Savannah Tourism Guide

Best Things to Do in Savannah for First-Time Visitors

Best things to do in Savannah for first-time visitors: the red brick Federal-style Davenport House with black shutters and a double front stair
The 1820 Davenport House. Saving it in 1955 started Savannah’s preservation movement.

The best things to do in Savannah for first-time visitors are simple and mostly free: walk the Historic District’s squares from the river to Forsyth Park, tour one historic house properly, take a narrated tour early in your trip so the rest makes sense, eat a proper Southern lunch, and spend an hour in Bonaventure Cemetery under the live oaks. Add the free ferry across the river, one ghost tour if that’s your thing, and, with three days or more, a trip to Tybee Island or Wormsloe. That’s the core of a first visit, and it fits comfortably into two or three unhurried days.

This page is for first-timers deciding what deserves their limited time, with honest verdicts, prices, and the closure days that trip people up. The one caveat that matters: Savannah rewards depth over breadth. A slow walk through six squares beats a rushed checklist of twelve sights, and summer heat punishes over-scheduling. For the full menu beyond the first-visit essentials, see our complete guide to things to do in Savannah. Everything below was checked September 23, 2026 against official sources.

The First-Timer’s Essentials at a Glance

What to doWhy it matters on a first visitCostTimeBook ahead?
Walk the squaresThe city’s defining feature, and it’s freeFree2-3 hoursNo
Forsyth Park and its fountainThe postcard view, and a place to restFree1 hourNo
A narrated trolley tourContext for everything else you’ll seeAbout $37-$40 online (Old Town Trolley, 1 day)75 minutes to a full daySame day is usually fine
Owens-Thomas House & Slave QuartersThe most complete picture of the antebellum city$30 Telfair ticket (three sites, 7 days)45-60 minutesTour times assigned at check-in
Davenport HouseThe house that launched the preservation movement$1560-70 minutesYes, timed tours
River Street and the riverfrontShips, old cotton warehouses and sunsetsFree1-2 hoursNo
Bonaventure CemeteryOaks, moss and sculpture; the city’s most atmospheric hourFree1-2 hoursNo
Lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining RoomA Savannah institution, served family-style$35 (12 and under $17.50), cash only1.5-2.5 hours with the lineNo reservations
The free Savannah Belles FerryThe best cheap view of the skyline and shipsFree30-60 minutesNo
A ghost tourSavannah’s favorite evening entertainmentFrom about $3075-90 minutesYes, in October and on weekends
Tybee Island and Fort PulaskiBeach, lighthouse and a Civil War fortParking $25/day; fort $10A full dayNo

How to Choose: Decision Rules for a First Visit

Almost every first-time visitor faces the same trade-off: there’s more worth doing than time to do it. These rules make the choices easier.

  • Take a tour early. A narrated trolley ride or a history walk on your first morning turns the next two days of wandering into something you understand.
  • Pick one or two house museums, not five. They cover overlapping eras, and the tours run 35 to 70 minutes each. The table below helps you choose.
  • Walk in the morning and evening, and go indoors at midday, especially from June to September, when July’s average high is 92.3°F.
  • Check the day of the week. Telfair Museums close on Mondays, the Davenport House on Sundays, Mrs. Wilkes’ serves lunch only on weekdays, and Tybee’s lighthouse and Marine Science Center close on Tuesdays.
  • Leave the car. Downtown is walkable, the free DOT Express Shuttle loops through it, and parking is easier to do once than all day.
If you haveFocus on
One dayThe squares on foot in the morning, one house museum, Forsyth Park, and River Street at sunset
Two daysAdd a trolley tour on arrival, Bonaventure Cemetery, the ferry and a ghost tour or riverboat cruise
Three days or moreAdd Tybee Island with Fort Pulaski, or Wormsloe and a second house museum

A Sample First Day

  1. 9am: walk Bull Street’s squares from Johnson Square south toward Forsyth Park while it’s cool, detouring down Jones Street.
  2. 10:30am: tour the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters on Oglethorpe Square; tours start about every 15 minutes.
  3. Noon: lunch. On a weekday, Mrs. Wilkes’ is the classic choice, but its line starts forming around 9:30am, so expect a wait.
  4. 2pm: spend the hottest hours in the Telfair Academy or the Jepson Center, both on the same ticket as the Owens-Thomas House.
  5. 4pm: ice cream at Leopold’s, then down to River Street as the heat eases.
  6. Sunset: ride the free ferry across the river and back for the skyline.
  7. Evening: dinner at the Olde Pink House (book ahead) or a ghost tour.

