Walk the squares from Chippewa to Forsyth.
String the Bull Street squares together in one slow morning, fountain to fountain — the plan that made Savannah famous.
Savannah: your first hour after landing
You have just landed at Savannah/Hilton Head International, about 11 miles northwest of one of America's great walking cities — a 1733 grid of moss-draped squares, a working riverfront and a beach island 18 miles east. This guide covers the real ride in (the airport express is gone), where to sleep, the 15% plus US$5 hotel tax stack, the first Southern lunch, and the ghost, beach and cemetery days that fill day two.
In this guide
The short version
You just landed in Savannah. The airport sits about 11 miles northwest of the Historic District — the 100X express is gone, so the move is the hourly CAT Route 3 bus at US$1.50 or a taxi at about US$28, with an Airalo eSIM live for maps and ride apps, hotel tax at 15% plus US$5 a night, and the ghost, Tybee and Bonaventure days that sell out first worth booking ahead through GetYourGuide.
Quick facts
Airport
Savannah/Hilton Head International (SAV), about 11 miles northwest of the Historic District A compact single-terminal airport in Pooler, roughly 20 to 25 minutes by road from downtown — allow longer at rush hour.
Getting in
CAT Route 3 bus US$1.50, taxi about US$28 flat, rideshare about US$26 to US$33, 20 to 60 minutes The 100X Airport Express no longer runs. Route 3 is a regular city bus downtown; taxis and rideshares go door to door.
Currency
US dollar (USD) cards are accepted almost everywhere — Carry small bills for the cash-only Mrs. Wilkes lunch line, tips and exact CAT bus fare.
Languages
English, in a soft Lowcountry drawl Spanish is also heard around the city. The courtesy phrases below carry you a long way here.
Time zone
Eastern Time EDT (UTC-4), switching to EST (UTC-5) on 1 November 2026 — Clocks go back an hour in the small hours of Sunday 1 November 2026, mid-fall-trip for many visitors.
Emergency
911 for police, ambulance and fire anywhere in the United States Keep your insurer's number on your phone.
Plugs
Type A and Type B sockets, 120 volts Visitors from outside North America need an adapter; most chargers handle 120 volts without a converter.
Tap water
Safe to drink Savannah's city supply is treated and tested — Refill at the hotel — you will drink more than you expect in the humidity.
Tourist tax
Lodging carries 15% in taxes 7% sales tax plus the city's 8% hotel/motel tax — plus a flat US$5 per room, per night Georgia state fee — The 7% is 4% state plus 3% Chatham County; the 8% city tax has applied since 1 September 2023; the US$5 fee is per night, not a percentage.
Best months
March to May and October to November warm days, thinner humidity, the squares in bloom or turning — Summer is hot and humid; hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November.
Map
Find your arrival stop, hotel, and first meal. Stays, sights, and landmarks in Savannah — live hotel prices plus the key places from this guide.
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Settle in
Touch down at SAV and the city starts gently: one terminal, bags fast, and the Historic District 20 to 25 minutes east on I-16. There is no airport express any more — your choices are the city bus, a taxi, a rideshare or a rental car.
Set up data before you leave home — an Airalo eSIM loads in minutes, so maps and ride apps work from the arrivals hall. For a longer US trip, compare Saily and Yesim.
The arrival checklist, in order:
- Decide your ride before you land: Route 3 bus for US$1.50, or a taxi or rideshare to the door
- Keep a card and small bills handy — CAT buses take exact fare
- Drop your bags and walk: the squares reward you most in the first cool hour
If a delayed or cancelled flight wrecked the arrival, AirHelp checks whether the airline owes you compensation — worth five minutes.
Getting around
Journey times are approximate and refer to the listed stop — not necessarily your hotel. Allow extra time for waiting, walking, and connections.
