Georgia State, UGA and Kennesaw State in 3 Days: An Atlanta, Athens and Kennesaw Drive Trip
A parent-first plan for seeing Georgia State in downtown Atlanta, the University of Georgia in Athens and Kennesaw State from one Midtown Atlanta hotel: official tour sign-ups, visitor parking at every campus, meals between tours, things for siblings and weather by season.
The Arch, University of Georgia (Feb 2014). Photo: Michael Rivera · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Last checked Oct 26, 2026. Every fact comes from the pages listed in Sources at the bottom. Some hotel and tour links are affiliate links (disclosure).
Check before you go. Tour times, sign-up rules, parking and seasonal closures change often, sometimes weekly. Every campus section below links to that school's official visit page and shows when we last checked it. Confirm there before you book or drive. College Visit Guides is not affiliated with or endorsed by any college or university. Names are used only to identify them.
The short version
Trip at a glance
Schools
Georgia State University, downtown Atlanta · University of Georgia, Athens · Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw
Days
3: Georgia State, then UGA, then Kennesaw State on the way back to the airport. Arrive the day before.
Fly into
Atlanta (ATL), about 14 miles from the hotel by road. Fly home from ATL too, about 36 miles from Kennesaw State.
Best base
The Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Midtown, about 4 minutes by car from the Georgia State Welcome Center.
Car or transit
Plan on a car: the base is about 69 miles from UGA and about 24 miles from Kennesaw State by road.
Registration
All three schools take tour registration online. UGA requires registration for every guest, and space is limited.
1. Who this guide is for
This plan is for parents with a high schooler, and maybe younger siblings, who want to see three of Georgia's big public universities: Georgia State in downtown Atlanta, the University of Georgia in Athens and Kennesaw State in Kennesaw.
Instead of changing hotels, you sleep at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Midtown Atlanta every night and drive out each morning.
Why this order
Day 1: Georgia State's weekday visits pair an admissions information session with a 90-minute walking tour of its downtown campus, a few minutes from the hotel. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park is about 2 minutes away by car.
Day 2: UGA's Campus Visit Experience is a two-hour visit: a brief admissions presentation, then a 90-minute tour with a campus bus portion and an hour-long walk through historic North Campus.
Day 3: Kennesaw State's tours combine a 30-minute information session with a 60-minute walking tour. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is about 13 minutes away, and ATL is under an hour from there.
Book the UGA visit first
Space is limited, and registration is required for all guests. One student can register with up to two guests.
Without a reservation, UGA points visitors to its self-guided tour map instead.
Tour availability varies by season.
The UGA Visitors Center is closed on Sundays, university holidays and home football Saturdays, so check the football schedule before picking day 2.
Kennesaw State dining locations are closed Nov. 21–28 and Dec. 15–Jan. 9; bring lunch if you visit then.
UGA's Bolton Dining Commons is closed Oct. 30–Nov. 1 for fall break.
2. The suggested 3-day plan
Drive and walk times are no-traffic estimates from OpenStreetMap routing, using addresses geocoded with OpenStreetMap Nominatim. Atlanta traffic on I-75, I-85 and the Downtown Connector can make them much longer. Some legs were measured in one direction only.
Arrival day: fly into Atlanta and drive to Midtown
ATL → Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center (800 Spring St. NW)
Driving (no traffic)
~24 min, 14 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive (rental car)
Check-in is at 4 pm, and the person checking in must be at least 18. The hotel holds a $30 per night incidentals deposit.
The hotel doesn't run the attached garage, but self-parking is $21 a night with in-and-out privileges. There's no valet.
Day 1: Georgia State (morning), lunch, then the MLK National Historical Park
Hotel → Georgia State Welcome Center (Centennial Hall, 100 Auburn Ave. NE)
Driving (no traffic)
~4 min, 2.0 mi
Walking
Drive
Hotel → 75 Piedmont visitor parking
Driving (no traffic)
~5 min, 2.1 mi
Walking
Drive
75 Piedmont → Welcome Center
Driving (no traffic)
Park and walk
Walking
~7 min walk, 0.3 mi
Welcome Center → Piedmont Central dining hall (92 Piedmont Ave. NE)
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking
~3 min walk, 0.1 mi
Welcome Center → MLK park visitor parking (423 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. NE)
Driving (no traffic)
~2 min, 0.8 mi
Walking
Or ~16 min walk from the Welcome Center to the park visitor center, 0.7 mi
MLK park visitor parking → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~5 min, 2.6 mi
Walking
Drive
Registering online includes complimentary parking. Your confirmation email has directions and parking details. Plan to arrive 30 minutes early.
