One Day in Savannah : 24 Hour Guide

Savannah is one of the most aesthetically pleasing cities I have ever visited. The series of perfectly symmetrical city squares, long avenues with trees dripping in Spanish moss, and grand antebellum architecture – it is just stunning. There is also an inexplicable vibe of creativity and fun about the city; perhaps because it is home to the famed Savannah College of Art & Design. These are my suggestions for how to spend one day in Savannah. This 24 hour guide is a good itinerary to help you kick off a longer visit, or to maximise your time if you’re only visiting for the day.

Where to stay in Savannah

For a great location, classic architecture, and a reasonable mid-range price, I would recommend Marshall House – a historic inn on East Broughton Street.

For a budget option, I recommend moving out of downtown to Midtown – which is still an easy taxi ride into town. Try the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Midtown for clean budget lodging with free parking.

Your luxury offerings are plentiful in Savannah: for historic grandeur, I suggest the ornately beautiful Hamilton-Turner Inn (Abercorn Street); if you want a riverfront location, try the modern luxury of The Bohemian Hotel or the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District – which is a stunning mix of museum and hotel!

Things to do in Savannah : 24 hour Itinerary

12 Midday – Lunch at The Olde Pink House

This Savannah institution is a must-see if you’re visiting the city, but remember you have to book in advance because it gets very busy.

Offering traditional southern haute cuisine in a beautiful colonial building, you can’t get any more classy than a lunch at The Olde Pink House. Serving low country dishes like caramelised onion & sweet potato ravioli with oyster mushrooms, corn bread fried oysters, and fried green tomatoes, you won’t leave hungry.

2pm – Wander the Avenues & Squares

The oak-lined avenues and squares of Savannah are a joy to explore. There were originally 24 squares, but only 22 remain.

Johnson Square was the first, and was used as a commercial centre – this large square with monuments and benches is a classic example of Savannah’s grandeur.

Take a walk down Saint Julian Street, which runs through a sequence of big squares, enjoy the rows of oaks with their dripping Spanish Moss, and views up and down the elegant grid of streets.

4pm – Take a Riverboat or Trolley Tour

By this stage you will probably need to rest your feet. On a short visit to Savannah, or to help you get orientated, tours can help you identify what you want to see more of, but without the leg-work of walking from place to place.

The Savannah Riverboats are an elegant way to see the city from the water.

I’d highly recommend the hop-on-hop-off Trolley Tours too, as it gives you a good overview of the city (and lets you rest your feet)! Or you can take a land and river tour combo to do both activities.

6pm – Riverfront aperitifs

River Street is a real hive of activity. While it’s generally a touristy thing to do, here are some advantages to such an area – a good buzz, live music, and things to see along the way. From the newly redeveloped Plant Riverside District at the western end of River Street, to the more established east end, it is a fabulous area to explore.

Stop for some shopping at the River Street Market Place, or discover the magic of Rousakis Plaza Echo Square. If you stand on the X in the middle of the square it sounds like your voice is amplified!

Get yourself to the Shrimp Factory and order a Georgia Peach Long Island Iced Tea – it will knock your socks off in the most delicious way. We also loved the Moss + Oak Savannah Eatery roof terrace.

8pm – Dinner at Vic’s on the River OR Treylor Park

Depending on your preferences, I have two options for you for dinner in Savannah.

• Vic’s on the River is a classy joint, with balcony views over the river, refined southern classics, and an air of elegance.
• Treylor Park is a hip and modern eatery with a nod to vintage diners, serving tarted-up bar food alongside their excellent beer selection. Their avocado fries and Treylor Park Nachos Grande will blow your mind.

10pm – Abe’s on Lincoln

Excuse me while I ring the bell for the best bar name in America! Abe’s is, unsurprisingly, on Lincoln Street. This fun tavern is papered with napkins where guests have drawn Abe Lincoln on them; they have a great happy hour, and the patio is a treat.

We had a fab night here, chatting with locals (it’s popular with students and young professionals), enjoying the cooler evening on the patio, and watching the world go by.

