Memphis to Orlando road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

Planning a Memphis to Orlando road trip itinerary

The Memphis to Orlando drive takes you from the home of Elvis in Tennessee to the theme park capital of Florida.

Memphis, Tennessee, is a pilgrimage site for Elvis fans. The King’s Graceland mansion is one of the top tourist sites in the US. But the cultural heritage extends beyond music, as you’ll discover on an African-American history tour.

Try the Rock and Soul Museum, plus the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the 19th century Woodruff-Fontaine House.

Ways of seeing the city include ghost walks, Downtown food tours and musical bus tours. There are also guided walks down music central, Beale Street, and city tours that take you inside the legendary Sun Studios.

Top Memphis accommodation options include the Peabody, famous for its marching ducks, and the Guesthouse at Graceland.

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.

There are hundreds of hotels to choose from in Orlando. Flexibility is key (precise location is not critical here) – and compare prices online before booking.

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.

Memphis to Orlando distance and driving time

By car, the distance from Memphis to Orlando is 829 miles. That makes for a driving time of around 11 hours and 43 minutes.

The quickest route is along the I-22, I-20, I-75 and Florida’s Turnpike.

The best stops to add to a Memphis to Orlando road trip itinerary are Birmingham AL, Atlanta and Valdosta GA.

Memphis to Orlando road trip attractions: Birmingham AL

Birmingham, Alabama, has a rich civil rights heritage. This is best explored on a civil rights tour which links the key sites and, crucially, puts them into context. Other Birmingham experiences include ghost walks and multi-brewery beer tours.

For museums, you’ve got the McWane Science Center, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame, the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark and more. 

The top-rated Birmingham accommodation picks are the Drury Inn and Suites Birmingham Grandview and the TownePlace Suites by Marriott Birmingham South.

Best stops between Memphis and Orlando: Atlanta

Atlanta played a massive part in the Civil Rights movement, and a black history and civil rights tour is pretty much a must-do.

For more Atlanta experiences, try a sightseeing trolley tour for orientation and overview. Or a guided bike ride to get a better feel for the neighbourhoods.

Other Atlanta favourites include the World of Coca Cola, Midtown food and cocktail tours and multi-brewery beer tours.

Memphis to Orlando drive: Valdosta GA

In Valdosta GA, the Lowndes County Historical Museum does the local history thing. And the Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts hosts strong porcelain and East African art collections.

Most visitors, however, will beeline it to Wild Adventures. This is a zoo, water park and theme park rolled into one, and there’s a decent clutch of thrill rides.

To secure the best Valdosta accommodation deals, compare prices here.

The Wheel at ICON Park, Orlando.
The Wheel at ICON Park, Orlando. Photo by 10674425/ Pixabay.

More Memphis road trips

Memphis to Atlanta | Memphis to Austin | Memphis to Baton Rouge | Memphis to Biloxi | Memphis to Birmingham AL | Memphis to Boston | Charlotte to Memphis | Memphis to Chattanooga | Chicago to Memphis | Cincinnati to Memphis | Memphis TN to Clarksville TN | Dallas to Memphis | Memphis to Destin | Memphis to Detroit | Memphis to Fort Smith | Memphis to Gatlinburg | Memphis to Gulf Shores | Memphis to Hot Springs AR | Houston to Memphis | Indianapolis to Memphis.

Memphis to Jackson MS | Jackson TN to Memphis | Kansas City to Memphis | Memphis to Knoxville | Little Rock to Memphis | Louisville to Memphis | Memphis to Miami | Memphis to Mobile AL | Memphis to Montgomery AL | Nashville to Memphis | Memphis to New Orleans | New York City to Memphis | Memphis to Oklahoma City | Memphis to Orange Beach | Memphis to Pensacola | Memphis to Pigeon Forge | Memphis to San Antonio | Memphis to Tampa | Memphis to Tulsa.

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 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 | Nashville to Orlando | New Orleans to Orlando | Orlando to Palm Coast | Panama City to Orlando | Pensacola to Orlando | Ocala to Orlando | Orlando to St Augustine | Tallahassee to Orlando | Orlando to Tampa | Valdosta to Orlando.