Three days in Tampa gives you enough time to hit the major anchor experiences without rushing. The trick is grouping activities geographically — Tampa proper on one side, St. Pete/Clearwater on another, and your big theme park day as the centerpiece. Here's a day-by-day plan built around how families actually move through the city.
Day 1: Tampa Proper — Downtown and the River
Morning: Curtis Hixon and the Riverwalk (9am–12pm)
Start at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park when it's not yet hot and the splash pad is uncrowded. The park sits right on the Hillsborough River with a skyline backdrop and has a 4.7 Google rating from over 10,000 reviews — it earns that. Kids hit the interactive ground-level water jets, you drink coffee and watch boats. $0 park entry; pack a morning snack or grab something from the Riverwalk. Parking in nearby garages: $5–15 depending on duration.
Walk or stroll to Water Works Park if the kids want more splash pad time. Also free. Give this combo 1.5–2.5 hours total.
Lunch: Riverwalk (12pm–1pm)
The Tampa Riverwalk has restaurants within easy walking distance of Curtis Hixon. Budget $30–$60 for a family of 4 if eating here, or pack a picnic and spend nothing.
Afternoon: MOSI (1:30pm–5:30pm)
Museum of Science & Innovation — MOSI is the afternoon anchor. Plan on 3–5 hours. The high-wire bicycle is the signature experience, but Mission Moonbase (real spacesuits and mission hardware) and Saunders Planetarium (360-degree dome projection) are both included in general admission. Budget $70–$110 for a family of 4 with IMAX. Check mosi.org for current pricing and any Florida resident discounts.
Day 1 logistics: Parking at Curtis Hixon ($5–15), then drive to MOSI (about 10 minutes north). MOSI has its own lot. Total Day 1 spend with packed picnic: $75–$125.
Day 2: Busch Gardens — The All-Day Anchor
All Day: Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (9am–5pm)
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is your full Day 2. Gates open at 9am and you want to be there at opening. For families with younger kids, head straight to Sesame Street Safari of Fun at the front of the park — it's designed for ages 2–7 with rides, splash areas, and character meet-and-greets. For bigger kids, SheiKra (dive coaster) and the Serengeti Plain (giraffes, rhinos, actual safari experience) are the priorities.
Budget $350–$450 total for a family of 4: adult tickets run $85–$105 each, kids 3–9 are $75–$95, parking is $20, and food inside the park runs $40–$60. Buy tickets online at least 7 days in advance for 20–30% off gate price — that's a real saving of $50–$90 for a family of 4. Florida residents get year-round additional discounts.
Bring a refillable water bottle (free water at park fountains), rain poncho (Florida afternoon showers happen), and snacks to reduce food spending inside. The park's refillable cup programs are worth it for a full-day visit.
Evening: Dinner near the park or at the hotel. Skip trying to add another activity — after 6–8 hours at Busch Gardens, everyone's done.
Day 2 total: $350–$450 all-in. This is the big spend day.
Day 3: Adventure + Nature — St. Pete Side
Morning: Empower Adventures Tampa Bay (9am–12pm)
Empower Adventures Tampa Bay is Tampa's 5.0-rated outdoor adventure experience — 6,500+ reviews, 5.0 stars. This is a zip line and aerial course in a real cypress forest. Kids clip in and fly through the canopy on elevated trails with zip lines, sky bridges, and platforms. $150–$220 for 2 adults + 2 participants. Children must meet age and weight minimums. Reservations required; this fills up, especially on weekends. Closed Tuesdays. Budget 2–3 hours.
If your kids are on the younger side (under 6 or not meeting minimums), swap this for HorsePower for Kids & Animal Sanctuary — $50–$80 for a family of 4, 4.8 Google rating from 1,600+ reviews. Kids get hands-on with horses, ponies, goats, and farm animals. Go in the morning before the Florida heat peaks.
Lunch: Pack it or grab it (12pm–1pm)
Bring a cooler or find a spot near St. Pete. Ballast Point Park is free, on Tampa Bay, and has a fishing pier if kids want to decompress outdoors after the morning activity.
Afternoon: Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center + St. Pete Pier (1pm–4:30pm)
Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center is a working marine science center on St. Pete's waterfront. Kids touch live horseshoe crabs and stingrays in open touch tanks — not a premium upsell, just the standard experience. $30–$50 for a family of 4. Plan 1.5–2.5 hours.
The St. Pete Pier is a 10-minute walk and completely free. It extends into Tampa Bay with restaurants, bay views, and open space to walk and decompress. Pair these two — paid marine science center, then free pier — without moving the car.
Optional Late Afternoon: iSmash Tampa (4:30pm–6pm)
If you have energy and your kids are 8+, iSmash Tampa is the perfect last activity — a rage room experience where kids gear up in full protective gear (helmet, face shield, coveralls, gloves) and smash electronics, glass, and objects with baseball bats. 5.0 Google rating from 1,400+ reviews. $80–$120 for 4 participants. Reservations required — book this before the trip, not the day-of.
Day 3 total: Empower Adventures ($150–$220) + Tampa Bay Watch ($30–$50) + iSmash ($80–$120) = $260–$390. Or go the kid-friendly nature route: HorsePower ($50–$80) + Tampa Bay Watch ($30–$50) + St. Pete Pier (free) = $80–$130.
Practical Logistics
Getting around: Tampa is a driving city. Ride-sharing works for downtown, but Busch Gardens, Empower Adventures, and HorsePower all require a car. Rent one if you're flying in.
Parking: Downtown Tampa garages run $5–15. Busch Gardens parking is $20. Most suburban attractions have free parking lots.
Timing: Tampa gets hot fast. Morning start times (9am) are not optional in summer — outdoor activities before noon are dramatically more comfortable. Florida afternoon thunderstorms happen regularly in summer; keep afternoons flexible.
What to book in advance: - Busch Gardens tickets — 7+ days out for 20–30% discount - Empower Adventures — reservations required, fills up on weekends - iSmash Tampa — reservations strongly recommended - HorsePower for Kids — check hours and current booking requirements
Eating on the trip: Pack coolers for outdoor days (Ballast Point, Curtis Hixon) to avoid $60+ restaurant lunches. Keep snacks in the car. Tampa has good options for dinner — Ybor City is walkable and kid-friendly in the early evening.
3-Day Cost Summary
| Day | Activities | Estimated Total | |-----|-----------|----------------| | Day 1 | MOSI + free parks | $80–$130 | | Day 2 | Busch Gardens | $350–$450 | | Day 3 | Empower + Tampa Bay Watch + iSmash | $260–$390 | | 3-Day Total | | $690–$970 |
Budget version (swap Empower + iSmash for HorsePower + free Pier + free parks): $480–$610 for 3 days.
Bottom Line
Three days in Tampa works well if you anchor Day 2 with Busch Gardens, save the best rated-experiences (Empower Adventures, iSmash) for Day 3, and keep Day 1 lighter with MOSI and free parks. Book the three reservation-required activities before you arrive, and you'll spend the trip enjoying Tampa instead of refreshing sold-out pages on your phone.