No bored students. No boring lectures. Walk the neighborhoods that shaped Atlanta, make your own street art, cook Southern classics, or experiment with spices, all led by local guides and built to connect history, science, and culture. Designed to make history fun and immersive.
Pricing emailed within minutes · Rated 5.0 from 3,500+ reviews on Tripadvisor and Google · Ranked #1 of 307 Tours & Activities in Atlanta on Tripadvisor · NMSDC certified and WOSB certified · Hosting Atlanta field trips since 2015
How it works
Choose your field trip
Pick an experience, or pair a neighborhood tour with a hands-on food experience. Tell us your grade level, group size, and date.
Approve your quote and finalize details
We send your custom quote, then confirm your date, meeting spot, and schedule with your teacher.
Enjoy Atlanta!
Your local guide leads the day, and your teacher and chaperones join in. One chaperone for every 10 students is free.
”“We took a group of high school students and, at one point, I remember a student saying, ‘This is powerful. I’m happy to be here and happy to learn,’ and I truly believe that summed up all of our experiences. Our students were captivated, interested, and left each tour wanting more. Anytime I am planning anything in the area, I will be sure to contact Unexpected Atlanta first.”
Stacie Foreman, Mid-Peninsula High School
Choose your experience
Every experience is private to your group and can be customized. Private groups start at 8 guests and larger groups are welcome.
Interactive Neighborhood Tours
Walk the places where history happened. Local guides bring Atlanta’s stories to life, from Dr. King’s neighborhood to Cabbagetown’s world-famous murals to the park built for the 1996 Olympics. Students ask questions and take part, with activities and stories you won’t find in a textbook.
Options include:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids (about 1.5 hours, best for 5th to 7th grade),
- Martin Luther King Jr. Tour (about 2.5 hours, 8th grade and up),
- Atlanta Art & Mural Tour (about 2 hours, students make their own art), and
- Centennial Olympic Park Tour (about 1 hour).
Hands-On Food Immersion
Learn by doing. In a hands-on class or a market tour, students explore the science, history, and culture of food, then taste or eat what they make. Part experiment, part storytelling, and all entirely indoors.
Options include:
- Southern Essentials Cooking Class (about 1.5 hours: biscuits, pimento cheese, and sweet tea),
- Atlanta Spice Lab (about 1.5 hours: the science of spices and two custom blends to take home).
Combination Experience
Our best value: a full day that connects history, science, and culture, with hands-on exploration and fun. Pair one neighborhood tour with one hands-on food experience, and we’ll build the schedule around your day.
Choose:
- any one neighborhood tour + any one food experience.
- Groups can eat lunch in our downtown kitchen.
OUR MOST REQUESTED FIELD TRIP
Martin Luther King Jr. Field Trips in Atlanta
Many schools choose Unexpected Atlanta for our award-winning Martin Luther King Jr. Atlanta walking tour and field trip. Students walk the streets where Dr. King grew up, worshipped, and led, with a local guide who shares the untold stories you can’t learn from textbooks or museum placards.
Highlights along the way: Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. King’s Birth Home, Historic Fire Station No. 6, and the King Center.
Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids
About 1.5 hours · best for 5th to 7th grade
Students literally walk in Dr. King’s footsteps. A scavenger hunt makes the history hands-on and interactive, so younger students stay curious and involved from the first stop to the last.
Connects to: SS5H6, the 5th grade Social Studies standard on key people, events, and developments from 1950 to 1975, including the Civil Rights Movement.
Martin Luther King Jr. Tour
About 2.5 hours · 8th grade and up
The full walk through the King Historic District, with deeper stories and context for older students. The sticker activity guide is one that people of all ages enjoy.
Connects to: SS8H11, the 8th grade Georgia Studies standard on Georgia’s role in the modern Civil Rights Movement, and SSUSH21, the high school U.S. History standard on the Civil Rights Movement.
Why schools choose our MLK field trip
- Unexpected Atlanta is a tour partner of the King Center.
- Local guides, backed by two historians on staff, share honest, deeply researched history.
- About 30 students per guide, so every student can hear and take part.
- One free chaperone for every 10 students.
