Cheap things to do in Atlanta
Soul food, civil-rights history and free parks without breaking $50 a day
This is Atlanta for the traveller who wants depth over expense: mornings in parks and free museums, afternoons in garden cemeteries and presidential libraries, evenings at neighbourhood bars and cheap ethnic spots that locals actually eat at. You'll cover a lot of ground on foot and by rideshare, spending almost nothing on admission and a little on food that punches well above its price.
Day 1: Civil rights, soul food, South Downtown
Start at the Civil and Human Rights Center's lunch-counter simulation, drift through Centennial Olympic Park, fuel up on Paschal's fried chicken, then Thai noodles at Tyde Tate and wings at The Local.
- 9:30 AM
Centennial Olympic Park
Free park, grab a coffee from a cart and ease into the morning with a stroll around the fountains.
Map - 10:30 AM
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
Sit at the lunch-counter simulation and read King's own papers; give it a good two hours.
Map - 12:30 PM
Paschal's
Civil-rights-era soul food institution, get the fried chicken and a side of smothered meat; cheap and historically loaded.
Map - 7:30 PM
Tyde Tate Kitchen - South Downtown
Cheap, punchy Thai on Broad Street downtown: drunken noodles and a curry for well under $20.
Map - 9:30 PM
Day 2: Old Fourth Ward and Grant Park
Walk the King National Historic Site for free, eat a legendary diner plate at Ria's Bluebird, spend a quiet afternoon among the Victorian headstones of Oakland Cemetery, then finish with punchy Mexican at El Tesoro on Edgewood.
- 9:30 AM
Kinship Butcher & Sundry
Virginia-Highland butcher and deli counter; grab coffee and a breakfast sandwich to go.
Map - 10:15 AM
Martin Luther King
Free walk through King's birth home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, the King Center and reflecting-pool tomb, one of Atlanta's most meaningful free experiences.
Map - 12:30 PM
Ria's Bluebird
Grant Park diner across from Oakland Cemetery: pancakes or a brisket hash, breakfast all day.
Map - 2:00 PM
Oakland Cemetery
Free Victorian garden cemetery with civil-rights figures, Margaret Mitchell and Bobby Jones, a genuine Atlanta landmark and a peaceful afternoon walk.
Map - 7:30 PM
El Tesoro
Kirkwood taqueria with a big patio: al pastor tacos and a breakfast burrito cost very little.
Map
Day 3: Virginia-Highland and the Carter Library
Pastries at Alon's, a stroll through John Howell Park, burgers at Manuel's Tavern, the Carter Library in the afternoon, then slices at Fellini's and a last pint at Atkins Park Tavern.
- 9:30 AM
Alon’s Bakery & Market
Virginia-Highland bakery and market, pastries and a proper breakfast counter.
Map - 10:15 AM
John Howell Memorial Park
Small Virginia-Highland green for a stroll between the bakery and lunch; free and right on the way.
Map - 12:30 PM
Manuel's Tavern
Atlanta's political tavern since 1956: burgers and wings under walls of old campaign photos.
Map - 2:00 PM
Carter Presidential Library
Carter's life from peanut farm to Nobel Prize, with a replica Oval Office and a Japanese garden.
Map - 7:30 PM
Fellini's Pizza
Cheap slices and pitchers on a big Ponce de Leon patio, open till midnight; an Atlanta student staple.
Map - 9:30 PM
Atkins Park Tavern
Virginia-Highland tavern licensed since 1922, with cheap pints and a kitchen open late.
Map
Where to stay
Hotel Clermont
Independent, characterful and priced at $$, sitting right on the edge of Old Fourth Ward with easy access to nearly every day of this plan.
Stonehurst Place Atlanta
A Midtown bed-and-breakfast at $$ that puts you within walking distance of Piedmont Park, Virginia-Highland bars and Day 3's whole loop.
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