Last Updated on August 2, 2024 by Tori’s VA
With so much going on in Florida, there is always a new destination to check out close to home! If you live in Tampa, FL you’re extra lucky to live so close to so many sites. These are my favorite Florida day trips from Tampa from when I used to live in the area, and it’s so much more than beaches and relaxing!
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Florida Day Trips from Tampa Map
St. Petersburg, FL
I might be biased (since I lived in this charming city for 5 years) but I think St. Petersburg is the best town in the greater Tampa Bay area. This should be your first stop when looking for Florida day trips from Tampa. Located smack dab between the city of Tampa and the beach, you can’t ask for a better location. St. Petersburg will be about a 30 minute drive from downtown Tampa, unless it’s rush hour, of course.
Downtown St. Petersburg sits right on Tampa Bay, overlooking the water towards Tampa. The area is home to endless restaurants including many locally owned spots featuring seafood, Italian, Japanese, and anything you can imagine.
If you are in town, you must make your way to Beach Drive, where most of the higher-end restaurants and shops are located on the water. This street is the perfect spot for visitors, while never feeling touristy. It is usually filled with locals enjoying walking around on a sunny day or date night outs in the evening. The most famous restaurant is called Parkshore Grill, and while it’s good, our personal favorites are Ceviche and BellaBrava.
While you’re strolling along the water, you won’t be able to miss the town’s newest addition, The St. Pete Pier. A massive pier that jets out into the bay is filled with things to see and do. Walking along the pier you’ll see artwork, food and drink stands, a playground, splash pad, a mini beach, a museum and even a local market on select days.
At the very end of the pier is a four-story building, with a tackle shop on the bottom, a coffee shop on the second floor, a fine dining restaurant called Teak on the third and a tiki bar called Pier Teak on the top (one of the best bars in St. Petersburg!). The entire pier is a busy place, full of energy and activity. You cannot miss it while you’re in town.
Want to stay longer?
While you’re at the pier, you won’t help but notice one of the most famous buildings in town, the Pink Palace. Well, one of the two pink palaces in the area, but more on that later! The huge, pink building you see is the one and only Vinoy Hotel. The hotel is almost 100 years old, and a St. Petersburg landmark. If you decide to stay the night in town, you’ll definitely want to splurge on a room in this grand place. I’ve also included it on the list of Florida babymoon destinations!
Head inland a few blocks and you’ll find Tropicana Field, home to the Tampa Bay Rays. Baseball fan or not, you must visit while the team is in town. The games are fun to watch, but there’s so much more that Tropicana Field has to offer! Apart from the hilarious mascots, Raymond and DJ Kitty, you’ll find many other games and activities. Behind the outfield sits the Rays Tank, where several stingrays live, looking right out over the field! Fun for kids and adults, visit the ballpark to touch the rays and get an awesome view of the game.
My favorite part of the Rays games? The absolutely incredible food. Of course they have your typical baseball food too, but you have to skip that this one time and try the local restaurant vendors. Located mostly in the outfield, local restaurants sell unique dishes of extremely high quality. The options change every few years, and you can get a taste of some of the amazing St. Petersburg restaurants.
Walt Disney World
My second favorite of the Florida day trips from Tampa would have to be the one and only…Disney World. I have been going there my entire life and it never ever gets old. If someone tells me they don’t like Disney, I simply don’t believe them. It’s the most magical place on earth for a reason!
Since Disney is actually southwest of Orlando, it’s pretty close to Tampa! You’ll only have to drive one hour to get there, and you’ll be able to avoid most of the horrible Orlando traffic! It’s a win-win! I’ve also included it on my list of the best weekend getaways from Jacksonville.
If you live in Tampa, I strongly encourage you to get annual passes to the parks. This way you can visit as often as you want for one set price, and since you live so close, why not?! We love all of the parks for different reasons. Magic Kingdom has the most to do, Hollywood Studios has some of the newest rides and upgrades, EPCOT offers the best food and drinks and some of the most unique experiences, but Animal Kingdom might just be our favorite. We love the Safari, the Pandora ride, and the Lion King show is our jam!!! Don’t even get me started on the chicken fried rice…yum!
Want to stay longer?
