Are you looking for the perfect Jacksonville itinerary? As ambassadors for the city of Jacksonville, we know all of the best places to visit! Our Jacksonville itinerary is based off of all of the places we suggest to our friends and family when they come to visit.
Our hometown of Jacksonville is the largest city in the USA by landmass, so everything is pretty spread out. Most places are within a 20 to 30 minute drive of downtown or the beaches (including driving from downtown to the beach).
Jacksonville is a very diverse city. At the beaches you’ll find small shops, restaurants, and bars. The St. Johns Town Center is located at the center of the city. Here you’ll find a ton of shopping and restaurants. Downtown you’ll find our museums, upscale restaurants, and urban parks. The Northside is home to a lot of nature preserves, the zoo, beaches, and farmland with large neighborhoods dotting the landscape. The other areas are heavily residential.
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How to Get to Jacksonville
If you’re flying in to down, chances are you’ll fly directly into Jacksonville International Airport. There are several cities that offer direct flights into JAX.
You’ll also want to pick up a rental car, if you’re arriving by plane. When you book your rental car, remember that you do not have to return the car to the same location you picked it up from- however, you’ll typically save money by returning it to the original location.
If you’re driving I-95 North cuts directly through downtown Jacksonville. I-10 also empties out into the Bold City.
How Much Time Should I Spend in Jacksonville?
Like with any vacation, you can spend as much time on your Jacksonville vacation as you would like. You could do this trip in as little as three days, or stretch it out for however long you would like. For this Jacksonville itinerary, we’ll focus spending 3 days, or a long weekend, on the First Coast.
Where Should I Stay for this Jacksonville Itinerary?
Our main beltway, I-295, is a loop that circles the city. This circular highway makes everywhere super easy to access meaning that you can literally stay anywhere in the city and be in a decent location.
For this particular Jacksonville itinerary, we suggest staying out at Jacksonville Beach. If you want something a little more centralized, you could stay at the St. Johns Town Center. If you plan on spending more time at the museums and the historic neighborhoods, you may want to consider downtown.
Our favorite hotel out at Jacksonville Beach is Casa Marina. It’s a classic, vintage, beachfront hotel. The hotel opened in 1925 and has hosted the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, the Rockefellers, Al Capone, Charlie Chapman and Presidents Truman and FDR.
If you want to go with a more resort-vibe look into Margaritaville at Jacksonville Beach. The Jacksonville Margaritaville opened in early 2021 making it almost brand-new. The rooms are gorgeous and the oceanviews are even better!
When is the Best Time to Visit Jacksonville?
The weather in Florida is pretty great year round.
- In January and February, the temperatures can drop in the high-30s to 50s.
- Spring is absolutely gorgeous with temperatures in the 70s and 80s.
- During the summer months it gets H-O-T hot with the feel-like temperatures in the high 90s and low 100s. Due to high humidity, it also rains almost every afternoon. If you spend time at the beach or springs, and plan your day out right, the rain and heat shouldn’t be a huge factor.
- September and October are still rather hot, but the temperatures are usually in the high 80s and low 90s.
- November and December are pretty perfect, weatherwise.
There is a jet stream off of our coast that helps keep tropical storms and hurricanes at bay, however we are occasionally impacted by large storms.
During the month of November, there is a month long event known as “Kids Free November” where several of the most popular spots in town offer free admission to kids.
3 Day Jacksonville Itinerary
Day One
On day one of our Jacksonville itinerary, we’ll be hitting the great outdoors.
Jacksonville Beach has plenty of sand for your to throw down a towel and spend a day. There are tons of bars and restaurants in the area if you want to dedicate an entire day to a beach day.
Our favorite food options are: Dockside Seafood Restaurant, Jax Beach Brunch Haus, Salt Life Food Shack, TacoLu, and Eleven South.
If you want a more diverse beach, consider checking out Hanna Park, which is just north of Jacksonville Beach. Here you’ll find kayaking, fishing, bike trails, beach access, and even a splash pad. The cost to enter is $5 per vehicle.
Still even further north, you’ll find Huguenot Beach. Although you’ll pay $5 per vehicle to access this park, you’re able to drive on the sand which makes life a breeze when you’re traveling with kids. After spending some time at Huguenot, check out the historic Kingsley Plantation, the oldest remaining plantation home in the state of Florida. The main home, several slave quarters, and other out buildings still remain intact.
