Exploring Savannah in 5 Days

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Ahhhh Savannah! America’s first planned city is beautiful and quaint and filled with generations of history, restaurants serving delicious food, wonderful tours and extremely friendly locals! I’ve always heard you only need 2-3 days in Savannah but I’d argue you could spend a leisurely 5 days here. While much of the city is walkable, it would help to have a car especially if you plan on visiting Tybee Island. Full disclosure, I did not have a car and relied on Uber. This worked for me but I could have fit more into my trip with a car. 

Also, attention early risers – Savannah sleeps in. Most shops do not open before 10 or 10:30am. In general, the sidewalks and parks are relatively empty before 9am and I tried to take full advantage of this. 

For those that drink alcohol, Savannah has an open container policy so as long as you have your drink in a clear cup, you can walk around the historic district. You will often see “to-go” listed at most establishments which is just a drink you can purchase to-go. You can also bring a drink into another establishment. 

When I arrived at the Savannah/Hilton Head airport, I followed the signs for ride share and booked an Uber. I headed directly to the hotel to see if I could check in. 

Day 1: Dottie’s Market and Bonaventura Cemetery

As soon as I dropped my bag off at the hotel, I headed over to W. Broughton St. and found Dottie’s Market. 

This is an adorable cafe that feels very homey and chic at the same time. Imagine a southern market that sells gift baskets, local honey, pastries, breakfast, lunch and dinner with old fashioned tables and chairs. I ordered the crispy chicken sandwich and the cashier told me I was in for a treat. You can dine-in or have take-away. I decided to dine in as the air-conditioning felt so great given the humid weather. The food arrived at my table quickly. It is the best sandwich I have ever tasted in my life. With a light and crispy batter, it was the best fried chicken I’ve ever had. The brioche roll was clearly homemade and just as delicious. Their own sweet tea was the perfect compliment. I may have to come back to try something else later in the trip!

Second Stop: 1-hour Bonaventura Cemetery Golf Cart Guided Tour

Meeting Point: Once you enter the cemetery follow Mullryne Way to the very back of the cmetery. There is a parking lot on the river. This is where they will meet you. However, I had an Uber take me to the main gate and they met there once I texted them this.

My friend as well as the many blogs I read about Savannah, recommended that this tour be done. I am not a huge fan of cemeteries but I fell in love with the location, and the beautiful scenery. Our tour guide was not only very knowledgeable but also clearly had a passion about learning more about the cemetery. I personally have not seen the infamous movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, but it was set here. There were numerous references to the movie while on the tour. 

Day 2: A walking tour of Savannah and Forsyth Park with meals

This morning I woke up early, had breakfast at my hotel and then headed out to explore. I wandered around historic district before heading to my tour. 

First Stop: Maple Street Biscuit Co

Address: 220 W Broughton St, Savannah, GA 31401

During my walk, I passed by  Maple Street Biscuit Co and had to stop. They had two different types of biscuits which I tried (both delicious!) and maple coffee. I did not taste much maple flavor but the caffeine woke me up!

I walked around to the closest squares. There are 22 squares in Savannah that was planned by Oglethorpe. This was the first planned city built in the United States. After wandering around, it was time to head to the meeting place of the free tour. 

Or rather almost free. Technically, it costs $2.95 with tax and of course, you should always tip your guide. However, it was significantly less expensive than any other tour and our tour guide was fantastic. He had not been scheduled to give a tour that day and was ecstatic when he found out. We started in Johnson Square which was the first square built in Savannah and then headed to Chippewa Square, followed by several others. We ended near Forsyth Park. Our tour guide was a wealth of knowledge and I learned a lot about Savannah’s history. This tour was 5 stars! 

Third Stop: Forsyth Park

This park is popular for its beauty. I was in awe of the beautiful oak trees around and the large fountain. 

By now I was exhausted and hot so I headed back to the hotel to rest before dinner. 

Fourth Stop: Dinner at Cha Bella

Address: 102 E. Broad Street, Savannah, GA

Cha Bella is a farm to table restaurant with a beautiful ambiance, whether you sit inside or outside on their patio. The food was fantastic. I had the shrimp risottto with cherry tomatoes and beans in a tarragon sauce. The beans added nice crunch and the tomatoes added nice acidity and bite to the creamy and flavorful risotto. The tarragon sauce was a lovely touch. I highly recommend this restaurant! Check out the pictures I took of the outdoor patio – so cute!

