This past February, I was in Atlanta, Georgia for a work conference and had exactly 1 morning and 1 evening to myself. With only a handful of hours, I knew I had to make the most of my time and try to fit in some sightseeing while I was there!

My first stop was the Atlanta Breakfast Club, a modern diner serving some delicious breakfast fare. They’re open super early and everyone is very friendly. I had their Peach Cobbler French Toast, which filled me up for the entire rest of the day!

After breakfast, I walked over to the World of Coca-Cola, which was only a short 5 minute walk away. Tickets are $17.00, which you can buy online or via their ticket window. I used a discount code I found at the Atlanta Airport to get $2 off – so make sure you look around for deals!

Once you go through to the lobby, you’re given a Coke to drink while waiting for your tour guide. For the first 20 minutes or so, you’re given a tour guide that will explain The Loft, which holds all Coca-Cola artifacts from all over the world.

After The Loft, you’re ushered to watch a short film called, “Moments of Happiness”. From that point onward, it’s a completely self-guided experience. You can walk through the Vault of Secret Formula, where the secret Coca-Cola formula is held, or watch their production line by walking through Bottle Works.

After that, take a photo with the Coca-Cola Polar Bear!

Level 2 houses the best part – Taste It! – which is a tasting area with over 100 different beverage choices. There are beverages from around the world – Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. There are also dispensers for all Coca-Cola products. But be careful when you’re trying the beverages from around the world – some of them aren’t quite that tasty!

Later that night, I returned to Pemberton Place and visited the Georgia Aquarium, which is right across from the World of Coca-Cola. On Thursdays, they keep the Aquarium open until 9:00pm and offer a cheaper price if you enter after 4:00pm.

I managed to catch the last Sea Lion Show at 6:00pm and I highly recommend that you try to make it to one of them. The sea lions are super cute. One of them is a rescue that cannot be re-released into the wild. They do a great job of reminding viewers that we need to recycle and reuse – so we can try to reduce the amount of waste in our oceans.

There are several sections in the Aquarium. One of the most notable is the Cold Water Quest, with Beluga Whales, Harbor Seals, and African Penguins. The African Penguins exhibit was particularly cool because you could crawl underneath the exhibit and emerge in a covered dome to stand next to the penguins!

There is also the Ocean Voyager, where you can walk through an acrylic tunnel or stand in front of a giant viewing window to see whale sharks and manta rays. The Georgia Aquarium is the only aquarium in the United States with whale sharks, so make sure you spend some time there!

There are also a bunch of touch areas around the aquarium where you can touch shrimp, sea stars, and much more!

Currently they’re doing construction at the Aquarium to make room for their Great White Sharks, which are coming in 2020.

If you’re in Atlanta, make sure you visit the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola. I had so much fun visiting both places and would definitely recommend them to all visitors – even if they are a bit “touristy”.