So Much To Find Exploring The Sights In Savannah Georgia
On our first visit to this lovely Southern city, we found so much to enjoy exploring the sights in Savannah in Georgia. Our luxury stay in Savannah at the Perry Lane Hotel provided the perfect base for wandering around the city.
Our exploration started with the Old Savannah Trolley tour and we got our bearings. We saw the great city squares and the interesting buildings in the city. We explored the waterfront area on foot. Later we took a paddlewheel riverboat tour and saw the city from a different perspective.
One night we got tickets for the Jersey Boys show at the Historic Savannah Theatre and had the most fun!
We enjoyed our 6 days exploring and loved our first visit to Savannah.
Getting Our Bearings On The Old Savannah Trolley Tour
On our stay in Savannah we found lots of ways to tour the city and hear about the vast history in this area. We looked at a free walking tour, the horse drawn carriages and other interesting ways to move about the city. A big draw in Savannah was ghost tours in different kinds of vehicles. We passed on that historical view of Savannah.
Our concierge recommended the Old Savannah Trolley tour. We were picked up at our hotel and taken to the start of the route at the Savannah Welcome Centre. The long lines showed we were a little later than we planned and we waited for a bit before we got onboard. The wait convinced us to ride the trolley all the way around to get our bearings. We then decided where we wanted to re-visit. Not really the hop-on-hop-off experience we paid for.
The trolley route meandered around the city and many of 22 squares in the city. When we later walked much of the same area, we realized the trolley really had not travelled far. Along the route our bus driver narrated the history of the city and pointed out key historical sites of interest.
At two stops, local costumed story tellers boarded the bus and talked about the attraction at that site. It was fun to get another entertaining story on our trolley tour.
Our trolley trip took a few hours. It provided our first look at the things we wanted to re-visit exploring the sights in Savannah.
We Found The Squares Exploring The Sights In Savannah Georgia
Of the 24 original, 22 squares were still maintained in Savannah. We found the squares were lovely greens spaces with lots of benches. In the squares we got our first glimpse of Spanish Moss. We did not know it was present at all times of year. But we were warned not to touch the moss!
Each square had its own design, history and they were often dedicated to key historical people or events. We found plaques and statues as we wandered from square to square.
Chippewa Square was close to our hotel and we walked through there several times. It was a favourite with tourists. This was the square where Forest Gump sat in the movie. But the bench has been moved to the Visitor’s Centre.
Exploring the sights in Savannah was not complete until we walked through most of the squares as we wandered on our stay in Savannah.
Beautiful Buildings Were Everywhere We Looked
We saw many beautiful buildings on our Old Savannah Trolley tour. But when we wandered around Savannah afterwards we spent more time and admired the architecture of the buildings. Much like we found on our visit to New Orleans, the houses were decorated with beautiful iron work.
We spent some time wandering down Jones Street. The large trees formed a canopy along the street. It was said to be the “prettiest street in Savannah”.
We saw historic sites and museums. Tours were available for many places. General Sherman’s Headquarters in the Green–Meldrim House was beside the St. John’s Episcopal Church. The Telfair Museum provided collections that showed three centuries of art and architecture. We enjoyed the statues that adorned the front of the museum.
The Old Sorrel Weed House was said to be haunted and was offered as part of a ghost tour. Another section of town had colourful houses that met the historic preservation colour palette requirements.
We found interesting buildings and architecture exploring the sights in Savannah.
Churches In Savannah
When we did our Old Savannah Trolley tour we got our first glimpse at several of the churches around Savannah.
Walking around the neighbourhood close to the Perry Lane Hotel we passed the Independent Presbyterian Church several times. And saw it at different times of day and night. The church had a guided tour but we never managed to make it there at the right time.
At many points around Savannah and from the Peregrin rooftop bar at our hotel, we saw the twin spires of the Cathedral Basilica of St John the Baptist. From the outside it presented a classic Neo-Gothic design.
A visit inside Cathedral Basilica of St John the Baptist provided a look at the stunningly beautiful interior. It was considered one of the oldest and most beautiful churches in the United States. Everywhere we looked amazed us with colour and art.
Exploring the sights in Savannah included a few of the churches.
