The self-proclaimed Hostess City of the South’s historical architecture, attractive live oaks, and walkable historic district and downtown make it an ideal domestic weekend getaway without a car. Come in winter to avoid the crowds (temperatures tend to be in the upper 50s during the day and low 40s at night) or book a fall or spring visit to see the city’s lovely parks and gardens in full bloom. The summer months are extremely hot and humid, not for the faint of heart.
Consider pairing a few days in Savannah with a visit to nearby Charleston (the train takes less than two hours) or tack on a side trip after seeing a World Cup match in Atlanta. Whether you’re interested in live music, eating well, or getting a history lesson, these are the best things to do in Savannah.
Stroll through Forsyth Park
Butting against the southern boundary of Savannah’s historic district, Forsyth Park is 30 acres of green space serving as the hub of leisure: You’ll see people playing the saxophone, walking their dogs, or gathering on Saturdays for the weekly farmers’ market, where, depending on the season, you can sip watermelon juice or munch on Georgia pecans.
With neatly paved paths and manicured grass making it hard to stray, the serene park is only a two-minute walk from the bustle of historic downtown. Check out the park’s fountain near its northern edge; its waters turn green every St. Patrick’s Day. In the middle of Forsyth, there’s also a section called the Garden of Fragrance, where you can smell the likes of Meyer lemon trees and cape jasmines. The garden also offers elements like braille plaques for those who are visually impaired.
Tour Savannah’s 22 squares
Savannah’s 22 historic squares, each of which you can easily cross in one minute, share insights into Savannah’s story: The marble monument in Pulaski Square sheds light on Savannah’s bloody involvement in the American Revolution, while the boulder honoring Yamacraw chief Tomochichi in Wright Square shares the long history of the Indigenous people who originally called this area home.
Tour these squares all at once, or intersperse them throughout your time in Savannah as you weave through the city. Although descriptions on plaques provide enough information for a self-guided tour, guided excursions (like those offered by Free Savannah Walking Tours) put places, people, and events in context.
Break for lunch at outdoor food court Starland Yard
Starland Yard has three permanent restaurants and a handful of rotating food trucks.
Courtesy of Starland Yard
Less than 10 minutes’ walk from Savannah African Art Museum is family-friendly Starland Yard, an outdoor food destination with three permanent restaurants, including Neapolitan-style Pizzeria Vittoria, and a handful of rotating of food trucks serving the likes of Philly cheesesteaks and Puerto Rican fare. Kids can play cornhole to their heart’s content while adults enjoy a few minutes to relax.
Take an architecture tour
Learn about Savannah’s history on an architecture tour with Jonathan Stalcup, an alumnus of Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). He runs 90-minute guided walks through the city. Sharing stories about famous residents and pointing out design details along the way, Stalcup brings color and atmosphere to several of the city’s homes in the Georgian, federal, and regency styles.
Groove to jazz, Afropop, and Celtic music and go to the movies
SCAD Savannah Film Festival, held every October, is the world’s largest university-run film festival.
Courtesy of Visit Savannah
Among the many happenings on Savannah’s calendar of annual events, there are three in particular that we recommend planning a trip around. Held over a dozen days in late March–early April, the Savannah Music Festival brings musicians to a handful of venues across Savannah.
In 2026, performers include Ivorian Afropop singer/dancer/percussionist Dobet Gnahoré, Grammy-nominated jamgrass ensemble Yonder Mountain String Band, and Grammy-winning blues guitarist Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.
Mid-September sees the annual Savannah Jazz Festival, three days of concerts by artists such as the Savannah Arts Academy SkyeLite Jazz Band and Jocelyn Gould. And in October, the eight-day SCAD Savannah Film Festival hosts special screenings, workshops, and lectures.
The festival packs in big names; Jon M. Chu (of Crazy Rich Asians fame), Spike Lee, and Tessa Thompson all graced the stage in 2025.
Enjoy a cone at Leopold’s Ice Cream
Leopold’s has been slinging ice cream to Savannahians since 1919.
Courtesy of Leopold’s
Given the large, neon-lit sign in front of Leopold’s Ice Cream and the line outside the door, it’s hard to miss this shop on Broughton Street. Don’t worry, the service is speedy, and the establishment isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Leopold’s has been a mainstay in the city for more than a century, since its founding by three brothers from Greece—George, Peter, and Basil Leopold—and the family still runs the shop.
Choose the acclaimed favorite, lemon custard, or sink your teeth into a simple butter pecan. But don’t be too set on your decision beforehand, as you may find off-menu flavors at the counter. Sit and enjoy your cone after putting a quarter in the jukebox, and admire the movie posters on the wall—they’re the films that Stratton Leopold, Peter’s youngest child, has produced as a Hollywood hotshot.
Cruise the Savannah River on a Belles ferry
For a relaxing trip down the Savannah River, take a free, 20-minute ferry ride between City Hall Landing and Waving Girl Landing.
