Best time to travel in Savannah?
→ The detailed month-by-month page, with 2015-2024 averages
Best time: March to May and October to November
Best avoided if possible: January and July to August (less pleasant weather or big crowds).
Temperatures and rainfall: 1991-2020 normals from the Savannah station, NOAA data (public domain).
Humid subtropical 30 km from the Atlantic: hot, sticky summers around 33°C with thunderstorms almost every afternoon, mild winters around 16°C during the day, and a hurricane season from June to November. The best time to visit Savannah is March, April, May, October and November, with temperatures reaching 32-34°C (July). By contrast, January, February, June, July, August, September and December are generally less favourable (less pleasant weather or big crowds, depending on the destination), though a trip is still possible with a bit of planning. In high season, book early: prices and visitor numbers climb fast.
Go against the flow. To avoid the crowds without sacrificing too much on the weather, aim for February, June, September and December: the crowds thin out, prices drop too, and the climate stays pleasant.
Do these months appeal to you? See what's best elsewhere too: where to go in March · where to go in April · where to go in May · where to go in October · where to go in November.
At a glance
Why go to Savannah?
Savannah is first and foremost a plan. In 1733, James Oglethorpe laid out a city organised around square plazas, each surrounded by houses and public buildings, and this grid was followed for more than a century as the city grew. Twenty-two squares remain, planted with live oaks and Spanish moss, turning the historic district into a sequence of small gardens where you never walk more than two minutes without crossing one. General Sherman, who arrived in December 1864, spared the city, which is why its houses are still standing.
It is a city lived outdoors. You walk in the shade from one square to the next, sit on the benches of Forsyth Park, dine late under the ceiling fans of the terraces, and you can have a drink in the street, in a plastic cup, throughout the historic district. The students of the Savannah College of Art and Design, which has restored several dozen buildings since it was founded in 1978, keep up a scene of galleries, shops and cafés that stops the city from turning into a museum.
Finally, Savannah has the Gothic melancholy that John Berendt's book made famous around the world: cemeteries under the oaks, haunted houses, tales of duels and trials. It also owes it to a heavier history, that of the rice and cotton plantations and of the enslaved people who built the city, which the Owens-Thomas House tells without flinching. Tybee Island and its beaches, 30 minutes away, and Charleston, two hours away, complete the trip.
Tourist map of Savannah: what's where?
The map below pinpoints the 6 places covered in this guide: a handy way to picture the distances between each stop and plan your route in Savannah.
- Forsyth Park
- River Street
- Bonaventure Cemetery
- Wormsloe
- Fort Pulaski
- Tybee Island
How much does a trip to Savannah cost in 2026? Budget calculator
Estimate your budget for Savannah based on your travel style: accommodation, meals, activities and local transport included (flights excluded). Adjust the length and the number of travellers, and the totals update.
Totals for all travellers over the chosen length; the daily amount is per person. Flights extra, indicative amounts to adjust depending on the season.
Dollars are paid by card almost everywhere, including at parking meters via an app. Prices are shown before tax: add sales tax on purchases and meals, and higher accommodation taxes on rooms. Tips of 18 to 22% are expected in restaurants, and a few dollars for the guides on walking tours and trolleys.
Safety in Savannah: should you be worried?
Savannah's historic district is busy and well watched, and you can stroll there without difficulty by day and in the evening. The city does, however, have a crime rate above the national average, concentrated outside the tourist areas: avoid deserted streets to the west and south of the centre at night, and get back by taxi or ride-hailing car when it is late. Theft from cars is common, so leave nothing visible. River Street is noisy at weekends, with plenty of drinking. In summer, the humid heat is quickly tiring: walk in the morning and drink often. The small marsh midges, the sand gnats, bite at dusk, and the mosquitoes in summer. On Tybee, swim near the lifeguards, shuffle your feet in the sand to avoid stingrays, and respect the flags. Hurricane season runs from June to November. Health insurance covering the United States is essential.
Things to see and do in Savannah
Our first-hand favourites, and the great classics:
- Forsyth Park
- Squares of the Historic District
- River Street
- Bonaventure Cemetery
- Owens-Thomas House
- Wormsloe
- Fort Pulaski
- Tybee Island
What to book before you go to Savannah →
🧭 Discover the Savannah itinerary, day by dayMap, timings, budget and where to stay: free to access, to fit your dates. Create my tailor-made itinerary →The historic district
About 2.5 km from north to south, from the river to Forsyth Park, and a little less from east to west: the whole of central Savannah can be done on foot while staying in the shade. Bull Street is its spine, crossing five squares beneath the oaks. To the east, Columbia Square and Warren Square keep the oldest houses; to the west, Telfair Square brings together the Telfair Academy, the first public art museum in the South, and the Jepson Center. Broughton Street is the shopping street, and Jones Street, between the squares, is considered the most beautiful residential street in the city.
