‣ Hello and welcome back to my blog! Today, I’ll be sharing a travel guide to Atlanta, Georgia. I visited Atlanta over my spring break in March 2022, and I also spent a day in the city this summer while waiting for a late night flight. Atlanta has quickly become one of my favorite cities in the South, and I hope you enjoy reading this post.
Note: We were mentioned as a local Atlanta, GA expert on the Redfin blog! Check out the article we were featured in: The Ultimate Atlanta, GA Bucket List: 18 Unforgettable Experiences for New Residents.
What to See & Do
Downtown
Downtown Atlanta is the main commercial area of the city with many of its major tourist attractions. It is easily accessible from the airport on public transportation; you can take the train straight to Peachtree Center Station.
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a cultural center that focuses both on the Civil Rights Movement in the United States and the fight for human rights around the world. This was truly my favorite part of visiting Atlanta, and I think it is a must-do while you are there. The museum features interactive exhibits (such as a lunch counter sit-in simulation), personal letters from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and a sobering gallery of both human rights leaders and abusers.
It is open Tuesday to Friday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
World of Coca-Cola
The World of Coca-Cola pays homage to one of the world’s most famous beverages. You can sample drinks from around the world, learn about the bottling process, and shop for Coca-Cola memorabilia in the 81,000-square-meter complex.
Centennial Olympic Park
Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympic Games, and Centennial Olympic Park is a celebration of that. You can see the Olympic rings and Fountain of Rings, and there is also a visitor center and playground. The park is the center of many downtown attractions, such as the World of Coca-Cola, Children’s Museum of Atlanta, Georgia Aquarium, SkyView Atlanta (observation wheel), College Football Hall of Fame, and National Center for Civil and Human Rights.
Midtown
Midtown is often described as a hub of arts and culture, with a slightly more residential feel but lots of nightlife and popular restaurants.
Piedmont Park
Piedmont Park is a large urban park with walking and jogging paths, tennis courts, a dog park, public pools, and lots of green space to lounge and enjoy a picnic. I thought Piedmont Park was a beautiful spot to walk around and spend an afternoon, and I definitely recommend spending some time there!
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Located right next to Piedmont Park, the Atlanta Botanical Garden is a large outdoor garden with a wide variety of flora, topiaries, and indoor collections. I actually did not get to visit (we went early in the spring, before most flowers were blooming) but I am definitely hoping to go next time!
High Museum of Art
The High Museum of Art has everything from classics to photography to contemporary art. When I visited, the Obama portraits were on display, as well—they have a few rotating exhibitions throughout the year. I thought it was a really well-done art museum with unique architectural features.
Fox Theatre
Fox Theatre is a live entertainment and performing arts venue. Be sure to check the schedule early so you can catch one of the touring Broadway shows or other performances!
Buckhead
Buckhead, located north of Midtown and Downtown, is known for its shopping and restaurants. From what I’ve seen and read, it is also considered an affluent neighborhood with larger homes and upscale amenities.
Atlanta History Center & Swan House
Atlanta History Center is made up of historic houses, exhibits, and gardens. It is also home to Swan House, an opulent mansion built in the 1920s (that was also used as a filming location in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”). The indoor exhibitions include the U.S. Civil War, history of Georgia, and Native American history. Outside, you can see log cabins, gardens, farm animals, a Victorian playhouse, and more. I did a free 30-minute guided tour of the Swan House and really enjoyed it. There is a lot to see here!
Buckhead Village
Buckhead Village is home to a number of upscale restaurants and stores, and it’s a nice place to walk around (and shop and dine, if you want to!). Buckhead Theatre is also located right in this area, and there are a number of hotels and condos here, too.
Lenox Square & Phipps Plaza (and Legoland Discovery Center Atlanta)
As I said, Buckhead is known for its shopping—and these two large malls are at the center of it all. There are tons of high-end stores in this area. The Legoland Discovery Center is a great place to visit if you’re a Lego lover and don’t want to go all the way out to Carlsbad!
Eastside
Eastside has so much to see and do, from the Old Fourth Ward (birthplace of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) to Little Five Points (I’d say it’s like Atlanta’s version of Berkeley). There are also lots of great spots to eat!
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park & The King Center
This was honestly one of the reasons why I wanted to visit Atlanta. I went to Memphis, Tennessee last summer and saw the hotel where Dr. King spent his final night, so I thought it was also time for me to see where he grew up and spent his life.
In the Sweet Auburn district, visit the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Park to learn about his life and legacy and walk through the International Civil rights Walk of Fame; Birth Home (and take a free guided tour if you’re one of the lucky people who gets a spot on a first-come, first-served basis); Ebenezer Baptist Church (where Dr. King preached until his death in 1968); and the burial site of Dr. King and Corretta Scott King. The Six Principles of Nonviolence are inscribed on a wall nearby, and I think these are an important part of the Civil Rights Movement that we should all know.
