Tours

Savannah boasts tours aplenty and offers comfortable prospects of the city’s history, landmarks, and landscapes.

Boat Tours

Savannah Riverboat Cruises has daily departures from docks on River Street. The causeway is mainly commercial, with many deserted warehouses, so it's not a terribly scenic ride, but it is narrated, has a bar, plays Jimmy Buffet, and is a relaxing trip on the river. The 1½-hour ride costs $24.95 per person, and departure times change seasonally. The Monday Gospel Dinner Cruise has a Southern buffet and a choir to entertain and goes for $53.95.

Contacts

Savannah Riverboat Cruises. Savannah Riverboat Cruises has daily departures from docks on River Street. The lovely white paddleboat shares the causeway with commercial ships and drifts past industrial sites, so it's not a terribly scenic ride. But it has a full bar and kitchen and is a relaxing, fun activity, especially at sunset. Among the offers are 1½-hour afternoon cruises; luncheon or dinner cruises, which feature a truly fabulous Southern buffet spread with all the fixins'; and a Monday Gospel Dinner Cruise with entertainment by a choir. Reservations are recommended. 9 E. River St., Savannah, Georgia, 31401. 912/232–6404; savannahriverboat.com. Scenic cruises from $28.95; lunch cruises from $46.95; dinner cruises from $63.95.

Bus and Trolley Tours

Operating out of City Market, Carriage Tours of Savannah travels the Historic District at a 19th-century clip-clop pace, with coachmen spinning tales and telling ghost stories along the way. A romantic evening tour in a private carriage costs $160 per couple. Regular tours start at $25 per person.

Savannah’s rich African American history can be experienced via the daily departing Freedom Trail Tour. This comprehensive black-history tour visits significant landmarks like the First African Baptist Church, the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, and the slave burial grounds at Laurel Grove Cemetery.

Historic Savannah Carriage Tours specializes in private tours aboard a picturesque European carriage. The romantic Moonlight and Roses Tour includes a dozen roses and a stop at a beloved local bar. Private tours cost $170 for two people. Tours open to the public are a little easier on the wallet: $25 per person. Either tour includes a horse-drawn amble through Savannah’s historic streets.

Old Savannah Tours is the city's award-winning company with years of experience and the widest variety of tours. Popular options include the historic hop-on, hop-off trolley tour, the 90-minute Historic Overview, and the ghost tour that includes dinner at Pirates' House. Prices start at $28 per person.

Old Town Trolley Tours has narrated 90-minute tours traversing the Historic District. Trolleys stop at 15 designated stops every 30 minutes daily from 9 to 5 (August to March) or 9 to 6 (April to July). You can hop on and off as you please. The cost is $33, with discounts for purchasing ahead online.

Mix it up by exploring downtown with a Segway tour via Segway of Savannah. With two-way radios, it's easy to hear the guide and ask questions. A one-hour tour is $40 from December through March and $49 from April through November.

Hearse Ghost Tours may be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. For 15 years these hearses did the job they were intended for; when they were retired, their roofs were removed to make space for eight live bodies cruising around the haunted sites in the Historic District. Count on macabre guides for irreverently funny narration throughout the tour.

Contacts

Carriage Tours of Savannah. Operating 50-minute tours out of City Market, Carriage Tours of Savannah travels the Historic District at a 19th-century clip-clop pace, with coachmen spinning tales and telling ghost stories along the way. During the winter months, the tours are not offered from Monday to Wednesday. 19 Jefferson St. , Savannah, Georgia, 31401. 912/236–6756; carriagetoursofsavannah.com. From $25.

The Freedom Trail Tour. Call to book your two-hour driving tour around the city's important Black history sites and learn more about Savannah's African American legacy from local raconteur Johnnie Brown. This comprehensive Black history tour visits significant landmarks like the First African Baptist Church, the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, and the slave burial grounds at Laurel Grove Cemetery. Savannah, Georgia. 912/398--2785. From $TK.

