Florida is the perfect family road trip destination and a great family vacation idea with relaxation , art and culture , plus family-friendly activities ! We have road tripped the state 4 times and can’t wait to share with you all about the beautiful beaches , theme parks , natural wonders and historic sites .
The state is huge and has so much to offer from white sandy beaches to Disney World to Universal Studios to natural springs . Our Ultimate Florida Road Trip will take you from one end of the state down to island hopping in the Florida Keys and back up to the Florida panhandle.
High level List Of Top Activities To Do
Orlando CityPass
The Fury Ultimate Water Adventure
Little Havana Tour
Visit the Dry Tortugas
Have you thought about renting an RV for your trip? We highly recommend it!
*Be sure to check out our FREE Ultimate Florida Road Trip With Your Family eBook below!
The Ultimate Florida Road Trip Map
St. Augustine
There are so many things to do in St Augustine Florida , it’s an amazing way to start your ultimate Florida road trip. We recommend 2 nights, but really you could stay a week. If you are staying 2 days visit:
St. Augustine Alligator Farm
You can spend hours here exploring all the different alligators, feeding them, and watching the shows. Plus for only $5 you can take your picture with a baby alligator!
Fountain of Youth
It seemed like such a tourist trap to us, but really there is more to it than just the fountain. The grounds are beautiful and filled with multiple history lessons – including the Timucuan Village and seeing them fire a cannon! The road to get to the Fountain of Youth is also amazing with a canopy of old oaks covering the street. Needless to say it is worth it to go.
St. George Street
You can end your day by visiting St. George Street. It is filled with restaurants and one of our favorite stops: Hyppo for homemade popsicles! They even had a champagne flavored one.
And yes, those are our dogs. St. Augustine is super dog friendly!
We also recommend checking out Historic Tours of America , they offer great packages and other ideas of things to do in the area. The trolley was an amazing way to get around town and really learn a lot about St. Augustine. It also meant we didn’t have to drive and find parking everywhere we went.
Or you could check out this trolley tour that takes you to three of St. Augustine’s museums: The Old Jail, St. Augustine History Museum and The Oldest Store Museum!
For even more history, consider visiting the Castillo de San Marcos Monument, booking the Old Jail Tour, or visiting the Oldest Store Museum!
Check out more fun activities in St. Augustine! Where to Stay:
RV Park:
Compass RV Resort offers another good location in St. Augustine with only a 15-20 minute drive to get downtown. This campground also has two dog parks!
Another option is Ocean Grove RV Resort that is about 7 miles from the historic district. This campground includes a boat launch, restaurant, golf cart rental, and more!
If you want to rent an RV check out our post on How To Rent An RV and How To Plan An RV Trip .
Hotel: Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront
We did not stay in a hotel when we were there but given where this hotel is located we think it would be a great place to stay. If you stay here you could walk to a lot of the downtown attractions or easily get on the trolley.
Orlando
You can’t come to Florida and not go to Orlando. Plan on at least 3 days for all of these things to do in Orlando, Florida :
Magic Kingdom
Visit Magic Kingdom for 1 day. We have done it multiple times and really feel you can see the majority of the park in 1 day. Here is a post we wrote about our tips for visiting in 1 day here: 11 Tips For Visiting Magic Kingdom In 1 Day
Here are some tips from Global Munchkins: Disney World Tips & Tricks and also The Best Disney Family Shirts for your trip!
Plan on heading to Animal Kingdom? Our friends at We3Travel share what the best ride is in Animal Kingdom and all of Disney!
Universal Studios
We had put off going to Universal Studios until our kids were a little older. When our youngest turned 6 we figured it was a good time to go! We had an absolute blast and loved every minute of it. There was plenty to do with younger kids and the older ones could go on almost all of the rides.
We also had a great time going to Volcano Bay and highly recommend if you are going to Universal plan a day at Volcano Bay!