River Street and Factors Walk
The riverfront, below the bluff, lines up 19th-century cotton warehouses turned into bars, restaurants and praline shops. Factors Walk, above, is a level of iron walkways where the cotton brokers, the factors, used to work. City Market, four pedestrian blocks to the west, brings together galleries and restaurants. In the evening, River Street is the liveliest street in the city, sometimes noisy at weekends. The Plant Riverside District, to the west, and the free ferry to Hutchinson Island extend the walk.
Forsyth Park and the Victorian District
The south of the historic district, around the big park, is more residential and quieter. Forsyth Park and its fountain of 1858 serve as the whole city's public garden, with a farmers' market on Saturday mornings and free concerts in spring. South of the park, the Victorian District lines up late 19th-century wooden houses with porches and turrets, and the Starland District, further on, gathers the cafés, breweries and thrift shops frequented by students. Leopold's Ice Cream, an ice cream parlour dating from 1919, is on Broughton Street, further north.
Bonaventure and the Isle of Hope
To the east and south-east, the marshes begin. Bonaventure Cemetery, on the banks of the Wilmington River, is the most visited, with its avenues of oaks and its Victorian tombs. Further south, the Isle of Hope is a residential village on a loop of the river, where Bluff Drive runs along the marsh beneath the oaks. The Wormsloe estate, next door, is visited via its avenue of 400 oaks. The area needs a car or a bike, as the distances are more than you would cover on foot.
Fort Pulaski and the road to Tybee
Highway 80 crosses 29 km of salt marshes between the city and the ocean, with fishing and kayaking spots. Fort Pulaski, a national monument, is visited halfway along in an hour and a half, with its moat, its casemates and the cannonball impacts of 1862 on its facade. Just before the island, Lazaretto Creek is home to the kayak rental outfits and the boats that go out to watch dolphins in the estuary.
Tybee Island
Savannah's beach, an island about 5 km long with the feel of a family seaside resort. The lighthouse, one of the oldest in the country, is climbed via 178 steps for the view over the estuary and the Atlantic. The pier, to the south, and Tybrisa Street concentrate the beach bars and shrimp restaurants, while North Beach faces the container ship channel. The Back River, to the south, has a sheltered beach at sunset. You can spend a day there from Savannah, or two or three nights in a house on stilts in summer.
How many days, and which itinerary in Savannah?
Two full days cover the historic district, River Street and Bonaventure. Three or four add Wormsloe, Fort Pulaski and a day on Tybee Island. Savannah pairs with Charleston, two hours' drive away, for a week in the Lowcountry.
🗺️ Day-by-day Savannah itinerary · 📓 Printable Savannah travel guide (PDF) · 🌍 Discover all of the American West
The weekend (2 days)
Day 1: Forsyth Park early in the morning, down Bull Street and its squares to City Hall, lunch, the Owens-Thomas House and Telfair Academy in the afternoon, River Street and Factors Walk at sunset, dinner in the historic district. Day 2: Wormsloe at opening time, Bonaventure Cemetery in the late morning, ice cream at Leopold's, the free ferry to Hutchinson Island and a last drink on a rooftop terrace above the river.
Savannah and the sea (4 days)
The two days of the weekend, then a day heading east: Fort Pulaski in the morning, the beach on Tybee Island, a climb up the lighthouse and a shrimp dinner by the Back River. On the fourth day, a kayak trip in the marshes of Lazaretto Creek or a boat to see the dolphins, then the Victorian District and the Starland District in the late afternoon. A car is useful from the third day.
Savannah, Beaufort and Charleston (1 week)
Three nights in Savannah for the squares, Bonaventure, Wormsloe and Tybee, then the road north via Beaufort, a small town of antebellum houses by the water, and the Gullah islands of St. Helena, where the Penn Center tells the story of one of the first schools opened for formerly enslaved people in the South. Four nights in Charleston for its historic district, Fort Sumter and the Ashley River plantations.
How to get to Savannah and get around?
There are no direct flights from Europe: Savannah/Hilton Head airport is reached with a connection in Atlanta, Charlotte, New York or Washington, for a journey of 12 to 14 hours. It is about twenty minutes from the centre by taxi or ride-hailing car. Charleston, 175 km (110 miles) away, and Jacksonville are other possible gateways.
The historic district can be done on foot, as it is flat and shady. The city's DOT network is free: a loop shuttle links the squares, the car parks and Forsyth Park, and the Savannah Belles ferry crosses the river to Hutchinson Island.