Hearse Ghost Tours. These tours may be like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. For years these hearses did the job they were intended for; when they were retired, their roofs were removed to make space for eight live bodies. You'll cruise past creepy cemeteries, haunted houses, and shady lanes, all while hearing the sordid stories of Savannah's darker past from the comfort of a real hearse. Count on macabre guides for irreverently funny narration. It's a great value. 412 E. Duffy St., Historic District, Savannah, Georgia, 31401. 912/695–1578; hearseghosttours.com. From $20.

Savannah Carriage Tours. There's nothing like the sound of hooves on cobblestones to evoke Savannah's charm. Choose from a public history or ghost tour, or make it personal with a private tour, selecting from a standard private tour, Romance Tour, Moonlight and Roses Tour, or a Proposal Tour. Savannah, Georgia. 912/443–9333; savannahcarriage.com. From $25 for group tours, from $120 (2 people) for private tours.

Old Savannah Tours. This is the city's award-winning company, with years of experience, the widest variety of tours, and live historical reenactors. Popular options include the historic hop-on, hop-off trolley tour, the 90-minute Historic Overview, and the ghost tour that includes dinner at the Pirates' House. Leashed pets under 25 pounds are welcome to ride along. 215 W. Boundary St., Historic District, Savannah, Georgia, 31401. 912/234--8128; oldsavannahtours.com. From $28.

Old Town Trolley Tours. Old Town Trolley Tours has narrated 90-minute tours traversing the Historic District. Trolleys stop at 15 designated stops every 30 minutes daily from 9 to 5 (August to March) or 9 to 6 (April to July). You can hop on and off as you please, and free parking is available. Savannah, Georgia. 855/245–8992; www.trolleytours.com/savannah. From $33 (online purchases are discounted).

Segway of Savannah. Mix it up by exploring the Historic District on a one-hour guided tour atop one of these unique two-wheeled vehicles. With two-way radios, it's easy to hear the guide and ask questions. Helmets are provided, and riders must be 16 years or older to participate. Tour prices vary seasonally. 234 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Savannah, Georgia, 31401. 912/233–3554; segwayofsavannah.com. From $49.

Special-Interest Tours

Personalized Tours of Savannah is a small company offering upscale and intimate tours of the city, with customized themes covering movies filmed in Savannah, the city's amazing architecture, and a highly recommended Jewish-heritage tour. The friendly owner is a longtime Savannah resident, and tours are peppered with plenty of insider knowledge.

Contacts

Walking Tours

A Ghost Talk Ghost Walk tour should send chills down your spine during an easygoing 1-mile jaunt through the old colonial city. Tours, lasting 1½ hours, leave from the middle of Reynolds Square, at the John Wesley Memorial at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm, weather permitting. The cost is $10 per person.

Savannah Tours by Foot's Creepy Crawl Haunted Pub Tour is a great option for anyone who loves a good ghost story and a visit to local watering holes. Believers say there are so many ghosts in Savannah they're actually divided into subcategories. These charismatic guides specialize in tavern ghosts, and they’ll regale you with tales of secret sub-basements, possessed gum-ball machines, and animated water faucets. Tours traditionally depart from the Six Pence Pub at 8 pm. Because this is a cocktail tour, children are not permitted. Routes can vary, so call for departure times and locations; the tour costs $20 and lasts for 2½ hours.

Cobblestone Tours provides a deep historical context for Savannah's spooky occurrences. Audiences of all ages can take the Savannah Ghosts & Folklore tour by candlelight, or grown-ups can get scared with a drink in their hand on Cobblestone's Haunted Pub Crawl. Tours start at $20 and last 1½ hours. Another spooky option is Sixth Sense Savannah, which gives an insider's perspective of Savannah's poltergeists.

Historic Bonaventure Cemetery is the final resting place for notable Savannah greats like songwriter Johnny Mercer and author Conrad Aiken. Fifth-generation Savannahian Bonaventure Don is the perfect guide to share the history of the marshside cemetery, its monuments, and the tales of its final residents; guests name their own price for a 2½ hour tour.

