Savannah Travel Suggestions

[Muddy Rivers]

My husband and I are visiting Savannah (for the first time) in October. We were wondering if anyone has any suggestions for us for hotels and favorite dining spots?

We would also welcome any sights that we shouldn't miss. DIS people have always been so helpful.

Thank you so much!!

 

[crazycatstacy]

we were just there in June for one day. We took a trolley tour and it was great to see and hear about different things. You could hop on and off the trolley at all the stops so you could explore different areas. We ate at Paula Deen's restaurant which was fine, but I think there are better options. I did enjoy the Savannah Candy Company and Byrds Cookiesss- both treats I got from there were delicious. I wanted to eat breakfast at Huey's on the River but we didn't get going in time to do that. My friend is a big fan of The Pink House.

 

[Muddy Rivers]

Thank you! The trolley sounds great! Can't wait to look up your other suggestions.

 

[candy0730]

We just went in March. We took Uber/Lyft from the airport. Savannah is very walkable and you shouldn't need a car. Definitely do the hop on/off trolley and stay on for one full loop to decide what sights you want to visit. Tops sights for husband and I were Forsyth Park, Cathedral Basilica of St John the Baptist (even if you are not religious - it's stunning!), Factors Walk, Mercer House, Pounce Cat Cafe and Leopolds Ice Cream. We stayed at Marshal House which was very centrally located. It is supposed to be haunted but we didn't encounter anything unusual. Be sure to visit as many squares as you can. I love how the city was laid out around green space.

Have a great time!

 

[greeneyedchick]

I have researched all of the hotels there and each time, I always end up staying at the Hampton Inn on Ogelthorpe (when we're staying as a family). So many other hotels have bad reviews or are more expensive. The Ogelthorpe Hampton Inn is close to SCAD, where my child attends. But it is also within walking distance of the river and City Walk area (I can't remember the exact name where the street is closed and there are a lot of shops). They also have evening cookies and coffee and a full, free hot breakfast. To save yourself money, you can park in the public lot which is across the street a block away, rather than pay Hampton Inn (their parking garage at Embassy Suites is farther).4

If you want something more romantic, there is a haunted B&B called the Eliza Thompson House which isn't too much more money than the Hampton Inn. Great location, soft beds, and yummy breakfast. If you belong to SAM's club, you can get $60 off a night if you book through them.

I haven't had a lot of great food in Savannah, mainly because my kids are picky eaters. We did enjoy a pho place called Drunken Noodle Monkey or something along those lines.

The Trolley is convenient but expensive ($40 per person). You can take a Lyft that takes you from the hotel to the east end of the river walk for $8. Since it's walkable, you probably don't need all of the stops on the trolley tour.

If you're into haunted stuff, there's lots of haunted walking tours. The SCAD art museum is small and not great. I would recommend the Savanah history museum at one of the visitor centers. I think it's off of Martin Luther King. Have fun on your trip!

 

[sheilafri]

There are great old houses to tour in Savannah. Rooftop drinks at Rocks on the Roof at the Bohemian Hotel. Walk the riverfront—many shops and restaurants. Trolley tour is fun. Haunted pub crawl. Check out the old cemeteries, especially the one with the statue from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. If by car, check out the beaches and lighthouse on Tybee Island. Savannah is a great walking town.

I was last there years ago and there were good Groupon deals available.

 

[auralia]

Savannah has a free hop on shuttle called the dot. They don’t tell stories like the pay for shuttles but it’s 100% free. Just google Savannah dot. My kids love Paula deans it’s a family style southern meal. Not horribly priced for what you get, but it can be salty. Savannah candy company on the river is family owned and great. We always stop there to get ice cream. There are a few historic homes you can tour if you like that kind of thing they are decent guided tours. We did the graveyard trolly once too. The kids liked it but I thought it was pretty corny. The Catholic Church is beautiful inside (I am not catholic but I still love to go look at it). You can go in as long as it isn’t time for service and usually there are a couple people who can tell you about the various status and stained glass etc.

 

[tvguy]

Have lunch at Mrs. Wilkes. Family style and amazing food.
http://mrswilkes.com/

Try to make it out to Tybee Island.

 

[Erica Ladd]

Been wanting to go to savannah too! Loving the info!!!

 

[Douglas Dubh]

Outside of downtown, I enjoyed visiting Fort Pulaski NM and Wormsloe SHS.

