Our Complete Three Day/Four Night Savannah Itinerary

I had a lot of time to think about our Savannah itinerary. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever actively planned a trip as long as I planned our three days in Savannah, GA.

We first talked about Savannah in a serious “put that on your calendar” way in 2018 as we planned out the next couple “Christmastime in the City” trips. We intended to visit in December 2020, but the world had other plans. With no other travel on the horizon to distract me from planning, I had amble time to get our Savannah itinerary on point.

I mean it when I say this long weekend itinerary includes only the very best Savannah sights and restaurants. It was a relief to actually get to the city and finally see it in person in December 2021!

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If you’re headed to Savannah soon, read on!

Our Perfect Three Day Savannah Itinerary

I usually set a pretty breakneck pace during my travels, but we intentionally left margin in our Savannah itinerary.

Since I hadn’t traveled yet in pandemic times, I wanted room to test out everyone’s comfort levels for eating out and gathering with strangers. It just didn’t seem prudent to sign up for all the tours and make all the plans, when we didn’t even really know how we felt about public spaces.

Besides, Savannah simply isn’t meant for rushing. I think we absolutely hit the perfect balance of sightseeing and soaking up southern sunshine.

Day One in Savannah

Here’s a little secret: Savannah’s not easy to get to.

And if the most famous book set in Savannah -John Berendt’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – is to be believed, folks from Savannah like it that way. After a full day of travel to reach the southern city, we intentionally started our first morning slowly. We grabbed some coffee and muffins in our hotel, The Olde Harbour Inn, then wandered up a sleepy River Street. The day didn’t officially begin until 10:30, when we met Ashley and Kathy in Johnson Square for a Free Savannah Walking Tour.

Free Savannah Walking Tour

I’m always a fan of getting my bearings in a new city and Savannah offers plenty of ways to accomplish this, including a hop-on, hop-off trolley. We’re pretty sure we found the best way to hone up on Savannah history and culture with the Free Savannah Walking Tour.

It really is free . . . except the sales tax they’re required to collect when you sign up online. At the end the tour you’re simply asked to pay what you think the tour was worth. We walked away with so much more knowledge of the city, along with priceless restaurant and activity suggestions.

Brunch at The Collins Quarter Forsyth Park

Since the walking tour ends right at Forsyth Park, we took some obligatory photos at the fountain then headed off to brunch at The Collins Quarter at Forsyth Park. Although it was a little chilly, we decided to sit outside under the restaurant’s trademark turquoise umbrellas.

Is it the best brunch in town? It’s hard to say considering the absolute plethora of brunch spots in Savannah. However, we enjoyed our meal and the peaceful park setting.

Green-Meldrim House

This historic Victorian era house served as General Sherman’s Headquarters during the Civil War. Although it’s now open to the public for touring, it keeps sporadic hours at best. It’s open most Tuesday and Fridays from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Somehow, we were lucky enough to hit it on a day it was actually open. But after a lackluster tour, we felt less lucky.

Despite being best known for its connection with the Union general, our tour guides had very little interest in discussing the Civil War. Instead, we learned quite a bit about the genealogy of the house’s owners . . . .and not much else. Neighboring St. John’s Episcopal Church now owns the house and they’ve turned the upstairs bedrooms into a museum of church members’ artifact donations. 

Don’t be heartbroken if you find Green-Meldrim House shuttered during your visit. Just snap some exterior photos and read the streetside plaque about General Sherman. There are better house tours and ways to learn about the Civil War in Savannah.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist

While Green-Meldrim House isn’t worth going inside, the nearby Savannah Cathedral definitely is! I think the Cathedral, with its twin spires, is the prettiest building in Savannah.

Irish immigrants and other Savannah Catholics built this Victorian Gothic church to remind themselves of their homelands’ grand churches. We spent a few quiet minutes checking out the cathedral’s impressive stained-glass windows, sculpted Stations of the Cross, murals, and massive pipe organ. A friendly docent provides us with an overview of building’s history, as well as had some helpful restaurant suggestions.

Colonial Park Cemetery

Although not as well known as Savannah’s larger Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah’s Colonial Park Cemetery is centrally located in downtown Savannah. Since we were passing by, we wandered through.

Used for approximately 100 years starting in 1750, this cemetery serves as the final resting spot for many early Savannah residents. You’ll find many Revolutionary War soldiers buried here, but no Civil War veterans since the cemetery closed in 1853. However, Union soldiers did camp in the cemetery in December 1864 and early 1865.

I’m sure it’s haunted. I mean . . . Savannah is reputed to be America’s most haunted city . . . 

Leopold’s Ice Cream

Late afternoon might be a strange time to grab ice cream, but when we saw no lines outside of Leopold’s, we decided 4:30 p.m. was the perfect time for a sweet treat! This ice cream has been a Savannah institution for a century. If you visit during more normal ice cream eating hours, expect a line out the door and down the block.

Happy Hour at Olde Harbour Inn

We popped into our hotel lobby to enjoy their wine reception. After logging more than a couple miles in the historic downtown, it felt lovely to sink into a comfy chair. We loved sipping wine and nibbling cheese and crackers while watching boat traffic on the river.

