Atlanta 3-Day Itinerary

Atlanta is a bustling city filled to the brim with culture, great food and interesting museums, making it hard to explore it all in just a short amount of time. But with proper planning, it’s definitely possible to get the most out of your visit. The following is a 3-day itinerary with some of the most popular and highly-rated must-see locations in the city, as well some more indie and hidden spots for those who prefer to stay off the grid.

Day 1 in Atlanta:

• Start Early – Visiting many of Atlanta’s popular attractions tend to take a good chunk out of the day – particularly museums with all of their exhibits and content- so be sure to start early to get the most out of the hours of your day. I suggest you get the CityPASS Atlanta because it is really worth it.

• World of Coca Cola

• Center for Civil Rights

• Georgia Aquarium

  

• Go on a Southern Pedaler Tour to Unwind and Drink

  The Southern Pedaler Tour is a fun and environmentally friendly tour wherein guests pedal together on a big party bike to get to their designated spots. There are many different tour options, including a happy hour one if you want an opportunity to relax and unwind with some of the most refreshing spirits in Atlanta.

 

Day 2:

CNN Studio Tour

College Football Hall

Centennial Park

Ride the Tram

The Atlanta Tram, also known as the Atlanta Streetcar, is a popular and affordable way to get around the city, especially when compared to the higher prices of private services like Uber and Lyft. There is a 2.7 mile loop which spans through downtown Atlanta and has many stops – most of them are where you can find and access popular attractions, restaurants and coffee shops with ease, as well as clubs and bars for those interested in exploring the city’s bustling nightlife.

The streetcar stops consists of 12 different stops, listed below:

• Peachtree Center Station
• Carnegie at Spring
• Centennial Olympic Park
• Luckie at Cone
• Park Place
• Hurt Park
• Sweet Auburn Market
• Edgewood at Hilliard
• King Historic District
• Dobbs Plaza
• Auburn at Piedmont
• Woodruff Park

You can buy your passes via credit or debit card at various Breeze vending machines, each located at the streetcar stops. If you plan to pay with cash, be sure to have the exact amount available on hand and purchase your fare via the available cash collection box behind the Streetcar operator.

They offer a one way pass for only $1 as well as daily, weekly, five-day, and monthly passes for $3, $11, $10, $40 respectively, but only the one-one pass is available for purchase on the spot – the rest will have to be bought online via the convenient and easy to use ATL Streetcar application which you can download both on the Google Play store as well as the Apple App Store. You can find the download links via the official website here. Children below 46’’ with an accompanying adult can ride for free.

The streetcars run every 10 to 15 minutes and follow the following weekly schedule:

Monday – Thursday: 6 AM to 11 PM

Friday: 6 AM to 1 AM

Saturday: 8:30 AM to 1 AM

Sunday: 9 AM to 11 PM

 

Have Lunch at Krog Street Market

Krog Street Market offers lot of delicious eats, ranging from affordable to more upscale options depending on what you’re craving. The shops are constantly changing and evolving overtime, giving lots of independent chefs some much-deserved time in the spotlight. Some great stops are:

• • Gu’s Dumplings – Authentic Sichuan noodles, dumplings, chicken, and more. Their special chilli oil, their very own recipe, is a must try.
  • Fred’s Meat and Bread – delicious sandwiches, with the cheesesteak being their more prominent and well-known
  • The Luminary – gourmet French cuisine
  • Bar Mercado – Authentic Spanish tapas and spirits
  • C BBQ – For meat lovers—they sell freshly smoked brisket, baby back ribs, and lots of other beloved American dishes
  • Hop City Bar – Drink lovers rejoice, because Hop City offers a varied collection of craft beers and wines.
  • Yalla – Middle eastern cuisine like pita, kebabs, falafel and the very popular shawarma. Vegans and vegetarians have lots of options at this stop as well.
  • XOCOLATL Small Batch Chocolate – handcrafted dark chocolate made on-site with handpicked ingredients
  • Varuni Napoli – For authentic Italian cuisine and artisan Neapolitan pizzas
  • Suzy Siu’s Baos – Asian steamed buns made from locally sourced meats and ingredients, best paired with their selection of different sides

• Ford Fry – hearty Tex-Mex meals and refreshing sangria
• Richard’s Southern Fried – A southern fried chicken place with a simple menu but complex and amazing dishes
• Makimono – Satisfy your sushi cravings with a selection of rolls and rice bowls, as well as other Japanese sides
• Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams – Cleanse and refresh your palette with froyo, sorbets and ice cream before going for a second round of food
• The Little Tart Bakeshop – Top off the night with handmade and freshly baked pastries all made with locally sourced, organic products

 

Go around and explore Krog Street Art

Atlanta has lots of beautiful street art and murals, and one of the best places to see them is at the Krog Street Tunnel.

The Krog Street Tunnel, which connects Inman Park and Cabbagetown, has a long history of art and graffiti that originally started in protest of the gentrification of the city – and it just spread across the area since then.

