Space Coast Day Trip

From Orlando
About 1 hour (SR 528, toll)
KSC to Cocoa Beach
20 to 30 minutes
KSC tour with transport
From about $89 (Oct 2026)
Dolphin sail
From about $51 (Oct 2026)

Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach are both about an hour east of Orlando, and they're 20 to 30 minutes apart, so they fit together in one day. Here's how.

Getting there

  • By car: about an hour from Orlando on SR 528 (the Beachline), a toll road. Parking at Kennedy Space Center is extra.
  • No car: a Kennedy Space Center tour from Orlando includes round-trip transportation and admission, with pickups in Orlando and Kissimmee.

Morning: Kennedy Space Center

Get there when it opens. Start with the bus tour to the Apollo/Saturn V Center, where you walk under a real Saturn V rocket, then see Space Shuttle Atlantis and the Rocket Garden. Plan five to six hours. Get Kennedy Space Center tickets, and see our full guide to the drive and what to see.

Launch day? Check the schedule. A launch is the best thing you can see on the Space Coast. How to watch a rocket launch.

Afternoon: Cocoa Beach

Drive 20 to 30 minutes south to Cocoa Beach:

  • A dolphin sail. The Cocoa Beach dolphin sail is a two-hour catamaran cruise through the Banana River Lagoon, where dolphins and manatees are common. It has shade, a restroom and drinks included.
  • The beach. Wide sand and Atlantic waves. It's Florida's best-known surf town.
  • Cocoa Beach Pier. Walk out over the water, or watch the surfers.
  • Ron Jon Surf Shop. The giant surf shop on A1A is open 24 hours a day.

Sample day

  1. 9 AM: arrive at Kennedy Space Center
  2. 2:30 PM: drive to Merritt Island or Cocoa Beach
  3. 3:30 PM: dolphin sail (arrive 20 minutes early)
  4. 6 PM: dinner by the beach, then drive back to Orlando

Tips

  • Buy KSC tickets ahead, especially in holiday weeks and on launch days.
  • Bring sunscreen and a hat. Both stops are mostly outdoors.
  • Watch the tolls. SR 528 is a toll road. A transponder or toll-by-plate works.

Closer to Orlando

Short on time? Real Florida is 30 minutes from the theme parks: airboat tours at Boggy Creek and baby highland cows at Mini Moo Land, both 10% off through us.

See all day trips and Orlando deals

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is Cocoa Beach from Orlando?

About an hour by car on SR 528, a toll road.

Can you do Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach in one day?

Yes. Do Kennedy Space Center in the morning and early afternoon, then drive 20 to 30 minutes to Cocoa Beach.

Can I get to Kennedy Space Center without a car?

Yes. Tours from Orlando include round-trip transportation and admission.

Get to the Space Coast Without a Car

Round-trip transportation from Orlando and Kennedy Space Center admission.

See the KSC TourCocoa Beach dolphin sail

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