- Add a hands-on food class for a full day that connects history, science, and culture.
What Teachers Need to Know About
Our Field Trips in Atlanta
The details you need to get your trip approved, in one place.
Grade levels
Every field trip is recommended for 5th grade and up. The Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids is especially good for 5th to 7th grade, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour is for 8th grade and up.
Pricing
Volume pricing, from $28 per student: the larger your group, the lower the price per student. Prices include gratuity. Request a quote for your class.
Teachers and chaperones
One chaperone is free for every 10 students. Additional adults pay the student price.
Group size
Groups of 10 to 140 students, with about 30 students per guide so every student can hear and take part.
Booking and payment
We ask for about three weeks’ notice. We send an invoice, due 30 days after your field trip.
Cancellations and changes
Field trips follow Unexpected Atlanta’s private event policy for cancellations and rescheduling. See the questions below for the details.
We Love Student Groups!
Everything You Need For a Smooth Atlanta Field Trip
We handle the details of your Atlanta field trips, so the day runs easily for you, your chaperones, and your bus driver.
Bus drop-off and parking
Bus drop-off and free bus parking are available near every one of our locations. The details depend on your tour, and we send your drop-off and parking instructions when your trip is confirmed.
Meeting spot
Your meeting spot depends on the experience you choose. We email the exact location and arrival time when your trip is confirmed, so you can share it with your driver and chaperones. For groups coming into Atlanta, we also offer hotel pick-up for an additional fee.
Restrooms
Restroom stops are built into every field trip, so students are never far from a break.
Lunch
Groups can eat lunch in Unexpected Atlanta’s downtown kitchen at 121 Luckie Street NW, and we can arrange lunch for your students. Just tell us when you request your quote.
Walking and accessibility
Neighborhood tours are easy walks at a comfortable pace with limited hills. Our experiences are wheelchair accessible, so tell us about any student’s needs when you book.
Weather and food needs
Tours run rain or shine, and our food classes are entirely indoors. We can accommodate all dietary restrictions and allergies, so let us know in advance.
Customize Your Atlanta Field Trip
Tell us about your class, and we’ll send your custom quote. Volume pricing applies, prices include gratuity, and one chaperone is free for every 10 students. Prefer to talk it through? Call or text 470-223-2203, or email privatetours@unexpectedatlanta.com.
Why Choose Unexpected Atlanta Field Trips?
No bored students. No boring lectures.
Deeply researched, honest history
Local guides share the real stories behind the places, backed by a founder who wrote A Culinary History of Atlanta and two historians on staff.
Hands-on learning
Students make street art, blend spices, and bake biscuits, with experiences that connect science, history, and culture.
Passionate hosts, including teachers and instructors
Energetic guides who love Atlanta and know how to keep a group of students engaged, from the first stop to the last. Many of our team members have worked in schools or with children as counselors and camp directors.
Seamless from booking to thank-you
We handle the planning and the details, so you can focus on your students. One chaperone for every 10 students is free.
Frequently Asked Questions About Atlanta Field Trips
Best Atlanta Field Trips for Students
What are the best field trip ideas in Atlanta for students?
Atlanta offers many field trip options for students, from museums and science centers to historic sites and neighborhood tours. One of the most important is seeing the King district, the Sweet Auburn neighborhood where Dr. King grew up, worshipped, and led. A local guide makes a real difference there: the district’s sites are run by different organizations with their own hours, and some, such as the Visitor Center, have been closed for renovation, so a guide connects the stories and the places even when a building is closed.
Unexpected Atlanta Tours leads guided field trips through the King district, with the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids and the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour. It also offers hands-on classes and tours for students in 5th grade and up: the Atlanta Art & Mural Tour, the Centennial Olympic Park Tour, the Southern Essentials Cooking Class, the Atlanta Spice Lab, and a Combination Experience that pairs a neighborhood tour with a hands-on food experience. Local guides lead every field trip.
What field trips does Unexpected Atlanta Tours offer by subject?