Tours go rain or shine. If your student needs a school excuse note, ask the Welcome Center.
Day 2: UGA Campus Visit Experience, then the Georgia Museum of Art
Hotel → UGA Visitors Center (Four Towers Building, 405 College Station Rd., Athens)
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 26 min, 69 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive
East Campus Parking Deck → UGA Visitors Center
Driving (no traffic)
Park and walk
Walking
~5 min walk, 0.2 mi
Visitors Center → Bolton Dining Commons (790 S. Lumpkin St.)
Driving (no traffic)
~5 min, 1.7 mi
Walking
~30 min walk, 1.4 mi
Visitors Center → Georgia Museum of Art (90 Carlton St.)
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking
~9 min walk, 0.4 mi
UGA Visitors Center → hotel
Driving (no traffic)
~1 hr 26 min, 68 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive
Free parking for information sessions and tours is at the Visitors Center, first come, first served. If it's full, the East Campus Parking Deck charges a fee.
UGA Campus Transit buses are free for visitors.
Day 3: Kennesaw State, Kennesaw Mountain, then fly home from ATL
Hotel → Carmichael Student Center, Kennesaw Campus (1000 Chastain Rd.)
Driving (no traffic)
~32 min, 24 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive
Carmichael Student Center → The Commons dining hall
Driving (no traffic)
Walk
Walking
~3 min walk, 0.1 mi
Carmichael Student Center → Kennesaw Mountain visitor center (900 Kennesaw Mountain Dr.)
Driving (no traffic)
~13 min, 5.4 mi
Walking
Drive
Kennesaw Mountain → ATL
Driving (no traffic)
~48 min, 33 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive
Carmichael Student Center → ATL
Driving (no traffic)
~51 min, 36 mi (routing estimate)
Walking
Drive, if you skip Kennesaw Mountain
Check out of the hotel by 11 am, or before you leave for Kennesaw.
Kennesaw Campus tours meet at the Carmichael Student Center. Engineering, architecture and computing majors should check whether their program is on the Marietta Campus (1100 South Marietta Pkwy.) and book that tour instead.
3. Campus by campus
Centennial Hall, Georgia State (Mar 2020). Photo: JJonahJackalope · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized and cropped
Weekday visits include an admissions information session and a student-led walking tour of about 90 minutes. Register in advance and pick an open date on the calendar.
Welcome Center: Centennial Hall, Suite 100, 100 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta; open Monday–Friday 8:30–5:15.
If you come by MARTA, Peachtree Center is the recommended station.
Visitor parking
Online tour registration comes with complimentary parking; follow the directions in your confirmation email.
Otherwise, visitor parking is in the 75 Piedmont upper lot or the K, N and T Decks. The K, M, N and T lots are a flat $10 on weekdays, and overnight parking isn't allowed.
At 75 Piedmont, the first 30 minutes are free, up to 2 hours is $5 and 2–4 hours is $7.
Getting there
About 4 minutes and 2 miles from the hotel by car.
What to know
Rub the nose of Pounce, the bronze panther in Unity Plaza in front of the Student Center.
Visitors without a PantherCard may eat in the dining halls at the manager's discretion. Groups should schedule ahead with the visitor dining form.
The Campus Visit Experience takes two hours: a brief admissions presentation, then a 90-minute tour with a campus bus ride and an hour-long walk through historic North Campus. Registration is required for all guests.
Visitors Center: Four Towers Building, 405 College Station Rd., Athens. Open Monday–Friday 8–5 and select Saturdays 9:30–3.
The tour doesn't go inside residence halls. UGA offers virtual tours, and a self-guided tour map is available at the Visitors Center.
Visitor parking
Parking for sessions and tours is free at the Visitors Center, first come, first served.
