St. Augustine

The National Park Service runs the Castillo. Its fees and hours on September 22, 2026:

• $15 per adult (age 16 and up), valid for 7 consecutive days.
• Free for children 15 and under, who must be with an adult.
• Credit and debit cards only. The fee booth does not take cash.
• America the Beautiful passes and the $45 Castillo annual pass cover the holder plus three adults.
• First admission 9 a.m., last admission 5 p.m., everyone out by 5:15 p.m.
• Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. The grounds outside the walls are open 6 a.m. to midnight.

A family of two adults and two children pays $30 in total. That makes the Castillo one of the cheapest paid attractions in this guide, and the seven-day validity means an overnight visitor can go back the next morning at no extra cost.

The old town is small and walkable, and parking is where visitors lose money and time. The city's rates on September 22, 2026:

For a full day, the garage is the answer: $20 flat is less than eight hours on a meter, and the meters cap you at four hours anyway. It is a short walk from the Castillo, the visitor center and St. George Street. The garage rate can change during holidays and special events.

1. Arrive by 9 a.m. and park in the garage. That means leaving International Drive around 6:30 a.m.
2. Castillo first, at the 9 a.m. opening, while the day is cool.
3. Walk the old town: St. George Street is the pedestrian spine of the old town, a short walk from the garage.
4. Lunch in town, then decide between the lighthouse and Fort Matanzas.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum is across the bay on Anastasia Island. The tower has 219 steps. Children under 44 inches cannot climb. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October 1 to February 28, and to 6:30 p.m. from March 1 to September 30. Its admission prices are sold through its online store and were not shown on the visitor page we checked.

Fort Matanzas National Monument, about 14 miles and 26 minutes south of the Castillo, is free, including the ferry to the fort. Everyone who boards, of any age, needs a free boarding pass from the Fort Matanzas visitor center itself.

Do the arithmetic. Leave at 6:30 a.m., arrive at 9. Leave town at 6 p.m., reach International Drive around 8:30 p.m. That is a 14-hour day for eight hours in St. Augustine, with the most tiring drive at the end.

With one night in town, you get the Castillo at opening on day one, the old town after the day-trippers leave, and Fort Matanzas or the beach on day two. The garage's evening rate drops to $5 per entry after 5 p.m. The Castillo ticket stays valid for seven days, so you can go back.

If you are building a longer trip, see our 7-day Orlando itinerary and Orlando without theme parks for where an overnight fits.

Take I-4 east about 56 miles to I-95 north, then about 35 miles on I-95 and the last stretch on US 1 into town. OpenStreetMap routing puts it at 115 miles and 2 hours 24 minutes from the Orange County Convention Center, 122 miles and 2 hours 32 minutes from Disney Springs, and 104 miles and 2 hours 7 minutes from downtown Orlando, without traffic.

There is no train. A car is the practical option, which is one of the cases where a rental car earns its cost. See also getting around Orlando.

Day Trip to Historic St. Augustine from Orlando with Hotel Pickup

Pickup at set meeting points in Orlando, Kissimmee, Lake Buena Vista and Universal. Food and tips extra.

Full day

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From Orlando: Day Trip to St. Augustine with Hotel Pickup

Book at least 2 days ahead. Food, drinks and tips not included. Most of the day is yours to explore alone.

About 12 hours

4.6★★★★★★★★★★(112 reviews)

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