SportsQuest
All games

Week 14, Sun, Dec 13, 1:00 PM local

Chicago Bearsat Miami Dolphins

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens. Fly into MIA.

Build the quest

Kickoff slot

Early

Lots open before breakfast.

Lots open

9:00 AM

Local time on game day.

Where to stay

In the city

Tailgate from 9:00 AM, then the game.

The matchup

Form, ESPN's model and the stat leaders
Form

The Bears are 2-1 after 3 games, 3rd in the NFC North.

They are 1-0 on the road.

The Dolphins are 0-3 after 3 games, 4th in the AFC East.

They have lost 3 in a row.

They are 0-1 at home.

What we know about Hard Rock Stadium

Where visiting fans stay

Checked at the source
  • Aventura. free stadium shuttle from Brightline Aventura station. The best base if you have no car, and almost nobody books it. Aventura is the Brightline station tied to the stadium shuttle. A free shuttle leaves Aventura station 10 minutes after each Hard Rock Stadium Connect train arrives. It runs back after the game from the south side of the stadium, near NW 199th by the Gate 3 pedestrian bridge. Stay here and skip rideshare surge pricing. Skip the 25-minute walk to a pickup lot too. You also get a hotel and mall district with real restaurants.
  • Downtown Miami / Brickett-Brickell. Brightline MiamiCentral to Aventura, then free stadium shuttle. Pick this if the trip is about Miami, not just the game. MiamiCentral is the Brightline terminus, in downtown Miami. You board the Hard Rock Stadium Connect train right there and take the free shuttle at the other end. You also get Metrorail and the free Metromover for the rest of the weekend.
  • Fort Lauderdale. Brightline Fort Lauderdale to Aventura, then free stadium shuttle. This is closer to Miami Gardens than South Beach is. It costs less than Miami in season and has its own beach. It sits on the same Brightline line, with the same free stadium shuttle at Aventura. Good value if you want sea and football, not Miami nightlife.

Around the stadium

From a specialist guide
There is no walkable cluster near the stadium. Hard Rock Stadium sits in Miami Gardens, about 15 miles from downtown Miami. The area is mostly residential, with a few strip malls on NW 27th Avenue for fast food. The nearest hotel is the Stadium Hotel, 1.1 miles away. The next closest is 2.3 miles away. There is no bar street, no pub, nothing to do on foot before or after the game. Staying right by the stadium is not an option.

Getting in from the airport

From a specialist guide
Miami International (MIA) is 25 minutes from Miami Gardens by car; Fort Lauderdale (FLL) about 30.

Getting to the stadium

Checked at the source
Brightline Hard Rock Stadium Connect train, plus free shuttle from Aventura. The shuttle drops you at the stadium. For the return, board on the south side, near NW 199th by the Gate 3 pedestrian bridge.

Tailgating

Checked at the source
Tailgating is tied to your parking space, and you need a car to do it. You can occupy only one space per vehicle, and must tailgate directly behind it, in the marked 8 by 10 foot area. Gas and charcoal grills are allowed. Open fires, kegs, and box trucks are not. There's no free public tailgate green here, unlike Atlanta's Home Depot Backyard.

Getting in

Checked at the source
  • Bag policy: Clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags are allowed up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches. A one-gallon clear freezer bag is fine too. Small non-clear bags or fanny packs are allowed up to 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Diaper bags are allowed, subject to search. Food for medical or dietary needs is allowed in a clear plastic bag. You can check oversized bags near gates 3, 5, 8, and 14, by credit card only. The venue's own pages list different fees, $12 to $20 on one page, $15.00 or $20.00 on another.
  • Re-entry: Re-entry is not allowed. The venue has a blanket no-re-entry policy, and it names NFL games specifically. There is no ambiguity for a Dolphins Sunday.
  • Prohibited items: Umbrellas are banned outright, for line-of-sight reasons. Strollers are banned, except on the Suite Level. Also banned: professional cameras with telephoto or zoom lenses, video cameras, tripods, monopods, and selfie sticks, seat cushions, glass bottles, cans, and coolers, and outside food, except medical or dietary needs in a clear bag. Sealed water bottles 20 oz or less are allowed.

Touring the stadium

Checked at the source
Hard Rock Stadium runs no public tours. Both the tours page and the A-Z guide say so, and offer only a notify-me form.

After the final whistle

Checked at the source
Plan your exit before the game. If you take Brightline, leave the stadium at least an hour before your train. That is the stadium's own advice. Board on the south side, near NW 199th by the Gate 3 pedestrian bridge. If you take rideshare, add a 25-minute walk to Lot 44 on top of the wait. Route 297's return service is not confirmed for a 2026 Sunday game. Do not count on it to get back.

One thing to avoid

From a specialist guide
The biggest, most common mistake: booking Miami Beach or South Beach because it says Miami Dolphins. Hard Rock Stadium is nowhere near the beach. It sits roughly 15 miles from downtown Miami, farther still from the sand, in suburban Miami Gardens. No rail link runs from the beach at all. A South Beach base means an expensive rideshare each way through causeway traffic on a Sunday. The area around the stadium is residential, with almost no visitor amenities.

Bars near the stadium

Checked at the source

  • Fountain Plaza Tailgate

    Hard Rock Stadium south plaza, 347 Don Shula Dr, Miami Gardens, FL 33056

    There's no bar district around Hard Rock Stadium, so the Dolphins built one. The south plaza is a 270,000 square foot pre-game village, opened ahead of the 2022 home opener.

    Away fans: the crowd is mixed. It's a ticketed space, so away colors are normal.