Kayak Kafe

An afternoon of ice cream, wine, and cheese, we needed a plant-forward reset for dinner. We headed to Kayak Kafe on Broughton Street to enjoy salads the size of our heads.

Day Two in Savannah

Breakfast at Café M

We loved this French inspired café. Located on the top floor of a converted River Street warehouse, Cafe M actually overlooks the cobblestones of Factors Walk. Oatmeal and berries just hit different under a Spanish moss draped live oak tree.

Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters 

In a city offering historic house tours on seemingly every block, I’d heard that Owens-Thomas House was the house tour to take in Savannah. We arrived right at opening and spent about 90 minutes exploring the Regency-era mansion, outbuildings, and gardens, guided by a downloaded audio tour on our phones.

The property is praised for showing living conditions of both the house’s wealthy owners and its enslaved people. Since it’s actively being restored, the house and grounds aren’t as meticulously manicured as other historic Savannah homes such as Mercer-Williams House. That’s not to say the house isn’t impressive. It features a “skywalk” over a staircase and was the first house in Savannah with indoor plumbing.

The Public Kitchen and Bar

We popped over to The Public at the corner of Bull and Liberty Streets to enjoy the best shrimp and grits in Savannah. Since it was sunny with temps in the low 80s, you better bet that we sat outside.

Shopping on Broughton and River Streets

We spent the afternoon checking out some of Savannah’s many boutique shops, starting with Asher + Rye. On Broughton, we hit up the Savannah Bee Company and Paris Market. We continued down to the cobblestones of River Street where we visited the Savannah Christmas Market, River Street Sweets, and Simply Savannah gift shop.

80 degrees in December proved a lot for us Midwesterns. After spending an hour melting and listlessly wandering down River Street, we decided to call it. Ashley grabbed a bottle of peach wine and we had a very happy hour back in our suite at Olde Harbour Inn.

Vinnie Van Gogo’s

By the time we headed out to nab dinner from Vinnie Van Gogo’s, night had fallen. Generally considered the best pizza place in downtown Savannah, we felt our pepperoni pizza lived up to the hype. We loved watching the antics of beautifully lit up City Market as we sat on a park bench and enjoyed a very casual supper.

Holiday Lights and Sights Trolley Tour

We’d signed up for the 8 p.m. Holiday Lights and Sights Trolley Tour through Old Savannah Tours. The tour started at the Old Savannah Tours office on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. While I wouldn’t call this part of town “sketchy,” it definitely wasn’t as welcoming as the other downtown areas we’d explored in daylight.

We had a wonderful tour guide, but Savannah isn’t much of a Christmas city. (More on that below.) With very few significant light displays or holiday decorations to show us, the tour struggled to fill two hours. While it’s undeniably charming to sing Christmas carols in a trolley cruising down Savannah streets, we definitely looped around the same squares and churches over and over again. We did go inside a rather sparsely decorated Davenport House, where we got a brief tour and crash course in pre-Victorian Christmas traditions as well as some storebought cookies and cider.

When the trolley reached the Plantside District Christmas market -which we’d already been through earlier that day – we tipped our driver and parted ways with the trolley, mostly to save ourselves a long, dark walk back to our hotels.

Day Three

Breakfast at Mirabelle

We started the day at the almost too charming Mirabelle. This coffee shop is known for its Belgian-style liege waffles . . . and their chocolate bar selection. I’ve yet to meet a waffle I didn’t like so I was extremely pleased with this stop. My Café Miel? Also amazing.

A Visit to Fort McAllister State Park

We were ready to explore beyond Savannah’s city limits and somewhat randomly chose to visit Fort McAllister State Park. We drove about 45 minutes south to this state park along the Ogeechee River. The park, which features an earthworks Confederate fort from the Civil War, proved an absolutely delight. I highly recommend making this Savannah day trip!

Happy Hour at the Café at City Market

We returned to Savannah in the mid-afternoon. I’d bumped up our dinner reservation from 8:30 to 6:30 so we didn’t really need lunch. However, those waffles were a long time ago and we needed a little bump in the blood sugar.

Enter a charcuterie board at the Café at City Market. Paired with their peach sangria, it was a lovely way to relax after a great day trip and a little gift shopping. On the way over to City Market we hit up Salacia, Savannah’s Candy Kitchen, and Byrd’s Cookies for some gifts to take home.

The Olde Pink House

The Olde Pink House is one of Savannah’s best-known restaurants. Reservations notoriously book up weeks in advance. I felt lucky to have actually had my ish together far enough in advance to snag a table.

We loved the setting inside an 18th century house, felt especially lucky to see it in all of its Christmastime glory. But to be brutally honest, it wasn’t the best meal we ate in Savannah. There are so many other excellent Savannah dining options. Don’t get too bent out of shape if you can’t get a table at the Olde Pink House. Still, we had a fun, celebratory dinner that capped off a great trip.

Must-Know Info for First-Time Savannah Visitors

How much time should you spend in Savannah?

