The best road trip stops on the Destin to Gulf Shores drive are Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola and Orange Beach. The distance from Destin to Gulf Shores by car is 80 miles, with a 2h5m driving time.
Planning a Destin to Gulf Shores road trip itinerary
The Destin to Gulf Shores drive connects great beach towns in Florida and Alabama.
Five great things to do in Destin
- 🍹 Take the tiki boat – out to the Crab Island sandbar for snorkelling, drinks and good times.
- 🐬 Meet the local dolphins – on one of Destin’s legendary dolphin cruises.
- 🤿 Combine a dolphin-watching cruise – with a snorkelling adventure.
- 🪂 See Destin from 400ft above the water – on a parasailing experience.
- 🌅 Watch the sun go down – and spot dolphins – on a sunset cruise.
Destin is a beach town on the Florida Panhandle, with white sand beaches at Henderson Beach State Park, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park and Grayton Beach State Park and several golf courses. The Destin Harbor Boardwalk tends to be the centre of activity, while Gator Beach is one of the top wildlife attractions on the Emerald Coast.
Top Destin experiences include a sunset tiki cruise, a Crab Island sandbar adventure, a dolphin-watching speedboat cruise and parasailing.
You can also try jetski rentals, the Maximum Magic show, Hydrojet sunset tours and banana boat rides.
If looking for Destin accommodation, the Comfort Inn and Suites offers good value and the plush Henderson Beach Resort has private beach access.
Gulf Shores has a touch of the Margaritaville lifestyle, which should come as no surprise given Jimmy Buffett’s sister runs restaurant and music bar LuLu’s here.
Beyond the turquoise water and white sand of Gulf Shores Public Beach and Gulf State Park, you can head through the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge to Fort Morgan or meet the creatures at the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo.
Fabulous beachside accommodation in Gulf Shores include the Lodge at Gulf State Park and the Phoenix All Suites West Hotel.
5 top experiences to book in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
- 🐬 See Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in their natural habitat on a wildlife cruise.
- 🌅 Combine dolphin-watching with a sunset cruise from Orange Beach.
- 🍹 Go tropical on a sunset cruise aboard a floating tiki bar.
- 🏝️ On a three hour boat tour, head out to the Gulf islands for some beach time.
- ⛵ See the sunset under sail on an evening sailing cruise.
Destin to Gulf Shores distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Destin to Gulf Shores is 80 miles. You can expect a driving time of around two hours and five minutes.
The best road trip stops on the Destin to Gulf Shores drive are Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola and Orange Beach.
Destin to Gulf Shores drive: Fort Walton Beach, Florida
Family-friendly attractions in Fort Walton Beach include the Emerald Coast Science Center and Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park. But it is largely about the sand, sea and sun. That sand is usually sparkling white, and the sea usually an alluring emerald.
Top experiences in Fort Walton Beach include pontoon boat rentals, stand-up paddleboarding, jet ski rentals and night kayaking tours in clear-bottomed kayaks that glow in the dark.
Great beachside accommodation options in Fort Walton Beach include Beal House and the Island Resort.
Best stops between Destin and Gulf Shores: Pensacola, Florida
5 top experiences to book in Pensacola
- 🐬 Meet the local dolphins on a cruise aboard the Frisky Mermaid.
- 🌅 Take an afternoon tiki boat cruise – and see the spectacular sunset.
- 👻 Learn about perdition, pirates and purgatory on a Pensacola ghost tour.
- 🍴 Feast on a food tour down Pensacola’s legendary Palafox Street.
- 🚌 Explore Pensacola’s highlights on a hop-on, hop-off bus tour.
The westernmost city on the Florida Panhandle, Pensacola is home to a major US Naval Station. You can visit the National Naval Aviation Museum and the Pensacola Lighthouse. Elsewhere, Historic Pensacola Village brings together heritage buildings, Gulf Breeze Zoo keeps the kids happy and Fort Pickens looks out towards Big Lagoon State Park.
But for most visitors, interest will lie in the white sand beaches and barrier islands.
Top Pensacola activities include nighttime kayaking with colourful LEDs lighting up the kayaks, and dolphin-watching cruises around the bay.
Other ways of exploring include downtown food tours, ghost and graveyard tours, guided pub crawls, Segway tours and sunset cruises.
For beachside Pensacola accommodation with great guest reviews, take a look at the Pensacola Beach Resort and the SpringHill Suites Pensacola Beach.
Destin to Gulf Shores road trip attractions: Orange Beach
Orange Beach is a hugely enjoyable fun-in-the-sun destination on the Alabama Coast. Good Orange Beach experiences include dolphin-watching cruises, sunset boat tours and sunset sailing cruises.
You can also enjoy a tiki boat tour to the nearby islands and convertible beach rentals.
Top Orange Beach accommodation options with excellent guest ratings include the Tides and the Island House Hotel.
More Gulf Coast travel
- Getting to Pensacola: The best stops on the Atlanta to Pensacola drive, Birmingham to Pensacola drive, Jacksonville to Pensacola drive, Mobile to Pensacola drive and Tallahassee to Pensacola drive.
- The best stops on the Austin to Destin drive, Birmingham to Destin drive, Tallahassee to Destin drive, Jacksonville to Destin drive, Pensacola to Destin drive and Atlanta to Destin drive.
- Key information for visiting Navarre Beach on the Pensacola to Fort Walton Beach drive.
- Getting to Mobile: Where to stop on the New Orleans to Mobile drive, Atlanta to Mobile drive, Tallahassee to Mobile drive, Houston to Mobile drive and Birmingham to Mobile drive.
- Road trips from Mobile: The best stops on the Mobile to Pensacola drive.