  • Grails

    2800 N Miami Ave, Miami, FL 33127 (Wynwood)

    By most measures, this is the strongest Dolphins bar in South Florida. It won Dolphins Bar of the Year 2024 in the club's own network, and Miami New Times named it Best Sports Bar in 2020, 2022, and 2025.

    Away fans: welcoming to away fans. Shows every NFL game, 75+ screens, no cover.

  • Bokamper's Sports Bar & Grill

    3115 NE 32nd Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308

    Kim Bokamper opened this bar in 2008. He played linebacker and defensive end for the Dolphins.

    Away fans: welcoming to away fans. An all-sports room.

Sidequests in Miami Gardens

In the order they happen. Each one earns points.

  1. Outing40 points

    Frost Science aquarium and planetarium

    Downtown science museum on Biscayne Bay with a three-level aquarium and a planetarium. Open 10 am to 6 pm. Fills a Saturday morning if you're staying downtown with family.

    $$. The day before

  2. Eat65 points

    Cubano at Sanguich de Miami

    Little Havana sandwich counter, a Michelin Bib Gourmand pick every year since 2022. The Cubano comes loaded with ham, lechon, Swiss, house pickles and mustard. Open daily 10 am to 6 pm.

    $. The day before

  3. Landmark65 points

    Domino Park on Calle Ocho

    Maximo Gomez Park, where Little Havana regulars play dominoes at fixed tables under a mural. Open 9 am to 6 pm daily. Watch from the perimeter benches; the tables are members only.

    Free. The day before

  4. Photo25 points

    Wynwood Walls murals

    Outdoor street-art museum with large painted walls, open daily 10:30 am to 6:30 pm. Pay at the Welcome Center; kids 5 and under free. Ten-minute walk from Grails.

    $$. The day before

  5. Drink25 points

    Grails in Wynwood

    Sports bar in the official Dolphins Bar Network, showing every NFL regular-season game with no cover. 75 TVs mean your team is on somewhere. Opens 11 am Sunday in Wynwood.

    $$. The day before

  6. Eat65 points

    Stone crabs at Joe's

    Miami Beach seafood house open since 1913. Stone crab season runs October to May, covering most of the NFL calendar. Walk-ins wait hours, but the Take Away counter skips the line.

    $$$. 19 hours before kickoff

  7. Eat65 points

    Little Havana the night before

    Calle Ocho, a cafecito at a ventanita, a proper Cuban dinner. Nowhere near the stadium, which is the point.

    $$. 18 hours before kickoff

  8. Drink25 points

    Ball & Chain the night before

    Restored 1930s nightclub on Calle Ocho with live salsa and jazz nightly. Open courtyard, Pineapple Stage, lunch and tapas too. Open until 3 am Friday and Saturday.

    $$. 18 hours before kickoff

  9. Eat65 points

    Cafecito at the Versailles ventanita

    Cuban spot on Calle Ocho since 1971, with a walk-up coffee window and bakery. Opens 8 am weekdays, 9 am Sunday. Good stop for a game-morning coffee and pastelito.

    $. 5 hours before kickoff

  10. Drink25 points

    Center Bar at Calder Casino

    No bar district by the stadium, so head to the Center Bar inside Calder Casino, 0.7 miles north on NW 27th Ave. Open 24 hours Saturday and Sunday for a pregame drink.

    $$. 4 hours before kickoff

  11. Tailgate65 points

    Dolphins Fan Zone on the south plaza

    Free pregame zone on the stadium's south side, open four hours before kickoff. Stage, Nutrl Zone bar, skills games, food vendors and a shaded water station. Gates open two hours before kickoff.

    Free. 4 hours before kickoff

  12. Ritual25 points

    Brightline to Aventura

    The only sane route in from the beach or downtown. Brightline to Aventura, then the stadium shuttle.

    $$. 2 hours 30 minutes before kickoff

  13. Ritual25 points

    Metrorail plus Route 297 shuttle

    Metrobus Route 297 runs from Earlington Heights Metrorail station straight to the stadium on game days. First bus arrives two hours before kickoff, then every 15 minutes after.

    $. 2 hours 30 minutes before kickoff

  14. Landmark65 points

    Marino, Shula and Robbie statues

    Three bronzes stand outside the stadium. Dan Marino near the 199th Street fountains, Don Shula's 1972 perfect-season statue at Gate E, and Joe Robbie at Alumni Plaza near Gate C.

    Free. 2 hours before kickoff

Seats and views

Where each part of Hard Rock Stadium sits, and what you see from it.

100 Level, end zone, covered100 Level, corner, home side, covered100 Level, home sideline, covered100 Level, corner, home side, covered100 Level, end zone, covered100 Level, corner, visitor side, covered100 Level, visitor sideline, covered100 Level, corner, visitor side, coveredEmpower Club and Suite Level, end zoneEmpower Club and Suite Level, corner, home sideEmpower Club and Suite Level, home sidelineEmpower Club and Suite Level, corner, home sideEmpower Club and Suite Level, end zoneEmpower Club and Suite Level, corner, visitor sideEmpower Club and Suite Level, visitor sidelineEmpower Club and Suite Level, corner, visitor side300 Level, end zone, covered300 Level, corner, home side, covered300 Level, home sideline, covered300 Level, corner, home side, covered300 Level, end zone, covered300 Level, corner, visitor side, covered300 Level, visitor sideline, covered300 Level, corner, visitor side, coveredHomeVisitors
100 Level101 to 154Empower Club and Suite Level201 to 256300 Level301 to 356CoveredTap any part of the stadium to see its view.