Taking a holiday to the Sunshine State, but not familiar with things to do in Orlando besides theme parks? It doesn’t matter if you have a delicate stomach, fear of heights or you’ve simply already enjoyed your fill of theme parks in Orlando – this fabulous city abounds with other attractions and activities guaranteed to make your trip unforgettable.
Though some spots may currently be closed or offer only limited access to the general public, don’t let that deter you – there are plenty of great things to do, provided you do a little research before you go searching for adventure.
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Outdoor Activities in Orlando
1. ICONic City Tour of Orlando
The ICONic City Tour of Orlando lives up to its name: this full-day adventure around ‘The City Beautiful’ is one of the best outdoor activities in Orlando. Take a spin in an air-conditioned vehicle through downtown before circumnavigating the stunning Lake Eola – a sinkhole so pretty, it will likely redefine whatever scary mental image you probably have of sinkholes!
If Lake Eola has got you craving some time on the water, the ICONic tour provides! Check out the periphery from all angles before shifting your adventure to a boat cruise through the Chain of Lakes.
Those with a passion for fashion are bound to be satiated by the end of the day. The tour itinerary features all-too-necessary pit stops at the boutiques of Park Avenue as well as ICON Park, the eponymous entertainment park brimming with retail stores, bars, restaurants and amusements. Take the fun up a notch with a visit to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum or a spin on a 400-foot-tall ferris wheel, offering unparalleled views of the city.
This day out is ideal for anyone yearning for things to do in Orlando besides theme parks, but no trip to Florida is complete without a pinch of Disney magic – and it’s possible to experience it without paying a hefty amusement park admission fee. ICONic features a delightful deviation to Disney Springs, a little slice of paradise perched atop glorious bubbling springs. Disney Springs combines universally recognizable Disney iconography with the architectural stylings of Florida’s waterfront towns, making it an ideal destination for people of all ages and interests. Stroll along the promenade that links the four themed neighborhoods, with 99 shops, 64 dining establishments and a further 22 attractions, shows and events; you’ll enjoy a wide variety of things to see, do and buy – courtesy of the world’s most beloved mouse.
2. Revolution Adventures
Revheads, start your engines!
For adrenaline enthusiasts searching for heart-racing outdoor activities in Orlando, look no further than Revolution Adventures. With almost 15 years up their leathered sleeves in hands-on motorsports experiences, Revolution Adventures proudly lays claim to being the number one off-road adventure in Central Florida. 230 acres of land await thrill-seekers riding solo or looking for a great day out with a group of friends. Hurtle off-road in one of the many all-terrain vehicles, quad bikes, buggies and four-wheel drives.
Want to get out into the wilderness? Then hop on a Mighty Duck amphibious vehicle and practice your grizzled declaration of “Where we’re going, we don’t need roads”, because it’s about to get bumpy. (And, if you do it right, a little splashy!)
When doing outdoor activities in Orlando, safety is of the utmost importance. Revolution Adventures will provide you with goggles and helmets as needed, but don’t forget to smear on some sunscreen before you set off for the day. With so much wild land to explore, you won’t have the option to duck into some shade if the sun starts to feel a little too hot!
3. Maxflight Helicopter Services
See Orlando like you’ve never seen it before: magically illuminated from exhilarating heights. Maxflight Helicopter Services offers specialized tours of Orlando and surrounds that are ideal for any romantic getaway, family adventure or thrill-seeking Top Gun enthusiast on vacation.
What’s your pick: a tour from the skies on one of those balmy Central Florida days that feels like summer might last forever? Or a dusky ascent to watch the theme parks of the city below flick on their millions of watts of lights in a neon rainbow wave?
Whatever your preference, a spin in a helicopter above the glittering, magical city below is guaranteed to leave you feeling lost for words, satisfied, and just a little more appreciative of how stable solid ground feels once you touch back down to earth!
Animal Attractions in Orlando
4. Gatorland Orlando
Every corner of the world has their own iconic visual image. In Paris, it’s a turtle-necked woman entering an apartment with a suspiciously unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower while holding a baguette. In Bangkok, it’s the clash and clang of street food vendors tossing fragrant noodles in their woks with the calm indifference that comes with muscle memory. In Florida, it’s a giant freakin’ alligator just chilling at the bottom of someone’s backyard swimming pool.