Little Five Points
Little Five Points is a neighborhood with crystal shops, vintage and thrift stores, delicious vegan food, and more. It’s a great place to spend a day if you’re looking for a quirkier area! I ate at Govinda’s Cafe, a non-profit vegan cafe that aims to serve its community in a meaningful way, as well as Sevananda Natural Foods, a health food store with a hot bar (hello fluffy vegan biscuits!). We also explored the street art and browsed around Junkman’s Daughter, a huge store with unique jewelry, decorations, clothes, and more.
Krog Street Market & Ponce City Market
I definitely recommend checking out at least one of these two food halls! They’re fun places to eat—I love the atmosphere of indoor food halls, and it’s nice to have so many options to eat. There are also cute stores to explore before or after. I had Indian food from Jai Ho Indian Kitchen & Bar at Krog Street Market. At Ponce City Market, I enjoyed Cuban food from El Super Pan and a mocktail from Bar Vegan. (I really enjoyed Bar Vegan—if you’re going, I recommend putting your name down early, as they fill up! They let us bring in food from outside as long as it was vegan.).
Other
Atlanta BeltLine
The Atlanta BeltLine is made up of 22 miles of old railroad tracks and has a few different trails all throughout the city. You can walk, jog, or bike along the trails. We stumbled upon the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail while walking from the Old Fourth Ward to Krog Street Market; it was a lovely evening walk! There is also a Northside Trail and a West End Trail. Many of the restaurants on the BeltLine have patios for outdoor dining, too.
Tiny Doors ATL
Artist Karen Anderson Singer has painted a number of 7-inch doors throughout the city, meant to “reflect the spirit, architecture, and other unique elements of the surrounding community.” They’re all labeled, and the designs are adorable! You can find the doors at the Old Fourth Ward Skate Park, Swan House, Fox Theatre, and more. Here’s a list of all the doors.
Where to Eat
In addition to the spots I named in Little Five Points, Krog Street Market, Ponce City Market, here are some other spots in Atlanta to check out:
- Velvet Taco (Buckhead): This nontraditional taco spot has a veggie section on the menu, so I tried the Nashville fried tofu taco and falafel taco. They were both delicious! It is a great quick spot to grab a bite to eat before going to the Atlanta History Center or Buckhead Village.
- Cafe Sunflower (Buckead): This is one of the most popular vegan restaurants in Atlanta, with an extensive lunch and dinner menu as well as Saturday brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every week!
- Farm Burger (Midtown): Farm Burger has locations throughout the Southeast, and this particular spot was located inside a huge Whole Foods Market in Midtown. I really enjoyed the veggie burger made from quinoa, beans, and sweet potatoes.
- Herban Fix (Midtown): Herban Fix is a vegan Asian fusion restaurant. It is less than a 5-minute walk from Fox Theatre and serves delicous dishes such as steamed duck buns, hot pot, pho, and bibimbap.
- Slutty Vegan ATL (multiple locations): This famous vegan burger spot was established by the same person who owns Bar Vegan!
Also, I review all the places that I eat on Spokin, a food allergy community app! Be sure to check it out so you can find allergy-friendly spots and products all over the world.
How to Get Around
Parts of Atlanta are easily accessible by public transportation, which is known as MARTA. When I was in Atlanta this summer, I bought a one-day MARTA card for $11 and used it to go from the airport to Buckhead, then took the bus to Buckhead Village and from Buckhead Village to Lenox Square. The public transportation system is easy to navigate, as there are only a few rail lines. If you’ll be there for a few days, I recommend buying a MARTA card instead of paying for individual rides because you’ll likely have to take both a train and a bus to get to your destination!
The main problem with using public transportation is that it takes much longer to reach your destination—most places that are about a 15-minute drive will become a 45 to 60-minute ride with train and bus transfers. Uber and Lyft are faster and more convenient (but more expensive, of course!). We used them when it was late at night or we were trying to get somewhere more quickly.
Final Thoughts
I’ve really enjoyed both my visits to Atlanta. I think there is so much to see, do, and learn. I hope that I can go back one day because I unfortunately have not yet had the opportunity to do a guided tour at Dr. King’s birth house (the tours just reopened a couple of months ago after the COVID-19 pandemic), and that is on my bucket list!
I’d recommend visiting in the spring or fall, probably—it was quite hot and humid when I visited in July. Nonetheless, I hope you have the chance to go to Atlanta and that you love it as much as I do!
