10 Things to Do in Atlanta in Winter

Atlanta is a city with a wide range of tourist activities all year round. So the winter weather won't stop you from having fun if you've decided to travel during the coldest days of the year.

In the so-called jewel of the southern United States, you'll find guided activities and others that you can do on your own. For example, you can tour the city after sunset to see the illumination, glide on the skating rink, celebrate the Chinese New Year, sample the city's cuisine, among other things.

If you don't know what to do in Atlanta at night during your stay in the winter months, then a good alternative is to enjoy the city's lights. You can walk around the city to get a different perspective of the streets and buildings. You can also visit some popular light shows.

Guided night tour

You can opt for a night tour to see the lights of Atlanta, which usually lasts about two hours. Accompanied by a local guide, you'll visit the city's main tourist destinations in a car. You'll be able to stop at each location and take advantage of the lighting to take pictures, while learning about the history of the city.

Some of the destinations include:

• Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
• Millennium Gate.
• Centennial Park.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Historic Park.
• Ponce City Market.

Light Shows

There are also several light shows in the city that you can visit annually at your own expense from mid-November through mid-January.

At the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, you'll find a series of stages lit by thousands of light bulbs. You'll see huge Christmas trees, beautiful fountains and pass through magical tunnels, among other scenes.

Then there's the Light of Life show at Life University. On the campus of this university you'll find a display of more than a million lights. You'll also see trees, nativity scenes, representations of different cultures and children can interact with Father Christmas.

During the winter season in Atlanta you'll find plenty of things to see and do in the city. One such experience is Atlantic Station, where you can glide around a huge ice rink, sip a cup of hot chocolate and enjoy the colourful surroundings.

Once at the rink you'll need to put on your skates, which are included in the price of your ticket. After that, the fun is up to you. You will have free time to glide over the ice, take pictures and share with your friends or family, if you are travelling with them.

Also, if you want to eat, try a hot drink or just sit down to rest, there is a restaurant and a cafeteria, strategically located near the rink.

Useful information

• Price: from 16€ per person.
• When: mid-November to mid-January.
• Where: 1380 Atlantic Dr NW. District Avenue.

You'll find Atlanta's gastronomy a real treat, thanks to the city's cultural melting pot. You'll find incredible fusions of Southern and regional foods to enjoy in winter. Just join one of Atlanta's top 10 food tours.

The adventure consists of a walking tour of the city's restaurants and bakeries. It's a culinary and historical tour of Atlanta, as the guide will tell you about the city, the context of the places visited and foods tasted.

One of the routes for this activity is usually around the Grant Park neighbourhood:

• Little Tart Bakeshop: with delicious coffee, sweet pastries, pies, cakes, traditional gingerbread biscuits, and more.
• Cook Out: You'll find over 40 flavours of milkshakes, hot drinks, BBQ-style meat and burgers.
• St. Augustine's: Here you'll enjoy alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, a variety of French toast, shrimp and grits, salmon bites, sides and more.

The Christkindlmarket is a traditional German Christmas market, held annually in the city of Atlanta. Here you can find a wide variety of handicrafts, food and activities for the whole family.

Handmade products

You'll find souvenir sales and a range of handmade goods: hand-woven textiles, tablecloths, jewellery, seasonal ornaments, wooden toys and carvings galore.

Traditional gastronomy

You can enjoy traditional German food and drinks: pretzels, dumplings, roasted nuts, potato omelettes, apfelschorle, among others. In addition, the little ones in the house will have the opportunity to taste European sweets, chocolate, stollen (sweet bread), gingerbread, cakes, chimney cake, etc.

Children's activities

If you are visiting Atlanta with children, then at the Christkindlmarket you will find special activities for them. There are singing shows, storytelling, age-appropriate cultural workshops, and you can even take a picture of them with Santa.

• Price: free admission.
• When: From late November to late December (11.30am-9.30pm).
• Where: Buckhead Village District 290 East Paces Ferry Road NE.

Take part in one of the best winter stargazing tours in Atlanta. You can take advantage of the northern hemisphere tilt phenomenon, the clear night sky and dark night sky, to see a greater number of celestial bodies.

For example, here are some of the stargazing spots you can visit by connecting with a guided experience or, if you wish, on your own:

Charlie Elliot Wildlife Centre

This is a 2,500-hectare nature reserve located about an hour's drive from Atlanta.

Here, you can camp and watch the stars and constellations from viewing platforms. In addition, there are occasional activities for astronomy enthusiasts: observing events, star parties, among others.

A.H. Stephens State Park

A.H. Stephens State Park is located 1 hour and 30 minutes from Atlanta. Its facilities offer endless dark skies, ideal for stargazing.

Hog Pen Pond

To get to this scenic overlook you'll have to drive from Atlanta a distance of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. The destination is just off the Appalachian Trail, has a campground and several stargazing sites.

Your visit to the jewel of the American South (Atlanta) may be early in the winter season and therefore coincide with Black Friday, which takes place on the last Friday in November. This way, you can take advantage of the Black Friday sales.

