North Campus and the Arch
The historic core of the university, with white columns and a famous iron arch.
Athens
America's great college music town, which gave the world R.E.M. and the B-52s, with a lovely old university.
The University of Georgia, chartered in 1785 and the first state-chartered university in America, sits under oaks right next to downtown. The town's clubs launched R.E.M. and the B-52s, and the 40 Watt Club is still going.
On fall Saturdays, the Bulldogs fill Sanford Stadium and take over everything for miles.
- Best Time
- April–May and September–November
- Time Needed
- 1 day
- Cost Level
- $$$$
- Open
- Year-round
- Getting There
- About 90 minutes by car east of Atlanta.
What to See
3 of 5 are free40 Watt Club
The small club at the heart of the Athens music scene since 1978.
The Tree That Owns Itself
A local legend: an oak said to have been willed ownership of its own land. The Double-Barreled Cannon is just as odd.
Georgia Museum of Art and Botanical Garden
The state's official art museum, and the big State Botanical Garden by the river.
Game Day at Sanford Stadium
Watch the Georgia Bulldogs "between the hedges". Book a room far ahead.
Know Before You Go
- Hotels fill and prices soar on home football weekends.
Where to Stay
Stay downtown.
Where to Eat
Our picks are on the way.
Editor's picks. Nobody paid to be on this list.
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Traveler Reviews
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Go Next
If You're NearbyAtlanta
Georgia
Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthplace and church, the Georgia Aquarium and World of Coca-Cola.
Full Guide
Worth a DetourThe Masters at Augusta
Georgia
Early April
Golf's most revered tournament, held every April on the azaleas and pines of Augusta National, with famously cheap pimento cheese sandwiches.
Full Guide
If You're NearbyDahlonega and Helen
Georgia
America's first big gold rush town and an unlikely Bavarian village, in the North Georgia mountains.
Full Guide
Last checked 2026-11-01. Part of the Southeast list.