Historic Southern City Break
Savannah doesn't try to impress you. It just does. The city's 22 original squares create a walking grid that feels more like a series of outdoor rooms than a downtown, and everywhere you turn there's a cathedral, a cemetery, or a corner bar older than most American states. This is a city that rewards the unhurried — and a long weekend here, done right, delivers an outsized return on every dollar spent.
Your best routing is into Charleston International Airport (CHS), where Business-class roundtrips from JFK run ~$417, verify when booking. That fare — competitive with economy on some legacy carriers — is the backbone of this trip's value proposition. From CHS, the drive south to Savannah is roughly 84 miles, about 90 minutes on I-95, and it's a pleasant, flat-country cruise through the Lowcountry. Rent a car at the airport (more on that below) and you're set for the entire trip.
Drop your bags and walk. Start at the Savannah History Museum (303 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd; admission ~$10–$15, verify when booking), which sits inside the old Central of Georgia Railway passenger shed and gives you the city's full timeline in about an hour — from Oglethorpe's founding through the Civil War to the Midnight in the Garden era. It's the right primer before you set foot on the squares.
From there, walk east to First African Baptist Church (23 Montgomery Street), the oldest continuous Black church in North America, constituted in December 1777. Guided tours (~$10–$15, verify when booking) run regularly and are led by church members who know the building's role in the Underground Railroad intimately. The breathing holes drilled into the floor of the lower sanctuary will stop you in your tracks.
After lunch — grab a sandwich from one of the cafés along Broughton Street — continue south to the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (222 E Harris Street). The twin spires are Savannah's skyline, and the interior, with its Austrian stained glass and restored murals, rivals churches twice its fame. Entry is free; donations encouraged. End the afternoon at Forsyth Tabernacle (540 Bull Street), the cast-iron pavilion anchoring Forsyth Park, where locals jog, dogs roam, and the light through the live oaks at golden hour justifies the entire trip.
Evening: book a sunset sailing on River Street Riverboat Cruises (9 E River Street; tickets ~$35–$75 depending on dinner or cocktail cruise, verify when booking). The views of the cotton warehouses from the water, drink in hand, are the best orientation to Savannah's riverfront you'll get.
Morning belongs to the museums. Start at Telfair Academy (121 Barnard Street; admission ~$15–$20, verify when booking), the South's oldest public art museum, housed in a Regency mansion designed by William Jay in 1819. The permanent collection leans 19th-century American and European, and the building itself is half the exhibition. Walk two blocks to the SCAD Museum of Art (601 Turner Boulevard; admission ~$10–$15, verify when booking), which skews contemporary and rotates shows from SCAD's global network — a sharp counterpoint to Telfair's classicism.
After lunch, tour the Mercer Williams House Museum (429 Bull Street; tours ~$12–$15, verify when booking). Yes, it's the house from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. No, the tour doesn't dwell on the sensational; it focuses on Jim Williams' meticulous restoration and antiques collection. The carriage house shop is worth a look.
Late afternoon: join a walking tour with the Historic Savannah Foundation (447 Martin Street; tours ~$20–$30, verify when booking). Their guides are preservationists, not performers, and the architectural detail they surface — ironwork, fanlights, tabby construction — will change how you see every block afterward.
Drive south to Wormsloe Historic Site (7601 Skidaway Road; admission ~$10–$12, verify when booking). The mile-long avenue of live oaks is the most photographed approach in Georgia, and the tabby ruins of Noble Jones' 18th-century estate are among the oldest standing structures in the state. Give it 90 minutes and bring water — the trails extend through marsh and maritime forest.
Continue east to Tybee Island for the Bodie Island Lighthouse Tour (~$5–$12, verify when booking). The climb is modest and the panoramic views of the coastline and salt marshes are worth the slight burn in your calves.
If you're a golfer, carve out the afternoon for Bonaventure Golf Club (1 Bonaventure Drive; greens fees ~$40–$80, verify when booking), a public-access course laid out along the Wilmington River with views that would cost three times the price in the Sea Islands.
Three strong options at different price points. Perry Lane Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Savannah (~$300–$500/night, verify when booking) is the splurge — rooftop pool, central location, genuinely excellent cocktail program. Hotel Bardo Savannah (~$200–$350/night, verify when booking) is the design-forward boutique pick with a moody, layered aesthetic. The Marshall House (~$150–$275/night, verify when booking) is Savannah's oldest hotel, operating since 1851, and delivers character and location at the most approachable rate.
Rent a car at CHS — you need it for the drive down, for Wormsloe, Tybee Island, and Bonaventure. Budget ~$45–$75/day, verify when booking. In the Historic District itself, park once and walk; the grid is flat and compact, and most Day 1 and Day 2 experiences are within a 15-minute stroll of each other.
Skip the hop-on-hop-off trolleys — you'll see more on foot in half the time. March through May and October through November are the sweet spots: warm but not sweltering, azaleas or turning leaves depending on the season, and hotel rates 15–20% below summer peaks. Avoid St. Patrick's Day weekend unless you specifically want 500,000 people and green beer in the squares. Savannah's humidity in July and August is genuinely oppressive; plan accordingly.
Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our Terms.