Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour

The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour is the Orlando-area activity most likely to surprise you, and at $20 it costs less than a theme-park snack. The tour has been running narrated one-hour pontoon cruises since 1938 through Winter Park's chain of lakes and the narrow canals connecting them, past lakefront mansions and the Rollins College campus.

The experience

The pace is unhurried. Narration covers history and architecture without overwhelming the view, and the natural vegetation along the canals is a pleasant counterpoint to the lakeside estates. Pair the tour with lunch on Park Avenue, Winter Park's walkable, tree-lined main street of independent restaurants, galleries, and shops, for a half-day that offers the most refined non-theme-park experience near Orlando. TripAdvisor sits at 4.5 out of 5 across an estimated 3,000-plus reviews.

Logistics

Tours depart hourly, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from the dock on East Morse Boulevard. $20 adults, $10 children ages 2 to 11. No reservations: tickets are first-come, first-served at the dock, so arrive 15 to 20 minutes early on peak weekends. Open-air pontoons, so wear sun protection. Tours run rain or shine, cancelled only in severe weather. Roughly 25 minutes northeast of International Drive.