Savannah — 3-Day Itinerary
Savannah moves at the pace of its moss-draped oaks. Georgia oldest city pairs cobblestone squares with ghost stories, antebellum architecture with a thriving art school culture, and some of the best Southern cooking in a region defined by good food. Three days here feels unhurried.
Historic District & Forsyth Park
Morning: Start at Forsyth Park, Savannah 12-hectare centerpiece anchored by its iconic 1858 fountain. Walk north through the Historic District, a grid of 22 parklike squares each with its own character and history. Chippewa Square is where the Forrest Gump bench scene was filmed. Monterey Square holds the Mercer Williams House from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Coffee and pastry at The Collins Quarter ($8-12) on Bull Street fuels the walk. Each block reveals new architectural details on townhouses dating to the 1820s.
Afternoon: Lunch at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room ($25 fixed price) is a Savannah institution since 1943. Communal tables seat strangers together for a spread of fried chicken, collard greens, black-eyed peas, cornbread, and a dozen other dishes served family style. The line forms by 10:30 AM for the 11 AM opening and it moves steadily. After lunch, visit the Telfair Museums ($20 combo ticket) spanning three buildings including the Jepson Center designed by Moshe Safdie. SCAD galleries throughout downtown showcase student and professional art.
Evening: Savannah has an open-container law allowing alcoholic drinks on the streets in the Historic District. Take advantage with a cocktail from Abe on Lincoln ($8-12) while walking River Street along the Savannah River waterfront. The cobblestone ramp down to the river was built from ballast stones carried by 18th-century ships. Dinner at The Grey ($28-45 mains) occupies a restored 1938 Greyhound bus terminal and serves refined Southern cuisine. The dining room architecture alone is worth the reservation.
Bonaventure Cemetery, Tybee Island & Southern Food
Morning: Bonaventure Cemetery, 5 km east of downtown, is hauntingly beautiful. Spanish moss hangs from ancient oaks shading elaborate Victorian sculptures and graves overlooking the Wilmington River. Made famous by Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the cemetery rewards slow wandering. Notable graves include songwriter Johnny Mercer and the Bird Girl statue location. Free entry, open dawn to dusk. Return to the Historic District for brunch at Clary Cafe ($10-16) on Abercorn Street, a no-frills local favorite.
Afternoon: Drive 30 minutes east to Tybee Island, Savannah laid-back beach community. The wide sandy beach is free and uncrowded on weekdays. Climb the Tybee Island Light Station ($12), one of the tallest and oldest lighthouses in America with views across the salt marshes. Lunch at The Crab Shack ($15-25) on Chimney Creek is wonderfully rustic with boiled shrimp, crab legs, and cold beer served on outdoor tables overlooking the marsh. Alligators lurk in the pond below the deck, adding atmosphere.
Evening: Return to Savannah for an evening ghost tour ($25-30). The city claims to be the most haunted in America, and the stories have genuine historical depth rooted in colonial conflicts, yellow fever epidemics, and Civil War occupation. The most atmospheric tours are walking tours through the squares after dark. Dinner at Zunzi ($8-14) serves South African-Inspired wraps and bowls that have developed a cult following. For a splurge, Elizabeth on 37th ($35-55 mains) in a 1900s mansion serves Savannah most refined Southern cooking.
Isle of Hope, Shopping & Midnight Garden
Morning: Drive 15 minutes south to the Isle of Hope, a quiet residential community on the Skidaway River with a bluff-top road lined by antebellum homes and live oaks forming a complete canopy overhead. Wormsloe Historic Site ($10) features a mile-long avenue of 400 live oaks leading to colonial-era tabby ruins. This oak tunnel is one of the most photographed spots in Georgia. The adjacent salt marshes offer kayaking ($40 for 2 hours) through tidal creeks where dolphins regularly appear.
Afternoon: Return to the Historic District for shopping and afternoon exploration. Broughton Street is Savannah main commercial artery with a mix of local boutiques, vintage shops, and the Paris Market, a beautifully curated French-inspired shop in a restored 1890s building. The SCAD Museum of Art ($10) in a converted 1856 railroad depot features excellent contemporary exhibitions that rotate quarterly. Grab afternoon treats at Leopold Ice Cream ($5-7), a Savannah institution since 1919 serving small-batch flavors in an old-fashioned parlor.
Evening: End your Savannah trip with dinner at Cotton and Rye ($22-38 mains) where the cocktails are as impressive as the food, or Husk Savannah ($24-36) for chef Sean Brock take on Lowcountry cuisine. After dinner, walk through the squares one final time. The Historic District transforms at night with gas lanterns, quiet fountains, and the sound of carriage horses on cobblestone. For a last drink, visit Rocks on the Roof atop the Bohemian Hotel for river views and craft cocktails ($12-16).
Budget Breakdown (Per Person, 3 Days)
| Category | Budget | Mid-Range | Luxury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (3 nights) | $135 | $390 | $900 |
| Food & Drinks | $75 | $210 | $480 |
| Transport | $20 | $55 | $120 |
| Activities & Entry Fees | $35 | $80 | $180 |
| Total 3 Days | $265 | $735 | $1,680 |
Neighbourhoods to Know
Savannah's Historic District is the obvious anchor, but understanding its internal geography separates good visitors from great ones. The neighbourhood is built on a deliberate grid of 22 squares — each a small park with benches, live oaks, and a different historical monument at its center. The southern end anchored by Forsyth Park and Monterey Square is the most architecturally preserved, with unbroken rows of Federal and Regency townhouses whose garden ironwork is among the finest in North America. Walking north toward Broughton Street, the squares gradually give way to commercial activity, but the architecture remains extraordinary. This central corridor between Forsyth and City Hall is where most visitors spend their entire trip — and with good reason.
The Victorian District, immediately south of Forsyth Park, is a quieter residential extension that most tourists overlook entirely. The neighbourhood is named for its concentrated stock of late-19th-century Queen Anne and Italianate houses in various states of restoration. It lacks the groomed perfection of the Historic District but rewards slow walking with more candid, lived-in character. Several of Savannah's best independent coffee shops and neighbourhood restaurants are hidden along its leafier streets. Park and Abercorn running south of Forsyth are the main arteries, both lined with tall oak canopy meeting overhead.
Thomas Square, a few blocks further southwest, is where SCAD students and young Savannahians have colonised a working-class neighbourhood into a creative pocket of independent restaurants, vintage clothing stores, and music venues. The Starland District — roughly clustered around Bull Street and 38th — is Savannah's most interesting emerging neighbourhood. Grittier than the Historic District and more honest about the city's complexities, it has galleries, dive bars, and the kind of late-night taco stand that only exists where art students live. If you've eaten fried chicken at Mrs. Wilkes, try dinner here on your second evening for balance.
The Eastside along President Street toward the Savannah College of Art and Design's Poetter Hall has undergone rapid change as the art school has bought and restored building after building. SCAD operates galleries, theatres, and event spaces that are open to the public — check their calendar at scad.edu for free lectures, exhibitions, and film screenings that offer a genuine window into the city's creative life beyond the ghost tours and plantation house visits. East Broad Street heading toward the stadium and arena districts is honest, unpolished Savannah, useful to walk at least once to correct any over-romanticised impressions the Historic District can create.
Love Southern charm? Our Charleston SC 3-Day Itinerary explores another beautiful Lowcountry city.