--- title: "First day in Atlanta after a long flight: MARTA downtown" description: "MARTA leaves from the Domestic Terminal for $2.50. Peachtree Center is the stop for the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and Centennial Olympic Park." url: "https://atlairportguide.com/guides/first-day-atlanta-after-long-flight/" updated: "2026-11-15" airport: "ATL" type: "guide" --- > Independent guide, not the official ATL website. All pages: https://atlairportguide.com/llms.txt # Your first day in Atlanta after a long flight: MARTA downtown and what's near the stops MARTA leaves from the Domestic Terminal for $2.50. Peachtree Center is the stop for the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and Centennial Olympic Park. Published November 15, 2026 ![The brick walk and lawn of Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta, with a stone column and the cylindrical glass tower beyond the trees.](https://atlairportguide.com/images/atl/centennial-olympic-park-lawn-v4.webp) Centennial Olympic Park MARTA’s [Airport Station](https://atlairportguide.com/venues/marta-airport-station/) sits between the North and South baggage claims in the Domestic Terminal, and a ride costs $2.50. Discover Atlanta puts the airport about 10 miles south of downtown and lists the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and Centennial Olympic Park under one stop, Peachtree Center. ## Boarding at the Domestic Terminal Both the Red and Gold lines run from the Airport Station to downtown, so take whichever train comes first. MARTA’s fare page lists Breeze cards, Breeze tickets and tap to pay. The standard fare includes up to four free transfers in three hours, and a 1-Day (24-hr) Pass costs $9.00. Our [MARTA rail page](https://atlairportguide.com/transport/marta-rail/) has the late-evening change at Lindbergh Center, and our [MARTA guide](https://atlairportguide.com/guides/marta-from-atlanta-airport-fares-stops-last-train/) has the first and last trains. If you’ve landed at the International Terminal, MARTA says a free shuttle at the arrivals level goes to baggage claim at the Domestic Terminal. The Plane Train also stops at Domestic Terminal Baggage Claim. Our [International Terminal shuttle page](https://atlairportguide.com/transport/international-terminal-shuttle/) has the stop, and our [guide to arriving on an international flight](https://atlairportguide.com/guides/arriving-international-flight-at-atlanta-airport/) walks the route from the aircraft to the curb. ## What’s near each stop | Stop | MARTA’s average travel time to Airport | Discover Atlanta lists nearby | | --- | --- | --- | | Garnett | 15 minutes | Atlanta City Hall, Georgia State Capitol | | Five Points | 16 minutes | Underground Atlanta, Georgia State University. It’s also where the Blue and Green lines meet the Red and Gold | | Peachtree Center | 17 minutes | Centennial Olympic Park, Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, SkyView Ferris wheel, Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame, National Center for Civil and Human Rights | | North Avenue | 19 minutes | Fox Theatre, Georgia Tech | | Midtown | 20 minutes | Margaret Mitchell House, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta | | Arts Center | 22 minutes | High Museum of Art, Woodruff Arts Center | MARTA’s weekday Gold timetable lists clock times for single trains instead of averages. Its 12:00 p.m. departure from Airport reaches Five Points at 12:17 p.m., Peachtree Center at 12:18 p.m. and Midtown at 12:22 p.m. The [Midtown guide](https://atlairportguide.com/guides/atlanta-airport-midtown/) helps you pick between the North Avenue, Midtown and Arts Center stops. ## A first afternoon at Peachtree Center Discover Atlanta’s one-day downtown route starts at Centennial Olympic Park and calls the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola and the Chick-fil-A College Football Hall of Fame “just steps away” from there. The route goes on to a 90-minute tour of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and it includes an evening ride on SkyView Atlanta. Our [guide to the aquarium and downtown sights](https://atlairportguide.com/guides/atlanta-airport-georgia-aquarium-downtown-sights/) covers how to reach each one by MARTA. ## Four downtown hotels and how they connect Four downtown hotels from the [hotels page](https://atlairportguide.com/hotels/): | Hotel | Where it sits | | --- | --- | | Hilton Atlanta | Joined by skywalk to Peachtree Center and its MARTA station | | Embassy Suites by Hilton Atlanta at Centennial Olympic Park | On the edge of Centennial Olympic Park, a five-minute walk from the Georgia Aquarium, with breakfast included | | Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park | On Marietta Street in the Centennial Park District | | Signia by Hilton Atlanta Georgia World Congress Center | Connected to the Georgia World Congress Center, next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and State Farm Arena | ## If the train feels like too much ATL posts a $37.50 flat taxi fare to downtown for one person, which includes a $1.50 surcharge. Its shared-ride shuttles list a maximum of $16.50 per person to downtown. Uber’s route page gives its own averages of $35 for UberX and 22 minutes for the trip. Our [guide to every option downtown](https://atlairportguide.com/guides/atlanta-airport-downtown-every-option-what-it-costs/) sets them side by side with the fare above. ### Sources - Our [MARTA rail page](https://atlairportguide.com/transport/marta-rail/), [Airport Station listing](https://atlairportguide.com/venues/marta-airport-station/), [International Terminal shuttle page](https://atlairportguide.com/transport/international-terminal-shuttle/), [hotels page](https://atlairportguide.com/hotels/), [MARTA guide](https://atlairportguide.com/guides/marta-from-atlanta-airport-fares-stops-last-train/), [Midtown guide](https://atlairportguide.com/guides/atlanta-airport-midtown/) and [guide to the aquarium and downtown sights](https://atlairportguide.com/guides/atlanta-airport-georgia-aquarium-downtown-sights/) - Discover Atlanta’s guide to MARTA by station - Discover Atlanta’s downtown itinerary - Discover Atlanta’s guide to the airport - MARTA’s airport, fares, stations and Gold line pages - ATL’s ground transportation page and Uber’s Atlanta Airport to Downtown route page