There are some critically enjoyable day journeys from Orlando. Orlando, Florida is without doubt one of the prime trip locations on this planet, because of a sunny local weather and Walt Disney World and Common Studios. However there are a lot of epic points of interest in and round Orlando, Florida past simply fireworks and curler coasters.
I’ve lived in Orlando for 25 years and have traveled all throughout the state. I do know that, in the event you’re going to spend all that point on the street, there had higher be a worthwhile vacation spot on the finish! So, that will help you plan that good tour from city, I put collectively this checklist of the very best Orlando day journeys.
Earlier than you dive in, you’ll want to bookmark my submit on the finest issues to do in Orlando for extra Nice Orlando space actions, and my information to the finest locations to remain in your go to.
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15 Greatest Orlando Day Journeys
Kennedy Area Heart
📍 Distance from Orlando: 1 hour | Google Maps | Kennedy Space Center Website | 👉 Kennedy Area Heart Day Journey with Transport from Orlando
Situated on Florida’s east coast, Kennedy Area Heart has been NASA’s essential launch website for human house journey because the Sixties. Whereas a lot of the facility continues to be useful to at the present time, there may be additionally a Customer Complicated the place friends can be taught extra in regards to the historical past of house journey.
Displays embrace the US Astronaut Corridor of Fame and the Area Shuttle Atlantis. You may even meet with an actual astronaut to listen to a first-hand account of what it’s wish to be in house. Positively a singular “solely in Florida expertise“!
👉 Native Tip: Obtain the Kennedy Area Heart Official Information app for straightforward entry to the map, eating places, and extra sensible info.
St. Augustine
📍 Distance from Orlando: 1 hour and 45 minutes | Google Maps | Visit St. Augustine Website | 👉 E-book a Ticket for the St Augustine Hop On Hop Off Trolley
Chances are you’ll bear in mind from faculty that St. Augustine is the oldest European metropolis in America. Many have visited this historic city searching for the fountain of youth. Whereas the fountain has by no means truly been discovered, at present you may nonetheless go to the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.
It opened within the early 1900s as a vacationer rip-off, claiming that one in every of its wells was the fountain. After all, it’s not, however later investigations did reveal that the situation was the location of the unique Spanish St. Augustine settlement in 1565.
Another prime points of interest in St. Augustine are the oldest picket schoolhouse, the Castillo de San Marcos, the Pirate and Treasure Museum, and the Bridge of Lions. However my favourite exercise is zip-lining over hungry crocodiles at St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park.
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Tarpon Springs
📍 Distance from Orlando: 2.5 hours | Google Maps
This charming metropolis is without doubt one of the lesser-known day journeys from Orlando on this checklist, as Tarpon Springs is commonly overshadowed by the extra well-liked Clearwater to the south. Tarpon Springs is situated on the Gulf of Mexico and is named the “sponge capital of the world.” The realm was initially settled by Greek immigrants and the downtown middle is on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations.
You need to go to the well-known Sponge Docks and seize some recent seafood by the water. For these searching for a little bit journey, catch a ship out scuba diving or deep-sea fishing. Don’t fear land-lovers, there are many actions for individuals who don’t need to get moist.
I like to recommend stopping by Spongeorama, which homes a museum and reward store. However most significantly, you’ll want to get pleasure from some scrumptious baklava cheesecake from Hellas Bakery earlier than heading dwelling!
Daytona Seaside
📍 Distance from Orlando: 1.5 hours | Google Maps | Daytona Beach Website |👉 Dolphin and Manatee Paddleboard Tour in Daytona Seaside
You may instantly consider spring breakers whenever you hear Daytona Seaside, however this Florida seaside city has a lot extra to supply. NASCAR followers will get pleasure from visiting Daytona Worldwide Speedway.
There are various races all year long, together with the well-known Daytona 500. On the speedway, you may take excursions to study NASCAR and racing. To get in on the motion, join a racing expertise and really feel the fun of circling the monitor for your self.
Along with sand and race automobiles, Daytona Seaside can be full of nature trails and waterways to discover. I’ve had nice luck seeing wildlife, together with manatees and dolphins, whereas paddleboarding on the intercoastal waterway. If you wish to maximize your probabilities of seeing them your self, you may go along with a skilled information on this dolphin and manatee paddle board tour.
👉 Native tip: Locals additionally love to go to New Smyrna Seaside, a quiet seaside city about 20 minutes south of Daytona Seaside.
Blue Spring State Park
📍 Distance from Orlando: 1 hour | Google Maps | Blue Spring State Park Website
Blue Spring State Park may give you two very totally different experiences in summer season and winter. In summer season, take a dip and funky off within the crystal clear water. 72-degree water is flowing from the spring year-round and guests like to snorkel, scuba dive, or let the present float them down the river.
