Savannah is a beautiful waterfront destination in Georgia, with a beautiful coast, well-preserved architecture, and a vibrant history. Although my time in Savannah was due to a work conference, I had an opportunity to explore the city while I was there as well. By the way, if you have a conference scheduled at the Savannah Convention Center, it’s an incredible facility, and if you’re staying in the city, you’ll get a ferry ride to and from the conference each day. So, let’s get into it, Is Savannah worth visiting?
Reasons why Savannah is Worth Visiting
Savannah has a bunch of exciting reasons to visit. Historical buildings and architecture if that’s your thing. Scenes from the famous movie “Forrest Gump” were shot here if you’re a movie buff. Insanely large cargo ships pass down the river and are impressive to watch. Plus Savannah considers itself America’s Most Haunted city.
The Beautiful Historic District of Savannah
The historic district includes a number of hotels, restaurants, bars, churches, and cobblestone streets. Right up against the river, it’s the center of nightlife in Savannah. In addition to being right across the river from the convention center, for those of you in town for that reason, it is also home to some incredible locations. The 1900s Savannah City Hall is located right along its northern border,
Chippewa Square, where portions of Forrest Gump were filmed is located just about in the middle. But, the iconic park bench is located at the Savannah History Museum located a few blocks away. The Savannah History Museum is located almost directly between the SCAD Museum of Art and the Georgia State Railway Museum.
Throw in the Owens-Thomas House, Juliette Gordon Low’s Birthplace, Harper Fowlkes House, Sorrell Weed House, and even Historic Fort Wayne. Lots of incredible things to see in quite a small area. You could likely spend your entire vacation in the Historic District. With hotels, restaurants, and bars, you wouldn’t have any reason to leave.
Go on a Riverboat Cruise
Savannah is right on the water, so they obviously need to take advantage of that. They have several options for riverboat cruises ranging between lunchtime tours, dinner tours, sunset tours, and even a Monday evening Gospel Music dinner tour. The most famous of the riverboats is the Georgia Queen, which runs two hours tours with a full restaurant, bar, and music on board.
Each tour includes beautiful tours of the Savannah River which separates South Carolina from Georgia. The riverboats are large and comfortable. The river is smooth, so it’s an incredible tour on a nice day. No matter what time of day you go, it’ll be a worthwhile way to spend a couple of hours.
If you’re looking to save some money and still get out onto the water. There is a free water taxi that crosses over the river several times a day every day. It doesn’t have the same tour vibes and can get full because tickets aren’t required, but it does offer some nice views from the middle of the river. If you’re staying in the historic district and attending a conference at the Conference Center, this is the ferry that you’ll use. It picks up at two locations (right near the two biggest waterfront hotels) on the Savannah side. It drops you off right outside of the Savannah Convention Center.
Savannah Ghost & Grave Tours
Savannah claims to be America’s Most Haunted City, but as I spent several years in Boston, I personally feel like Salem, Massachusetts has earned that claim. But, Savannah, like Salem, is a very old city, and old generally is one of the criteria for haunted. Savannah is filled with haunted attractions, with some of the most popular being the Grimble House Paranormal Experience and the Sorrel Weed House Museum. So, if you love the haunted and spooky, Savannah is worth visiting for you.
If you wanted to see even more sights around Savannah, I would recommend taking a tour. There are plenty of them to choose from. Everything from walking tours to trolley tours to paranormal tours. Below are the four most popular haunted tours offered by our partners at GetYourGuide, but there are many more. If you’d prefer to do the exploring on your own, we’d suggest this self-guided audio tour of the haunted sights of Savannah.
Enjoy a Variety of Breweries
Savannah is well known for its bars. Within the historic district, you can’t go more than a few blocks without running into a bar or restaurant. Within the Historic District (West Boundary Street to East Broad Street to Jones Street), you can get a drink to go and take it with you. Makes bar hopping very easy and enjoyable. Some of my favorites are Savannah Tequila Company, Rocks on the Roof, and Abe’s On Lincoln. But, don’t let my suggestions stop you from exploring the dozens of options within this small square.
Ease of Getting Around
Walkability
One of the best reasons to visit Savannah is that it is so walkable. When I traveled there for a week for a conference, I didn’t bother to get a car because I had heard how walkable it was. Took an app-based ride into town and back out again and walked everywhere else. The city is well-designed in a grid, and there are things to see on every block. But, if you didn’t want to walk, there are a couple of other good options to get around the city.
Free Shuttle Bus
The city offers a free shuttle bus, called the dot shuttle. There are two routes covering the city, and it comes approximately every 10 minutes at each of its 18 stops. The shuttle runs Monday through Friday 7 am – 7 pm, Saturday 10 am-7 pm, and Sunday 10 am – 6 pm. It services most of the visitor centers, big parking garages, and some local hotels. It’s a quick, efficient way to get around the city, and for the price, it is worth the value.