For full day-by-day plans, see our Savannah itinerary guide.

Walk the Historic District

The Squares

Live oaks hung with Spanish moss arching over brick-paved Jones Street at its corner with Bull Street in Savannah
Jones Street, a few steps off Bull Street, is one of the prettiest blocks in the city.

Savannah’s squares are the reason the city looks the way it does. James Oglethorpe’s 1733 plan built each ward around a central square, and 22 of the original 24 survive, each a small shaded park framed by churches and houses. The best first walk is simply Bull Street from the river south to Forsyth Park, passing through Johnson, Wright, Chippewa, Madison and Monterey squares. Detour a block east or west whenever something catches your eye; the side streets, like Jones Street with its arching oaks, are half the pleasure.

Plan it: Free. Allow two to three hours with stops. Wear comfortable shoes for brick and uneven sidewalks, and go early in summer. Our Historic District guide covers what’s on each square.

Forsyth Park

At the southern end of Bull Street, Forsyth Park is the city’s great lawn and the obvious place to finish a walk. Its white 1858 fountain is running again after its first major restoration since 1988, finished in December 2025, and a new Shade Garden opened on the park’s west side in February 2026. On Saturday mornings, the Forsyth Farmers’ Market sets up at the south end from 9am to 1pm, year-round.

Plan it: Free. Allow an hour, more if you’re picnicking. The fountain photographs best in the morning, before the crowds.

River Street and the Riverfront

River Street runs along the Savannah River below the bluff, lined with old cotton warehouses turned into shops, bars and restaurants. The best reason to go is the river itself, where enormous container ships glide past on their way to one of the busiest ports in the country. The street and its ramps are cobblestone and the old stairs are steep, so if you’d rather avoid them, use the public elevator between the Hyatt and City Hall on Bay Street. At the west end, the Plant Riverside District’s Generator Hall, with a 135-foot dinosaur, is free to walk through.

Plan it: Free. Go in the late afternoon or at sunset; at midday in July it’s hot, crowded and ordinary.

See Inside a Historic House

You can admire Savannah’s houses from the sidewalk for free, but going inside one is what turns the architecture into history. Here’s how the main house museums compare:

HouseAdult priceTourBest forStep-free?
Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters$30 Telfair ticket (three sites, 7 days)45-60 minutes, every 15 minutesRegency architecture and the lives of the enslaved people who worked thereNo
Davenport House$1560-70 minutes, timed, 15 people maxFederal style and the preservation storyExhibits only
Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace$15About an hourGirl Scouts history; familiesYes, with an elevator
Mercer Williams House$14.95 plus tax35 minutes, first come, first servedFans of Midnight in the Garden of Good and EvilNo
Andrew Low House$15On the hour and half hourA merchant’s house and Juliette Gordon Low’s later homeNo

Our verdict for a first visit: the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters if you choose only one, because it tells the fullest story of how the antebellum city worked and whose labor it depended on, and the $30 Telfair ticket also covers the Telfair Academy and the modern Jepson Center for a week. Add the Davenport House if you have time for two.

Plan it: Telfair’s sites open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm, and Owens-Thomas tours run about every 15 minutes from 10am to 3:30pm. The Davenport House runs timed tours Monday to Friday, 11am-3:30pm, and Saturday, 10am-4pm; it’s closed Sunday, and you check in at the Historic Kennedy Pharmacy at East Broughton and Habersham. Book Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace tickets online in advance, especially in summer, and confirm its opening days by phone at 912-233-4501.

Take a Tour on Day One

Passengers seated on wooden benches inside a Savannah trolley tour vehicle, looking out at a square
A narrated trolley tour is the quickest way to get your bearings.

