The Best 24 Hours in Savannah, Georgia

Ah Savannah. It’s a place I’ve been wanting to go to for years but just never made it there. And then, by some miracle, last year I bid for it for work and managed to hold a long layover in Savannah, Georgia! Needless to say, I was very excited. So without further ado, I give you my 24 hours in Savannah, Georgia guide. I hope this post inspires you to take a trip there of your own! It’s definitely worth it.

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But first, a little history:

Savannah was established in 1733 when General James Oglethorpe landed on a bluff near the Savannah River. Oglethorpe decided to name Georgia, the 13th colony, after King George II. Savannah was the first city made in this land.

In 1778 the city was held by Britain until 1782. The American and French troops took back the city and then Savannah flourished.

Now some unfortunate history… the soil in Savannah was very rich. Which led to many cotton and rice fields as plantations. Slavery became a very profitable system for them. Now even just writing this sends a shiver down my spine. It greatly pains me to think of humans hurting other humans. But I do believe it’s good for us to learn so hopefully we stop hurting others in the present and future.

in 1796 and 1820, Savannah suffered two devastating fires that left a lot of the city in ashes. And in 1820 there was an outbreak of Yellow Fever that killed nearly a tenth of their population.

Juliette Gordon Low was from here – she created the Girl Scouts of America. And the first African Baptist Church (stated as being one of the oldest churches in America) is here. A really interesting fact about this church, is that it was a stop along the Underground Railroad during the Civil War. There are small patterned holes on the floor to resemble an African prayer symbol so the hiding men and women could breathe underneath. The space was quite small, only about 4 feet. But I truly hope many of those who hid here made it to see their deserved freedom.

Today Savannah is one of the largest historic national landmark districts in America. It’s beautiful and filled with history.

READ BEFORE YOU GO:

Now before I go too much further, I highly recommend you read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil before your trip. I mean honestly, it’s such an amazing book. And it will definitely get you in the mood for your trip.

WHERE TO STAY:

Now my work put me up in a really nice hotel near the Riverfront. But if I was going to go on my own dollar, I’d love to try one of these Bed and Breakfasts:

Eliza Thompson House

Savannah Bed and Breakfast Inn

Kehoe House

Justine Inn Savannah

The Ballastone Inn

Hamilton-Turner Inn

If you’re looking for other hotel options, please check out hotels.com. There aren’t a ton of budget hotels in the old town area, but if you have a car, you can always stay a little out of town and drive into the city if you need to keep everything within a budget.

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WHAT TO SEE:

EXPLORE THE 22 SQUARES:

Yes, all 22 Squares! Each one is so beautiful. They were originally built so the military could have a place for training exercises, however now they are beautiful parks you can enjoy. My favorites are Chippewa Square (known for the bench scenes in Forrest Gump!). Monterey Square is very picturesque. And I love Madison Square and Johnson Square. But definitely check them all out for yourselves.

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FORSYTH PARK:

I’m sure you’ve seen photos of the beautiful fountain here. It really is lovely. And the park is a great place to spend an afternoon with a good book or simply take in a nice walk. It’s gorgeous.

There are statues dedicated to the confederate army at the far end which I felt a little weird about. But you don’t have to go see that. I stumbled upon it by mistake and was like, ‘oh, what’s this?’ and then was like, ‘oh….’.

Still, the fountain is stunning and I love all the beautiful trees around the paths.

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JONES STREET:

One of the most picturesque streets you’ll ever see in your life. It’s so nice. And it’s where you’ll find Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room. I loved wandering this street.

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MERCER WILLIAMS HOUSE:

This is the house made famous from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Did you read the book in the time you’ve read this? I’m just kidding. But it is a fantastic read! I didn’t care as much for the film version, but it was filmed here and had some pretty shots.

The Mercer Williams House started construction in 1860, however due to the Civil War it wasn’t completed until 1868, after Mercer sold the house to John R. Wilder.

The house is currently owned by Jim Williams’ sister, Dorthy Williams Kingery. Jim Williams bought the house in 1969.

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THE RIVERWALK:

This is a really fun area down by the river. With some really steep stairs in some parts! There are lots of cute shops along here and bars. It’s fun to kill an hour or two here.

