Savannah, Georgia: Perfect 3-Day Itinerary

Savannah, Georgia is the ideal destination for a 3-day weekend.  It is a beautiful city with unique sites to explore!  My family spent 3-days in Savannah in February over President’s Day Weekend.  The weather was perfect.  Spring had sprung in Savannah, but the temperature was incredibly mild and as a bonus – no bugs yet!  I highly recommend a long weekend getaway or adventure in Savannah in February.

Savannah Day 1: Friday

Drive from Atlanta to Savannah

We began our 3-day trip to Savannah in Atlanta.  We drove to Savannah on Friday morning.  For lunch, we stopped at the iconic Jack’s Hamburgers in Dublin, Georgia.  This tiny sliver of a restaurant is almost literally a “hole in the wall.”  We did not see the restaurant initially.  We had to circle the block before we spotted this Dublin landmark. 

The burgers are small sliders like Krystal’s burgers.  Make sure that sure that you order enough to fill you up!  My daughter said that 4 doubles or 3 triple burgers would have been the right sized meal for her.  My husband decided that the next time we go back, he will order 6 doubles.  The buns were especially delicious.  We ate our burgers in the car.

Arrive in Savannah

We parked our car to spend the first afternoon of our 3-days in Savannah exploring downtown on foot.  We parked at the city’s State Street Parking Garage.

Snack at Leopold’s Ice Cream

We made a beeline for Leopold’s Ice Cream’s flagship location on Broughton Street.  The ice cream was amazing!  I was surprised that it totally lived up to the hype!  Leopold’s only displays their unique flavors, but they have traditional flavors such as simple chocolate and vanilla in the back.  If those are your go-tos, then don’t be afraid to request them even if you don’t see the flavors in the case. 

My family ordered several of the specialty ice cream flavors and we loved them all.  We decided that we wanted to come back after we finished our cones!  My son selected a double scoop of Savannah Socialite in a waffle cone.  My daughter ordered a waffle cone with Butter Pecan and Coffee Chocolate Chip. I chose a scoop of Cookie Squared and Savannah Socialite.  My husband ordered his waffle cone with Savannah Socialite and Chocolate Chewies & Cream.  We immensely enjoyed this ice cream, and I highly recommend that you order a scoop or two!

Wander Savannah’s Historic Squares

We enjoyed our ice cream cones on a park bench in Oglethorpe Square.  We spent the next couple of hours exploring Savannah’s unique squares.  My husband picked up a to-go cup at a bar for our tour.  Please note the section of Savannah that allows open containers if you choose to take advantage of this opportunity. 

When James Oglethorpe arrived in Savannah in 1733, he decided to design this new city in a grid pattern with distinct squares to use as public gathering spaces.  Savannah offers 22 squares for you to explore.  There are numerous resources on Savannah’s Squares including a walking tour so that you can tour them all in one day. 

Here is a list of the Savannah Squares we visited:

• We spent some time admiring Oglethorpe Square with our ice cream cones because it is conveniently located near Broughton Street.  It is the home of the Owens-Thomas House, which is open for tours. 
• Wright Square was the second square built in Savannah.  The courthouse and jail were originally located here.  The founder of the Girl Scouts’ birth home is located here.  If you want to visit the Juliette Gordon Lowe House, be sure to book it in advance.  We hoped to tour it, but all the tours were booked for the day.
• Telfair Square was named after Edward Telfair, who was the governor of Georgia who lived on this square. The Telfair Academy Museum, which was Governor Telfair’s home and Trinity Methodist Church front this square.  The Savannah Book Festival takes place in the historic district in early February.  We discovered the festival in Telfair Square that President’s Day Weekend.
• Johnson Square was this was the first square laid out in Savannah.  General Nathaniel Green is buried below his Monument.
• The beautiful Reynold’s Square, which is named after Georgia’s first British governor, John Reynolds, is home of the famous Olde Pink House restaurant.

Shopping on Broughton Street

Surprisingly, shopping was my tweens’ favorite activity during our 3-day trip to Savannah.  My daughter and I explored the ladies’ clothing stores.  We particularly liked the shop, Dress Up.  The boys loved the comic bookstore called Nerdheim and Pop Vault, which is a gaming store.