East Campus Parking Deck: $1 for the first 30 minutes, $3 up to an hour, $5 for 1–2 hours, then $1 per additional hour, with a $10 daily maximum. Pay at the kiosk or with ParkMobile; checks aren't accepted.
Getting there
About 1 hour 26 minutes and 69 miles from the hotel by car (no-traffic estimate). UGA puts ATL about 75 miles and 90 minutes away.
What to know
UGA's "While You Are Here" list includes the Arch, the Chapel and Bell, Sanford Stadium, Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall, Founders Memorial Garden and the Tate Student Center.
The Georgia Museum of Art, about a 9-minute walk from the Visitors Center, is free.
Contact
Visitors Center: 706-542-0842, visituga@uga.edu
Last checked Oct 26, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Daily campus tours include a 30-minute information session on majors, admissions and financial aid, then a 60-minute walking tour. Pick a session on the tour calendar and use its sign-up link.
Tours are major-specific: tour the campus that houses your student's major. Kennesaw Campus tours meet at the Carmichael Student Center.
Kennesaw State holds open houses on both campuses.
Visitor parking
Kennesaw Campus visitor parking includes Lot A near the Clendenin building (ParkMobile zone 35104), Lot V2 outside the Central Deck (35101), Lots J and L, Chastain Pointe and the top floor of the North Deck.
Pay with ParkMobile (a $0.35 fee applies) or at the Pay-per-Plate kiosks: $3 up to an hour, $6 for 1–2 hours, $8 for 2–3 hours, $10 for 3–4 hours, with a $12 daily maximum.
Getting there
About 32 minutes and 24 miles from the hotel by car (no-traffic estimate); about 51 minutes to ATL.
What to know
The Carmichael Student Center has Chick-fil-A (weekdays only), Moe's, Jamba, and Hissho Sushi with Nobi-Cha.
Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is about 13 minutes away by car.
Contact
Admissions: 470-KSU-INFO (470-578-4636)
Last checked Oct 26, 2026. Tour and admissions details change often, so confirm them on the school's official visit page before you go.
Expedia hotel links are affiliate links: if you book through one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Hotel · Our pick
Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center
800 Spring St. NW, Atlanta
Why here
A Midtown base about 4 minutes from Georgia State, 32 minutes from Kennesaw State and under 90 minutes from UGA by car, so every tour day starts from the same room.
Tech Square Tavern, the Lobby Bar and an indoor pool are on site for easy evenings after long drive days.
Good to know
Check-in 4 pm (minimum age 18), check-out 11 am. The hotel holds a $30 per night incidentals deposit.
Self-parking in the attached garage is $21 a night with in-and-out privileges; the hotel doesn't operate the garage, and there's no valet.
There's no hotel shuttle. The Georgia Tech Trolley runs from Midtown MARTA station.
One hotel for all three nights means no repacking; book it once your UGA visit is confirmed, since UGA's space is limited.
5. Meals between tours
Hours change, so check before you go.
At Georgia State
Eat
Piedmont Central
92 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta
Dining hall about a 3-minute walk from the Welcome Center: breakfast $12, lunch $15, dinner $16 plus tax, credit or debit accepted. Visitors without a PantherCard are admitted at the manager's discretion.
Open to the public. Cash prices including tax are $10.75 for breakfast, $13.50 for lunch and $17.25 for dinner. Fall and spring hours are Monday–Friday 7 am–10 pm and Saturday 8:30 am–10 pm; closed Sundays.
The main dining hall, about a 3-minute walk from the Carmichael Student Center. Every guest needs a photo ID. The door rate is $10.50 for breakfast and $14 for lunch or dinner, plus tax, by card only (no cash).
Temporary visitor center: Historic Fire Station No. 6, 39 Boulevard NE, Atlanta
No entrance fee. Open daily 9–5; closed Jan. 1, Thanksgiving and Dec. 25. Free visitor parking at 423 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. NE. Ranger-led Birth Home tours and Ebenezer "Church Talks" are listed on the park calendar. The main visitor center is closed for renovation.
Free admission every day it's open: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10–5, Thursday 10–9, Sunday 1–5; closed Mondays. Paid parking is in the East Campus deck, about a 7-minute walk away.
