The American City So Charming, You’d Swear It Was Plucked Straight From Europe

What comes to mind when you think of the city of Savannah? Is it the beautifully laid out squares that dot the city? Or perhaps its proximity to the coast and some lovely Atlantic beaches? Maybe it’s the delicious food scene, or those Spanish moss draped oak trees that create romantic tree canopies the city over.

Savannah is a city that encapsulates all that, and so much more. It is the oldest planned city colonized by England, with enchanting colonial roots. The history of the city is also inseparably entwined with slavery, as part of the reason it flourished is due to the wealth acquired through trafficking people.

Today, the city has a lot to offer – both by way of sharing its history and its beauty. We absolutely loved visiting Savannah, GA, and I think you will too!

An Incredibly Brief History of Savannah

Savannah was settled by the English in 1733. James Oglethorpe (you’ll see that name frequently around town!) was the founder, and Savannah became the first planned city in the “Province of Georgia.”

The English were motivated to create this additional colony primarily as a buffer between Spanish-controlled Florida and the English-controlled Carolinas, but they also had the secondary goal of providing a place to try growing rare cash crops.

Later, in 1754, Georgia officially became the final 13th colony of the British in America.

A Weekend in Savannah

A weekend in Savannah –  or any 3 days in Savannah, really – is a perfect amount of time to see the city and enjoy what it has to offer. You can hit up almost all the sites in this amount of time, with plenty of time for leisurely exploring the city. 

The Historic District 

Most of the attractions are in the historic district and where you’ll spend almost all of your time in Savannah. This area extends from the Savannah River on the north end to Forsyth Park on the south end. 

The southern area of the historic district is more residential, with more of the businesses, restaurants, and shops on the north end. 

Savannah’s Squares and Streets

Savannah is well-known for her 22 squares arranged very geometrically around the historic district. The squares are filled with trees and grass and flowers, walking paths, and usually some focal point in the center – be it a statue, sculpture, monument, or fountain.

There are several well-known squares, but honestly, we loved all the squares we walked through – they lent SO much charm and ambiance to the city, as you will literally come across a square every 2-4 blocks.

A few of the squares are noted in the itinerary, but you will pass through or by the vast majority of them just as you are walking around. 

Our favorite squares were:

• Chippewa
• Lafayette
• Johnson
• Wright
• Orleans
• Troup 
• Monterey

The Streets

Additionally, with the nearby squares, the moss-draped trees, and the old, historic buildings, the streets of Savannah are just so dang pretty. While I will list our favorite streets (and note a couple in the itinerary below), do know that for the most part, you don’t need to go out of your way to find the prettiest streets in Savannah – they will come to you as you walk around the city. 

That said, these were some of our favorite pretty streets in Savannah:

• Gordon Street
• Rainbow Row on Bryan Street
• Jones Street
• Liberty Street –  a busier street, but with an impressive tree canopy

Okay, with all the introductions done, let’s jump into your itinerary for a weekend in Savannah:

Savannah Day 1:

Forsyth Park

Start your 3 days in Savannah out on a high note! This large park on the south end of the historic district is a gorgeous destination. On the north side of the park you will find the well-known fountain, with sprawling trees lining the pathways up to it in both directions. 

Wander farther and you’ll find a playground (perfect if you’re traveling with kids), a dog park, tennis and basketball courts, lots of green space, a monument to all who died in the Civil War, and on Saturday mornings from 9-1, a farmer’s market. 

This farmer’s market focuses much less on produce and much more on specialty or handmade food items, such as honey, pralines, tortillas, fresh meats, clams, coffee, mushrooms, pastries, and more. 

We loved this park and visited it a couple times during our 3 days in Savannah.

Mercer Williams House Tour

Facing the very pretty Monterey Square is the Mercer Williams house, a famous historic house that offers tours. Head around to the back of the house to get tickets. Tours run every 20 minutes (the website doesn’t list all time slots, but they do run every 20 minutes). Be prepared to get on the very next tour or to wait for one later in the day.

This house tour was fascinating. Here are the basics: The Mercer family bought the property in 1858, but construction was put on pause during the civil war. The house was sold, finished, sold again, abandoned and fell into disrepair and was known as the ugly house on Monterey square until 1969, when Jim Williams bought it.

Williams restored this house, turning it into a lavishly decorated home filled with art and antiques, making it a place to be while rubbing shoulders with the famous and powerful people. 

There are also some noteworthy associations – a murder was committed in the study, and a well-known book, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, was set in the house. The film based on the book was also shot here. 

• Cost: $12.50 for adults, $8 for children and active military
• Hours: 10:30am-4:10pm, tours run every 20 minutes

Mickve Israel Synagogue Tour

This synagogue is the 3rd oldest synagogue in America and the second oldest church established in Georgia. 

