The Ultimate Florida Panhandle One-Week Itinerary.

featured, Florida, North America, USA

Florida’s panhandle is the perfect family-friendly beach vacation destination! It is filled with the most beautiful beaches in the United States, old southern charm, and so many fun things to do for the entire family. There’s delicious food, incredible shopping, and so many fun outdoor activities! Florida is called the Sunshine State for a reason, and with about 300 days of sun per year, you’re almost guaranteed to have an incredible family vacation! Here is our ultimate one-week itinerary to Florida’s panhandle:

What to Expect:

Florida’s Panhandle is located on the Gulf of Mexico and home to some of the most beautiful white sand beaches in the United States. It also has historic sites, southern charm, and idyllic beach towns. It is very family friendly with lots of activities for all ages!

Best Time of Year to Visit:

The best time of year to visit Florida’s Panhandle is from March to May and September to November, since it’s less crowded and the weather is more moderate. Later in the year, the water is warmer, so it’s better for swimming and relaxing on the beach, but you truly can’t go wrong no matter what time of year you visit, because the average overall high temperature is 78°F and the average overall low is 59°F, meaning you’re likely to have incredible weather no matter when you visit.

How to Get Around:

The best way to get around is by car, so be sure to rent a car for your visit to this part of Florida. There are a lot of free parking options around the different cities and beach towns, but it can get pretty busy, especially in the summer months. Be sure to also rent e-bikes at least for one or two days of your trip, because it’s such a fun way to get around and see the beach towns!

The Ultimate florida Panhandle one-week itinerary:

Day 1: Fly into Pensacola

The best place to start in Florida’s panhandle is in Pensacola, so we suggest flying into the Pensacola International Airport. Grab a rental car and make your way to the Fairfield Inn Pensacola Beach. Depending on how long your travel day was, either relax by the pool and float around the lazy river, or head to the boardwalk and grab pizza from Papa’s Pizza and ice cream from Kilwins.

Days 2: Explore Pensacola

Start your morning with a dolphin sighting tour with Frisky Boat Tours. It’s such an incredible way to see Pensacola from the water and get to see beautiful dolphins swimming all around the boat. In the evening, try to attend a Blue Wahoos baseball game! The stadium is right on the waterfront and watching a baseball game is the perfect activity for the whole family!

Day 3: Pensacola Farmer’s Market

Spend the morning at the Palafox Farmer’s Market. On Saturdays, from 9 am – 2 pm, there’s a farmer’s market with lots of different local vendors, offering things like local honey, homemade bread, and handmade art. There are always a lot of different activities and things going on on Palafox Street, like live music nights, a crawfish festival, and more, so be sure to look up the local events happening during your stay. Grab lunch from The Dog House. And then spend the afternoon at the historic Fort Pickens National Park. Be sure to explore the fort, but then make sure to spend some time on the beaches here too!

Here are 8 Family-Friendly Things to do in Pensacola, Florida.

Day 4: Drive from Pensacola to South Walton County

After you’ve spent a few days in Pensacola, make your way to South Walton County. It’s about an hour and a half drive from Pensacola to the beaches in 30A, Florida. On your drive, you can easily stop in Fort Walton Beach for smoothie bowls from Sunset Beach or doughnuts from Parlor Doughnuts. Get settled at your vacation rental at Hidden Dunes Cottages and either head to the pool or beach on property to relax or head to North Beach Social to enjoy dinner with your toes in the sand.

Day 5: Seaside and Grayton Beach:

Spend the day exploring the stunning beaches and charming beach towns of 30A. The beaches are truly unlike anywhere else in the United States with the most crystal clear blue waters and the softest white sand, and the towns are so charming with the most adorable shops and delicious restaurants. We highly recommend renting e-bikes from Pedego 30A for the day, so you can easily go between all the different beach towns and it’s such a fun way to explore. There are bike racks at most of the beaches, making it super easy for you to get in and out without having to worry about parking. Our favorite beach town is Seaside and our favorite public beach is Grayton Beach.

Important note: a lot of the beaches in 30A are private, so unless you’re staying in that specific beach town (i.e. Rosemary, Alys, Seaside, etc), you can only visit the public beaches. Our favorite public beaches in the area were: Grayton Beach, Miramar Beach, and Inlet Beach.

Day 6: Rosemary Beach, Alys Beach, and Miramar Beach

Spend the morning grabbing a delicious brunch in Rosemary Beach, wander through the shops and charming streets in Alys Beach, and then relax on the beach in Miramar Beach. Spend the afternoon on a fishing excursion with South Walton Guide Services, and finally, grab dinner and dessert from The Big Chill.

Day 7: Fly out of Airport

If you have time, spend the morning on the beach and enjoy your last day in Florida’s panhandle for as long as you can. Then pack up and fly out of the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.

Here are 6 Things to do in 30A, Florida!

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This post is sponsored by Visit Florida, but as always, all opinions and experiences are our own.

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