St. Augustine, Florida is a quaint and historic small town on the east coast of northern Florida. As the United States’ oldest city, there is plenty for history & architecture lovers to enjoy here. It is also an excellent area for local shopping, fun tours, and beautiful beaches. To help with your next trip to the old city, use our St. Augustine itinerary to figure out how to plan your trip! Great for a couples weekend getaway or for an educational trip with children. Be prepared for crowds in St. Augustine on the weekends and over holidays.
BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT ST. AUGUSTINE
If you are looking for the best time to visit, come during December or Early January. The weather is optimal during this time period, and bonus, you can catch the St. Augustine nights of lights. This is a winter event where the city strings Christmas lights everywhere. If a holiday trip isn’t in your plans, the weather is still nice throughout November, January, February, and March. Of course, many people visit during the off-season for lower crowds. If this is what you choose, be prepared to get sweaty and bring your sunscreen!
GETTING AROUND IN ST. AUGUSTINE
Most of the activities in St. Augustine can be accessed from the downtown area, but parking can be a challenge and it’s typically not free! We recommend parking at the Historic Downtown Parking Facility (1 Cordova St, St. Augustine, FL 32084). There is a great playground nearby if the kids need to stretch their legs after a drive in, called Project Swing. This parking garage is convenient to everything downtown. Now, if you want to hit the beaches or visit some of the other area attractions (like the alligator farm and Ripley’s Believe it or not) than you will need to move your vehicle at some point. These locations cannot be accessed from downtown.
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HOW MANY DAYS DO YOU NEED IN ST. AUGUSTINE?
St. Augustine can definitely be a weekend destination, and we recommend visiting for 2 days. In two days, you can explore all the different areas of downtown, and also check out some of the attractions on the beach side of town.
TWO DAY ST. AUGUSTINE TRIP ITINERARY
Spending just a weekend in town? These are our top choices! Whether you are here with your family or with your significant other, these activities will have something for everyone.
Day One
MORNING: Visit the Castillo de San Marcos
AFTERNOON: Explore St. George Street & Have Dinner
Close to the parking garage recommended, you will find the Castillo de San Marcos. This is the most interesting and well visited attraction in the city by far. This national monument is the oldest masonry fort in the nation, and inside you’ll find a ton of interesting exhibits, showing the various areas of the forth when it was used by Floridians to defend against the Spanish. Walk up the stairs to the top of the fortress and you will find a variety of cannons plus an excellent view of the city and the waterway. Leave yourself about 2 hours to spend at the fort to soak in all the historical information.
The admission fee to enter the fort is $15 for adults over 16 years of age, and free for kids with an accompanying adult. If you don’t have time or money to explore the Castillo from the inside, you can always walk about the outside of the castle and bring a picnic lunch. This will still give you an opportunity to soak in the views. View our video tour of the Castillo to see if it’s right for you!
AFTERNOON/EVENING: Explore St. George Street
The most vibrant street in the downtown area is called St. George Street. It runs about a mile through the city and boasts a variety of shops and food. If you are coming from the Castillo de San Marcos, you can cut over somewhere around Orange street and start heading south on St. George near the Kind Walking Shoe store and the Old City Gates. Now, feel free to make little detours off the main street if you see something that catches your eye, but the majority of the stores are located fairly close to St. George Street. This street is also closed to vehicles, so it makes it easy to get around on foot.
Some of our favorite stops on St. George Street:
- Cafe’ de Hildalgo – If you’re looking for gelato or a coffee, this is the spot! They have a
- Savannah Sweets – Classic candy store with home made fudge and other treats!
- Burrito Works Taco Shop – excellent tacos and often lots of specials, especially on taco Tuesday!
- Faux Paws Dog Shop – fun and unique shop to pick out a gift for your furry friends!
- Panama Hat Company – they have a hat for EVERYTHING!
After doing some shopping and walking around downtown, you will probably work up an appetite and want to settle down somewhere for dinner. There are several places right on St. George or some of the surrounding streets where you can grab a bite. If you are looking for casual dining, try Prohibition Kitchen – with an eclectic menu and fun cocktails or Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille – for a classic seafood dish.
Day Two
MORNING: St. Augustine Alligator Farm OR Explore the Lightner Museum & Flagler College
On your second morning in town, we recommend you explore some of the attractions on the beautiful beachside of St. Augustine. To get to this part of town, you’ll want to drive over the iconic Bridge of Lions, named for the lionheads at the base of the bridge.
Just over the bridge, you’ll find the infamous St. Augustine Alligator Farm. Not your typical zoo, the alligator farm has exhibits on native animals, exotic animals, and of course, alligators. Catch a feeding or a reptile show. If you are feeling especially adventurous, you can zipline over the gators!
However, if animals and gators aren’t your thing, not to worry, there are other activities for you to do. We recommend you start the morning over near downtown again, exploring both Flagler college at the Lightner Museum. Architecture lovers will enjoy BOTH of these amazing locations.
The Lightner Museum boasts three whole stories of some of the most rare antiques from al over the world. They have free admission, special exhibits and sometimes they even host events. Check out their website for the most up to date information. The museum is typically open from 9am to 5pm.
Next to the Lightner Museum, you can take a historic tour through Flagler College. Enjoy the Spanish Architecture while viewing the forming Ponce de Leon Hotel built way back in 1888. Tickets for the tour are highly recommended, and are $17 per person. The tour is an hour long, and typically runs at 10am and again at 2pm. Reservations can be made on their website here.
Afternoon/Evening: Enjoy an Evening on the Beach
Our top choice for a beach to visit while you’re in the area, is to pay for admission to Anastasia State park. For $8 a car, you have access to miles and miles of white sand. Inside the park, you can rent a bicycle to bike on the beach – or bring your won! You can also rent kayaks and canoes to paddle around the marshes. This is one of the best state parks in North Florida.
If you aren’t up for the state park, head a little further south on A1A to to one of the other beaches in the area. We recommend the St. Augustine beach and splash pad, which also has the Pier in St. John’s County. Fish, go to the beach, grab a bite. Depending on the time of year, maybe you’ll catch one of the local craft festivals hosted here. If you want to avoid the crowds, here is a list of all the beach locations.
If you want to drive on the beach, you can do so for $10 in some areas of St. John’s county. You need to get a pass and here is the list of locations where you can drive on the beach.
For any questions about your St. Augustine Itinerary, please feel free to email us at [email protected]