Key West sits at the end of the 113-mile Overseas Highway, so driving there is already a small solo journey. Once there, most of what is worth seeing is a short walk apart: historic houses, a lighthouse, a garden inside a former fort and, further out, a national park that only boats and seaplanes can reach.
Last checked 2026-11-01.
Arriving by one road
The Florida Keys tourism board describes the scenic 113-mile Overseas Highway, with ocean views and 42 bridges, as one of America's most unique motor journeys, and Key West as the island at the very end of the chain (Florida Keys & Key West: Key West). That geography is what makes the place easy to do alone: a small island has a small number of places, and you can see one a day without a plan.
Houses where people lived and worked
Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum. The site states the museum is open every day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for walk-in visits. Cats live on the grounds, and some are described as descendants of Snow White, a six-toed cat Hemingway was given by a ship's captain (Hemingway Home). Wandering the garden and meeting the cats is a gentle way to spend an hour.
Audubon House & Tropical Garden. At 205 Whitehead Street, open Monday to Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., with the gallery and gift shop open until 5 p.m. The grand house was built in the 1840s by Captain John Huling Geiger, and the site says its restoration sparked Key West's restoration movement (Audubon House).
Harry S. Truman Little White House. The site lists the museum as open daily, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Truman Little White House). Tours are a simple, structured way to be around other people without having to talk.
Up the lighthouse
Key West Lighthouse & Keeper's Quarters. At 938 Whitehead Street, open Monday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with last admission at 4:30 p.m. Visitors can climb 88 steps to the top of the tower for views of the island. The adult ticket is listed at $17 ($15.50 online). The Key West Art and Historical Society, which runs it, also offers a Lighthouse Sunset Experience for small groups of up to eight people, 90 minutes, weather permitting (KWAHS: Lighthouse, Sunset Experience). The society also runs the Key West Museum of Art & History at the Custom House and the Tennessee Williams Museum (KWAHS).
Fort East Martello Museum. At 3501 S. Roosevelt Boulevard, in a restored 1860s fort, open Monday to Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with last admission at 4:30 p.m. The adult ticket is listed at $17 ($15.50 online) (KWAHS: Fort East Martello). It is a calm, indoor stop for a hot or wet afternoon.
Green and quiet places
Key West Gardens at Fort West Martello. At 1100 Atlantic Boulevard, open daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free and donations are gratefully accepted. The garden sits on the site of a former Civil War fort and is maintained by volunteers of the Key West Garden Club (Key West Garden Club). It is a free place to sit with a book, which makes it a strong first outing.
Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory. At 1316 Duval Street, where you walk among hundreds of living butterflies and colorful birds; the conservatory is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with last admission at 4:30 p.m. Paid admission lets you go through as many times as you want until 4:30 p.m. that day, and the facility is wheelchair accessible (Key West Butterfly).
Beyond the island
Dry Tortugas National Park. The National Park Service says there is no car access: visitors must travel by ferry, seaplane, private boat or permitted charter. Fort Jefferson, on Garden Key, is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Visitors must bring their own food, water and other supplies (NPS: getting there, hours, plan your visit). A day trip from Key West is a bold solo outing; follow the park's own guidance on preparing for rough seas and remote conditions.
How to start on a small island
Because the attractions here are small houses and gardens rather than large complexes, the simplest plan is one place before lunch and one after, with the middle of the day free. Each site above publishes its own hours, and they cluster between roughly 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., so an early start gives you the most flexibility. For the lighthouse, last admission is 4:30 p.m., and the Audubon House sells its last admissions at 4:15 p.m. If you want a structured group format, the Lighthouse Sunset Experience is limited to groups of up to eight, and the society says it is weather permitting.
First solo outings
- Easy: a free garden hour. Visit Key West Gardens at Fort West Martello and sit for a while.
- Middle: two houses in a day. Start at the Hemingway Home and end at the Audubon House, a few minutes apart on foot.
- Bold: Dry Tortugas. Plan the boat or seaplane trip ahead, pack your own supplies and spend a day at Fort Jefferson.
Solo Era for iPhone
Spend a week somewhere you can only reach by boat or one road
Solo Era has a travel mission at level 5: "Spend a week somewhere you can only reach by boat or one road." Key West, at the end of the Overseas Highway, is one place to try it. Free to download. A subscription is required to start missions. Prices and any free trial are shown in the app and depend on the offer and eligibility.
Where next
For more Florida, see Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville or Miami. Browse the cities hub, the solo travel guide or the guide to doing things alone in a new city.
FAQ
How do you get to Key West by road?
Along the Overseas Highway, which the Florida Keys tourism board describes as 113 miles long with 42 bridges.
Is the Key West Gardens at Fort West Martello free?
Yes. Admission is free and donations are gratefully accepted. It is open daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Christmas and New Year's Day.
Can I drive to Dry Tortugas?
No. The National Park Service says there is no car access: you travel by ferry, seaplane, private boat or permitted charter.
How many steps are there in the Key West Lighthouse?
88 steps to the top of the tower, according to the Key West Art and Historical Society.
When is the Hemingway Home open?
The site says it is open every day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for walk-in visits.
Sources (checked 2026-11-01)
- Florida Keys & Key West: Key West
- Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum
- Audubon House & Tropical Garden
- Harry S. Truman Little White House
- Key West Art and Historical Society
- KWAHS: Key West Lighthouse & Keeper's Quarters
- KWAHS: Fort East Martello Museum
- KWAHS: Lighthouse Sunset Experience
- Key West Garden Club
- Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory
- NPS Dry Tortugas: directions
- NPS Dry Tortugas: hours
- NPS Dry Tortugas: plan your visit
Details change; check the venue before you go.
Solo Era for iPhone
Try it with Solo Era
Solo Era gives you one realistic mission a week, records how nervous you felt before and after, and keeps a photo journal of what you did. An iPhone app. A subscription is required to start missions; any free trial depends on the offer and eligibility shown in the app.
