Georgia is a southeastern US state stretching from the Blue Ridge Mountains in the north to the subtropical Golden Isles coast in the south. Atlanta, the vibrant capital, anchors the state with world-class museums, acclaimed restaurants, and pivotal civil rights history. Savannah enchants visitors with Spanish-moss-draped squares, antebellum architecture, and a legendary food scene. Beyond the cities, visitors find dramatic waterfalls at Amicalola Falls, pristine barrier islands at Cumberland and Jekyll, and the mysterious Okefenokee Swamp.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Savannah Historic District Day Trip from Atlanta
Savannah's Historic District is a grid of 22 shaded squares laid out by James Oglethorpe in 1733, lined with Georgian and Gothic Revival townhouses and set a few blocks from the Savannah River. The drive from Atlanta is close to four hours each way, so this works better as an overnight than a true day trip, but if you commit to a single day you get walkable streets, house-museum tours, and the riverfront in one visit. The pace is slow: cobblestones, live oaks dripping Spanish moss, and squares meant for sitting rather than rushing through.
Highlights: Forsyth Park - the fountain and the wide green space anchoring the southern end of the district · Bonaventure Cemetery - Victorian-era graves and river views, a few miles east of downtown · River Street - cobblestone riverfront lined with converted cotton warehouses, now shops and restaurants · Cathedral of St. John the Baptist - twin Gothic spires visible from several squares away · Telfair Academy - one of the South's older art museums, housed in a Regency mansion
Blue Ridge and Amicalola Falls
This pairs a small mountain town with the tallest waterfall in Georgia. Blue Ridge itself is a compact downtown of shopfronts and a restored depot that runs the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway along the Toccoa River, while Amicalola Falls State Park, a short drive away, centers on a 729-foot cascading waterfall reached by a steep staircase trail. Together they make an easy loop of mountain scenery without the longer drive to the higher peaks further north.
Highlights: Blue Ridge Scenic Railway - vintage rail cars following the Toccoa River to McCaysville and back · Amicalola Falls - a series of cascades totaling 729 feet, viewable from platforms or the full staircase · Approach Trail to the falls - the southern approach trail to the Appalachian Trail begins here · Downtown Blue Ridge - a few blocks of shops and galleries around the old depot
Stone Mountain Park Day Trip
Stone Mountain is a granite dome just east of Atlanta with a large bas-relief carving on its north face and a park built up around it with a cable car, walking trails, and a small village at the base. It's one of the closest and easiest day trips from the city, suited to families or anyone with only a half-day to spare, though the carving's Confederate imagery is a point of ongoing controversy worth knowing about before you go.
Highlights: The mountain carving - a large relief of Confederate figures on horseback, the park's central feature · Summit Skyride - a cable car to the top of the mountain with views over the surrounding area · Walk-Up Trail - a steeper alternative to the Skyride, about a mile and a half to the summit · Stone Mountain Village - a small historic district just outside the park entrance with shops and restaurants
Dahlonega Gold Rush Town and Wineries
Dahlonega was the site of the first major U.S. gold rush in 1828, and its town square still centers on the old Lumpkin County Courthouse, now a gold rush museum. Beyond the history, the surrounding hills have developed into a small wine region over the past couple of decades, so a day here typically splits between the walkable square and a drive out to one or two vineyards.
Highlights: Dahlonega Gold Museum - housed in the old courthouse on the square, covering the 1828 rush · Consolidated Gold Mine - underground mine tours a short walk from downtown · Dahlonega town square - shops, a candy store, and restaurants around the historic courthouse · Wolf Mountain Vineyards - one of the area's established wineries with tasting room and views · Three Sisters Vineyards - a smaller family-run winery in the surrounding hills
Callaway Gardens Day Trip
Callaway Gardens is a large horticultural garden and resort property in Pine Mountain built around themed garden areas, a butterfly conservatory, and a lake beach. It's a quieter, nature-focused day trip compared to Atlanta's city attractions, with the specific appeal shifting by season - azaleas and rhododendrons in spring, and different plantings through summer and fall.
Highlights: Cecil B. Day Butterfly Center - a tropical conservatory with hundreds of free-flying butterflies · Robin Lake Beach - a sand beach on the resort's lake, popular with families in warmer months · Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel - a small stone chapel set among the gardens · Azalea Bowl and the garden trails - the spring azalea displays are the property's signature feature
Jekyll Island Day Trip from Savannah
Jekyll Island is a barrier island off the Georgia coast that was once a private winter retreat for wealthy families in the late 1800s and is now a state-owned park with public beaches, a preserved historic district, and a sea turtle rehabilitation center. From Savannah it's a manageable drive south, making it a more realistic day trip than trying to combine it with the city itself.
