Best Tour For...
- No car
- Kennedy Space Center or St. Augustine
- Nov to Mar
- Crystal River manatee swim
- Closest manatees
- Blue Spring kayak, 45 min
- Short and close
- Helicopter or airboat
- Evening
- Downtown ghost tour
The best Orlando tours don't happen in Orlando. They're the trips that get you to the Space Coast, the Gulf, the springs and the old Spanish city an hour or two away, plus a few short ones close to the parks.
These are the tours we list on Adventures in Orlando, grouped by what you want out of the day. Each link shows the live price, reviews and pickup details.
Day trips with transportation (no car needed)
- Kennedy Space Center from Orlando. Round-trip transportation and admission. About 11 hours. Best for space fans and families who don't want to drive the toll road or pay for parking.
- St. Augustine day trip. Pickups in Orlando, Kissimmee, Disney and Universal areas, free time in the oldest continuously inhabited European-founded city in the U.S., with options for a trolley or a bay cruise. About 10 hours.
- St. Augustine Nights of Lights. The holiday version, with a trolley ride, hot cider and cookies. The 2026 lights run November 21, 2026 to January 18, 2027.
- Clearwater Beach day trip. A Gulf beach day, with add-ons for a dolphin cruise or a speedboat. About 12 hours.
Manatee and springs tours (best November to March)
- Crystal River manatee swim. The one place in Florida you can legally swim with wild manatees. Small groups of six, wetsuits included.
- Crystal River clear kayak. See manatees through the bottom of a clear kayak without getting in the water.
- Blue Spring manatee kayak. The closest manatee tour to Orlando, about 45 minutes north, led by a Florida Master Naturalist.
- Silver Springs clear kayak. Clear kayaks on the Silver River, with manatees below and wild monkeys on the shore. About 1.5 hours from Orlando.
More on timing in where to see manatees near Orlando.
On the water near the coast
- Cocoa Beach dolphin sail. A two-hour catamaran cruise in the Banana River Lagoon. Pairs well with Kennedy Space Center.
- Daytona dolphin and manatee paddle. Two hours by paddleboard or kayak, with a lesson first.
Short tours close to the parks
- Kissimmee helicopter tour. A private 8 to 10 minute flight over Old Town, Fun Spot and Gaylord Palms. Every seat is a window seat.
- Winter Park clear kayak. Paddle the Winter Park chain of lakes and canals, 20 minutes from downtown.
- Downtown Orlando ghost tour. Two hours inside reportedly haunted buildings with real ghost-hunting gear. Good for adults and teens.
The airboat tour
Most Orlando tour lists include an airboat ride, and so does ours, through our own deal: airboat tours at Boggy Creek in Kissimmee, 10% off through us. (Full disclosure: I'm Boggy Creek's marketing manager.) It's 30 minutes from the parks, and the tours run all day.
How to choose
- One free day and no car: Kennedy Space Center or St. Augustine.
- Visiting November to March: a manatee tour. Nothing else in Florida is quite like it.
- Two hours between park days: the helicopter, an airboat or the Winter Park kayak.
- An evening: the ghost tour, or one of the Orlando dinner shows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best day tour from Orlando?
Kennedy Space Center with round-trip transportation, or a St. Augustine day trip. Both include pickups from Orlando and Kissimmee area hotels, so you don't need a car.
Can you swim with manatees near Orlando?
Yes, in Crystal River, about 1.5 to 2 hours away. It's the one place in Florida where it's legal. Season is roughly mid-November through March.
What tours are close to Disney and Universal?
The Kissimmee helicopter tour, airboat tours at Boggy Creek, the Winter Park clear kayak and the downtown Orlando ghost tour are all within about 30 minutes.
See Every Orlando Tour
Day trips, manatee tours, dolphin cruises and more, with live prices and reviews.
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