9 Ideas for a Girls Trip in Florida
These fun girls trips in Florida include beachfront towns on both coasts and hidden gems in the center of the state.
Planning a Florida girls trip? You've got so many options beyond Miami and Orlando! From laid-back beach cities with emerald waters to artsy downtown areas filled with galleries and rooftop bars, the Sunshine State is packed with destinations perfect for a weekend with your friends.
For the past few years, my mom and I have been on a mission to check out a new weekend getaway or day trip when I visit her in Central Florida. This has led us to discover so many under-the-radar gems and test out which beach towns we love more than others.
I've explored quite a few Florida cities now with my mom and with friends, and each one on the list below offers something totally different. Whether your group wants to relax on white sand beaches, explore historic streets, hit up the best local coffee shops (a favorite hobby of mine), or bar hop through vibrant downtown districts, Florida has you covered. Plus, some of these spots are super budget-friendly and most are easy to reach from major airports.
So grab your crew, pick a destination, and get ready for some serious sunshine fun with these Florida girls trips.
Panama City Beach: Pristine Sand on the Panhandle
Panama City Beach is the ultimate girls trip if your group loves that classic beach vacation vibe. With 27 miles of glimmering sand and emerald-tinted Gulf waters, this Panhandle paradise offers endless beach days, stunning sunsets, and a lower price tag than the nearby 30A spots further down the coast.
The main action happens around Pier Park, an open-air shopping center with boutiques, restaurants, and bars right across from the beach. You can grab fresh Gulf seafood at popular spots like Schooners or Sharky’s, then head straight onto the sand with a frozen drink in hand.
For daytime adventures, take a catamaran cruise to Shell Island for dolphin watching, rent paddleboards, or hit St. Andrews State Park for nature trails and secluded beaches. The PCB Wheel gives you epic views of the coastline, and if you’re feeling adventurous, there are tons of water sports from jet skiing to parasailing.
I last visited PCB with my bestie last spring, and we loved just chilling on the sand in the Lower Grand Lagoon and finding spots to eat local (Havana Night Bar & Grill was a whole vibe).
St. Augustine: Historic Coast Culture
What makes St. Augustine special for a girls trip is that it's atmospheric, giving you that European vacation vibe without leaving Florida. This is the oldest city in the United States, and you can feel the 450-plus years of history in every cobblestone street and Spanish colonial building. The compact historic downtown makes it super walkable for a girls weekend, and there's honestly something magical about exploring such an old city by the ocean.
Start with the Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th-century fort right on the water with incredible views. St. George Street is the main pedestrian area packed with boutiques, art galleries, wine bars, and cute cafes — perfect for an afternoon of wandering and shopping. If your group is into the paranormal, St. Augustine is supposedly one of the most haunted cities in America, so ghost tours are a must at night.
The Lightner Museum is stunning, housed in a gorgeous former hotel, and the Bridge of Lions makes for great photos. For beaches, head to St. Augustine Beach or Anastasia State Park for a more natural setting. The food scene is excellent with Spanish-influenced dishes and fresh seafood everywhere.
I’ve been to St. Augustine a couple of times, but it was extra special to go with my mom during the holidays recently to witness the town lit up for the season.
Jacksonville: Big City Beach Vibes
Jacksonville might surprise you as a girls trip destination, but trust me, this northeast Florida destination has serious charm, despite being the largest city in the state. With 22 miles of sandy beaches and a thriving downtown arts scene, Jacksonville gives you the best of both worlds — beach vibes and cultural experiences all in one weekend.
The coast is where you'll want to base yourself, either in Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach or Neptune Beach. This area has a super chill surf town atmosphere with cute shops, coffee spots and beach bars. Book a surf lesson with Saltwater Cowgirls, a female-owned surf school that's perfect for beginners, then reward yourselves with brunch at Tulua Bistro or Le Petit Paris Cafe.
The Jacksonville Arboretum and Botanical Garden is perfect for a morning walk, or Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park for a combo of nature trails and beach strolls. We loved downtown San Marco for boutique shopping and lunch (don’t skip the bookstore), while the Riverside Arts Market on Saturdays has local vendors and food.
When I visited Jacksonville in late summer with my bestie, we also loved following the Jax Coffee & Donuts Trail and checking out The Pickle Factory, for obvious reasons. What's great about Jacksonville is that it's not overrun with tourists, so you get that authentic Florida experience without fighting crowds.
St. Petersburg: Gulf Coast Classic
St. Pete is hands-down one of the coolest girls trip destinations in Florida right now. This Gulf Coast city has transformed into an artsy, vibrant destination with award-winning beaches, world-class museums, colorful murals on every corner, and a downtown scene that rivals much bigger cities.
I grew up in the Tampa area, so we spent a lot of time on St. Pete and Clearwater beaches, and I love going back now to see how much the area has changed over the years.
Downtown St. Pete is where all the action happens. Beach Drive and Central Avenue are a hub of restaurants, cocktail bars, galleries and boutiques. The Dalí Museum is a must-visit, housing the largest collection of Salvador Dalí's work outside Spain, and the building itself is stunning. The Saturday Morning Market has food, local vendors and live music.
The St. Pete Pier is a gorgeous 26-acre waterfront district perfect for sunset walks, with restaurants, entertainment and a little beachfront on the Tampa Bay. For actual beach time, St. Pete Beach has that sugar-white sand the Sunshine State is famous for and Fort De Soto Park is more remote and laid back. My mom and I love going up the coast a little to Treasure Island and John’s Pass Village and Boardwalk for classic Florida vibes.
