Stunning Places to Visit on a Road Trip Through Georgia, USA

At some point in your life, Georgia will inevitably be on your mind. In recent years, the state has become a popular film and TV location, with studios popping up everywhere and major productions being shot here. There are favourable tax breaks, and a remarkable variety of easily accessible landscapes. Atlanta is the obvious place to start – it is home to one of the busiest airports in the world, after all – but there’s so much to see throughout Georgia that a road trip is the best way to get a sense of what makes it so special. Here’s our guide to some of the must-see places on any trip across the Peach State, starting with the main regions of interest.

There’s no way a trip to Georgia could be complete without a trip to Atlanta. The state capital, affectionately known as Hotlanta, especially in summer, is a popular terminal city for many trips across the country and even international journeys. There are some trendy neighborhoods in among the hustle and bustle of the city, and the food here is outstanding.

A fall trip to the mountains is an excellent alternative if you’re visiting later in the year. The autumn colours here rival those in better-known fall destinations such as New England and Massachusetts, but without the crowds – and there’s something to be said for avoiding the obvious choices. The peaks are part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but each state likes to claim a little bit of the range as its own.

Savannah is the obvious choice should you venture to the coast, but it would be a mistake not to spend time exploring the rest of the region, as there are more than 100mi (161km) of sandy beach that hardly anyone knows about. Park the car and take the slower, more scenic route, making time for island-hopping between some of the best-kept secrets in Georgia, which you can travel between by small boat.

When driving through the central part of Georgia, keep an eye out for the picturesque towns and cities that are unique to this part of the USA. They are small and built in such a way that it’s easy to miss them. We’ve picked out some of our favorites below, but it’s still worth just stopping wherever you think looks good. Make sure you try a peach cobbler dessert somewhere on the road, too.

History comes alive in the South, and there’s no better example of this than on the outskirts of Georgia, along the borders with Florida and Alabama. There are a number of important civil-rights memorials here, and you can learn a lot about the the history of the country, both good and bad, by exploring places such as Thomasville, where you can visit the Pebble Hill Plantation museum.

That’s our rough guide to Georgia, but no guide would be complete without a closer look at some of our top recommendations of places to visit next time you’re taking a road trip here.