Savannah Tourism Guide

Best Savannah Tours Compared by Interest and Budget

Best Savannah tours compared by interest and budget: a horse-drawn carriage of visitors passing a church and live oaks on a Savannah square
A carriage tour rolls past one of the Historic District’s squares; at $37 for 50 minutes, it’s one of the city’s classic first tours.

Here are the best Savannah tours compared by interest and budget: a hop-on, hop-off trolley or a 75-minute narrated loop for orientation, a carriage ride for the slow, classic version, a guided walk or a house-museum tour for history, First African Baptist Church and Gullah Geechee storytellers for Black history, a ghost walk after dark, a three-hour food tour, a bike tour for covering ground, and a harbor cruise for the river. Prices run from free volunteer tours of Bonaventure Cemetery to about $97 for a food and cocktail walk, and most of the best options cost $30 to $50.

This guide is for visitors choosing one or two tours for a short trip. The caveat that matters is the fine print. Cancellation rules range from a full refund with 24 hours’ notice to a 25% non-refundable fee, ages and walking distances vary, and only some tours work for wheelchairs. Every price and policy below was checked October 1, 2026 against the operators’ own websites. For the bigger picture of touring Savannah, see our complete guide to Savannah tours.

Savannah Tours Compared at a Glance

TourFormatAdult priceTimeBest for
Old Town Trolley ToursHop-on, hop-off trolley, 16 stopsAbout $36.55 to $39.91 a day onlineAll daySightseeing with built-in transport
Old Savannah Tours Historic OverviewNonstop narrated trolleyShown at booking75 minutesA fast orientation
Carriage Tours of Savannah, Public History TourHorse-drawn carriage$37About 50 minutesA slow, classic overview
Savannah Taste Experience, First Squares Food TourWalking food tourFrom $89.953 hoursEating through the district
Savannah Bike Tours, Pedal Through HistoryGuided bike ride$49; children $252 hours, about 3 flat milesCovering more ground
Savannah Riverboat CruisesNarrated harbor cruise$37.95; ages 5 to 12 $24.951.5 hoursThe river and the port
Ghost City Tours, Grave TalesGhost walk, all agesFrom $29.9990 minutes, about a mileFamilies who want spooky stories
Ghosts & GravestonesGhost trolley with stopsFrom $3480 minutesTeens and adults (rated PG-13)
Sorrel-Weed House ghost tourGhost tour inside a historic house$3575 minutesAges 10 and up
Shannon Scott Tours, Bonaventure is ForeverGuided cemetery tourFrom $302 hoursBonaventure with a storyteller
First African Baptist Church history tourChurch tour$151pm, Monday to SaturdayBlack history downtown
American Prohibition Museum guided tourGuided museum tourFrom $4245 minutesA themed indoor hour

How to Choose: Five Questions to Ask Yourself

  1. How much walking can you manage? Ghost walks cover about a mile in 90 minutes, the bike tour about 3 flat miles in two hours, and food tours keep you on your feet for three hours. Trolleys, carriages and the harbor cruise need almost none.
  2. Who’s coming? Age limits are real: PG-13 for Ghosts & Gravestones, 10 and up for the Sorrel-Weed House, 16 and up for some Ghost City walks and 21 and up for pub crawls.
  3. What time of day suits you? Summer afternoons are hot, so put walking and carriage tours in the morning or evening and save air-conditioned museums for midday.
  4. How firm are your plans? If they might change, favor operators with 24-hour refunds over those with non-refundable fees.
  5. What do you want to remember? Pick the tour that matches why you came, whether that’s history, food, ghost stories or the river, rather than sampling a little of everything.

The Best Tours by Interest

For first-timers: a trolley or a carriage

A white Old Savannah Tours trolley bus with arched windows parked in Savannah
Narrated trolleys are the quickest way to get your bearings on a first morning.

Savannah’s two big trolley companies solve different problems. Old Town Trolley Tours runs hop-on, hop-off loops with 16 stops, so a ticket is really a day of narrated transport: ride the whole loop once, then use it to jump between the parts of the district you want. One-day tickets cost about $36.55 to $39.91 online, depending on the date. The two-day ticket, at $75.90, is more than most short trips need. Old Savannah Tours runs a 75-minute continuous, nonstop Historic Overview from its welcome center at 217 West Boundary Street, which works as a quick briefing before you explore on foot; prices appear only at booking, and it doesn’t run on St. Patrick’s Day.

A carriage covers less ground, more slowly, which is the point. Carriage Tours of Savannah’s Public History Tour costs $37 for about 50 minutes, with private carriages from $175. Expect a gentler, more atmospheric hour than a trolley, and check the heat rules below before booking a summer ride.

