The Best Things to Do in Savannah, Georgia

Savannah is a great place to spend a long weekend. The city has everything that you could want: captivating history, delicious food, and a boisterous nightlife. There’s so many amazing things to do in Savannah that you’ll leave and want to come back for more!

The charm of the city is undeniable: with the Spanish moss tree lined streets and parks at the center of the city. Make sure you grab a drink as you explore, because there’s no open container laws there!

I love Savannah so much, that I have now been back three times. Every time I visit, I find a new place to explore and enjoy. We have stayed in fancy hotels and dined on gourmet meals. But, we have also slept in our van and gotten casual eats. No matter what you’re looking for, you’ll have a good time. This city will surely capture your heart 💕 like it has mine.

Below you will find a comprehensive guide to visiting Savannah. You’ll find all of the best things to do, hotels to stay, places to eat, and where to go out in Savannah!

You Might Also Like These Posts:

• Visiting Florida Springs
• Best Things to Do in DC
• The Ideal New Orleans Weekend Trip

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may get a small commission at no extra charge to you. Thanks for your support!

Planning Your Trip to Savannah

How to Get There

Luckily, Savannah is a wonderful place to visit for a weekend, because it’s easy to get there. The local airport is Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport and it’s just 20 minutes from downtown.

You can find all of the best flight deals on Expedia! ✈️

If you are driving into Savannah, then it’s also just off of i-95. So, it’s a great stop to add on a road trip or to visit as your only destination. So, you can definitely add it to your bucket list!

Getting Around Savannah

Another reason that I love visiting Savannah is because it’s very walkable! You can stay near downtown and walk throughout the city to get to various areas. Plus, the walks are lovely as you cross through multiple gardens or squares.

Some of the best things to do in Savannah are just outside of the city itself. If you want to get out further to Hilton Head, Tybee Island, or Bonaventure Cemetery, then you may want to get a car. 🚗 That way, you will be flexible to visit these places as you please.

Best Time to Visit Savannah

Savannah is in the heart of the South in George, which means it can definitely get hot. However, that means the spring and fall are gorgeous times of year to visit, with incredible weather and sunny skies!

I’ve been in the Fall now three times and I may have to escape there every year, because it’s a beautiful time of year.

Summer is incredibly hot with temperatures in the high 90s. Many people find July and August to be uncomfortably hot with sweltering humidity. 🥵 While the winter can bring some cold temperatures, it’s milder than elsewhere.

Where to Stay in Savannah

There are tons of wonderful great lodging options in Savannah, so you’ll find the place that’s perfect for you! You can choose from Luxury hotels, VRBOs, or small B&Bs. It’s a funky town with tons of personality. Hotels are often very walkable to the main sights.

I recommend staying at the Perry Lane if you want a luxury stay. This hotel is just off of Chippewa Square and is gorgeous. It has a wonderful rooftop bar as well as a pool.

If you want another great family friendly spot, check out the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District. It has a pool and is very close to many of the main attractions! We stayed here and absolutely loved it.

Best Lodging Savannah

• Perry Lane
• JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District
• Hotel Bardo Savannah
• Forsyth Park Inn

Best Things to Do in Savannah, Georgia

Stroll Through the City

One of the great charms of Savannah, is the fact that it is very walkable. You can spend a whole day walking around the city and finding all of the fun things it has to offer.

On your first day you should walk through the city to get a feel for it. If you want you can take a historic walking tour and learn about the past. You can read about the stops I recommend making below!

Savannah Squares

The city is geometrically aligned around 22 park squares. We started our journey through Savannah by walking through these adorable squares to get acquainted with the city.

Don’t forget to stop at Chippewa Square where the iconic scene of Forrest Gump waiting for the bus was filmed! Unfortunately, there isn’t a bench there anymore but that doesn’t stop you from saying, “Life is like a box of chocolates…” 💝

Jones Street

This street is famous for being one of the most beautiful streets in the USA. You should walk along the whole street to decide which house you like best. It’s very photogenic, so don’t forget to bring your camera 📸!