The visitor center is open 9–5 daily (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day) and shows a 35-minute orientation film. A daily pass is $5 per vehicle, cashless only. The road to the summit is closed to cars, but a free shuttle runs to the top; the entrance fee still applies. There's no food in the park.
At Georgia State, online tour registration includes complimentary parking; otherwise, the K, M, N and T lots are $10 on weekdays.
At UGA, Visitors Center parking is free for sessions and tours, first come, first served; the East Campus Parking Deck has a $10 daily maximum.
At Kennesaw State, pay with ParkMobile or at the Pay-per-Plate kiosks in the visitor lots; the daily maximum is $12.
Hotel self-parking is $21 a night with in-and-out privileges.
Tour day comfort
Georgia State's walking tour runs about 90 minutes, rain or shine, and UGA's tour includes an hour-long walk; wear comfortable shoes.
Bring a photo ID for every guest if you plan to eat at Kennesaw State's Commons.
Weather by season (1991–2020 NOAA normals: Atlanta and Athens airports)
Spring: April averages about 74°F/53°F in Atlanta and 75°F/50°F in Athens.
Summer: July averages 90°F/72°F in Atlanta and 92°F/70°F in Athens.
Fall: October averages 74°F/55°F in Atlanta and 75°F/52°F in Athens; November averages 64–65°F highs.
Winter: January averages about 54–55°F highs and 34–36°F lows, with about 1 inch of normal January snowfall in Atlanta.
Parent checklist
Register for the UGA Campus Visit Experience first, with up to two guests; space is limited.
Register for Georgia State's daily visit and Kennesaw State's campus tour on the right campus for your student's major.
Check the UGA football schedule before picking day 2; the Visitors Center is closed on home football Saturdays.
Book the Georgia Tech Hotel for all nights and reserve a rental car.
After each visit, take five minutes to jot down what stood out to your student.
8. Student-athlete recruiting visits
For families whose student hopes to play a college sport. Rules below are the NCAA's; each school's links were checked Oct 26, 2026.
Coaches arrange the recruiting part of a visit, not the admissions office. The tour sign-ups in this guide are for the regular family visit. An official (school-paid) visit is offered by the school, and contact with coaches follows NCAA rules that vary by division, sport and grade level.
Start with your sport's questionnaire, then email the coaches. The NCAA suggests emailing coaches with your achievements, highlight videos and interest in their program, including your name, position, NCAA ID and graduation year.
RecruitingWe found no department-wide recruiting page. Look for a questionnaire on your sport's team page at the athletics site ↗, or email the coaches.
Unofficial visit: any campus visit you or your family pay for. You can take as many as you like; in Divisions I and II each one has to come after the first permissible date for your sport.
Official visit: a visit paid for by the school. Each school can offer your student only one. Before a Division I official visit, your student must be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center, be on the school's institutional request list, and the school must have their high school transcripts.
Division I (Georgia State University, University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University): on an official visit the school can pay for travel for the student and up to two family members, lodging, up to three meals a day for the student and up to four family members, and up to $60 a person in entertainment, including five home-game tickets. On an unofficial visit there are no free meals, but the school can give up to three home-game tickets. Division I uses recruiting calendars with contact, evaluation, quiet and dead periods; in a dead period, no in-person contact and no visits.
Rules change. Confirm with the coach, or check the NCAA's recruiting page and recruiting calendars, before you plan dates.
Planning around the season
Check each school's athletics schedule (linked above) before you pick dates, so a coach meeting doesn't land on a road trip or game day for your sport.
Our recommendation, not a school rule: ask the coach whether they can line up an admissions session or tour around your meeting. If not, book the regular family tour yourself through the official sign-up links in this guide, and leave time between the two.
Add your dates and how you're getting there, and we'll pull this guide into one plan: tour sign-up links, the hotel base, parking or airport notes, the route and meals.
Coming soon
Planning more college trips?
Visit-season reminders and new trip guides from College Visit Guides. Newsletter coming soon.
Sources
All checked Oct 26, 2026. Tour schedules change constantly, so always confirm on each school's official sign-up page. Photo credits are under each photo and on our About page.