It’s also an architecturally unique synagogue, as it is the only one in North America to resemble a cathedral – with a nave, transept, and apse. The church was built in the mid-1800’s during a period where the neo-Gothic style was very popular. Conde Nast Traveler named it one of the most beautiful synagogues in the world!

This synagogue also has the oldest torahs in North America in their museum – a very interesting (and delicate!) artifact to see.

The synagogue itself was breathtaking, the stories told on the tour were very interesting, and the several ladies running the tours were extremely friendly and kind. I can’t recommend this tour enough! 

• Tours Run at: 10am, 11am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm Monday-Friday
• Cost: $10 adults, $5 children 12 and under. Call ahead to make a reservation.

Lunch: Clary’s Cafe

Clary’s is a fun, popular diner, with delicious fried chicken, burgers, and an all day breakfast menu. Everyone in our family really loved their meal! Plus, situated right between the synagogue and Jones Street, it is a very convenient place to stop for lunch.

Jones Street

This street is often described as the prettiest street in Savannah, and while I think that there is strong competition from many streets as the prettiest street, there’s no denying that Jones is lovely. 

The houses lining the street are gorgeous, and the trees make a particularly photogenic canopy down the middle of the street. 

Cathedral Basilica of St John the Baptist

This cathedral describes itself as being built in the “French Gothic” style, and you can definitely see elements of that in the design – particularly with the stained glass and the pointed arches. However, there is also a heavy dose of Southern charm in this building as well, with a blue painted ceiling and gold painted trim along the columns. 

The exterior is a stunning white with two pointed spires and a stained glass rosary above the entrance doors. 

A visit to the cathedral is self-guided; come in any time and wander around. 

• Hours: Monday-Saturday 9-11:30am, 12:45-4:30pm
• Cost: Free, but a donation of $3 per adult is suggested

Lafayette Square

Lafayette Square had a beautiful fountain in the middle, with a view of the cathedral in the background. It is literally right next to the cathedral, so you can’t miss it, but definitely plan make a stop here!

Dinner: Pirate House

The building this restaurant is in has such an interesting history! It was a house built by the first colonists and the original house also had the community garden where they tried all their different cash crops (most of which failed).

It was later expanded and became a hotel/gathering place. At this point it catered to sailors (some of whom were pirates) and was referenced in the famous novel Treasure Island.

The decor inside has a lot of historic details, with many nods to pirates!

The food was all exceptionally delicious – from the complimentary biscuits and cornbread, to the fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese (my favorite), to the fried chicken. These are all foods you have to try sometime during your three days in Savannah. Highly recommend!

Evening:

There are some unique evening activities to do in Savannah, but a can’t miss experience is going on a nighttime ghost tour!

This is a very popular activity in Savannah (we saw a bunch as we were walking around!), as Savannah is called one of the spookiest cities in America – right up there with New Orleans and Salem. 

This particular ghost tour is especially cool – a guide, dressed up and carrying a lantern, takes you around to different historical spots, telling you about true, spooky historical events that dabble in the paranormal. It’s a fun tour with just enough spookiness to make it interesting!

Savannah Day 1 Map

Day 2 of Your Weekend in Savannah:

Day 2 of your three days in Savannah takes you outside of the historic district and to several beautiful locations nearby the city!

Tiedeman Park

About two miles south of Forsyth Park is another interesting greenspace that’s great for a meandering stroll or a photo-op.

Tiedeman is a long, skinny park , about a ¼ of a mile long, that is lined with palm trees. 

While it’s certainly not a major site in Savannah, it is a pretty spot. There is a playground, pretty houses, and is the start of a unique area where the “squares” actually become “circles,” adding variety to these southern neighborhoods.

Wormsloe Historic Site (Plantation)

The Wormsloe Historic Site is the major historic plantation outside of Savannah. In addition to having a historic property, the lane that leads up to it is fairly legendary, with the oak trees trimmed *just so* to create a gorgeous tree canopy. 

However, in reading up on Wormsloe before our trip, I came across many reviews that mentioned that the visit focuses on the people who were enslaving and trafficking humans (aka the plantation owners), sweeping aside information on the lives of the people enslaved.

I mean, they renamed the property to “historic site” instead of “plantation.” 

Personally, we felt very uncomfortable with giving our money to an organization that won’t give a nuanced and accurate presentation of plantations, almost romanticizing the area, and did not choose to visit Wormsloe. 

Note that you are not able to visit the actual house here – but there are several buildings on the grounds and a museum, as well as paths to walk. Additionally, to take pictures of the tree-lined lane, you must purchase a ticket – you are unable to take any snaps without paying the entrance fee first.

