St Augustine - The City (not the grass or neighborhood in TV)

[AMB444]

We've been all over FLA and have seen many gorgeous wonderful places but I've never seen St Augustine yet!

If you've been to that area (plus beaches) can you recommend the "must see" places and things to do? I know there is a trolley/tour bus that you can jump on/off... any experiences with this?

Would you do it as a day trip? Places to stay overnight? I like quaint B&B's and smaller lodgings.

I research fairly well on Yelp and Tripadvisor, etc. But I think the best itinerary for travel and tips is always word of mouth and TV peeps know a lot... so... TIA!! :wave:

[Bill14564]

We've been all over FLA and have seen many gorgeous wonderful places but I've never seen St Augustine yet!

If you've been to that area (plus beaches) can you recommend the "must see" places and things to do? I know there is a trolley/tour bus that you can jump on/off... any experiences with this?

Would you do it as a day trip? Places to stay overnight? I like quaint B&B's and smaller lodgings.

I research fairly well on Yelp and Tripadvisor, etc. But I think the best itinerary for travel and tips is always word of mouth and TV peeps know a lot... so... TIA!! :wave:

We really like St Augustine. You probably need a full day for the city itself and another for the surrounding area.

We usually stay at the Doubletree. Slightly out of the historic area but right across the street from the on/off trolley and an inexpensive uber ride after that.

Some things we would recommend:
- at least one time around the trolley tour
- The original (I believe) Harry's
- The self-guided tour at St Augustine Distillery (on the trolley route)
- Dog Rose Brewing (if you like craft beers)
- Meehan's Irish Pub for a good Guinness
- The historic area / square at the foot of the Bridge of Lions
- The shops on St. George Street
-

[Rainger99]

We've been all over FLA and have seen many gorgeous wonderful places but I've never seen St Augustine yet!

If you've been to that area (plus beaches) can you recommend the "must see" places and things to do? I know there is a trolley/tour bus that you can jump on/off... any experiences with this?

Would you do it as a day trip? Places to stay overnight? I like quaint B&B's and smaller lodgings.

I research fairly well on Yelp and Tripadvisor, etc. But I think the best itinerary for travel and tips is always word of mouth and TV peeps know a lot... so... TIA!! :wave:

It is a bit of a drive so up and back in one day is not worth it. Suggest leaving early on a Friday and leaving Sunday afternoon.

St Augustine is the oldest city in the US so there is a lot of history.

First stop should be the visitor center/museum. Probably the best visitor center I have ever been to. Lots of historical exhibits in a beautiful building! They will push the tours but I recommend walking. Historical area is quite small and fun to meander.

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (this is the number one attraction)

Fort Matanzas National Monument (a few miles south of the city).

Memorial Presbyterian Church (Flagler is buried there)

Great Cross

St. George Street - the center of the historical area. Restaurants and tourist shops - no cars allowed. It will be packed.


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[Altavia]

We love it there, especially during the Xmas holidays.

St Augustine Beach House is nice for a stay on the beach.

https://www.sabhonline.com/

[DaddyD]

The Saint Augustine Amphitheater is easily my favorite outdoor music venue in Florida--I make the drive frequently to see live music. That said, imo the historical downtown area is pretty lame, filled with lots of cheesy t-shirt shops & stores selling cheap tourist trinkets. However, there are a lot of good restaurants in St. Augustine, so for foodies maybe worth the trip for that alone.

[shaw8700@outlook.com]

Thank all of you for this - it’s on my list!

[Tom52]

We like the Columbia restaurant. Try their 1905 salad. We also like Meehan's Irish Pub and Harry's.

Of course you want to see the Castillo de San Marcos. We also like the Flagler College tour in the former Ponce de Leon hotel. The trolley tour is informative and gives a good overall history of the town. There is the oldest house in U.S.A. tour that is worth seeing once. St. George street has some o.k. restaurants, the Columbia is our favorite but we don't care much for all the homeless that hang out there.

[MplsPete]

We've been all over FLA and have seen many gorgeous wonderful places but I've never seen St Augustine yet!


Two small pieces of advice: not too far away is that spring that has a lot of manatees (I guess) and - don't go the weekend of the Dayton 500 (like we did.)

[Arlington2]

I recommend Augustin Inn, a B&B in the heart of the historic district. Easy walk to every thing including the fort. It is especially convenient for 4 of July fireworks or a Christmas visit.

[Gerrys]

All the places everyone mentioned are great. You might need a few days or a long weekend. We loved visiting the Golf Hall of Fame too. Have a great trip.

[Dkintzer]

We've been all over FLA and have seen many gorgeous wonderful places but I've never seen St Augustine yet!

If you've been to that area (plus beaches) can you recommend the "must see" places and things to do? I know there is a trolley/tour bus that you can jump on/off... any experiences with this?

Would you do it as a day trip? Places to stay overnight? I like quaint B&B's and smaller lodgings.

I research fairly well on Yelp and Tripadvisor, etc. But I think the best itinerary for travel and tips is always word of mouth and TV peeps know a lot... so... TIA!! :wave:

Since I used to live up there, I’d say stay a couple of days. Wait until between Thanksgiving and Christmas & start with the trolley tour. They stop @ almost everything you want to see on your 1st visit. You can get on & off whenever you want. But also do the “Nights of Light” after dark. BEAUTIFUL! The best thing after that is just to meander around @ your pace & take it all in. (PS if you like Cuban sandwiches Mi Casa is the place!). Have fun😁

[Jewelz]

On my list of things to do… Thank you all for the wonderful information!

[Janie123]

We've been all over FLA and have seen many gorgeous wonderful places but I've never seen St Augustine yet!

If you've been to that area (plus beaches) can you recommend the "must see" places and things to do? I know there is a trolley/tour bus that you can jump on/off... any experiences with this?

Would you do it as a day trip? Places to stay overnight? I like quaint B&B's and smaller lodgings.

I research fairly well on Yelp and Tripadvisor, etc. But I think the best itinerary for travel and tips is always word of mouth and TV peeps know a lot... so... TIA!! :wave:
I don’t see mention of the San Sebastián winery for their free tour, you can opt for an additional couple of glasses for I think $5 more. Also the distillery has the ice plant bar on the roof which is always crowded when we’re there. Both distillery and winery are free, there is also a chocolate tour that I think is $10, but worth for one time. we’ve done the winery, distillery and chocolate shop all at the same time as they are all a few blocks apart.

One addition, go in Dec thru Jan to see the historic section done up in lights… big crowds but worth seeing. Probably during the week will be less crowds than weekends. We’ve done day trips but we’ve been there many times. About 2 hours from TV. Just take a designated driver. We did spend a weekend once as there is a great Kentucky Derby party (if you like bourbon) that supports hospice and palliative care.

Derby Run – Community Hospice Foundation (https://thefoundationcares.org/upcoming-events/derby-run/)

[Nana2Teddy]

Chad Gallivanter’s travel videos on YouTube are very good. He’s covered St. Augustine at least once, maybe more. It’s on our bucket list too, so the info shared in this thread is much appreciated. Thanks all!

[airstreamingypsy]

A suggestion on driving to there. Go through the Ocala Forest. Through Salt Springs....... really nice drive. (In daylight)