If you are planning a trip to Florida’s oldest city, taking one of the trolley tours in St. Augustine is one of the easiest ways to see it. You do not need a car, you do not need to figure out parking twice, and you get a live guide telling you what you are looking at. Two companies run these tours downtown, and picking the right one can change how your whole day goes.
This guide breaks down both companies, what each ticket actually includes, and which one fits your trip best.
Quick Facts: St. Augustine Trolley Tours
| Feature | Old Town Trolley Tours | Ripley’s Red Train Tours |
|---|---|---|
| Style | Hop-on, hop-off, all day | One continuous narrated ride |
| Stops | 22 stops | Fewer stops, non-stop narration |
| Route length | About 7 miles | About 7 miles |
| Full loop time | About 90 minutes | About 1 hour |
| Departs | Every 15 minutes, 9:00 am–4:30 pm | Every hour, 10:00 am–5:00 pm |
| Starting price (adult, as of 2026) | Around $34–$40 | Around $21–$24 |
| Museum entry included | Yes, St. Augustine History Museum | No, sold as an add-on combo |
| Operating since | Added to the St. Augustine lineup in 2001, part of Historic Tours of America | 1953 |
| Best for | First-time visitors who want to explore at their own pace | Visitors who want a quick, budget-friendly overview |
Prices are estimated as of 2026 and change with season, promotions, and where you book, so always check the current rate before you go.
How Do Trolley Tours in St. Augustine Work?
Both companies run open-air trolley-style vehicles along loops through the historic downtown, with a live guide narrating the whole way instead of a recorded track. The idea behind a trolley tour is simple: instead of walking for hours in the Florida heat, you sit back, listen to the history, and get off wherever you want to explore on foot.
Old Town Trolley covers 22 stops on a roughly 7-mile loop through the historic core of St. Augustine, and you can hop off at any stop, spend as long as you like, then catch the next trolley to continue. Ripley’s Red Train runs a similar loop but works differently: it is a single, non-stop, one-hour ride rather than a hop-off-anywhere format, though you can still get off at the main terminal and explore on foot afterward.
Old Town Trolley Tours: Hop-On, Hop-Off All Day
Old Town Trolley is the bigger of the two companies and the one most first-time visitors choose. The ticket includes one or two days of unlimited hop-on hop-off access across 22 stops near the city’s top landmarks, plus entry to the St. Augustine History Museum, complimentary self-guided walking tours, a beach and Alligator Farm shuttle, and hotel shuttle service.
A full loop takes about an hour and a half, and trolleys depart continuously every 15 minutes, so waits are usually short outside of peak season. The tour passes major sites such as the Castillo de San Marcos, the Old Jail, Flagler College, and the Fountain of Youth, and the tour includes the St. Augustine History Museum, Fountain of Youth, and Potter’s Wax Museum among its stops.
Old Town Trolley also runs themed versions of the ride, including an evening ghost tour and a seasonal light tour. During the Nights of Lights holiday season, which runs from November 22, 2026, through January 18, 2027, tours depart from the Visitor Information Center at 10 West Castillo Drive. This is a genuine seasonal update worth knowing if you are visiting St. Augustine over the winter holidays, since the city’s Christmas light display is one of its biggest yearly draws.
Good to know: parking at the Old Town Trolley Welcome Center is free for ticket holders, which is a real advantage in a downtown area where street parking is limited and metered.
Ripley’s Red Train Tours: The Original, One-Hour Ride
Ripley’s Red Train Tours is the older of the two operations. The Red Train Tours, operated by Ripley’s Believe It or Not, has introduced visitors to historic St. Augustine since 1953. Instead of hopping on and off throughout the day, you book a specific departure time and ride the full loop in one sitting.
This one-hour tour covers over 100 landmarks, including the Castillo de San Marcos, Lightner Museum, and Fountain of Youth, and departs hourly from Ripley’s Believe It or Not. Because it does not stop for boarding along the way, it moves faster and costs less than the hop-on-hop-off option, which makes it a good fit for visitors who only have a couple of hours in the city or who mainly want an overview before exploring on foot.
Ripley’s also sells combination tickets. A tour-and-museum package that adds a visit to the Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, and a separate combination that adds a Ghost Tour of Castle Warden, are both available at extra cost. Unlike Old Town Trolley, the Red Train ticket does not automatically include museum entry, so you pay for exactly what you want to add.
