Beyond the Stadium

Things to Do

World of Coca-Cola, Georgia Aquarium, Stone Mountain, MLK historic sites, and Atlanta food walks — and the dozens of Atlanta experiences World Cup visitors will want to book before they fly. Browse the curated picks below or jump into Viator's full Atlanta catalog.

The Big Six

Anchor Sights

Atlanta punches above its weight on civic history and family attractions. These six are the ones every visitor circles back to.

🐋
Georgia Aquarium
225 Baker St NW. World's largest aquarium outside Asia — whale sharks, beluga whales, manta rays. Adults ~$40, children ~$35. Book online; timed entry sells out on summer weekends.
✊
National Center for Civil & Human Rights
100 Ivan Allen Jr Blvd. Adjacent to the aquarium. Adults $19.99. Lunch counter sit-in simulator and the largest collection of MLK personal papers on public display.
🥤
World of Coca-Cola
121 Baker St NW. Museum + tasting room for 100+ Coca-Cola products from around the world. Adults ~$22, children ~$17. 2 hours is plenty. Skip the gift shop prices — the tasting pavilion is the draw.
🕊️
MLK Jr. National Historic Site
450 Auburn Ave NE. Free NPS site — birth home, Ebenezer Baptist Church, and King Center with his tomb. Free entry. Arrive early; birth home tours are first-come, timed tickets.
🌳
Piedmont Park
400 Park Dr NE. Atlanta's central park — 189 acres, lake, dog park, farmers market Saturdays. Free. The BeltLine Eastside Trail connects here.
🏟️
Centennial Olympic Park
265 Park Ave W NW. Legacy of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Free. Fountain of Rings show at 12:30pm, 3:30pm, 6pm, and 9pm. Hub for the three museums nearby.

Tours & Experiences

Curated Picks

Top-rated Atlanta tours and experiences on Viator. World Cup dates sell out fast, so book ahead.

See All Atlanta Tours on Viator ↗
300+ tours, activities and experiences across Atlanta

Family + Sport

Stadiums & Attractions

⚽
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
1 AMB Dr NW. World Cup host venue. Stadium tours available on non-match days — call ahead. The retractable petal roof and 360° halo board are architectural highlights.
🦁
Zoo Atlanta
800 Cherokee Ave SE. Giant pandas (rare outside China), gorillas, Komodo dragons. Adults ~$33, children ~$23. Full day. Grant Park neighbourhood surrounds it.
🌿
Atlanta Botanical Garden
1345 Piedmont Ave NE. 30-acre garden in Midtown adjacent to Piedmont Park. Adults ~$22. Japanese garden, carnivorous plant collection, canopy walk. Summer evening events (Lights in the Garden).
📺
CNN Studio Tour
1 CNN Center. 50-minute walking tour of the world's largest news network. Adults ~$16. Inside Omni Hotel complex; see live broadcasts through glass.

Neighborhoods

Walk-the-Streets Atlanta

No tickets, no timed entry. Atlanta's most walkable districts — and the BeltLine that threads them together.

🚶
Atlanta BeltLine (Eastside Trail)
Ponce City Market to Piedmont Park. Free 2.25-mile trail through murals, food trucks, and pop-ups. Weekends are lively; weekday mornings are calm. Rent bikes or scooters along the trail.
🏪
Ponce City Market
675 Ponce de Leon Ave NE. Historic Sears building turned food hall + retail. Free to enter. Ground-floor market has 30+ food vendors; rooftop mini-golf and bar cost extra. Central BeltLine access point.
🎸
Little Five Points
Moreland + Euclid Ave. Atlanta's counterculture hub — vintage shops, record stores, tattoo parlours, dive bars. Free to wander. Evening restaurant scene spills onto the street.
🌺
Virginia-Highland
Highland Ave between Virginia and University. Boutique restaurants, indie shops, and neighbourhood cafes. Free to explore. Weekend brunch culture. Walkable from BeltLine Eastside Trail.
🎨
Castleberry Hill Arts District
SW of downtown near Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Warehouses turned galleries and lofts. Free. Second Friday gallery walks monthly. Walking distance from the stadium — good pre/post-match option.

Match-Day-Friendly

Quick Hits

Under 90 minutes each — squeeze these in before kickoff or after the final whistle.

🏅
Centennial Olympic Park (30 min)
Free. Fountain show every 90 min. Walking distance from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Good pre-match gathering point.
🥤
World of Coca-Cola (2 hr)
Best on non-match days. Tasting room alone is worth 30 minutes. Book ahead.
🚶
BeltLine Eastside Trail (1 hr)
Free walk or scooter from Ponce City Market to Piedmont Park. Grab food at the market before heading out.
🕊️
MLK Historic Site (90 min)
Free. Most moving on a quiet weekday morning. Birth home tour needs timed ticket — grab it on arrival.

During the Tournament

Other Live Sports

Other notable sporting events happening in or near this metro during the FIFA World Cup window (Jun 11 – Jul 19, 2026). Use these to plan around match days. MLS is paused May 25 – Jul 16 for the World Cup, so most domestic soccer is dark.

Find Tickets on TicketNetwork ↗
Resale marketplace — search by team, venue or date for any event below.
Sat Jul 4
AJC Peachtree Road Race · Peachtree St → Piedmont Park — World's largest 10K, ~60K runners — book hotels well ahead
Sun Jul 12
NASCAR Cup — Quaker State 400 · Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton GA — ~30 mi south of downtown
Fri-Sat Jul 17-18
Braves vs. Texas Rangers · Truist Park — ~10 mi north of Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Sat Jul 4 · Sat Jul 11
Atlanta Dream (WNBA) · Gateway Center Arena, College Park — vs. Golden State Valkyries (Jul 4) and Portland Fire (Jul 11)
Tue Jul 14 (Philly)
MLB All-Star Game · Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia — Direct WC overlap — host city has MLB's biggest week. ~750 mi from ATL.