Atlanta, a historic mecca of art and culture in the South, has always had its fair share of adventure and charm. However, a recent wave of creative attention has lit a fire within the city’s innovators. Now packed with even more things to see, Atlanta ranks up there with some of America’s best cities. But, if you only had 24 hours, what would you choose to see now and save for later? Should you stay in a modern high-rise or a historic bed and breakfast? Would you find the best dinner at an old, homegrown restaurant or a brand new culinary venture?
At TripExpert, we have the answer to the most Atlanta-filled trip you could have in one day. The experts know best and we’ve brought together reviews from the most trusted names in travel to create a score for each city’s most worthwhile attractions. With this score and some insider knowledge of Atlanta, we’ve figured out where to go and what to do for your next day trip to Atlanta.
So where should we start the best 24-hour trip to Atlanta possible?
Stonehurst Place, Piedmont Park and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens
One of Atlanta’s nicknames is Dogwood City, and we say skip the towering, modern hotels for Atlanta’s highest rated bed and breakfast: Stonehurst Place. “[Fusing] art, history, and high-tech amenities” (Jetsetter), Stonehurst Place exemplifies a modernized “Southern charm.”. Housed in a renovated 19th-century home, this charming bed and breakfast looks out onto a quiet street in midtown within walking distance of many shops, restaurants, and attractions. Oyster.com loves “the affability of the owners” and highlights its “relaxing atmosphere.” The property features a heated porch and each room has free Wi-Fi. Individually decorated rooms start from $199 per night.
Since check-in doesn’t start until 4pm, drop off your luggage at Stonehurst Place and take three-minute stroll up Piedmont Avenue. There, you’ll find one of Atlanta’s beloved breakfast spots, The Flying Biscuit Café. Known for their modern Southern food and fluffy biscuits, this café is also a great spot to fuel up before exploring the shops and attractions nearby.
Sprawling out behind The Flying Biscuit Café is Atlanta’s biggest park. Dubbed “Atlanta’s answer to Central Park” by Not For Tourists, Piedmont Park. Stroll around Lake Clara Meer and take in the broad Atlanta skyline reflecting in the lake’s still waters. Or walk along the edges of the park, stopping to peer into the other cafes and shops right at your fingertips. As well, when planning your trip, try to visit during one of the many arts and culture festivals held here such as Music Midtown or The Atlanta Arts Festival. Finally, before moving on, make friends with a friendly group of ATLiens hosting a picnic in the park’s green, picturesque fields.
On the north side of the park within walking distance is another highly rated attraction: The Atlanta Botanical Gardens. Perfect for the green thumb within all of us, the Botanical Gardens contains the Fuqua Conservatory, a collection of “unusual flora from tropical and desert climates,” according to Fodor’s. There you can also find the award-winning Fuqua Orchid Center where you can see (you guessed it!) an extensive collection of orchids from around the world. Entry to the gardens will cost you $18.95 and prearranged tours are available at $15.95 (self-guided) or $19.95 (guided).
By now, you’ve probably worked up a good appetite from walking all over Piedmont Park and the Botanical Gardens. Rest your legs by grabbing a $6 Uber ride to Mary Mac’s Tea Room: One of Atlanta’s most historic Southern cooking establishments. Zagat describes Mary Mac’s menu as “old-fashioned Southern comfort food for the soul…with all the fixin’s” and they ain’t just pullin’ your leg. Fried chicken, sweet tea, and enough cheesy grits to go around will leave you stuffed and yet wanting more. Each delicious entrée will set you back between $11 and $23.
From food for the soul to food for the mind, grab yourself another $6 Uber ride to the High Museum of Art. With admission priced well at about $20 per adult, the High’s collections are “a little bit Met, a little bit MoMA, and a little bit Southern” (Frommer’s). While the museum’s exhibits often include some of art’s biggest names such as Pablo Picasso and Frida Kahlo, their permanent collection spans several genres from local artists to African-American to decorative with 11,000 pieces always in view. However, the beauty doesn’t stop there. “Covered in white porcelain-enameled steel” (Michelin Guide), the 135,000-sq.-ft. mansion is a “destination as much for its architecture as its world-class exhibits” (Lonely Planet). You’ll easily find yourself wandering its halls for several hours and it’ll be time to check-in before you know it.
