48 Hours in Savannah

Overflowing with lush public squares surrounded by historic mansions, Savannah turns even a mindless stroll into a treat. But there’s much more to uncover below the Spanish moss hanging from the live oaks. Here’s how to dip your toes into the haunting history, culinary bounty and slow-paced culture of one of the South’s most beautiful cities in just 48 hours.

Day One

Choose a hotel along the river for quick access to many of the city’s top draws and as an easy landmark for navigating your stay. All of tourist Savannah lies south of its river, so head north anytime you’re disoriented, and you’ll find your way home again. The JW Marriott Savannah, a AAA Four Diamond property, is a top stay just steps from the bustling River Street waterfront where you’ll start day one. (Be sure to ask for your AAA discount on lodging.)

What was once a strip of 19th-century warehouses is now an elegant riverfront promenade teeming with specialty shops, bars, restaurants and galleries. There are many cafés serving breakfast here, but Huey’s is the best for both unbeatable eggs Benedict and an unrivaled river view. The pain perdu here is also beloved. (It’s French toast made with French bread.)

Afterward, continue along the cobblestones, stopping at local legends like Savannah Bee Company for gourmet honey and plant-based soaps. Don’t forget to peek under the tents along the river for souvenir shopping, too.

To work off an indulgent breakfast, take a 30-minute stroll south to Forsyth Park, passing through several of the city’s 22 stunning squares shaded by mature trees towering over statues, fountains and idyllic resting spaces. Pass through Chippewa Square on your way and you may recognize the spot where Tom Hanks offered Robin Wright the famous box of chocolates in Forrest Gump.

At Forsyth Park, you’ll find one of the city’s best known sites, a fountain of four spouting tritons, reminiscent of the Fontaines de la Concorde in Paris, which elite 19th-century Savannah intentionally sought to evoke. Depending on the day, you may also find markets or festivals underway, but any day you’ll be able to enjoy the majestic live oaks and sprawling lawns of this gathering spot. Be sure to seek out the Garden of Fragrance before leaving; designed to maximize the garden experience for the visually impaired, this aromatic space is enjoyable for all.

As the Savannah sun heats up the afternoon, head indoors at the SCAD Museum of Art. Browse contemporary exhibits of works by both students and established artists. If you’re a quick-stroll museumgoer, you’ll also have time to visit the Telfair Museums today.

The original Telfair Museum opened in 1886 as the first public art museum in the South. Today, Telfair comprises three museums, two of which focus on artwork. You’ll find modern and contemporary art at the Jepson Center, designed by architect Moshe Safdie, while you can dive into the city’s more traditional culture through the art, architecture and collections of the Telfair Academy. Also take some time to better understand the realities of pre-Civil War life in Savannah society—including the lives of the enslaved—at the remarkably well-preserved Owens-Thomas House & Slave Quarters.

For dinner, choose a color and make reservations at The Grey or The Olde Pink House for some of Savannah’s most famous menus. Pick pink for elegant, candle-lit meals in an 18th-century mansion serving traditional Southern dishes, or go grey for an inventive twist on many of these classics inside an art deco bus terminal. Shrimp and grits is a favorite selection at both.

Day Two

Start your morning at Clary’s Café. This unassuming spot is one of the city’s most beloved culinary institutions, in business for more than 100 years. Known for hearty Southern comfort food, it’s a place you might recognize from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the book and film that put Savannah on the tourism map in the 1990s. You don’t have to be at all familiar with this literary landmark to enjoy the day, but it’ll be a running theme below the surface, so you might want to read or watch ahead for great insight into the city’s colorful cast of (real) residents and societal quirks.

After breakfast, head a bit outside of historic Savannah to Bonaventure Cemetery, one of the country’s most beguiling and haunting locales, and a key setting in Midnight. Rich in Victorian and Gothic monuments shadowed by eerie moss and swaying palms, this riverfront resting place is a must for those seeking either quiet beauty or the more mysterious side of the South. The drive to and from here is equally beautiful, passing under the oak arcades of Victory Drive, lined with historic mansions in a variety of architectural styles.

Back in the historic district, grab a quick lunch at a casual hotspot like Leopold’s Ice Cream, serving classic American diner fare in a 1950s setting. Then pay a visit to the Mercer Williams House for a glimpse of true Southern decadence with a dose of history. A stunner built for General Hugh W. Mercer, great-grandfather of celebrated American songwriter Johnny Mercer (Moon River), its most famous resident was Jim Williams, real-life protagonist of Midnight.

Meander back toward the river with a newfound appreciation of what lies behind many of the elegant front doors along the way. Refresh at your hotel and prepare for an iconic city experience of dinner on the water with Savannah Riverboat Cruises. The two-hour tour is an ideal way to bid farewell to the city in style, but if you’re still up for one last kick, few experiences are as quintessentially Savannah as a haunted city tour before bed.