Columbia SC to Orlando road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
The best road trip stops on the Columbia SC to Orlando drive are Hilton Head Island, Savannah GA and Jacksonville FL. The distance from Columbia SC to Orlando by car is 432 miles, with a 6h28m driving time.
Planning a Columbia SC to Orlando road trip itinerary
The Columbia SC to Orlando drive takes you from the capital of South Carolina to theme park central in Florida.
Columbia is the capital city of South Carolina. Top attractions include the South Carolina State Museum, which looks at the rich history of the state. It does so in a surprisingly fun way, with a digital planetarium and 4D theater.
But the city’s real appeal is in the numerous parks along the Broad River. These include the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden.
For well-rated Columbia accommodation options, try the academia-themed Graduate and the characterful Hotel Trundle.
Orlando is known worldwide as the home of Disney World, but there’s far more to it than Mickey and Co. You can get crazy selfies at the Museum of Illusions or WonderWorks, learn how chocolate is made at Chocolate Kingdom and ride the Wheel at ICON Park or Orlando StarFlyer. Alternatively, visit Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, play adventure golf at Pirates’ Cove and say hi to the stingrays at Sea Life.
In the evenings, there’s the Polynesian Fire Luau and Dinner Show, Cirque du Soleil’s Drawn To Life and the Outta Control magic comedy show.
Other Orlando experiences include glow-in-the-dark kayaking, foodie walking tours and kayaking through Cypress forest.
The secret to getting Orlando accommodation deals is flexibility. There are hundreds of hotels, and you’ll likely be driving everywhere anyway. So hunt down the cheapest rates, and don’t get too hung up on exact location.
Columbia SC to Orlando distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Columbia SC to Orlando is 432 miles. This makes for a driving time of around six hours and 28 minutes. The quickest route heads along the I-26, I-95 and I-75.
The best stops to add to a Columbia SC to Orlando road trip itinerary are Hilton Head Island, Savannah GA and Jacksonville FL.
For more suggestions, see the guides to the Savannah to Jacksonville drive and Jacksonville to Orlando drive.
Columbia SC to Orlando road trip attractions: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Hilton Head is an island off the South Carolina coast, best known for its white sand beaches. The Coastal Discovery Museum covers the region’s complex ecology, while the chunky red and white-striped Harbour Town Lighthouse is the island’s icon.
Top Hilton Head activities include a dolphin-watching cruise, a kayak tour, parasailing and a Segway tour.
You can also head out on a shrimp boat trawling cruise, try a mixology and tapas experience and jet skiing.
Columbia SC to Orlando drive: Savannah, Georgia
Savannah has a timewarp handsomeness about it. Parks are lined by mossy oak trees, 19th century buildings ooze history and riverboats glide along the rivers.
Great activities in Savannah include the Ghosts and Gravestones trolley tour, riverboat cruises and a true crime pub crawl.
Best stops between Columbia SC and Orlando: Jacksonville, Florida
Top Jacksonville experiences include Amelia Island kayak tours, guided art and architecture tours by electric bike and electric skateboard rides along Fernandina Beach.
For cultural attractions, head to the Cummer Museum, where the strength tends to be the rotating temporary exhibitions.
Highly-rated Jacksonville accommodation options include the charming Riverdale Inn B&B and the conveniently downtown Hyatt Regency.
More Columbia SC road trips
Columbia SC to Asheville | Columbia SC to Atlanta | Columbia SC to Augusta | Columbia SC to Charlotte NC | Columbia SC to Jacksonville | Columbia SC to Myrtle Beach | Columbia SC to Nashville | Columbia SC to Raleigh NC | Columbia SC to Tampa | Columbia SC to Wilmington NC.
More Orlando road trips
Albany GA to Orlando | Asheville to Orlando | Atlanta to Orlando | Augusta to Orlando | Austin to Orlando | Baton Rouge to Orlando | Orlando to Cape Canaveral | Charlotte to Orlando | Orlando to Cocoa Beach | Orlando to Daytona Beach | Orlando to Destin | Gainesville to Orlando | Houston to Orlando | Huntsville AL to Orlando | Jacksonville to Orlando | Lakeland to Orlando | Macon GA to Orlando | Memphis to Orlando | Orlando to Myrtle Beach | Nashville to Orlando | New Orleans to Orlando | Orlando to Palm Coast | Panama City to Orlando | Pensacola to Orlando | Orlando to Port Canaveral | Ocala to Orlando | Orlando to St Augustine | Tallahassee to Orlando | Orlando to Tampa | Valdosta to Orlando.