Savannah’s history is dense, and a good guide gives it shape. First-timers have three good options:

  • Hop-on, hop-off trolleys: Old Town Trolley’s route has 16 stops, with one-day tickets from about $36.55 to $39.91 online and two-day tickets for $75.90. It doubles as transportation between sights.
  • A nonstop overview: Old Savannah Tours runs a 75-minute continuous narrated loop from its welcome center at 217 W. Boundary St., ideal for getting your bearings in one sitting.
  • A walking tour: slower, more detailed and better for photos, with the added benefit of stopping wherever the story is.
Tour styleBest forTrade-off
Hop-on, hop-off trolleyCovering ground, resting your feet, getting between sightsLess depth; you share the vehicle with crowds at busy times
Nonstop narrated loopA quick overview on your first morningNo stops to explore
Walking tourDetail, photos and questionsHot in summer; covers less distance

Our guide to the best Savannah tours compares the operators, including history walks and food tours.

Eat Like a First-Timer Should

Savannah’s food is a reason to come on its own, and a few meals belong on a first visit:

Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room

The boardinghouse-style lunch, served at shared tables, is as much a Savannah ritual as a meal. The food comes family-style, and the line is part of the experience.

Plan it: Monday to Friday, 11am-2pm, lunch only. $35 for ages 13 and up, $17.50 for 12 and under, tax included. Cash or check only, with an ATM on site. No reservations; the line forms around 9:30am. Closed for a winter break from January 1 to about February 15.

The Olde Pink House

For a first-visit dinner, the Olde Pink House on Reynolds Square occupies a mansion built in 1771, with the Planters Tavern downstairs. It’s the classic special-occasion Savannah meal.

Plan it: 23 Abercorn St., 912-232-4286. Reservations are strongly advised, especially on weekends.

Leopold’s Ice Cream

An ice cream on Broughton Street is the traditional end to a hot afternoon. Leopold’s, at 212 E. Broughton St., opens Sunday to Thursday noon-9pm and Friday and Saturday 11am-10pm.

For the rest of the dining scene, from Lowcountry seafood to newer kitchens, see our list of the best restaurants in Savannah.

Museums Worth Your Time

The columned entrance of the Telfair Academy in Savannah, flanked by large marble statues
The Telfair Academy, one of three sites on a single Telfair Museums ticket.

If the weather turns or you want a break from walking, these are the museums first-timers enjoy most:

  • Telfair Academy and Jepson Center: fine art in a historic mansion and a modern building, both on the $30 Telfair ticket. The Bird Girl statue from the cover of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil is inside the Telfair Academy.
  • Savannah History Museum: the best single overview of the city’s past, open daily 9am-4pm ($12 adults, $8 ages 3-12), home of the Forrest Gump bench.
  • American Prohibition Museum: a fun 45 to 60 minutes in City Market, from $17.57, open daily 10am-5pm except St. Patrick’s Day.
  • Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum: ship models and a lovely garden, open daily 10am-5pm ($17.50 adults).
  • Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum: Savannah’s civil rights story, Tuesday to Saturday, 10am-5pm ($15 adults).
  • SCAD Museum of Art: contemporary art in a striking building, closed Tuesdays. Check current admission; college students get in free on Saturdays with ID.

For the full list with prices and hours, see our guide to Savannah’s attractions.

Black History Stops Worth Adding

Many first-time lists skip the history that shaped Savannah most. These stops fit easily into a first visit:

  • First African Baptist Church on Franklin Square runs history tours Monday to Saturday at 1pm only ($15 adults).
  • The Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum tells the story of Savannah’s movement, including the lunch-counter sit-ins and the long boycott of Broughton Street’s stores (Tuesday to Saturday, $15 adults).
  • The Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters puts the lives of the enslaved people who worked there at the center of the tour.
  • The Haitian Monument in Franklin Square honors the soldiers from Saint-Domingue who fought at the 1779 Siege of Savannah. It’s free, and a few steps from First African Baptist.
  • The Pin Point Heritage Museum, a short drive away, covers the Gullah Geechee community of Pin Point (Thursday to Saturday, $15 adults).

