36 Hours In Savannah: What To Do, Eat and See
Savannah, Georgia is a beautiful city that is full of history and charm. If you only have 36 hours to spend in the city, here are some of the things that you should do! The 24 original squares and parks in Savannah are a must-see, and there are plenty of great restaurants where you can enjoy Southern cuisine. Be sure to check out some of the city’s museums, such as the Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences, or take a ghost tour for a spooky experience. There are also plenty of tours, food festivals, bars and entertainment options to choose from in Savannah.
You can check out the most popular tours and activities just below or scroll all the way to the bottom to see how I spent my weekend in Savannah. It was boozy and foodie with just the right amount of exercise (I walked from bar to bar).
Outdoor Activities
There are a number of great walking tours to choose from in Savannah. The most popular are the ghost tours, which take visitors to some of the city’s most haunted locations. These tours are led by local guides who will share stories about the city’s haunted past.
Ghost and Gravestones
website: https://www.ghostsandgravestones.com/savannah#tours
Learn about the city’s origins with its founding in 1733 when it was built upon native American burial grounds. Will you encounter the ghost of Civil War General Robert E. Lee at the famous Andrew Low House? Take the Trolley of the Doomed to the burial grounds in Wright Square and try to contact the spirits at the Perkins & Sons Ship Chandlery!
Full-Day or Half-Day/Evening tours are available starting at $35 per person.
Nightly Spirits
website: https://nightlyspirits.com/savannah-ghost-tours/
Step back in time to the 1700’s to explore the parts of Savannah that most only dare to talk about. You’ll hear tales about the dead that haven’t quite moved on, visit some of the most haunted places in the city and get to know the spirits that haunt the locals…and the places that the locals haunt.
Your ghost tour will begin at Savannah Taphouse, where you can collect some spirits at the bar before getting to know the spirits that might be sitting right next to you. From there you will journey through the city for about two and a half hours with your ghostly guide, making a few stops at local pubs that might just be haunted too.
Tours are available starting at $25 per person. Drinks are not included nor required.
Food & Walking Tours
Southern Flavors Savannah
website: https://southernflavorssavannah.com/
Fun and delicious food and history walking tours of Historic downtown Savannah. Visit restaurants and eateries while learning the history of the city. Food tastings and a drink (sweet tea, soda, water) are included in the ticket price.
Tours are available starting at $25 per person.
Cocktail Class In Congress Street
website: https://www.americanprohibitionmuseum.com/tickets
Not your average “Dry” Museum, the American Prohibition Museum is the first and only museum in the United States dedicated to the history of Prohibition. While here, guests will travel back in time to the early 1900s, as anti-alcohol rallies swept the nation and the “booze problem” was pushed to the fore-front of American politics.
Tours are available starting at $25 per person (cocktail class $66).
24 Original Squares and Parks
There are 24 original squares and parks in Savannah, Georgia, and they are a must-see for any visitor. The squares were designed in the late 18th century by James Oglethorpe, the founder of Savannah and the colony of Georgia. They are all located within walking distance of each other, and many of them have been restored to their original glory.
Chippewa Square
The Chippewa Square is incredibly historic (as are all parks and squares in Savannah). It is one of the most popular squares in Savannah, and it’s easy to see why. Chippewa Square is referred to as “the Forrest Gump square.” We all know the scene. He’s sitting on a bench waiting for the Number 9 bus, a box of chocolates in his lap, telling his tales to all who sit down beside him. The scene was shot on the north side of the square with the statue of Oglethorpe in the background. A replica of the bench can be found at the Savannah History Museum, and also at Georgia’s I-95 Welcome Center, where visitors can sit next to a life-sized Forrest to have their picture taken.
While visiting Chippewa Square, you may want to stop in to The Savannah Theatre, The Foley House Inn, First Baptist Church, and the 1847 Moses-Eastman House.
Forsyth Park
Forsyth Park is another must-see square in Savannah. The park is huge (almost 30 acres), and it features a number of historical monuments. The park’s iconic fountain was installed in 1858 and is one of the most-photographed places in Savannah. Forsyth Park is also home to a number of beautiful gardens, including the Fragrant Garden for the blind, repurposed from a fort that was built for training purposes before World War I.
The park is a great place to take a stroll, have a picnic, or just relax and people watch. There are also a number of events held in Forsyth Park throughout the year, including the Savannah Jazz Festival and the Savannah Food & Wine Festival.
Indoor Activities
Telfair Museums
Visit one or all three Telfair Museums. Each museum is unique. One ticket includes all three museums and is valid for one week from time of purchase.
The Jepson Center
The Jepson Center links the history preserved by the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters and Telfair Academy to the future of art and architecture. The strikingly modern building, opened in 2006, is filled with art, activities, and educational opportunities that will encourage learning for generations to come.
The Telfair Academy
The Telfair Academy is just short walk away from the Jepson Center, but that short distance covers nearly 200 years of history. The stately two-story mansion, designed by William Jay in the Neoclassical Regency style and built in 1819, is just three historic squares away from Jay’s other masterpiece, the Owens-Thomas House. The Telfair Academy contains three nineteenth-century period rooms and houses nineteenth- and twentieth-century American and European art from the museum’s permanent collection including paintings, works on paper, sculpture, and decorative arts.
Owens-Thomas House
The Owens-Thomas House, along with its adjacent gardens, carriage house, and slave quarters, allows visitors to explore the complicated relationships between the most and least powerful people in the city of Savannah in the early 19th century.
This historic home is just a seven-minute walk from Telfair Museums’ other two sites and provides a unique experience. During our guided visits, visitors explore period rooms filled with exquisite decorative arts, interactive exhibits for all ages, and historical areas depicting stories of people both free and enslaved who lived and worked on the site 200 years ago.
