Savannah Tours

Best Savannah tours: a horse-drawn carriage tour with passengers passing the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist
A carriage tour passes the Cathedral Basilica. The City’s hot-weather rules for carriage horses have been in court since May 2026.

The best Savannah tours for most visitors come as a set of three: one overview, one themed tour and one evening on the water. For the overview, choose a good walking tour if you can manage two hours on brick sidewalks, or a trolley if you can’t. For the themed tour, pick something you couldn’t do at home: a Black history or Gullah Geechee tour, a food tour, a house museum or a free Bonaventure Cemetery tour. Then finish with a narrated harbor cruise, or the free Savannah Belles Ferry if you only want the view. That combination covers the city’s history, its food and its river without paying twice for the same squares.

This guide is for anyone comparing tours before booking, and it focuses on the things booking sites rarely show side by side: how much walking a tour involves, whether it works for limited mobility, how it handles the city’s history, and what it really costs. The caveat is that Savannah’s tour scene changes quickly. Companies close, prices change by date, and the rules for horse-drawn carriages in hot weather are the subject of a lawsuit. Every operator named here was confirmed as running tours, and prices and policies were checked September 23, 2026 against official sources, mainly the operators’ own websites.

Savannah Tours Compared

Tour typeOperators confirmed runningLengthPriceWalkingBest for
Hop-on hop-off trolleyOld Town Trolley Tours16 stops; ride all dayAbout $36.55-$39.91 for one day online; $75.90 for two daysLowFirst-timers, limited mobility, hot days
Narrated overview trolleyOld Savannah Tours (Historic Overview)75 minutes, nonstopShown at bookingNoneA fast orientation on day one
History walking tourGenteel & Bard, Savannah True History ToursVaries by tourVariesHighDepth, stories and questions
Black history and Gullah GeecheeShannon Scott Tours, Day Clean Journeys, First African Baptist ChurchChurch tour at 1pm; others varyChurch tour $15; others varyModerateThe history most overviews skim
Food tourSavannah Taste ExperienceAbout 3 hoursVaries by tourModerateA first night in town
Harbor cruiseSavannah Riverboat Cruises1.5 hours$37.95 adults, $24.95 ages 5-12NoneRiver views and a sit-down break
Carriage tourCarriage Tours of Savannah, Magnolia Carriage Tours, Savannah’s Carriage ToursVariesVariesNoneCouples; check the heat rules
Bike, e-bike and SegwaySavannah Bike Tours, Adventure Tours in MotionVariesVariesLowCovering more ground in mild weather
Bonaventure CemeteryBonaventure Historical Society (free tours)About 1 hourFree, ticket requiredModerateA quiet, well-sourced cemetery visit
Dolphin tours from TybeeCaptain Derek’s Dolphin Adventures, Bull River MarinaVariesVariesNoneFamilies and a beach day

How We Compared Savannah Tours

We started from the operators’ own websites and official sources, confirmed each company was running tours in September 2026, and compared them on five things: how much walking the tour asks of you, whether it works for travelers with limited mobility, how booking and cancellation work, how clearly the price is shown, and how the tour treats the city’s history, including slavery and the Black community that built much of Savannah. We don’t take commissions or free tours, and we haven’t taken these tours ourselves, so our verdicts are about format, fit and practicalities rather than any single guide’s performance on a given day. Where an operator doesn’t publish a price or length, the table says so rather than guessing.

For the sights these tours cover, our directory of Savannah attractions lists prices, hours and access for each, which helps if you’d rather visit a house museum on your own than see it from a trolley window.

What Makes a Good Savannah Tour

Savannah has a lot of tour companies, and quality varies. These are the signs of a tour worth your money, whatever the format.

  • It separates history from legend. Savannah has plenty of both. A good guide tells you which is which and says so when a story can’t be documented.
  • It names slavery plainly. The squares, the houses and the port were built with the labor of enslaved people. A tour that skips that isn’t telling Savannah’s story.
  • It keeps groups small enough to hear. Ask the maximum group size, and whether guides use microphones on bigger walks.
  • It plans for the heat. Shade stops, water breaks and a sensible route matter from May through September.
  • It publishes its terms. Clear prices, a start point, accessibility notes and a cancellation policy on the operator’s own site are good signs that the company is running and accountable.

