Reviewed by: Lacey Muenstermann
50+ suggestions to plan your perfect Birmingham weekend trip
Reading time: 6 minutes
Sponsored
📍 Elyton Hotel
Is a weekend getaway calling your name? Luckily, there’s no need to hop on a plane when plenty of adventure awaits just 1.5 hours south in The Magic City.
Personally, I’m always looking for an excuse to make the drive down to Birmingham to explore the vibrant culinary scene, go to a concert or visit their hip coffee shops (I’m looking at you, June and Grounds).
With so much to choose from, you can lean on our expertise with our 50+ recommendations on where to stay, what to do and how to spend your ideal weekend in Birmingham.
Build your perfect Birmingham trip:
⭐️ = a personal favorite from someone on our team!
1. Book your stay
For me, the hotel I choose sets the tone for my trip. Make your stay part of the full experience with a high rise room or artsy decor at one of our hotel picks:
- Elyton Hotel: classic + minimalist with a rooftop bar (Marriott)
- Grand Bohemian: artsy + eclectic + across the street from the Birmingham Zoo + Botanical Gardens (Marriott)
- The Kelly: high-rise + modern in the middle of it all in downtown (Hilton)
- Ross Bridge: timeless + high-end including a pool, spa + RTJ golf course (Renaissance)
- Valley Hotel: classy + minimalist in walkable downtown Homewood (Hilton)
If you want to learn about more hotel options, check out the resources at Greater Birmingham Convention + Visitor’s Bureau (CVB).
2. Select your eateries
Birmingham is known for their food scene, and a proper getaway isn’t complete without tasting your way around the city. Here are the spots you’ll catch our team when we’re in town:
☕️ Coffee Shops
- Cala Coffee
- Grounds Coffee + Basic gift shop
- ⭐ June Coffee
- ⭐ O’Henry’s
- Satellite Coffee in Saturn
- Guide to 32 coffee shops in Bham
🍳 Breakfast + Brunch
- Crestline Bagel
- ⭐ Continental Bakery
- ⭐ The Essential
- Frothy Monkey
- General cafe & general store
- SoHo Standard
- ⭐ ROJO
- Guide to 11 brunch spots in Bham
🥙 Lunch
- Back40
- ⭐️ El Barrio
- Eugene’s Hot Chicken
- The Garage
- Johnny’s Restaurant (James Beard Winner)
- The Pizitz Food Hall
- ⭐ Real + Rosemary
- Saw’s BBQ (voted AL’s best BBQ)
🍽️ Dinner
- Bayonet
- ⭐ Bottega
- ⭐ Chez Fonfon (James Beard Winner)
- Galley + Garden
- Gianmarco’s
- Helen
- Kyuramen
3. Pick your afternoon activities
Anytime I pass through Birmingham, I have to stop at Seasick Records (psst: they have a new location now!). When I have more time, I love exploring the free Museum of Art and Botanical Gardens, plus local shops like Alabama Art Supply.
To help you plan a well-rounded itinerary, try mixing and matching these things to do:
🌳 Adventurous + outdoors
- ⭐️ Birmingham Zoo
- City Walk
- ⭐️ Railroad Park
- Rotary Trail
- Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail + more golf courses
🛍️ Shopping
- Alabama Art Supply
- ⭐ Little Professor Bookshop
- ⭐ Pepper Place
- ⭐ Seasick Records
- Stash Antiques
- The Summit
🏙️ Museums + sights
- ⭐ Birmingham Botanical Gardens (FREE)
- ⭐ Birmingham Museum of Art (FREE)
- McWane Science Center
- Vulcan Park & Museum
View more attractions and things to do in Birmingham.
4. Craft your evening out
Birmingham has some of the most unique craft cocktails and themed bars in the state. I recently experienced House of Found Objects for the first time and couldn’t stop staring at the colorful and wacky decor while sipping my “Wanda Claire” lavender honey tonic from a curly straw.
Next on my bucket list is Juniper, an opulent and artsy cocktail bar. Whether you prefer an eclectic, elegant or rooftop bar, there is something for every taste in the ‘ham:
🥂 Rooftop bars
🍸 Swanky bars
🍹Funky bars
5. Plan around an event
Looking for the perfect weekend to plan your visit? Check out some of the exciting concerts, events and festivals coming up:
🎶 Concerts
- Jason Isbell + the 400 Unit with guest Band of Horses
- Saturday, June 28 @ Coca-Cola Amphitheater
- Luke Bryan
- Saturday, July 19 @ Coca-Cola Amphitheater
- Alabama Shakes
- Saturday, July 26 @ Coca-Cola Amphitheater
- Jessie Murph – Worldwide Hysteria
- Saturday, September 6 @ Coca-Cola Amphitheater
- Pixies with Spoon
- Monday, September 8 @ Avondale Brewing Company
- Jason Aldean: Full Throttle Tour 2025
- Friday, September 26 @ Coca-Cola Amphitheater
- Shaboozey
- Wednesday, October 1 @ Avondale Brewing Company
- NBA YoungBoy
- Wednesday, October 22 @ BJCC
- Johnnyswim
- Friday, October 24 @ Iron City
- Cody Johnson
- Saturday, October 25 @ BJCC
- Brandon Lake
- Thursday, November 6 @ BJCC
- All Time Low
- Tuesday, November 11 @ Avondale Brewing Company
🎇 Events
- The Market at Pepper Place
- Every Saturday, 7AM-12PM @ Pepper Place
- World Police & Fire Games
- June 27-July 6 @ various locations
- Thunder on the Mountain fireworks show
- Friday, July 4 @ Kiwanis Centennial Park
- WWE Monday Night Raw
- Monday, July 14 @ BJCC
- Totally Rad Vintage Fest
- Saturday, August 2 @ BJCC
- Mom’s Vintage Market
- dates + times announced on socials
- Wicked presented by Broadway in Birmingham
- September 3-21 @ BJCC
- Tom Segura: Come Together Tour
- Friday, December 5 @ Alabama Theatre
🎬 Festivals
- Sidewalk Film Festival
- August 18-24 in the Theatre District
- 22nd Annual Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival
- August 23 in the Historic Fourth Avenue Business District
- Southbound Food Festival
- September 19-28 @ The Market at Pepper Place, Sloss Furnaces + more
- Furnace Fest music festival
- Friday-Sunday, October 2-5 @ Sloss Furnaces
- Iron Hills Country Music Fest
- Saturday-Sunday, October 11-12 @ Sloss Furnaces
6. Learn all you need to know about Bham from the CVB
We don’t gatekeep around here 😉—you now have our top recs for making the most of a trip to Birmingham!
Still have more questions? Visit InBirmingham.com and follow the Bham CVB @inbirmingham on socials for all things Birmingham: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn
Sponsored by:
Ad