 

[pklein09]

Daughter is a SCAD grad, so sightseeing was limited. That being said, River Walk is nice, but just a small piece of time. The stair cases are crazy there! I second Leopold's Ice Cream...the line is usually out the door, but it moves. The Six Pence Pub on Bull St. was always consistent with food over a couple years of visits. We also went to the Moon River Brewing Company on Bay St. more than once. I'm not into beer, but the food was decent. Both of those restaurants are walkable if you're staying in the historic district.

 

[Earningmywings]

The Pink House is very good for dinner, but also very busy. You will need reservations a few days in advance. We did not like Paula Deens, food was cafeteria quality when we went.
If you are on the more adventurous side there is a great paranormal investigation tour at the Sorrel Weed House. This ghost tour give you actual paranormal equipment to try to find ghosts in the antebellum mansion and carriage house on property. More exciting than the standard ghost tour.

 

[scottmel]

WE love savannah! We love Hamilton Turner House and Perry Lane for lodging. A must must do reservation for dining is THE GREY. It books up crazy fast, like ADRs, but just fantastic. Pink House is good too for lunch. We did Bonnie Blue walking tour, she was very nice. Dessert Food tour too. And a must must is a tour of Bonadventure Cemetary with Shannon Scott.

 

[DisneyHardin]

We've just done day trips to Savannah when we've been at Hilton Head. I agree that the Trolley Tours are pretty neat - they give so much historical information about the various sites.

If anyone if your family is a big lover of Chicken Tenders, there is a restaurant on the River Walk called Spanky's that is supposedly the home of the first chicken tenders. We ate there and it was really good.

 

[GamGam]

An unexpected option: Rancho Alegre for Cuban food, near the railroad museum and three blocks from the visitor center, MLK Blvd at Jones St. Local, leisurely, tasty.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Have lunch at Mrs. Wilkes. Family style and amazing food.
http://mrswilkes.com/

Yes. Do this.

 

[Muddy Rivers]

Wow! DIS people are amazing as usual! The information that everybody provided is outstanding! Thank you so very much to everyone.

 

[SandyinMonterey]

My husband and I are visiting Savannah (for the first time) in October. We were wondering if anyone has any suggestions for us for hotels and favorite dining spots?

We would also welcome any sights that we shouldn't miss. DIS people have always been so helpful.

Thank you so much!!

When we moved to GA, Savannah was one of the first places we wanted to go. Went for 3 Days but honestly could of been just 2 & been fine. Stayed @ Holiday Inn Express Savannah on E Bay Street (912)231-9000. Great location, close to everything, clean/nice hotel. The Pirate House was good. Known for their pecan fried chicken. I’d say 90-95% people order that. You should make reservation. Mrs. Wilkes dining room was good. Very popular place. People start lining up way before opening. We waited 2 hours. Very small place, I believe cash only. Took river cruise but didn’t eat on it. Walked riverfront a lot. From hotel stand point, historic area behind it & river in front. Right out of front door. Like I said, we we there 3 days. Didn’t take long too see/do stuff. Was finding ourselves a little bored. Drove to Tybee. We were there in October, around the 10th & it was very, very hot. I remember walking to dinner at pirate house, I was sweating so much my hair was wet!

 

[loves to dive]

I live in Georgia and Savannah is my go to long weekend gotta get away or I'll kill someone spot. I love it. I can't count how many times I've been and I still do the trolley tour. Saves my poor feet from all the walking. It's a very walkable town, I love visiting all the squares, some are big some just a tiny little plot of land. I spend hours in the cemetery that is in town, love reading the old headstones. I also love touring the houses, it can get expensive but I still do it. Go into the Visitors Center where you buy the Trolley Tickets and talk to the people there, tell them you want some good food but not somewhere tourists would go, they will give you some good tips since they are local. I agree the Pink House is pretty good. I like staying at River Street Inn https://www.riverstreetinn.com/amenities. It's not cheap but it's in a historic building and right on the river. Yes, you will hear the noise from the river and you will hear the boats at night, if that bothers you I wouldn't suggest it though. I also enjoy staying at the many B&Bs there. If you have a car don't miss driving out to Fort Oglethorpe, there are also a few smaller forts along the way.

 

[Alexle2007]

I went to Savannah in Feb for a girl’s trip and had a great time! We stayed at the Andaz and it was a great location. We did the Trolley Tour, had the lunch buffet at The Pirate House (the fried chicken is on the buffet), lots Of walking around town and riverwalk, dinner at Vic’s on the River was superb. We did the bar on the rooftop near the Andaz. It was so much fun and I would go back in a heartbeat!