10 Things to Do in Atlanta in December

During the month of December, temperatures in Atlanta start to drop noticeably. However, this won't stop you from having a great time during your stay in the city. During this winter month, you'll find a number of seasonal activities both outdoors and indoors.

You can visit one of the city's ice rinks, skate, snow-shoe, watch the Christmas lights and attend an annual football game. These and many other fun things to do in Atlanta, I'll tell you about them in a moment!

The World of Coca-Cola is an ideal attraction for you if you're an enthusiast of this iconic brand, as you'll be able to discover its history. In addition, during December, you will find Christmas-themed exhibits. This is definitely an activity that should be part of your itinerary when visiting Atlanta in 1 day or more.

When you arrive at this attraction, the first thing you'll see is a series of Christmas decorations, consisting of gigantic sphere structures and an imposing tree. All of them are placed in the park outside the building.

Once inside the museum, you will be able to do several activities. For example:

• You will taste a total of 100 products registered by Coca-Cola.
• Watch a couple of films about the history of the brand.
• Observe the chronological collection of Coca-Cola advertisements.
• Learn about the product bottling process.
• Take seasonal photos with the brand's iconic polar bear.

In addition, with tickets to World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, you will have access to a special exhibition, in which you will discover a series of aromas with the help of your sense of smell. All this in the company of an official museum guide.

Useful information

• Price: from €21 per person.
• Opening times: this attraction usually opens its doors every day from 10:00 am. However, the closing time is subject to weekly changes, which you should check prior to your visit on the official World of Coca-Cola Atlanta website.
• Where: 121 Baker St. NW. Atlanta (near Centennial Olympic Park).

The Atlanta Botanical Garden during the month of December has become a must-see destination for locals and tourists alike, thanks to its stunning illumination. So, if your visit coincides with this season, you should not hesitate to visit it.

When you arrive at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, you will feel like you are in a fantasy world, due to the millions of lights distributed throughout a space of approximately 12 hectares. You will be able to walk through the garden on your own and take beautiful photographs.

Also, during the tour of the garden, you will see:

• A series of brightly coloured LED screens.
• Giant sculptures alluding to characters from children's stories.
• Curtain of lights and sounds.
• Tunnel of lights.

Certainly, this is an ideal activity to do in Atlanta at night with friends or family. However, if you want to take advantage of the season to see the whole city from a more colourful perspective, you can make your visit to the garden and then connect with a night tour to see the lights of Atlanta.

Useful information

• Price: from €21 per person.
• Hours: from 5pm to 10pm.
• Where: 1345 Piedmont Avenue, Atlanta.

Things to do in Atlanta in winter include an ice skating experience on the city's ice rinks, a fun activity you can do alone, with friends or family. It's a fun activity that you can do alone, with friends or with your family.

Here are some of the top rinks you can find in the city:

Colony Square rink

At this rink you can skate while enjoying a celebratory atmosphere with seasonal music and beautiful decorations.

• Price: from €18 per person.
• When: Monday to Friday (3pm to 9pm), Saturday (12pm to 10pm), Sunday (12pm to 7pm), Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve (12pm to 10pm).
• Where: 1197 Peachtree St NE, Atlanta.

Atlantic Station

At Atlantic Station you will skate in the open air. Plus, to enhance the experience, there's a glowing light screen, which creates a magical atmosphere.

• Price: from €16 per person.
• When: Monday to Friday (4pm to 10pm), Saturday (11am to 11pm), Sunday (12pm to 8pm), Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve (11am to 8pm), Christmas Day and New Year's Day (4pm to 11pm).
• Where: 1380 Atlantic Dr. NW Atlanta.

Avalon on Ice

At Avalon on Ice's monumental rink, you can skate every day of December each year, surrounded by seasonal decorations and beautiful lights.

• Price: from €18 per person.
• When: Monday to Friday (15:00 to 22:00), Saturday (10:00 to 22:00), Sunday (12:00 to 19:00).
• Where: 400 Avalon Blvd Alpharetta.

At Stone Mountain Park you'll find year-round fun. So, if you're visiting Atlanta in the summer, you'll find natural forests, golf courses, cable cars and more. And during December, which is the winter season, you will discover a world of snow with dozens of activities.

When you arrive at the park you will be amazed by the imposing mountain covered with snow, mostly generated by a machine . You will be able to walk around the park and immediately start enjoying every attraction.

Among the activities you will have the opportunity to do in the park, the following stand out:

• Building snowmen and taking photographs of them.
• Sliding down the snowy lanes at full speed on board a float.
• Ride a snow fire board.
• Toast marshmallows.

In addition, Stone Mountain Park has several rest areas. All strategically placed so that at any time you can sit down and have a cup of hot chocolate or coffee.

Useful information

• Price: from €40 per person.
• When: During the month of December.
• Where: 1000 Robert E Lee Blvd, Stone Mountain, GA 30083 (15 minutes from downtown Atlanta).

If you're a football enthusiast and you're in Atlanta in December, then you have a date at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to catch one of the SEC college football championship games .

This is a popular sporting event in Atlanta, attended annually by hundreds of locals and tourists alike . Therefore, it is ideal to purchase tickets prior to the game to ensure the best seats. However, if you wish, you can buy your tickets on the day at the ticket office.