Trolley Tours: Old Town Trolley vs. Old Savannah Tours

Trolleys are the easiest way to see the whole Historic District in one go, and they’re the right call for anyone who can’t walk far, for hot afternoons, and for getting your bearings on day one. The two main formats are different products, so it’s worth being clear about what you’re buying.

  • Old Town Trolley Tours runs a hop-on hop-off loop with 16 stops. One-day tickets run about $36.55 to $39.91 online, depending on the date, and a two-day ticket is $75.90. Many trolleys have wheelchair lifts if you call 24 hours ahead (912-233-0083), and wheelchair boarding is only at Stop 9, the Welcome Center. The company’s Ghosts & Gravestones night tour isn’t accessible.
  • Old Savannah Tours runs a Historic Overview tour: a 75-minute continuous loop with no stops, narrated all the way, daily except St. Patrick’s Day. It leaves from its welcome center at 217 W. Boundary Street, departure times vary by date, and prices appear when you book. Many of its trolleys have motorized lifts for wheelchairs and scooters with 24 hours’ notice (855-427-9911).

Our verdict: take the nonstop overview if you want the full story in 75 minutes and plan to explore on foot afterward. Take the hop-on hop-off pass if you want transportation as well as narration, especially over two days. Don’t book a trolley and a walking tour of the same squares on the same day; you’ll hear many of the same stories twice.

A white Old Savannah Tours trolley bus parked beside trees in Savannah
An Old Savannah Tours trolley. Its Historic Overview runs 75 minutes without stops.

Trolley or walking tour?

TrolleyWalking tour
Ground coveredThe whole districtA few squares, in depth
Physical effortMinimalTwo hours or so on brick and uneven sidewalks
HeatShaded seats and a breezeHard work from June to September at midday
Questions and detailLimitedMuch better
Group sizeLargeUsually smaller
Best timingDay one, or a hot afternoonA cool morning or evening

Walking Tours: History, Architecture and Self-Guided

A good walking tour is the best way to understand Savannah, because the city’s plan of squares only makes sense at walking pace. Genteel & Bard runs history walking tours led by public historian T.C. Michaels, and Savannah True History Tours is another option built around the city’s history. Architecture-minded visitors should look for tours that explain the 1733 plan itself: the wards, the squares, and the trust lots where the churches and big houses stand.

Before you book any walking tour, ask four questions: how long it is, how far it walks, how many people are in a group, and what happens in a thunderstorm. From June through September, book the earliest or latest slot you can. July’s average high is 92.3°F, and a two-hour walk at 2pm is an endurance event.

A free, self-guided walk

If you’d rather go at your own pace, walk Bull Street from City Hall on Bay Street to the Forsyth Park fountain. It’s about a mile and passes through five squares: Johnson, Wright, Chippewa, Madison and Monterey. Then detour east to Lafayette Square for the Cathedral Basilica and back north through Oglethorpe Square to the Owens-Thomas House. For the logic behind the layout, the Massie Heritage Center near Forsyth Park explains the city plan (Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm; $10 adults).

House Museum Tours: Savannah’s Best-Value Guided Tours

Several of Savannah’s best guided tours aren’t sold as tours at all. The historic house museums are tour-only, with trained guides, small groups and a set route, and most cost less than a trolley ticket.

HouseHow tours workLengthAdult price
Owens-Thomas House and Slave QuartersEvery 15 minutes, 10am-3:30pm, Tuesday-Sunday; time assigned at check-in; up to 12 people45-60 minutes$30 Telfair ticket (3 sites, 7 days)
Davenport HouseTimed tours you book in advance; up to 15 people60-70 minutes$15
Mercer Williams HouseEvery 20-40 minutes; first come, first served35 minutes$14.95 plus tax
Andrew Low HouseOn the hour and half hourOne guided tour$15
Juliette Gordon Low BirthplaceBuy online; summer tours sell outAt least 1 hour$15
Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home11am, 1pm and 3pm, Thursday-Sunday45-60 minutesNot published; book ahead
Sorrel-Weed House, daytimeHistory and architecture tourVaries$14

Two house tours in a day will teach you more about how Savannah lived, and who did the work, than most bus tours. The Pioneers in Preservation Pass ($36 plus tax) covers the Davenport and Andrew Low houses along with Ships of the Sea.