Wandering Around The JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside
When we booked our stay in Savannah we considered both the Perry Lane Hotel and the JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside. We ultimately decided we wanted to be in the historic part of town. But knew we wanted to visit the JW Marriott and the riverfront area. The JW Marriott was a massive former power plant complex with 3 different hotel buildings. Everywhere we looked we found interesting pieces of art.
The main Power Plant building was like a museum. Historic artifacts, colourful geodes and agate covered the walls and filled display cases on the main floor. A giant metal sculpture of a prehistoric Amphicoeliias Fragillimus dinosaur hung from the vaulted ceiling. It was worth a visit to the riverfront area just to look at the fascinating displays.
The Atlantic building and the Three Muses buildings had large art displays around the main level halls. We wandered and looked at some of the art. The Atlantic building also had a large music display on the lobby level and the interactive Gretsch Museum. The exhibits in the Gretsch Museum honour what was considered one of the most influential and innovative instrument manufacturers.
We were glad we planned some time to see the JW Marriott Power Plant Savannah when exploring the sights in Savannah.
Exploring The Sights In Savannah On The Riverfront
After we explored the fascinating JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside we slowly strolled along the waterfront. We found a large expanse of lawn chairs set out by the pulsating fountain. It was a great spot to relax and take in the sights.
We saw a constant stream of boat traffic on the Savannah River. The Georgia Queen riverboat cruised under the Talmadge Memorial Bridge and back. We were intrigued by the massive container ships that moved slowly along the river. Savannah had the third busiest port in all of the U.S. just behind New York and Los Angeles.
We walked up the steep and dangerous stairs from the waterfront and wandered along Bay Street. Stopping in Jackson Square, we admired the City Hall building with the distinctive gold dome.
As we wandered along the riverfront area, we found lots of places to stop for food or drink. It would certainly have been a different environment for this stay in Savannah. Well worth a visit when exploring the sights in Savannah.
Seeing Savannah From The Water On A Paddlewheel Tour At Night
We were not sure how busy the city would be. So we pre-arranged a number of things before we arrived in Savannah. We booked a paddlewheel riverboat cruise with Savannah Riverboat Cruises for sunset and dinner on the Georgia Queen when the weather was forecast to be good. But we were reminded that relying on weather predictions was not always a great idea!
When we arrived at the dock, the clouds had settled in for the night. We knew we would not get a sunset or night sky view on our river trip. A quick look at the back of the boat confirmed it was not even a real paddlewheel boat!
There were dining rooms on two levels on the boat. We were directed to the main level and were quite surprised when we found under 40 people onboard. The buffet offered a variety of foods. And table service got us drinks at an extra cost.
Our riverboat cruise started off towards the Talmadge Memorial Bridge. After going under the bridge we got a close up look at the activity on the docks.
After turning around, the riverboat headed back up the Savannah River. We went past the Savannah Convention Centre and got a view of the ferry boats that crossed between Fig Island and the riverfront in Savannah.
The riverboat continued down along Fig Island before it turned around as darkness settled in. As we headed back to the main Savannah riverfront area we got a great night view of the sights we visited during the day.
Taking a riverboat cruise gave us another perspective exploring the sights in Savannah.
Great Entertainment At The Historic Savannah Theatre
We planned busy days on our visit to Savannah. Several times we wandered past the Historic Savannah Theatre located close to our hotel. This was apparently the oldest continuously running theatre in the United States. The banner for the Jersey Boys show called to us.
When we stopped in, we were shown the theatre seating and found great floor seats for a good price for an evening show. We did not really know the Jersey Boys story. But when we searched for the music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons we found many songs we knew well.
The Jersey Boys show at the Historic Savannah Theatre was so much fun. The story was interesting, the singer performances good and the overall production exceeded our expectations.
We were glad we added some entertainment to our plan for exploring the sights in Savannah.
An Amazing 6 Days Exploring The Sights In Savannah Georgia
We sure had an amazing 6 days exploring the sights in Savannah in Georgia. The buildings and squares kept us wandering through the city. We enjoyed several walks to the waterfront area and a chance to see the city from the water too. Our night at the Historic Savannah Theatre offered an entertainment treat we did not expect.
Our 6 days exploring the city of Savannah for the first time were great. But there were many sights outside of the city that we just ran out of time to visit on our stay in Savannah. So we definitely still have Savannah on our travel list.