You can enter the Mercedes-Benz Stadium up to three hours before kick-off. This will give you time to enjoy the celebratory atmosphere, eat or drink, take in the amazing architecture of the stadium and, of course, take lots of pictures.

Useful information

• Price: from €150 per person.
• When: First weeks of December.
• Where: 54 Peachtree St NW, Atlanta.

Among the best Atlanta tours to include in your December itinerary is a tour of the city's aquarium, a great way to experience the holiday season up close. It's a great way to experience the holiday season up close.

At the Atlanta Aquarium, you and the little ones can enjoy a variety of experiences.

For example:

• You'll get to see a beautiful 12-metre tall Christmas tree.
• You can take a snapshot of the little ones with Santa.
• You will see some projections inspired by the winter theme.
• Listen to seasonal music.
• Watch the dolphin show and, if you're lucky, catch Santa diving with them.

Useful information

• Price: from €40 per person.
• When: All month of December (8:00 am to 9:00 pm).
• Where: 225 Baker St NW, Atlanta.

The Christkindl German Market is another must-visit destination on your itinerary. There, you can share with friends, family or even other attendees while eating, drinking and doing some seasonal shopping.

You will find several food stalls, restaurants and cafés, ready to offer you some delicious preparations: leberkäse, meat pie, currywurst, chimney cake. You will also get to taste some wines from the local vineyards, ciders and craft beers.

Certainly, due to the variety of food, this could be a suitable place for one of Atlanta's best food tours through German food and history.

Besides indulging your palate at this market, you will enjoy musical bands, local choirs and theatrical performances. You'll also find some high quality handcrafted goods made of glass, wood and other materials.

Useful information

• Price: free.
• When: mid-November to 24 December. Monday to Thursday (3am-8.30pm), Friday and Saturday (11.30am-9pm) and Sunday (11.30am-8.30pm).
• Where: Buckhead Village District, 290 East Paces Ferry Road NE / Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta.

Zoo Atlanta is a popular destination at any time of the year, so much so that it is incorporated into the Atlanta City Pass e-card. However, a visit in December is even more essential as it hosts an impressive Chinese Lantern Festival.

Upon arrival, you'll immediately notice that the zoo's animals are not in their habitats. This measure is implemented to protect each of the species from the lights on after 17:30 hours, as these can be disturbing for them.

During the Chinese Lantern Festival experience, you will feel like you have been transported to a magical world. You will see an exhibition of approximately 80 lanterns in the shape of animals and up to six metres high. Each one is hand-crafted and hand-painted by a number of Chinese artisans.

Useful information

• Price: from €20 per person.
• When: late November to mid-January (5.30pm-9.30pm).
• Where: 800 Cherokee Ave SE, Atlanta.

The Children's Christmas Parade is a great alternative if you don't know what to do in Atlanta with kids during the month of December. It is an activity with more than 40 years of tradition, held in the city centre.

To enjoy this parade you should go to Peachtree Street and 16th Street, right in front of the High Museum of Art, as this is the starting point. You can also watch the spectacle along a route of approximately 1.6 km to Peachtree Street and 5th Street, where it ends.

Whatever your location, you'll have the opportunity to see colourful floats, lively marching bands, giant helium balloons and a number of floats . Also, clowns and many of the children's favourite characters (princesses, superheroes, Santa in his sleigh, among others) will parade in front of your eyes.

Useful information

• Price: free.
• When: first weeks of December (10:00 a.m.)
• Where: Downtown (from Peachtree Street and 16th Street to Peachtree Street and 5th Street.

Your trip to Atlanta probably coincides with New Year's Eve. If so, you'll want to head to the historic Underground shopping district. There, you'll find a wide range of activities to celebrate the arrival of the new year in Atlanta.

Fun for the kids

During the day you can have fun with the little ones of the house, because in this district they have prepared some special activities for them. Such is the case of some dancing and singing contests, inflatable mattress area, children's shows with clowns, face painting, among others.

• Admission: free.
• Opening hours: from 12:00 to 18:00 hours.

Peach Drop

The Peach Drop Atlanta is an activity with a tradition of more than 30 years in the city. You'll enjoy live musical performances and DJs until midnight, which is when the fireworks and peach foam display begin.

• Admission: free.
• Opening hours: 18:00 to 00:30.

Temperatures during December in Atlanta can reach an average high of 9ºC. In fact, there is a chance that at least five days of the month will record a temperature below 0ºC.

You may also be interested to know that Atlanta has a high humidity rate during the last month of the year, reaching 85%, 44% cloud cover and an average of seven days of sunshine. You'll also see an average of five days of precipitation, for a total of 85 mm of rainfall.

Atlanta in December is characterised by cold weather. Therefore, if you plan to visit the city during this month, you'll need to pack clothes made of warm fabrics. This will keep you protected from the cold temperatures.

Basic items of clothing you'll need include a couple of coats, gloves, hats and a scarf. Also, long trousers, T-shirts with sleeves, a set of thermal clothing, comfortable shoes with good traction to avoid unexpected slips when walking.