Explore Forsyth Park

You can’t spend a long weekend in Savannah without exploring this stunning park with its magnificent water fountains.  We drove from downtown Savannah to Forsyth Park.  We found a parking spot near the tennis courts.  The Spanish moss is incredible here.  We saw so many people out and about with professional photographers.  If you want to have photos taken in Savannah, Forsyth Park is definitely the place!  The houses surrounding the park are Queen Anne Victorian, so this area of town has a different vibe than downtown Savannah. 

Forsyth Park is free to visit and offers free street parking.

Accommodations: Vacation Rental on Tybee Island, Georgia

In February, it was substantially more economical to book a vacation rental on Tybee Island rather than downtown Savannah.  The price difference sealed the deal for us, and it gave us the opportunity to explore Tybee Island and the surrounding area in addition to Savannah.  We decided to travel to Savannah on Friday morning for our long weekend trip to eliminate one night of accommodations. 

Dinner at AJ’s Dockside Restaurant

We ate dinner outside overlooking the water on Tybee Creek.  The sunset was beautiful, but the temperature was a little chilly in February after the sun went down.  We especially loved the hush puppies at AJ’s Dockside Restaurant.  My husband and daughter enjoyed the Trio Dinner.  They selected scallops, shrimp and chicken fingers.  AJ’s served a lot of food, so we had plenty of leftovers to take back to our vacation rental.

Just because it is February at the beach doesn’t mean that the restaurants won’t be busy.  I recommend that you book a reservation at AJ’s Dockside or any other restaurants at Tybee Island if you want to eat dinner at a reasonable hour!

Savannah Day 2: Saturday

Fort Pulaski

We are National Parks fans, and we are on a mission to get as many stamps for our National Parks Passport as possible.  So, Fort Pulaski National Monument was a must-visit destination for us.  We arrived early that morning and found Fort Pulaski surprisingly busy.  We learned about the fort in the Visitor’s Center before exploring the grounds. 

The History of Fort Pulaski

Construction began on Fort Pulaski in 1829.  The fort’s purpose was to protect the port of Savannah.  The most important battle that took place here was the Battle of Fort Pulaski during the Civil War.  Confederate troops held Fort Pulaski at the beginning of the war.  At that time, Fort Pulaski was considered indestructible, and the Confederate soldiers were stocked with at least 6 months of provisions. 

The Union Navy cut Fort Pulaski off from all supplies and communications.  General Sherman’s troops set up guns on nearby Tybee Island, where they bombarded the fort.  It turned out that the walls were not invincible.  The Confederate leader raised the white flag after a 30-hour battle.  The Union took control of Fort Pulaski using its strategic location to enforce the blockade on Confederate Savannah.  The US governement decomissioned Fort Pulaski in the 1870s.  Having never been modernized, this unique fort maintains its Civil War appearance.

Exploring Fort Pulaski National Monument

We started our tour at the earthworks, the moat and the demilune outside the fort.  Inside, we toured the officer’s quarters, the prison, the guns and everything in between.  We walked around the top of the fort too.

After exploring the Fort Pulaski itself, we hiked the Lighthouse Trail.  At the end of the trail, we saw the decommissioned Cockspur Island Lighthouse in the distance.  As we made our way along the trail, a cargo ship was entering Savannah harbor.  My entire family was impressed by the immense size of this ship.

Fort Pulaski National Monument is free to visit. We spent about 2:30 here.

Lunch at Finches Sandwiches & Sundries in Thunderbolt

We stopped at this quirky spot for sandwiches conveniently located between Fort Pulaski and Wormsloe State Historic Site.  Finches Sandwiches & Sundries is housed in an old Pure Service Station location.  We ordered our meal at the counter and sat down at a picnic table under an umbrella to eat.  They offered corn hole and other games to keep you entertained while waiting for food. 

We selected a combination of breakfast foods and sandwiches.  We enjoyed the silver dollar pancakes, the Millennials toast, a grilled cheese, and Jahroni or Italian sandwich.  The menu was printed, and it looked like it rotates regularly.  We enjoyed our food and the unique atmosphere on this sunny afternoon.

Wormsloe State Historic Site

You’ve seen photos of the alley of oaks dripping with Spanish moss before.  Wormsloe State Historic Site must be the most “Instagrammable” locations in Savannah.  It is a must-visit destination for your 3-Days in Savannah!  The mile long oak lane leads to the tabby ruins of a Noble Jones’s colonial house – who was one of Georgia’s first English settlers. 