The water closes to friends from November to March as a result of endangered manatees transfer in to benefit from the heat water. These mild giants pose no risk to people, however the park doesn’t permit folks within the water for the animals’ security. Don’t fear, you may nonetheless get an excellent view of the manatees from the 0.3-mile board that runs alongside the river!
👉 Native tip: Arrive early in the course of the summer season and on weekends as a result of Blue Spring State Park shortly reaches capability. It’s undoubtedly one of the vital well-liked issues to do in Central Florida!
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
📍 Distance from Orlando: 1.5 hours | Google Maps | Weeki Wachee Website
Weeki Wachee began as an previous Florida roadside attraction in 1947. It’s now a part of the state park system, however the identical attract stays. That is the one place in Florida to see stay mermaids swimming underwater! 😉
Whereas the mermaid performers are essentially the most well-known a part of the park, you too can take a riverboat cruise, study native wildlife, kayak the waterways, and swim within the springs on the Buccaneer Bay water park.
👉 Learn Subsequent: The 33 Greatest Issues to Do in Orlando (By a Native!)
Fort Lauderdale
📍 Distance from Orlando: 3 hours | Google Maps | Fort Lauderdale Website | 👉 E-book a Florida Everglades Airboat Journey
Fort Lauderdale is an extended drive from Orlando, however there may be lots of enjoyable Fort Lauderdale actions and this colourful and cultural metropolis is price including to your checklist of day journeys from Orlando.
Generally known as the “Venice of America,” Fort Lauderdale has a whole lot of miles of canals and lovely waterfront properties. Benefit from the solar and sand on the native seashores, take a stroll alongside the seven-mile strand, or take an airboat journey by means of the Everglades. You’re in for some scrumptious meals when you’re there!
Fort Lauderdale additionally gives loads of Caribbean and Latin eating places to select from. I personally like to move to Fort Lauderdale in April for the Tortuga Music Pageant. This weekend music competition hosts nation artists and a portion of the proceeds go to Rock the Ocean Basis, supporting ocean conservation efforts.
Be aware that, whereas Fort Lauderdale can be executed as a day journey, it’s actually extra totally loved as a weekend journey to south Florida. Fortunately, there are many distinctive locations to remain at. I particularly recommend try the beachside B Ocean Resort.
📚 Associated Studying: Spending extra time in Fort Lauderdale? You should definitely try our day journeys from Fort Lauderdale article for extra exercise concepts!
Mount Dora
📍 Distance from Orlando: 40 minutes | Google Maps | Mount Dora Website
Mount Dora is one in every of Florida’s quaint small cities and the proper location for an Orlando day journey. When you arrive, you gained’t imagine that you’re lower than one hour from theme parks, massive resorts, and bustling downtown Orlando.
Mount Dora’s downtown space could be very walkable and you may spend a full day wandering by means of retailers and eating places. I all the time cease at The Salted Fry for a sandwich and Belgian-style Frites. In case you’d like to show your day journey right into a staycation, we advocate the historic Lakeside Inn, a Victorian landmark on Lake Dora.
👉 Native Tip: Try the event calendar earlier than you go. Mount Dora hosts festivals, markets, and festivals each month!
Gainesville
📍 Distance from Orlando: 1 hour and 45 minutes | Google Maps | Gainesville Website
This present day journey from Orlando is finest identified for being the house of the College of Florida and “The Swamp.” The faculty campus is a good location for artwork and structure lovers. You will notice ivy-covered gothic buildings, summary sculptures, and faculty spirit in every single place. My favourite time to go to the campus is for a night soccer sport underneath the lights at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Additionally on campus is the Florida Museum of Pure Historical past and Butterfly Rainforest. The museum has one of many largest zoological specimen collections on this planet. Off-campus, Gainesville has a creative and hippie downtown scene. Try the 1.5 miles of strolling paths on the beautiful Kanapaha Botanical Backyard.
Homosassa
📍 Distance from Orlando: 1.5 hours | Google Maps
You may’t go to Homosassa with out listening to about its most well-known resident, Lu the hippo! When the state park system took over the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, they determined to solely exhibit native wildlife for schooling. The residents didn’t need to lose their beloved hippo, in order that they petitioned for Lu to develop into a resident of Homosassa and made him “native” to Florida.
Along with the wildlife park, the coastal central Florida day journey of Homosassa is stuffed with springs and waterways the place you may spend your day tip paddling alongside and cooling off within the water. Among the springs in Homosassa put out saltwater, so you may see a mixture of saltwater and freshwater wildlife, together with manatees and sharks!