This ice cream shop has been around since 1919 and continues to be run by the same family. The ice cream is amazing with a ton of different flavors, including many vegan options.

Day 3: Tybee Island, Happy Hour and a Murder Pub Crawl tour 

I planned this day around a dolphin tour as this is something I’ve always wanted to do. I had read many horror stories online about tourists getting stranded on Tybee Island trying to get an Uber. So I decided to try to reserve an Uber both ways a day in advance. Thankfully, this worked well. Unfortunately, I did a horrible job of scoping out the island in advance, and booked an Uber to and from the Tybee Island Pier despite the dolphin tour location being over 4 miles from the pier. 

Obviously, if I had a car it would not have been a big deal. Also, of note the Tybee Island lighthouse is closed on Tuesdays. Luckily, we did get to see several lighthouses during the dolphin tour. Plus after walking over 4 miles, I don’t think I would have been up for the 178 steps to the top!

I arrived at the pier around 9am which thankfully gave me plenty of time to enjoy the beach and walk from the pier to my tour. I also saw many beautiful homes and wildlife on my long walk. While on the island, I’d recommend checking out the Tybee Island Light Station and Museum which is Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse. Reminder, it’s closed on Tuesdays. I’d also recommend checking out Back River beach especially at sunset. 

While many guides will say that Tybee Island is walkable, I really feel a car is necessary especially if you’re going for the day. Many of the attractions are a far walk from each other. If you can’t get an Uber to take you there or back, check of Tybee Turtle Transit if you’re in a pinch. They only accept cash and it will cost around $50-60 to and from Savannah which is around the same cost for an Uber.

When I realized that I had to walk 4 miles in the humidity I was initially unhappy but I ended seeing some fun things along the way – cute homes, ridiculously large homes, an egret and the Cockspur Island Lighthouse. I definitely got my exercise for the day! 

Second Stop: Captain Derek’s Dolphin Adventure Tour

Address: 3 Old US Hwy 80, Tybee Island, GA 31328

This tour was the highlight of my trip. I had never been on a dolphin cruise before and made sure I fit it in! It lasts about 90 minutes and if you don’t see any bottlenose dolphins you are given a voucher for another tour in the future. The tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of Tybee Island and clearly knew where to go to find dolphins. We saw several pods and two dolphin calves! 

After the dolphin tour, I headed back to my hotel to freshen up and relax. I decided to go to a local happy hour before heading out on a tour later. 

This bar and restaurant was just really cool. Their happy hour menu had a ton of food options, extensive wine and cocktail list and cocktails! I sat at the bar and ordered a mocktail (delicious!), the crispy brussel sprouts and chicken wings. Both the brussel sprouts and chicken wings were delicious. I also just really loved the decor and atmosphere of the bar and restaurant as well. 

Since I was alone for this trip and enjoyed true crime podcasts, I thought I’d try this tour. We had a small group which was nice, stopped at several pubs and learned about Savannah’s true crime history as well as general history of Savannah and even some ghost stories. The tour guide was great and it was enjoyable. 

Day 4: Telfair Museums, Rooftop Bars, and River Street

This restaurant was just so cool. It’s in a really well designed market area and the food and service were excellent. I had the cinnamon crunch French toast was delicious. 

Second Stop: Jepson Center and Children’s Art Museum

Address: 207 W York St, Savannah, GA 31401

The Telfair Museums are made up of 3 separate museums: The Telfair Academy, the Jepson Center and the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters. When you buy a ticket, it will provide access to all of the museums and you can sign up for a tour of the Owens-Thomas House when you purchase your ticket. The ticket lasts for 7 days; however, I was able to see the Jepsen Center and Telfair Academy in 2 hours and the Owens-Thomas House Tour took approximately an hour to complete. 

The Jepson Center includes the Children’s Art Museum which I encourage you to see even if your children are not with you. Its a nice immersive experience that was nice to walk through. If your children are with you, they have a nice play area there as well. They will often have exhibits to see and I was fortunate to see a wonderful photography exhibit. 

