Savannah travel guide

Savannah, United States

By the Travel Wiki editorial team

Savannah

Introduction

Savannah sits on the Savannah River in Chatham County, Georgia, and is the oldest city in the state, established in 1733. It served as the capital of the colonial Province of Georgia and later as Georgia's first state capital, and its role as a strategic port made it significant during both the American Revolution and the American Civil War. Today it remains an industrial center and an important Atlantic seaport.

As the largest city in the Coastal Georgia region, Savannah anchors a metropolitan area that spreads well beyond its historic core. Your visit starts with that layered history and the working waterfront that shaped it.

Before you go

Savannah is the historic riverside birthplace of Georgia, settled in 1733 by British colonists. Its antebellum charm and architecture survive largely because, when General Sherman's Union Army marched in during 1864, the mayor gave the troops the run of the city in exchange for leaving it untorched. That history, plus the city's reputation for sociability and the local fascination with "The Book" — Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil — keeps the tourism industry flourishing, while the Savannah College of Art and Design keeps the city awash in accessible, affordable art.

The climate is humid subtropical: winters are short, while summers are long, hot and humid, with periods of high heat and humidity that can push the heat index up sharply and keep nights uncomfortably warm. Plan your days around the heat. When you explore the Historic District, go with at least one other person as a normal safety precaution, and be cautious at night, since this is a tourist area and there are those who prey on tourists. Outside the historic district, crime is prevalent. The River Street area is good for drinking and fun, but watch your back on a busy weekend.

Getting there

Savannah/Hilton Head Island International Airport (SAV) is the main air gateway, with a terminal centred on a glass-covered square of benches and shops that echoes the public squares of the Historic District. Rental cars, Grayline shuttles and taxis wait on the lower level to take you into the city. Nonstop service includes American from Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Philadelphia and Washington Reagan; Delta from Atlanta, Detroit and New York LaGuardia; JetBlue from Boston and New York JFK; and United from Chicago O'Hare, Washington Dulles, Houston George Bush Intercontinental and Newark.

By road, I-95 and I-16 both give ready access to the city. Amtrak's Savannah station sits on Seaboard Coastline Drive, almost five kilometres outside downtown, and is served only sparingly by Bus 29; Silver Meteor runs once daily between New York City and Miami, Palmetto runs the same route north with Savannah as its southern terminus, and the temporary Floridian links Chicago and Miami via Washington, D.C. and Savannah twice daily, once in each direction. Greyhound operates from the Joe Murray Rivers, Jr. Intermodal Transit Center on W. Oglethorpe Ave., about half a mile from River Street.

Getting around

Savannah's Historic District is compact and best seen on foot during the day. It runs roughly one mile by one mile, bounded by the Savannah River to the north, Forsyth Park to the south, East Broad Street to the east, and the Visitor Center and MLK Jr. Boulevard to the west. The downtown public squares alone offer more than a day's worth of strolling, and self-guided audio walking tours and personal tour guides can fill in the history around you.

For longer hops, Chatham Area Transit (CAT) runs buses from an intermodal Transit Center downtown on W. Oglethorpe Avenue. CAT also operates the free dot Shuttle (Route #5) through the Historic District, the free Savannah Belles Ferry across the Savannah River between the Historic District and Hutchinson Island (home to the Convention Center), and a free streetcar along River Street on weekends; ConnectOnTheDot has information on downtown's fare-free options. If you drive, Bay Street is the main east-west route through the Historic District and Abercorn the main north-south one, but parking is challenging—public garages include an underground one beneath Ellis Square, metered street spaces are free on weekends but fill quickly from mid-morning, and spots nearest River Street go first. Biking is an option on generally flat streets, though facilities are limited to painted, unprotected lanes along Lincoln, Price, Liberty, and Washington Avenue; rental companies and bike racks are scattered around the city. Private bus tours with running commentary leave from the Visitors' Center and other spots in the Historic District, and horse and carriage rides offer a slower pace.

Where to stay

Savannah's sleeping options split between the Historic District and the highway corridors out by the airport and midtown. If you want to walk to the squares and the riverfront, base yourself downtown. The Historic District and the Garden District within it hold most of the characterful addresses: converted townhouses and mansions now run as inns and bed and breakfasts, several with courtyards, gardens and Southern breakfasts. The Gastonian occupies a pair of mid-1800s townhouses on Gaston Street, the Eliza Thompson House is a former family home turned 13-room B&B on West Jones Street, and the Hamilton-Turner Inn is a mansion inn on Abercorn Street. Larger downtown hotels include The DeSoto on East Liberty Street, the Hyatt Regency on West Bay Street with Savannah River views, the East Bay Inn a block from the river, and the River Street Inn overlooking the water. Near Forsyth Park, Hotel Bardo Savannah was built onto an existing 1888 mansion.