Highlights: Jekyll Island Club Historic District - the old clubhouse and surrounding "cottages" from the island's Gilded Age era · Driftwood Beach - a stretch of shoreline scattered with bleached, fallen trees · Georgia Sea Turtle Center - a working rehabilitation facility for injured sea turtles, open to visitors · Jekyll Island beaches - wide, flat sand beaches along the island's eastern side
Athens (University of Georgia) Day Trip
Athens is a college town built around the University of Georgia's campus, with a downtown known for live music venues that helped launch bands like R.E.M. and the B-52s in the late 1970s and 80s. A day trip here mixes campus architecture, a well-regarded botanical garden, and a downtown that's dense with restaurants and bars within a few walkable blocks.
Highlights: North Campus - the university's oldest quad, with the Arch marking the traditional entrance · State Botanical Garden of Georgia - a large garden and conservatory a short drive from downtown · Downtown Athens music venues - clubs along Clayton and Washington streets tied to the city's music history · Sanford Stadium - the football stadium on campus, notable even outside game days
Tallulah Gorge Day Trip
Tallulah Gorge is a two-mile canyon cut by the Tallulah River, spanned by a suspension bridge that hangs 80 feet above the gorge floor. Georgia's rim trails give sweeping views down into the canyon, while access to the gorge floor itself is limited to a set number of permits issued each day, so the experience varies a lot depending on whether you plan ahead or just show up.
Highlights: Suspension bridge - crosses the gorge at Hurricane Falls, the park's signature vantage point · North and South Rim Trails - paved and unpaved paths along the canyon edges with multiple overlooks · Hurricane Falls - one of several waterfalls visible from the rim and from the bridge · Gorge floor access - permitted hiking down to the river, limited to a fixed number of visitors per day
Tybee Island Day Trip from Savannah
Tybee Island is Savannah's barrier-island beach town, a flat strip of sand, marsh, and low-rise cottages at the mouth of the Savannah River. It works as a day trip because everything sits within a couple of miles of each other: a lighthouse, a Civil War fort, and a walkable beach town center. The pace here is slow and the appeal is straightforward sun, sand, and a bit of coastal history rather than nightlife or shopping.
Highlights: Tybee Island Light Station - one of the few surviving original lighthouses in the U.S.; climb it for views over the marsh and river mouth · Fort Pulaski National Monument - a well-preserved brick fort on Cockspur Island, on the road between Savannah and Tybee, notable for the Civil War siege that made masonry forts obsolete · North Beach - the calmer, less crowded stretch near the lighthouse, good for swimming and beachcombing · Tybee Island Marine Science Center - small aquarium-style center focused on local sea life, useful if traveling with kids · Tybee Pier and Pavilion - the social center of the main beach, with a fishing pier and nearby shops and food stands
Chattanooga, TN Day Trip from North Georgia
Chattanooga sits just across the Tennessee state line from North Georgia, close enough to Dalton and the I-75 corridor that it works as a half-day or full-day trip rather than a weekend away. The draw is a mix of engineered attractions on Lookout Mountain, a genuinely good aquarium downtown, and a revitalized riverfront that's easy to walk. It's a city built for a single focused day rather than aimless wandering.
Highlights: Tennessee Aquarium - split into two buildings (river life and ocean life) on the downtown riverfront, one of the more substantial inland aquariums in the country · Lookout Mountain / Rock City - the roadside-famous garden and rock formation walk with the 'See Seven States' overlook · Ruby Falls - an underground waterfall reached by elevator deep inside Lookout Mountain, a different experience from the outdoor Rock City visit · Incline Railway - a steep funicular up Lookout Mountain, a fast way to get mountain views without driving the switchbacks · Walnut Street Bridge - a pedestrian-only former road bridge over the Tennessee River, connecting downtown to the Coolidge Park area
Trips by distance
How far you can go in a day.
Items
Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
Multi-day tours from Georgia
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
Browse multi-day tours from GeorgiaWe may earn a commission from bookings made through this link.
Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
S
a
v
a
n
n
a
h
i
s
f
a
r
e
n
o
u
g
h
f
r
o
m
A
t
l
a
n
t
a
f
o
r
a
s
a
t
i
s
f
y
i
n
g
d
a
y
t
r
i
p
(
4
h
o
u
r
s
e
a
c
h
w
a
y
b
y
c
a
r
)
b
u
t
i
s
b
e
t
t
e
r
a
s
a
n
o
v
e
r
n
i
g
h
t
o
r
w
e
e
k
e
n
d
s
t
a
y
.
B
l
u
e
R
i
d
g
e
,
D
a
h
l
o
n
e
g
a
,
a
n
d
S
t
o
n
e
M
o
u
n
t
a
i
n
a
r
e
i
d
e
a
l
A
t
l
a
n
t
a
-
b
a
s
e
d
a
y
t
r
i
p
s
a
t
1
–
1
.
5
h
o
u
r
s
e
a
c
h
w
a
y
.
J
e
k
y
l
l
I
s
l
a
n
d
i
s
b
e
s
t
c
o
m
b
i
n
e
d
w
i
t
h
a
S
a
v
a
n
n
a
h
v
i
s
i
t
r
a
t
h
e
r
t
h
a
n
d
r
i
v
e
n
f
r
o
m
A
t
l
a
n
t
a
i
n
a
s
i
n
g
l
e
d
a
y
.