Attractions · International Drive
Aquatica Orlando
SeaWorld-affiliated water park with slides, pools, kids' areas, cabanas and a dolphin tour upgrade.
Family-friendly
Destination guide
Greater Orlando
Theme parks, chain-of-lakes neighborhoods, freshwater springs and a growing food scene.
Introduction
Greater Orlando is more than its theme parks. Downtown's Lake Eola, the brick streets of Winter Park, the Vietnamese restaurants of Mills 50, spring-fed state parks to the north and old Florida in Kissimmee and Sanford all sit within an hour's drive. This guide covers Orlando and the nearby cities visitors actually spend time in, with every listing checked against official sources.
Things to do
Explore Greater Orlando by category
- Theme Parks & Attractions (19)
- Restaurants & Dining (46)
- Parks & Nature (23)
- Outdoor Adventures (13)
- Hotels & Accommodations (12)
- Shopping (7)
- Entertainment & Nightlife (22)
- Museums & Culture (10)
- Family & Kids (17)
- Free Things to Do (6)
- Tours & Experiences (7)
- Transportation (5)
- Sports & Recreation (12)
- Visitor Services (3)
Attractions
Theme Parks & Attractions
Theme parks, water parks and headline attractions.
Attractions · International Drive
Crayola Experience Orlando
Indoor, family-oriented Crayola attraction with hands-on activities such as naming your own crayon.
Family-friendlyAttractions · International Drive
Discovery Cove
SeaWorld-affiliated park with a dolphin swim, a reef and a lazy river, sold with limited daily availability.
Attractions · Lake Buena Vista
Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park
Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom, a theme park combining animal habitats, themed lands and shows.
Dining
Restaurants & Dining
Local restaurants, food halls, cafés and taprooms.
Dining · Around Orlando
Achilles Art Cafe
Independent coffee shop and café on South Hiawassee Road serving the Metrowest community for over eight years.
Dining · Kissimmee
Al Toque Perurrican Fusion
Peruvian restaurant on Vineland Road in Kissimmee, open Wednesday through Sunday with online ordering.
Dining · Lake Nona
Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine (Lake Nona)
Turkish restaurant in the Lake Nona area, part of a Florida group with several locations including Dr. Phillips and Winter Garden.
Dining · Altamonte Springs
Broadway Ristorante & Pizzeria (Altamonte Springs)
Italian restaurant and pizzeria in the Oak Grove Shoppes on SR 434 in Altamonte Springs, open daily until midnight.
Parks
Parks & Nature
City parks, gardens, springs and nature preserves.
Photo: LeonidasB / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Parks · Downtown Orlando
Lake Eola Park
Downtown Orlando lake park with a 0.9-mile paved loop, swan paddle boats, the Centennial Fountain and an amphitheater; open daily to nearly midnight.
Family-friendly
Photo: Miosotis Jade / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Parks · Kissimmee
Shingle Creek Regional Park
Osceola County regional park along Shingle Creek near the Everglades headwaters, with several sites for walking, biking, fishing and paddling.
Photo: DanTD / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Outdoors · Winter Garden
West Orange Trail
Paved 22-mile Orange County trail through Killarney, Oakland, Winter Garden and Apopka for cycling, skating and walking.
Parks · Around Orlando
Barnett Park
159-acre Orange County park on West Colonial Drive with a splash pad, outdoor amenities and a recreation center with a gymnasium.
Family-friendly
Outdoors
Outdoor Adventures
Trails, paddling, airboats and wildlife.
Photo: Miosotis Jade / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Parks · Kissimmee
Shingle Creek Regional Park
Osceola County regional park along Shingle Creek near the Everglades headwaters, with several sites for walking, biking, fishing and paddling.
Photo: DanTD / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Outdoors · Winter Garden
West Orange Trail
Paved 22-mile Orange County trail through Killarney, Oakland, Winter Garden and Apopka for cycling, skating and walking.
Tours · Around Orlando
Airboat Rides at Midway
One-hour airboat tours on the St. Johns River east of Orlando from a long-running dock, with a short animal encounter afterward.