Head back to Stonehurst Place for $6, check-in, and take a moment to enjoy your cozy room. Cuddle up in a plush bathrobe and enjoy some homemade, complimentary snacks. Don’t take too long – you’ve got a reservation at Atlanta’s finest restaurant: Bacchanalia. Uber it over to west midtown for $7 and prepare for an all-organic masterpiece with an outstanding TripExpert Score. For over 20 years, Atlanta has held Bacchanalia as the city’s best restaurant and it’s no surprise with its dining room’s “vaulted ceiling” and “exposed brick-trimmed windows,” its “low-lit sexy bar,” and its “vibrant, seasonal American” five course pre-fixe menu (Forbes Travel Guide). Bacchanalia’s chefs Anne Quantrano and Clifford Harrison often pull ingredients from their own farm at home or from other small farms to ensure the highest quality for their dishes. Their pre-fixe may set you back $85 per person (not including any caviar service), but when in Atlanta, do as the Atlantans: try the Gulf Crab Fritters and Braised Short Ribs.
Since Atlanta is the artist mecca of the South, we couldn’t forget to go to the theater while you’re there. While the Fox Theater houses touring Broadway shows, we’re actually going to send you to the Alliance Theater to see a show directed, acted, and produced by Atlanta’s finest. A $7 Uber ride away from dinner, the Alliance Theater boasts world-class productions and vows to honor the work from the most diverse group of artists possible. From original works to pieces once performed on Broadway, their shows cost between $20 and $45, a good price considering the caliber of their artists.
With a piece of Atlanta’s performing arts under your belt, it’s probably time to call it a night. Your last Uber for the night will cost you $6 to get back to Stonehurst Place. Once you’re back, you can take in the night air on their front porch or enjoy some quiet in their cozy sitting room. If you’re feeling a tad restless, you could grab a nightcap at one of several restaurants/lounges near your hotel such as 10th and Piedmont. In addition to a vibrant night scene, this area is known for the many bars catering to the LGBT community. When it’s time to wind down, your bed will greet you with incredible comfort with Stonehurst’s luxury linens and a quiet, uninterrupted night’s rest.
Check out in the morning will mark the end of your trip and, congratulations, you will have had the best and most authentic 24 hours in Atlanta possible! You had your fair share of Southern cooking, took in Atlanta’s beautiful scenery and parks, had dinner at the best restaurant in the whole city, and took in some of the best art The Big Peach has to offer.
There’s so much to do in New York City that you could spend an entire life its five boroughs and not experience all that it has to offer. But what if you only had 24 hours? What is the best possible day you could spend in New York City? What would you do? Where would you eat? Where would you sleep? And how much would it cost?
We have the ability to find out. The TripExpert Score is calculated by a patent-pending algorithm that allows us to examine the critical consensus on all there is to do in New York City (and around the world). By aggregating and analyzing critical reviews (think Rotten Tomatoes meets Nate Silver), we can scientifically calculate the best hotels, restaurants, and attractions in New York City. We can then use these ratings to figure out the ideal 24 hours in the City. This trip is not just one person’s opinion; it’s what the math tells us is the best possible 24-hour trip to NYC.
Want to learn how the TripExpert Score works? Skip to the bottom of the post for a full explanation.
The best 24 hours in New York City
So what would the ultimate 24-hour trip to New York City look like?
We’ll start the 24 hour clock by checking into the Crosby Street Hotel, the top rated hotel in NYC. Its “as much gallery as hotel” says Frommers, the rooms are “expansive and sun-light filled” according to Fodors, and Oyster.com loves how the hotel manages to be both “lavish and welcoming”. The Crosby Street Hotel features Bose iPhone docks, heated towel racks, and an on-site movie theater.
We imagine you’ll want to make of all those amenities (as well as potentially visit the rooftop chickens), so we’ll allocate 3 to 4pm as hotel time. At 4pm you’ll hop in a cab to the Brooklyn Museum, the top ranked attraction in Brooklyn and #3 in all of NYC. The 30-minute trip will cost $20 via Uber and we’ll allocate you 90 minutes to peruse NYC’s second-largest art museum.
According to Lonely Planet, the Brooklyn Museum is “a great alternative to the packed-to-the-gills institutions in Manhattan” and the crowd at your closing time visit should be especially sparse, allowing you quiet contemplation of the museum’s stellar “4,000 piece Egyptian Collection” as well as the “masterworks by Cézanne, Monet and Degas” recommended by Time Out New York.
Closing time is 6pm and we’re off in another Uber, this time heading to Central Park for sunset. The 40-minute trip will set you back $35.
Central Park is among New York City’s highest rated attractions. New Yorkers have been coming to the park for over 150 years as a respite from the hectic bustle of New York; take an hour to stroll what Concierge.com calls the “calming yang to the city’s fervent go-go yin.”
You’ll want to get changed before your 9:30 dinner reservation, so Uber back to your hotel ($20) before heading to Daniel, NYC’s top rated restaurant. “One of the most elegant dining experiences in Manhattan,” says Fodors. Charles Michener of The New Yorker praises chef Daniel Boulud’s cuisine for its “luxurious, sometimes surprising combinations, which, when all is said and done, seem simple.” This the best possible trip to New York City, so we’re going big. You’ll order the seven course tasting menu for $225, plus the optional wine pairings for another $225. The “very attentive service is a highlight” (Forbes Travel Guide), so we’ll tip 25%, which adds another $112.50, for a total of $562.50.
