7 Days in Alabama: Civil Rights History, Gulf Coast Beaches, and Southern Flavor
Alabama is where America’s story crescendos—Moundville’s ancient Mississippian culture, a Civil War crucible, and the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement. In Birmingham, churches and sidewalks are chapters; on the coast, dunes and dolphins write a softer coda. This itinerary weaves both: hard-won history and easy Gulf breezes.
Expect murals, barbecue smoke, cocktail craftsmanship, and shorebirds skimming emerald water. Mobile claims America’s first Mardi Gras, and Muscle Shoals sent its groove around the world—but for seven days, we’ll focus on Birmingham and the Gulf Coast, with a foray into Mobile Bay and Fairhope. It’s a rich slice of Alabama that balances museum time with sun time.
Practical notes: Spring and fall bring mild weather; summers are hot and humid. On the coast, mind red-flag beach warnings and hurricane season (roughly June–November). Distances are drivable; a rental car offers flexibility. Bring sunscreen, bug spray, and an appetite—the state’s foodways run from white BBQ sauce and hot chicken to Gulf oysters and key lime pie.
Birmingham
Birmingham, the “Magic City,” forged iron and a Civil Rights legacy that reshaped the nation. Today its warehouses hum with breweries and bakeries, while the Civil Rights District preserves sacred ground at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 16th Street Baptist Church, and Kelly Ingram Park.
- Top sights: Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, Sloss Furnaces, Vulcan Park & Museum, Railroad Park, Pepper Place Market (Sat.).
- Food & drink: Saw’s BBQ (smoked pork and vinegar slaw), El Barrio (modern Mexican), Automatic Seafood & Oysters (Gulf-forward), OvenBird (live-fire tapas), The Essential (house-made pastas), Queen’s Park (classic cocktails).
- Neighborhoods to wander: Downtown Civil Rights District, Avondale (breweries), Five Points South (bistros), Pepper Place (markets and design).
Where to stay (Birmingham): Downtown for walkability, or Five Points South/Avondale for dining. Browse stays on VRBO or compare hotels on Hotels.com.
Getting there (fly and drive): Fly into Birmingham-Shuttlesworth (BHM)—compare fares on Trip.com and Kiwi.com. A rental car is ideal for day trips and the coast run.
Orange Beach
Trade city streets for sea oats and sugar-white sand. Orange Beach sits on a protected bay and the Gulf, meaning calm water for dolphin cruises, paddleboards, and sunset photography—plus an inland maze of bike paths through Gulf State Park’s pines and marsh.
- Top sights: Gulf State Park & Pier, The Wharf (shopping, Ferris wheel, shows), Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Orange Beach Marina.
- Food & drink: Fisher’s (Dockside casual or Upstairs date-night), Cobalt (bayfront seafood), Voyagers (fine-dining Gulf view), Louisiana Lagniappe (Creole seafood), The Gulf (shipping-container chic), The Southern Grind (coffee + gelato).
- Vibe: Family-friendly beaches by day, easy live music at night—Flora-Bama straddles the Florida line with equal parts legend and late-night stories.
Where to stay (Orange Beach): Condos with balconies and kitchens are king; look near The Wharf for amenities or along Perdido Beach Blvd for walk-to-sand convenience. Compare options on VRBO or Hotels.com.
Getting there from Birmingham: Drive ~4.5–5 hours (≈285 miles) via I‑65 S; plan a breakfast stop in Montgomery. Prefer to fly? Check BHM → Pensacola (PNS) or Mobile (MOB) options on Trip.com or Kiwi.com, then a 45–75 minute drive to Orange Beach.
Day 1: Arrive in Birmingham, Stretch Your Legs
Morning: Travel day. Aim for a late-morning or midday flight into BHM; compare prices and times on Trip.com and Kiwi.com. Grab a light bite at the airport so you can hit the ground running.
Afternoon: Check in and stroll Railroad Park’s 19 acres of lawns, ponds, and skyline views; then follow the neon-lit Rotary Trail to see how industrial rails became an urban greenway. Coffee break at Revelator Coffee or Seeds Coffee (seasonal single-origin pours).
Evening: Dinner at El Barrio for masa-fried Gulf fish tacos, street corn, and a bourbon-ginger old fashioned. Nightcap at Queen’s Park—think daiquiris made with exacting, classic technique—before an early night.
Day 2: Civil Rights District + Iron and Fire
Morning: Breakfast at Hero Doughnuts & Buns (order the crème brûlée doughnut and a sausage-egg bun). Walk to Kelly Ingram Park to see the sculptures honoring 1963’s protests, then enter the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute for a moving, well-curated journey.
