Orlando to Fort Pierce drive: Best stops, distance & time
The best road trip stops on the Orlando to Fort Pierce drive are Kissimmee, Marsh Beast Airboat Tours and Vero Beach. The distance from Orlando to Fort Pierce by car is 119 miles, with a 1h50m driving time.
Planning an Orlando to Fort Pierce road trip itinerary
The Orlando to Fort Pierce drive connects Florida’s theme park capital to the Atlantic coast.
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.
Fort Pierce is an often-overlooked spot on Florida’s Atlantic coast, but there’s plenty to do here. Top Fort Pierce experiences include clear kayak tours through the mangroves, jungle tours and sunset kayak tours.
The National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum looks at the elite special ops marine troops of the Navy Seals, while the St Lucie County Aquarium shows off other marine life.
The Fort Pierce Inlet State Park offers an excellent half-mile beach, birdwatching, an observation tower and snorkelling off the shore. There’s also a string of beaches on the south side of the Inlet.
Manatees also rock up here during the winter months, with the Fort Pierce Manatee Observation Center the best place to see them.
Well-reviewed Fort Pierce accommodation options include the budget-friendly Hampton Inn and the beachfront Hutchinson Island Plaza Hotel.
Orlando to Fort Pierce distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Orlando to Fort Pierce is 119 miles. You can expect a driving time of around one hour and 50 minutes. The quickest route is usually via Florida’s Turnpike.
The best stops to add to an Orlando to Fort Pierce road trip itinerary are Kissimmee, Marsh Beast Airboat Tours and Vero Beach.
Orlando to Fort Pierce drive: Kissimmee
Effectively a southern suburb of Orlando, family-friendly Kissimmee goes its own way. The Old Town Entertainment District, full of restaurants, bars and fairground-esque attractions, is the centerpiece.
Good Kissimmee experiences include airboat swamp tours, self-guided lakefront tours on an electrified adult trike and scenic helicopter flights over Florida’s theme parks.
Perhaps best of all, though, is a two hour eco-kayaking tour. This heads through the cypress forest on Shingle Creek – the headwaters of the Everglades.
Reliably good Kissimmee hotels include the Banana Bay Resort and the affordably retro Hotel Monte Carlo.
Orlando to Fort Pierce road trip attractions: Marsh Beast Airboat Tours
To the west of Vero Beach, Marsh Beast Airboat tours runs nature cruises through the marshlands. There’s a great chance of spotting alligators and turtles, while the boat captains are highly experienced and knowledgeable. The airboat rides go through the Blue Cypress Conservation Area.
Best stops between Orlando and Fort Pierce: Vero Beach
With beaches on the Atlantic side of the Indian River Lagoon, Vero Beach can be used as a sun and sand destination. But there’s more to it than that. The Vero Beach Museum of Art provides a culture fix and the McKee Botanical Garden showcases incredible floral diversity.
Fun Vero Beach activities include tiki cabana boat cruises and fat tire electric bike tours.
For Vero Beach accommodation picks, try the Prestige Hotel by the beach or the Hampton Inn downtown.
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