The ferries are named for different “Belles,” honoring four of Savannah’s most famous women, including Susie King Taylor—a Civil War nurse, teacher, and author—and Mary Musgrove, née Coosaponakeesa. The daughter of a Muscogee (Creek) mother and an English colonist father, Musgrove grew up to become a negotiator between English colonizers and the local Indigenous communities.
Learn the stories behind historic Savannah buildings
Get a better understanding of Savannah’s complex history with a visit to the Davenport House Museum.
Photo by Dylan Wilson, courtesy of Visit Savannah
On a tour of the federal-style 1820 Davenport House Museum, learn about the family and 13 enslaved people who resided on the premises and what daily life was like in early 19th-century Savannah. Tours are 70 minutes and occur every half hour 11 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m.–11:30 a.m. on Saturdays.
Davenport House admission: adults $15; students/seniors $12, children $10, under six free
One block away is the Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters, an 1819 mansion with some of the best-preserved urban enslaved people’s quarters in the South. The guided daily tours give visitors a glimpse into the lives of 14 enslaved people who worked in this now-bustling city. Tours are given Tuesday to Sunday every 15 minutes from 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters admission: adults $30, seniors $27, students $20, children $10, under five free. Ticket includes admission to the Jepson Center and Children’s Art Museum and the Telfair Academy.
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Get a taste of Savannah’s restaurant vanguard
A 1938 Greyhound bus station is home to lauded Savannah restaurant the Grey.
Courtesy of Visit Savannah
The southeastern United States has become a food-city powerhouse, with some of the country’s hottest restaurants having opened in Birmingham, Alabama, Charleston, and Greenville, South Carolina. And the same goes for Savannah.
In a historic Queen Anne house off of Thomas Square, Common Thread—a 2025 James Beard Award semi-finalist—sets itself apart with a marriage of the region’s bounty and global flavors. Tuck into dishes such as Carolina gold rice with crab, peas, andouille, and Parmesan, or yellowfin tuna with tamarind chili jam, peanuts, and shiso.
At Flock to the Wok, Ele Tran and her husband Sean dish out Chinese classics such as Shanghai fried rice, braised spicy tofu, and sautéed green beans. The couple’s Little Duck Diner, a modern twist on an all-day diner, is a longtime local favorite.
Next to Forsyth Park in a 1950s bank building is Local 11ten and its rooftop bar, Perch. The restaurant has a compact New American menu—grilled shimp with a tamarind glaze, mustard-crusted grouper with sautéed spinach—while the upstairs has the same menu plus a bar slinging frozen cocktails.
No list of Savannah restaurants would be complete without the Grey (so named for its home, a 1938 art deco Greyhound bus station). The restaurant, from James Beard Award-winning chef Mashama Bailey and restaurateur John O. Morisano, serves seasonal, regional fare—think fried squash with a zingy habanero syrup, crispy sage, and farmer’s cheese or hoe cakes (buttermilk pancakes) with caviar, chives, and buttermilk crema.
Where to stay in Savannah
The 44-room Municipal Grand opened in a 1960s former bank in July 2025.
Photo by Kelly Calvillo
Municipal Grand
A 1960s modernist bank turned 44-room hotel, Municipal Grand in July 2025 in Savannah’s North Historic District. True to the building’s bones, the design is midcentury but without going overboard—curved walls, headboards, and furniture, handsome dark wood banquettes, lots of terrazzo, and walls clad in blue tile.
The retro-cool design and location are reason enough to stay here, but the rooftop—with its candy-stripe cushioned loungers and pool—is the icing on the cake.
Perry Lane Hotel
Comprising two five-story towers, Perry Lane feels elegant and cool all at once, and sits surrounded by five leafy squares and half a dozen museums. Details such as midnight blue walls, velvet banquettes, and leather chairs add to the property’s moody, intimate vibe.
The 167 cozy rooms are outfitted with writing desks, tiled showers, and pieces from the hotel’s extensive art collection; it includes more than 3,600 vintage and antique items and 1,200 pieces of art, including an original Paul Gauguin and works by alumni of and students at SCAD.
Thompson Savannah
Spring for a river-facing room at the 193-room Thompson Savannah and watch boats chugging up and down the Savannah River. Even if you don’t stay here, hit the rooftop bar, Bar Julian, the highest rooftop in the city, for the panorama and cocktails, such as the Sugarplum, laced with tequila, plum, and coriander.
What to read before visiting Savannah
A requisite and colorful primer, the nonfiction book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt tells the story of art dealer James Williams’s murder trials and eventual acquittal. Sylvia Shaw Judson’s statue Bird Girl, immortalized on the bestselling book’s cover, is now at the Telfair Academy.
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This article was originally published in 2022 and most recently updated on April 3, 2026, with current information. Sophie Friedman contributed to the reporting of this story.
