A guide to the perfect girls weekend in Atlanta: a full itinerary for friends visiting to show them the trendiest spots around the city and OTP- including brunch, the Beltline, Historic Marietta, and the Battery!
Planning the Perfect Girl’s Weekend in Atlanta
Last weekend I had the most special visit from two of my best friends that I have known since we were fourteen. I was so grateful when my friends texted me that they were coming to visit- I have been so homesick and having them here was such a blessing! I knew we would have a great girls weekend, and I was so excited to show them Atlanta.
I contemplated a lot of different ideas of what to do- it was so tough to decide what to do for only two days. One of my friends had never been to Atlanta, so I wanted her to see the highlights, and I also wanted to stick to only doing things outdoors. My goal was to skip the tourist-y things and go straight to my favorite spots that I go to all the time.
My friends probably didn’t see everything in Atlanta or even what some people might consider the highlights, but I was excited to show them my favorite neighborhood spots and what my life in Atlanta looks like. We even went to Marietta on Sunday, where Ryan and I want to move to one day. Being able to show my friends the big city amenities and the small town charm nearby really captured what living in Atlanta looks like to me.
If you are planning a weekend, I would also recommend taking a look at my Atlanta bucket lists- I have a list of top things to do like a local, a a list of the best touristy things to do, and of course my ultimate bucket list if you want to see all your options! For our girls weekend, seeing my favorite local spots in Atlanta and the Beltline was what my friends wanted to do! (They were actually so confused by what the Beltline was until they were here- if you are too, check out my blog post about it here).
Girl’s Weekend Friday Night: Dinner and Drinks
New Realm Brewing
We started off our girls weekend Friday night, and went to New Realm, my favorite brewery in Atlanta. We chose New Realm for our Friday evening spot as the girls had a late flight in, hadn’t eaten, but still wanted to “go out”. New Realm is walking distance from my apartment, has yummy and quick food, is open late, and still has the vibe of a “going out” spot without having to go indoors or be in a crowded area. It was easy and convenient, and we had a blast catching up over our appetizers and frozen drinks while listening to the live music. They also have a great roof with a view of the skyline!
Girl’s Weekend Saturday: Day on the Beltline
Ponce City Market
I’m pretty sure at this point it’s a requirement that you see Ponce City Market if you’re visiting Atlanta, haha! We stopped by before brunch just to see it- we didn’t do any shopping but we did stop by Spiller Park Coffee to get iced coffees on our way to brunch. It was fun to see all the different restaurants and shops without spending more than an hour. If you want to do more at Ponce, read my blog post about it here.
P.S. If you want to get reallyyyy Southern with your coffee, get Spiller Park’s cola coffee- it’s classic Atlanta with Coca-Cola in it.
Brunch in Inman Quarter, Atlanta
We worked our way down the Beltline to get brunch- Inman Quarter is a cute little section just off the Beltline that has a great selection of restaurants and a few shops (plus Voga Gelato- my favorite!). Most places aren’t taking outdoor reservations, so we went early and went for the first open table.
We ended up at Hampton and Hudson- they have my favorite chicken and waffles (whipped maple butter- yum!) and great drinks.Their cucumber margarita is amazing- light and not too sweet. We also considered BeetleCat and Bread & Butterfly- my two other favorite brunch spots in Inman Quarter!
Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall
After brunch we went back on the Beltline to get a few drinks outside and continue catching up for a relaxing afternoon walking to bars and restaurants. We hadn’t all been together in so long that we just wanted to chat- and as much as I wanted to see and do more around Atlanta, my main priority was having quality time with my friends on our girls weekend.
We left Inman Quarter and continued down the Beltline towards Krog Street Market, and stopped at Ladybird, which is on the way. Ladybird is the “see and be seen” spot on the Atlanta Beltline- it’s a fun bar and restaurant themed like a summer camp! Their latest fun drinks come in little pouches and they are so good! It’s the perfect spot to sit outside while working your way down the Beltline.
