Trip Itinerary from Orlando to Gatlinburg - via St. Augustine, Savannah, Charleston, Asheville and the Smoky Mountains
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An itinerary that includes the best of the Southeastern USA. At one end is Orlando, the number one city in the world for family trips. If you want to visit everything it has to offer, you will need at least two weeks, but since the entertainment sites there are so large, impressive, and packed, it is enough to visit for an intensive week or 10 days that also include more relaxed and easy-going days. At the other end is the most visited national park in the USA: the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Near this park are charming resort and amusement towns. Between the ends of the route, you will travel between resort towns, islands, and unique ancient cities along the southeastern coast of the USA.
Itinerary Map: Best of the Southeast (15)
♦ Link to Google Map with the route
Destinations along the route
Destination |
Days of stay |
|
Orlando |
7-10 |
|
Daytona Beach / New Smyrna Beach |
1 |
|
St. Augustine |
1-2 |
|
Jacksonville / Amelia Island |
1-2 |
|
Hilton Head Island / Savannah |
2-3 |
|
Charleston |
2 |
|
Asheville |
1-2 |
|
Gatlinburg / Smoky Mountains National Park |
3-5 |
Total: 18-27 days.
Route length: 1250 km. Total driving time without stops: about 14 hours.
Recommended destinations, accommodations, and articles for each destination on the route:
For each destination, there is a link to my detailed article about it with photos, attractions, and important tourist information.
Orlando
In Orlando, you can spend at least a week in its theme parks and other attractions in the city. From Orlando, you can also go on several one-day "star trips" to recommended destinations and attractions. Much information for planning your trip can be found in my following articles.
Orlando is full of hotels and motels of all types and levels, but it also has luxurious villas at attractive prices. At your disposal are various articles about the attractions and hotels that Orlando and its surroundings have to offer.
♥ Recommended hotels in Orlando
Articles: ◄ Theme parks in Orlando, Florida ◄ Star trips from Orlando ◄ Cute towns and nature trips north of Orlando
◄ Shopping in Orlando ◄ Small and cool attractions in Orlando ◄ Staying in a villa near Orlando
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Daytona Beach / New Smyrna Beach
New Smyrna Beach is a cute resort town located on the Atlantic coast, about an hour's drive northeast of Orlando. The town has an excellent sandy beach and at its heart are rivers and marshes with many animals and vegetation.
Daytona Beach is famous for its race car tracks which can be visited on a fascinating tour, but it also has a lovely boardwalk along the beach with a variety of shops, amusement and leisure facilities, restaurants, bustling fishing piers, and of course, wide sandy beaches and lighthouses.
♥ Recommended hotels in New Smyrna Beach
Article: ◄ Trips in New Smyrna Beach and its surroundings in northeast Florida
St. Augustine
St. Augustine is located about 170 km northeast of Orlando on the Atlantic coast, with long beaches and a wide strip of sand with a selection of hotels along the shores. It is a charming and picturesque tourist city considered the oldest European city in the entire USA!
♥ Recommended hotels in St. Augustine
Article: ◄ St. Augustine, Florida - The oldest European city in the USA
Jacksonville
Jacksonville is known as the "River City by the Sea." It has about 34 km of wonderful and uncrowded beaches, about 65 km of waterways and canals, and of course, a long and beautiful river with a long and beautiful boardwalk named River Walk, which has a marina at its end.
♥ Recommended hotels in Jacksonville
Article: ◄ A trip to the city of Jacksonville in northeast Florida
Amelia Island
Amelia Island is an island connected by a bridge to the mainland in northeast Florida. The island is known for its wonderful sandy beaches on one side and canals, marshes, and rivers with many plants and animals on the other. The island is known for its rich pirate history, lighthouses, and forts.
♥ Recommended hotels on Amelia Island
Article: ◄ A trip to Amelia Island in northeast Florida
Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island is a luxury resort island located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in South Carolina. The island is connected to the mainland by a bridge. It is known for its recommended sandy ocean beaches that are about 20 km long, and on the other side of the island and also inside it, bays and canals with vegetation, in nature teeming with animals: an enormous variety of birds, fish, dolphins, turtles, crabs, and even alligators.
♥ Recommended hotels on Hilton Head Island
Article: ◄ A trip to Hilton Head Island in South Carolina
Savannah
The city of Savannah in southeastern Georgia is one of the oldest cities in the USA. It is a city with typical Southern charm and atmosphere, full of museums and historical buildings that attract millions of tourists every year. You must not miss a walk on the boardwalk of River Street along the river.
♥ Recommended hotels in Savannah
Article: ◄ A trip to the city of Savannah, Georgia
Charleston
Charleston is known for its Southern atmosphere and hospitality and its elegant charm. The streets of the old city are paved with bricks on which horses harnessed to carriages walk among preserved and majestic historical buildings. Some of the best-preserved and most impressive mansion houses in the entire USA are located in or near the city.
♥ Recommended hotels in Charleston
Article: ◄ Traveling in the city of Charleston - South Carolina
Asheville
The city of Asheville is a relatively small city located in proximity to 8 nature reserves (national parks and state parks), 200 waterfalls, and four rivers, and is considered a paradise for nature hiking enthusiasts. It is also an ideal destination for active nature vacationers: kayaking, cycling trips, and zip-lining in the forests.
♥ Recommended hotels in Asheville
Article: ◄ Trips in the city of Asheville and its surroundings in North Carolina
Great Smoky Mountains National Park (near the towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge)
The Smoky Mountains Park is part of the Blue Ridge Mountains range with mountain peaks that are almost always covered in a bluish mist (resembling smoke), hence its name. It is the most visited park in the entire USA. In the park are over 4000 types of plants and 230 species of animals, including 65 species of mammals; the most famous, which became the symbol of the park, are the black bears. In the park are streams and rivers, waterfalls, and forests.
♥ Recommended hotels in the Smoky Mountains Park (in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge)
Articles: ◄ A trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park ◄ Travel and vacation in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
The towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
These towns are among the most popular destinations in the Eastern USA! Every year millions of people visit them! They have a variety of cable cars, many options for nature trips and active leisure and action in nature, and they are a paradise for shopping enthusiasts.
Pigeon Forge is full of many and varied family attractions, restaurants, shows, shopping, and plenty of accommodation options of every type and budget. In the town of Gatlinburg, the main street stretches for a total of about 3 km, but it is full of family attractions, diverse restaurants, and hotels. The rest of the town's houses and its vacation homes are spread over the green mountains around.
♥ Recommended hotels in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge
Article: ◄ Travel and vacation in Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg
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For the rental car for the trip, I recommend renting from the site:
♦ Car rental from the reliable and convenient Booking site: Booking.com
♦ Guided trips, tours, and activities I recommend booking from the site: Viator