Did you enjoy exploring the sights in Savannah? Did we miss one of your favourites?
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Savannah sounds like such an interesting city to explore. So different from where I am in Upstate New York! Love the moss on all the trees. So much great history and culture there as well.
It was out first visit to Savannah. A fascinating city to visit.
So many beautiful and historic sights to explore in Savannah. We did a day-trip and trolley tour a couple of years ago and fell in love with the charming squares. This is a perfect guide for when I return!
We were glad we planned 4 days and saw so many great sights on our visit to Savannah.
We enjoyed Savannah too! Loved visiting as many squares as possible (although not all 26) but stay away fro the moss that is filled with bugs! Missed the boat tour and regret not taking one.
We were warned about the moss on our first day so we stayed clear for sure! It was great to see so much as we wandered around Savannah.
I haven’t been to Savannah since I was a child. The beautiful architecture makes me want to plan a return trip, perhaps in winter when it isn’t too hot there.
It was great to visit Savannah in the Spring before it got too hot. So much amazing architecture to see.
I think this is the first time ever I read a blog post about Savannah. The city looks tremendously interesting. I would love touring the historic sights there by riverboat and by bus.
I am sure you guys would love the history and architecture in Savannah. A lovely old Southern city.
This is a great place to visit with friends as the list of things to do is endless! You included so many photos in this post! We really got the feel of visiting.
I am glad this post made you feel like you were visiting. So many beautiful spots to share.
I, too, fell in love with Savannah on my first visit years ago. Such a beautiful city! Looks like you had a wonderful time.
We definitely had a wonderful time exploring Savannah. So many things to see and do.
I’ve only been to Savannah once for a night, and I can’t wait to go back. We got a few things done while we were there, but there is so much to see and do. It’s such a beautiful place to explore.
We were sure glad we planned a few days for our visit to Savannah. It was a lovely Southern city to visit.
I would love exploring all of these beautiful buildings! What fun place to visit!
Savannah was definitely a great spot for architecture lovers!
My mother in law is moving to Georgia so I am looking forward to a fun new place to explore.
I am sure you will find lots to great spots to enjoy in Savannah and Georgia.
Savannah looks like city worth exploring especially for architecture lovers like me. So many amazing buildings including stunning churches. I would be happy to see Savannah someday. Thanks for detailed information and gorgeous pictures!
I hope you do get to visit Savannah one day. I am sure it is a city you would love.
What a beautiful city. Savannah is one of the classic southern US cities that I have always wanted to visit. I love the architectural details in the old homes.
We had always wanted to visit Savannah too. So glad we finally did.
I’ve always been curious about visiting Savannah — looks like such a beautiful city full of interesting history to explore. Thanks for such an informative post, I’ll definitely be referring to this when I’m finally able to visit.
Savannah is a classic Southern city. So great to finally get to explore this charming gem.
Savannah looks stunning. I love the idea of exploring all of the squares. They look beautiful.
We were amazed at the variety in the squares in Savannah. Great spot to stop on a walking tour.
Savannah looks like such an interesting city with many historic sights and entertainment spots to explore and I’d love to explore this city someday.
It was great to find such a variety of things to see and do on our visit to Savannah.
such a varied list of things to do! it looks beautiful – it’s funny how a lot of us Europeans imagine the whole of the US looks (and smells) as New York City haha!
Savannah indeed looked and smelled very different from New York City. A charming spot for a visit.
Savannah looks so charming! I have heard of its unique architecture, but had not idea the churches were so unique! Cathedral Basilica of St John the Baptist looks amazing, hope to visit soon myself! The ghost tours are on my bucket list too!
You will find a lot of different ghost tour options when you get to Savannah. Just another interesting way to learn about the history of Savannah.
I love the charm Savannah Georgia has to offer. I’d love to visit and take the riverboat cruise or the trolley tour. I also would like to visit the Telfair Museum. Taking a cruise or trolley tour is how I get to know the city or place I’m visiting too. Great tip!
There were so many fun ways to take a tour of Savannah and get a good overview of the city. And then it was a great city to just wander and discover.