Black History and Gullah Geechee Tours

Savannah’s wealth was built on the labor of enslaved people, and its Black community shaped the city’s churches, its food and its civil rights movement. Many general tours still skim that history. These are the tours and sites that put it at the center.

  • First African Baptist Church on Franklin Square gives history tours Monday to Saturday at 1pm only ($15 adults, $12 seniors, military and students). Arrive 10 minutes early. Tours can be canceled for church activities, and there are no refunds unless the church cancels.
  • Shannon Scott Tours runs Drums & Shadows, a tour of Savannah’s African American heritage, folklore and Gullah Geechee traditions.
  • Day Clean Journeys offers Jamal Toure’s Drums and Spirits folklore tour, focused on Gullah Geechee history and culture.
  • The Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters is the house museum that most directly addresses slavery; tours run every 15 minutes, Tuesday to Sunday.
  • The Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum (Tuesday to Saturday, $15 adults) and the Pin Point Heritage Museum (Thursday to Saturday, $15 adults), which tells the story of a Gullah Geechee community on the marsh, round out a self-guided version.

The City of Savannah also launched an educational tour series in April 2026, “Preserving Sacred Spaces,” that includes an 1870 praise house and an 1890 sanctuary tied to a Gullah Geechee community. Check the City’s announcements for dates if it overlaps your trip.

The tan stucco facade and bell tower of First African Baptist Church on Franklin Square
First African Baptist Church gives one history tour a day, at 1pm, Monday to Saturday.

Food Tours

A food tour is a good first-evening choice, because it combines a walk, a meal and a guide who can point out where to eat for the rest of the trip. Savannah Taste Experience runs three-hour walking food tours in the Historic District, plus a Tybee Island Bikes, Bites and Brews tour that cycles the island between tastings. Check what’s included before you book: the number of stops, whether drinks cost extra, and how dietary needs are handled. If you’d rather plan your own tasting route, our guide to Savannah restaurants and local food covers the big names, the casual places and how to book them.

Riverboat Cruises and Dolphin Tours

Savannah Riverboat Cruises runs a 1.5-hour narrated harbor sightseeing cruise for $37.95 adults and $24.95 for ages 5 to 12, with children under 5 free. It’s a good sit-down break on a hot afternoon, and the river gives you a view of the port and the Talmadge Bridge that you can’t get from the street. If you only want the view, the free Savannah Belles Ferry crosses to Hutchinson Island daily from 7am to 10pm, with departures every 20 to 30 minutes from the City Hall landing.

For dolphins, head to Tybee Island. Captain Derek’s Dolphin Adventures and Bull River Marina both run dolphin-watching boat trips, which pair naturally with a beach day. Tybee is about 30 minutes from downtown on US 80, and parking on the island costs $4 an hour.

A white paddlewheel riverboat cruising the Savannah River with a tall hotel on Hutchinson Island behind it
A paddlewheel riverboat on the Savannah River. Narrated harbor cruises last about 90 minutes.

Carriage Tours: What to Consider

Horse-drawn carriages are one of the most photographed ways to see the squares, and one of the most debated. In August 2025, by a 5-4 vote, Savannah City Council adopted heat limits for carriage horses: work stopped at 92°F through the end of 2025, then at 85°F or a 100°F heat index from January 1, 2026. In May 2026, operators including Carriage Tours of Savannah, Magnolia Carriage Tours and Savannah’s Carriage Tours sued, arguing that an amended state law overrides the city rule, and won a court injunction allowing tours to run in the heat while the case continues.

What that means for you: carriage tours are running, but the rules could change again, so check with the operator, especially for a summer booking. The tours are slow, seated and romantic, and they suit couples and anyone who wants to see the squares without walking. If horse welfare in the heat bothers you, a trolley or an evening walking tour covers the same ground.

