Solo travel · Atlanta · United States
Solo travel in Atlanta
How to enjoy Atlanta at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Mojnsen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Atlanta is easy to explore alone if you base yourself in Midtown or near the BeltLine, where food halls, bar seating and a busy walking trail make solo days sociable. Many solo travellers base themselves in Old Fourth Ward.
Key facts
- Base
- Old Fourth Ward
- Getting around
- Metro
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Language
- English
Solo travel tips
- Stay in Midtown to walk to restaurants and use MARTA for downtown and the airport.
- Food halls at Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market are easy for solo meals.
- The BeltLine is busy and sociable in daylight; walk it in the afternoon rather than late at night.
- Use ride-hailing after dark rather than waiting at quiet MARTA stations.
- Join a civil rights walking tour of Sweet Auburn for context and company.
Where to stay
$$$ · Best for food lovers, solo travellers, culture and nightlife
Old Fourth Ward
The Old Fourth Ward runs from Sweet Auburn, where Martin Luther King Jr. was born, to Ponce City Market and Historic Fourth Ward Park on the BeltLine. It mixes historic shotgun houses and new apartment blocks, with the city's liveliest walking trail and many of its newer restaurants.
- Good
- Walk or scooter along the BeltLine; Strong food scene; History on the doorstep
- Watch out
- Fewer traditional hotels; MARTA stations are a walk away
- Nearby
- Ponce City Market, Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, Historic Fourth Ward Park, BeltLine Eastside Trail
Great on your own
Historic site · Sweet Auburn
Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park
Start at the visitor centre for the free exhibits and current information on birth-home access, then walk the street eastward.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- History
- Free
Museum · Downtown
National Center for Civil and Human Rights
Allow time to recover after the lunch-counter exhibit; it is intense and many visitors find it emotional.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Street · Old Fourth Ward
BeltLine Eastside Trail
Walk it from north to south in the late afternoon, ending with dinner around Krog Street Market.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Art
- Food
- Active
Market · Old Fourth Ward
Ponce City Market
Eat in the food hall, then buy a rooftop ticket around sunset for the skyline view.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Shopping
- Views
- Rainy day
-104A8428.jpg){kind=link}
Park · Midtown
Piedmont Park
Enter from the BeltLine at the park's north-east corner and walk to the Lake Clara Meer dock for the skyline photo.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Views
Museum · Midtown
High Museum of Art
Check which special exhibition is on; they often require a separate timed ticket.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Meeting people
- Meat-and-three lunch — Order the classic plate at a long-established Southern counter: one meat and three sides, with sweet tea and cornbread, at a fraction of a dinner bill.
- Buford Highway food crawl — Drive or ride-hail up Buford Highway and share small orders at a few strip-mall restaurants, from Vietnamese banh mi to Korean fried chicken and Mexican tacos.
- Midtown — Bars and clubs around 10th Street, Crescent Avenue and Juniper Street, the heart of LGBTQ+ nightlife.
- Edgewood Avenue — Dive bars, cocktail bars and DJ nights along a short stretch near Sweet Auburn.
Sensible precautions
Car break-ins are common, so leave nothing visible in parked cars. Downtown can feel deserted at night outside event times, so use ride-hailing rather than walking long distances after dark, and carry water in the summer heat.
- Emergency number
- 911 (police, fire, ambulance)
- Staying connected
- Free Wi-Fi is available at the airport, in libraries and in most cafés; US prepaid SIMs and eSIMs are easy to buy.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Atlanta good for solo travellers?
Atlanta is easy to explore alone if you base yourself in Midtown or near the BeltLine, where food halls, bar seating and a busy walking trail make solo days sociable.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Atlanta?
Old Fourth Ward: King's birthplace, Ponce City Market and the BeltLine's busiest stretch.