Sure, you can see the very best of Savannah in one single day. But as the “hostess city of South,” Savannah would really prefer if you stayed a while. Personally, a long weekend like itinerary above (three days/four nights) worked perfectly for my group. I’d recommend that amount of time for a first-time Savannah visit.

You’ll want two full days to explore the historic downtown and River Street, then use your final day to day trip outside city limits. If you’re super interested in the Civil War or other day trip destinations in the greater Savannah area, you may prefer to stay four full days. We certainly could have filled a couple more days in Savannah, but I’m a big proponent of the “leave while you’re still having fun” philosophy.

Only have one day to visit Savannah? Don’t miss my Ultimate One-Day Savannah Itinerary. You really can see all the highlights in 24 hours.

When should I visit Savannah?

The weather is almost always pleasant in Savannah, so you can have a nice visit any time of year.

According to the employee we spoke with at Fort McAllister State Park, tourists prefer to visit Savannah in spring or autumn. Just know that if you visit in the autumn, you do run the risk of hitting hurricane weather if you’re particularly unlucky.

Summer can be pretty sweltering in Savannah: think humid with highs in the 90s. On the flipside, you’ll find the coldest temps in December, January, and February. Although the average winter high is in the low 60s, we definitely had a very summery day of 80 degrees and sun during our December visit.

What to expect in Savannah in December

We really enjoyed visiting Savannah in December. Nothing makes a bunch of Midwesterns giddy faster than being able to eat outside in winter. And since we start turning into puddles when temps creep into the 80s, we found the weather extremely pleasant.

One thing to note: Savannah is not a Christmas city. If you’re looking to get in the Christmas spirit, you won’t find much for decorations in Savannah anywhere other than the house museums like Mercer-Williams. There’s also a nice Christmas market in the Plant District on the far west end of River Street. But apart from the occasional wreath or bobble in a doorway, it could have been any time of year in Savannah. Cue us walking the streets of Savannah singing, “Do they know it’s Christmastime at all?” Okay, not really. But I did in my head.

Do I need a car in Savannah?

If you just want to explore the historic downtown and River Street, no. Savannah is a notoriously walkable city. Although there’s a free shuttle bus, the DOT, that runs about every 10 minutes on a loop through the historic district, we never hopped on because every place we wanted to see was always an easy walk away.

However, to hit up favorite “further afield” Savannah attractions like Bonaventure Cemetery, Tybee Island, Wormsloe Historic Site, or Fort McAllister, you’ll need a car. If you’re just planning one day of adventure outside of Savannah’s city limits, it might be the most cost effective to get a taxi or ride-share rather than renting (and parking) a car for your entire stay.

Is Savannah safe?

Yes, Savannah’s a charming southern belle of a city. But that doesn’t mean you should throw common sense out the window during your visit. Statistically, Savannah’s more dangerous than its much larger neighbor, Atlanta. In recent years, there’s been a marked uptick in shootings, assaults, and other violent crimes. The area where tourists are most likely to run into safety issues are late at night on the west end of River Street and City Market.

Since our idea of a good night’s fun was watching the latest episode of Great British Bake-Off in our suite, we felt extremely safe. But if you’re someone who might be out and about when bars close, you need to practice good situational awareness. Erin over at Savannah’s First-Timer Guide does a great job of keeping an up-to-date crime map.  It’s worth taking a look at this map before your visit to familiarize yourself with possible problem areas.

Where to Stay in Savannah, GA

We can’t say enough good things about our stay at the Olde Harbour Inn on the east end of River Street. Located in an old warehouse, this boutique hotel offers standard hotel rooms as well as suites. We stayed in a two-bedroom suite and absolutely loved it.

I also think we would have enjoyed one of the many B&Bs located in the historic downtown. The hotel company that manages Olde Harbour Inn, Historic Inns of Savannah, has five other properties in this area, including the Marshall House and Eliza Thompson House.

One area I recommend staying away from if you’re not big into nightlife is the west end of downtown and River Street. This area, sometimes referred to as the Plant Riverside District, is where you’ll find a lot of chain hotels . . . and bars. We discovered that these hotels’ price points weren’t that different from the Olde Harbour Inn. Just . . . do a little research about location and nightly rates before you book a familiar name.

Not sure Olde Harbour Inn is the right fit for you? You can check out other Savannah hotels here.

If you’re overwhelmed with accommodation choices, this Savannah hotel blog post was a huge help as I planned. 

My Favorite Savannah Trip Planning Resources

• First, be sure to check out the rest of my Savannah content.
• I would have been lost without Erin over at Savannah First-Timer’s Guide. She does an amazing job of providing up-to-date info about Savannah.  Definitely a great resource if you’re researching Savannah events or holiday happenings.
• Amanda over at A Dangerous Business went to Savannah a couple months before us and she clued us into some great hidden gems in the city.
• Prefer an old-fashioned guidebook over blog posts? Check out this one.
• Although this is a novel (and not especially well written), Savannah tourism definitely takes many cues from John Berendt’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and it’s worth at least a cursory read before your visit.

Have you visited Savannah before? What would be on your itinerary for three days in Savannah?