Savannah is one of the best getaways in the Southeast U.S. for a romantic, girls’, family, or mother-daughter trip. The city has historic charm, beautiful old-world architecture, an amazing food scene, and it’s close to great beaches and state parks. So here’s the ultimate guide for planning a weekend trip to Savannah, GA.

The Best Vacation Homes in the Southeast

Know Before You Go: Savannah is a very walkable city, but many of the roads, sidewalks, and squares are uneven or cobblestone, so wear comfortable shoes.

Here’s how to plan a weekend trip to Savannah, GA!

What To Do

A Walking Tour of The City. For a self-guided walking tour, this is my recommended route:

Start by walking the length of River Street. Then make your way to the City Market and Ellis Square. Next, head south down Bull Street and then hang a left to visit Chippewa Square (the filming site of the park bench in the movie Forest Gump) and the Cathedral of St. John (make sure you go inside!). Then keep heading south to Forsyth Park.

Catch a show at one of the city’s historic theaters, jazz clubs, or parks

Explore Bonaventure Cemetery

Tour the SCAD Museum of Art

Sample the local beer

Visit Wormsloe State Historic Site

Hop on and off a trolley tour

Tour the Telfair Academy

Where To Eat

Rooftop Dining: Top Deck ($$-$$$), Churchill’s Pub ($$-$$$), Rocks On The Roof ($$-$$$), Peregrin ($$-$$$).

Seafood: Olde Pink House Restaurant ($$$), Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Bar ($$), Russo’s Seafood ($$), The Original Crab Shack ($$).

Brunch: The Collins Quarter ($$), Fork & Dagger ($), Back in the Day ($$), Little Duck Diner ($).

Fine Dining: Elisabeth’s on 37th (American, Vegan $$$$), 39 Rue de Jean (French, $$$), 17 Hundred 90 ($$$$, American, Seafood, International), Cohen’s Retreat ($$$, American, Vegan).

Burgers: B&D Burgers ($$-$$$), Green Truck Pub ($$-$$$), Sly’s Sliders and Fries ($), Crystal Beer Parlor ($$-$$$).

Other Top Restaurants: Cotton and Rye ($$-$$$, American), Leopold’s Ice Cream ($), Alligator Soul Restaurant ($$$, Cajun, Creole), Sandfly BBQ ($).

When To Go

Spring is usually the perfect time of year to visit Savannah for the weather, festivals, and flowers. March – May is one of the city’s peak seasons because it will be warm and sunny, the magnolias will be blooming, the humidity won’t be too bad, and the Tybee Island Wine Festival is in April. So you’ll want to book your accommodation and tours in advance to ensure availability.

June – August is the other peak travel season for Savannah. Daytime temperatures will be in the 90s, and the humidity will make it feel more like 100, so plan your walking or biking excursions in the mornings and evenings. In the summer, you’ll need to book hotels, vacation homes, and excursions in advance to save some money and secure your spot.

September – December is Savannah’s shoulder season. Daytime temperatures will range from the 70s to the 40s as the holidays approach. Tourist numbers, prices, and humidity will be lower. In December, the city is beautifully decorated for Christmas, and as long as you avoid the Christmas – New Year’s corridor, you can still score some good hotel deals.

January and February are the off-season. If you don’t mind daytime temperatures ranging from the 30s to the low 60s, you can find some cheap accommodation rates. If you’re here in February, then you’ll want to attend the Black Heritage Festival, and you’ll want warm layers and rain gear during these months.

Where To Stay

Because Savannah requires so much walking, I recommend booking your accommodation in a central location near Ellis Square. This way, you’ll have a home base for resting, eating, and using the bathroom throughout the day to break up all the walking.

Andaz Savannah (pictured above) is my favorite hotel in the city because of its location on Ellis Square. This hotel also has spacious rooms, modern decor, old-world charm, an incredible staff, a delicious on-site restaurant, a bar with some of the quirkiest cocktails in the city, and a tranquil pool, fire pit, and outdoor lounge area.

I’ve rounded up all of the best hotels in Savannah for every budget and preference, and there are also some incredible vacation homes throughout the city. If you’re bringing an RV or motorhome, I recommend Red Gate Campground & RV Resort or CreekFire RV Resort.

Evening and Night Activities

Historic Savannah is known for its beauty, history, and charm, but most people are surprised to learn that Savannah is also famous for its nightlife.

You could start with any of Savannah’s U.K.-inspired pubs, such as Six Pence Pub, Churchill’s Pub and Restaurant, or Kevin Barry’s Irish Pub. Then you could head to one of these beer havens: The Distillery, World of Beer, or the Moon River Brewing Company.

Next, you could check out the live music at The Jinx, then dance the rest of the night away at SubZero Bar, Club One, or Club 51 Degrees.

If clubs, bars, and discos aren’t your preferred nighttime activities, then Savannah is still the perfect place for you. The city has jazz lounges, comedy clubs, and rooftop restaurants with great drinks and food.

I also highly recommend the sunset or dinner riverboat cruise on the Georgia Queen. This cruise takes you up and down the Savannah River to admire the city as the sun sets. There’s also a moonlight cruise to see the city at night.

Savannah is America’s most haunted city. So if you’re into the paranormal, then one of the city’s many ghosts, ghouls, spirits, or vampire tours is for you. You can explore cemeteries, haunted pubs, and creepy buildings while the rest of the city sleeps.

Best Day Trips

Tybee Island. Just a 20-minute drive from historic Savannah, Tybee Island is the perfect beach getaway for a day. I recommend renting bikes from Tim’s Bike & Beach Gear and riding up and down the island. The most popular beaches are around the Tybee Beach Pier, so to avoid some of the crowds, head to one of the many other beach access points along the island’s length. My restaurant recommendations are A-J’s Dockside Restaurant, CoCo’s, The Deck Kitchen & Bar, Bernie’s Tybee Island, and Seaweeds (ice cream).

Georgia’s Golden Isles. St. Simons and Georgia’s Golden Isles are about an hour and a half drive from Savannah. For a day trip here, I’d start at Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island. Then I’d head to St. Simons for lunch and rent bikes for a self-guided tour of Ocean Boulevard, Saint Simons Pier, the World War II Homefront Museum, Neptune Park, and the St. Simons Lighthouse.

Charleston. Because Charleston is a two-hour drive from Savannah, I highly recommend visiting this beautiful, historic city as its own trip. But if you spend just a day here, Charleston’s highlights are touring Fort Sumter National Monument and a walking tour of the historic city-center that includes the French Quarter, Rainbow Row, Broad Street, Waterfront Park, King Street, and The Battery.

YOUR TRAVEL CHECKLIST

PIN THIS GUIDE!

This post about planning a weekend trip to Savannah, GA is not a sponsored post, and, as always, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this Savannah travel guide are entirely my own. Some of the links in this guide to plan a weekend trip to Savannah, GA are affiliate links, and, at no cost to you, I may earn a small commission from this post about planning a weekend trip to Savannah, GA.