Food & drink

Savannah rewards you for eating like a local. For genuine Southern home cooking served family style, head to Mrs. Wilkes's Boarding House near Whitaker, where locals and visitors share tables and there are no reservations, so arrive early and expect to wait on an outdoor line. Desposito's out in Thunderbolt is one of the few surviving family-owned shrimp shacks, still using the same secret-recipe dipping sauce after more than half a century, and the boiled shrimp is the thing to order. Lady & Sons on West Congress is a popular Savannah experience, so expect a wait there too. For barbecue, Wiley's Championship BBQ sits out on Highway 80 East, about ten minutes from downtown, and Walls BBQ hides on a lane behind Oglethorpe Avenue in the Historic District. Pirates' House next to the historic Trustee Garden is the place to go with kids, and B&D Burgers is a local chain with several locations, including two downtown.

Save room for the local treats. Leopold's Ice Cream on East Broughton is a nostalgic soda fountain and sandwich shoppe, and the line gets long after lunch and dinnertime, so consider having dessert first. River Street Sweets makes candy in front of you and sells homemade fudge and pralines, Byrd Cookie Company is a hometown favorite worth trying for its Scottish Oatmeals, and Savannah Rum Runners offers rum cakes and other treats. For coffee, Gallery Espresso sits at Bull and Perry with outside seating on Chippewa Square and a large menu of coffees, teas, sweets and sandwiches, while Goose Feathers is a comfortable express cafe and bakery just south of Ellis Square. Savannah calls itself the "Hostess City of the South," and the watering holes run from hole-in-the-wall joints to upscale bars. In downtown Savannah you can legally drink in public, so ask the bartender or doorman for a "go cup" (a "traveller" if you're a local). Pinkie Masters on Drayton is a true dive that doesn't take cards, so bring cash; Circa 1875 on Whitaker mixes great drinks in a cozy, wood-paneled room with an extensive wine selection; and Savannah Smiles Dueling Piano Saloon on Williamson gets the crowd singing along.

What to see and do

Savannah rewards both the history-minded and the curious wanderer. In the Historic District, Bonaventure Cemetery draws fans of Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil with Johnny Mercer's grave and those of other Southern notables, while the river view and draping Spanish moss give the grounds a delightfully spooky atmosphere. Forsyth Park marks the southern edge of the district, ringed with bed and breakfasts and crowned with a beautiful fountain; it's where the film adaptation was shot, so you can linger under the moss and picture the scene. City Market, a rehabilitated four-block area in the northwest corner of the district, is the downtown hub for entertainment, dining and retailing, anchored by working artist studios, and Ellis Square just to its west offers an interactive fountain, an information kiosk and underground parking. Along the south bank of the Savannah River, cobblestone River Street is lined with tourist-targeted shops and restaurants, with the Waving Girl sculpture toward its east end and stairs or ramps connecting it to the bluff above.

Time your visit around the calendar and you'll find plenty happening. The Savannah Film Festival screens features, shorts, animation, documentaries and student work from around the world in late October and early November, with workshops, lectures and receptions. The Savannah Music Festival bills itself as "Southern, Soulful and Sophisticated," mixing music of the Deep South with chamber music and international names. In spring, the Sidewalk Arts Festival fills Forsyth Park's sidewalks with temporary chalk masterpieces and live music, free and open to the public, while the Savannah Tour of Homes offers self-guided walks through private homes and gardens. St. Patrick's Day brings a long parade through the historic district, with families picnicking in the squares as the azaleas bloom and the later "college antics" largely confined to River Street. For something stranger, seek out the unchanged 1960s-era Taco Bell sign on Skidaway Road and the Johnson High School "Home of the Atom Smashers" sculpture, a pair of hands smashing an atom.

When to go

Savannah has a humid subtropical climate, which means short winters and long, hot, humid summers. The cold stretch is brief rather than a full season, so a winter visit tends to be quieter and cooler than the long summer.

Summer is the dominant season, and it is hot and humid for an extended run. Expect muggy nights as well as steamy days, and plan around the heat by seeking shade or air conditioning during the hottest hours. Late summer can still bring periods of high heat and humidity, so build some flexibility into your days if you visit then.

Three days in Savannah

Day one: Start in the Historic District, the walkable core of Savannah, and let the grid of squares set your pace. Wander without a fixed route, taking in the Garden of Good and Evil territory made famous by the book and film, and note the Savannah College of Art and Design buildings woven through the streets. In the afternoon, head down to River Street along the Savannah River for a look at the old waterfront. If you arrive by plane, Hilton Head Island International Airport (SAV) is nearby, with rental cars available and Grayline services, plus nonstop flights to Charlotte on American.

Day two: Give the morning to the city's history, from the Province and colonial days through the American Revolution and the American Civil War, when General Sherman and the Union Army arrived. The Historic District holds much of this story within a short walk. In the afternoon, slow down in the squares and gardens, and save time for the riverfront again as the light softens.

Day three: Look beyond the city centre toward Coastal Georgia and the Atlantic. Chatham County stretches out around Savannah, and the coast is close enough for a change of scene. Back in town, spend your last hours revisiting favourite corners of the Historic District before heading to SAV for your flight home.

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