And while all those iconic snapshots are slightly unrealistic in their own ways (who in real life could ever afford an apartment with a clear view of the Eiffel Tower?), it’s true that Florida does have its share of gators. But don’t worry, they’re less likely to be lounging around in your hotel pool than flourishing in the safe confines of Gatorland, easily one of the best animal attractions in Orlando.
If you’ve ever wanted to see Florida’s official state reptile up close (but not too close), then there’s no better place to befriend nature’s most scaly, spooky, yet inexplicably sweet creature.
Gatorland, which proudly declares itself the Alligator Capital of the World, is the perfect place to dispel your fears and make a new four-legged, fourteen-foot-long friend. Largely considered Florida’s leader in alligator safety since 1949, Gatorland does a spectacular job of dispelling myths and educating the public with an array of up-close animal experiences, live shows and even (gulp!) the option to zip-line over the top of a real-life alligator swamp.
If you’re on the hunt for unforgettable things to do in Orlando besides theme parks, Gatorland is the number one destination – not just for the thrills or for the lessons learned, but also because your visit supports the park’s rescue centre for the recovery and rehabilitation of injured scaley gators.
Get an idea of what you’re in for with Tiqets’ free virtual visit to Gatorland.
5. Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens
Enjoy a fabulous day out with the family at Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens, one of the best-value animal attractions in Orlando.
At this zoo, which ranks among the greatest in the state, visitors have the opportunity to meet hundreds of animals from all over the world and even hear their individual stories in one of the many educational sessions and keeper chats. Feed the giraffes with your bare hands and stroke the wizened skin of the majestic rhinoceros, or get among Old MacDonald’s best and brightest with a trip to the Barnyard Buddies Children’s Zoo.
At this zoo, which ranks among the greatest in the state, visitors have the opportunity to meet hundreds of animals from all over the world and even hear their individual stories in one of the many educational sessions and keeper chats. Feed the giraffes with your bare hands and stroke the wizened skin of the majestic rhinoceros, or get among Old MacDonald’s best and brightest with a trip to the Barnyard Buddies Children’s Zoo.
Cool off from a day of outdoor activities in Orlando with a frolic through the fountains and water features of the Wharton-Smith Tropical Splash Ground and, if you’re looking for a little extra entertainment, you can always take the kids to the snake exhibit and ask them to show off their parseltongue.
6. Central Florida Everglades Airboat Tour and Wildlife Park
A world away from the glitzy strip of Miami, the swanky golf resorts of Palm Beach, and the colorful theme parks of Orlando, the real Florida is waiting to be explored.
Meet some of nature’s most magnificent creatures in their natural habitat by taking a tour of the wonderful wetlands of the Everglades on an airboat. This jam-packed day of double-whammy outdoor activities in Orlando is a fabulous way to experience the satisfaction of the wind in your hair and the thrill of your outstretched fingers, just outside of striking distance from very wild, very real (and probably very hungry) gators.
Speed through the marshy swamps and wetlands with a local guide with an eagle eye for spotting gators, bobcats, snapping turtles, amphibians, raccoons, and… well… eagles. Worried you won’t get to see your personal Big Four? No worries – the double pass includes access to the Wildlife Park, where any animal you may have missed in the great outdoors is living its best life, indifferent to the crowds it attracts.
If you’re craving an up-close encounter with the reptile king himself, you’re in luck. Loop some lunch onto a sufficiently long metal pole and experience firsthand why evolution essentially perfected the formula for gators long, long, long ago.
Best Museums in Orlando
7. Kennedy Space Center
There’s a reason the Kennedy Space Center is considered the best museum in Orlando. More interactive than a museum, more inspirational than a science center, and more authentic and educational than a theme park, this is one of the most celebrated tourist attractions not only in the state of Florida, but in the entire United States of America.
Combining history, science and the excitement of experimentation and adventure, the Kennedy Space Centre has a fascinating way of making the wonders of the cosmos feel directly accessible, and puts into perspective all of our small heartaches and problems against the spectacular expanse of space and time.