Noble Jones’s descendants donated most of the Wormsloe Estate to the state of Georgia in 1973, creating the Wormsloe State Historic Site.  The family still owns the adjacent property, which is the site of the Wormsloe House and the dairy.  The family occupies the plantation house built in 1828, so it is not part of the historic site nor available for tours. 

Visiting Wormsloe State Historic Site

You must pay admission before you can access the oak avenue.  Board a tram to travel down the picturesque road.  The Visitor’s Center provides a short film on the history of this site, a museum with artifacts, and a gift shop.  At the Visitor’s Center, begin the self-guided tour of the property. 

Tabby Ruins

Noble Jones built a fortified tabby house to keep his family safe from the Spanish.  The house had 8-foot-tall walls on each side.  In addition to its fortifications, the house was twice as large as typical homes from that period.  The house was quite an impressive structure.  It is the oldest historic structure in Savannah.  Tabby is a building material made from oyster shells, lime, water, sand and ash.  It is essentially a historic coastal concrete.

The Salt Marsh

Walk the nature trail along the salt marsh.  The Wormsloe property is adjacent to a historic strategic shipping channel – which is called Jones’ Narrows.  In the 1960s, the Atlantic Intercoastal Waterway was enlarged making it the main channel for modern day ships.  The kids climbed on driftwood at the edge of the marsh like it was a jungle gym.  My husband and I enjoyed the views.  The weather was perfect for a marsh walk in February.  If you visit, when it is warmer, make sure that you wear plenty of bug spray.

The Colonial Life Area

My family explored the waddle and daub house.  The people who worked at Wormsloe would have lived in a similar structure.  The kids climbed upstairs to the sleeping loft.

The historic site gardeners planted crops from Africa, England and Native American foods in the Colonial Garden.  The docent explained that historians speculate that women often braided seeds into their hair and their children’s hair before boarding slave ships from Africa.  The seeds provided something for them to eat on the long voyage plus they could have been planted to grow familiar crops in America.  

You can view the beginning of the alley of Oaks for free, however there is an admission to take photographs and explore the State Historic Site.  We spent about 2 hours exploring this site.

Isle of Hope Historic District

This Savannah Historic District was initially settled as early as 1840 as a summer retreat from the city.  The Isle of Hope’s location on the horseshoe bend of the Skidaway River made it a great place to catch the breeze and avoid mosquitos.  You will find a variety of house styles here as summer cottages gave way to permanent residences in the early 1900s.  Some architectural styles you might see include Vernacular Coastal Cottages, Craftsman Bungalows, eclectic Queen Anne Victorians, Greek Revival, and Neoclassical.

I recognized many of the houses in this neighborhood from architecture books on the low country.  Many of these homes served as the inspiration for houses I designed in Beaufort County, SC.  I was excited to see these charming homes in person.  If you have time, get out of the car and walk around to take in the details of these houses at a slower pace!

The Isle of Hope neighborhood is free to visit.

Dinner at Sandfly BBQ

We targeted Sandfly BBQ for dinner based on its reputation for incredible barbeque.  My husband and I ordered a combo plate so we could try everything.  My son ordered sliders, and my daughter ordered a sausage plate.  Their reputation held up.  Everything was delicious.  I especially liked the sausages. 

Evening on the Beach

We returned to our vacation rental on Tybee Island.  We walked on the beach at sunset.  It was a beautiful way to spend the evening.

Savannah Day 3: Sunday

Breakfast at the Breakfast Club on Tybee Island

We checked out of our vacation rental and headed down the street for breakfast at this legendary establishment.  The line was crazy long, but it moved quickly.  We only stood in line for 10 minutes before being seated at the Breakfast Club on Tybee Island.  Our meal hit the spot and before we knew it, we were on our way.

Tybee Island Light Station and Museum

Lighthouses are fascinating and architecturally beautiful, so I could not pass up the historic lighthouse grounds during our 3-day trip to Savannah.  We spent our last morning exploring the Tybee Island Light Station complex. 

History of the Tybee Island Light

The current Tybee Island Lighthouse was originally built in 1773.  The Confederates set it on fire during the Civil War.  Today, the base of the lighthouse dates from 1773, but the top half of the lighthouse was rebuilt in 1867.  There are three keepers’ cottages on the grounds because before electricity, maintaining the light required 3 people.  The keepers hauled large buckets of fuel to the top of the tower to feed the light. 

