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Things to Do in Atlanta

Ultimate Guide to Atlanta for Locals & Tourists

By September 26, 2022April 24th, 2023No Comments
Ultimate Guide to Atlanta for Locals & Tourists

The Ultimate Guide to Atlanta for locals and tourists: discover where to eat, drink, explore, sightsee, and more!

Every couple of weeks (if not more often!), Unexpected Atlanta releases a new guide with fun ideas to explore our city. Topics range from family friendly outings to restaurants, corporate happy hour ideas, festivals, date ideas, and hidden gems.

In this post, we’re sharing some of our favorite guides in one easy to reference place! Read on to discover all that Atlanta has to offer.


In this Ultimate Atlanta Guide, you’ll find hundreds of fun and unique Atlanta activities, including:

  • The best places to eat, drink, sightsee, and more in Atlanta
  • Atlanta’s best festivals and seasonal events
  • Family friendly and kid-friendly Atlanta outings
  • Atlanta things to do for groups and corporate teams
  • Bachelorette party ideas in Atlanta
  • Atlanta date ideas
  • Team-building ideas and venues in Atlanta
  • Atlanta corporate happy hour ideas
  • Travel guide ideas for tourists and business travelers

Where to Eat in Atlanta

Atlanta food experiences

Group Activity Ideas for Atlanta Foodies

From chef’s counter dinners to cooking classes, food tours, and more. Treat the foodie in your life – or indulge yourself!

Best Vegetarian Friendly Restaurants in Atlanta

Vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike will find dishes they love at these vegetarian friendly Atlanta spots!


Fall & Winter Activities in Atlanta

Little 5 Points Halloween Parade Monsterfest

12+ Group Events & Activities for Halloween: Atlanta Guide

Planning your October corporate happy hour, neighborhood social, or friend outing? These Halloween group ideas will show everyone a spooky good time! Includes Atlanta ghost tours, haunted houses, family friendly fall events, and ideas to create your own Halloween fun.

30+ Fall Activities in Atlanta

There’s so much to do during fall in Atlanta: all kinds of festivals, apple and pumpkin picking, the Little 5 Points Halloween parade, fall foliage, Oktoberfest events… this list goes on! Explore 30+ ideas to make the most of the season in this fun fall guide.

Christmas Events in Atlanta

Get in the holiday season with festive events around Atlanta! Includes tree lightings, ice skating, holiday theatre and musical performances, and more!

11+ Ideas for Black History Month

Learn about Atlanta’s important role in the American Civil Rights movement with these activities for Black History Month in February. Our favorite idea: Unexpected Atlanta’s King Historic District Tour. During this experience, you’ll explore the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Named by Conde Nast as one of the 16 best things to do in Atlanta!


Explore Atlanta’s Neighborhoods

moving to atlanta city skyline

Moving to Atlanta: Neighborhood Guide

If you’re moving to Atlanta or know someone who is, this handy guide is a good primer to understand Atlanta’s neighborhoods. From Chamblee to L5P, to Westside and East Point – which neighborhood is right for you?

Old 4th Ward: Atlanta Neighborhood Guide

Old 4th Ward – or “O4W” as it’s known to locals – is a hip neighborhood with deep roots. Learn more about O4W’s history and its role in the Civil Rights movement. In this guide, you’ll also discover the area’s best music and improv spots, boutiques, restaurants and bars, parks, and apartment complexes.

17+ Downtown Atlanta Group Activities

Downtown Atlanta is a bustling spot with plenty to do! In this post, you’ll find ideas for fun group activities and happy hours, family field trips, date ideas, and more. From sports games to distilleries, museums and parks to a unique curb market, there’s something for everyone!


Atlanta Team Building & Group Outings

Zipline Treetop Quest Outdoor Atlanta Team-Building Ideas

Easy & Affordable Team Building: Atlanta Guide

Explore free and affordable team building ideas for companies on a budget. This guide also includes hassle-free, unque guided team building experiences in Atlanta. With these unexpected activities, you team members will find themselves connecting, laughing, and learning together.

Diversity Team Building: Atlanta Activities

Accomplish your company’s DEI goals while creating stronger connections. In this guide, you’ll find team building activities focused around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Take a memorable field trip to a historic site, support BIPOC-owned businesses, plan a virtual DEI experience, and more.

12+ Atlanta Corporate Retreat Ideas

Planning a corporate retreat in Atlanta? This post includes venue ideas, retreat activities, and tips to plan a fun event everyone will reminisce about for years to come! Includes friendly challenges, swag ideas, tips to include hybrid and remote workers, and more. This guide was created for a post-pandemic workplace to boost team morale while supporting your bottom line.

22+ Fun Team Building Activities

Atlanta is full of fun backdrops for your next team building event! Discover popular spots and hidden gems in this guide. From a nostalgic skyline amusement park to goat yoga, cooking classes, and murder mysteries – you’re sure to find a perfect idea for your crew.