Forsyth Park

This gorgeous park is the center of the downtown area and you can’t go to Savannah without stopping here. This park is rather large at 30 acres, so it may take you a while to walk the length of it.

It’s known for the gorgeous fountain that sits at the center and there are plenty of benches surrounding it to stop and sit. But, you can also find people playing sports or dine in the park at Collins Quarter.

Scour the Shops for Good Finds

Savannah has a bunch of fun shops to stop in and get some free samples along the way. Broughton Street is lined with both retail shops like H&M along with smaller thrift shops that have quirky knick knacks. Below were some of my favorite stores to stop in.

Savannah Bee Company

You can find outposts of this store in other places, but you must check out the original in the heart of Savannah. The store itself is incredibly fun and welcoming, the inside is decorated like a honeycomb.

There is a play area for children and plenty of tastings situated throughout the room. You must taste the famous tupelo honey 🍯 that comes from a flower found outside Savannah that only blooms for ten days a year. 

The Paris Market

More than just a flea market, this shop resembles a museum with eclectic installations throughout the two floors. The owners travel far and wide to find the perfect pieces to capture the attention of the patrons. 

The Spice and Tea Exchange

My parents loved this store the most and we went back in many times. The store is lined with various tea assortments 🍵 and spice packages. There are plenty of free samples to indulge in and gift packages to purchase. This is the perfect spot to get gifts for loved ones, because they won’t take up much space. 

Byrd’s Famous Cookies

If you have a sweet tooth, then this store was made for you! Byrd’s Famous Cookies feature coin shaped cookies that come in all sorts of flavors that range from savory to sweet. You can try the cookies and then purchase bags of your favorites. We left with a couple bags of Jalapeño Cheddar and the classic Chocolate Chip 🍪.

Tour the Historic Homes

Savannah is known for its history and you will learn a lot about it by taking a tour of the historical estates that line the streets. The best tours are those that talk about the white owners as well as the slaves that made sure the houses ran smoothly. We only had the chance to go to the Sorrel-Weed House, but I’ve listed some others that you may want to checkout.

Estate Tours in Savannah:

• Sorrel Weed House– Francis Sorrel was a wealthy plantation owner that built this house in the 1840s for his family. This tour was very interesting because there are large arguments over the deaths of his wife Matilda and the slave Molly. The tour will go through the facts and then give you some other theories. Also, there are plenty of paranormal experiences 👻 in this home, with a couch they have dubbed the most haunted sofa in America.
• Davenport House Museum– This was the first home saved by the Savannah Historic District. The tour at this home focuses on the history of the house and its architecture. 
• Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace– This is the home of the founder of the Girl Scouts of America.
• Owens-Thomas House and Slave Headquarters– This tour focuses on both the white landowners lives, but also on the slaves lives at the time. They provide a very accurate view of their lives and it is a great tour to learn in depth about this time. 
• Mercer Williams House– This is known as being one of the most haunted houses in Savannah, but you won’t learn about all of this spooky history on the tour. The family owns the house and they focus on the historical facts.

Hang Out with the Ghosts

If you didn’t know before you went to Savannah, you will learn that there is plenty of reason to call this city one of the most haunted cities in America. Much of this city was built over the graves of dead people 💀 and there are plenty of paranormal stories to keep you spooked. You can learn about some ghosts in the historical estate tours, but there are other ways to get up close and personal with ghosts.

Bonaventure Cemetery

This cemetery is a 15 minute ride out of town, so you may want a car to visit. It is one of the most famous and beautiful cemeteries. The gorgeous gravesites 🪦 are situated amongst the Spanish moss.

You can take a ghost tour at the cemetery or use the mobile app to learn about the haunted ghost stories. We chose to explore on our own with the app and we had a great time!

Ghost Tours

After doing plenty of research on the ghost tours offered in Savannah, we chose the Dead of Night Tour in Savannah. This tour focuses on the extremely ghastly hauntings and horrible murders that have happened.

This was an adults only tour, so they didn’t mind getting into the real dark history of the city. They took us from Johnson square, to the old hospital, and to the Colonial Park Cemetery to learn more about the ghosts. We did not see any ghosts, but you may get luckier!

