If you’re looking for things to in Savannah, you’ve landed in the right place! I’m always out exploring the Historic District and discovering fun new things to do and see.
I’ve come up with a list of my favorite attractions and activities to keep you entertained during your trip.
Trust me…Savannah is a city where you shouldn’t ever feel bored!
Note: This guide contains affiliate links to my trusted travel partners.
If you’re new around here, first of all…welcome! I’m happy to have you here.
My name is Erin, and I authored the Savannah First-Timer’s Guide.
I guess you could say I make my living telling people what to do in Savannah, so I know a thing or two about fun ways to keep busy in the city!
Cemeteries in Savannah
To learn what makes Savannah so special, it’s important to first explore the city’s incredible past. What better way to do so than at one of our beautiful cemeteries?
Colonial Park Cemetery
Colonial Park Cemetery is located in Savannah’s Historic District. You can easily walk to it or take the free DOT shuttles to be dropped off within one block of its gates.
Read my detailed post about Colonial Park and see more photos here:
Colonial Park Cemetery, Savannah
There’s no need to do a guided tour; just read my post about it, and then explore it on your own!
Bonaventure Cemetery
Bonaventure Cemetery is known for being one of the most beautiful cemeteries in the world.
It’s located on the outskirts of the city, so you’ll need a ride to get to it.
So much history is contained within its gates and the cemetery is so massive that I think it’s absolutely worth it to pay for a guided tour. You’ll get your money’s worth.
Read my detailed post about Bonaventure and see more photos here:
Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah
I consider it one of the top “must-see” places in Savannah! However, please keep in mind that it is an active cemetery, and always respect anyone who is there to visit loved ones.
Recommended Cemetery Tours:
- Bonaventure Dash Tours
- Bonaventure Don Tours
- Savannah Cruzers [mobility-impaired option]
Related Reading: These 3 Cemeteries in Savannah are Worth a Visit
Savannah Black History Tours
There’s no doubt Savannah is a city with a complicated and troubled past.
A Black history tour is one of the best ways to understand the vast contributions made by African Americans — both enslaved and freed — to this city.
A few of the most significant tours include the Owens Thomas House and Slave Quarters, First African Baptist Church, and Pin Point Heritage Museum.
My post about the best Black history tours in Savannah will help you learn more about the many options that are available, but I can’t stress enough how important it is to just choose an option — any option (they’re all good) — and go!
In addition to the places listed above, you can also take a guided walking tour led by one of Savannah’s local historians. Sistah Patt of Underground Tours of Savannah gives an incredible tour.
Recommended Guided Black History Tours:
Related Reading: 11 Black History Tours to Help You Better Understand Savannah
Savannah Walking Tours
As long as you’re physically able, the best way to get around Savannah is by foot!
It’s so much easier to notice all the incredible details of the city when you’re walking, and it’s better for our environment, too.
It’s very common for tourists to tell me they took 10,000 to 20,000 steps a day during their vacations!
The majority of the time they’re having so much fun exploring that they don’t even realize how far they’ve walked until they check their step counter at the end of the day.
Jones Street
If you only have time to stroll down one street, I suggest beautiful Jones Street. It’s considered the prettiest street in Savannah, and it definitely lives up to the hype!
Here are some photos as proof:
Read my detailed post about Jones Street and see more photos here:
Jones Street Savannah
Many of the homes along Jones Street were built in the mid 1800s and have historic plaques near the front door indicating the home’s age.
Factors Walk
One of my personal favorite places to take a walk in Savannah is along historic Factors Walk.
It’s where you’ll find unique Savannah landmarks like the Old Cotton Exchange building and the mysterious Cluskey Vaults.
Factors Walk Savannah
Factors Walk looks (and sometimes feels) rather spooky, and it’s one of the best places to explore in Savannah if you want to feel as if you’ve stepped back in time.
River Street
Finally, one of the most classic Savannah activities you can do is take a sunset stroll along River Street to watch the cargo ships come into port.
Visitors are always surprised to see how the ships tower over the buildings along River Street.
Read my detailed post about River Street and see more photos here:
River Street Savannah
Check the Marine Traffic website before you go to see when the biggest cargo ships will be coming through the area!
Recommended Historic District Walking Tours:
Related Reading: Savannah Georgia Must-See Spots for First-Time Visitors
Squares in Savannah
Savannah is built on a unique grid system that includes 22+ “squares” (aka: miniature parks or green spaces) where you can stop to relax and enjoy the shade.
If you’re doing a walking tour of Savannah, I suggest exploring each square as you pass by.
The squares typically contain historic markers that provide interesting facts about the square or the homes and buildings surrounding it.
The squares look different with each season, so it’s hard to pick a favorite.
I tend to favor the quieter options located in the more residential areas of the city versus the ones closer to the river, but they all have something interesting to offer.
Thanks to the popular movie, “Forrest Gump,” Chippewa Square is probably the most well-known square in Savannah.
Recommended Squares to Visit:
- Troup Square
- Columbia Square
- Monterey Square
- Chippewa Square
⭐ Insider Tip: The squares also make a great place to do some people watching! Savannah is a known for its eccentric residents and many tend to hang out in the squares.
