Exploring Savannah in 1 day means you must visit some of the very best highlights. Savannah itself is a gorgeous city filled with beautifully preserved Victorian and Georgian homes. With only 1 day to spend, I highly recommend doing one or two major sightseeing stops, then taking it easy by indulging in a nice dinner. Then top it off taking a stroll along the Savannah River to catch the cargo ships passing by. Believe me when I say that’s a sight not to be missed and a real highlight unto itself.
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Essentials
Language: English with that beautiful southern drawl and lots of charming Yes ma’am and Y’all have a good day now!
Currency: US dollar
Voltage: The US uses the 2 prong plug. See my post on Essential Items to Pack in your Carry-on for tips on what plug adapters to buy.
Major Airport: Savannah Hilton Head International Airport
Best Time to Visit: During the summer months and between the end of US Thanksgiving and the beginning of December where there’s a lull in visitors. Bring a hat because it’ll be tiringly hot.
Getting There
Buy tours with Viator to explore Savannah with local guides. A good, curated tour saves you the hassle of commuting and planning. Check out my list of curated Viator tours to Savannah!
You can fly into Savannah Hilton Head International airport which is only about 30 minutes from historic downtown Savannah. There’s also the free DOT shuttle in downtown Savannah that runs from early morning to early evening which you can hop on and hop off of. I highly recommend walking everywhere, if possible, so you can catch all the hidden gems and highlights of this charming city.
Where to Stay
We stayed in the Victorian District, which I highly recommend, as it’s only a 30 minute walk to East River Street where the actual Savannah river is. Savannah Historic District is where all the main shops are but it gets busy and noisy. I found the real charm is in Victorian District or by South Historic District near Forsyth Park. There are lots of historic inns there (and they might be haunted if that interests you!) surrounding Forsyth Park.
What to See and Do
Here’s a couple of top suggestions if you’re exploring Savannah in one day!
Stroll in Downtown Historic Savannah
Take a Hop-on/Hop off tour to get a nice introduction to the city. Listen to the tour guide who’ll give you a great historical narrative of the city. By evening, you must visit River Street in Historic Savannah where you’ll see the enormous cargo ships pass by. Savannah has an open-container policy, and, as of the writing of this post, you’re allowed to drink alcohol from an open plastic cup. So indulge in a nice drink and watch the ships sail by.
Stroll by the Waving Girl statue on E. River Street. Waving Girl is Florence Martus who waved to sailors every day for 45 years. She died trying to wave her lover back home. They say you can see her waving ghost from time to time.
Relax in the Squares
There are several serene and tranquil parks throughout the city. Some famous ones include Reynolds Square (it has a statue of John Wesley, the founder of the methodist church), Wright Square (where a memorial stone of Tomochichi was placed) and Telfair Square where the Telfair museum is located.
Forsyth Park
Savannah’s most famous park! Take a picture by the stately fountain in the middle of the park. Stroll through the main pathways to view the majestic live oaks and Spanish moss hanging over you.
Spend (a bit!) on Souvenir Shopping
Bull Street is known for shopping and has some great brand name stores, but walk down some side streets to discover some boutiques like Lalka Beauty and Co. on Gaston Street. This little shop sells the cutest hair and makeup products. The owners are also Hollywood makeup artists, so definitely get your makeup done here if you want to dress up for the evening.
Make sure to visit 18LOVESART whose store is right on River Street. She makes the CUTEST artwork of all time. Get some postcards and send them right then and there to your friends and family. Definitely pick up some magnets too as these little colourful trinkets make for great mementos.
Where to Eat
Fill on fresh seafood before leaving Savannah if you’re only exploring Savannah in one day.
The Collins Quarter at Forsyth
THE place to have breakfast. They serve great brunch dishes too, but I’m a huge fan of their breakfast and coffee options. Try their Bircher if you like a lighter breakfast. It has oats, coconut milk, caramelized granny Smith apples, sun dried cranberries, Greek yogurt, and almond milk. Definitely get a cortado too to accompany your healthy breakfast.
The Fitzroy
This was my favourite place out of all the places I got to try on my trip. The service here is wonderful and the food: scrumptious! I had crab cake with chermoula and ahi tuna with jasmine rice. It. Was. Divine. Don’t forget to finish off with the flourless chocolate torte if you have room for dessert!
Savannah has the two most important things that make a great trip: great food, and even better people. Discovering Savannah in a day means you get to take it easy and you get to soak in the charm of this splendid place. Definitely make sure you return for a longer trip so you can visit Tybee Island, Wormsloe Site, Bonaventure Cemetery and a host of other highlights.
Planning for some dream trips or bucket-list journeys? Check out my other travel guides to the United States and Canada for more tips and tricks on planning your ultimate dream getaways.