Winter Park: Florida Main Street Charm
Winter Park is a charming, upscale Florida town that feels a million miles away from the theme park chaos of nearby Orlando. This pretty Central Florida city wraps around lakes and tree-lined streets, creating a sophisticated girls trip vibe that's all about boutique shopping, excellent restaurants and cultural experiences. It's perfect for the group that wants a more refined weekend without the beach scene or a low-key day trip from Orlando.
Park Avenue is the heart of Winter Park, a gorgeous tree-canopied street with high-end boutiques, art galleries and sidewalk cafes. You can easily spend an afternoon window shopping, grabbing coffee and people-watching. The Morse Museum has a comprehensive collection of Tiffany glass, and it's definitely worth a quick visit.
For outdoor time, take a scenic boat tour or go paddling on the Winter Park Chain of Lakes to see historic mansions and natural Florida beauty from the water. For dining, we loved Briarpatch Restaurant for brunch and New General Cafe for lattes.
Lakeland: Central Florida Gem
Lakeland is one of those under-the-radar Central Florida gems that's perfect for a budget-friendly girls trip with a quirky, artsy vibe. Located between Tampa and Orlando, this small city has been quietly transforming with a revitalized downtown, beautiful lakefront parks and some seriously good local food. It's ideal for the group that wants to escape tourist traps and experience authentic Florida.
Downtown Lakeland has a cool retro aesthetic with murals, vintage shops, antique stores and boutiques that make for great browsing. Munn Park is the central gathering spot surrounded by locally-owned restaurants and cafes, and there are frequent community markets in this zone.
The city sits on 38 lakes, so there are tons of parks for walking, paddleboarding or just relaxing by the water. Lake Hollingsworth has a beautiful 3-mile loop trail perfect for morning walks or bike rides, but I especially love Lake Mirror for a short stroll close to downtown with a stop at the stunning Hollis Garden (you’ll want to do a group photo shoot here).
For food, check out the growing brewery scene and local spots in the downtown district. We love Black & Brew, Pressed and Mitchell’s for coffee downtown and you can’t go wrong with a slice from Palace Pizza for lunch. Check out the schedule for old movies showing at the historic Polk Theatre.
Lakeland also makes a great base for day trips to nearby Tampa or even Bok Tower Gardens for gorgeous landscaped grounds. Orlando International Airport is the closest major hub, but Lakeland has a small airport that has recently added passenger flights from a handful of destinations.
Melbourne: Space Coast Exploration
Located on Florida’s Space Coast, Melbourne gives you the random combo of chill beach town and rocket launches. Located a little over an hour from Orlando on the Atlantic, Melbourne offers a more laid-back alternative to the big cities while still having plenty to do for an active girls weekend.
Downtown Melbourne has been revitalized in recent years with breweries, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques along the Eau Gallie Arts District. Meg O'Malley's is a popular Irish restaurant that we loved, and the area has several other pubs perfect for evening drinks.
The beaches are the main draw though. Melbourne Beach and Indialantic Beach are both beautiful and not super crowded, especially compared to the Miami area a couple hours down the coast or Daytona, less than two hours north. The area is great for surfing, paddleboarding, and beach walks.
Catching a rocket launch from nearby Cape Canaveral from the beach is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but you can also tap into the astro culture with a visit to the Kennedy Space Center.
Vero Beach: Treasure Coast Charm
Vero Beach is a quiet, upscale coastal town where your group can truly unplug and relax. Located on Florida's Treasure Coast, this community has pristine beaches, a charming downtown, and a more refined atmosphere that attracts a slightly older, more affluent crowd. It's perfect for a Florida girls trip where everyone just wants to decompress without the party scene.
The beaches here are stunning and relatively uncrowded, with soft sand and excellent shelling opportunities. Vero Beach Boardwalk is great for morning walks with ocean views, and the beaches draw sea turtles for nesting from March through October.
Downtown Vero Beach has art galleries, boutique shops and excellent restaurants on the mainland, and Ocean Drive has more spots to grab lunch closer to the sand. The Vero Beach Museum of Art features a beautiful sculpture garden overlooking the Intracoastal, and McKee Botanical Garden offers 18 acres of tropical plants and a peaceful escape from the beach.
Venice: Beach Combing Paradise
Venice is a gem of a beach town on Florida's Gulf Coast, about 30 minutes south of the busier Sarasota area. This laid-back city bills itself as the "Shark Tooth Capital of the World" because the beaches are literally covered with fossilized shark teeth. I spent many beach days as a kid sifting through the sand on these shores to find the best ones!
Beyond the unique beach experience, Venice has some of that Old Florida charm with a walkable and aesthetically pleasing downtown district of boutiques, cafes and restaurants along Venice Avenue. The commercial hub is only a 15-minute walk inland from the beachfront, so it’s easy to just park once and stroll around. If you want to add some action, there are lots of options for kayaking or jet skiing.
Nearby Nokomis Beach offers a quieter beach option and my mom and I also enjoy low-key Englewood and Manasota Key less than 30 minutes south. We love to pack Publix picnics for beach days, but Sharky's on the Pier is a popular spot for fresh seafood and water views.
Looking for more girls trip inspiration? Check out all our girls trip guides here!
