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St. Augustine Day Trip Guide: Best Things to Do, Eat & See in America's Oldest City
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items About two hours from Orlando and Kissimmee, St. Augustine packs 450 years of history, a walkable old town, and a gorgeous coastline into the perfect Florida day trip. Here's our local route — the fort, the food, and the spots tourists miss.
Map
The 350-year-old Spanish fort is the heart of the city — go early (opens 9am) before the tour buses, and time your visit for a cannon-firing demo on weekends. Kids under 15 are free; adults are good for 7 consecutive days on one ticket.
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
The pedestrian-only spine of the old city — street performers, centuries-old buildings, fudge shops and the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. Walk it early or at dusk; midday in summer it's packed shoulder to shoulder.
St. George Street - Historic District
Climb the 219 steps — the view over the inlet and Anastasia Island is the best in town, and the keeper's-house museum is genuinely well done. Bonus: it's one of America's most famously haunted lighthouses if you're into ghost lore.
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum
Henry Flagler's former Ponce de Leon Hotel is the most beautiful building in Florida — take the student-led tour to see the Tiffany stained glass dining hall and gold-leafed rotunda. Tours sell out on weekends; book online ahead.
Flagler College
Housed in the old Alcazar Hotel across from Flagler College — Gilded Age treasures displayed in what was once the world's largest indoor swimming pool. The Cafe Alcazar, in the deep end of that pool, is a sneaky-good lunch stop.
Lightner Museum
Yes it's touristy, yes you drink the sulfur water — do it anyway. The peacocks, cannon demos and the view over the Matanzas from the observation tower make it a fun couple of hours, especially with kids.
Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
Best move for a day trip: park once at their lot, then hop on and off all day — 22 stops cover everything on this list and you skip the old town parking nightmare entirely. The drivers' running commentary is half the fun.
Old Town Trolley Tours St Augustine
The famous 1905 Salad tossed tableside and a pitcher of sangria in a gorgeous Spanish courtyard — the St. Augustine outpost of Florida's oldest restaurant family is the classic old-town lunch. Get on the waitlist before you start shopping St. George ...
Columbia Restaurant
Southern-farmhouse cooking with serious local-sourcing cred — the fried green tomato bruschetta and shrimp & grits are worth planning the day around. Small dining room, so go at off-hours or expect a wait.
The Floridian Restaurant
Speakeasy vibes right on St. George Street — gastropub plates, craft cocktails and live music most nights. It's our pick for dinner before the drive home; the duck-fat fries alone justify the stop.
Prohibition Kitchen
Free tour of a working distillery in the city's 1907 ice plant, ending with a guided tasting of their bourbon, gin and rum — one of the best free things to do in town (21+ for the pours, but kids can tour). The gift-shop cocktail mixers make great so...
Saint Augustine Distillery
Four miles of unspoiled beach and dunes just over the Bridge of Lions — $8 per car gets your whole crew a beach afternoon after a morning of history. Rent a kayak or paddleboard in the salt run if the ocean's choppy.
Anastasia State Park
Open since 1893 and home to every living crocodilian species — time your visit for a feeding show, and do the zip line over the gator lagoon if you're brave. In spring the wild bird rookery is a photographer's dream.
St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park
A family-run chocolate factory doing tasting tours since the 1960s — you sample straight off the line, and the shells filled with sea-salt caramel are the take-home move. Great rainy-hour backup plan downtown.
Whetstone Chocolates Store and Tasting Tour
We keep a pair of these in the trunk for every coastal day trip — they strap on like backpacks for the walk over the Anastasia dunes and sit low enough for proper wave-watching. Cup holders included, priorities intact.
TOBTOS Low Profile Folding Beach Chairs (2 Pack)