Savannah Trolly Tours
If you have mobility issues or aren’t accustomed to the oppressive heat and humidity during the summer months in Savannah, then you might want to try a trolley tour on your first day instead of walking.
Trolley tours provide a good overview of the city and will help you get the lay of the land.
The non-stop trolley tours are the fastest option, since they only take an hour to 90 minutes of your time.
Savannah Trolley Tour Reviews: Which One is Best?
The hop-on/hop-off tours take all day, but you’ll spend most of your time off the trolley and out exploring the landmarks at each stop.
To give you an idea of what you’ll see on a hop-on/hop-off trolley tour, I created a helpful itinerary that’s loaded with photos of the many beautiful attractions you can visit along the route.
Recommended Trolley Tours:
Haunted Tours in Savannah
If you were to ask me about the most popular activity in the city, I’d have to say the ghost tours win by a long shot.
It’s practically a rite of passage to do a ghost tour while you’re visiting Savannah!
Take a Guided Ghost Tour
In fact, there are so many to choose from that I’ve written a separate detailed post about all of the different options: The Best Ghost Tours in Savannah.
It lists the top options based on tour type, including walking tours, pub crawls, haunted house tours, paranormal tours, haunted trolley tours, family-friendly tours, and more!
Read my detailed guide to Savannah’s top ghost tours here:
The Best Ghost Tours in Savannah
Hunt for Ghosts on Your Own
As fun as the guided tours are, you can also explore many of the most haunted locations on your own using my most haunted places in Savannah post to plan your route. (You might actually get a little more spooked if you aren’t strolling around amongst a crowd of tourists!)
Read the detailed post and see more photos here:
The 11 Most Haunted Places in Savannah, Georgia (Map Included!)
Visit a Haunted Mansion
Now…if you actually want to venture inside a haunted mansion, the Sorrel-Weed House might be your best bet. It’s one of the only (reportedly) haunted homes in the city that visitors can actually tour.
They even offer after-hours paranormal lock-ins, for those of you who are really brave!
Read my detailed post about the house and see lots of photos here:
Exploring the Sorrel-Weed House: A Haunted Savannah Mansion
No matter which ghost tours you opt to do, they’re all in good fun and are a nice way to meet new people while you’re visiting Savannah.
Suggested Ghost Tours:
- Genteel & Bard Dark History & Ghost Encounter Tour
- Historic Savannah Theatre 3-Hour Paranormal Investigation
- Sorrel Weed House Tour
- Ghosts & Gravestones Trolley Tour [mobility-impaired option]
Related Reading: Reader Reviews of the Ghost Tour Trolleys (Are they Scary or Cheesy?)
Unusual Things To Do
I mentioned the city is known for its eccentric characters, right?
Well, eccentric residents create quirky businesses!
I’ve written extensively about some of the more unusual things to do in Savannah, and that list is a long one.
It includes options like visiting a serial killer museum, taking a cocktail class at an authentic speakeasy, exploring the city with self-proclaimed “morons,” and going on a pub crawl with a drag queen!
Explore the Plant Riverside District
If you’re traveling with kids, try heading to the west end of River Street to explore the lobby of the JW Marriott Plant Riverside.
It’s set up like a natural history museum and has exhibits featuring a unique collection of geodes and historic artifacts. The lobby’s most memorable feature is a giant 135-foot chrome dinosaur!
Read all about the Plant Riverside District and see lots of photos here:
What’s Really Worth Seeing in the Plant Riverside District?
Plant Riverside District is considered an “Entertainment Zone,” so there are plenty of activities (like free concerts) in the area.
See the City from the Water
Another popular activity for first-time visitors along the riverfront is a dinner cruise on the iconic Georgia Queen.
The steamboat offers a unique way to see the warehouse district from the water, and some of the cruises include dinner and/or drinks.
The free Savannah Belles ferry is another (much faster) way to see Savannah from the water. It offers a quick round trip from one side of the river to the other.
Hang Out in a Bookstore
On of my personal favorite Savannah activities is to spend time relaxing in one of the city’s independent bookstores. Books on Bay, The Book Lady, The Stacks, and E. Shaver, Bookseller are four popular options.
E Shaver, Bookseller is charming shop filled with unique reads — many by local authors — and they carry souvenirs with a local twist.
Read my detailed guide to Savannah’s more unusual things to do here:
Quirky and Fun Things To Do in Savannah
While you’re there, pick up a copy of my favorite locally-authored book, “Sketching Savannah” by the talented Ivan Chow. I also love the book, “Savannah Square by Square”.
Related Reading
In case you were too busy reading and missed some of the posts mentioned above, here are a few favorites again so you can circle back:
- Must-See Spots for First-Time Visitors to Savannah, Georgia
- These 3 Incredible Cemeteries in Savannah are Worth a Visit
- 11 Black History Tours in Savannah to Educate and Inspire You
- Savannah Trolley Tour Reviews: Which Option is Best?
- A Local’s Take on the Spookiest Ghost Tours in Savannah
Savannah Travel Guide
If you’re the type of traveler who wants all of your information in one place, my ebook is the best way to go. It combines my top travel tips from this website into a handy downloadable guide.
When you purchase the Savannah First-Timer’s Guide, you’ll gain access to a private Facebook group where you can ask questions about your upcoming trip and see photos from others who have recently visited.