Krog Street Market
We stopped by Krog Street Market because I couldn’t let my friends come to Atlanta and only see Ponce, haha! I personally think Krog has better food than Ponce- read my post about Krog here. We stopped for some shopping and snacks before heading back out to the Beltline!
Pour
Pour is a bar right on the Beltline near Krog Street Market, next to Nina & Rafi pizza and the James Room speakeasy. It’s fun because they charge you by filling up your own cup at different taps on the walls, so you can sample all your favorite local Atlanta beers! For those of us that don’t love beer, they also have wine and frozen drinks. Ask them to mix the frosé and the piña colada- the combo is amazing.
Hawkers Asian Street Fare
Hawkers is right down the Beltline from Pour in the same little strip of restaurants, and it is my favorite spot for fried rice or Pad Thai (warning- the Pad Thai is spicy!). It was so fun to sit outside on their tables with all the cushions and wrap up your drink(s) at pour with a late lunch!
Girl’s Weekend Saturday Night: Drinks
The Rooftop at Hotel Clermont
We ended our night on the roof of Hotel Clermont. For those that don’t know, the Clermont is Atlanta’s oldest strip club. The roof is nothing like the hotel’s basement counterpart- it’s trendy, classy, and has great cocktails- out of all the bars in Atlanta, this one just screams “girls weekend!”. The roof also has a great view of Ponce and the city- if you can catch the sunset, do it. It’s amazing.
Girl’s Weekend Sunday: Brunch and OTP
Breakfast at Flying Biscuit Cafe at the famous Atlanta Rainbow Crosswalks
We decided on Midtown’s best casual breakfast for Sunday morning- my friend who had visited me previously was dying to return to Flying Biscuit, and I can’t blame her- those biscuits are soooo good.
The only downside of Flying Biscuit is the wait- they don’t take reservations so you’re forced to put your name in. We decided to make the most of it and wander around Midtown for the hour- it was a great way to be efficient and show my friends my old neighborhood without spending half the day in Midtown.
We ended up walking in a loop to see the highlights: we walked towards the Margaret Mitchell House on the corner of 10th and Peachtree, and then headed towards 12th street down Peachtree to walk by the Federal Museum Promenade. Then, we walked down towards Piedmont Park and into the 12th street entrance to take a peek into the park and went back towards the restaurant on Piedmont St.
Historic Marietta
Next we decided to go to Marietta, which is one of my favorite small towns- read about my favorite spots here.
I love Marietta because you can spend almost the day, or just an hour if you’re short on time. We walked around the square for around an hour and went into a few shops, and then went to the Marietta Market for a snack. If we had more time, we probably would’ve gone to Glover Park Brewery, which is right by the square.
The Battery and Atlanta Braves Game
One of my friends loves baseball so we wanted to take her to the Battery for the Braves game and an early dinner before her flight! We listened to the game from outside the studio and walked around the shops in the Battery.
For those that don’t know, the Battery (also called Truist Park, formerly Suntrust Park), is more than a stadium- it has several bars and shops outside the gates, a farmer’s market on weekends, and often has free yoga classes and other community events in its green space.
My favorite shop is Dress Up- I bought two dresses, haha! Another great one to stop by is River Street Sweets, which is the famous praline shop in Savannah.
We got dinner at Punch Bowl Social- I got their mac and cheese and it was soooo good! I can’t wait to go back when everything is more open and go bowling there upstairs- it’s such a fun bar with a lot to do.
Atlanta Girl’s Weekend Recap
Looking at everything we did, I can safely say I understand why I was so tired on Monday! We definitely made the most of our short time together, and I’m happy that my friends got to see a lot of Atlanta- this itinerary for a girls weekend in Atlanta was perfect for the three of us.
I definitely would’ve done different things if it was family visiting, but for old friends, catching up and sitting outside in the sunshine on the Beltline was perfect- we honestly could’ve spent the day in my apartment and I would’ve been happy. 🙂