Things to do in Atlanta
BBQ, civil rights history, serious art, and a seafood dinner worth planning around.
This is Atlanta for someone who wants the full picture: neighbourhood mornings in Inman Park, Civil War paintings and garden cemeteries in the afternoon, and evenings that earn their price tag. No resort-district itineraries, no tourist traps. If you eat well, walk a lot, and like a proper drink at the end of the day, this trip is for you.
Day 1: Inman Park and the Old Fourth Ward
The day moves from a crepe-and-coffee neighbourhood start through brisket and Oakland Cemetery's extraordinary Victorian grounds to an acclaimed Middle Eastern dinner and a no-fuss local bar to close.
- 9:30 AM
Kinship Butcher & Sundry
Virginia-Highland butcher and deli counter; grab coffee and a breakfast sandwich to go.
Map - 12:30 PM
Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q
Texas-style brisket and Tomminator tots, the locals' BBQ go-to, easy $$ lunch.
Map - 2:30 PM
Oakland Cemetery
Victorian garden cemetery with Margaret Mitchell, Civil Rights figures and beautiful grounds, a classic Atlanta afternoon wander.
Map - 4:30 PM
Martin Luther King
King's birth home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, King Center and reflecting-pool tomb on a free 35-acre walkable park.
Map - 7:30 PM
Delbar
Middle Eastern plates in Inman Park: start with the hummus and bread, then the lamb and saffron rice.
Map - 9:30 PM
The Local
No-fuss neighbourhood bar close by for a proper end-of-night cocktail without the flash.
Map
Day 2: Buckhead: Art, History, and a Long Dinner
A morning at Lenox Square rolls into the Atlanta History Center's Civil War Cyclorama and Swan House, then a long Italian dinner at Storico Fresco.
- 10:30 AM
Lenox Square
Lenox Square is the local mall pick, browse, people-watch, and stay in the Buckhead pocket after lunch.
Map - 12:30 PM
Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza - Buckhead
Miami pizza import known for a pie with ricotta-stuffed points round the crust; quick and casual.
Map - 2:00 PM
Atlanta History Center
See the restored Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama, then walk the grounds to the 1928 Swan House mansion.
Map - 7:30 PM
Storico Fresco Alimentari
Buckhead pasta shop by day and trattoria by night: handmade pasta and a deep Italian wine list.
Map
Day 3: West Midtown: Pastries, Paintings, and Oysters
Star Provisions for breakfast, the High Museum in the morning, the Botanical Garden after lunch, and oysters and whole fish at The Optimist.
- 9:30 AM
Star Provisions
Bacchanalia's beloved daytime bakery and café, grab a pastry and a proper coffee before the day starts.
Map - 10:30 AM
High Museum of Art
American, African and folk art plus photography, in Richard Meier's white building on Peachtree.
Map - 12:30 PM
South City Kitchen
Midtown bungalow for modern Southern plates: fried green tomatoes, then shrimp and grits.
Map - 2:30 PM
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Thirty acres of gardens, a treetop Canopy Walk and seasonal sculptures, the perfect unhurried afternoon wander.
Map - 7:30 PM
The Optimist
Gulf and East Coast oysters, whole fish, and a handsome oyster bar, the one memorable $$$ dinner of the trip.
Map - 9:30 PM
Ormsby's
Basement bar up the road from The Optimist with bocce, shuffleboard and a long beer list.
Map
Where to stay
Moxy Atlanta Midtown
Moxy Midtown keeps costs down without feeling cheap, sits squarely between all three days' neighbourhoods, and the bar is genuinely good.
Hotel Granada Midtown
Quiet, well-priced Midtown hotel in a 1920s Spanish-style building, calmer than a lifestyle brand.
Make Atlanta your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Georgia Aquarium: a few days ahead
- Fox Theatre: weeks ahead
- Truist Park: a few days ahead
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium: a few days ahead
- Trap Music Museum: a few days ahead
- Bobby Jones Golf Course: a few days ahead
Skip these
- World of Coca-Cola as a headline attraction; do the Civil Rights Center next door first.
- Underground Atlanta, a long cycle of revival announcements and disappointment.
- The Varsity as a food destination; go once for the 1928 drive in theatre of it, not for lunch.
- SkyView Atlanta, a generic wheel at attraction prices.
The full Atlanta travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around