3 days in Savannah: itinerary

Savannah rewards slow walking, not a checklist. The three-day shape that works: one day for the riverfront and the northern squares, one day for a house museum plus Forsyth Park and the Victorian district, one day out of town. If you only have a weekend, cut the day trip and keep the two city days.

Book house museums and any trolley or walking tour ahead in spring and autumn, when weekends fill. Most of the city's draw is free: the squares, the river walk, the cemetery, the park. Paid entry is concentrated in a handful of houses and museums.

Savannah's sightseeing core is compact and flat. The historic district runs from the river south to Gaston Street and is laid out on a grid of squares, so you can cross it on foot in about 25–30 minutes. River Street sits at the north edge; Forsyth Park anchors the south. The Victorian district continues south of Gaston Street.

Bonaventure Cemetery and Wormsloe are east of downtown, roughly 15–25 minutes by car. Tybee Island is further east, about 30–40 minutes by car. Downtown parking is limited and paid; a car is useful mainly for the day-trip day.

Walk in the morning and late afternoon in summer; midday heat and humidity in July and August are the main reason people cut a day short. Spring and autumn are the comfortable window, and the parent country notes flag June–November as hurricane season for the Southeast, peaking August–October.

Many house museums close one or two days a week and run limited hours; check each one the day before rather than assuming. Sunday mornings are quiet, which suits the squares; Saturdays bring the Forsyth Park market and more people.

If you are weighing paid attractions against each other, compare a city pass with buying two or three tickets individually before you commit. Tipping is expected in the US: 18–20% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars.

The questions travellers ask most about a three-day Savannah stay are answered below.