Good to know: parking at Ripley’s own lot is paid, not free, so factor that into your budget if you are driving in.
Old Town Trolley vs. Ripley’s Red Train: Which Should You Book?
Neither tour is “better” across the board. It depends on how you like to travel.
- Choose Old Town Trolley if you want flexibility, plan to spend a full day in the historic district, and like the idea of museum entry and shuttle perks bundled into one ticket.
- Choose Ripley’s Red Train if you are short on time, traveling on a tighter budget, or just want a fast, entertaining overview before deciding what to see on foot.
One independent reviewer summed up the trade-off simply: the tour was live-narrated rather than pre-recorded, which she counted as a real point in its favor. Live narration is actually a shared strength of both companies — neither uses a recorded audio track, so the quality of your experience often comes down to the individual guide you get that day.
What You’ll See Along the Route
Both loops run through St. Augustine’s historic core, so there is a lot of overlap. Expect to pass:
- The Castillo de San Marcos, the old Spanish fort
- The Old Jail, known for its unusual 19th-century history
- Flagler College, housed in a former luxury hotel
- The Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park
- St. George Street, the pedestrian-only shopping and dining strip
- The Lightner Museum and Potter’s Wax Museum
Because the historic area is fairly compact, some riders on review sites note that you will pass a few of the same buildings more than once during a full loop. A good guide tends to add new details each time around rather than repeating the same script, so the guide you get can shape how much you enjoy a second pass.
Tips for Riding the Trolley in St. Augustine
- Book online in advance where possible — both companies and third-party ticket sites often list lower prices than walk-up rates.
- Ride early in the day during busy seasons, since waits at popular stops get longer as the day goes on.
- Park once. If you choose Old Town Trolley, use the free Welcome Center lot rather than paying for downtown parking twice.
- Dress for the weather. The vehicles are open-air but heated and glass-enclosed for cooler weather, so they run comfortably year-round.
- Ask about accessibility ahead of time. Old Town Trolley’s accessible vehicle only boards and exits at the main depot, so call the number on your ticket in advance. Ripley’s can take fold-up wheelchairs if you are able to step up into the train.
Alternatives If You Want Something Different
If a trolley loop is not quite what you are after, St. Augustine has other ways to see the same sights. Guided golf cart tours offer a smaller, more personal group experience, walking tours suit visitors who prefer to go at their own pace on foot, and sunset boat cruises show the city from the water instead of the street. None of these replace a trolley for covering ground quickly, but they are worth considering if you want a quieter or more flexible pace.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the St. Augustine trolley tour take? A full loop on Old Town Trolley takes about 90 minutes if you stay onboard the whole time. Ripley’s Red Train runs a continuous one-hour loop. Most visitors spend a full day hopping off at several stops rather than riding straight through.
Which is cheaper, Old Town Trolley or Ripley’s Red Train? Ripley’s Red Train is generally the more affordable option, since its base ticket does not include museum entry or shuttle perks. Old Town Trolley costs more but bundles in more extras.
Can you hop on and off both trolley tours? Old Town Trolley is designed as a hop-on, hop-off service. Ripley’s Red Train is typically a single continuous ride, though combination tickets with museum or ghost tour add-ons are available.
Do the trolleys run during the Nights of Lights holiday season? Yes. Old Town Trolley runs a seasonal holiday light tour during the Nights of Lights event, scheduled for November 22, 2026, through January 18, 2027, in addition to its regular daytime route.
Is parking included with a trolley ticket? Old Town Trolley offers free parking for ticket holders at its Welcome Center lot. Ripley’s Red Train parking is paid, on a first-come, first-served basis.
How This Was Researched
I researched this article using official tour operator pages for Old Town Trolley and Ripley’s Red Train, current third-party ticketing sites, and independent traveler reviews from sources like Tripadvisor and travel blogs. Where a detail such as a schedule or price could change seasonally, I labeled it as an estimate rather than treating it as fixed. Many existing guides only cover one trolley company or skip the 2026 holiday tour dates, so this article compares both operators side by side and includes that seasonal update.
Accuracy Note
This article is based on publicly available information from trolley operator websites, ticketing platforms, and traveler reviews current as of 2026. If you spot anything outdated or incorrect, please let us know so we can update it.
Written and researched by Abdul Wahab, contributor at noblepenmagazine.