Bring your imagination to life by experiencing spectacular attractions, interactive exhibits, guided tours and behind-the-scenes reels of iconic moments in history, or be transported to the far reaches of the galaxy through immersive simulators.
Don’t miss a single one of the 3D films, which provide education and entertainment in equal measure about the wonders of the universe. Lose yourself in a pleasant reverie at the wonders of space exploration and the inspirational people who made it possible to reach out into the cosmos and weave themselves into the very fabric of the sky above.
8. Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition
There are few stories as renowned – and as tragic – as that of the Titanic. When the famously “unsinkable” ship struck an iceberg and plummeted to the bottom of the icy waters, very little was salvaged.
Yet, Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition has successfully procured over 300 artifacts from the doomed vessel, as well as reconstructing parts of the ship with painstaking care. This considerable feat has proven well worth the effort by providing patrons with an unforgettable immersive journey that is charted against the chronological journey of that fateful voyage in 1912.
This unique museum in Orlando offers a self-guided, two-hour walking tour featuring the second largest piece of Titanic ever recovered, as well as replicas of the Grand Staircase, First Class Parlor Suite and more. The only thing missing is you – and perhaps a fancy necklace and a couple of paintbrushes. (Though it should be noted for the more enthusiastic historical re-enactors that this museum in Orlando has a strict “no shirt, no shoes, no pants, no service” policy.)
9. Museum of Illusions Orlando
Have you ever daydreamed about following in the footsteps of Alice through the looking glass, and tumbling into your very own topsy-turvy world of adventure? Then the Museum of Illusions is one of the best museums in Orlando to bring the fantasy to life.
The Museum of Illusions Orlando is a house of magic and madness which combines optical, physical and interactive illusions to throw off your sense of equilibrium and ignite your sense of wonder.
Shrink right down to size by perching atop a truly gargantuan chair or meander through a hallway as delightfully disproportionate as the one in the 1970s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.”
Located at ICON Park, you can pair your trip to the Museum of Illusions with a spin to the top of The Wheel at ICON Park to take in the view of the city high, high up.
Indoor Orlando Attractions
10. Chocolate Kingdom
Oxygen. Drinking water. Chocolate.
If this list reads like the top three things you personally need to stay alive, then Chocolate Kingdom should be at the top of your list of things to do in Orlando besides theme parks.
This insightful and exciting tour of a working chocolate factory will guide you gently through the process of making the world’s most beloved sweet treat – with some particularly yummy interactive elements to keep your focus sharp.
Make sure to pick up your very own cocoa beans or artisanal chocolates on your way home – after all, it’s the only way you’ll be able to reverse-engineer these sumptuous chocolates in the comfort in your own kitchen when you go home.
11. Andretti Indoor Karting & Games
Eager to experience your favourite outdoor activities in Orlando without… well… being outdoors? Summers in Florida can get a little sticky, but there are ways to get around that particular blip – usually with the help of a hairpin curve or two.
Unleash your inner speed demon at Andretti Indoor Karting & Games, where children of all ages (yes, even those who have technically been adults for years) can ride state-of-the-art electric carts or scoop up more tokens than their arms can hold at the attached arcade.
With a range of packages including time on the race track, arcade passes, zombie-themed laser tag and 7D virtual reality simulators, there’s something for everyone at this adrenaline-surging (yet climate-controlled) homage to all things fun, so if you’re scratching your head over things to do in Orlando besides theme parks, consider unleashing your inner child here today.
12. Pirates Dinner Adventure
Set sail on a buccaneering pirate party at one of Orlando’s most spectacular family-friendly live shows. Join a crew of swashbuckling pirates as they embark on a grand adventure, with spectacular stunts, cut-throat swordplay and pyrotechnics among high-flying aerial acrobatics.
Tuck into a three-course feast fit for a (pirate) king and swig your unlimited soda, as you laugh along with the bawdy and beautiful dinner show. Get there early to catch the pre-show entertainment – trust us, this is a night where every moment of the experience is worth its weight in buried treasure.