OWENS-THOMAS HOUSE AND SLAVE QUARTERS:

I unfortunately ran out of time for this one, but it is next on my list next time I go. When I got there the next tour was too far out and I would have missed my work flight to Dallas. It looks very pretty from the outside though.

The Owens-Thomas House is a house built in the Regency style that shows what life was like in the 19th century.

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BONAVENTURE CEMETERY:

Now I did not go here either. It’s a bit out of the city. And if you’re looking for the statue from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, it’s no longer here. It’s now at the Jepson Center For The Arts.

COLONIAL PARK CEMETERY:

I did walk through this cemetery that’s right downtown. It has some pretty graves and a plaque about the Yellow Fever Outbreak. It filled my cemetery needs since I was short on time.

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THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE:

A cookie cutter picturesque house you can stop and take a photo of. My battery died by the time I reached this house, but you can see what it looks like here.

ANTIQUE SHOPPING:

I had so much fun wandering around the local antique shops. There’s a really cool one right by the Mercer Williams House, but you’ll find plenty around town.

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TAKE A GHOST TOUR:

I unfortunately did not get to do this on my trip either, but I do love a good ghost tour! There’s plenty to choose from.

WHERE TO EAT:

MRS. WILKES DINING ROOM:

I love this place!! Probably some of the BEST fried chicken I’ve ever had. I got in line around 10:30am and wasn’t seated until 11:30am – so be prepared for a long wait outside if you do go. Also please make sure you have cash on you. I met some really fun people in line, and one guy hired a carriage so we could all take turns going over to the nearest ATM for cash! Definitely an adventure. But next time I’ll make sure I have cash ;). Now something I did learn, if you’re only a party of one, they said I could next time go all the way inside and see if they had a spot. So if you’re a solo traveler, I highly recommend doing that. Although waiting in line is actually a lot of fun.

Also a random and awesome story, the people I sat at a table with ended up being on my flight later that night. I was their flight attendant to Dallas! Small world. I of course treated them like royalty when I saw them. Such a fun experience.

Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room is open Monday-Friday from 11am-2pm. It’s cash only.

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THE GREY:

My boyfriend actually told me about this place after he saw it on Chef’s Table. I’m so glad he let me know about it because it is amazing! Not only is the decor super cool – it’s an old converted Greyhound Bus terminal, but the food is exquisite! Also you can eat in the bar if you want to save a little on your meal. But it’s worth every penny. The food is impeccable! And I met some really great fellow travelers while here.

The Grey is closed Mondays.

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LEOPOLD’S ICE CREAM

Okay, you all know how much I love my ice cream. And this place really did boast some amazing ice cream. It has a super cute vibe inside too. Definitely stop in here on your trip. I did have to wait in line a little bit outside, but nothing too terrible. And it’ll all be worth it after you have your sweet treat from Leopold’s!

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THE COFFEE FOX

The coffee shop scene in Savannah is amazing! And I really loved this place. I had vegan muffins for breakfast and had an amazing iced almond milk coffee. So good I went twice to Coffee Fox on my trip!

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ALLEY CAT

A really cool speakeasy type place with a newspaper for a drink menu! I ordered a mint julep and it was really tasty! Also the waiter was really great. He told his whole life story. One thing I love about Savannah, is how friendly everyone is!

FILMS SHOT IN SAVANNAH:

Since I am a filmmaker, I should include some films you can watch if you’d like to get yourself in the mood for you trip…

Forrest Gump. I grew up loving this movie. Lt. Dan will always be one of my favorite characters (had him as a passenger a few times and he’s so nice!). You can see the bench scenes at Chippewa Square.

Glory. Such an amazing film! And parts of it were filmed around Savannah. Denzel Washington is fantastic in this!

The Gift. I loved Cate Blanchett in this eerie thriller.

The Conspirator. I thought everyone was really fantastic in this, plus it’s filmed in Savannah. Not the best film ever, but I really enjoyed it.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. It’s not a terrible film, but again, the book is amazing ;).

Savannah. I love this city so much! And I cannot wait to go back. It’s the perfect city to spend a weekend wandering around the cute streets and taking in the good food. I’m hoping I get to go back soon and I hope all of you go and enjoy this wondrous city filled with beauty and lots of history.

And if you’d like to read about more things to do in the beautiful state of Georgia, check out my guide on staying in a Getaway cabin outside of Atlanta and my guide to Rock City, Georgia.

Happy travels loves!

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