Our pick: if you’ll be sightseeing all day and want rides between stops, Old Town Trolley. If you just want the lay of the land and then plan to walk, the 75-minute Old Savannah Tours loop. If it’s a special occasion, the carriage.

For history: a guided walk plus one house museum

The squares are best seen on foot, and a good guide turns them into a story. Genteel & Bard runs history and ghost walking tours with a clear policy: reservations are required, you can book online or by phone up to an hour before, and you get a full refund with 24 hours’ notice. Dogs are welcome, and tipping is optional. Prices are shown at booking.

Pair a walk with one guided house tour. The Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters runs guided tours every 15 minutes from 10am to 3:30pm, Tuesday to Sunday, on a $30 Telfair ticket that also covers two more museums; the Davenport House runs timed tours of up to 15 people, 60 to 70 minutes long, Monday to Saturday; and the Andrew Low House charges $15, with tours on the hour and half hour. Between a walk and a house, you’ll understand both the plan of the city and the life inside it.

For Black history and Gullah Geechee heritage

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

Start with the institutions themselves. First African Baptist Church on Franklin Square gives a history tour at 1pm, Monday to Saturday, for $15 ($12 for seniors, military and students); arrive 10 minutes early, and note that refunds come only if the church cancels. The Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard is open Tuesday to Saturday, with the last tour at 3:30pm, for $15. South of the city, the Pin Point Heritage Museum, in a community founded by formerly enslaved people and their descendants in the 1890s, offers guided tours at 10am, noon and 2pm, Thursday to Saturday.

For guided storytelling, Shannon Scott Tours offers its Drums and Shadows tour on African American heritage, folklore and Gullah Geechee traditions as a private tour, and Day Clean Journeys, led by Jamal Toure, runs Gullah Geechee folklore tours. Book these directly and ask about group size and walking, since private tours are shaped around you.

For ghosts

The ochre-painted Sorrel-Weed House in Savannah, with green shutters, red trim and palm trees in front
The Sorrel-Weed House on Madison Square runs a nightly ghost tour for ages 10 and up.

Savannah’s ghost tours are a genre of their own, and the main difference between them is who they’re for. Ghost City Tours runs several 90-minute walks: Grave Tales is open to all ages from $29.99, while Dead of Night and Beyond Good and Evil, which visits Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil locations, are for ages 16 and up from $34.99, and its two-hour Haunted Pub Crawl is 21 and up. Ghosts & Gravestones is an 80-minute trolley tour from $34, rated PG-13, with stops inside the Andrew Low House and the Perkins & Sons Ship Chandlery; it leaves nightly from 301 East River Street, has no wheelchair lifts, and sells out quickly in October. The Sorrel-Weed House runs a nightly 75-minute ghost tour inside the house for $35, ages 10 and up, by reservation.

Enjoy them as entertainment. Many of the stories don’t survive a look at the records, and City rules bar tours marketed as haunted from its municipal cemeteries. Our haunted Savannah guide separates the documented history from the folklore.

For food

Savannah Taste Experience is the name to know. Its First Squares Food Tour runs about three hours from $89.95, its Southern & Secret Food Tour starts at $86.95, and its Walktails & Bar Bites happy hour tour costs $96.95 for two to two and a half hours. You can cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund. A food tour is pricier than most, but it doubles as lunch or dinner, which makes the math kinder than it looks. For eating on your own, see our guide to the best Savannah restaurants for first-time visitors.

On the water

A white riverboat with red trim docked on the Savannah River below City Hall's gold dome and the Hyatt Regency
Harbor cruises leave from River Street, below City Hall’s gold dome.

Savannah Riverboat Cruises runs a 1.5-hour narrated harbor sightseeing cruise for $37.95 per adult, $24.95 for ages 5 to 12 and free for children under 5. It’s the easiest way to see the port’s container ships and the riverfront from the water. For a free taste, the Savannah Belles Ferry crosses to Hutchinson Island and back daily from 7am to 10pm. Dolphin tours run from the Tybee Island area, about 30 minutes east; our River Street visitor guide covers the ferry and the waterfront in more detail.

For active travelers

Savannah Bike Tours runs its Pedal Through History tour for two hours over about 3 miles of flat, easy terrain, for $49 per adult and $25 per child, with Tybee Island and private tours too. Savannah is flat, so a bike tour covers twice the ground of a walk without much effort. Adventure Tours in Motion lists 90-minute Segway tours at $65 and walking tours at $35 on its deals page; confirm the current price when you book.

For Bonaventure Cemetery

Bonaventure is about 3 miles east of downtown, and a guide brings its monuments to life. Shannon Scott Tours’ Bonaventure is Forever tour runs two hours from $30. Ghost City Tours also runs a 90-minute daytime Bonaventure Cemetery Tour at 11am from $29.99, open to all ages. And the Bonaventure Historical Society’s volunteers lead free tours of about an hour on the second weekend of each month, at 1pm on Saturday and Sunday, with free tickets required; check its calendar, since the schedule has changed before.