This is definitely an activity to incorporate into your 1-day Atlanta itinerary, especially if you're a shopping enthusiast. You can buy appliances, any kind of gadgets, clothing, shoes, Christmas decorations, toys for the little ones, among other products.

You just have to go to the main shopping centres in the city from early in the morning. Some of them are:

• Atlantic Station at 1380 Atlantic Dr NW. There, you will enjoy a large number of fashionable shopping malls.
• Lenox Square, located at 3393 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, has more than 250 shops.
• Perimeter Mall, located at 4400 Ashford Dunwoody Camino Atlanta. You will find approximately 156 shops.

If you're a true enthusiast of the R&B and Hip-Hop music scene, then you've got a date at the V-103 Atlanta Winterfest. This is a very popular show in the city and a good choice to incorporate into your itinerary of things to do in Atlanta in December.

During the show you can enjoy renowned artists from the Funk and Soul, R&B, Hip-Hop and even Pop genres. Some of the artists that have performed since the first edition in 2015 are:

• Bell Biv DeVoe ( R&B/Soul group, American).
• DJ Khaled (Palestinian DJ and former member of the rap group Terror Squad).
• Lil Wayne(five-time Grammy-winning rapper).
• Kem (R&B and neo soul singer).
• Tank (American hip-hop exponent).

It is important that, prior to your visit to Atlanta, you check the festival information. This way, you will know the times, dates, ticket prices and even where to buy tickets.

Useful information

• Price: from €60 per person.
• When: mid-December (annually).
• Where: State Farm Arena. 1 State Farm Dr, Atlanta.

If you plan to spend New Year's Eve in Atlanta and want to bring the celebration forward a few hours, then you should pay a visit to Stone Mountain Park. There, the countdown to New Year's Eve will begin each year at 21:00 hours, accompanied by an amazing fireworks display and an artificial snowfall.

Also, before the New Year's Eve celebration, you will have the opportunity to enjoy the daily activities of the park' s Christmas itinerary. For example:

• Drone and light show.
• Christmas parade.
• Santa flying through the skies in his sleigh.

These last activities are available until 1 January, but if you visit Atlanta in summer, autumn or spring, you can enjoy other seasonal attractions at the same location.

Useful information

• Price: from €40 per person.
• When: Every day from mid-November to January.
• Where: 1000 Robert E. Lee Blvd.

During your winter visit you'll find more than 70 fun things to do in Atlanta and one of them is the Lunar New Year celebration. You'll be able to attend a series of traditional activities in honour of Chinese culture. All of them full of colour and oriental tradition.

Chinatown Mall

In Chinatown Mall you will find traditional dragon and lion dances. You'll also sample moon cake and other gastronomic delights, see some cultural exhibits and shop for handicrafts. All this from 10:00 to 16:00 hours.

• Price: free admission.
• When: from late January and early February.
• Where: Chamblee, approximately 19 minutes' drive from downtown Atlanta.

Taipei Economic and Cultural Bureau Culture Centre

Another option is to go to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Culture Center. There, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., you can enjoy some of the oriental folklore, represented in music and dance performances. You will also find a market with traditional food.

• Price: average price €7 per person.
• When: from late January and early February.
• Where: 5377 New Peachtree Rd, just off Chinatown Mall.

February marks the close of the winter season with a major exhibition combining orchids and art. So, if you are interested in these themes, you have an appointment at the Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Orchid Daze takes place every year from the second week of February. It is a creative proposal that allows you to stroll through the indoor garden to get up close and personal with a variety of more than 200 species of orchids. Such is the case of the moth orchid, the slipper orchid from tropical Asia, the Madagascar orchid, among others.

At the same time, you will discover some sculptures, perfectly integrated into the floral scenery. For example, the sculptor Kristine Mays is one of the artists who usually shows her three-dimensional work made of metal fibres on a real scale.

Useful information

• Price: from €14 per person.
• When: daily from the second week of February to mid-April.
• Where: 1345 Piedmont Ave NE.

Winter in Atlanta usually lasts from the end of November to the end of February, an average of three months. This is a period of time during which you'll enjoy daily temperatures below 14°C, but rarely below -4°C.

January is the coldest month of Atlanta's winter, with temperatures ranging from a low of 2°C to a high of 11°C. Meanwhile, February sees the highest percentage of rainfall (approximately 114 millimetres).

The snow period covers a 31-day interval (first week of January to the first days of February), with snowfall of at least 25 millimetres. In addition, ice storms are present in mountainous areas.

There are some alternative plans you should take into consideration during your winter visit to Atlanta. For example:

• Boost your body heat by drinking a daily minimum of three cups of tea, chocolate or coffee to keep warm.
• Make the most of heating by incorporating visits to indoor venues into your itinerary.
• If you use a rental car to get around the city, try as much as possible to keep the tank full of fuel. This will prevent the hoses from freezing.

In addition, it is important to dress in three layers:

• Thermal set close to the body (trousers - T-shirt). In this way, moisture will be absorbed.
• Second set of looser clothing, which will give you the feeling of warmth.
• Acoat and accessories as a barrier against the wind.