Savannah Belles Ferry
To get across the river to either the Savannah Convention Center or to get to the city from the Westin Savannah, you’ll want to use the ferry. The ferry comes approximately every 30 minutes, and the trip across the water is only a few minutes. The biggest delay is if a big shipping container ship is coming into or out of the harbor. The ferry was comfortable, with seats, windows, and heat. The only downside we found with the ferry was at the day of a big conference, the ferry fills up quickly. We had to wait in line and filled up a few ferry loads before everybody could get across.
Trolley rides
Another fun way to see Savannah is one of the trolley tours. Most of the trolley tours cover the best sights of the city. If you choose a hop-on, hop-off version, you can easily visit sights and then hop back on to continue your tour of the city.
There are a couple of versions of the trolley tours within Savannah. The most popular version is the hop-on, hop-off tour. With 15 stops, this tour covers more of the tourist sites in the city. It’s fully narrated, which means you can learn about the city as you travel. The bus comes to each stop every 20 minutes, which makes it both a great way to learn about the city, but also a method to travel the city.
But, there is also a historic trolley tour version that covers more of the history of the city. Finally, there is, of course, the haunted trolley tour that runs in the evening and covers some of the most haunted sites within Savannah.
No matter which you choose, trolleys are a fun way to see the city and learn more about its history, either its haunted history or its traditional history. At less than $50 per person, they are all pretty affordable options to explore the city. Nearly any time Daphne and I travel, we purchase a hop-on, hop-off tour for one of our first days in the city. We use that to learn some history and details about the places that we’ll be visiting later in the week.
Iconic Attractions That Make Savannah Worth Visting
Besides all of its incredible history, including its haunted history, and its great food, Savannah is a city worth visiting. But, let’s look into some of the other iconic attractions within Savannah worth visiting.
Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
A 19th-Century Roman Catholic Church in the middle of the city. A beautiful, still-operating church with stained glass windows, a large pipe organ, and incredible architecture. In addition to regular Sunday mass, the church has a very active music program with regular concerts and events throughout the year.
American Prohibition Museum
A museum dedicated to the ban on alcohol from 1920-33. In addition to having a speakeasy bar on site with a drink ticket included in some ticket types, they have a full museum. For additional fun, they have cocktail-making classes that include making two signature drinks, along with some snacks and swag. Ticket prices range from $17 for just the museum to $55 for the full guided tour and cocktail experience. They claim to be the only such prohibition museum in America, so absolutely something that makes visiting Savannah worth it.
Savannah Theatre
They claim to be “America’s oldest continuously operating theatre on its original site,” being in operation since 1818. With an impressive list of previous performers and performances, they often have some cool offerings on their calendars. In theme with its claim of being America’s Most Haunted City, the theater also offers paranormal investigations experiences at night which include thermal cameras, night vision goggles, EMF detectors, and a trained guide.
Unique Eats in Savannah, GA
Restaurants
★ Cotton Exchange Building – Opened in 1971, inside the site of an old Cotton Mill, this seafood restaurant shows up on most lists as a must-try in Savannah. With views overlooking the river, it’s a great place to watch the ships coming and going from the port at Savannah.
★ Tubbys Seafood – Another great seafood place right along the river. With indoor and outdoor seating, and the river breeze to keep it cool, it’s great for a summer meal as well. On select nights, they also have live music and signature drinks.
★ 45 Bistro – Dating from 1852, this place is famous for its wood-fired pizzas. It’s a beautiful site, so much so that they often host weddings on their property. They are only open in the evenings, but 7 days a week, and encourage reservations as they can get busy.
★ Alligator Soul Restaurant – Once a grain warehouse, Alligator Soul Restaurant specializes in typical southern food. They focus on using organic & local ingredients.
Outdoor Dining
★ 700 Drayton Restaurant – A 19th-century mansion overlooking Forsyth Park with lots of outdoor seating. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they serve farmer’s market-inspired meals. Along with incredible food, they serve coffee and alcoholic drinks making it a good stop for any time of day.
★ Starland Yard – Built as a dog-friendly “food truck park,” it’s a combination of food trucks and shipping container restaurants. With a rotating list of food trucks, you never know what to expect, but there will be choices. With indoor, outdoor, and covered seating, it’s perfect for any nice day in Savannah.
★ The Collins Quarter at Forsyth Park – With a delicious menu, including some incredible drinks. The restaurant has outdoor seating, but it’s located in the middle of a huge park so you could easily take it to go and have a picnic. If you’re looking for a quick coffee, stop by their to-go window and head into the park to enjoy nature.