For the full story, see our guide to Savannah’s history and culture.

Beyond the Squares

Bonaventure Cemetery

A white marble statue of a seated mourning woman among the graves of Bonaventure Cemetery
Victorian sculpture at Bonaventure Cemetery.

About 3 miles east of downtown, Bonaventure is a former plantation on a bluff over the Wilmington River, with avenues of moss-draped oaks and remarkable Victorian funerary sculpture. Johnny Mercer is buried here. It’s quieter and more beautiful than any photo suggests, and it’s free.

Plan it: Open daily 8am-5pm, free, at 330 Bonaventure Road; drive or take a rideshare. The Bonaventure Historical Society runs free guided tours on the second weekend of each month, and its visitor center at the entrance has maps. Ghost tours aren’t allowed in the City’s cemeteries, so this is a daytime visit.

Wormsloe

Wormsloe’s 1.5-mile avenue of live oaks leads to the tabby ruins of a colonial estate, about 15-20 minutes from downtown. Cars no longer drive the avenue: walk, bike or take the free narrated trolley that leaves the visitor center every 30 minutes. The site charges admission; check Georgia State Parks for current prices.

Tybee Island and Fort Pulaski

With a third day, head 18 miles east to Tybee Island, Savannah’s beach, stopping at Fort Pulaski National Monument on the way ($10 per person aged 16 and up). Tybee’s lifeguards work from May 1 to October 31, parking costs $25 for a day pass, and the lighthouse and Marine Science Center both close on Tuesdays. Our Tybee Island travel guide covers the beaches and rules.

On the River

A red and black Moran tugboat pushing through the Savannah River past marsh and trees in autumn light
A harbor tug on the Savannah River, which carries some of the largest ships afloat.

Seeing Savannah from the water puts the city in context: this was, and is, a port. The free Savannah Belles Ferry crosses from City Hall on the Riverwalk to Hutchinson Island daily from 7am to 10pm, about every 20-30 minutes, and it’s the cheapest view in town. For a longer look, Savannah Riverboat Cruises runs a 90-minute narrated harbor cruise ($37.95 adults, $24.95 ages 5-12, under 5 free).

One Evening for Ghosts

Ghost tours are Savannah’s signature night out, and one is plenty on a first visit. Walking tours start at about $30 for 90 minutes; the Ghosts & Gravestones trolley tour starts at $34 and goes inside two buildings; and the Sorrel-Weed House’s ghost tour costs $35, for ages 10 and up. Treat the stories as stories: the history under them is often more interesting. Our guide to haunted Savannah and its ghost tours compares them, with the legends labeled.

Your First Visit by Season

SeasonWhat’s specialWhat to plan around
Spring (March-May)Azaleas, St. Patrick’s Day, the Savannah Music FestivalPeak crowds and prices; book early
Summer (June-August)Tybee beach days, long eveningsHeat, humidity and afternoon storms
Fall (September-November)Mild weather, the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, HalloweenBusy October weekends; hurricane season through November
Winter (December-February)Quiet streets, holiday house tours, the Book FestivalCool evenings; Mrs. Wilkes’ winter break in January and early February

Check our calendar of Savannah events and festivals before you pick dates.

What a First Visit Costs

Many of the best things here are free: the squares, Forsyth Park, River Street, the ferry and Bonaventure Cemetery. A typical first-visit set of paid highlights for one adult looks like this: the $30 Telfair ticket, the $15 Davenport House, a one-day trolley ticket from about $36.55, a ghost tour from about $30 and a $35 lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’. That’s roughly $145 to $155 per adult before other meals and your hotel, and you can halve it by skipping the trolley and second house.

Where to Stay on a First Visit

Stay in or near the Historic District if you can. Being able to walk everywhere, and back to your room for a midday break, makes a first visit far easier than driving in each day. The streets around Forsyth Park are quieter and residential, while hotels by River Street and City Market put you closest to the evening action, and the noise that comes with it. Our guide on where to stay in Savannah compares the areas.

