Raleigh to Orlando road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
The best road trip stops on the Raleigh to Orlando drive are Florence SC, Savannah GA and Jacksonville FL. The distance from Raleigh to Orlando by car is 595 miles, with an 8h37m driving time.
Planning a Raleigh to Orlando road trip itinerary
The Raleigh to Orlando drive takes you from the capital of North Carolina to the theme park hub of Florida.
Raleigh is the biggest city in North Carolina. Major attractions include the NASCAR Hall of Fame, the thrill-packed Carowinds amusement park and the Billy Graham Library. Another popular option is the Sea Life aquarium.
For top Raleigh activities, try historical city tours by golf cart, Segway tours through the Uptown neighbourhood and after dark ghost tours.
Well-reviewed and central Raleigh accommodation options include the AC by Marriott and the Hyatt House.
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.
Raleigh to Orlando distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Raleigh to Orlando is 595 miles. This makes for a driving time of around eight hours and 37 minutes. The quickest route heads along the I-95 and I-4.
The best stops to add to a Raleigh to Orlando road trip itinerary are Florence SC, Savannah GA and Jacksonville FL.
For more suggestions, see the guides to the Savannah to Jacksonville drive and Jacksonville to Orlando drive.
Raleigh to Orlando road trip attractions: Florence, South Carolina
The Florence County Museum offers a good mix of science, art and history. But the Florence Veterans Park is arguably a more impressive cultural attraction. The six-acre park is dedicated to military veterans, and is dotted with grand sculptures and memorials.
Meanwhile, the Lynches River County Park to the south of the city is a popular spot for kayaking and canoeing. There’s also an Environmental Discovery Center, which aims to educate visitors about the local ecosystems.
Raleigh 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 Raleigh 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 Raleigh NC road trips
Raleigh NC to Asheville | Raleigh NC to Atlanta | Raleigh to Baltimore | Boston to Raleigh NC | Charlotte to Raleigh | Columbia SC to Raleigh NC | Raleigh to Dallas | Raleigh NC to Greensboro NC | Raleigh NC to Greenville SC | Raleigh to Myrtle Beach | Raleigh to Nashville | Raleigh to New Orleans | Raleigh NC to New York City | Raleigh NC to Philadelphia | Raleigh to Pittsburgh | Richmond VA to Raleigh NC | Raleigh to Tampa | Raleigh NC to Washington DC | Raleigh to Wilmington NC | Winston-Salem NC to Raleigh 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 | Charlotte 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 | 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 | Ocala to Orlando | Orlando to St Augustine | Tallahassee to Orlando | Orlando to Tampa | Valdosta to Orlando.