Top Best Outdoor Activities in Orlando, Florida

For those looking for fantastic outdoor activities in Orlando, this list of favorites will not disappoint!

One visit is not enough to explore Leu Gardens – all 50 acres of it! Just imagine – about 15,000 plants make up the gardens and an hour or two visit just does not do it justice. With a wide variety of temperate and tropical plants, a two-hour tour is recommended depending on the time of the year. They have it all – from towering elms and oaks to your dainty roses and camellias.

If bicycling is your thing, take a ride through Orlando's Urban Trail. This trail is not entirely the concrete jungle you may be imagining. This trail is picturesque enough and you can ride through six lakes. With an average of over 500 riders per day, cycling through this network will never get lonely.

What could be more peaceful than riding the safest and oldest mode of flight – inside a hot air balloon. Not for the acrophobic, take a glimpse of the cityscape for a whole hour. Now's your chance to take a selfie with Orlando's skyline featuring soft hues of early morning yellows as your background.

Itching for a unique tour that spells Florida? Try learning about gators and snakes in Wild Willy's Airboat Tours! This tour will decimate all the myths surrounding gators, snakes, birds, and other creatures. Amid a 6-passenger airboat, you will learn about such animals rail-free, while viewing their activities au naturel in their habitat.

For more action, outdoor activities Orlando Florida we include a bit of everything - from paddle boarding to ziplining.

People who like to do more than see, and who love to live on the edge will find plenty of adventures and activities in Orlando. If you’re up for a wild ride, give these a try.

Take it up a notch with yoga – atop the paddleboard! For two and a half hours, this activity is a memory maker! Truly test your balance and strength at Wekiva Island's Paddleboard Orlando while doing the lotus position or the downward dog. You can roam the lake for a little while as well. While traveling the lake, you may chance upon another graceful being – the manatee. These gentle giants give soul to Florida's waterways. They seek warm waters and are no danger to anyone.

Set aside your gentle activities for a more spirited one! Located just in Marion County, you can enjoy horseback riding. Despite the mild climate, the air is crisp with the spirit of competition. Marion County is home to not only national but also international equestrian sports. For the equestrian enthusiast this tour gives you a chance to be with legendary world champions.

Not just for the riding enthusiast, this ranch at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort is also for the young of an age. Even Cinderella's ponies have taken to live here in this ranch! Later in the tour, you may relax while enjoying the scenery on a horse-drawn carriage. Feeling like you’re back in the Victorian period you can also ride in a horse-drawn wagon. Or you can also feel more festive while riding, yes! You got it – a horse-drawn sleigh!

What better way to commune with nature than to be with flora and fauna at the same time? Atop a horse, ride away into the heart of the Lake Jesup Conservation Area. Sightings of osprey, hawk, and eagle are also frequent in this area. For our young enthusiasts, activities with these equestrian creatures may be their most magical experience of their young lives.

For several minutes, take to the skies as you zoom through a zipline in the Central Florida Zoo. Through the Seminole Aerial Adventures Courses, you can try three courses. Even kids as young as five years old can try out for one of these courses, aptly named the Kids' Course. For a more exciting adventure, try the Upland Course. Now for the most daring of it all – the Rainforest Course will surely challenge your mind and body with over 33 elements and 13 ziplines to boot!

If you're looking for a more robust activity, Orlando Tree Trek Adventure Park is the aerial obstacle course that you need. There are five courses here, from Kids Course to the coveted Red Course. Try hollering while swinging on Tarzan Ropes. If that is not enough, tap the ninja in you while leaping into hanging nets and navigating through swinging logs. Top everything off while zooming atop the trees through a giant zip line.

Choose among these three powerboats as you play Captain through Disney World's lakes, inlets, and lagoons. For our young drivers of at least 12 years of age, the Sea Racer by Sea Ray® can seat up to 2 guests. Find out why A Sailor Went to Sea as you sing this fun song with your crew and ride the Boston Whaler® Montauk or Sun Tracker® Pontoon which can seat 6 and 10, respectively.