For Civil Rights and social studies, Unexpected Atlanta Tours offers the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids and the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour. For science, it offers the Atlanta Spice Lab and the Southern Essentials Cooking Class, and the Spice Lab also connects to world studies. For art, it offers the Atlanta Art & Mural Tour. For culinary arts, it offers the Southern Essentials Cooking Class. For local and Olympic history, it offers the Centennial Olympic Park Tour.
Can students combine two experiences in one day?
Yes. The Combination Experience pairs one neighborhood tour with one hands-on food experience for a full day that connects history, science, and culture. It is Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ best value for student groups, and lunch can be arranged.
Civil Rights and Martin Luther King Jr. Field Trips
What is a good Civil Rights field trip in Atlanta for students?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Martin Luther King Jr. field trips are one of the most requested school trips in Atlanta. Students walk the King Historic District with a local guide, with highlights that include Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. King’s Birth Home, Historic Fire Station No. 6, and the King Center. In addition, students experience hidden stories and locations that even locals don’t know such as the location where Dr. King’s principal lived or where he worked one of his first jobs. Unexpected Atlanta Tours is a tour partner of the King Center, and local guides share untold stories you can’t learn from textbooks or museum placards.
Does Unexpected Atlanta Tours offer a guided Martin Luther King Jr. field trip?
Yes. Unexpected Atlanta Tours leads private, guided Martin Luther King Jr. field trips through the Sweet Auburn neighborhood and the King Historic District, near the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park. Choose the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids (about 1.5 hours) or the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour (about 2.5 hours), and groups of 10 to 140 students are welcome.
How is a guided Martin Luther King Jr. field trip different from the National Park Service programs?
The National Park Service offers free ranger-led programs at the park. An Unexpected Atlanta Tours field trip is a private, scheduled walk for your class, planned around your date, grade level, and group size. A local guide keeps your students together, connects the sites in the neighborhood beyond just the park, and gives students a sticker activity guide or scavenger hunt.
Martin Luther King Jr. Field Trip Details
Why take a guide to the King district instead of visiting on your own?
The King district is free to visit, but its sites are run by different organizations with their own hours, and some, such as Dr. King’s Birth Home, have been closed for renovation. A self-guided visit can leave students with gaps. An Unexpected Atlanta Tours field trip connects the stories and the places in one planned walk: a local guide, backed by two historians, keeps about 30 students together, explains the context at each stop, and gives students a sticker activity guide, even when a building is closed.
Where does the Martin Luther King Jr. field trip go?
Highlights along the way include Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. King’s Birth Home, Historic Fire Station No. 6, and the King Center. Local guides, backed by two historians on staff, share honest, deeply researched history.
Which people and organizations do students learn about on the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour?
Students learn about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Coretta Scott King, Dr. Bernice King, John Lewis, John Wesley Dobbs, William Holmes Borders, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Dr. King, John Lewis, and the SCLC are named in SS8H11, the 8th grade Georgia Studies standard on Georgia’s role in the modern Civil Rights Movement.
What is the difference between the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids and the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour?
The Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids takes about 1.5 hours and is best for 5th to 7th grade, with a sticker activity guide that keeps younger students involved. The Martin Luther King Jr. Tour takes about 2.5 hours and is for 8th grade and up, with deeper stories and context for older students.
Do students get an activity guide on the Martin Luther King Jr. field trip?
Yes. Students use a sticker activity guide that makes the history hands-on and interactive. It is designed to keep younger students curious, and people of all ages enjoy it.
How many students can go on a Martin Luther King Jr. field trip?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours hosts groups of 10 to 140 students, with about 30 students per guide so every student can hear and take part.
How is a field trip to the King district different from visiting the National Center for Civil and Human Rights?
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a museum in downtown Atlanta, with exhibits, films, and immersive experiences, including a simulated lunch counter sit-in, that explain the Civil Rights Movement. The King district is where parts of that history actually happened: the neighborhood where Dr. King grew up, worshipped, and led. On an Unexpected Atlanta Tours field trip, students stand at the real places, such as Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, Historic Fire Station No. 6, and the King Center, with a local guide who tells the stories that happened there. Many teachers do both: the museum for the broader story, and the King district to see where it took place.
