Birmingham Civil Rights Tour- Riding & Walking
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Birmingham, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Birmingham is known for its civil rights history, but matching landmarks to their significance can be difficult on a self-led tour. Visit notable locations, including the 16th Street Baptist Church, Kelly Ingram Park, and the site of the 1961 Freedom Riders attack, and discover their history from your guide. Travel between sites with ease via air-conditioned vehicle, and benefit from the small-group size for a more intimate experience.
- Visit landmarks including Dynamite Hill and Bethel Baptist Church
- Avoid hidden costs with all entrance fees included
- Gain intimate insight into the battle for civil rights from your guide
- Enjoy a personalized experience in a small group
What's Included
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Driver/guide
- Live commentary on board
- All activities
- Air conditioned transportation
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 512 16th St N, Birmingham, AL 35203, USA
I will be standing in front of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute next to the Fred Shuttlesworth statue. There is a parking lot diagonal from the front of the Institute that is free to park in. There is also free street parking(no meters) & paid street parking(meters) around the start point.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Operating hours.9:45 am
Itinerary
1
Civil Rights District
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Kelly Ingram Park
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
16th Street Baptist Church
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Linn Park
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Boutwell Auditorium
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Smithfield
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
The Historic Bethel Baptist Church
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Eddie Kendrick Memorial Park
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
9
John Herbert Phillips Academy
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
10
Wells Fargo ATM
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- TOUR RUNS RAIN OR SHINE. If canceled due to significant weather (hurricane, tornado, or ice), you will be given the option of an alternative date or full refund. We have transporation if the rain becomes an issue.
- We will walk over a mile on the tour in temperatures anywhere between 40-100F. Guests must be able to walk unassisted at a reasonable speed.
- Not recommended for those that cannot walk at least a mile.
- Not recommended for those affected by cold/hot weather.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 822 reviews
Christine_C, May 2026
Clay of Red Clay Tours was very knowledgeable, well prepared and timely. He was all the Southern gentleman in linen suit, Panama hat & white shoes which immediately set the tone. Not only did he do a fantastic job of painting a complete picture of the civil rights struggle but was able to answer all questions plus provide an entire list of resources for further study. I would recommend this small group excursion to anyone.
LINDA_F, Apr 2026
Excellent! Our guide Clay was so knowledgeable and thorough. He took us to the major civil rights sights,
Liza_P, Apr 2026
My 13 year old son and I had a wonderful experience on this civil rights walking tour in Birmingham. Our guide Clay was incredibly knowledgeable and shared meaningful insights that really brought the city’s history to life. It was both educational and deeply impactful—we left with a much greater understanding and appreciation of Birmingham’s role in the Civil Rights Movement. Highly recommend to anyone visiting.
Jocelyn_W, Mar 2026
This was a great tour. Clay was extremely knowledgeable and brought each of the sites to life. I highly recommend it.
Antonio_E, Mar 2026
Great tour guide, extremely knowledgeable, open to all questions, the tour guide is a local from Alabama so he is also intimately familiar with the general history of the city.
Laurie_F, Mar 2026
Great opportunity to hear about the history of the city of Birmingham from someone who has lived there and studied the past history while keeping current on the city as well. To ride by and stand in historical places should not be missed on your visit to the city of Birmingham.
The tour guide answered all questions while keeping the tour on schedule.
Its a beautiful city..its history is unfortunate but hopefully will not define it.
I hope schools and churches and youth groups take the opportunity to see and hear more about this city.
Alison_L, Mar 2026
Detailed, thoughtful and thought-provoking tour through Birmingham’s difficult past. Clay has a million details in his head and is clearly passionate about the topic. We learned a good deal on this tour and will continue to talk about it. We saw eye-opening parts of Bham that contrasted sharply with the resort area we were staying in outside of the city. As hard as some of the stories are to hear, it’s important that we know them and continue to learn from them. Highly recommend taking this tour.
Carmella_M, Mar 2026
Clay was amazing and very passionate about civil rights history! The tour was amazing and I highly recommend!
ElenaBrito_S, Mar 2026
Clay was a great tour guide. Very knowledgeable and shared so much about the Birmingham Civil Rights experience.
Barbara_F, Feb 2026
The tour guide, Clay was incredible. The tour is emotional and recalls horrible episodes in our history of violence against black Americans. Clay is knowledgeable and fact based, presenting the people and places that made Birmingham what it is today. I highly recommend this tour. Thank you Clay. Jill and Janet
Lucretia_D, Feb 2026
My friend joined me, and we both left informed, inspired, and challenged
Clay is incredibly knowledgeable — basically a walking Alabama historian (LOL). He brought powerful context to each stop and connected the past to the present in a way that really makes you think.
I highly recommend this tour to anyone with a thirst for knowledge and an open mind.
Ian_G, Feb 2026
Absolutely fantastic. Lively, informative, moving tour from Clay! We learned a lot and he was very welcoming of questions
Kimberly_B, Nov 2025
Excellent tour! Clay is amazing tour guide his knowledge of civil rights movement is unmatched. I learned so much today. Thank you Clay! I highly recommend this tour.