The hop-on hop-off sightseeing trolleys tour the district with commentary, handy on the first day to get your bearings. Bikes and pedicabs let you get as far as the Victorian District and Starland.
A car becomes useful for Bonaventure, Wormsloe, Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island. In the centre, parking is paid at the meter or by app, and the municipal garages work out cheaper than hotel parking, often charged at $30-45 a night.
Where to stay in Savannah?
The historic district concentrates inns and B&Bs in 18th- and 19th-century houses, often with complimentary wine in the late afternoon, from €200 to €400 a night. They are the best way to experience the city on foot.
The chain hotels and boutique hotels in the north of the district, near River Street and Bay Street, cost around €170-300 a night, plus parking. Rooms on the river side cost more and are noisier at weekends.
The luxury hotels, on Forsyth Park or in the Plant Riverside District, go above €350 in season. At the other end, the motels and chains near the motorway or in Midtown drop to €100-150, with free parking, 10 minutes away by car.
Prices rise in spring and soar around St. Patrick's Day, 17 March, one of the biggest parades in the country, when everything is fully booked months in advance. July, August and January are the cheapest months. Accommodation taxes are added to the advertised price.
Our picks stop by stop, in three price ranges →
What to eat in Savannah?
Savannah's cooking is that of the South and the Lowcountry: shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, fried chicken, okra, blue crab and Lowcountry boil. At Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room, open since 1943, you eat lunch on weekdays at shared tables where some twenty dishes are passed around, after a queue that is part of the experience.
A chef scene has moved into historic buildings, such as The Grey in the former Greyhound bus station of 1938, where chef Mashama Bailey reinvents Southern cooking. Allow $50-100 per person at these places, with a booking.
Brown sugar and pecan pralines are made in front of customers on River Street, and the queue outside Leopold's Ice Cream, an ice cream parlour from 1919 on Broughton Street, grows longer every summer evening.
Local law lets you walk with a drink in hand in the historic district, in a plastic cup, which bars offer to take away. Add a tip of 18 to 22% at restaurants.
Which kind of traveller is it for?
Savannah lends itself to a cultural, romantic and foodie trip. Whether you travel as a couple, with friends or even with family, everyone finds their own pace. For accommodation, you will mostly find boutique hotels and classic hotels.
Entry requirements & practical info
UK, Australian and most EU passports need an ESTA, applied for online before departure, for stays of up to 90 days; a few EU countries sit outside the Visa Waiver Program and need a full visa. Canadians need neither, only a passport. Anyone who has been to Cuba since January 2021 cannot use an ESTA and must apply for a visa.
Rules change: before you leave, check your country's official travel advice.
Once there, to stay online without paying roaming charges, an Savannah eSIM activates in a few minutes and works as soon as you land (plans from €3.99). Remember suitable travel insurance too.
Frequently asked questions about Savannah
When is the best time to visit Savannah?
March to May, when the azaleas bloom in the squares and the days stay around 22 to 28°C, then October and November. Summer is hot and very humid, with storms every afternoon, and coincides with hurricane season. Winter is mild, quiet and cheaper.
How many days do you need in Savannah?
Two days for the historic district, River Street and Bonaventure, three or four to add Wormsloe, Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island. The city pairs with Charleston for a week.
Can you drink on the street in Savannah?
Yes, in the historic district, in a plastic cup: local law allows you to walk with an alcoholic drink, limited to one drink at a time. Bottles and glassware remain banned on the street.
Do you need a car in Savannah?
Not for the centre, which can be done on foot and with the free shuttle. A car becomes useful for Bonaventure, Wormsloe, Fort Pulaski and Tybee Island, which are best grouped over one or two days.
How do you visit the Owens-Thomas House and the Telfair Museums?
With the three-site ticket, $30 for an adult, about €26, valid for seven days, which gives access to the Owens-Thomas House on a guided tour, the Telfair Academy and the Jepson Center. House tours leave at set times, so book your slot online.
Where can you swim near Savannah?
On Tybee Island, 30 minutes away, from April to October, with the water above 25°C in summer. The beaches have lifeguards in season, and parking is paid everywhere on the island. The Back River, to the south, has calmer water.
When is St. Patrick's Day in Savannah?
On 17 March, unless that date falls on a Sunday, with one of the largest St. Patrick's Day parades in the United States and a party lasting several days across the whole centre. Hotels are full and their prices triple: book very early, or avoid that week if you are looking for peace and quiet.
Similar destinations
City🇺🇾 Montevideo
City🇺🇸 St. Augustine
Region🇮🇹 The Amalfi Coast and Naples
Region🇮🇹 Puglia
Countries🇲🇽 Mexico
City🇧🇷 Salvador da Bahia
Countries🇺🇾 Uruguay
City🇨🇴 Cartagena
City