Bike, E-Bike and Segway Tours

Savannah is flat, which makes wheels tempting. Savannah Bike Tours runs traditional bike tours, and Adventure Tours in Motion offers e-bike and Segway tours, with the e-bikes taking most of the effort out of the pedaling. They cover more ground than a walking tour and suit active travelers in spring and fall. Two cautions: brick streets and tour-group traffic around the squares make for a bumpy ride, and summer heat still applies even when a motor is doing the work. Segways need decent balance, so they aren’t a substitute for a trolley if mobility is the issue.

Bonaventure Cemetery Tours

Bonaventure, a City-run cemetery a short drive east of downtown, is free and open daily from 8am to 5pm. The best-value way to see it with a guide is the Bonaventure Historical Society’s free tour, held on the second weekend of every month at 1pm on Saturday and Sunday. It lasts about an hour, needs a free ticket booked in advance, and meets at the Colonial Garden near the entrance. The Society also sells a self-guided tour app. Commercial tours, many with transportation from downtown, run on other days.

Whichever you choose, treat Bonaventure as a working cemetery rather than a set: stay on the paths, don’t enter family plots, and give funerals room. Ghost stories belong on the night tours downtown, not here.

A white marble statue of a seated mourning woman among graves in Bonaventure Cemetery
Bonaventure Cemetery. The Historical Society’s free tours run on the second weekend of each month.

Tours Beyond Downtown

Some of the best guided experiences are outside the Historic District, and most need a car or a tour with transportation.

  • Wormsloe: the free narrated trolley from the visitor center runs the 1.5-mile oak avenue every 30 minutes, and the site also has a museum, tabby ruins, a colonial life area and trails. Georgia State Parks lists adult admission at $12.
  • Pin Point Heritage Museum: open Thursday to Saturday, 9am to 4pm, on the story of a Gullah Geechee community; some Gullah Geechee tours from downtown include it.
  • Fort Pulaski: $10 per person 16 and older, valid seven days, with a trail to the Lighthouse Overlook for a view of the Cockspur Island Lighthouse, which has been closed to the public since 2015.
  • Tybee Island: dolphin boat trips, the Taste Experience bike-and-food tour and the lighthouse climb (178 steps; closed Tuesdays).
  • Savannah National Wildlife Refuge: a free, self-guided 4.5-mile wildlife drive just over the state line in South Carolina, open sunrise to sunset.

Tours for Visitors With Limited Mobility

Savannah’s brick sidewalks, cobblestones and historic stairs make walking tours hard for many visitors, but there are good options.

  • Trolleys: both Old Town Trolley and Old Savannah Tours have lifts on many vehicles with 24 hours’ notice. Old Town Trolley boards wheelchairs only at Stop 9.
  • Free transport: the DOT Express Shuttle and the Savannah Belles Ferry are both ADA accessible.
  • Wormsloe: the free narrated trolley from the visitor center runs the 1.5-mile oak avenue every 30 minutes and takes about 20 minutes.
  • House tours: the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace has full elevator access, but the Owens-Thomas House has only its original staircases, the Andrew Low House can’t accommodate wheelchairs, and the Mercer Williams House isn’t licensed as handicap accessible.
  • Tybee: the City of Tybee lends free fat-tire beach wheelchairs, first come, first served (photo ID required; 912-472-5089).

Are Tour Passes and Combination Tickets Worth It?

Pass or ticketPriceCoversWorth it if
Old Town Trolley, 2 days$75.90Hop-on hop-off for two daysYou’ll use it as transportation on both days
Telfair Museums$30 adultTelfair Academy, Jepson Center, Owens-Thomas House for 7 daysYou’ll visit at least two of the three
Pioneers in Preservation Pass$36 plus taxShips of the Sea, Davenport House, Andrew Low House, 7 daysYou’ll visit all three (separately they run $15 to $17.50 each)
Coastal Heritage Society “See 3”$30 adultAny three CHS sites within 3 daysYou’ll pair the History Museum and Railroad Museum with a third site

Our verdict: the single-attraction combination tickets are good value if you’d visit the sites anyway, and they last long enough to spread across a trip. The two-day trolley pass is worth it only if you’re using the trolley to get around. For a one-day overview, a single ticket or a walking tour is better value. If you’re still deciding which days to use them, our Savannah itineraries match tours and sights to opening days.