Third Stop: Telfair Academy  

Address: 207 W York St, Savannah, GA 31401

The Telfair Academy is right across from the Jepson Center and did not take more than an hour to walk through. It has American and European artwork from the 19th and 20th centuries. I then walked the 7-10 minute walk to the Owens-Thomas House for my scheduled tour. 

The tour of the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters was very well done and took about an hour. The focus is on slavery through the eyes of the family that lived in this home built in 1819. I would highly recommend it.

I had read about this rooftop bar in many guides to Savannah and while I thought the view was nice and the food was delicious, I did not think it was the best rooftop bar view. This came later when I went to Top Deck on River Street later on in the day. However, this rooftop bar was very fancy and the menu matched the ambiance in terms of food quality and price. I had a small lunch of bruschetta which was delicious. 

Sixth Stop:   River Street

Walking along River Street was lovely as it gives you a wonderful view of the Savannah River with lots of shops and restaurants around. This was about a 10-15 minute walk from my hotel so easy to go back and forth when I wanted. I wanted to check this street out as I knew it was a very popular area to see. 

This place was heaven. Well known for their candied pralines, it has any kind of sweet you may be looking for. They do give samples so keep your eyes out for them! Yum!

It was here that I decided to check out Top Deck to compare its rooftop bar to Peregrin. They are like night and day. Top Deck is definitely more relaxed and I didn’t love my drink. However, the view of the river offered a much more beautiful view than Peregrin Bar. However, given the great menu at Peregrin, so it would be my top choice.

This place was very busy when I went to have dinner but I was able to sit at the bar and receive full service. I ordered their crab chowder and the fish po boy. Both were absolutely delicious! The service was excellent as well. I would highly recommend this place. It is a casual bar with great food. 

Day 5: Churchs and Cathedrals, City Market and the American Prohibition Museum with dessert and meals in between

Several tour guides recommended wethat this be toured. I went prior to mass starting and donated their recommended $3 before going in and viewing this stunning cathedral. It was absolutely beautiful and I highly recommend taking the time to go inside to see the beautiful architecture and decor.

City Market comprises of 4 blocks of shops. There are a few clothing shops and many art galleries. It was nice to pop into the different shops and didnt take long to see everything. Of note, it has a public bathroom but is only open from 10-6pm at the time of publication. 

This location is within City Market and makes the most delicious tiny cookies you’ve ever had. They will let you try all of them and I think the original Scotch Oatmeal are the best! 

I did not read anything about this museum but saw it when I was walking around City Market as its in the City Market. It was an excellent museum and I was very suprised at how much I enjoyed it. I did not spend the $11 for a drink in the speakeasy but was still able to walk through it and see it which was enough for me. The musuem is self-guided and is very well done with easy to read placards and cool exhibits. I would highly recommend it.

Several tour guides recommended this place so I went for lunch. I had the fried green tomatoes and the baked oysters. I thought the food was decent but not great. It was nice to sit outside on their outdoor patio. 

While everyone knows Leopold’s Ice Cream, they will hopefully soon hear about Doki Doki. Doki Doki is absolutely amazing and I think a serious contender for best ice cream in Savannah. It is rated 4.9 stars on Google. It not only sells ice cream but also gelato and mochi. I personally am not a mochi fan but the ice cream and gelato that I tried were fantastic. The decor was really fun too!

This church is the longest running African American church in North America, and is a National Historic Landmark. The tour runs twice a day and tickets can be purchased in advance on their website. This tour was by far my favorite tour of this trip. Our tour guide discussed slavery in detail in the context of the church’s history. You will also be able to see where they hid slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. If there is one thing in Savannah not to miss, it’s this tour! 

After this tour, I headed to the hotel to grab my bags and went to the airport via Uber. Below are some other tours and/or attractions that I did not have a chance to see. 

Other attractions or tours to check out:

1. The Savannah Theatre: One of America’s oldest continually operating theaters; see left sided photo
2. Congregation Mickve Israel – this is the 3rd oldest Jewish congregation in America and the only Gothic synagogue in North America. They provide tours and tickets on their website 
3. The Walking Tour of Savannah Historic Church – don’t be fooled by thet title you will also see the above Mickve Synagogue in this tour 

There are so many fun things to do, places to see and restaurants and cafes to try in Savannah! I hope this itinerary leads to you having a fantastic trip in Savannah as I had! 

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All the best,

Alexis