The best road trip stops on the Atlanta to New Orleans drive are Montgomery AL, Mobile AL and Biloxi MS. The distance from Atlanta to New Orleans by car is 470 miles, with a driving time of 6h35m.
Planning an Atlanta to New Orleans road trip itinerary
The Atlanta to New Orleans drive connects the biggest cities in Georgia and Louisiana.
5 great Atlanta experiences to book
- ✊ Take a black history and civil rights tour – the unquestioned number one option.
- 🚋 Get to know the city on a 90 minute trolley tour.
- 🍷 Go wine-tasting in North Georgia’s wine country.
- 🍽️ Taste the best of Atlanta on a Midtown food and cocktails tour.
- 👻 Explore Atlanta’s spookiest spots on an after-dark ghost tour.
Atlanta played a massive part in the Civil Rights movement, and a black history and civil rights tour is pretty much a must-do.
For more Atlanta experiences, try a sightseeing trolley tour for orientation and overview. Or a guided bike ride to get a better feel for the neighbourhoods.
Other Atlanta favourites include the World of Coca Cola, Midtown food and cocktail tours and multi-brewery beer tours.
New Orleans resolutely refuses to feel like any other American city. From the raucous hedonism of Bourbon Street to the European-influenced charm of the French Quarter, New Orleans is mesmerizingly unusual to hang out in.
Those wanting to explore the city’s heritage can visit historic home museums, such as the BK House, Gallier House and Hermann-Grima House. The Cabildo, St Louis Cathedral and Old Ursuline Convent also ooze historic grandeur.
Big hitter attractions include the World War II Museum and Audubon Zoo, but there’s a more distinctively NOLA flavour at Mardi Gras World and the New Orleans Jazz Museum.
Top New Orleans experiences include French Quarter food tours, haunted pub crawls, jazz cruises aboard the steamboat Natchez and cemetery walking tours.
5 great experiences in New Orleans to book today
- 🎷 Steamboat Natchez jazz cruise – Go for a jazz cruise aboard the Steamboat Natchez.
- 🍤 French Quarter food tour – Take a French Quarter food tour and discover Louisiana’s distinctive Cajun and Creole cuisine.
- 🐊 Swamp and bayou boat tour – Enjoy a swamp and bayou boat tour with a quieter boat for better wildlife sightings.
- 👻 New Orleans’ dark side – On a tour of New Orleans’ dark side, uncover ghosts, vampires, crime and voodoo.
- 🏛️ Whitney Plantation tour – Hear the true stories of slavery on a Whitney Plantation tour with transport from New Orleans.
Atlanta to New Orleans distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Atlanta to New Orleans is 470 miles. That makes for a driving time of around six hours and 35 minutes. The quickest route is along the I-85, I-65 and I-10.
The best stops to add to an Atlanta to New Orleans road trip itinerary are Montgomery AL, Mobile AL and Biloxi MS.
Best stops between Atlanta and New Orleans: Montgomery, Alabama
The main reason to visit Montgomery is the Civil Rights heritage. There are several ways to explore this, with the cheapest being a self-guided audio tour and the most in-depth being a three hour private tour.
Other fun Montgomery experiences include a party pedal boat cruise along the Alabama River,
If planning to blitz several attractions, a city pass might save you money.
Atlanta to New Orleans drive: Mobile AL
The Alabama Gulf Coast port city of Mobile has a perhaps unexpected party spirit. This is best explored in the bars, or at the Mobile Carnival Museum.
You can also head on board the USS Alabama battleship or visit the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf. The latter includes a ship simulator, where you can have a go at steering a ship through the Gulf.
Elsewhere, Colonial Fort Conde is the top historic attraction and the Exploreum Science Center has plenty of button-pushing for kids.
Mobile experience options include a downtown food tour and a cruise around the port.
Top Mobile accommodation picks include the personality-packed Fort Conde Inn and the riverside Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza.
Atlanta to New Orleans road trip attractions: Biloxi MS
Biloxi on the Mississippi coast is best known as a casino destination, but there’s plenty to keep non-gamblers interested. The Biloxi Lighthouse opened in 1848, and is now open for public tours. The Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum covers the region’s history, and looks at just how big a business fishing is. You can also take a cruise on one of the schooners moored outside the museum.
Also in Biloxi is Beauvoir, the lavish home of Confederate president Jefferson Davis. The mansion is open for tours.
For Biloxi accommodation, try the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort for entertainment and the South Beach Hotel and Suites for beachside location.
More Atlanta road trips
- Getting to Atlanta: The best stops on the Birmingham to Atlanta drive, Detroit to Atlanta drive, Memphis to Atlanta drive and Nashville to Atlanta drive.
- Atlanta road trips: The best stops on the Atlanta to Montgomery drive, Atlanta to Baton Rouge drive, Atlanta to Biloxi drive and Atlanta to Mobile drive.
- Road trips from Atlanta to Florida: Where to stop on the Atlanta to Destin drive, Atlanta to Gainesville drive, Atlanta to Pensacola drive, Atlanta to Tallahassee drive and Atlanta to Tampa drive.
- Road trips from Atlanta to Tennessee: The best stops on the Atlanta to Chattanooga drive.
