Savannah Travel Guide for First-Time Visitors

Built in 1733, Savannah is Georgia’s oldest city. This port city has a great vibe, southern charm, historical squares and haunted houses. Historic Savannah, Georgia is one of my favorite cities in the U.S. Moss-draped oaks, cobblestone streets, and weathered brick buildings the city is full of history and beautiful architecture.

Savannah is one of the best cities to explore if you like history, architecture, historic houses, beautiful parks, and stories with a slightly darker side. This Savannah travel guide pulls together the places worth seeing, how to get around, where the historic districts are, and the Savannah guides that will help you plan your trip.

Why Visit Savannah?

Originally published July 25, 2025 — Last updated September 16, 2026

Savannah is a good fit if you like history, architecture, historic houses, beautiful parks, and stories with a slightly darker side. I’ve visited several times, and what keeps bringing me back is how easy it is to combine all of those interests in one walkable historic district.

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Start Here: Plan Your Savannah Trip

Savannah’s Historic District is the heart of the city. It blends graceful charm with a hint of spookiness, thanks to its haunted legends, antebellum architecture, and deep maritime roots.

Things to Do in Savannah

Savannah is easy to explore on foot, but you don’t need to see every attraction to have a good trip. These are some of the places and experiences I think are worth knowing about before you decide how to spend your time.

Savannah’s Squares, Historic Houses, River Street, Forsyth Park, Ghost Tours, Telfair Museums, Prohibition Museum

Savannah’s Squares

Best for: history and parks
Time needed: 1–2 hours
Worth it? Yes, especially if you like parks or just to take a walk and admire and the architecture

Savannah’s founder, James Oglethorpe, designed the city in a grid like pattern around city squares. The original 4 squares expanded to 24 squares in the 1800’s. Today there are 22 squares remaining in a one-mile radius in Savannah.

I love that the city has so many pretty squares you can walk to. It reminds me of Europe. You don’t have to visit all of them, but I would visit a few on your visit. My favorites: Chippewa, Monterey, Madison, and Lafayette Square.

Savannah’s River Street

Best for: history, river views, shopping, restaurants
Time needed: 1–3 hours
Worth it? Yes, especially if you like history, shopping or looking for a restaurant/bar

Probably the most famous street in Savannah is River Street. This is where Savannah started. The river is why Savannah became the largest eastern seaport.

Historic Houses

Best for: history and architecture
Time needed: 1–2 hours
Worth it? Yes, if you love architecture and want to hear the stories about the houses. There are so many different style houses to view.

There are over a hundred historic Savannah houses. Some are open to the public. If you like architecture or exploring historic houses, Savannah is such an interesting place to visit. Many of the houses have tours to give you insight on how daily life was.

Forsyth Park

Best for: parks, fountains, architecture of surrounding houses
Time needed: 30 min – 1 hour
Worth it? Yes, if you want the iconic fountain photo, if you love architecture, or want to visit a craft or farmers market.

This beautiful park covers 30 acres and the fountain within the park is one of the most photographed spots in Savannah. We loved walking around the park to see the local market and the pretty houses facing the park.

Savannah Ghost Tours

Best for: history and ghost stories
Time needed: 2-3 hours
Worth it? Yes, if you love to learn about the history of the city, the buildings and local ghost stories.

I’ve been on ghost tours all over the country. The ghost tours in Savannah and the tour I took on Jack the Ripper in London were the best ones I’ve been on. The docents in Savannah know their history and intertwine this history with local ghost stories. I’ve been on three ghost tours here.

Prohibition Museum

Best for: history
Time needed: 1–2 hours
Worth it? Yes, if you love museums and learning something new about alcohol and it’s influence on the country

This was a very interesting museum. Lots of interactive exhibits to explain how the prohibition affected every day life, the political implications of it and how it ended. There is even a cool speakeasy at the end of the museum. You can grab a drink and watch a short film on the prohibition.

Jepson Center & Telfair Academy

Best for: history and art
Time needed: 1–2 hours
Worth it? Yes, if you love modern and traditional art galleries, historical houses, and immersive art.

We visited the Owens-Thomas House and as part of our ticket price we could also visit the Telfair Museums, which includes The Academy and the Jepson Center. You can see the famous ‘Bird Girl’ statue featured in the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil at this museum as well.

Wormsloe State Historic Park

Visit Wormsloe Historic Site to see one of Savannah’s most recognizable oak-lined entrances and explore the story of this former colonial estate.

Looking for the full list? Read my guide to the best things to do in Savannah → Things to do in Savannah

Getting Around Savannah

While we were there we walked everywhere with the exception of our visit to Bonaventure Cemetery and Wormsloe. Savannah is walkable if you’re staying within the Historic District. In addition, there are plenty of parking garages you can park at and then walk.

Want to give your feet a break? Try one of the classic trolley tours or hop-on-hop-off shuttles that make loops around the main sights. It’s an easy way to get the lay of the land and hear fun facts about the city along the way. For more information on fare free transportation in Savannah visit DOT.

How to Get to Savannah

Where to Stay

Northern Historic Savannah District

On our most recent trip to Savannah we chose to stay on River Street. This is where Savannah began. River Street is probably the most famous stretch in town, and for good reason. It runs right along the Savannah River, which played a major role in shaping the city into one of the largest eastern seaports.

We’ve stayed in the suburbs on previous visits, but on our most recent trip we stayed on River Street. For a trip focused on the Historic District, I preferred being downtown because we could leave the car parked and walk almost everywhere.

The old cotton warehouses here have been transformed into a lively mix of boutique shops, restaurants, pubs, and art galleries. You can still walk the original cobblestone paths and get a feel for the city’s working port past.

Southern Historic District

Head south and things slow down even more. This part of the Historic District feels quieter and more residen

Map

Historic District
River Street
South Historic District

How Many Days in Savannah?

Ideally you’ll want 3-4 days in Savannah to explore and take a day trip to Tybee Island.

1 day: Historic District + squares + River Street + Forsyth Park

2 days: Add historic houses, museums, ghost tour or river cruise

3–4 days: Add Bonaventure, Wormsloe or Tybee Island

Explore by Interest

Prettiest Streets in Savannah

Broughton St, Jones Street, and Congress St

Savannah Guides

Savannah Tours

Day Trips From Savannah

Tybee Island — beaches and a change of scenery.

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina— another option if you have extra time.

Georgia’s Islands – St Simon & Jekyll Island

Distance from Savannah to Charleston and to St. Augustine.

Savannah is Georgia’s oldest city. From Savannah you can easily visit the oldest city in South Carolina and the oldest city in Florida. Charleston is just over a hundred miles and about two hours from Savannah. St. Augustine is 180 miles from Savannah and a three hour drive.