Field Trips by Grade Level
Does Unexpected Atlanta Tours offer field trips for younger students?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours recommends its field trips for 5th grade and up. If you are planning for younger students, contact Unexpected Atlanta Tours to talk through what might work for your group.
What is the best field trip in Atlanta for 5th graders?
In 5th grade, Georgia students study United States history from the 1800s to the present, including the Civil Rights Movement (standard SS5H6). Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids, about 1.5 hours, is best for 5th to 7th grade and brings that history to life on the streets where Dr. King grew up, worshipped, and led, with a sticker activity guide that keeps students involved. For science, the Atlanta Spice Lab and the Southern Essentials Cooking Class connect to the 5th grade standard on physical and chemical change (S5P1), and the Atlanta Art & Mural Tour is recommended for 5th grade and up.
What is the best field trip in Atlanta for middle school students?
Middle school social studies in Georgia changes each year: 6th grade studies Europe, Latin America, Canada, and Australia, 7th grade studies Africa and Asia, and 8th grade turns to Georgia history. For 6th and 7th graders, Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Atlanta Spice Lab, about 1.5 hours, follows the evolution of spices across the world, which connects to the world regions students are studying, and students blend two custom mixes to take home. Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids, about 1.5 hours, is best for 5th to 7th grade and builds on the Civil Rights Movement students first met in 5th grade. For 8th graders, the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour, about 2.5 hours, connects to their Georgia Studies course. The Atlanta Art & Mural Tour and the Southern Essentials Cooking Class also work well for middle school.
What is the best field trip in Atlanta for 8th graders?
In 8th grade, Georgia students study Georgia’s history, geography, government, and economics, including Georgia’s role in the modern Civil Rights Movement (standard SS8H11), which names Dr. King, John Lewis, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Martin Luther King Jr. Tour, about 2.5 hours, is for 8th grade and up and walks the King Historic District, where students learn about those figures and the SCLC, along with Coretta Scott King, Dr. Bernice King, John Wesley Dobbs, and William Holmes Borders. The Atlanta Spice Lab and the Southern Essentials Cooking Class connect to the 8th grade science standard S8P1, particularly physical science and chemical reactions.
What is the best field trip in Atlanta for high school students?
High school U.S. History students study the Civil Rights Movement, including the growth, influence, and tactics of civil rights groups and individuals (standard SSUSH21). Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Martin Luther King Jr. Tour walks the King Historic District with a local guide, so students see where that history happened. High school groups also choose the Atlanta Art & Mural Tour, the Southern Essentials Cooking Class, or a Combination Experience that pairs a neighborhood tour with a hands-on food experience.
Science, Art, and Culinary Field Trips
What is a good science field trip in Atlanta?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Atlanta Spice Lab is a hands-on science field trip. Students learn why some foods are hydrophobic (they repel water) and others are hydrophilic (they attract water), why cinnamon doesn’t mix with water, and how that affects food preservation. They also see how onions and garlic change as they cook, follow how spices evolved and spread across the world, and then blend two custom spice mixes to take home. It takes about 1.5 hours and is entirely indoors.
What do students learn in the Atlanta Spice Lab?
Students learn why certain foods are hydrophobic and others are hydrophilic and how that affects food preservation, why cinnamon doesn’t mix with water, and how onions and garlic change as they cook. They also follow the evolution of spices across the world and how spices relate to Atlanta’s history, and they blend two custom spice mixes to take home.
What is a good art field trip in Atlanta?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Atlanta Art & Mural Tour takes students through Cabbagetown and along the Beltline to see world-famous street art, including the Forward Warrior mural project. Students learn the difference between street art, public art, and graffiti, and then make their own art. No art experience is needed, and the tour takes about 2 hours.
What is a good cooking or culinary field trip in Atlanta?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Southern Essentials Cooking Class is a hands-on class of about 1.5 hours, held entirely indoors. Students make flaky biscuits, classic pimento cheese, and sweet iced tea while learning the science of a great biscuit and how food shaped Southern history and the Civil Rights Movement.
Does Unexpected Atlanta Tours offer a food tour field trip?
