The best road trip stops on the Memphis to Destin drive are Tupelo MS, Birmingham AL and Montgomery AL. The distance from Memphis to Destin by car is 505 miles, with an 8h5m driving time.
Planning a Memphis to Destin road trip itinerary
The Memphis to Destin drive takes you from the Mississippi River in Tennessee to one of Florida’s Gulf Coast beach favourites.
Five great things to do in Memphis
- 🎸 Enjoy a private luxury tour of Memphis – with Graceland tickets included.
- 🍖 Get a taste of Tennessee – on a Downtown Memphis food tour.
- 🛥️ Take a Memphis discovery tour – with Mississippi cruise and Sun Studio add-on options.
- 🏙️ Discover Memphis beyond Beale Street – on a historic walking tour.
- 🚗 Hop on a day tour to Tupelo – and see Elvis’ childhood home.
Memphis, Tennessee, is a pilgrimage site for Elvis fans. The King’s Graceland mansion is one of the top tourist sites in the US. But the cultural heritage extends beyond music, as you’ll discover on an African-American history tour.
Music fans should also try the Try the Rock and Soul Museum, plus the Memphis Music Hall of Fame and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
Ways of seeing the city include ghost walks, Downtown food tours and musical bus tours. There are also guided walks down music central, Beale Street, and city tours that take you inside the legendary Sun Studio.
Outdoors, Shelby Farms Park is one of America’s great urban parks and the Memphis Botanic Garden is expansive.
Top Memphis accommodation options include the Peabody, famous for its marching ducks, and the Guesthouse at Graceland.
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.
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.
Memphis to Destin distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Memphis to Destin is 505 miles. You can expect a driving time of around eight hours and five minutes. The quickest route goes via the I-22 and I-65.
The best stops to add to a Memphis to Destin road trip itinerary are Tupelo MS, Birmingham AL and Montgomery AL.
Memphis to Destin FL road trip attractions: Tupelo MS
Elvis lived in Tupelo, Mississippi, until he was 13 years old. The house where he was born, and lived his first few years, is now the Elvis Presley Birthplace Museum.
The simple two room house was built by Presley’s father, Vernon. Attractions at the site include a statue of Elvis as a 13-year-old and the church the family attended.
Memphis to Destin drive: Birmingham AL
Birmingham, Alabama, has a rich civil rights heritage. This is best explored on a civil rights tour which links the key sites and, crucially, puts them into context. Other Birmingham experiences include ghost walks and multi-brewery beer tours.
For museums, you’ve got the McWane Science Center, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame and the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark.
If planning to visit several of them, a Birmingham Area Multi-Attraction Pass will save you money.
Best stops between Memphis TN and Destin FL: Montgomery AL
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.
More Memphis and Destin road trips
- Getting to Memphis: Guides to the Dallas to Memphis drive, Houston to Memphis drive, Nashville to Memphis road trip, Little Rock to Memphis drive and Louisville to Memphis drive.
- Road trips from Memphis: The best stops on the Memphis to Atlanta drive, Memphis to Austin drive, Memphis to Detroit drive, Memphis to Hot Springs AR drive and Memphis to Oklahoma City drive.
- Driving from Memphis to Alabama. The best stops on the Memphis to Birmingham AL drive, Memphis to Montgomery drive, Memphis to Mobile drive, Memphis to Gulf Shores drive and Memphis to Orange Beach drive.
- Getting to Destin from elsewhere in Florida: Guides to the Tallahassee to Destin drive, Jacksonville to Destin drive and Pensacola to Destin drive.
- The best stops on the Austin to Destin drive, Nashville to Destin drive, New Orleans to Destin drive, Birmingham to Destin drive, Mobile to Destin drive and Atlanta to Destin drive.