For families and visitors with limited mobility

With children, check age limits first. Ghost City’s Grave Tales, the carriage, the trolleys and the harbor cruise suit all ages, and the bike tour has a $25 child price. Ghosts & Gravestones is rated PG-13, the Sorrel-Weed House ghost tour is for ages 10 and up, and pub crawls are 21 and up. Our Savannah with kids guide has more ideas.

For wheelchair users, the trolleys are the best bet: many Old Town Trolley and Old Savannah Tours vehicles have lifts, but both ask for 24 hours’ notice, and Old Town Trolley boards wheelchairs only at its Stop 9, the Welcome Center. Ghosts & Gravestones has no lifts and involves stairs and cobblestones. The American Prohibition Museum is fully ADA compliant, with an elevator. Our accessible Savannah travel guide covers more options.

The Best Tours by Budget

Budget per adultOptions
FreeBonaventure Historical Society volunteer tours on the second weekend of the month; a do-it-yourself loop on the free DOT Express Shuttle and Belles Ferry; a self-guided walk down Bull Street from the river to Forsyth Park
Under $20First African Baptist Church tour ($15); Andrew Low House ($15); Mercer Williams House ($14.95 plus tax); Sorrel-Weed House history and architecture tour ($14)
$20 to $40Ghost City walks (from $29.99); Shannon Scott’s Bonaventure tour (from $30); Ghosts & Gravestones (from $34); Sorrel-Weed ghost tour ($35); carriage history tour ($37); Old Town Trolley (about $36.55 to $39.91); harbor cruise ($37.95)
$40 to $70Prohibition Museum guided tour (from $42); bike tour ($49); Segway tour ($65 as listed)
$85 and upFood tours ($86.95 to $96.95); private carriage tours (from $175 per carriage)

Tour Times at a Glance

Fitting tours around each other is easier when you know when they run. These are the regular slots operators list; seasonal schedules shift, so confirm when you book.

Time of dayTours
MorningTrolleys and bike tours; Carriage Tours of Savannah’s early-bird history tour; the Owens-Thomas House from 10am
11amGhost City’s daytime Bonaventure Cemetery Tour
1pmFirst African Baptist Church, Monday to Saturday; Bonaventure Historical Society volunteer tours on the second weekend of the month
AfternoonHarbor cruises and food tours (check departure times); Pin Point Heritage Museum guided tour at 2pm, Thursday to Saturday
Early eveningSavannah Taste Experience’s Walktails & Bar Bites happy hour tour; Ghost City’s Grave Tales at 7, 8 and 9pm
Late eveningGhost City’s Dead of Night at 9 and 10pm; Ghosts & Gravestones and the Sorrel-Weed House ghost tour, nightly

Booking and Cancellation Policies Compared

The fine print varies more than the prices do. Here’s what the operators say:

OperatorPolicy
Genteel & BardFull refund with 24 hours’ notice; no refund inside 24 hours; book online or by phone up to an hour before
Savannah Taste ExperienceCancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund
Shannon Scott ToursA 25% non-refundable fee on all bookings; no refunds within 3 days of the tour, though you may reschedule
Old Town Trolley and Old Savannah ToursWheelchair lift requests need 24 hours’ notice
Ghosts & GravestonesOctober tours sell out quickly; book early
Sorrel-Weed HouseGhost tour reservations required
First African Baptist ChurchNo refunds unless the church cancels a tour

Book directly with the operator where you can. Resellers often attach their own cancellation terms, and a direct booking makes it simpler to reschedule if the weather turns.

Tipping, Meeting Points and Parking

Tipping guides is customary in the US, usually 15 to 20% of the ticket price for a good tour, though some companies, Genteel & Bard among them, call it optional. Check your confirmation for the meeting point, which varies widely: Old Savannah Tours starts from its welcome center at 217 West Boundary Street, Ghosts & Gravestones leaves from the Simply Savannah Depot at 301 East River Street, beside the Lincoln Street ramp, and walking tours usually meet in a square. If you drive, the City’s garages charge $2 an hour with weekday caps of $14 to $24, and the free DOT Express Shuttle stops around the district. Our getting around Savannah guide covers parking in detail.

Carriage Tours and the Heat Rules

If you’re visiting in summer, know that carriage tours have been at the center of a local fight over heat. In August 2025 the City adopted limits on horse-drawn carriages in hot weather, set to halt rides at 85 degrees or a 100-degree heat index from January 1, 2026. In May 2026 the carriage companies sued, citing an amended state law, and won a court injunction letting tours run in the heat while the case proceeds. The situation could change again, so on a hot day ask the operator whether rides are running.