Yes. The Historic Market Food Tour + Biscuit Class takes about 2 hours and is entirely indoors. Students taste seven dishes from four vendors at Atlanta’s century-old Sweet Auburn Curb Market, learn the history and Georgia’s famous foods, including peaches, collards, and pecans, and then make biscuits in a hands-on class. Contact Unexpected Atlanta Tours for a quote.
Curriculum and Standards
Which Georgia standards do Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ field trips connect to?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ field trips connect to the Georgia Standards of Excellence, and teachers decide what fits their class. In social studies, the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids connects to SS5H6 (5th grade), and the Martin Luther King Jr. Tour connects to SS8H11 (8th grade Georgia Studies) and SSUSH21 (high school U.S. History). In science, the Atlanta Spice Lab and the Southern Essentials Cooking Class connect to S5P1 (5th grade) and S8P1 (8th grade), and the Spice Lab’s look at how spices spread across the world connects to 6th and 7th grade world studies. The Atlanta Art & Mural Tour connects to Georgia’s Visual Art standards.
Which social studies standards does the Martin Luther King Jr. field trip connect to?
The Martin Luther King Jr. Tour for Kids connects to SS5H6, the 5th grade standard on key people, events, and developments from 1950 to 1975, including the Civil Rights Movement. The Martin Luther King Jr. Tour connects to SS8H11, the 8th grade Georgia Studies standard on Georgia’s role in the modern Civil Rights Movement, and to SSUSH21, the high school U.S. History standard on the Civil Rights Movement.
How does the Atlanta Spice Lab connect to science standards?
Students investigate how substances mix and change: why some foods are hydrophobic and others hydrophilic, why cinnamon doesn’t mix with water, and how onions and garlic change as they cook. These ideas connect to S5P1, the 5th grade standard on the differences between physical and chemical change, which includes mixing dry and liquid materials, and to S8P1, the 8th grade standard on the structure and properties of matter. Students also see how these properties affect food preservation.
How does the Atlanta Spice Lab connect to world studies?
Students follow the evolution of spices across the world, from where spices began to how they spread and changed the foods and cultures of different regions. This connects to the world regions students study in 6th grade (Europe, Latin America, Canada, and Australia) and 7th grade (Africa and Asia), and it also shows how spices relate to Atlanta’s own history.
How does the Southern Essentials Cooking Class connect to the classroom?
Students explore the science behind a great biscuit, which connects to the same science standards as the Spice Lab (S5P1 and S8P1). The class also looks at how food shaped Southern history and the Civil Rights Movement, which supports the social studies standards SS5H6 and SS8H11.
How does the Atlanta Art & Mural Tour connect to the classroom?
Students see public art up close, learn the difference between street art, public art, and graffiti, and make their own art. The tour connects to Georgia’s Visual Art standards on creating art and on connecting art to community and culture.
Pricing and Group Size
How much does a field trip cost per student?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours offers volume pricing, starting at $28 per student for large groups. Most single field trips cost between $28 and $50 per student depending on group size, and a full-day Combination Experience costs about $60 to $68 per student. Prices include gratuity.
Does Unexpected Atlanta Tours offer discounts for large student groups?
Yes. Volume pricing means the larger the group, the lower the price per student. Prices start at $28 per student for large groups and include gratuity.
Do teachers and chaperones get in free?
One teacher or chaperone is free for every 10 students. Additional adults pay the student price.
What are the minimum and maximum group sizes?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours hosts groups of 10 to 140 students, with about 30 students per guide.
Booking, Payment, and Cancellations
How do I book a field trip?
Request a quote on this page, or call or text 470-223-2203 or email privatetours@unexpectedatlanta.com with your school, grade level, number of students and adults, preferred date, and the field trip you want. Unexpected Atlanta Tours sends your custom quote, confirms your date, meeting spot, and schedule, and sends your drop-off and parking instructions when your trip is confirmed.
How far in advance should I book?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours asks for about three weeks’ notice.
How and when do I pay?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours sends an invoice, due 30 days after your field trip.
What is the cancellation policy for field trips?