👉 Native Tip: Crystal River is without doubt one of the finest places to swim with manatees in Florida. Since it is just 20 minutes north of Homosassa, you may hit each places throughout a single day journey from Orlando. Simply you’ll want to be accountable and provides these beautiful creatures their house!
Tampa Bay
📍 Distance from Orlando: 1.5 hours | Google Maps | Visit Tampa Bay Website |👉 Get Reductions With a Tampa Bay CityPASS
The Tampa Bay Space has a little bit little bit of all the things – massive metropolis life, vacationer locations, and nature actions. It’s dwelling to a well-known Florida theme park, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Simply throughout the bay from downtown Tampa, you will discover St Pete Seaside, voted Tripadvisor’s High Seaside of 2021.
Different well-liked points of interest in Tampa embrace the Florida Aquarium and the Exhausting Rock Lodge & On line casino. My favourite a part of Tampa is the thriving foods and drinks scene. Hip places, like Armature Works on the Hillsborough River, are always opening and bringing new flavors to the town. Additionally, you may by no means go incorrect hitting up Tampa’s most well-known brewery – Cigar Metropolis.
🍲 Can’t resolve the place to eat? Take a meals tour, just like the highly-rated Historic Ybor Metropolis Meals Tour, to attempt all of the flavors.
Clearwater Seaside
📍 Distance from Orlando: 2 hours | Google Maps | Visit Clearwater Website |👉 E-book a Clearwater Seaside Day Tour from Orlando
Yr after 12 months, Clearwater Seaside is voted among the best seashores within the U.S. You can simply take a day journey from Orlando and spend your entire day enjoyable within the white sand and watching the waves roll in. As a basic seaside city, you will discover surf retailers and seafood eating places aplenty. Ensure you attempt a grouper sandwich, it’s an area favourite!
Followers of the movie Dolphin Story, particularly children, will love seeing Winter, the star of the film, at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.
Sarasota
📍 Distance from Orlando: 2 hours | Google Maps | Visit Sarasota Website |👉 E-book the Common Circus Secrets and techniques Metropolis Tour
Sarasota is without doubt one of the finest day journeys from Orlando on the west coast of Florida, and one of many issues that makes it so distinctive is its connection to the circus. This space has been the house base of Ringling Bros Circus since 1927. Because of John Ringling, Sarasota now boasts a artistic arts scene and The Ringling, housing a number of museums.
Sarasota’s most well-known seaside is Siesta Key Seaside. The seaside is busier and extra well-liked because it first topped Tripadvisor’s High Seaside checklist in 2015, however it’s nonetheless price a visit at present. After I go to, I all the time go early to ensure I discover parking after which cease at “SKOB,” Siesta Key Oyster Bar, for a scrumptious seafood lunch.
👉 Native Tip: You will get a leg up on the crowds by overnighting earlier than your seaside day on Siesta Key. Motels at Siesta Key will be costly, although, so I all the time advocate staying in Sarasota and driving to the seaside within the morning. Go right here to browse prime Sarasota resorts on Reserving.
LEGOLAND Florida
📍 Distance from Orlando: 1 hour and 20 minutes | Google Maps | LEGOLAND Website |👉 LEGOLAND Florida Admission Tickets
LEGOLAND Florida is situated a little bit over an hour outdoors of Orlando in Winter Haven, Florida. This resort at present gives a lodge, a number of theme parks, and a waterpark. Oh, and large information: mother and father of Peppa Pig lovers can rejoice as a result of Peppa Pig is getting her personal theme park at LEGOLAND in 2022!
Admission costs are a steal in comparison with Walt Disney World, so this park is a good location for households seeking to have enjoyable in Orlando on a finances. Inside LEGOLAND park, you too can discover what stays of Florida’s first vacationer attraction – Cypress Gardens.
🛎️ Need to Keep in a Lego Lodge? E-book a themed-room at LEGOLAND Florida Resort. They provide rooms themed “journey,” “seaside,” “pirate island,” and extra. It’s undoubtedly a memorable expertise for the children!
Satan’s Den
📍 Distance from Orlando: 1.5 hours | Google Maps | Devil’s Den Website
Who would have thought that an hour and a half drive from Orlando would land you in a Mexican cenote? Nicely, it’s not fairly Mexico, however Satan’s Den does supply the chance to swim in an underground spring!
This distinctive location for swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving makes for one in every of my favourite day journeys from Orlando. Florida’s seashores could get all the eye, however Satan’s Den is a one-of-a-kind expertise that shouldn’t be missed!
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I hope this has given you loads of concepts on the place to discover in your day journey from Orlando! Oh, and for extra suggestions try my checklist of the prime issues to do in Orlando or my information on the finest locations to remain in Orlando, Florida. Have enjoyable in your Orlando day journey!
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