Neighborhood 48H guide
International Drive: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
The wheel at ICON Park, big convention hotels, and Universal ten minutes up the road.
International Drive is Orlando’s tourist corridor: an 11-mile strip of hotels, restaurants and attractions between Universal and SeaWorld, centered on ICON Park’s 400-foot wheel and Pointe Orlando near the Convention Center.
Photo gallery
Photo: Steveo89 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Kiran891 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
It sits between the parks, has the deepest hotel inventory in the city, and the I-RIDE Trolley runs up and down the corridor so you can skip some driving.
Who it's for: First-timers splitting a weekend between Universal, SeaWorld and the I-Drive attractions, and anyone at the Convention Center.
Pros
- Central to Universal, SeaWorld and the Convention Center
- Lots of hotel choice at every price
- Plenty of late-evening food and things to do
Cons
- Traffic is heavy most evenings
- Very commercial; little that feels local
- Disney is still a 20–30 minute drive
48H on International Drive
A park day, then the wheel, tapas and Pointe Orlando at night.
08:30 – Universal or SeaWorld
Both are 10–15 minutes by car or hotel shuttle. Pick one for the day.
17:30 – The Wheel at ICON Park
Ride the 400-foot wheel at sunset for views as far as downtown.
19:30 – Dinner at Café Tu Tu Tango
Small plates in a room full of working artists, a few minutes up the Drive.
10:00 – Day 2: WonderWorks
The upside-down building is hands-on science, good for a hot or rainy morning.
Rain backup: Fully indoors.
19:00 – Pointe Orlando
Walk the open-air center across from the Convention Center and have dinner at Taverna Opa.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Eat
Eat
Café Tu Tu Tango
8625 International Dr
A long-running tapas spot where local artists paint while you eat.
Official site / map →Eat
Taverna Opa
Pointe Orlando, 9101 International Dr
Greek dinner with a loud, plate-smashing late crowd at Pointe Orlando.
Official site / map →
Shop
Shop
Pointe Orlando
9101 International Dr
Open-air dining and entertainment center across from the Convention Center.
Official site / map →
See / do
See / do
WonderWorks
9067 International Dr
Upside-down building full of hands-on science exhibits and a ropes course.
Official site / map →
Sunrise / sunset
Sunrise / sunset
The Wheel at ICON Park
8375 International Dr
Enclosed 400-foot observation wheel; about 20 minutes per rotation. Best at sunset.
Photo: Steveo89 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
Hyatt Regency Orlando
9801 International Dr
Big resort pool and a spa, connected to the Convention Center, across from Pointe Orlando.
Check rates on Expedia →Hotel · Expedia
Rosen Plaza on International Drive
9700 International Dr
Skybridge to the Convention Center, across from Pointe Orlando, and no resort fee per its listing.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for International Drive.
Browse vacation rentals in International Drive on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Orlando
- Disney Springs / Lake Buena Vista — Walk to Disney Springs dinner, shuttle to the parks.
- Epcot Resort Area / BoardWalk — Walk to EPCOT, boat to Hollywood Studios, dinner on the BoardWalk.
- Universal / CityWalk — Walk or boat to the Universal parks, CityWalk at night.
- SeaWorld / Sea Harbor — SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove on one doorstep.
- Downtown / Thornton Park — Lake Eola mornings, brick streets, and a real city dinner.
- Winter Park — Park Avenue shops, the Tiffany chapel at the Morse, and a boat through the lakes.
- Celebration — Disney’s planned town: lakefront, Market Street, and 10 minutes to the parks.
- Kissimmee / US-192 — Big pool homes, Old Town, and the Disney gate down the road.
- Lake Nona — A new town by the airport: Boxi Park, the USTA campus and a design hotel.