Field trips follow Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ private event policy. You can cancel any time up to four weeks before your field trip for a $300 cancellation fee, and the $300 can be applied to another booking within one year. Refunds are not available for lower-than-expected attendance or no-shows. If you need to cancel closer to your field trip, please contact Unexpected Atlanta Tours right away.
Can I reschedule my field trip?
Yes. Please contact Unexpected Atlanta Tours as soon as you know. Rescheduling within two weeks of your field trip date has a $100 fee, and Unexpected Atlanta Tours reschedules once you both agree on a new date and time.
Can I change the number of students?
Yes, with notice. Send Unexpected Atlanta Tours your final headcount and any dietary needs at least 24 hours before your field trip.
Hands-On Field Trips in Downtown Atlanta
What are the best hands-on field trips near the Georgia Aquarium?
Downtown Atlanta near Centennial Olympic Park has several hands-on options for students. The Georgia Aquarium offers instructor-led programs where students explore real biofacts and marine fossils. The College Football Hall of Fame has a 45-yard indoor field where students can kick a field goal or run an obstacle course, and the Children’s Museum of Atlanta offers hands-on learning for ages 0 to 8. The National Center for Civil and Human Rights has interactive exhibits, including a simulated lunch counter sit-in. Unexpected Atlanta Tours adds hands-on classes in its kitchen at 121 Luckie Street NW, about a 10-minute walk from the aquarium: the Atlanta Spice Lab and the Southern Essentials Cooking Class, plus the Centennial Olympic Park Tour. Book each venue directly and check its current group policies.
What hands-on field trip near the Georgia Aquarium works for each grade level?
For younger students, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta is designed for hands-on learning for ages 0 to 8. For 5th graders, the Georgia Aquarium’s grade-specific instructor-led programs are a strong fit, along with Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Atlanta Spice Lab and Southern Essentials Cooking Class, which connect to the 5th grade science standard S5P1. For 6th and 7th graders, the Spice Lab follows the evolution of spices across the world, which connects to world studies. For 8th graders, the classes connect to S8P1, and World of Coca-Cola’s Teacher Toolkit is written for grades 8 through 12. High school groups can pair the National Center for Civil and Human Rights with a Martin Luther King Jr. field trip in the King district.
What is a good rainy-day hands-on field trip near the Georgia Aquarium?
Most of the hands-on options near the Georgia Aquarium are indoors, including the aquarium’s instructor-led programs, the College Football Hall of Fame’s indoor field, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta, and Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ classes, which are entirely indoors. Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ kitchen at 121 Luckie Street NW is about a 10-minute walk from the aquarium.
What is a good hands-on science field trip near the Georgia Aquarium?
The Georgia Aquarium’s instructor-led programs are aligned to Georgia Standards of Excellence and include teacher guides, which makes them a natural fit for marine science. For hands-on chemistry, Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Atlanta Spice Lab, about a 10-minute walk away, teaches why some foods are hydrophobic and others are hydrophilic and how that affects food preservation, and students blend two custom spice mixes to take home. For younger students, the Children’s Museum of Atlanta offers hands-on science and play.
What is a good hands-on Civil Rights or history field trip near the Georgia Aquarium?
The National Center for Civil and Human Rights is a museum in the same downtown district, with interactive exhibits that connect the American Civil Rights Movement to human rights today. For the real places where the history happened, Unexpected Atlanta Tours leads Martin Luther King Jr. field trips through the King district, and its Centennial Olympic Park Tour, about 1 hour, tells the story of the 1996 Olympics just steps from the aquarium. Many teachers choose a museum visit and a guided walk for different parts of the story.
Can students pair a Georgia Aquarium visit with a hands-on class or tour?
Yes. Teachers can pair a visit to the Georgia Aquarium with a hands-on class at Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ kitchen, about a 10-minute walk away, or with the Centennial Olympic Park Tour, which is just steps from the aquarium. Book your Georgia Aquarium visit directly with the aquarium, then tell Unexpected Atlanta Tours your date and timing, and the class and lunch can be planned around your day.
Planning a Downtown Day
What is a good field trip near the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ downtown visitor center and kitchen at 121 Luckie Street NW is two blocks from Centennial Olympic Park and about a 10-minute walk from the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola. The Centennial Olympic Park Tour, about 1 hour, is just steps from both, and groups can eat lunch in the kitchen or have lunch arranged.