Paid admissionParks · Dr. Phillips
Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake
City of Orlando lakeside park with nature trails, a fishing pier, disc golf, camping and playgrounds; seasonal hours, closed Dec. 24 and 25.
Family-friendly
Hotels
Hotels & Accommodations
Hotels, resorts, inns and campgrounds.
Hotels · International Drive
Avanti International Resort
International Drive resort hotel with an outdoor pool and splash zone, a shuttle to Universal and SeaWorld, and dogs allowed.
Hotels · International Drive
CoCo Key Hotel & Water Park Resort
Family-oriented International Drive hotel with 391 rooms, an on-site water park, arcade and scheduled theme-park shuttle.
Family-friendlyHotels · Thornton Park
Eõ Inn
Small boutique hotel in a restored 1920s building where Thornton Park meets Lake Eola, with a brewery downstairs.
Hotels · Kissimmee
ette hotel
Wellness-focused boutique hotel near Celebration with 126 rooms and suites, including suites with in-room exercise equipment.
Shopping
Shopping
Shopping districts, outlets, malls and markets.
Photo: Miosotis Jade / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Shopping · Around Orlando
The Mall at Millenia
Enclosed shopping mall on Conroy Road in west Orlando with published weekly mall hours; individual store and restaurant hours can differ.
Shopping · Lake Buena Vista
Disney Springs
Walt Disney World's shopping, dining and entertainment district with boutiques, restaurants and live entertainment.
Dining · Around Orlando
East End Market
Neighborhood market and food hall on Corrine Drive showcasing Central Florida food makers; open daily.
Nightlife · Kissimmee
Old Town
Kissimmee entertainment district on Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway with shops, food and rides.
Neighborhoods & nearby towns
Where to spend your time
- Downtown OrlandoLake Eola, Church Street, performing arts and the city's bar district.13 places →
- Mills 50Orlando's Vietnamese and pan-Asian restaurant corridor, with murals and small bars.10 places →
- Lake NonaA planned community southeast of the airport with sports, medical and public art.4 places →
- Dr. PhillipsSand Lake Road's "Restaurant Row" and quiet lakes near the parks.4 places →
- International DriveOrlando's main tourist corridor: attractions, hotels, dining and the convention center.26 places →
- Lake Buena VistaThe area next to Walt Disney World, including Disney Springs and resort hotels.6 places →
- KissimmeeOld Florida charm on Lake Tohopekaliga, vacation homes and US-192 attractions.10 places →
- CelebrationA walkable planned town with a lakeside downtown, just south of Disney property.7 places →
- Winter ParkPark Avenue shops, museums, the chain of lakes and the Scenic Boat Tour.15 places →
- Winter GardenA historic downtown on the West Orange Trail with markets and food halls.6 places →
- SanfordA historic riverfront downtown on Lake Monroe, home to the Central Florida Zoo.3 places →
- ApopkaSprings, Lake Apopka's wildlife drive and Kelly Park.4 places →
Visitor information
Practical guides
- Orlando International Airport (MCO): A Visitor's GuideHow Orlando International Airport is laid out, how to reach the terminals, and the main ways to get from the airport into the Orlando area, with links to the airport's own pages.
- Getting Around Orlando: Your Transportation OptionsAn overview of the main ways to move around Greater Orlando: rental cars and tolls, buses, commuter rail, a downtown circulator, shuttles, ride services and bikes, with links to official sources.
- Parking in Orlando: What to Know Before You DrivePractical notes on parking at the airport, downtown and at events: cashless payment, accessible parking rules, shared bikes and scooters, and where to confirm current rates.
- Orlando Weather and When to VisitGeneral notes on Central Florida's heat, humidity, thunderstorms and hurricane season, plus official sources for forecasts and alerts, to help you plan any time of year.
- Hurricane Season in Orlando: What Visitors Should KnowGeneral background on the Atlantic hurricane season and where visitors to Orlando can find official forecasts, alerts and county emergency information. Not an emergency plan.
- Emergency Resources for Visitors to OrlandoWho to call in an emergency, what 311 and 211 are for, how to get weather alerts, and links to official weather and road information for Greater Orlando.