On the First Squares Food Tour, lead by Savannah Taste Experience, visitors try classic dishes from several of Savannah's favorite locales, all while learning about the city's history and culinary scene; tours start at $54.

For a comprehensive history of slavery in Savannah and the role African Americans have played in shaping the Hostess City's story, schedule a walk with Footprints of Savannah. Tours, lasting 1½ hours, depart from Wright Square and are $20 per adult.

For an upscale take on the walking tour experience, stroll Savannah with Genteel & Bard, a luxury storytelling company that lets guests wander thanks to a miked tour guide and complimentary earbuds. The tours—Historic Savannah Daytime Walking Tour or Savannah Ghost Encounter Tour—are $25 per adult.

Contacts

Bonaventure Don. Take a deep dive into the storied history of Savannah's beloved Bonaventure Cemetery, the final resting place for notable Savannah greats like songwriter Johnny Mercer and author Conrad Aiken. Fifth-generation Savannahian Bonaventure Don offers a factual, history-based tour from a chairman of the Bonaventure Historical Society. Tours last 2½ hours. Savannah, Georgia. 912/658–1748; bonaventuredon.com. Guests name their own price.

Cobblestone Tours. Cobblestone Tours provides a deep historical context for Savannah's spooky occurrences. This popular tour company offers two touring options: the Savannah Ghosts & Folklore tour, a 90-minute candlelit stroll through the Historic District (open to all ages), or the adults-only two-hour Savannah Haunted Pub Crawl that meets at Moon River Brewing Company on Bay Street. Guides travel in period costume for extra effect. Savannah, Georgia. 912/604–3007; ghostsavannah.com. From $20.

Creepy Crawl Haunted Pub Tour. This tour is a great option for anyone who loves a good ghost story while imbibing adult beverages. Believers say there are so many ghosts in Savannah they're actually divided into subcategories. These charismatic guides specialize in tavern ghosts, and they’ll regale you with tales of secret subbasements, possessed gumball machines, and animated water faucets. Tours traditionally depart from the Six Pence Pub at 8 pm and last for 2½ hours. Because this is a cocktail tour, children are not permitted. Routes can vary, so call for departure times and locations. Savannah, Georgia. 912/238–3843; savannahtours.com. From $30.

Footprints of Savannah Tours. You'll gain a comprehensive history of slavery in Savannah and the roles that African Americans have played in shaping the Hostess City's story with noted historian Vaughnette Goode-Walker, who leads tours through Historic District landmarks and explains how they fit in with the cotton trade. Tours depart daily from Wright Square and last about 90 minutes. Historic District, Savannah, Georgia. 912/695–3872; footprintsofsavannah.com. From $25.

Genteel & Bard. A tour focused on storytelling, family-owned Genteel & Bard offers audio-enhanced touring—guests are provided earbuds while a tour guide speaks into a microphone. Choose from the Historic Savannah Daytime Walking Tour or Savannah Dark History & Ghost Encounter Tour. Savannah, Georgia. 912/373-6651; genteelandbard.com. From $30.

Ghost Talk Ghost Walk Tour. Savannah's original, affordable ghost tour sends chills down your spine during an easygoing 1-mile jaunt through the downtown, the city's oldest area, but it's still appropriate for children. Tours last 1½ hours and leave from the middle of Reynolds Square at the John Wesley Memorial at 7:30 pm and 9:30 pm, weather permitting. Reservations are required. Savannah, Georgia. 912/233–3896; www.ghosttalkghostwalk.com. From $10.

Savannah Taste Experience. A variety of tours introduce visitors to several different sides of Savannah's food scene. 426 Barnard St., Downtown, Savannah, Georgia. 912/221--4439; savannahtasteexperience.com. From $56.95 .

Sixth Sense Savannah. Hunt ghosts and explore cemeteries on one of Sixth Sense's tours, including the Bonaventure Cemetery Tour, the America's Most Haunted City Tour, Sixth Sense Savannah Ghost Tour, The Midnight Tour, and the cozy Fireside Tales experience. Reservations are required. Savannah, Georgia. 912/292--0960; sixthsenseworld.com. From $25.