If you’re looking for things to in Savannah, you’ve landed in the right place! I’m always out exploring the Historic District– trying to discover 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!
FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase through one of my links.
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 how to keep busy!
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 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.
There’s no need to do a guided tour; just read my post about it (above), and then explore it on your own!
Bonaventure 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.
I consider it one of the top “must-see” places in Savannah!
Recommended Cemetery Tours:
- Bonaventure Dash Tours
- Bonaventure Don Tours
- Savannah Cruzers [mobility-impaired option]
Related Reading: Savannah Georgia Must-See Spots for First-Time Visitors
Savannah Black History Tours
Savannah is a city with a complicated past, there’s no doubt about that.
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 First African Baptist Church, the Owens Thomas House and Slave Quarters, 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 and Vaughnette Goode-Walker of Footprints of Savannah both give incredible tours.
Recommended Guided Black History Tours:
Savannah Walking Tours
The best way to get around Savannah is on foot!
It’s so much easier to notice all the incredible details of the city when you’re walking — not to mention it’s also much better for our environment.
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.
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!
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.
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 almost always surprised to see how they tower over the buildings along River Street.
Recommended Historic District Walking Tours:
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.
Thanks to the popular movie, “Forrest Gump”, Chippewa Square is the most well-known square in Savannah.
FYI: 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.
Recommended Squares to Visit:
- Chippewa Square
- Monterey Square
- Troup Square
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 in the city instead of walking.
Savannah Trolley Tour Reviews: Which One is Best?
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 an hour-and-a-half of your time.
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 and attractions at each stop.
Old Savannah Trolley Tours 1-Day Savannah Itinerary
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 and landmarks you can visit along the route (linked above).
Recommended Trolley Tours:
Haunted Tours in Savannah
If you were to ask me about the most popular things to do in Savannah, Georgia, 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 the city!
There are so many to choose from that I’ve written a separate detailed post about all of the different options.
It lists your best options based on tour type: walking tours, pub crawls, haunted house tours, paranormal tours, family-friendly tours, and more!
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]
Unusual Things to Do in Savannah
I mentioned the city is known for its eccentric characters, right?
Well, eccentric residents create quirky businesses!
I’ve written extensively about things to do in Savannah that tend to fall on the more unusual side.
Quirky and Fun Things To Do in Savannah
That list 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!