Looking for more team building ideas? Check out Unexpected Atlanta’s sister company, Unexpected Virtual Tours! You’ll find engaging, live virtual team building sessions on a variety of fun and DEI topics. Loved by companies like Coca-Cola, Salesforce, Cardlytics, IHG, Google, and more!


More Atlanta Fun

Atlanta Gardening Class Farming Class Date Idea

11+ Unique Atlanta Date Ideas

To loosely quote ATL musical legends OutKast – “you can plan a pretty picnic, but you can’t predict the weather.” But go ahead and plan that picnic anyway! This guide includes off the beaten path ideas to woo your sweetheart – from outside the box adventures to a cozy night in.

27+ Atlanta Bachelorette Party Ideas

Delve into more than two dozen Atlanta bachelorette party ideas! Luxe picnics, dancing and drag shows, a beach club, wine festivals, glamping, and more. There are so many ways to spoil your bride-to-be!

13+ Atlanta Activities for History Lovers

Explore natural history, architecture, Civil Rights, cemeteries, and more! This list includes unique ways to learn our city’s history – including a stop at Atlanta’s oldest tavern.

If you’re a history buff, we highly recommend checking out our King Historic District Tour. Named by Conde Nast as one of the 16 best things to do in Atlanta!

Outdoor Atlanta Wheelchair Friendly Nature Activities

Things to do in a Wheelchair: Atlanta Edition

Explore accessible Atlanta attractions, trails, and activities around the city. Includes wheelchair-friendly museums, popular tourist spots, retail and dining establishments, and ideas for outdoor fun. Also includes links to more resources for exploring Atlanta in a wheelchair, such as accessibility minded bloggers and local guides.


Spring & Summer Activities in Atlanta

Grant Park Food Tour Atlanta Mother's Day Gifts & Activities

19+ Gifts & Activities for Mother’s Day

Show mom how special she is with these unique Atlanta gift ideas and experiences. Indulge the special mother figures in your life with high tea, support her green thumb, cheer on the home team together, or plan a special day trip. She deserves it!

Spring Activities in Atlanta

Where to spot flowers in bloom, the best walking tours for Atlanta’s spring weather, our favorite springtime festivals, and more! Spring in Atlanta is a cheerful time of year with comfortable temperatures and plenty to do. Make the most of it with festivals, outdoor green spaces, and more.

14+ Romantic Summer Date Ideas

The sun is shining, and love is in bloom! Wow your special someone with more than a dozen creative summer date ideas in Atlanta. For instance: go stargazing, plan a kayaking adventure, drink cocktails in a scenic garden, and build lifelong memories.

12+ Things to Do for Father’s Day in Atlanta

Show the dads and father figures in your life some love with these Atlanta themed Father’s Day ideas. Encourage dad’s DIY skills, take him to a concert or sports game, gift him custom donuts, and more!

Dragon Con Atlanta Labor Day Weekend

14+ Atlanta Labor Day Weekend Activities

Finish summer in style with these Labor Day weekend activities around Atlanta. A wildly popular convention, a food festival, theatre performances, Braves games, day trip ideas… there’s something for everyone! And remember – while Labor Day marks the unofficial start of fall, in Atlanta, there’s usually plenty more warm weather ahead!


Discover the best of Atlanta!

Unexpected Atlanta offers unique walking tours that combine learning about Atlanta’s history with a fun, memorable experience. Our tours have been featured in Thrillist, National Geographic, Bon Appétit, and more – with hundreds of 5-star reviews on TripAdvisor & Yelp!

Grant Park Food Walk Atlanat   King Historic District Tour MLK Tour Atlanta

Explore Unexpected Atlanta walking tours here and you’ll never see Atlanta the same way again!


About Unexpected Atlanta

Unexpected Atlanta offers Atlanta walking tours rated #1 by Tripadvisor, Yelp, and National Geographic. We are Atlanta experts, passionate storytellers, and home-grown Atlanta natives. That’s not just marketing fluff: we have quite literally written the award-winning book on Atlanta’s culinary history. We know all of Atlanta’s secret nooks and crannies you can only discover through deep research and a whole lot of living and eating here.

We are THE Atlanta pros. Our company is a member of the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau and Food Tour Pros certified. Our executive team has spoken at Arival and the Global Food Tourism Conference (the premiere conferences on tourism) about our inclusive and visionary storytelling. The Atlanta History Center and Historic Oakland Foundation call us when they want someone to talk about Atlanta.

There’s a reason we have more 5 star reviews than any other Atlanta walking or food tour: we love our city and can’t wait to share Atlanta with you!


What to Know When Visiting Atlanta


For all the Atlanta fun, explore our free Atlanta resource guides!