25 easy weekend road trips from Orlando everyone should do at least once

Fernandina Beach

3 hours and 4 minutes to Orlando
A stroll along Centre Street will bring you to all sorts of eclectic shops, plus you can take a horse-drawn carriage ride and learn about the history of the Old Florida architecture on display. For some nice outdoor dining in charming quarters, head to Leddy’s Porch Bistro at the Florida House Inn, serving up Southern comfort food with vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Crystal River

3 hours from Orlando
Crystal River is home to one of the best spots on Florida's coast to see and swim with manatees. It's also home to the Crystal River Wildlife Refuge, dedicated to the protection and conservation of the area's manatee populations.

New Smyrna Beach

1 hour and 6 minutes to Orlando
New Smyrna Beach maintains its small-town charm in all the local offerings along its two main streets. If you’re in the mood to browse, the New Smyrna Beach Antique Mall offers a collection of jewelry, art and lightly used furniture. After shopping, plenty of Italian and seafood-focused eateries are ready to satisfy your cravings.

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park

1 hour and 35 minutes from Orlando
Weeki Wachee is unlike any other natural site in the Sunshine State. Offering a magical mermaid show for the whole family, this state park is full of history and summer fun. Enjoy the fresh water by renting your choice of canoes, kayaks or paddle boards.

Venice

3 hours and 25 minutes to Orlando
Originally modeled to resemble Venice, Italy, Venice Avenue is as much a treat for the architectural enthusiast as it is the avid shopper. In addition to boutiques, restaurants, and assorted other stores, Venice Ave. is home to the nation’s largest community theater. Venice Beach is also known for its shark teeth and seashells galore along its Atlantic sands. If you’re looking for even bigger shark teeth, though, grab a mask and go snorkeling in Caspersen Beach.

Devil’s Den

2 hours from Orlando
This Instagram-worthy North Central Florida spring gets its name from the steam that was seen radiating from the cave when it was first discovered. Now you can swim, scuba dive or snorkel in this prehistoric water.

St. Augustine

1 hour and 45 minutes to Orlando
Steeped in history and hauntings, St. Augustine has plenty to do for visitors of all ages. Shop down George Street, visit the Fountain of Youth and Castillo de San Marcos, or hop on an evening ghost tour for some true thrills.

Flagler Beach

1 hour and 19 minutes to Orlando
Flagler Beach is famous for its six miles of uninterrupted beaches. After exploring the beach and the nearby parks, visit the Central Avenue shops that sell locally made clothes and pottery. The Flagler Beach Municipal Pier is a popular spot for fishing, and there’s a great deal of green space like the Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park, 150 acres of scenic trails leading to a monument of Florida’s history with sugar plantations on the east side. The farmers market is every Saturday, and there you can find locally produced food, clothing, crafts and more.

Dunedin

2 hours and 40 minutes to Orlando
Main Street is the cosmopolitan shopping and dining roadway in Dunedin, host to a miscellany of interesting storefronts. Visitors can stop for a drink at Dunedin Brewery, the oldest microbrewery in Florida; or purchase mystical oddities or curios at Enchanted Earth, the official witch shoppe of Dunedin; or get a sweet at Strachan’s Ice Cream and Desserts, which is renowned for the award-winning carrot cake and homemade waffle cones.

Ormond Beach

1 hour and 8 minutes to Orlando
This tiny Volusia County beach town is just about an hour northeast of Orlando, located on Florida's east coast. Walking along Granada boulevard, you can find Ormond Beach’s local boutiques, along with ice cream and coffee shops, and City Hall, which hosts a monthly farmers market. During the day, you can explore the Granada Plaza Shopping Center or pop onto Romano Beachfront Park to catch some rays.

Sarasota

3 hours and 5 minutes to Orlando
This Gulf Coast city is just about three hours from the City Beautiful and it’s so charming, you may never want to leave. Sink your toes into its powdery sand, and you’ll definitely start making plans to return. Clown around at the perfect-for-all-ages Ringling Circus Museum or spend a Saturday morning downtown at the Sarasota Farmers Market for locally roasted coffee, treats and a stroll.

Sanibel Island

4 hours and 33 minutes to Orlando
Enjoy a bike ride or a comfortable stroll under covered walkways that trace in and out between neotropical foliage, on the city’s main thoroughfare for shopping and dining. Along the way, stop by Periwinkle Place, a 41,240-square-foot shopping experience, home to more than two dozen shops.

Mount Dora

40 minutes to Orlando
Known for its antique shops, annual arts festivals and great eats, Mount Dora sits just a 45-minute drive north of Orlando. Hop on the over-the-top sushi bandwagon with sushi burritos, sushi donuts and sushi pizza at Wave Asian Bistro, or step into the past at the Mount Dora History Museum, housed in a 1923 fire station downtown. And don't miss out on the thrifting day of a lifetime at Renninger's Vintage Antique Center or the Village Antique Mall.

Ocala

1 hour and 25 minutes from Orlando
Ocala may not be the shiniest town in Florida, but if you look closely, there are plenty of hidden gens. Zip the Canyons takes its bravest guests flying over natural springs as (they say) Florida's only true canopy zip tour. There's also the Ocala Drive In, plenty of nature trails and natural parks to explore, too.

Dinosaur World

1 hour and 13 minutes from Orlando
Tampa Bay's own prehistoric playground is the perfect place to wander around hundreds of life-sized dinosaurs in natural settings. The attraction offers a dino-themed play area, a massive interactive boneyard and a museum featuring a collection of animatronic beasts.

Silver Springs State Park

1 hour and 45 minutes from Orlando
Take a step into true Florida nature with Silver Springs State Park's iconic glass-bottom boat rides. The immersive rides have been a staple attraction of the park since the 1800s, when the tourism boom first started. They also may just be the perfect opportunity to spot the rogue monkey population that calls the park home today.

Butterfly World

3 hours from Orlando
Florida is known for many things, but you might be surprised to learn it's home to the largest butterfly park in the world. The tropical oasis-like zoo is filled with more than 20,000 exotic butterflies and insects all in one place.

Whimzeyland

2 hours and 13 mintues from Orlando
What started as an eclectic collection of art and knickknacks turned into one of Florida's most recognizable local landmarks. The totally decked-out "Bowling Ball House" called Whimzeyland is covered with recycled materials, art projects and, yeah, bowling balls.

Dalí Museum

2 hours and 9 minutes from Orlando
A massive collection of works by surrealist artist Salvador Dalí lives right here in Florida at the Dalí Museum. Stroll through the iconic works, from melting clocks to the large-scale masterwork "Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea." The museum rotates through temporary exhibitions on top of the permanent ones, plus it offers the Dalí Cafe for a quick bite in between all the artistic contemplation.

Solomon’s Castle

2 hours and 45 minutes
Tucked away in the Florida woods is one man's dream: a giant medieval castle made of metal. The structure is filled with galleries and artworks by its late builder, Howard Solomon, plus the Boat-in-the-Moat restaurant open Tuesday through Sunday.