Atlanta at Night, King Center to the Jackson Street Bridge
An evening bus loop through Atlanta with a guide on the microphone: a short walk in Little Five Points, an hour to buy dinner, the King Center, and the downtown skyline from the Jackson Street Bridge.
This is a narrated night tour on an air-conditioned bus that leaves downtown at 7:00 PM and runs for three hours and twenty minutes. Most of the route is seen through the window: the Fox Theatre, Ponce de Leon Avenue, Ponce City Market and the Inman Park streets all go by without a stop.
The bus stops up to five times for photos, and once for a full hour so you can buy dinner. The rest of the evening is the guide pointing things out as the lights come on, from the Midtown towers to the stadium district on the west side of downtown.
The tour sells as one departure a night at 7:00 PM, six nights a week. Children 3 to 12 book at a child rate, and children 2 and under ride free on a lap, one per family.
City Lights Atlanta Night-Time Bus Tour with Photos & Dinner StopA 7:00 PM narrated bus loop from the Atlanta Marriott Marquis with photo stops, the King Center and a one-hour dinner stop.www.viator.comLittle Five Points, Then an Hour to Buy Dinner
The first time you leave the bus is in Little Five Points, and the stop lasts seven minutes. Seven minutes covers the murals and the shop fronts on Moreland Avenue; the record stores will have to wait for another day.
The long stop is the dinner hour: sixty minutes at Krog Street Market and the Beltline Eastside Trail, with food and drinks paid by you. Krog Street Market is the dinner stop Friday through Monday; on Wednesdays it moves to East Atlanta Village. After dinner the route passes the painted walls of the Krog Street Tunnel and the bars of the Old Fourth Ward on the way back toward downtown.
Fifteen Minutes at the King Center
The longest stop after dinner is fifteen minutes at the King Center on Auburn Avenue. Ebenezer Baptist Church, the Behold statue, Dr. King's birth home and the burial site are all within that historic district.
The next two stops are short and built for the camera. The Jackson Street Bridge gets eight minutes, and it is the downtown skyline view you have probably already seen in film and TV. Atlantic Station gets another eight. The last stop is five minutes by Centennial Olympic Park, with the SkyView wheel, the Georgia Aquarium and the World of Coca-Cola around it, while Mercedes-Benz Stadium goes by from the bus.
What the Ticket Covers and What It Does Not
The ticket covers the bus, the narration and the stops. Dinner is not included, and neither are drinks or the guide's tip. The operator's own page also lists child car seats and a wheelchair lift as not provided.
Parking at the hotel is not free. Garages about a block from the Marriott Marquis charge 10 to 30 dollars. The meeting point also works for MARTA riders and ride-share drop-offs. No one under 21 may drink or carry alcohol on the bus.
Where to Wait and What Can Change the Night
Meet at the street-side curb of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis on Peachtree Center Avenue, at the big grey Marriott Marquis Atlanta sign across the street from the Hyatt Regency. Arrive 25 to 30 minutes early; the bus leaves on time.
There are no Tuesday departures. One booking takes up to 14 travelers, and every booking needs an adult. The tour runs in light rain, so bring an umbrella. In severe weather the tour may be rescheduled or refunded. If too few people book a night, you are offered another date or a full refund. You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before departure.
The tour is marked suitable for all fitness levels and allows strollers, but no wheelchair lift is provided.
The tour's last listed stop is Centennial Olympic Park. The SkyView wheel is lit by then, in white on most nights and in color on special occasions, which makes it the last photo of the night.