Savannah Botanical Gardens

This botanical garden is small and tucked away, not far from Wormsloe and the Bonaventure Cemetery.

If you are here during the later spring or summer when the flowers are in bloom and have a car, this is a lovely area to stop and walk through – as it is filled with roses, azaleas, and other flowers, a pond, gazebo, and oak trees. You can stroll along the cultivated paths or go explore the forest trails.

Entrance is free, though they accept donations.

Bonaventure Cemetery

The Bonaventure Cemetery is absolutely worth finding some transportation out of the city to explore.

If you don’t have your own transportation, this tour of Bonaventure Cemetery provides transportation to and from the historic district of Savannah, plus a guided tour of what to see as you walk around.

As you enter Bonadventure, there is a visitor’s center at the front, where you can grab a map. I highly recommend you grab the free map (and give a donation to pick up the more detailed brochure map as well, we found it very helpful).

Once in the cemetery, drive down Mullryne Way to reach the historic section (don’t park at the front, keep driving). You can park along any road in the cemetery, just pull off to the side a little bit. 

Then start exploring! The historic area is really beautiful, with lots of moss draped oaks, obelisks, sculptures, and historic markers to see.

You can visit the cemetery of Jimmy Mercer, the country singer and grandson of the Mercer house people. You can also visit the gravestone of Gracie – a young child who died in the late 1800’s. Her grave is notable for the incredibly lifelike statue that adorns her grave.

You’ll notice many of the graves have this small, bronze, cross-like plaque next to them. This indicates that the deceased fought in the Confederate army of the Civil War.

There is also a large Jewish section of the cemetery. A congregation of Jews actually were the second set of settlers in Savannah and have a rich history in the area. The most notable part was a memorial to the victims of the Holocaust that actually contains the ashes of many who were killed in a Nazi concentration camp.

It’s nice to visit the cemetery after doing some of the tours around Savannah, as you’ll recognize some of the names from the places you’ve visited. 

Tybee Island

Though Savannah is a big port city and destination, it is actually not right on the coast – the Savannah River runs right by the historic district and is navigable by large container ships, so the port is actually inland a few miles.

It’s about a 25 minute drive to the beach from Savannah, and a popular destination is Tybee Island. 

On Tybee Island, the vibe becomes distinctly beachy – with pastel colored houses, palm trees everywhere, and signs proudly saying, “You’re on island time now.” 

You have three beaches facing the Atlantic Ocean: North Beach, Mid Beach, and South Beach. These beaches are all part of one large beach, just in different regions of the island.

North Beach is right by the Tybee Island Lighthouse, which you can view either from the bottom (free) or after a walk to the top.

Lighthouse cost: $12 for adults, $10 for children 6-17 years

Mid Beach is the least crowded.

South Beach is right by the Tybee Beach Pier, which is free to enter and has bathrooms. 

There are many restaurants lining Highway 80/Butler Avenue, the street that the beach is located off of.

You will have to pay for parking at all three beaches ($3 per hour with a minimum purchase of 2 hours – credit card accepted). 

Day 2 in Savannah Map

Day 3 of Your Weekend in Savannah

Owens Thomas House and Slave Quarters

I really appreciated the house tour at the Owens house, as they made a point to talk about the lives of the enslaved people who worked there, the unfairness of their situation, and the juxtaposition between their lives and the Owens family. 

The tour starts out in a separate building on the property that used to be the slave quarters, with an introduction to the history of the house and the people who lived there. In addition, there was a wall with all of the enslaved people’s names on it who worked for the Owens, including many babies and children, and empty slots for people whose names are now lost. 

Then you head into the main house, where historical and architectural details are pointed out, a description of life for the Owens family, plus what the enslaved people would be doing is also given.

The tour points out that many tours of houses in Savannah have just focused on the opulent lifestyle of the wealthy landowners, while totally ignoring and brushing aside that the reason they got rich was slavery, regularly trafficking people, and committing atrocities. 

For this reason, I would say that the Owens Thomas House and Slave Quarters tour is the must-do house tour during your weekend in Savannah.

Tickets: While you technically can buy your entrance tickets online ahead of time, you have to come on-site to actually reserve a tour time. For this reason, the only reason to buy a ticket online is if you are going to visit one of the other Telfair Museum sites (The Owens Thomas House is part of the Telfair Museum complex, and a ticket gives entrance to all three sites in Savannah).

Otherwise, don’t even bother with online tickets and just come to the house. Do note that tours can and do sell out early, so I would stop here first and try to grab a ticket for as soon as you can. 

Rainbow Row

Charleston’s Rainbow Row is a famous fixture of the city, but Savannah does have her own (albeit much smaller!) Rainbow Row as well. 