Cozy tea time spots
★ The British Pie Company – Don’t let the name fool you, this is British tea at its best. With tea, of course, they also have homemade treats such as shortbread, tarts, scones, and quiche. Besides tea, they also have a variety of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available.
★ Gallery Espresso – As both a gallery and cafe, you can get a good drink and enjoy some art. They have over 100 varieties of teas and claim to be tea experts, but they do attend the World Tea Expo to hone their skills. Enjoy this little Bohemian cafe with its mismatched sofas.
★ Savannah Tea Room – If you like to read and drink tea, this is a great choice for you. Located within a bookstore, the focus is on nothing but tea. With a large selection of white tea, green tea, black tea, and more, they are sure to have something for everyone. Just note that this focus is so much on tea, that they don’t offer food or any other drinks so it’s not a lunch destination.
Enjoy the Savannah City Market
If you’re going to visit Savannah, you need to make plans to stop by the Savannah City Market. Covering a full city block, the city market includes local shops, award-winning dining options, an art center, and event spaces. City Market is open between 9 am to 3 am, but the specific businesses within it may have different hours.
With more than 10 shops that include everything from cookies to candy to a dog store, there is something for you. 6 restaurants that include a cafe, seafood, steak, and a pub. The art space has 4 galleries, some of which you can watch the artists work on their newest pieces.
Nearly every holiday is celebrated with activities at the City Market, so there is always a lot going on there. With so much to see and do, and such long hours and events all year around, visiting the Savannah City Market makes it one of the best reasons that visiting Savannah is worth it.
Frequently Asked Questions about Visiting Savannah
Is Savannah safe to visit?
During my time in Savannah, I never felt unsafe. We explored the city both during the day and late into the evening. The streets are well-lit, and within the historic district where I spent most of my time, traffic was well-managed and crosswalks were respected. Some of the areas outside some of the busier bars can get loud late at night with people enjoying their alcohol. But, even in those instances, we would see police standing by to ensure that nobody got too out of hand.
How many days do you need in Savannah?
Savannah is a small city, but with a lot to see. I would say that a long weekend would be the minimum that would give you a chance to really enjoy all that the city has to offer. Start with a hop-on, hop-off tour on day one, and then the next couple of days visit all of the sites that you saw on the first day that you wanted to spend more time at. Of course, enjoy the cafes, restaurants, and bars while you’re there as well.
Need some help deciding how best to spend your time in Savannah? Check our article about writing the perfect itinerary for any trip to give you a head start to making the most of your time.
What is special about Savannah?
With a beautiful coast, well-preserved architecture, and vibrant history, Savannah has a lot going for it. Adding in that Savannah claims to be America’s Most Haunted City, along with having America’s only Prohibition Museum. They have a small little airport and a very large (and growing) convention center. Of course, being in the South, you’ll get to experience the friendly Southern charm that they truly do have in Georgia.
What is downtown Savannah known for?
Bars, restaurants, and history. There is so much more, but those are the major topics that you’ll want to head downtown for. With the Historic District allowing to-go drinks, it’s an even better reason to explore downtown. Although there is more to Savannah than just downtown, you’ll likely spend most of your time in the downtown district.
What food is Savannah famous for?
To start with the obvious, Savannah is famous for Georgia Peaches. In jellies, jams, or desserts, you can’t go wrong with these delicious fruits. Beyond the obvious, fried green tomatoes and shrimp & grits are typical southern foods that Savannah does right. The best place to try either of those options is Tubby’s Seafood on East River Street.
What is the best month to visit Savannah?
Because it’s on the water and gets a good breeze from the nearby ocean and rivers, it can get a little bit chilly. I was there in November and needed a jacket most early mornings and late evenings. Summer in the South can get really, uncomfortably hot, so I would avoid it unless you’re used to the heat. The best time to visit Savannah would be spring or fall, the best temperatures and everything is open. But, if you’re comfortable with the weather, Savannah has exciting things to offer all year round.
Final Thoughts About if Savannah Is Worth Visiting
I had an amazing time in Savannah, even skipping a portion of the conference that I was attending to explore more of Savannah. The city is beautifully preserved, on the water, and has some absolutely incredible history. The city is walkable, and the places that aren’t easily walkable have free transportation via the dot shuttle or the belle ferry. It has a fun nightlife, and with the cocktails to go, you don’t even have to limit your fun to one establishment. There are plenty of hotels in a wide range of price ranges, so there is no excuse not to add Savannah to your vacation list. I definitely have found that visiting Savannah was worth it, and plan to visit again in the future.
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