Ghost Tours, Briefly

Ghost tours are everywhere in Savannah after dark, and they’re storytelling, not history, however many “documented” hauntings they claim. The Sorrel-Weed House runs a nightly 75-minute tour for $35, ages 10 and up, reservations required, and Old Town Trolley’s Ghosts & Gravestones tour runs on a trolley that isn’t wheelchair accessible. Choose one for the fun of it, and get the history from a daytime tour.

Tours for Families With Kids

Kids last longer on tours they can sit through or touch. The trolleys work well for younger children, since you can hop off when attention runs out, and dolphin trips from Tybee are an easy win on a beach day. Fort Pulaski is free for visitors 15 and under. The Georgia State Railroad Museum runs short train rides on a seasonal schedule, and its ticket includes the STEAM Center’s mirror maze, while Old Fort Jackson schedules cannon-firing programs at 11am and 2pm. For evening ghost tours, check age limits first: the Sorrel-Weed House tour is for ages 10 and up. A long walking tour on a summer afternoon is the tour most likely to end in a meltdown, for kids and parents alike.

Touring Savannah on a Budget

  • Free: the Bonaventure Historical Society’s cemetery tours on the second weekend of the month, the Belles Ferry across the river, a self-guided walk down Bull Street, Plant Riverside’s Generator Hall, and the free DOT Express Shuttle, which makes a decent do-it-yourself loop of the district.
  • Under $20: the Mercer Williams House ($14.95 plus tax), First African Baptist Church ($15), the Andrew Low House ($15), the Davenport House ($15) and the Sorrel-Weed House’s daytime tour ($14).
  • The best-value paid overview: a one-day trolley pass (about $36.55 to $39.91 online) if you’ll ride it all day, or a single good walking tour if you won’t.
  • Where to save: don’t pay twice for the same squares. One overview is enough.

If It Rains

Savannah’s summer storms are usually short afternoon downpours, but a day of steady rain changes which tours make sense. Swap a walking tour for a trolley, and fill the day with house museum tours, which are indoors by definition. The Telfair’s three sites share one ticket, so a wet day is a good day to use it. Ask your walking-tour operator about its rain policy before the day, because some rebook, some refund and some simply walk in the rain.

Which Savannah Tour Should You Book?

If you wantBookBudget
A first overview with little walkingOld Savannah Tours’ 75-minute Historic Overview or a one-day Old Town Trolley passAbout $37-$40 for the trolley pass
The best history in two hoursA history walking tour, such as Genteel & Bard’sVaries
The history most tours skipFirst African Baptist Church at 1pm plus a Gullah Geechee tour$15 for the church tour
Dinner and a walkA Savannah Taste Experience food tourVaries
A sit-down break with a viewSavannah Riverboat Cruises’ harbor cruise$37.95 adults
Something freeThe Bonaventure Historical Society tour or the Belles FerryFree
KidsA dolphin tour from Tybee, or the trolleyVaries

Building a Day Around Tours

A few Savannah tours run at fixed times, and those are the pegs to hang a day on. Here’s how a full tour day fits together on a Thursday, when nearly everything is open:

  • Morning: a history walking tour while it’s cool.
  • 11am: the first tour at the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home on Lafayette Square (Thursday to Sunday), or the Owens-Thomas House, where tours start every 15 minutes.
  • Lunch: near City Market, a short walk from your next stop.
  • 1pm: the daily history tour at First African Baptist Church on Franklin Square.
  • Mid-afternoon: a harbor cruise if the schedule fits, or a rest if it’s July.
  • Evening: dinner, then a ghost tour if you want one.

On the second weekend of the month, swap the afternoon for the Bonaventure Historical Society’s free 1pm cemetery tour, which needs a car or a rideshare. On a Monday, remember that all three Telfair sites are closed.

Tours by Season

Spring is peak season, so book popular walking and food tours several days ahead, especially on weekends and around St. Patrick’s Day. Summer means morning and evening tours, with trolleys, cruises and air-conditioned house museums filling the hot middle of the day. Afternoon storms are routine, and June is the wettest month. Fall is comfortable walking weather again by October, but hurricane season runs through November, so read the cancellation terms. Winter is the best walking season for many visitors, with January afternoons averaging 61.4°F, though short days mean earlier starts for anything outdoors.