Aside from the beautiful paintings and messages ranging from the inspirational to political and even controversial, the tunnel also serves as a message board for various events and activities occuring in the neighborhood. The art at the Krog Street Tunnel is constantly changing and evolving, with new pieces being painted over the old ones in a repetitive cycle – so it’s likely that no two visits will be the same.

 

Day 3: Go on a Food Tour

The food walks in Atlanta are also a wonderful way to get a taste for the unique flavors of the city. One great tour available in the city is the Grant Park Past & Future Food Walk by Atlanta Food Walks. It’ll take you through different stops in the area serving up both Southern-inspired cuisine that Atlanta is well-known for, as well as the best places to get brews and wine. In addition to the great food, the tour also takes you through some historically relevant and interesting locations.

 

Instagrammable Spots in Atlanta

We followed some of the best instagrammable spots we found on the web but unfortunately, some of them no longer existed, and some – like the Boombox Doors – were in rather sketchy locations so it’s best to keep cautious and perhaps even ask a reputable local if the murals are still even around. These Instagrammable spots are constantly updating and being removed, so it’s best to follow the most updated guides.

1. Ricky Watts Wall for Outer Space Project

   

   

   

   

   

   

Address: 10 Krog Street NE, Atlanta, GA 30307

A beautiful rainbow background which cascades in abstract and cartoon-y waves – stand in the middle of where all of the colors meet for the most dynamic picture.

2. The Music Room Boombox Doors

Address: 327 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta, GA 30312

The mural painted in the background is a boombox set to the highest volume, great for poses covering your ears, pretending the music’s too loud. However, this place is a bit sketchy. There were a lot of homeless people around – it felt far too quiet and they kept on looking at us. There were also some nice restaurants around but we went on a quiet day where it seemed no place as open, so we were a little bit uneasy, especially Tina. I don’t know if this is the norm in the area. We quickly took a tram just so we could move away from the location. We didn’t feel like they would harm us, but they kept on following us to ask for money and we weren’t very familiar with the area, so that added to our unease.

More Instagrammable Spots, Help me name them?

Travel Easy with a Breeze Card

The Breeze Card is an easy way to get around Atlanta especially when you’re going to be using the streetcars and other public transportation frequently. The card is durable, long lasting. It costs only $2 and can be loaded up with money good for the entirety of your stay. All you have to do is tap and go. You can check your balance online, and it also comes with balance protection to keep you more secured – much less hassle than buying your pass repeatedly at each station. The cards can be purchased at the Breeze vending machine located at all of the Atlanta StreetCar stops.

 

Walk the BeltLine

The Atlanta BeltLine consists of a 22-mile stretch of unused railway tracks which is now being rehabilitated and used as a pathway for runners, joggers, and bikers as an easy way to circle and explore the city’s neighborhoods.

Art is a major highlight of the BeltLine, and is very prevalent throughout the path, you will see lots of murals and installations both official and nonofficial. There are even particular areas dedicated to just art – both performance and visual: like the Eastside Trail. You can also book a walking tour to learn more about the of trees and greenery being planted along the path as well as be informed of lots of popular restaurants, bars, and activities found nearby.

Have Dinner at the Ponce Street Market

This is one of my favorite stops. The wide collection of stores and prevalence of art and delicious food was a very good experience. It was an abandoned warehouse now turned into a sprawling urban destination with lots of modern shops and stores – most of them catering to a rather youthful taste with their new, adventurous cuisine and very instagrammable meals.

On the first floor is where you can fill up on delicious eats. It can be compared to a food court, but it’s much more modern and upscale, with sorts of different stalls and restaurants, making it hard to choose. If you’re looking to sit and chill out with a cup of coffee, however, then making a stop at the Spiller Park Coffee for their refreshing cold brew is worth your time.

The second floor contains more food stops, clothing, art supply, and trinket shops, as well as a lookout where you can sit back with a refreshing cup of coffee or a smoothie and look out into the view.

The third floor, or the roof, was also really cool. It had cool chairs and a garden, as well as even more indoor and outdoor restaurants and drinking spots. Aside from the food, there’s also an area called the Skyline Park where you can play golf and other mini games. The best part about the roof, however, is the amazing view of the Atlanta skyline especially during sunset and at night.

All in all, I really loved this place.

 

Get around the city with Bird

Experiment with fun, exciting, and most importantly: environmentally friendly transportation options by riding the Bird electric scooters around the city. With your smartphone, you can grab a scooter and then ride it to your location for as little as just $1 and then leave it there for the next person to use. Aside from electric scooters, they also have bikes – keep in mind, however, that you should wear a helmet for the sake of safety, and there are some areas where the scooters cannot be used.

This itinerary has a good mix of museums and tours. If you aren’t a football fan you can skip the college football option and explore food in Atlanta, or head to the Fernbank Museum or zoo. You may use the Citypass to make the most out of your stay in Atlanta.

I really loved exploring street art in Krog. At the other side of the tunnel is an area which is also part of the Beltline – you can explore that too. Tina and I actually just walked around, searching for more of the beautiful street art made by talented artists – both local and non-local.