If you’re up for a little more beach action, we suggest spending some time at Blackrock Beach. To access the beach, you’ll have to do a short 1/2 mile hike through the woods however you’ll be awarded with an absolutely incredible view. You can also pair Blackrock Beach with Fernandina Beach or the Jacksonville Zoo. on day two or three.
Day Two
On day two of the Jacksonville itinerary, we suggest either visiting Fort Caroline National Memorial, taking a hike at either Spanish Pond or the nearby Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens. Fort Caroline is a replica of a fort that was established by the French Huguenots in the 1560s. From here, we recommend checking out Tree Hill Nature Center. They have well shaded trails, animal enclosures, and a nature center.
After spending time at Fort Caroline, which is part of the National Park system, you can head on over to explore the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. Be sure to pick up a pass to ride the train so you can save up some energy for Blackrock Beach if you didn’t make it there on day one. The Zoo has a splash pad that is perfect for cooling down on a hot day.
You might also want to book an eco tour with Kayak Amelia. They offer guided kayaking and paddleboarding tours or rentals. Enjoying Florida from the water is part of the true Florida experience!
While you’re in the area of the Zoo, Blackrock, and Kayak Amelia, stop in to Palms Fish Camp for some fresh local seafood.
Day Three
Of course, you can’t visit the city without spending time in the city!
We suggest spending some time strolling either the northbank or the southbank of the St. Johns River. Perhaps, you could even hop on the river taxi to take a short river cruise! Both of the river walks are paved, have street art, and offer impressive views of the city. If you walk the southbank, be sure to stop by MOSH– the Museum of Science and History.
For lunch, pop in to one of our favorite sandwich shops The Bread & Board or The Burrito Gallery.
When it heats up, spend some time downtown checking out the city’s museums. If you’re into traditional art check out the Cummer Art Gallery and Gardens. Contemporary art fans might prefer the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). MOCA is on the same square as Sweet Pete’s the largest candy store in the southeastern United States.
Downtown is home to several breweries. Our favorite (in this area) are Bold City Brewery, Tabula Rasa Brewing, Aardwolf, and Intuition Ale Works.
For dinner, we suggest River & Post (they have a rooftop bar if you want to just stop by for drinks), Hawkers Asian Street Food, Carmines Pizza House, Hoptinger Bier Garden & Sausage House, or The Garage.
Extending Your Jacksonville Itinerary
If you have extra days that you can add on to your Jacksonville itinerary, we suggest taking a day trip out of Jacksonville. There are several different options that we recommend for this- depending on how far you want to go. Our list of the Best Day Trips from Jax focuses on places that are within 100 miles of the Bold City. Within 100 miles you can visit Florida springs, Cumberland Island National Seashore, and even Daytona Beach or have appetizers and drinks on the rooftop at San Sebastian’s Winery in St. Augustine. Any of these would be great additions to your Jacksonville itinerary!
When we have visitors come in from out of town, we typically take them down to St. Augustine– the nation’s oldest city. We recommend visiting Castillo de San Marcos, the St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum, and the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. We never tire of strolling down historic St. George Street. You can also never go wrong with the hop-on-hop-off-trolley tour.
Another option is heading north up to Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach. There are several cute shops in Fernandina Beach for you to scope out. You absolutely must check out Fort Clinch State Park if you’re in the area. Fort Clinch is an impressive Civil War era fort with a museum, re-enactments, and more. The park also has hiking trails, bike paths, kayak launches and an impressive beach. The beach is well known for shark tooth hunting.
If you’re traveling with kids be sure to spend sometime at the nearby Pirate Playground. The Amelia Island Lighthouse, Amelia Island State Park, Pippi Longstocking House, and the Egan’s Creek Greenway Trail are also nearby. The Greenway Trail is beautiful- be on the look out for snakes and gators. Across from the Pippi Longstocking House is directly across from the Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park- if you’re lucky you may be able to catch a reenactment!
We hope that these ideas help you jumpstart the planning of your Jacksonville itinerary! If you have any questions about the Bold City, feel free to reach out to us on our social media channels. As ambassadors for the city of Jacksonville, we’re super happy to help you plan your Jacksonville itinerary!
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