Orlando, a major city in the central region of the United States state of Florida, is one of the most visited tourist sites in the United States. Known all across the globe as the home of the Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando is a theme park mecca and is also home to two other major and multiple minor theme entertainment parks.

The city also has a very colourful history, and has the second largest number of hotel rooms in the world after Las Vegas. A vibrant and colourful city with a likable mixture of modern and colonial architecture, Orlando is also within the vicinity of sites of great historical significance. The city’s fine infrastructure and fun-loving residents are perhaps the most inviting of the many Orlando tourist attractions.

Orlando is one of the most important business tourism centres in the United States and plays host to numerous conferences, seminars, exhibitions, etc. The city’s infrastructure is well developed in the regard and Orlando is well equipped with conference halls, convention centres, hotels, etc. The highlight of the city’s business tourism infrastructure is but of course the massive Orange County Convention Center.

Some of the more prominent Orlando tourist sights include

• Walt Disney World Resort
• Universal Orlando Resort
• SeaWorld Adventure Park Orlando
• Aquatica
• Discovery Cove
• Holy Land
• Gatorland
• Wet ‘N Wild
• Florida EcoSafaris at Forever Florida (Zipline Safari)
• Mary
• Queen of the Universe Shrine
• University of Central Florida
• Harry P. Leu Gardens
• Historic Bok Sanctuary
• World of Orchids
• Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art
• Cornell Fine Arts Museum
• Orlando Museum of Art
• Orlando Science Center
• Orange County Regional History Center
• International Trolley and Train Museum
• Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Orlando Odditorium

Orlando is very safe for tourists; nevertheless, it is advisable that certain rather necessary precautions be taken including avoiding certain areas after dark, keeping valuables out of sight, etc. Orlando is beautiful and the city’s eclectic mix of historical buildings and modern architecture is simply seen to be believed. Besides having some of the best avenues, walkways and buildings in the world, Orlando also boasts a very vibrant and very good nightlife. The city is home to a multitude of restaurants, cafes, nightclubs, bars, discos, etc.

Orlando is also home to some of the best malls and resorts in the country. English is well understood by one and all. The local currency is United States dollars (USD). The local cuisine draws influences from a variety of cuisines and has its own unique and distinct flavour. What’s more, it is freely available at very affordable prices. Orlando has a large number of eateries catering to all types of cuisines and suited to all types of budgets; it is also home to some of the country’s best and most prolific restaurants.

The best time to visit Orlando is from September to January.

• By Air: Orlando is one of the region’s most important travel hubs, and is connected to most major destinations in the world via regular flights.
• By Rail: Orlando is connected to the American rail network. However, passenger rail services in America, as a whole, are generally limited.
• By Road: Orlando is well connected to all national and regional destinations and popular attractions. Further, Orlando is also one of the major centres of United States’ road transport system and as such offers comfortable transport options for almost all of the nearby United States attractions. The city is one of the hubs of intra-country bus travel in United States. The road network within the city is rather good but prone to congestion. There is also a limited intra-city bus network.

Orlando is home of some of the finest hotels in the continent. Further, many local and international tour operators offer Orlando vacation package tours. These tours cover most of the Orlando tourist destinations, but do not carry the element of risk and adventure that going solo does. One might even miss out on the many hidden attractions and surprises Orlando may hold.