Day trips · Orlando · United States
7 best day trips from Orlando
Where to go when you want a day away from Orlando, and how long it really takes.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: The original uploader was Mwanner at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The classic day trip from Orlando is Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex (About 1 hour by car). The closest option is Blue Spring State Park, about 55 km away.
Key facts
- Day trips in this guide
- 7
- Closest
- Blue Spring State Park (55 km)
- Most popular
- Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
Day trips compared
| Destination | Distance | Travel time | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex | 80 km | About 1 hour by car | Car or organised tour | Families, First-timers, Culture |
| Cocoa Beach | 85 km | About 1 hour by car | Car | Beach, Families |
| Blue Spring State Park | 55 km | About 45 minutes by car | Car | Families, Quiet stays |
| St. Augustine | 170 km | About 2 hours by car | Car | Culture, Couples, Families |
| LEGOLAND Florida | 80 km | About 1 hour by car | Car | Families |
| Bok Tower Gardens | 90 km | About 1.25 hours by car | Car | Couples, Quiet stays, Culture |
| Busch Gardens Tampa Bay | 135 km | About 1.5 hours by car | Car | Families |
The day trips
80 km · About 1 hour by car
1.Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex
On Merritt Island, the visitor complex displays the Space Shuttle Atlantis and a Saturn V moon rocket, runs bus tours towards the launch areas and hosts astronaut talks. Launches from Cape Canaveral are frequent; check the schedule, as some can be watched from the complex or nearby beaches.
- Getting there
- Car or organised tour
- Best for
- Families, First-timers, Culture
85 km · About 1 hour by car
2.Cocoa Beach
The nearest Atlantic beach to Orlando has wide sand, the Cocoa Beach Pier and surf shops including the large Ron Jon Surf Shop. It pairs well with Kennedy Space Center on the same day.
- Getting there
- Car
- Best for
- Beach, Families
55 km · About 45 minutes by car
3.Blue Spring State Park
In winter, hundreds of West Indian manatees gather in the warm spring run at Blue Spring near Orange City and can be watched from boardwalks; outside manatee season, the spring is open for swimming and tubing.
- Getting there
- Car
- Best for
- Families, Quiet stays
170 km · About 2 hours by car
4.St. Augustine
Founded by the Spanish in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited European-founded city in the continental United States, with the Castillo de San Marcos fort, narrow St. George Street and Flagler College in a former Gilded Age hotel.
- Getting there
- Car
- Best for
- Culture, Couples, Families
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80 km · About 1 hour by car
5.LEGOLAND Florida
In Winter Haven, LEGOLAND Florida is aimed at children of roughly 2 to 12, with gentle rides, LEGO models of US cities and a water park, built on the site of the old Cypress Gardens, whose botanical garden survives inside.
- Getting there
- Car
- Best for
- Families
90 km · About 1.25 hours by car
6.Bok Tower Gardens
Near Lake Wales, a 62-metre marble and coquina 'singing tower' with a carillon rises among gardens designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. on one of the highest points in peninsular Florida.
- Getting there
- Car
- Best for
- Couples, Quiet stays, Culture
135 km · About 1.5 hours by car
7.Busch Gardens Tampa Bay
Busch Gardens combines big roller coasters such as Iron Gwazi with an Africa-themed animal park, where a safari ride passes giraffes and zebras on an open savannah.
- Getting there
- Car
- Best for
- Families
Day-trip tips
- Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
- Disney's free buses connect its hotels, parks and Disney Springs, and LYNX public buses serve International Drive, Downtown and Kissimmee, though slowly.
- The Disney monorail circles the Seven Seas Lagoon and runs to EPCOT, SunRail commuter trains link Downtown with Winter Park and Kissimmee, and Brightline runs from Orlando International Airport to South Florida.
- For trips over about 165 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best day trip from Orlando?
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. On Merritt Island, the visitor complex displays the Space Shuttle Atlantis and a Saturn V moon rocket, runs bus tours towards the launch areas and hosts astronaut talks.
+How long does it take to get from Orlando to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex?
About 1 hour by car — Car or organised tour, about 80 km.
+How long does it take to get from Orlando to Cocoa Beach?
About 1 hour by car — Car, about 85 km.