Seasonal and Special Tours

A few tours only happen at certain times of year, and they’re worth planning a trip around. October is ghost-tour season, and Ghosts & Gravestones warns that its October tours sell out quickly. In spring, the Garden Club of Savannah’s NOGS Tour of Hidden Gardens opens private gardens north of Gaston Street; the next one is scheduled for April 16 and 17, 2027. At the holidays, the Downtown Neighborhood Association lists its Holiday Tour of Homes for December 12, 2026, with eight private homes, and Carriage Tours of Savannah runs a festive “Bells on Bobtails” ride. On St. Patrick’s Day, several operators, including Old Savannah Tours and Ghosts & Gravestones, don’t run at all. Our Savannah events and festivals guide has the wider calendar.

Tours to Skip or Rethink

  • Oglethorpe Trolley Tours. The company appears to have closed; its website is a parked page. Don’t book it through an old listing.
  • A two-day trolley ticket on a short trip. At $75.90, it rarely beats one day plus walking.
  • A “haunted” tour of a city cemetery after dark. City rules bar tours marketed as haunted from its municipal cemeteries, including Bonaventure and Colonial Park. Daytime history tours are a different matter.
  • Three tours in one day. Savannah rewards wandering between tours. One in the morning and one after dark is plenty.
  • A carriage ride at 3pm in July. Even if rides are running, it’s the hottest hour for you and the horses. Book a morning or evening ride.

Three Sample Tour Days by Budget

BudgetMorningAfternoonEveningApproximate cost per adult
ThriftySelf-guided walk down Bull StreetFirst African Baptist Church tour at 1pmGhost City’s Grave TalesAbout $45
ClassicOld Town Trolley, then walkCarriage history tourHarbor cruiseAbout $112 to $115
SplurgeBike tourFirst Squares Food Tour as a late lunchSorrel-Weed House ghost tourAbout $174

Costs are admissions only, using the prices above, and exclude tips. If you’re building a whole trip, our two-day Savannah itinerary shows where tours fit around the city’s opening hours.

Savannah Tours FAQ

What’s the best tour in Savannah for first-time visitors?

For most first-timers, a narrated overview on the first morning: Old Savannah Tours’ 75-minute nonstop loop if you’ll walk afterward, or an Old Town Trolley day ticket, about $36.55 to $39.91 online, if you want rides between stops. Add one evening tour, a ghost walk or the harbor cruise, and you’ll have seen the city two very different ways.

Are Savannah trolley tours worth it?

Yes, on the first day, or if walking is hard. A trolley gives you the layout and the stories quickly, and the hop-on, hop-off format doubles as transport with 16 stops. If you’re comfortable walking, one day is enough; the $75.90 two-day ticket rarely pays off, since the Historic District is compact and the DOT shuttle is free.

How much do tours in Savannah cost?

Most popular tours cost $30 to $50 per adult: ghost walks from $29.99, the carriage history tour at $37, the harbor cruise at $37.95 and the bike tour at $49. Food tours run $86.95 to $96.95. The cheapest options are a $15 church tour and free volunteer tours of Bonaventure on the second weekend of each month.

Which Savannah tours are good for kids?

Ghost City Tours’ Grave Tales walk is for all ages, and carriages, trolleys and the harbor cruise suit families, with children’s prices on the cruise ($24.95 for ages 5 to 12) and the bike tour ($25). Check limits on the others: Ghosts & Gravestones is rated PG-13, the Sorrel-Weed House ghost tour is for ages 10 and up, and pub crawls are 21 and up.

Do I need to book Savannah tours in advance?

For most tours, booking a day or two ahead is enough, and some, like Genteel & Bard’s walks, take bookings up to an hour before. Book further ahead for October ghost tours, which sell out quickly, for weekend food tours, and for any wheelchair lift on a trolley, which needs 24 hours’ notice.

Are carriage tours running in the summer heat?

Usually, but check on the day. The City set heat limits in 2025 that would stop rides at 85 degrees or a 100-degree heat index from 2026, but carriage companies won a court injunction in May 2026 that lets tours run while their lawsuit proceeds. Morning and evening rides are kinder to everyone in July and August.

What’s the cheapest way to tour Savannah?

Walk it yourself and ride the free DOT Express Shuttle and Belles Ferry, then add one inexpensive guided stop: the $15 First African Baptist Church tour, or a free Bonaventure Historical Society tour on the second weekend of the month. For under $40, a ghost walk from $29.99 or the $37 carriage history tour adds a guide’s stories without a big outlay.

Related Savannah Guides

Sources and How We Checked

Prices, durations, age limits, accessibility and cancellation terms were checked on October 1, 2026, on the operators’ own websites, and are compiled from the sources below rather than from other tour lists or resellers. We don’t claim to have taken these tours, and no operator paid to be included. Prices change, so confirm when 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