You can find this set of houses at 512 E Bryan Street, not far from Washington Square. 

Bay Street

Bay Street is a lively street just a block south of the river. As you walk along Bay, you’ll see the Old Cotton Exchange Building – a stately red brick building where cotton used to be bought and sold. A distinctive lion is in front.  You can find this building at 100 E Bay Street.

The Old City Exchange Bell is nearby at 116 E Bay.

Factors Walk

Factors Walk is a really fascinating bit of architecture and history between Bay and River Street. These walkways from the street level of Bay to the second level of the warehouses lining River Street.

Different walkways extend along the street. Today you can walk across the bridges to different boutiques, galleries, or cafes that are in the old warehouses. You can also walk underneath them, which is another different and interesting perspective. 

Cut down East Upper Factors Walk (just west of Drayton Street), which is a cobblestoned path leading down from  Bay Street to River Street. River Street does actually sit a whole story lower than Bay, so you’ll be walking downhill.

River Street 

As you walk north on River Street, here are a few noteworthy things you’ll pass: 

• African American Monument
• The Red and White Savannah Riverboat
• The World War II Memorial: A large bronze globe featuring names of local people who fought in the war.
• Boutiques and restaurants

Watch shipping containers come in at the port

Savannah is the 3rd largest port in the United States, and you can regularly see shipping boats in port, or coming up or down the river. 

JW Marriott Hotel Museum/Lobby

The JW Marriott is a brand new complex of upscale hotels and outdoor spaces on River Street, right on the Savannah River. 

This hotel complex restored old warehouses and turned them into an indoor and outdoor destination. The main attraction, though, is the Power Plant Building, where the lobby is a veritable museum housing really cool artifacts like a variety of massive, colorful geodes, a chrome-dipped dinosaur skeleton, a dinosaur skull, several meteorites, the skeleton of an ice age cave bear, and other really interesting items. 

It’s free to visit (and encouraged! No one is going to give you side-eye for wandering around) and is an interesting way to spend 30 minutes, concluding your time by the river. 

City Market

Situated in the blocks between Franklin Square and Ellis Square, not far from the river, is the City Market. This area has shops, museums, bars, restaurants, and sweet shops in historic buildings, with benches, and trees in the middle the pedestrian-only courtyard. I would plan to grab lunch at one of the restaurants or cafes here.

“Market” may be a bit of a misnomer (I generally think of more of a farmer’s market type feel, while this really is just more shops and restaurants), but there are a lot of interestinng spots in the City Market, including:

• Byrd’s Cookies
• The Prohibition Museum
• Savannah Candy Kitchen
• The Beef Jerky Experience
• Woof Gang Bakery
• Vinnie Van Go-Go’s
• Belford’s Savannah Seafood and Steaks
• Several art galleries

You can explore all the available places to eat and shop at the City Market here.

Chippewa Square

The most famous of the Savannah squares. This charming square serves as a location in the movie Forrest Gump, where Forrest sits at a bench chatting with several people. While that exact bench isn’t in the square (it was just a prop for the movie) there are many benches that you can relax at in one of the best manicured of Savannah’s squares.

The primary feature is a large statue of James Oglethorpe honoring the founding of the city and colony.

Colonial Park Cemetery

While the Bonadventure Cemetery you visited earlier in this weekend in Savannah itinerary is undoubtedly the better cemetery, the Colonial Park Cemetery is located right in the city, is free, and is an interesting and peaceful place to walk around. 

A few things of note: Many of the deceased in the cemetery died during the Yellow Fever epidemic of the 1800’s. In the middle of the cemetery you’ll find the Dueling Grave plaque, dedicated to people who have battled and lost their lives in duels, which were popular and often fought in or next to the cemetery grounds.  

If you’re traveling with kids, there is a little playground just outside the south end of the cemetery on Perry Lane. 

Dinner/Evening:

For your last evening in Savannah, I recommend experiencing a gospel river cruise! Hop on an iconic red and white riverboat and cruise down the river, eating a delicious Southern meal and listening to an authentic, vibrant gospel choir. It doesn’t get more southern than that!

If you’re not the seafaring type, I would head over to Sly’s Sliders and Fries for dinner. They serve mini burgers or hot dogs, so you can order several flavor combinations without filling up or breaking the budget. Every version we tried was delicious, and the fries were hot and crispy. 

Savannah Day 3 Map

Map of Savannah Sites

One last map of all the sites to visit in Savannah (because I just love a good map). This map includes all attractions, streets, squares, and food recommendations!

The Wrap Up

Savannah was one of my favorite United States destinations, ever! It really had everything: history, beauty, nature, city, good food – what more can you want?!