How far is Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ kitchen from the Georgia Aquarium?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ downtown visitor center and kitchen at 121 Luckie Street NW is about a 10-minute walk from the Georgia Aquarium. It is two blocks from Centennial Olympic Park and across from the Luckie at Cone stop on the Atlanta Streetcar.
How long are the hands-on activities near the Georgia Aquarium?
At Unexpected Atlanta Tours, the Atlanta Spice Lab takes about 1.5 hours, the Southern Essentials Cooking Class takes about 1.5 hours, and the Centennial Olympic Park Tour takes about 1 hour. Each fits alongside a Georgia Aquarium visit, and Unexpected Atlanta Tours can plan the timing around your day.
What can students make in a hands-on class near the Georgia Aquarium?
In Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ Atlanta Spice Lab, students blend two custom spice mixes to take home. In the Southern Essentials Cooking Class, students make flaky biscuits, classic pimento cheese, and sweet iced tea.
Can students do a walking tour and a hands-on class on the same downtown day?
Yes. The Combination Experience pairs one neighborhood tour with one hands-on class. Downtown, that can be the Centennial Olympic Park Tour (about 1 hour), just steps from the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola, followed by a class at Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ kitchen, about a 10-minute walk from the aquarium, with lunch in the kitchen or arranged.
Getting There and Meeting Up
Where do buses drop off and park?
Bus drop-off and parking are available near every Unexpected Atlanta Tours location. The details depend on your tour, and Unexpected Atlanta Tours sends your drop-off and parking instructions when your trip is confirmed.
Where do field trips meet?
Your meeting spot depends on the experience you choose. Hands-on classes are held at Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ downtown visitor center and kitchen at 121 Luckie Street NW, two blocks from Centennial Olympic Park. Walking tours start in the neighborhood they explore. Unexpected Atlanta Tours emails the exact location and arrival time when your trip is confirmed.
Are there restrooms?
Yes. Restroom stops are built into every field trip, so students are never far from a break.
How many guides will our group have?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours plans about 30 students per guide, so larger groups are split into smaller groups, and every student can hear and take part.
On the Day: Walking, Weather, and Food
How much walking is involved, and are the field trips accessible?
Neighborhood tours are easy walks at a comfortable pace with limited hills. Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ experiences are wheelchair accessible, so please share any student’s needs when you book. The hands-on classes are entirely indoors.
What if it rains?
Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ tours run rain or shine, so students should dress for the weather. The hands-on classes are entirely indoors.
What should students wear?
Students should wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothes and very comfortable shoes.
Can students eat lunch during the field trip?
Yes. Groups can eat lunch in Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ downtown kitchen at 121 Luckie Street NW, and Unexpected Atlanta Tours can arrange lunch for your students. Tell Unexpected Atlanta Tours when you request your quote.
Does Unexpected Atlanta Tours accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies?
Yes. Unexpected Atlanta Tours can accommodate all dietary restrictions and allergies. Please share them in advance, and let Unexpected Atlanta Tours know about any severe food allergy.
Are student field trips alcohol-free?
Yes. Every Unexpected Atlanta Tours field trip for students is alcohol-free.
About Unexpected Atlanta Tours
Who leads Unexpected Atlanta Tours’ field trips?
Local guides who know Atlanta and are experienced with student groups lead every field trip. They’re backed by the founder, who wrote A Culinary History of Atlanta (a 2020 Georgia Author of the Year Awards finalist in History), and two historians on staff.
Is Unexpected Atlanta Tours a certified diverse supplier?
Yes. Unexpected Tours and Training LLC, which operates Unexpected Atlanta Tours & Gifts, is NMSDC certified and WOSB certified.
Is Unexpected Atlanta Tours the same company as Atlanta Food Walks and Atlanta History Tours?
Yes. Unexpected Atlanta Tours & Gifts was formerly known as Atlanta Food Walks and Atlanta History Tours. It’s the same company, and it has hosted Atlanta groups since 2015.