Visiting the Tybee Island Lighthouse

The interior of the lighthouse is open to visit!  We climbed the 178 stairs to the top of the 145-foot-tall lighthouse.  At the top, you will enjoy beautiful views of the coastline and the Savannah area. Remember to hold on to your hat – or leave it in your car – because it was windy up there!

The Tybee Historical Society runs the Light Station complex, but the Coast Guard is responsible for the light itself.  Be sure to tour the Head Keeper’s Cottage and watch the short historical film in the 2nd Assistant Keeper’s Cottage.  The 1st Assistant Keeper’s Cottage is used as offices.  The Light Station’s original garage is now the home of its gift shop.  The first two keeper’s cottages are built in the Stick Style, which is a variation of Queen Anne style architecture popular in the 1880s. 

There is an admission to visit the Tybee Island Light Station.  We spent about an hour and a half touring the complex.

Bonaventure Cemetery

This magnificent Victorian-era Savannah cemetery sits on the Wilmington River.  It reminded me of Atlanta’s Oakland Cemetery. However, in addition to beautiful art and architecture, Bonaventure Cemetery is nestled in a stunning low country landscape.  Beautiful old trees drip with Spanish moss.  The marshes and the river beyond create a spectacular backdrop.  The camellias and azaleas blooming in late February enhanced the cemetery’s Victorian garden style ambiance even further. 

Bonaventure’s Famous Residents

We parked outside the cemetery’s main entrance along Bonaventure Rd.  A helpful woman at the Visitor’s Center provided us with a map.  She told us the story of Gracie Watson, who was a very popular 6-year-old girl.  Her father was a local hotel manager.  Unfortunately, Gracie passed away suddenly after being photographed in her Easter clothes.

The woman also instructed us to look for Johnny Mercer’s final resting place.  Johnny Mercer was a songwriter, lyricist and a co-founder of Capital Records.  As a boy in Savannah, he swept the floors at Leopold’s Ice Cream.  His most popular lyrics are written on his headstone. 

Bonaventure Cemetery is the setting of the novel, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt.

Visiting Bonaventure Cemetery

The Cemetery has its own app! For a small fee, you can take advantage of the app and learn about Savannah’s historic residents as you tour the cemetery.  You can also attend a free walking tour on Saturday and Sunday afternoons on the second weekend of each month. 

The Cemetery is free to visit.  Restrooms are available near the main entrance.  We spent just over an hour exploring Bonaventure Cemetery.  If the parking spaces near the main entrance are full, you can find additional parking near the River on Mullryne Way or Gracie’s Lane.

Departing Savannah

We wrapped up our 3-day trip to Savannah and began the drive home to Atlanta after touring Bonaventure Cemetery.  We picked up lunch on the road so that we could get home and prepare for the following workday.  The long weekend was a refreshing respite from work and school.  The length and timing of our trip was perfect.  I believe that we saw Savannah at its best!

How to Spend 3-Days in Savannah, Georgia

How to get around Savannah

If you are staying only in the downtown area, I think that you could easily get around Savannah on foot with a little help from a ride share service.  To do everything that we did on our Savannah long weekend itinerary, a car is a must.  We drove to Savannah from Atlanta, but you could easily rent a car too.

How many days should you stay in Savannah?

Three days is the perfect amount of time to get away and get a good taste of Savannah.  This charming low-country city is the ideal destination for a long weekend getaway.  Although, it would be easy to spend more time here!

When is the best time to visit Savannah?

I discovered that Savannah and the low country were at their best in mid to late February over President’s Day Weekend.  Spring was already in full swing.  Flowers bloomed; Spanish moss draped itself artistically.   The temperature was perfect at 65 degrees.  But the best part was NO BUGS! 

In March, Savannah hosts a huge St. Patrick’s Day Celebration.  If you visit in March, make sure to plan for the festivities!

Savannah is beautiful at any time of year, except it is extremely hot and sticky at the height of the summer.  Unless you are going to Tybee Island for the beach, you may want to avoid Savannah in June, July, and August.  Be sure to bring bug spray in warmer months – which last up until Thanksgiving.

Planning Your Long Weekend in Savannah

Are you planning a 3-day weekend in Savannah?  Let me know your plans in the comments! 

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