Where To Eat
Well there certainly are no shortage of yummy spots to indulge and bulge in Savannah. From ultra fine dining to greasy diners (no judgement), there’s something for every taste and palate. I love, love, love (did I say love) FOOD! You’re like, “Duh, so do I”. I love food so much, I plan my vacations around cuisine. What I mean is, if I want to know what REAL Vietnamese cooking tastes like I’ll book a trip to Saigon. Yes, you can absolutely get Vietnamese food in the states that’s cooked by an individual whose home country is Vietnam but IMHO, you have an entirely different perspective on on bahn mi when you’re eating your sidewalk sandwich while experiencing the weather and the people. You know exactly where the ingredients are sourced, prepared and served (talk about locally sourced). It’s a total vibe. So yeah, I really love food.
Back to Savannah… all of these eateries are tourist tested, Anne approved. But please don’t limit yourself to this list! There are hundreds of restaurants in Savannah!
St. Neo’s Brasserie $$$-$$$$ Make reservations well in advance
Olde Pink House Restaurant (Reservations needed) $$$$
The Collins Corner (both locations are great) $$-$$$
Sandfly BBQ $$-$$$
Little Duck Diner $$-$$$
Treylor Park (Best BLT) $$-$$$
Betty Bombers (Best Cheesesteak) $
The Public Kitchen & Bar $$$-$$$$
Local 11 Ten (Best, best) $$$$
Rocks On The Roof (Best view) $$-$$$
Six Pence Pub (Best pickle back)$$-$$$
Better Than Sex Desserts (Best conversation… ahem) $$-$$$ (adults only. your kids would DIE of embarrassment)
Gallery Espresso (Best atmosphere) $
Senient Bean (coffee with a purpose) $
36 Hours In Savannah
And now for the main event. If you’ve read through the where to, how to, what to above you’ve earned your FREE itinerary. (PS- people pay good money for this stuff)
Day 1 Arrival: You’re dining at Local 11 Ten this evening. Call ahead to make a reservation if you haven’t already. Throw on your most comfortable loafers because you’re walking.
- Check into your accommodations and go for a walk. Assuming you’re staying close to Bay St, head to Chippewa Square first. You’ll not be disappointed (unless you’re looking for Forrest Gump’s Bench. The replica is actually at the Savannah History Museum).
- From Chippewa Square, grab a pint at Six Pence Pub (to stay or TO GO!) and head to Madison Square. This is my favorite little park. I almost passed out near here one time (I was sober, people!) and landed on a bench here. I had plenty of time to sit and reflect and take in the insanely beautiful sights and sounds in Madison Square. Just park it (pun intended) and anticipate what this historic city and this weekend has in store for you.
- You’re still on foot so get up and head to Forsyth Park. Buy a grass woven rose in the park (or, not) and grab a selfie in front of the fountain because after all, if it’s not on social, it didn’t happen. If you have some time to kill before your reservation at Local 11 Ten, head west (to the right. still inside the park) to the Garden of Fragrance. It does close at 2:00 but you can still get a whiff of the blooms.
- Local 11 Ten, you made it. Hopefully in time for happy hour. Their cocktails are fantastic (even the ones from the HH menu. I know, you’re skeptical). This is one of my favorite eateries in Savannah. I happened onto this place randomly because I was close by and HANGRY. I’m so glad I did. Don’t be afraid of the reviews or pics. Yes, it’s a bit on the pricy side but totally unpretentious. The dress code is “smart casual”. My husband and I were both wearing jeans and sneaks. Smart sneaks 😉
- After dinner, meet up for your ghost tour!
Day 2: Disclaimer- This is a boozy day but also with lots of choose your own adventure.
- Head over to the Forsyth Farmer’s market. You can check out who will be in attendance before you walk that way @forsythfarmersmarket.
- It’s time for CYOA!- You can choose to stop at Sentient Bean for a boost before you purchase your tickets for the Telfair Museum Or! have a boozy brunch at the Collins Quarter in Forsyth Park.
- If you chose a boozy brunch at The Collins Quarter-Forsyth Park, grab a mimosa to go. Hang out in the park and watch a pick-up soccer game.
- If you chose the museums (one or all three) lunch is boozy! See what I did there? And, you’re still having lunch at The Collins Quarter, but this time it’s at their Bull St location.
- CYOA- Opt 1: If you’re staying booze free (I commend you) you can drive out to Bonaventure Cemetery or Wormsloe. Wormsloe is good for taking pics and seeing the grounds. Don’t expect much of a history lesson and you won’t be able to access the house. Opt 2: Grab a cocktail at Artillery. Artillery is by Daniel Reed. If you dined at Local 11 Ten last night, you’ll completely understand the level of care and curation that goes into every concept.
- And why not round out your Daniel Reed experience with dinner at The Public Kitchen & Bar. No Reservations accepted. First come first served. If you’re keeping in the fine dining theme of the weekend, dine at the Pink House. Reservations required (if you want to be guaranteed a table).
Day 3: One more day? Bonus day! : Famous Eastside Food Tour. You’re welcome.
Savannah is a vibrant city that offers savory food, ghosts and beauty. If you’re looking for a weekend getaway or just want to see what the hype is all about, Savannah has something for everyone regardless of your interests. Spend 36 hours in Savannah by visiting different squares, parks and museums as well as savoring some delicious drinks at one of the many bars. And don’t forget to attend the St. Patrick’s Day festivities! There’s no better place to be than Savannah during this holiday (more on that later). Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy your time in Savannah!
-Anne