Eat Your Way Through Savannah

One of the very best things to do in Savannah, Georgia is to spend your time eating. Savannah has incredible food and every time I’m there I can’t help but indulging in the plethora of great options. We usually schedule ourselves so that meals are the center of our days. Below you will find the highlights of any foodie’s trip to town.

The Grey

The Grey truly blew us away 🤯. This is a modern American cuisine restaurant that resembles the inside of an old segregated train station 🚃. The chef and restaurant were recently featured on the Netflix show Chef’s Table, so you know that the food is exquisite. We loved the selection of fresh oysters, the chicken, and the delicious profiteroles to end the meal.

The Olde Pink House

This is one of the most famous restaurants in Savannah. The restaurant is located in a historical estate that will take you back in time. There are various dining rooms featuring old fireplaces, historical wallpaper, and glass chandeliers. Try to get there earlier in the night, because they can run out of menu items. 

Mrs. Wilke’s Dining Room

I will remember this meal for my whole life. Mrs. Wilke’s is an establishment in this city. People start to line up to eat here two hours before it opens. We got in line at 10 am and there were already plenty of people waiting to eat. The doors open at 11 am and they start to usher people to large dining tables shared with other patrons.

The workers set the food at the table before you even sit down. The table is full of classic Southern foods like creamed corn, fried chicken 🍗, and collard greens. Don’t worry if you finish something on the table, they are quick to replace it! Everything on the table was delicious and we were full for many hours. You can’t miss stopping here. 

Leopold’s Ice Cream

There is often a long line outside of this historical ice cream establishment. They have been making their homemade ice cream flavors for more than 100 years. We went in around mid-afternoon and the line was not that bad. We enjoyed the ice cream, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the hype. 

Take in a Sunset

We were lucky to catch some beautiful sunsets while we were in Savannah. There are plenty of rooftops to watch the sky change over the city. I recommend getting near the river in order to see the sunset over the water as the cargo ships pass by. We went into Top Deck and enjoyed a drink as the sky became bright orange around us. There are plenty of spots in town to check out.

Grab a Drink at the Lively Bars

Just knowing that there is no open container law in Savannah shows that this city knows how to have fun. There are plenty of great bars and watering holes in town. You may find an abundance of bachelor and bachelorette parties here, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find places without them. I have listed some great spots to grab a drink below!

Jen’s & Friends

If you love Martinis then you will need to stop at this spot! It’s famous for the unique variety of martinis that they offer in large glasses. There are more than 300 martinis 🍸 on the menu. I tried the Lucky Charms one and enjoyed eating the cereal off the top of it. It’s definitely a fun spot to try. 

Savannah Smiles Dueling Pianos

This is the quintessential spot if you are with a bachelorette party, but we still enjoyed the scene there. Large groups of people crowd the tables and center floor. The dueling pianos take requests from the audience and people go up on stage often to dance along to the songs. 

AlleyCat Lounge

This is one of my favorite bars that I have ever been to in my life! To get in you have to find the hidden entrance in the alley of Broughton Street. Once you get inside you’ll get a newspaper style menu to peruse.

One of the most fun parts is reading through all of the unique menu items that they have. They change the menu every few months, so, you can try something new every time! We loved our cocktails and we went back multiple times! 

Mata Hari’s Speakeasy

This is truly the definition of a speakeasy. It is not easy to find and once you find it you have to figure out the passcode to get in. We were lucky enough to find someone leaving and got the password. The inside of the bar is quiet and there is a pool table on the side. It was a really cool way to end the night.

Final Tips for Visiting Savannah

Savannah is an incredibly fun town and there is so much to do there. I hope that you can use this guide to plan your trip there. Although you can plan a lot of things once you arrive, I recommend booking any tours before you go! I can’t wait to get back and explore more of it!

Let me know if you enjoyed this guide on Things to Do in Savannah, Georgia

📍 Pin The Best Things to Do in Savannah, Georgia to Pinterest