With so many things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, it’s no secret most things that instantly come to mind involve the white sand beaches of Alabama’s Coast. But sometimes, having your toes in the water and ass in the sand (I really hope y’all get that reference, if not, Google it) just isn’t what you want to do all. day. long. Don’t get us wrong, no Gulf Shores vacation is complete without tons of beach time, but sometimes, you just need something MORE!
This little town has so much more to offer than just beautiful sand and serene waves crashing. We’re sharing some of our favorite non-beach things to do in Gulf Shores that don’t involve having any sand in your butt!
Things To Do in Gulf Shores
Dolphin Kayaking Tour
Our Dolphin Kayak Tour with Coastal Kayak Excursions will probably go down as one of our favorite “excursions” we’ve ever done while on a beach vacation. On our first trip to Gulf Shores, we booked a dolphin kayaking cruise for sunset and the rest is history. Okay, not quite. We knew (before even leaving for the trip) it’d be good to do a few things that did not involve the beach. With a little research, we found Coastal Kayak Tours.
Being able to kayak with dolphins in Gulf Shores was such a unique experience and one we certainly won’t forget anytime soon! Be sure to check out Coastal Kayak Excursions’ Instagram to see some incredible videos of how up-close and personal you get with the dolphins, in their natural habitat!
Eat all the food
There are so many great restaurants in Gulf Shores. There’s a reason it’s been voted one of the best beach towns in the US for food. It’s also one of the reasons we choose to get married there (duh).
If you’re looking for some of the best food in Gulf Shores, be sure to check out our post on the Best Restaurants in Gulf Shores & Orange Beach, it’ll have your mouth watering.
Visit The Wharf Orange Beach
When it comes to things to do in Orange Beach, there’s no shortage! The Wharf alone has SO. MUCH. TO. DO. Easily the best shopping in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach!
Zip-lining
It’s what all the cool kids are doing…. right? The massive zip-lining course at The Wharf is one of the biggest we have seen (that isn’t in the middle of a rainforest). It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, but is one of the most adrenaline packed things to do in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, right behind parasailing, but this post is 100% sand free, so pretend we didn’t say that!
Dining
Because, food. There are no more reasons than this. The food at The Wharf in Orange Beach is delicious. We loved grabbing a cheese plate at Ginny Lane before heading over to Fusion Spa Salon to prep for my bridal portraits.
Shopping
This is probably the most dense shopping area that isn’t 100% souvenir shops in the area. This area is slightly reminiscent of the shopping area in Seaside, FL (yep, I said it), but has tons of great, local shops, with super sweet owners! We always recommend visiting here in the middle of the day, after lunch time, when the area isn’t as busy.
Play Bazooka Ball
Not even sure how this crazy sport (and it’s definitely a sport) came to be. But we sure are glad it did.
On the morning/ day of our wedding, we needed an activity for all of the guys to do that didn’t involve more eating and definitely did not involve more drinking. Somehow Bazooka Ball was discovered – located at The Wharf, inside Arena The Next Level this game is played with “guns” loaded with CO2 and soft foam balls. Imagine paintball or air-soft, without the pain or mess and scored similarly to laser tag. If you’re looking for a fun indoor activity in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach, this is definitely it.
We’ve gone back multiple times to play and it only gets better!
Visit Waterville
If you’re sick of salt water and sand up your butt or you happen to be in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach on a day swimming isn’t allowed on the beaches, but still want all fun in the sun, there’s only one Gulf Shores waterpark for you – Waterville USA! And it should probably be on your list of things to do next. Waterville is less than 10 minutes from the beach and will provide you all the fun in the sun you’re looking for.
Check out OWA
This amusement park near Gulf Shores is absolutely awesome. Not only is it packed with roller coasters, but there is also tons of great spots to eat as well as a waterpark! It’s a short drive away from the beach, but definitely worth the drive over!
Shop at Souvenir City
From our very first visit, this souvenir shop was our favorite. I can not confirm it is because they have a giant shark coming out of the building that you have to enter through, but yes, that’s probably 99% of the reason why. Not only do they have super reasonable prices on all things Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, but they also have a pretty cool montage of photos documenting the damage from Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
Whether you’re all good to spend all day on the white sand during your next Gulf Shores vacation or you’re dying to explore more of the area, we hope this list sparks something inside to get out and enjoy everything this beautiful area has to offer!