What First-Timers Can Skip

  • River Street at midday in summer. It’s hot and crowded; come back at sunset.
  • Looking for the Forrest Gump bench in Chippewa Square. The bench from the film is in the Savannah History Museum, not the square.
  • Driving between downtown sights. Park once, then walk or ride the free DOT Express Shuttle.
  • Stacking house museums. After two, the staircases start to blur.
  • Charleston as a day trip on a short visit. It’s two hours each way; save it for a longer trip.
  • More than one ghost tour. They share many of the same stops.

Practical Tips for a First Visit

  • Getting around: the free DOT Express Shuttle runs two downtown loops about every 10 minutes (weekdays 7am-7pm, weekends 10am-6pm), and the free ferry crosses the river. See our guide to getting around Savannah.
  • Parking: City garages are open 24/7 and take cards only. A Visitor Day Pass ($15 for 24 hours, $24 for 48) covers on-street meters but not garages.
  • Drinks: in the downtown to-go zone, from the river south to Jones Street, adults can carry one drink each in a cup of 16 ounces or less, no glass.
  • Timing: late March to May and mid-October to November are the most comfortable months; see our guide to the best time to visit Savannah.
  • Churches: the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist welcomes sightseers Monday to Saturday, 9-11:30am and 1-4:30pm, and Sunday 1-4:30pm, with a $3 suggested donation. It closes for services, weddings and funerals.
The soaring Gothic nave of the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah, with painted vaults and stained glass
Inside the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist.

If You Have Limited Mobility

Savannah’s downtown is flat, which helps, but many of its historic houses have steep stairs and no elevator, and River Street is cobblestone. The first-visit essentials that work best without steps are the squares and Forsyth Park along Bull Street’s smoother sidewalks, the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, which has full elevator access, the Jepson Center, and the ADA-accessible Belles Ferry. Old Town Trolley and Old Savannah Tours can provide wheelchair lifts with 24 hours’ notice. Our accessible Savannah travel guide has the details.

First-Time Visitor FAQ

What should I not miss on my first trip to Savannah?

Walk the squares along Bull Street to Forsyth Park, tour one historic house (the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters if you choose only one), take a narrated tour early, see Bonaventure Cemetery, eat lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room and watch the ships from River Street at sunset. With a third day, add Tybee Island.

How many days do first-time visitors need in Savannah?

Two full days covers the essentials at a comfortable pace, and three lets you add Tybee Island, Wormsloe or a second house museum. A single day works if you focus on the squares, one museum and River Street. Savannah is best at a slow pace, so more time is rarely wasted.

Is a trolley tour worth it in Savannah?

For a first visit, usually yes, especially on day one. It gives context for everything you’ll walk past later. Old Town Trolley’s hop-on, hop-off tickets start around $36.55 online and double as transportation; Old Savannah Tours runs a 75-minute nonstop loop if you just want the overview.

Which Savannah house museum is best for first-time visitors?

The Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, for the fullest picture of how the antebellum city worked; its $30 Telfair ticket also covers two art museums for seven days. The Davenport House ($15) is the best second choice, and the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace is the best step-free option.

What day of the week is best for sightseeing in Savannah?

Wednesday through Saturday, when nearly everything is open. On Mondays, Telfair Museums close; on Sundays, the Davenport House closes and Mrs. Wilkes’ doesn’t serve; on Tuesdays, Tybee’s lighthouse and Marine Science Center close. Weekends are busiest, so book tours and dinners ahead.

What are the best free things to do in Savannah for first-timers?

Walk the squares along Bull Street, spend time in Forsyth Park, watch the ships from River Street, ride the free Savannah Belles Ferry across the river and visit Bonaventure Cemetery, which is free and open daily from 8am to 5pm. The free DOT Express Shuttle makes it easy to link them.

Can you see Savannah without a car?

Yes. The Historic District is compact and flat, the free DOT Express Shuttle and Belles Ferry cover downtown and the river, and trolley tours double as transportation. You’ll want a car or rideshare for Bonaventure, Wormsloe and Tybee Island.

Related Savannah Guides

Sources and How We Checked

Prices and hours were checked September 23, 2026. This guide is compiled from the attractions, operators and public agencies listed below, not from other travel lists, and it doesn’t claim first-hand visits.

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

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