Murali_K, Oct 2025
I'm so glad I took this tour instead of walking around downtown Birmingham on my own. The tour guide and driver Mike Clay was amazing in taking us to various places in Birmingham and explaining what happened during the Civil Rights struggle in Birmingham. The tour was educational, informative, moving, and emotional. Kudos to Mike for explaining everything in detail, providing proper context, showing us pictures and artifacts from that time, and answering our questions. I highly recommend this tour for anyone interested in Birmingham's history and what happened during the 1960s. Thank you, Mike.
Todd_C, Oct 2025
Mike was an excellent tour guide! The tour was very informative thought provoking. Would highly recommend it for all ages.
BETHANY_M, Oct 2025
Expect to hear and see the reality of our shared history. It is sobering, informative and absolutely necessary knowledge. It’s my hope that the more of us who know the truth the more likely we are to act towards a better future.
Yasmine_M, Oct 2025
Walking in the footsteps of Civil Rights.
You got to experience and visit the buildings with a guide that helped you visualize what happened where it happened. You really got to feel the strength of the good that pushed thru the struggles that were endured.
Bill_F, Oct 2025
Amazing tour! Excellent presenter who went way beyond just pointing out the sights. He explored the emotions and life of those involved. I’ve been thinking about this tour for days. Very moving!
Terrence_F, Sept 2025
Mike, is an excellent tour guide and even better person. He was knowledgeable, friendly and extremely pleasant. I have been on several tours and this was the best one by far. Mike gave us an in depth look at the Civil rights movement. He told us about unsung heroes and took us dynamite hill and other various neighborhoods. If you're in Birmingham this tour is an absolute necessity. You will never forget this life changing experience. Mike is a brilliant story teller and his passion for giving a great tour is unparalleled.
Becky_G, Sept 2025
Mike was absolutely spectacular. So knowledgeable, great story teller, tackled all the tough topics with tact and compassion. I would recommend this for to anyone and everyone.
Shannon_W, Aug 2025
Mike, our tour guide and father of the owner of Red Clay Toure, knows Birmingham and its history inside and out. He gave an in depth and engaging tour of the city, pointing out important places and explaining the role of key leaders in the city during the civil rights movement. He really made the history come alive and answered all the questions our group had. Everyone, regardless of race, age or nationality, should take this tour as we don’t want history to repeat itself! Highly recommend!
Karen_G, Aug 2025
Our guide Mike was terrific. Everything was so organized- he let us know where to meet, where to park, etc. Mike was so knowledgeable about the history of Birmingham and the struggles that went on. It was a great balance of walking and riding in the air- conditioned van!!
Sherryanne_T, Jul 2025
This tour was so helpful to understand the key history of the civil rights movement here in Alabama.. I was brought to tears in moments but was also inspired by the stories of courage, struggle it took to gain freedom. The miracles and small breakthroughs that came at such a high cost. Thank you Mike for allowing us to get a glimpse of this very important history and the heroic acts of so many people known and unknown.
Debbie_P, Jul 2025
Some truth can be hard to swallow but necessary. Being informed about All history makes you see the world in a different light. There is so much of our history that people don’t want to talk about.
Marvin_W, Jul 2025
This was our second time on this tour. Our first time was wonderful with Clay. This time was equally amazing and memorable with Mike. Highly recommend and we look forward to visiting again and learning more.
Janine_D, Jul 2025
EXCELLENT!!! A phenomenal experience. My guide has encyclopedic knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement in Alabama and answered all of my questions! Will be recommending this tour to everyone.
Jaime_B, Jul 2025
Very thorough on civil rights history. He made it exciting. It was a great experience. I definitely recommend.
Milan_S, Jul 2025
This was a really insightful and educational tour learning about the struggles and eventual triumph of the civil rights movement. Mike was an exceptional storyteller and very passionate about preserving the history and making sure the stories are never forgotten.
His knowledge of that era is evident with the details of the stories and the characters involved. He answered all questions thoughtfully. There were teachers in our group who also learned from him.
He made it engaging for the kids also and brought it down at times to their level. My teenager kids are still talking about Mike. The tour is not exhausting as Mike made sure we had rest in the shade wherever possible and also took us for restroom breaks too. We saw key sites used during the era.
He opted to pick us up from the hotel if we wanted which was a pleasant surprise. And in the end gave me and my kids recommendations on where to eat, what to see, and where to shop!
Alicia_W, Jun 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I had an incredible experience on the Birmingham Civil Rights Tour with Red Clay Tours. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and took his time walking us through the city’s history in a clear, chronological way. It was evident that he takes great pride in what he does, and his passion for sharing this important history really came through. I left the tour with a deeper understanding and appreciation of Birmingham’s role in the Civil Rights Movement. I highly recommend Red Clay Tours to anyone visiting the area—I'd absolutely suggest it to my friends and family.
Carrie_F, Jun 2025
Guide was very knowledgeable, told great stories. It was meaningful to see and learn about the places where key events took place.
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