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How To Spend A Day in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia

ByPaige Watts

What do you do with a day in Downtown Atlanta? You have so many options! Read this post to see my itinerary for things to do in Downtown Atlanta in one day.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to spend a day in Downtown Atlanta? The city’s tourist center is full of possibilities!

From exploring Atlanta’s top attractions to enjoying the beauty of downtown, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.

With this itinerary, you’ll get an amazing Downtown Atlanta experience in just one day.

Colorful cocktails on a rooftop terrace overlooking the Atlanta city skyline, with tall buildings and a Ferris wheel visible in the background, at Skylounge Rooftop Bar on top of the Glenn Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.

A Day in Downtown Atlanta Itinerary

With a day off of work, Kevin and I spent the day in Downtown Atlanta. Our adventure consisted of a trip to the Georgia Aquarium, dinner followed by drinks at the SkyLounge rooftop bar, and a ride on the SkyView Atlanta Ferris wheel.

The Georgia Aquarium

Tropical Diver exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia, featuring an underwater scene with small yellow and pale pink fish swimming around a rocky coral formation, with a bright blue opening in the reef visible in the background.

The Georgia Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the western hemisphere and is the only aquarium outside of Asia that houses whale sharks. Naturally, the whale shark exhibit is one of the major attractions.

The aquarium has five main exhibits, each reflecting specific ocean environments: Tropical Diver, Ocean Voyager, Cold Water Quest, River Scout, and Dolphin Celebration.

A large dolphin swims vertically near the surface of a blue aquarium tank with its rounded snout lifted toward the light at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia. Rocky underwater ledges fill the lower part of the habitat while rippling sunlight reflects across the water above.

We made it just in time for a dolphin show in the Dolphin Celebration gallery. Show times vary, but each show lasts about 20-30 minutes and seating fills up fast. Cold Water Quest houses the arctic animals. Here, you can crawl under the penguin exhibit to take a selfie with a few African penguins.

Ocean Voyager is the largest exhibit. This exhibit has the world’s largest indoor aquatic habitat, an underwater tunnel, and one of the world’s largest viewing windows. This is where the whale sharks and giant manta ray live among other large fish. Just hop on the moving sidewalk an let it take you on a conveyor belt ride through the tunnel while the sharks swim above you.

Visitors walk through a curved underwater aquarium tunnel while sharks and schools of fish swim overhead at Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, Georgia. Bright rippling light filters through the deep blue water above the transparent tunnel.

You can get discounted tickets to the Georgia Aquarium and other top Atlanta attractions using the Atlanta CityPASS! With this attraction pass, you’ll also get expedited entry, saving you both time and money.

Or, if you only have time for the Aquarium, you can buy advanced tickets here.

Book titled "What's With Atlanta?" by Paige Watts on a marble table. Surrounding it are a notebook, pen, and tulips.

Want to learn all about Atlanta? Check out my new book, What’s With Atlanta?: The Quirks, Personality, and Charm of the ATL. Whether you’re a local or are just passing through, this entertaining guide will answer all of your Atlanta questions.

SkyLounge

Two cocktails sit on a wooden rooftop table in front of the Atlanta skyline, including a tall peach pink drink garnished with a lime wedge and a shorter deep red cocktail with an orange twist from SkyLounge at Glenn Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia. The high rise buildings and glass railing behind them make the scene feel like an elevated rooftop bar stop with drinks served alongside a dramatic downtown view.

The SkyLounge at the Glenn Hotel is a sophisticated rooftop bar that offers panoramic views of the greater Atlanta area and serves handcrafted cocktails. The bar was named one of the six top Atlanta rooftop bars by Forbes.

On top of the 11 story boutique hotel, the bar is small and cozy. Some nights there may be a DJ, and the bar also overlooks Centennial Olympic Park so you can catch some entertainment from any musicians playing there during festival season.

With our fusion cocktails in hand, we waited for the sunset before heading down to the Ferris wheel.

SkyView Atlanta

The white metal framework of the Skyview Atlanta Ferris wheel fills the foreground with pink lighting running down its central support. Downtown Atlanta, Georgia buildings are visible beyond the structure at dusk including a tower with a glowing gold roof.