By the time you finish dessert it’ll be late, but we have one more attraction to hit before bed. Hop on the 6 train ($2.75) heading south and exit at Grand Central Terminal, New York City’s 3rd highest rated attraction. Walk up from the subway station into the main concourse, described by the Michelin Guide as “one of the most spectacular interior spaces in the city”. It’s late so you won’t have the normal bustle, but the lack of crowds will allow you to marvel at the details of this 1913 masterpiece of engineering, architecture, and art. Many New Yorkers will tell you that this is their favorite place in the city. When you’re done, hop one last Uber back to your room at the Crosby Street Hotel ($12). Tomorrow’s going to be another busy day, so make sure you get some rest.
Sleep well? Considering you stayed at the best hotel in New York City (and taking into account how busy yesterday was), odds are you did. But now is not the time to let up; you still have plenty of time left in your 24-hour New York City trip.
Your first stop the next morning is Locanda Verde, New York City’s highest rated restaurant that serves breakfast. Take a pleasant mile-long stroll from the Crosby Street Hotel through Greenwich Village and Tribeca to the restaurant. According to NY Magazine, Locanda Verde’s “crowd pleasing cooking” is “designed to promote a good time in a casually stylish, relatively economical way”. It’ll be a great way to start the day and, for such a highly regarded restaurant (#13 in New York City), not unaffordable at about $40 including tip for a full breakfast.
After Locanda Verde, you’ll be visiting Ellis Island, New York City’s 5th highest rated attraction. The first ferry to the island leaves from Battery Park at 8:30am, so take a quick $8 Uber down to the dock. Ellis Island, “an icon of mythical proportions,” according to Lonely Planet, was New York’s primary immigration reception facility for over 60 years. The ferry costs $18 and a tour of the hospital is another $25. There’s a lot of history to see, so you’ll have to move quickly.
You’ll be back in Manhattan by 10pm. It’s time for another Uber ($25), this one to the last attraction you’ll be visiting: the Frick Collection. This art museum is the highest rated attraction New York City. The museum ($20) is “a real find among the city’s museums” (Concierge.com). “Everything here is a highlight”, says Fodors. Housed in coke and steel magnate Henry Clay Frick’s Fifth Avenue mansion, the Frick Collection, “arguably the best small museum in the nation” (Frommers), “offers a unique opportunity to view an exceptional trove of Old Masters paintings” (Fodors). Take two hours to wander this quiet oasis of art and 19th century extravagance.
Your 24 hours in New York City is almost up. You’ve done a lot but there is still one more once-in-a-time experience to fit into this trip. Take one last Uber ($8) to your lunch destination, New York City’s second highest rated restaurant, Per Se. This restaurant is Thomas Keller’s Columbus Circle masterpiece. “Rightly recognized as one of the world’s finest restaurants, Per Se is nothing short of spectacular,” says the Michelin Guide. Recently celebrating its 10th anniversary, Per Se has been featured in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants for its entire life. A meal this memorable won’t come cheap; the 5 to 9 course lunch ranges from $205 to $310. You can choose from Per Se’s extensive wine list or bring your own bottle, for a $150 corking fee. Assume with a 9-course lunch and a bottle of wine, plus tip, you spend $575.
With that epic lunch, the best 24-hour trip you can take to NYC is over. You stayed at the best hotel in the city. You ate at three of its best restaurants in less than a 24-hour span (be sure to hit the gym next week). You visited some of its best museums, most impressive monuments, and most treasured parks. You spent $1,912.25 in 24 hours (not counting tips or actually getting to New York City) but you had the best 24 hours you could possibly have (according to science).
About TripExpert’s Scoring System
The rankings described in this article are based on the TripExpert Score. You can read about how the score is calculated on our About Page, but simply put, the TripExpert Score takes into account how many publications have recommended a venue and what they’ve said about the venue, including any score or rating they’ve awarded it. It’s a method not dissimilar from how Nate Silver conducts his poll analysis for fivethirtyeight.com. By looking at a wide range of experts and weighing them based on their reliability, we’re able to generate the most accurate appraisal of quality for hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
Unlike sites such as TripAdvisor and Yelp, we don’t incorporate crowdsourced reviews, or rely on sites that use them. While we do believe these sites have their uses — they’re good at surfacing under-the-radar dining spots that may not come to the attention of travel critics (for example, a great sandwich counter hidden away in a bodega), they suffer from issues that make them unreliable to the point of unusable for the sake of measuring the true quality of a hotel, restaurant, or attraction.
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