Savannah, GA: Should You Take a Tour? Our Honest Experience and Recommendations
If you had asked us about city tours a few years ago, we would have dismissed them outright. "Tours are for package tourists," we might have said. "Real travel means immersing yourself in local culture." Today, as seasoned travelers who live and breathe exploration, our perspective has evolved with experience.
Don't get us wrong — we don't recommend organized tours as your primary way to explore a city (that's just too passive). However, they offer clear benefits, especially for time-constrained visitors. The right tour can reveal deeper details, showcase more neighborhoods, and help you orient yourself efficiently.
When we arrived in Savannah for a five-day stay, we were surprised by the sheer volume of tours in this compact Southern city of about 137,000 residents — rivaling offerings in New York, Paris, or London. Its walkable historic center can be covered on foot in a day or two, so why so many options?
Do You Really Need a Tour in Savannah?
We say yes. Savannah boasts one of America's most unique histories, much of which you'd miss on casual strolls through its iconic squares and Forsyth Park without expert guidance. A hop-on, hop-off trolley tour, like Savannah Trolley Tours, provides a quick history overview and helps gauge the city's scale.
As avid movie fans, we were drawn to Savannah, the "Hollywood of the South," featured in films like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil with Kevin Spacey and Forrest Gump with Tom Hanks. With limited time amid the Savannah Craft Brew Festival over Labor Day weekend, we skipped the Black History Tour for a movie tour.
Truthfully, Savannah Movie Tours was our biggest disappointment.
At $25 per person for 90 minutes, it stops at filming locations while bus screens play short clips. The info overlapped with trolley tours, clips were too brief, and splitting attention between the monotonous guide (we stopped counting his "ums") and screens was challenging. Blasting AC left everyone shivering in 100°F heat outside. Jess nearly snapped when the guide suggested Leopold's Ice Cream at the end — after turning us into popsicles!
Choosing the Best Tours in Savannah
Research reviews on TripAdvisor before booking. Here's a rundown of popular tour types, often offered by multiple companies:
- Savannah trolley tours
- Savannah hop-on, hop-off tours
- Savannah walking tours
- Savannah haunted walking tours
- Savannah foodie tours
- Savannah movie tours
- Savannah horse carriage tours
- Savannah ghost tours
- Savannah riverboat tours
- Savannah historic homes & gardens tours
- Savannah Black history tours
- Savannah pub crawls and martini tours
Our Top Tour Picks in Savannah
History enthusiasts will love tours of preserved homes like the Mercer-Williams House, home of Jim Williams from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. These offer intimate glimpses into bygone eras, from bedroom setups to customs.
Discover Food Network star Paula Deen at her popular Lady & Sons restaurant (arrive early for lines) or join a highly rated Savannah food tour for Southern cuisine introductions, praised on TripAdvisor and in USA Today.
The Black History Tour covers Underground Railroad sites, historic Black communities, and slave burial grounds.
Savannah ranks among America's most haunted cities, with tales of plagues, wars, duels, and murders in its cemeteries and mansions. Options abound: Sixth Sense tours, Ghosts & Gravestones, creepy pub crawls, or the Savannah Hearse Tour (see Amanda's review at A Dangerous Business).
Our evening walking ghost tour felt ordinary until Juliette Gordon Low's birthplace (Girl Scouts founder) shared chilling stories that raised our hackles.
Whether tour-averse or tour-enthusiast, Savannah tempts with endless options — research wisely. Best of all, channel Forrest Gump: Sit on a bench in one of its 24 shady squares, people-watch locals, eccentrics, and visitors. It's free and unbeatable entertainment!
For full tour listings, visit VisitSavannah.com and TripAdvisor's Savannah page, top resources for local activities.
Have you visited Savannah? Any tour recommendations? What's your take on city tours?