Afternoon: Lunch at Saw’s Soul Kitchen in Avondale—pulled pork with peppery vinegar sauce and turnip greens. Continue to Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark; the rust-red stacks, catwalks, and casting sheds tell the story of iron that built the city.
Evening: Join a powerful guided walk: The Sacred Ground of 1963: Birmingham’s Civil Rights Struggle.
Day 3: Montgomery & Selma Day Trip
Morning: Early coffee at Big Bad Breakfast (blueberry pancakes, Benton’s bacon), then drive ~1.5 hours to Montgomery. Meet your guide for a comprehensive, context-rich experience spanning two pivotal cities.
Afternoon: Take the Private 6 Hour Tour of Selma and Montgomery Civil Rights Sites—from Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church and the State Capitol to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma.
Evening: Return to Birmingham (~1.5 hours). Dinner at The Essential—house-made pasta, seasonal salads, and the famed milk bread. Treat yourself to a scoop at Big Spoon Creamery (brown butter crunch) before tomorrow’s coastal drive.
Day 4: Road Trip to the Gulf Coast (Orange Beach)
Morning: Check out and depart by 8–9 a.m. The drive to Orange Beach is ~4.5–5 hours (I‑65 S). Stretch and fuel in Greenville or near Mobile. If you’d rather fly, compare BHM → PNS/MOB on Trip.com or Kiwi.com, then pick up a car.
Afternoon: Check into your condo/hotel near the beach or The Wharf via VRBO or Hotels.com. Lunch at The Gulf—order the grouper sandwich and a citrus slush, toes in the sand. Unwind on the beach or stroll Gulf State Park Pier for pelican-watching.
Evening: Set sail on a golden-hour outing: Dolphin and Nature Sunset Cruise from Orange Beach.
Day 5: Trails, Water, and Live Music
Morning: Espresso and a pastry at The Southern Grind (The Wharf), then rent bikes and explore the Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail—lakes, pine savanna, and the occasional gator basking afar. Prefer water? Have a paddleboard delivered to your condo and explore the bay flats.
Afternoon: Lunch at GTs on the Bay (wood-fired seafood dip, blackened redfish) overlooking Wolf Bay. Sun time on Orange Beach’s broad shoreline; build in shade breaks and hydrate. For nature, cruise into Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge for a short dune or pine trail walk.
Evening: Dinner at Louisiana Lagniappe (Gulf shrimp with andouille and cream sauce; ask for a balcony table). Cap it at Flora-Bama—roadhouse tunes, bushwackers, and line-dancing where Alabama meets Florida. Families can opt for The Wharf’s Ferris wheel and occasional light show.
Day 6: Mobile Battleship + Fairhope Bay Day
Morning: Drive ~1 hour to Mobile. Start at Battleship Memorial Park—tour the WWII battleship, submarine USS Drum, and aircraft on a self-guided route with plenty of ladders and hatches to explore: USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Admission Ticket.
Afternoon: Lunch downtown: Wintzell’s Oyster House (since 1938; try the sampler—raw, fried, and Rockefeller) or NoJa (Mediterranean-Asian, reservable). If time allows, pop into the Mobile Carnival Museum for Mardi Gras finery or stroll Bienville Square and Dauphin Street’s ironwork balconies.
Evening: Cross the bay to Fairhope (~40 minutes). Browse boutiques, watch the sky glow from Fairhope Pier, and—if schedules align—join a guided downtown tasting walk to meet local chefs and sample Gulf-to-table bites. Head back to Orange Beach for a nightcap at Red or White (The Wharf) or gelato at The Southern Grind.
Day 7: Beachy Morning + Departure
Morning: Last swim or shell hunt at sunrise; coffee and breakfast burritos at BuzzCatz Coffee & Sweets in Gulf Shores (house-made pop-tarts are a favorite). If you missed a cruise earlier in the week, consider a short late-morning dolphin ride or a leisurely bay kayak hour.
Afternoon: Check out and drive to PNS (~1 hour) or MOB (~1.25 hours) for flights; compare options on Trip.com or Kiwi.com. If you’re driving back to Birmingham, plan 4.5–5 hours and a late lunch in Daphne or Montgomery.
Evening: Travel home with sand still clinging to your shoes and a deeper understanding of the people and places that changed America.
Where to Sleep (quick picks): In Birmingham, downtown hotels put you steps from the Civil Rights District; browse Hotels.com or spacious lofts on VRBO. In Orange Beach, choose a beachfront condo with pool access and a balcony for Gulf sunrises via VRBO or a resort hotel on Hotels.com.
In a single week, you’ll touch the heart of the Civil Rights Movement and the hush of the Gulf at sunset—two faces of Alabama that complement each other. Expect meaningful museums, generous plates, easy road miles, and salt air. You’ll leave with a fuller story and a camera roll full of pelicans and neon.