Ideally we would recommend 3 days to explore Universal. 1 day for each park and 1 day for Volcano Bay. There are 2 parks in Universal – Universal Studios VS Islands of Adventure we recommend visiting both and have done both in one day if you are short on time. Great tips from Global Munchkins on visiting Universal: The Best Universal Orlando Tips From A Pro Have teens? Merlot Mommy shares: The Best Rides for Teens at Universal Orlando Resort
Visiting during Halloween? Be sure to check out The Ultimate Guide to Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights
Tubing
Go tubing at Kelly Rock Springs and visit Downtown Disney. This has been one of our favorite things. The water is crystal clear and with all the beautiful greenery and perfect water it is a can’t miss destination!
You start from the top of the spring on an inner tube and float all the way down to the beach. AMAZING!
You can learn more about it in our post: Tubing By Orlando The Best Non Disney Experience and for more springs check out: Best Springs In Florida
Legoland
If your kids are 12 or younger we recommend also making a stop at LEGOLAND Florida for a day. The size of the park is so much easier to manage then Disney World and in a day you can pretty much do every ride and see the shows.
City Pass
If you are interested in visiting Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando or LEGOLAND Florida, you may want to consider using the Orlando CityPass ! CityPass will allow you to order tickets to any of these locations on one convenient website and give you a great discounted price!
Escape Game
If you haven’t checked out the Escape Game yet, you are missing out! At Escape Game Orlando you can test your teamwork and sleuthing skills by trying to escape from one of eight themed rooms with your team or family in under an hour. It is a ton of fun for the whole family and a great teamwork exercise as well!
You can check out our post about our experience at The Escape Game here!
Orlando Museum of Art
If you are looking to take in some culture or expand your horizons a bit while in Orlando, check out the Museum of Art! Take a look at the museum’s calendar of events and see if there is something exciting happening in the art gallery, or just stop in anytime and take a tour!
You could also plan a trip over to the Kennedy Space Center and maybe catch a launch, or Swim or Snorkel with the Manatees!
Get tickets here for the Kennedy Space Center!
Have older kids? Check out this post on things to do with teens in Orlando .
Where to stay:
Luxury Villa : If you are looking to kick back with a big group or want to experience a luxury vacation home check out the Luxury Villas! We stayed here for a week with friends and it was AMAZING!!
RV Park
Orlando RV Resort With our RV we always stay at the Thousand Trails Orlando. Its proximity to all of the things we listed above is great and you are a little ways away from the hustle and bustle of Orlando. If you want a more glamorous place to stay than Disney’s Fort Wilderness is for you. We spent a day there and it was pretty awesome and we know other RVers who call it their FAVORITE place to stay in the whole US.
Camp Margaritaville – For a fun vacation style RV resort stay here!
If you want to stay outside Orlando, Mill Creek RV Resort is in Kissimmee – only about 30 minutes from the Orlando theme parks. Also, all of these sites are on concrete patios!
Another option outside Orlando is in Davenport. Only 25-30 minutes from the Orlando theme parks, Mouse Mountain RV Resort offers a selection of standard and premium sites.
If you want to splurge stay at the Fort Wilderness Resort ! We haven’t stayed here but went and visited once and it was amazing.
Hotel
Embassy Suites on International Drive If you are looking for a hotel and want to give your kids a special treat then stay at the Legoland Hotel . They have gifts for your kids once they complete a scavenger hunt in your room, all the legos you want to play with in the lobby and some amazing shows.
Then of course there are all the Disney properties. To be honest we always look for ways to cut costs so we can take more trips and do more things. In that mindset we stayed at an Embassy Suites that provide breakfast was close to Disney – so that is always an option too.
Here is a great list of the Best Hotels For Families In Orlando .
If you are a waterpark family check out: Best Water Parks In Orlando.
From here you could head to our next stop Miami or make a stop in Jupiter. There are a lot of great things to do in Jupiter, Florida and it is a more under the radar location!
Miami
Welcome to Miami! Miami has a very cool vibe to it. We recommend doing the following:
Little Havana
Miami has an amazing Cuban presence and vibe to it. Head into Little Havana and grab some ice cream at Azucar and then walk down the street to see if you can hear any cuban music coming from the bar/restaurants and do a little dance in the street.
Wynwood
Next head into Wynwood and check out the amazing artwork on the sides of the building. This is an up and coming area in Miami and has an awesome vibe to it! You can also park and get out and walk around Wynwood Walls to check out the artwork and restaurants in the area.
