Plan an epic weekend getaway to Atlanta filled with food and fun. Just follow this itinerary to nosh your way through Taste of Atlanta, explore this sizzling Southern city and relive its riveting history.
DAY ONE
Check into the glamorous Loews Atlanta Hotel in the heart of Midtown, Atlanta’s arts and entertainment district. This modern hotel proves that opposites attract by combining sleek, futuristic design with old-school Southern hospitality. The hotel offers 414 guest rooms, free Wi-Fi, free chauffeur service within a three-mile radius of the hotel, a restaurant, bar, business center and fitness center.
The Loews is just blocks from Atlanta's own Central Park, Piedmont Park. This expansive park encompasses 182 acres of greenspace, lakes, active fields and much more. You're likely to stumble upon a festival during warm-weather months. For even more urban exploring, hop on the Atlanta BeltLine Eastside Trail from the park, and wind through some of the city's most charming neighborhoods.
A nice walk is the best way to work up a nice appetite, so make your way to Lure for dinner. This superb seafood restaurant is only a few blocks from the Loews, so you can either walk or enlist the hotel’s free driver service. Lure’s ambiance excels by combining the approachability of a classic seaside fish house with the glamor of a fine-dining coastal restaurant. What better way to end your first day in Atlanta than with fresh oysters, perfectly cooked fish and a long list of hand-crafted cocktails?
DAY TWO
Your second day in Atlanta has only two objectives: eat and drink—and Taste of Atlanta makes it easy to accomplish both. Your tickets to this culinary wonderland give you access to over 90 tasting tents, including many of Atlanta’s favorite restaurants, plus four live cooking stages, a kitchen workshop, the Family Food Zone, live music and entertainment.
After a day of sipping and savoring, we’re sure the last thing you’ll want to do is eat. Just kidding, this is the South, y’all! We never stop eating and drinking here, so it’s time to make your way to boutique-lined Virginia-Highland or industrial-chic Westside for dinner. In either of those neighborhoods, you’ll find cool and creative Yeah! Burger with a menu that reimagines America’s classic foods. Here, you’ll find eclectic pre-concocted burgers (like our favorite, the fig and goat cheese burger), all-natural hot dogs, fresh salads, hand-spun shakes, sundaes, vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, and a full bar.
DAY THREE
It’s already your last day? Time flies! Check out of the Loews before heading to Buckhead for breakfast at Corner Café. A heavenly aroma of specialty coffee and freshly baked goods will greet you at the door as will a friendly host. Dig into Southern classics like the corned beef hash and farm poached eggs or opt for something more decadent like the white chocolate French toast. Grab something from Buckhead Bread Co. next door for a freshly-baked treat you can save for later.
Make your way downtown using MARTA, Atlanta’s rail system, a cab or an app-based car service like Uber or Lyft. You’ll arrive at the city’s tourism district where 10 major attractions, Centennial Olympic Park and hundreds of restaurants sit within blocks of each other.
Take in sweeping views of downtown and the city beyond on SkyView, Atlanta’s 20-story Ferris wheel. With a general admission ticket in hand, you’ll soar in a climate-controlled gondola for 15 minutes and four full rotations of the wheel. At night, the ride lights up with millions of LED lights, bathing Centennial Olympic Park in a quilt of multicolored light.
Next stop: the new Center for Civil and Human Rights, a landmark museum that tells two complex stories in a magnificent way. The 43,000-square-foot museum includes three galleries: a collection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s handwritten manuscripts, documents and personal effects; a series of multisensory galleries about the American Civil Rights Movement; and a human rights gallery that details past and ongoing struggles from around the world.
It’s time for a sky-high lunch break at Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar & View. An 85-second ride in a glass elevator takes you up 71 stories to Atlanta’s only tri-level dining complex. The Sun Dial features a rotating restaurant, revolving cocktail lounge and stationary viewing level atop the Westin Peachtree Plaza, the tallest hotel in the Western Hemisphere. The view isn’t the only thing that impresses at this Atlanta staple—the food and cocktails are equally exquisite.
Finally, make your way to the World of Coca-Cola to “open happiness.” Here, you can explore the story of the world’s best-known brand in an extraordinary way. This high-tech attraction features the world’s smallest functioning bottling line, the mysterious Vault of the Secret Formula, a wild 4-D movie and the famous Taste It! room, where you can sample over 100 Coca-Cola Company beverages from around the world.