Staying at Disney can be a little expensive, especially when you only live an hour away. But, occasionally it is fun to spend the weekend there which is why we LOVE staying at the Disney Swan and Dolphin hotels. They’re a super short boat ride from EPCOT and Hollywood Studios, or a bus ride from the other parks and Disney Springs. Both transportation options are free for guests of the hotel.
Come to Disney prepared with a cute dress, yoga shorts to go underneath and a small backpack to carry your water bottle and other necessities.
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St. Pete Beach
Just west of St. Petersburg sitting along the Gulf of Mexico is St. Pete Beach. It is home to sprawling beaches, loads of tiki bars and lots of beach weddings. It will take about 45 minutes to an hour to get here from Tampa, so you’ll likely want to spend most of the day relaxing on the beach and enjoying the little waterside town. This can be one of the Florida day trips from Tampa, or you might want to stay for the weekend.
The main parking lot is located across the street from the Publix, and will cost quite a bit for the day to park here. You’ll want to get here as early as you can to secure a spot. There are other smaller lots along the beach, but not a ton of them, and they’ll likely all charge the same amount.
Once you find parking, and a great spot on the beach, you’ll probably want to relax and enjoy the warm waters of the gulf. The water is usually pretty calm and so comfortable in the summer months especially.
Walk up the beach and you’ll find several stands renting out jet skis, or selling parasailing and banana boat rides. These are fun for kids and adults alike, so get out on the water and have some fun!
After a long day in the sun enjoying St. Pete Beach’s soft white sand and glistening waters, you’ll want some food and maybe a frozen drink. Check out one of the many beachfront restaurants like Bongos or the Sandbar, where you’ll sit with your toes in the sand eating fresh seafood and a pina colada; life is good!
Want to stay longer?
St. Pete Beach is definitely a great option for Florida day trips from Tampa, but you might want to make it a weekend trip instead! If you decide to stay the night, you must check out the other famous Pink Palace, the Don Cesar Hotel. Located right on the beach and painted bright pink, you won’t be able to miss this massive castle-like hotel. It’s luxurious and unique and such a fabulous place to stay.
With several on-site restaurants, including an ice cream parlor/candy store, you’ll never have to leave the property! They offer beach rentals like kayaks, bikes and chairs and always have something going on during the summer, including lots of live music! Be sure to learn some of the history of the building while you are here…about how it used to be a hospital many, many (many) years ago!
Before you head there, you’ll want to learn everything you need to know about St. Pete Beach with this amazing visitor’s guide!
Fort DeSoto Park
Located 45 minutes from Tampa, and well worth the drive, is Fort DeSoto Park. It sits at the very southern tip of the peninsula and is a super special park and beach destination. Now I have to be honest, I am not the biggest beach lover. I really enjoy staying active and doing fun things, so sitting on the beach too long can just get…boring! I know, I might be the outlier here. But the point is, Fort DeSoto is the exception, and another great Florida day trips from Tampa!
Fort DeSoto was once an active fort, and now a historic destination for visitors. You can explore the grounds and learn the history of the place with a self guided tour. They have both dirt and paved trails to explore; walk, run or ride your bike to get some exercise in a gorgeous setting.
But honestly, the absolute best part of this park is the dog beach. It is the only one on the gulf in this area where dogs can run free off the leash around the beach. Our dogs loved going to the beach and we had so much more fun with them there!
The entrance fee is only $5 per car which covers parking as well. It is definitely the cheapest beach spot in town! Subway is right on the way so we usually just grabbed subs and ate at the park!
Clearwater Beach
Probably the best known beach in the Tampa Bay area, and possibly all of Florida, is Clearwater Beach. It’s located only 40 minutes from Tampa, and just north of St. Pete Beach. Clearwater is a popular Florida day trips from Tampa for a reason; it is beautiful, relaxing and has so much to do. It’s much busier than St. Pete Beach, but has a lot more hotel options, places to eat and activities.
The center of town is where you’ll find Pier 60, jutting out into the Gulf of Mexico. The pier has a park just inland that runs constant events and fun things to check out, and while out on the pier you can fish and spot dolphins!
