier
- Dior
- Fendi
- Givenchy
- Hermes
- Hublot
- IWC
- Louis Vuitton
- Lowe
- Miu Miu
- Panerai,
- Piaget
- Prada
- Tiffany
The Lincoln Road Mall in South Beach
The Lincoln Road Mall in South Beach is a must for shopaholics. The mall takes its name from the pedestrian section of the road between Alton Road and Washington Avenue. Every single store is a shop, a restaurant, a bar, or a cafe. Famous shops include brands like::
- All Saints Spitalfields
- Banana Republic
- BCBG Max Azria
- Bebe
- Desigual
- Gap
- Guess
- J Crew
- Lacoste
- L’Occitane
- Swarovski
- Ted Baker
- Zara
The Apple store in Lincoln Road is massive and just behind the pedestrian street (on the northern side) the cruise passenger will find a large Macy’s Department Store.
How to get to the Lincoln Road Mall from the Port of Miami
By car, taxi, Uber or Lift the fastest way to get from the port to the Lincoln Road Mall is via the Port of Miami Tunel, straight into the MacArthur Causeway and up Alton Road (6.8 miles). However, the MacArthur Causeway and the main avenues in South Beach get very congested in the weekend mornings. The drive via the Venetian Causeway (4.8 miles) is a good alternative.
Depending on the route and traffic the drive will take between 15 and 30 minutes. A regular Miami yellow cab will cost around $24, Uber or Lift fares will be aournd $15.
Dadeland Mall
Little know to visitors but a must for residents, the Dadeland Mall is a massive mall with four major department stores: Sacks Fifth Avenue, Macy's, JC Penney and Nordstrom.
Dadeland Mall, Miami
Photo © IQCruising.com
In between these iconic names, and one of the best Apple stores in Miami, cruise passengers will find stores of brands such
- Abercrombie & Fitch
- Aeropostale
- American Eagle Outfitters
- Ann Taylor
- Armani
- Banana Republic
- Bebe
- Brookstone
- Coach
- Disney Store
- Gap
- Guess
- Hollister
- Kay Jewelers
- Kipling
- Lacoste
- Louis Vuitton
- Michael Kors
- Pandora
- Porsche Design
- Sephora
- Talbots
- Tommy Bahama
- Tumi
- Urban Outfitters
- Victoria's Secret
- Vince Camuto
- White House Black Market
- Zales Jewelers
How to get to Dadeland Mall from the Port of Miami
Taxi, Uber, or Lift are the fastest ways to get to the Dadeland Mall from the Port of Miami - distance is around 15 miles, 30-minutes drive. A regular Miami yellow cab will cost around $48, Uber or Lift fares will be aournd $25.
Alternatively, cruisers can get on the Trolley (free) from the Port of Miami to the Government Center Station in Downtown Miami and from here take a MetroRail south route train. Trains run every 10 minutes and take 15 minutes to the MetroRail Dadeland South station. The Dadeland Mall is a 5-minute walk from the MetroRail station.