Whether you’re taking a break from the beach or visiting from a nearby town, a day trip to Savannah offers a plethora of historic architecture, lush squares, and cool experiences.
If you are spending just one day in Savannah, I suggest focusing your time around the historic district from River Street to Forsyth Park. This way you’ll cover the main sites and get a sense of the city’s charm.
Here’s how to plan your Savannah day trip.
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Is it worth going to Savannah, Georgia?
Whether you’re already in the area or not, Savannah is absolutely worth visiting. It’s considered America’s first planned city, and was established in 1733. Today, it still carries a lot of the history of its roots from its cobbled streets, numerous public squares, and its colonial and Antebellum architecture.
History lovers will be entranced by the old-America streets and museums like the American Prohibition Museum and Savannah History Museum.
As a nature person, whatever that means, I love Savannah for its leafy squares and the live oak trees adorned with Spanish moss. That arch across streets, creating a gorgeous canopy that helps keep the city cooler in the summer months.
As a day trip, Savannah offers a chance to escape the sun, experience the area’s city life, and uncover loads of history, folklore, and mysteries. It’s known to be one of the most haunted cities in the country, anyway!
Day Trip to Savannah, GA – Itinerary
Assuming this is a day trip, you probably had breakfast before setting off. So, this itinerary will start after that. However, if you do need breakfast check Collins Quarter or Goose Feathers Cafe.
Bonaventure Cemetery
Especially if you are coming from Tybee Island, I highly recommend first stopping at the Bonaventure Cemetery. It’s on the outskirts of the historic district, southeast of downtown. It’s a historic cemetery, built on a former plantation, that dates back to the 1800s.
The cemetery is free to enter, with the option of purchasing a guided tour where you’ll ride around the premise on a golf cart learning about various tombs, folklore, and historical details.
Otherwise, Google Maps shows you where some of the most famous graves are. Among the most famous the the grave of Little Gracie Watson. She was a lively girl who entertained guests at her parents’ hotel. Gracie died in the late 1800s from pneumonia and later became a folk figure in Savannah’s history.
Historic Squares Walking Path
You can either download a self-guided walking tour of Historic Savannah or enjoy a leisurely walk through some of the 22 squares.
I recommend the self-guided walking tour because you can go at your own pace and you’ll get to learn a lot about the city’s history than you would have otherwise.
I downloaded the WalknTours app and bought the Old Squares of Savannah tour for around $7. The audio was excellent, and the lady had the perfect voice for storytelling.
The walk begins at Johnson Square and passes icons like The Olde Pink House, Oglethorpe Square, Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, Telfair Square, Chippewa Square, and so much more.
It takes about an hour to complete, leaving you with plenty of time for other activities in the city.
My favorite squares in Savannah:
- Wright Square: Small and cozy, home to Lutheran Church of The Ascension
- Monterey Square: Leafy square with statue dedicated to Monterey Square General Casimir Pulaski
- Chippewa Square: Peaceful square with central statue & Forrest Gump location
- Reynolds Square: Lush square, home to The Olde Pink House & Lucas Theatre
- Greene Square: Quiet little square in a nice, historic neighborhood
Coffee at Paris Market
The Paris Market is one of the loveliest places to stop for coffee and a pastry during your day trip to Savannah.
They make French-style pastries and have a simple coffee menu with teas available as well.
Everything is exquisite from the cappuccinos to their iced teas. Tea isn’t usually my go-to, but my mom and I really enjoyed their French Garden iced tea made with lavender syrup. Yum!
Sit at the Parisian-style tables (indoors or outdoors!), grab a drink, and a flaky croissant for a wonderful snack break on Broughton Street. By the way, this is a great street to stay on, if you are doing an overnight in Savannah. We stayed at Sonder.
As the name suggests, it’s also a market with a lot of unique, artisan items from home decor to little trinkets. However, the shop is really expensive, so we didn’t end up buying anything. It was $58 for a paper fan!
Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
Located near Lafayette Square, the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist is one of Savannah’s most beautiful buildings–inside and out.
It opened in 1873 and follows a French Gothic architectural style. I highly recommend going inside for the full experience, and it is free to enter.
The cathedral has beautiful vaulted ceilings with blue details, a historic organ, and stained glass windows. It feels a lot like visiting a cathedral just about anywhere in Europe.
Historic Jones Street
If you want to get some amazing photos of yourself during your Savannah day trip, I recommend historic Jones Street. It’s located between the cathedral and Forsyth Park, so it perfectly follows the itinerary.
It’s a wide cobbled street with live oak and Spanish moss that create a canopy. Plus, the buildings on the street are all historic, are nicely painted, and well-kept.
It’s one of the best photo spots in Savannah for a good reason!
Forsyth Park
The largest park in the historic district, Forsyth Park is a must-see with 1 day in Savannah. The park was created in the late 1800s by Georgia Governor John Forsyth.
Its most iconic feature, and one of the most photographed spots in the city ,is the famous Forsyth Fountain. In fact, it’s a cast-iron replica of a design from Versailles Palace in France.
So, while on your day trip, I suggest you enjoy a leisurely walk through the park and admire the fountain before heading to lunch–which is also in the park!
Lunch at Collins Quarter
The city’s best brunch and lunch spot is easily Collins Quarter. Now, they do have two locations, one in the park and the other on Bull Street. For this itinerary, I’d like you to visit Collins Quarter at Forsyth.
They have a lot of outdoor seating, which is perfect if the weather is pleasant. Otherwise, take advantage of their cozy indoor dining which still has nice park views from the windows.
They serve specialty coffee, craft beers, cocktails, etc. Then, for food they serve different toasts, Turkish eggs, fish and chips, a gorgeous harvest quinoa bowl (add falafel!), lox, gyros, burgers, and more. It seems like a lot but it’s still a relatively small menu, and everything is incredibly well made.
River Street
Next make your way back to the North Historic District and head to River Street. This is a popular street among visitors to the city, and you’ll find a market, souvenir shops, old cobbled paths, and great views of the Savannah River.
I found River Street to be a bit too touristy for my taste, but I did enjoy seeing the Rousakis Riverfront Plaza and the 1995 Georgia Queen floating casino.
Savannah Ghost Tour
When at River Street, you’ll be perfectly set-up to do the Ghosts & Gravestones Trolley Tour! This is a fun little way to spend the evening in Savannah before returning to your home base.
The tour tells you spooky stories about Savannah’s history and folklore as you ride the open-air trolley through the historic district.
What makes it really worth it, however, is that you’ll get exclusive night-time entry into the Andrew Low House Museum, which is full of history and ghost stories.
Then, once you’re back on River Street, there is one more stop at the Perkins & Sons Chandlery more immersive ghost stories.
Overall, it was a pretty fun tour. Our guide was friendly, but I think she was honing in on her storytelling skills.
The trolleybus tours tend to start tours from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and last 80 minutes.
And if you don’t want to do a trolley tour, there is a ghosts, asylums, and voodoo walking tour option as well by a different company.
Dinner at The Olde Pink House
If you’re sticking around Savannah for dinner, have a quintessential Savannah day trip experience at The Olde Pink House. It’s a southern restaurant set in a historic colonial mansion with numerous dining rooms, a wine cellar, and a tavern.
The dinner menu is a little more upscale but there are some budget friendly options as well!
Anyway, it is worth the splurge as everything is high quality and well-prepared. Plus, you’ll be dining in the history of a 1700s mansion.
The restaurant closes at 10:30 p.m. on the weekends and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Conclusion – Day Trip to Savannah
And that’ll just about do it for your day trip to Savannah, GA! Just 25 minutes from Tybee Island, enjoy experiencing one of the South’s most charming and historic cities.
If you’re planning to visit other nearby cities, check out my day trip guide to Charleston, South Carolina.
Feel free to comment down below and questions you may have, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. 😀 Happy travels!
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