You can enjoy all of the same water activities like parasailing, jet skiing and even stand up paddle boarding. But, other activities include the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, dinner cruises, mini-golf and the escape room! And, while you’re at the beach I guess you can spend some time relaxing in the sand and swimming in the gulf too!
You’ll definitely get hungry quickly with all of these activities, so check out Salt Cracker Fish Camp for fresh seafood, great service and live music.
Want to stay longer?
With tons of hotels in the area, you’ll easily find somewhere to stay. I personally love the Hilton Clearwater Beach Resort & Spa. It’s located right next to Pier 60, in the middle of all the action and has gone through some beautiful refurbishments over the last few years! It’s the perfect place to stay in town!
Crystal River
Crystal River is one of the Florida day trips from Tampa that we used to do a lot, and really enjoyed bringing friends and family! This destination is an hour and fifteen minutes north of Tampa and is known for the special animal that lives here.
Rent a kayak and head to the water where you will meet dozens of wild manatees! They live here because of the natural springs that keep the water consistently 72 degrees Fahrenheit year- round! The manatees need the warmer water during the winter to survive, so this is the perfect home for them.
You can get out in the water to swim with them, and they are so chill, they will swim right up to you! Spend some time in the kayak or in the water getting to know these sweet animals, you might even see a few babies!
Visit in the winter for the most manatees. When we went in January, they were literally everywhere. Hundreds of them swam around our kayak. If you go in the warmer months, you won’t see as many, but you’ll still be able to spot a few! But, this time of year you will be able to go into the springs, dock your kayaks and jump from the rocks into the water. It’s a lot of fun during the summer, just a slightly different experience.
We like to pick up subs from the Publix nearby and bring them out on the water with us for lunch. Then, on your way home be sure to stop by the Twistee Treat for ice cream!
Come prepared with a cute swimsuit, in the summer, rash guard in the winter and a quality cooler to hold lunch and drinks!
Sarasota
Another great beach town to visit as one of the Florida day trips from Tampa is Sarasota, located one hour south of the city. A more upscale and expensive town, you’ll love it for the gourmet restaurants, high-end shops and fancy hotels. The beach is still free though, so you don’t have to break the bank just to spend a day in town.
They do offer a variety of unique things to do for a beach destination. Choose to spend a few hours at The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, the Big Cat Habitat, The Sarasota Opry House, or The Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. Alternatively, visit Myakka River State Park to hike or take an airboat ride down the river.
St. Armands Key is just a quarter of a mile from the beach, and has some of the best shopping and restaurants in the area. Visit Shore St. Armands for seafood and cocktails, or Columbia Restaurant, a famous Tampa area chain that serves Spanish-style fare.
Want to stay longer?
My favorite place to stay in town is just across the Sarasota Bay from the beach, the Westin Sarasota. This spot has beautiful views of the bay, and an upscale feel without blowing the budget!
Universal Orlando
If you’re looking for exhilarating Florida day trips from Tampa, look no further than Universal Resort. A little further than Disney, you’ll be able to get there in about an hour and fifteen minutes driving from Tampa.
Universal has come a long way over the years, and has held its own against the magic of Disney! The two parks are both super large and filled to the brim with rides, shows and activities. These two parks have larger and more exciting rides than most of the ones you’ll find at Disney. It’s still a great spot for young kids, but even better for older kids and adults.
I love Universal Studios the most, with some awesome attractions like Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, Revenge of the Mummy, and Men in Black. There’s shows like Shrek 4-D and Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. You can easily spend all day long here without getting bored.
For lunch or dinner, pop outside the park just a few steps to the Chocolate Emporium. It might not sound like a place to have a meal, but trust me, you’ll love it. The menu is extremely unique and everything is delicious. Of course, they feature some special chocolate-related items like the Coffee and Chocolate Stout Chicken Wings and the Cocoa Pork Tenderloin.
Want to stay longer?
With so much to do here, and getting chocolate-wasted at the Chocolate Emporium, you’ll probably want to stay the night. Look no further than the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando. You’ll walk out the door of the hotel and be standing at the gate to the park. That means you can sleep in and still catch every minute possible in the parks. Now that’s a win-win!
With so many different Florida day trips from Tampa, you’ll want to be scheduling a mini getaway every single weekend! Enjoy your adventures in the Sunshine State!