Located just off of Centennial Olympic Park, SkyView Atlanta is a 20 story tall Ferris wheel with fully enclosed gondolas and views of Downtown Atlanta. Each flight is four rotations, which lasts for about 15 minutes.

You get an amazing view of the Atlanta skyline, and its a great romantic date night activity.

Book your SkyView Atlanta ticket here.

Paige and Kevin wearing glasses pose for a selfie in front of a brightly lit Skyview Atlanta Ferris wheel in Atlanta, Georgia. White metal beams and colorful lights rise behind them against the evening sky.
Image of a travel kit for Atlanta, featuring a cityscape with light trails, and pages titled 'Atlanta Bucket List' and 'Atlanta Hidden Gems.'

Planning your first trip to Atlanta?

Get your FREE Welcome To Atlanta Kit, complete with a budget guide, hidden gems, travel planners, and more!

Mapping Out Your Day in Downtown Atlanta

Ready to explore Downtown Atlanta? Use the map below to help plan out your 1-day itinerary.

I hope you enjoy your day in Downtown Atlanta!

Laptop and tablet showing a travel itinerary for Atlanta. The laptop displays a day schedule, while the tablet shows a cityscape with "Atlanta" text.

Ultimate Atlanta 5 Day Itinerary

Your Atlanta vacation — planned for you.

Don’t spend any more time stressing about planning your Atlanta getaway. Get this done-for-you, fully planned itinerary!

Learn more here

Save on Atlanta’s Top Attractions

Want to save big on Atlanta’s top attractions? With the Atlanta CityPASS, you can save up to 50% on the cost of entrance tickets to 5 top Atlanta museums and attractions!

Get admission to your choice of 5 from the Georgia Aquarium, the World of Coca-Cola, and Zoo Atlanta, the Fernbank Museum of Natural History, the College Football Hall of Fame, and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights.

Get your Atlanta CityPASS here.

Top Atlanta Tours

A guided tour is always a good way to get to know a city! Check out these top Atlanta tours.

Where to Stay in Atlanta

Find the perfect place to rest your head on your Atlanta vacation!

Image of a travel itinerary for 5 days in Atlanta, featuring a cover with a scenic cityscape and detailed pages outlining tours, daily plans, and attractions.

Ultimate Atlanta 5 Day Itinerary

Your Atlanta vacation — planned for you.

Don’t spend any more time stressing about planning your Atlanta getaway. Get this done-for-you, fully planned itinerary!

Learn more here

Craving More Atlanta Activities?

If you need more things to do while visiting Atlanta, check out these top posts:

Ready to visit Atlanta, Georgia? Plan your trip with these tips.

  • Get Familiar With the City: Check out my Ultimate Guide to Atlanta to help plan your trip!
  • Book Your Flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
  • Find Accommodation: You can find top hotels in Atlanta using Booking.com.
  • Save on Attractions: Save 50% on admission to Atlanta’s top attractions using the Atlanta CityPASS.

Cheers!

Paige

How To Spend A Day in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia

How would you spend a day in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia? Tell me in the comments!

Paige Watts is a travel expert and author of What's With Atlanta?, a guide to the quirks and charm of the ATL. A life-long traveler, Paige is dedicated to helping you discover the best things to do in the Southern USA and around the world. Her work has been featured in The Culture Trip, Matador, Newsbreak, MSN, NPR, and countless other interviews and podcasts.

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2 Comments

  1. How do you go about redeeming the datenight skyview groupon? Do you get to skip the line or let them know you purchased the date night package? My husband and I are going to ATL soon and I would like to surprise him with this!

    Reply

    1. When you reserve on Groupon for the Date Night package, you should get a ticket or a confirmation number that you can then present at Skyview, letting them know you purchased the package. I don’t believe the Groupon comes with a skip-the-line option. Groupon should be able to give you more details when you book; it’s been a while since we did this! But it will be a wonderful surprise for your husband, and I hope y’all enjoy your trip!

      Reply

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