South Beach
Go to South Beach and see what South Beach is really like! We didn’t get a chance to get out of our car due to how busy it was. But it was cool to drive down A1A and take in everything South Beach has to offer.
Miami Seaquarium
We had a great time exploring the Miami Seaquarium and all the exhibits. Grab your Seaquarium tickets here ! Don’t forget to check out Miami Beach while you are there!
If wildlife is more your thing check out Tropical Botanical Garden & Everglades Wildlife Sanctuary at Flamingo Gardens
Check out our post on: 7 Things To Do with Kids in Miami
Check out these other great activities in Miami!
Where to stay:
RV Park: Miami Everglades RV Park
We stayed at the Encore RV park. We had to drive a ways to get into downtown Miami – but it was still worth it since the RV park was so nice and quiet. Plus they had a great pool, hot tub and mini golf course!
Hotel: Check out this highly rated family friendly hotel: InterContinental Miami
VRBO: Check out this Mediterranean-style cottage with private swimming pool!
Luxury Villa : If you are looking to house up to 12 guests in style with an infinity pool, fitness room and home theater, consider this Luxury Villa !
Another idea is to take a cruise when you are in Miami! The Carnival Vista looks amazing!
Florida Keys and Key West
Ever wonder the distance from Miami to Key West ? Well, it’s about 160 miles. Crazy, right?! That 3 hour drive could be a road trip in itself! Well, now you know the distance from Miami to Key West , on your Florida Keys Road Trip , check these amazing stops:
Feed the Tarpons
Stop at Robbie’s and feed the Tarpons. It is a really cool experience. For just a few bucks, you get a bucket of fish that you then feed to the large tarpon that hang out by the pier.
So fun! Just look out for the Pelicans, they’re savage!
Grab lunch at Sunset Grille
This is a cool restaurant on the water that has a pool! It is a great place to stop, eat lunch and take a swim before heading on. Make sure to check out their Key Lime Pie! Once you are done swimming walk up the stairs that go under the bridge and walk out on the famous 7 Mile Bridge.
7 Mile Bridge
You can’t avoid it on your way down to Key West, but I wanted to add it so you can be sure you have your camera ready. I love this bridge and the idea of the water surrounding you on all sides!
While you are on the way to Key West, you might want to check out Long Key State Park! Here is a video of our time there:
Key West – Fort Zachary Taylor
Explore the fort and spend time at the beach enjoying the Atlantic Ocean! The beach doesn’t have soft white sand beaches, most in the Keys don’t due to the reef but that’s OK. The color of the water and the ability to snorkel right off the beach make up for it! There is also a small restaurant here where you can grab lunch and a beer.
Key West – Mallory Square
Then head to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration. There are a variety of fun shows for the whole family. Yes, some of the comments can be a little crude (they do try really hard to make it family friendly) – but normally will go right over your kids head. We were able to drink from a coconut and enjoy some great food too.
Key West – Fury Ultimate Adventure
The Fury Ultimate Adventure is one of our favorite things we have done! Spend 6 hours on a large catamaran where they feed you all day and provide all you can drink soda plus beer and wine at the end the end of the trip. While you snorkel, parasail, jet ski and play on huge inflatables in the middle of the ocean. Such an amazing time!!
You can learn more at our post: The 4 Best Water Activities With Kids In Key West.
Key West – Dry Tortugas
If you can fit it in, take the boat tour out to the Dry Tortugas. It is an amazing and magical place. Seriously, it is an island 70 miles off of Key West with the bluest water you have ever seen and a beach filled with conch shells. And the fort offers the best photo opportunities.
Get Dramamine and be prepared for the long and bumpy boat ride.
Here is our post on it: Dry Tortugas – One For The Bucket List Or if you have enough time, plan on camping on the Dry Tortugas! We didn’t get a chance to do it but it is on our list to go back and stay for a few nights. Here is a post from a family of 5, Currently Wandering, who spent a few days on the Tortugas (lucky!): Family Camping In Dry Tortugas National Park You can check out: https://www.historictours.com/keywest/index.php for more ideas and discounted packages on things to do in Key West. We really enjoyed the aquarium and the kids loved being able to feed the sharks!