I was just there last October and loved my stay in Savannah! There’s so much to do and see there, it’s impossible to cover it all during one trip. I enjoyed an afternoon tea at The Gryphon that you might like. And I did the Bonaventure Cemetery tour. It was fascinating! The nighttime ghost tour that I did was interesting and fun too.
We were sad we did not get out to Bonaventure Cemetery. Good to know the tour worked well. Definitely some times for a return visit.
I have been wanting to go to Savannah for so long now. This post is so inspiring. The first thing I would do is take a river boat cruise on that cute boat! Excellent post!
We too have had Savannah on our list for a long time. So glad we got our first glimpse into this lovely city.
Wow, although I have heard of Savannah, the squares and Spanish moss, I did not know about all the beautiful architecture. Thank you so much. .So glad you got to see The Jersey Boys! So much energy and wonderful songs!
Every part of our trip to Savannah was great. So glad we finally got there.
I enjoyed this virtual Savannah tour. I would surely like to try the ghost tours. Even the squares looks beautiful, as does the architecture. The river cruise looks like fun but certainly the interior of Cathedral Basilica of St John the Baptist is the highlight. I would like to do some walking tours also, if they have any of those. A lot of this travel is wish list!
We were definitely surprised with how much we found to see and do in Savannah. And so glad we finally got to visit this lovely Southern city.
Savannah looks like such a charming city to explore. And it so great that you can see so many sites by taking the tour with the trolley. That’s definitely a great way to explore the city, when you first arrive. The boat cruise looks charming as well. I have never sailed on such a boat before. I love that you ended your day with a play. We have Jersey Boys playing here in London as well, but I am yet to see it.
We were surprised at how much we found to see and do in Savannah. A little something for everyone.
As someone from Charleston, it’s so interesting to see how similar the activities are in Savannah but also the differences. Such a beautiful, historical place.
We will definitely plan to visit Charleston and explore yet another great Southern city.
I would do the same trolley tour to get my bearings of the place. I was intrigued to read about the local story tellers who came on board ! I might go for the ghost tours as well. The photos you took of Savannah tell a million words, I especially like the architecture of the buildings. The inside view of the Cathedral Basilica of St John is certainly a highlight. All in all a well spent 6 days in Savannah!
We were happy to find so many different tour options to see different facets of Savannah. A great way to see the buildings and architecture in the city.
I had never been on a trolley tour before. But the Old Savannah Trolley tour was a fantastic way to get a feel for the city. Now, Savannah is on my must-visit list.
The trolley tour sure was a great way to start our visit to Savannah.
We did the Old Trolley Savannah tour but I don’t recall the story-tellers. Well, it was almost twenty years ago, either they added it several years after our visit or I forgot about it. I like Savannah’s historical houses and buildings and can’t imagine living in the prettiest street in town. However, I want to do the Paddlewheel Tour at night when I return. It will be great to enjoy the city from a different point of view.
It is always interesting to return to a city many years later. I am sure you will find it changed but the same if you go back.
Wow! I did not realize there were so many things to see and visit in Savannah. The interior of the Cathedral is indeed beautiful, especially the glass-stained windows.
It would be cool to see the prehistoric Amphicoeliias Fragillimus dinosaur too! Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience. What a perfect way to spend 6 days in this charming place.
We were amazed at the variety of things we saw on our visit to Savannah. Lots for everyone!
Savannah sure looks like an interesting city I would love to explore! The horse carriages are a big draw for me but with lesser number of people in them. The paddle wheel boat reminds me of Sternwheeler Columbia Gorge boats which we enjoyed in Oregon. I love those beautiful buildings and their old colorful architecture. You have inspired me to visit Savannah! I will look it up when I am in the area. 🙂
We loved all the different ways we found to explore Savannah. Definitely a city you need a few days to really enjoy.
As a Southerner (Virginia), I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t explored Savannah yet. It’s so beautiful, though! I think the Perry Lane Hotel is an excellent recommendation as it seems conveniently located, and I love boutique hotels like that (bonus that it’s luxurious!). The squares would also be fun to see, as would the beautiful selection of churches. The Gretsch Museum also sounds really interesting — I love it when cities have interesting museums. I need to pay Savannah a visit sometime in the future.
I hope you do get to visit Savannah. It was a real treat for us. A lovely look at a classic Southern city.