If you’ve got the stamina, head to Congress Street Up, a speakeasy with custom cocktails!

*** Fall into bed at an undisclosed hour ***

9am – Breakfast at Clary’s Cafe

If I could eat breakfast here every day I would. But then again, it would mean skipping every other meal, because the portions are huge! With American breakfast favourites such as waffles, corn beef hash, and biscuits & gravy, Clary’s will set you up for the day.

10am – Bonaventure Cemetery

It’s time to roll on out to the beautifully serene Bonaventure Cemetery. Bonaventure is a historic and scenic burial ground known for its hauntingly beautiful oak-lined avenues, elaborate tombstones, and Gothic statues.

Made famous by the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt, and the subsequent movie of the same name, it is worth a visit.

To really get the most out of your time there, and to learn about the history, I would recommend a guided tour of Bonaventure.

12 Midday – Lunch at Sandfly BBQ

Stop for a quick platter of delicious southern barbecue food from Sandfly BBQ. We had some seriously delicious barbecued meat (their smoked sausage was excellent), and tasty sides. Their crunchy mustardy potato salad won the ‘best potato salad’ award of our barbecue trip!

Their old Streamliner location is now closed, but they still have their Ferguson location, so it is convenient for if you are heading out to the sites above.

Day Trips from Savannah

If you’ve got more than 24 hours in the area, here are some day trip ideas in the Savannah area:

• Fort Pulaski – I really wanted to visit Fort Pulaski while we were in Savannah, but alas we ran out of time. Lucky for you, Road Trips & Coffee has written all about visiting Fort Pulaski.
  
• Moon River – Moon River was once upon a time called ‘Back River’, but did indeed inspire the famous song from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The river was then renamed later in homage. Composed by Henry Mancini, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer (a Savannah native); the song’s name was originally ‘Blue River’, but was changed because there was already a song of that name. My husband and I love singing ‘Moon River’, so we knew we had to visit this inspirational location.
  
• Pin Point Heritage Museum – is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of the Gullah-Geechee community. Housed in a former oyster and crab factory, it tells the story of the freed African Americans who settled in Pin Point after the Civil War and sustained themselves through seafood harvesting. 
  
• Wormsloe Historic Site – is a preserved colonial estate known for its stunning oak-lined avenue and historic ruins. Established in the 1730s by Noble Jones, one of Georgia’s first English settlers, the site includes the remains of his fortified tabby house, the oldest standing structure in the state. 
  
• Tybee Island – Tybee Island isn’t for everyone, there are parts of it which have fallen into the garish beach tat category. BUT don’t discount it as a fun day trip. The Tybee Pier is huge and great for a picnic or fishing. And if you’re looking for a laid back weekend staycation, then a few days in one of Tybee’s famous ‘Mermaid Cottages‘ is great fun. Tybee is also home to the Pin Point Heritage Museum, where you can learn more about the Gullah / Geechee culture first hand.
  

Learn more about visiting Tybee Island

One day in Savannah : 24 hour guide

I must admit to having fallen for Savannah very swiftly – it’s hard to resist its charms. While initially concerned I would find an old-world city, revelling in its past glories, but what I discovered was refreshing. The Savannah we encountered was a fascinating mix of complicated southern history; and a buoyant, diverse new generation of people and experiences; which is changing the landscape of this classic city.

On one of the evenings we were there, I sat outside a live music venue on River Street; and chatted to a woman who had terminal cancer. Her words stuck with me, she said “I couldn’t die without seeing Savannah again”. How poignant, and I totally get what she meant, I feel the same way now. I truly hope you get more than one day in Savannah; but if you don’t, you’ll most definitely want to return. I sure do.

Read more about our American adventures, from the deserts of Utah to the city fun of 4 days in San Francisco!

All photos & content © Hannah Henderson and may not be used without permission (sharing this blog post is fine, though!). Images shot with a Canon DSLR T3i Rebel + Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM; and an iPhoneX.