Introduction
What to do
Where to eat
When to visit
How to get there
Where to stay
Renting a car

Birmingham travel guide

Birmingham Tourism | Birmingham Guide

You're Going to Love Birmingham

With a population of 212,237, Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama, United States by the number of inhabitants. It is among the most popular tourist destinations in the country. Birmingham deserves at least 2 full days for you to see its main sights.

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Where to Eat in Birmingham

Five Points South is the neighborhood with the most restaurants in Birmingham. These include popular favorites such as Highlands Bar & Grill (2011 11th Avenue South), Bottega (2240 Highland Avenue South) and Ocean (1218 20th Street South). If you’re looking for affordable options, Bistro Two Eighteen (218 20th St. North) and Village Tavern Birmingham (101 Summit Blvd.) are great picks.

When to visit Birmingham

Birmingham in December
Estimated hotel price
$137
1 night at 3-star hotel
Birmingham in December
Estimated hotel price
$137
1 night at 3-star hotel

Looking for warm weather? Then head to Birmingham in July, when the average temperature is 80.6 °F, and the highest can go up to 91.4 °F. The coldest month, on the other hand, is January, when it can get as cold as 33.8 °F, with an average temperature of 44.6 °F. You’re likely to see more rain in March, when precipitation is around 5.2″. In contrast, October is usually the driest month of the year in Birmingham, with an average rainfall of 3.4″.

Data provided by weatherbase
Temperatures
Temperatures
Data provided by weatherbase

How to Get to Birmingham

Plane

When flying to Birmingham, you’ll arrive at Birmingham (BHM), which is located 4 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Birmingham include Spirit Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Birmingham departs from Nashville and takes around 50m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Birmingham. The train journey from Birmingham to Atlanta takes 4h 37m and costs around $32 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New Orleans, expect to pay about $36 for a 8h 00m trip. The train station in Birmingham is called Birmingham, and is located 0.3 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Birmingham is to pick up a car rental from Atlanta, which is about 140 miles from Birmingham. You’ll find branches of Routes Car & Truck Rentals and Turo, among others, in Atlanta.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Birmingham, including Greyhound, FlixBus and Bus. From Atlanta, the bus ride to Birmingham takes 150 miles and will cost you around $118. From New York, the ticket costs about $328 for a journey of 1080 miles. The most popular bus station is Birmingham 2427 Acton Rd, located 8 miles from downtown Birmingham. Birmingham Cahaba is also a commonly used station, and is 0.9 miles from the city center.

Plane

When flying to Birmingham, you’ll arrive at Birmingham (BHM), which is located 4 miles from the city center. Airlines that fly from the United States to Birmingham include Spirit Airlines, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines. The shortest domestic flight to Birmingham departs from Nashville and takes around 50m.

Train

Amtrak is the only carrier operating train routes to Birmingham. The train journey from Birmingham to Atlanta takes 4h 37m and costs around $32 for a one-way ticket. When coming by train from New Orleans, expect to pay about $36 for a 8h 00m trip. The train station in Birmingham is called Birmingham, and is located 0.3 miles from the city center.

Car

Another option to get to Birmingham is to pick up a car rental from Atlanta, which is about 140 miles from Birmingham. You’ll find branches of Routes Car & Truck Rentals and Turo, among others, in Atlanta.

Bus

Several bus lines operate bus routes to Birmingham, including Greyhound, FlixBus and Bus. From Atlanta, the bus ride to Birmingham takes 150 miles and will cost you around $118. From New York, the ticket costs about $328 for a journey of 1080 miles. The most popular bus station is Birmingham 2427 Acton Rd, located 8 miles from downtown Birmingham. Birmingham Cahaba is also a commonly used station, and is 0.9 miles from the city center.

Airports near Birmingham

MGMMontgomery Dannelly Field
BHMBirmingham
HSVHuntsville

Airlines serving Birmingham

Lufthansa
Good (7,208 reviews)
KLM
Good (1,366 reviews)
British Airways
Good (7,091 reviews)
Delta
Excellent (7,981 reviews)
Iberia
Good (2,819 reviews)
United Airlines
Good (8,861 reviews)
Air France
Good (1,472 reviews)
Emirates
Excellent (3,286 reviews)
Qatar Airways
Good (3,594 reviews)
Air Canada
Good (9,677 reviews)
Scandinavian Airlines
Good (1,416 reviews)
Alaska Airlines
Excellent (10,350 reviews)
Finnair
Good (1,306 reviews)
Aer Lingus
Good (1,144 reviews)
Spirit Airlines
Good (8,103 reviews)
ANA
Excellent (892 reviews)
Korean Air
Excellent (1,101 reviews)
Japan Airlines
Excellent (1,505 reviews)
LATAM Airlines
Good (1,805 reviews)
Aeromexico
Good (1,718 reviews)
Show more
Find flights to Birmingham

Where to stay in Birmingham

Average rates range from around $237 per night for a double room in a 3-star hotel to $251 and up for a 5-star experience. If you’re on a budget, well-reviewed accommodations include Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Birmingham Downtown and Holiday Inn Express & Suites Birmingham - Inverness 280. There are also lots of vacation rental options in Birmingham, with prices from $37 to $666 per night. Five Points South is the neighborhood with the highest amount of rentals to choose from. On average, vacation rentals in Birmingham are about 2% more expensive than a hotel room in the city.

Most popular hotel in Birmingham by neighborhood

Where to stay in popular areas of Birmingham

Most booked hotels in Birmingham

See all
Renaissance Birmingham Ross Bridge Golf Resort & Spa
4 stars
Excellent (9.1, 321 reviews)
$299+
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Drury Inn & Suites Birmingham Grandview
3 stars
Excellent (8.9, 1923 reviews)
$126+
View
Valley Hotel Homewood Birmingham, Curio Collection by Hilton
4 stars
Excellent (8.8, 83 reviews)
$248+
View
Hyatt Regency Birmingham-The Wynfrey Hotel
4 stars
Excellent (8.3, 1486 reviews)
$159+
View
Homewood Suites by Hilton Birmingham-SW-Riverchase-Galleria
3 stars
Excellent (8.3, 349 reviews)
$138+
View
Hampton Inn & Suites Birmingham-Downtown-Tutwiler
3 stars
Excellent (8.2, 1245 reviews)
$162+
View

Renting a car in Birmingham

Renting a car in Birmingham costs $61 per day, on average, or $122 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Dollar are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Birmingham is the Dollar branch at 5600 Airline Drive, which is 4 miles from the city center.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 11% more expensive than at Birmingham.

Expect to pay $3.56 per gallon in Birmingham (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $42.70 and $56.93.

Renting a car in Birmingham costs $61 per day, on average, or $122 if you want to rent if for 2 days. Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo and Dollar are the agencies with the best reviews in the city. The most popular location to rent a car in Birmingham is the Dollar branch at 5600 Airline Drive, which is 4 miles from the city center.

You’re likely to save money by renting your car at the airport: locations in the city are, on average, 11% more expensive than at Birmingham.

Expect to pay $3.56 per gallon in Birmingham (average price from the past 30 days). Depending on the size of your rental car, filling up the tank will cost between $42.70 and $56.93.

Best car rental deals in Birmingham

Economy

2 Adults, 2 Bags

$28/day

Economy

Economy

2 Adults, 2 Bags

$28/day

Economy
Find car rentals in Birmingham

Birmingham Travel Guide - View the KAYAK Birmingham city guide for the best Birmingham travel tips. To help you organize your Birmingham trip ideas, this Birmingham visitors guide provides travel information and trip tips about how to get there, where to stay, what to do, where to eat and more.