Booking, Cancellation and Weather

  • Book wheelchair-lift trolleys at least 24 hours ahead with either trolley company.
  • Book summer walking tours for the morning or evening. Afternoon thunderstorms are routine from June to August, so ask each operator what happens when one rolls in.
  • Read cancellation terms. First African Baptist Church, for example, doesn’t refund tours unless the church cancels them.
  • Watch St. Patrick’s Day. Old Savannah Tours doesn’t run on St. Patrick’s Day, and downtown is packed all that week.
  • Prefer the operator’s own site. You’ll see the real schedule and the cancellation policy, and you’ll know the company is still operating before you pay.

Tour Etiquette and Tipping

Walking and ghost tours move through residential squares where people live, often after dark. Keep your voice down on quiet streets at night, don’t block sidewalks or driveways, and stay off private stoops and gardens, however photogenic. In cemeteries, stay on the paths and out of family plots. Tipping guides is customary in the U.S.: a few dollars per person is normal for a group tour, and 15 to 20 percent of the ticket price is a generous thank-you for an exceptional guide or a private tour.

Savannah Tours FAQ

What is the best tour to take in Savannah for a first visit?

A history walking tour if you can manage about two hours on uneven brick sidewalks, and a trolley if you can’t. Old Savannah Tours runs a 75-minute nonstop narrated overview, and Old Town Trolley runs a 16-stop hop-on hop-off loop from about $36.55 a day online. Add one themed tour, such as Black history, food or Bonaventure Cemetery.

Is the Savannah trolley tour worth it?

Yes, if you have limited mobility, you’re visiting in summer heat, or you want an orientation on your first day. A one-day Old Town Trolley pass runs about $36.55 to $39.91 online. It’s less worthwhile if you’re a strong walker with only one or two days, when a good walking tour covers the district in more depth.

Are carriage tours running in Savannah in hot weather?

As of September 2026, yes. The City’s rule halting carriage work at 85°F, in force from January 1, 2026, was challenged by operators in May 2026, and a court injunction lets tours run in the heat while the case continues. The rules could change, so check with the operator before booking a summer carriage ride.

Are there free tours in Savannah?

The Bonaventure Historical Society runs free guided cemetery tours on the second weekend of each month at 1pm, with free tickets required. The Savannah Belles Ferry is a free river ride, and a self-guided walk down Bull Street from City Hall to Forsyth Park covers five squares in about a mile at no cost.

What are the best Black history tours in Savannah?

Start with First African Baptist Church’s history tour, Monday to Saturday at 1pm ($15). Shannon Scott Tours’ Drums & Shadows and Day Clean Journeys’ Drums and Spirits tour cover African American and Gullah Geechee history and folklore. The Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters, the Civil Rights Museum and the Pin Point Heritage Museum complete the picture.

How long is a Savannah riverboat cruise?

Savannah Riverboat Cruises’ narrated harbor sightseeing cruise lasts about 1.5 hours and costs $37.95 for adults and $24.95 for children 5 to 12, with under-5s free. For a shorter, free taste of the river, the Savannah Belles Ferry crosses to Hutchinson Island from 7am to 10pm daily.

Can you take a walking tour in Savannah in summer?

Yes, but book the earliest or latest slot. July averages a 92.3°F high, and June through August bring routine afternoon storms. Carry water, wear a hat, and ask the operator about shade stops and what happens in a thunderstorm. For the hottest hours, a trolley, a harbor cruise or an air-conditioned house museum tour is the smarter choice.

Related Savannah Guides

Sources and How We Checked

We checked this guide on September 23, 2026. It’s compiled from the tour operators’ own websites, the agencies and museums listed below, and news reports on the carriage rules, not from tour marketplaces or other ranking lists, and it doesn’t claim first-hand tours. Tour schedules and prices change by date, so confirm with the operator before you book.

Savannah Tourism Guide is an independent publication. We are not affiliated with Visit Savannah, the City of Savannah or any tour operator or attraction listed here, and no one paid to be included.

Photo Credits