What could be more exhilarating than jet skiing through an expansive lake? Lake Bryan is home to Buena Vista WaterSports, which offers many water sports activities that are great for families. This 400-acre private lake is home to many water sports activities such as wakeboarding and waterskiing! This lake offers an activity for just about everyone. You can also try standup paddleboarding and kayaking.

Kayaking has never been more interesting than in Florida. Imagine kayaking under a full moon on the Winter Park Chain of Lakes. The tour includes a campfire and finger foods. For three hours in warm Florida, feel the chill in the air as you share ghost stories with your friends. For a magical experience you can kayak through a bioluminescent sea.

For every paddling, see dinoflagellates flash quick trails of bluish-white light. You may even find yourself paddling now and then!

If you can think of an animal with each letter of a river called Econlockhatchee, you will surely find this tour thrilling. The 8-mile trip is home to fascinating fauna. You may spot deer, wild boar, osprey, alligators, turtles and even bald eagles! I doubt you'd find your peace of mind here as each creature you see will surely bring excitement!

With absolutely 100 percent visibility through a transparent kayak, going kayaking with getting Up and Go Kayaking is a unique experience. You can not only enjoy the surroundings around you but also below you! Now that is one-of-a-kind indeed! Have you imagined taking a selfie with a manatee swimming gracefully below your kayak and taking that selfie at the right moment at just the right angle?

Outdoor activities Orlando don’t always have to break the bank. There are places to go to and spots to explore for families and groups. Whether you just want to chill or hang out, or spend a relaxing weekend under the Florida sun, these activities are ideal for you — and your wallet!

The Farmers Market in Lake Eola is the perfect family getaway. You’ll find not only fresh produce, but the weekly Farmers Market also offers baked goods, gifts, jewelry, crafts, and even plants. There are also products for your pets from treats, clothing, and travel accessories. Walking may get you warmed up but not to worry, refreshing drinks are also up for grabs here.

In downtown Orlando, the Public Scripture Community Project has secured eight works of art. How iconic are these works of art? These eight works of art are chosen carefully as they have been selected from 180 submissions from 16 countries! If you want to go on a date but are feeling a little low on cash you can enjoy one another while being guided by the walking tour map. How unique is this date which feels like a treasure hunt of sorts!

Who says cycling with your special someone is not romantic? Through The Orange/Lake County line to Welch Road, this date is another unique adventure. This trail may prove difficult for some, but the good part is encouraging your special someone that they can finish all 20 miles of trail. Add the feeling of accomplishment and you just may end up appreciating your partner more.

The Winter Park Farmers' Market in Central Florida has it all. The market is open every Saturday from 7 AM to 1 PM. Transformed from an old train depot, the market is bustling with many community gatherers from over 30 vendors. You may just about find what you need for your home – or even find that perfect gift for your wife, husband or special someone.

How picturesque is 80 plus acres of vineyards? Go out and visit Lakeridge Winery & Vineyards. For just about every month, the vineyard hosts an event. Invite your friends over for a food trip at Food Truck Saturdays. You can also bring the whole gang over for the Winter Music Series.

Florida has an abundance of natural springs as well and Wekiva Island is the go-to place. As the state's favorite watering hole you can enjoy a beer or two at the bar or even enjoy a meal at the café.

When you think of Florida, you think of beaches along the east coast which are amongst the prettiest and most inviting. The water is warm yet colored by hues of blues and greens. Not to be left out, the west coast beaches, home to Siesta Key Beach with its stretch of 99 percent quartz sand is just as striking as well.

This is the place where you will appreciate an annual pass! With over three IMAX® theatres, you will never get bored at this place. At the Kennedy Space Center, you can practice your docking skills as you train to become an astronaut in a microgravity environment. Now's your chance to practice your spacewalk!

Wildlife is in abundance at every national park, and the Everglades National Park – all 1.5-million-acres of it does not disappoint. This curious park is home to mangroves, marshes, and even Flatwoods. Most impressive of all, the Florida panther and also the endangered leatherback turtle call the Everglades their home.

Spending time in the great outdoors is good for the body, mind, and soul. If you need to unwind, unplug, or just let yourself be for a few hours a day or week, you can head out to any one of these sports for worthwhile Orlando outdoor activities.

Self care and spending time with family and loved ones are what matters.