The distance from New Orleans to Gulf Shores AL is 196 miles, with a 3h10m driving time. The best road trip stops on the New Orleans to Gulf Shores drive are Honey Island, Biloxi MS and Mobile AL.
Planning a New Orleans to Gulf Shores road trip itinerary
The New Orleans to Gulf Shores drive takes you from Louisiana’s most entrancing city to the Alabama coast.
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.
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.
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.
New Orleans to Gulf Shores distance and driving time
By car, the distance from New Orleans to Gulf Shores is 196 miles. You can expect a driving time or around three hours and ten minutes. The quickest route is largely along the I-10.
The best stops to add to a New Orleans to Gulf Shores road trip itinerary are Honey Island, Biloxi MS and Mobile AL.
New Orleans to Gulf Shores road trip attractions: Honey Island Swamp Tours
Honey Island Swamp Tours in Slidell LA takes visitors out onto the Honey Island Cypress Swamp. On board the boats, you’ll get commentary from guides who really know the swamp ecology.
It’s mainly about the wildlife spotting, however, and there’s a strong chance of seeing several species here. These include herons, egrets, deer, wild hogs, raccoons, otters and – of course – alligators.
Best stops between New Orleans and Gulf Shores: 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.
New Orleans to Gulf Shores 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.
More Louisiana and Alabama travel
- Getting to Gulf Shores: The best stops on the Mobile to Gulf Shores drive, Destin to Gulf Shores drive and Pensacola to Gulf Shores drive.
- Getting to New Orleans: The best stops on the Atlanta to New Orleans drive, Baton Rouge to New Orleans drive, Houston to New Orleans drive and Tallahassee to New Orleans drive.
- Road trips from New Orleans: Where to stop on the New Orleans to Biloxi drive and New Orleans to Mobile 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 Gulf Shores drive, Mobile to Pensacola drive and Mobile to Biloxi drive.