CAT Route 3 bus (West Chatham)
A regular hourly city bus, not a shuttle: SAV to the Joe Murray Rivers Jr. Transit Center downtown; exact fare or pass; the old 100X Airport Express was suspended in 2021 and never restored
PriceUS$1.50Journeyabout 60 min
Taxi
The rank sits outside baggage claim; Savannah Yellow Cab publishes US$28 to the Historic District plus US$5 per additional passenger — airport taxis are meter-capped, so confirm the fare before you ride
PriceUS$28 flatJourneyabout 25 min
Rideshare (Uber and Lyft)
Uber and Lyft pick up at the airport's rideshare area; Uber's own airport page averages about US$33 to Savannah and US$35 to riverfront hotels, and prices surge when flights land together
PriceUS$26 to US$33Journeyabout 25 min
Rental car
The rental desks are in the terminal; I-16 runs straight downtown in about 25 minutes. Recent SAV searches average about US$50 a day across agencies; a car pays off for Tybee and Wormsloe, not for the grid
Priceabout US$50 a dayJourneyabout 25 min
Savannah's airport run is simple once you know the express is gone. CAT suspended the 100X Airport Express in 2021 and never restored it; what serves SAV now is Route 3 West Chatham, a regular hourly city bus to the downtown transit center. The rides in from SAV:
Choose the bus with light bags and daylight to spare; a taxi or rideshare with luggage or a late arrival. Savannah Yellow Cab publishes the US$28 flat fare, plus US$5 per additional passenger — airport taxis are meter-capped, so confirm the fare before you ride.
Prefer to be met? A Kiwitaxi transfer or a Welcome Pickups driver puts a name board in arrivals at a fixed price. Driving yourself, price the airport pickup on AutoEurope first — a car earns its keep on Tybee and Wormsloe days, not inside the grid.
In town, you mostly walk: the district is a flat grid of squares, each a few minutes apart. The free dot shuttle runs two loops — Downtown and Forsyth — and the free Savannah Belles Ferry crosses to Hutchinson Island every 20 to 30 minutes, 7 am to 10 pm daily. CAT buses cost US$1.50 with free transfers; a day pass is US$3.
In the city
Start in the squares. Savannah was planned in 1733 around ward squares, and 22 of the original 24 survive — start at Chippewa Square, sit a while in Madison and Lafayette, and let the grid teach you the city, live oaks and Spanish moss overhead.
Walk south to Forsyth Park, 30 acres anchored by the white cast-iron fountain of 1858 — arrive early and it is all dog-walkers and joggers. Then walk north down Bull Street to River Street, where old cotton warehouses hold shops and bars above the cobblestones and container ships slide past.
Browse City Market's galleries, step inside the Cathedral Basilica of St John the Baptist on Lafayette Square — twin spires outside, soaring vaults within — and leave an hour for a house museum if history is your thing.
Ride the free ferry at golden hour.
Cross to Hutchinson Island on the Savannah Belles Ferry and look back: the whole riverfront, steeples and all, in one view.
Book the evening ghost trolley.
Savannah tells its history twice — once by day, once after dark. Browse GetYourGuide for ghost tours and trolley days, and compare Klook when stacking activities.
After you land in Savannah: Bookable experiences
Where to stay your first nights
Splurge
Perry Lane Hotel, A Luxury Collection Hotel, Savannah.
Best for the luxury splurge — rooftop pool and a brasserie, minutes from Lafayette SquareSleep at 256 East Perry Street, near Lafayette Square — 167 rooms around a rooftop pool, the Emporium Kitchen downstairs and Forsyth Park a short stroll south. Book it for the polished, full-service Savannah.
Mid-range
The Marshall House, Historic Inns of Savannah.
Best for old-Savannah character on Broughton Street — an 1851 hotel, breakfast includedStay at 123 East Broughton Street, in a hotel standing since 1851 — 68 rooms, breakfast included, an evening reception, Broughton's shops at the door. Book it for old-Savannah character without the splurge price.
Budget
Thunderbird Inn.
Best for budget retro fun — a restored 1964 motor inn at the district's west edgeBed down at 611 West Oglethorpe Avenue, at the district's west edge — a restored 1964 retro motor inn with continental breakfast, MoonPies and RC Cola in the room, City Market six minutes on foot. Book it for the fun, affordable end of town.
Stay in the Historic District on a first visit — everything in this guide is walkable from it. The north and central squares put you among the house museums and Broughton Street shops; the south end near Forsyth Park is quieter and more residential. River Street is the lively, late-night choice: cobblestones, bars and river views, with the noise to match.
Book ahead for spring, fall weekends and St Patrick's Day. Remember the tax stack when comparing rates: 15% plus US$5 a night sits on top of the room price.
Where to eat first
Eat Lowcountry first: shrimp and grits, fried chicken, collards, sweet tea. Three first stops:
Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room, 107 West Jones Street.
Queue before 11 am for the family-style Southern lunch at communal tables for ten — fried chicken and a dozen sides passed hand to hand, Monday to Friday, 11 am to 2 pm, cash only. Plan your first lunch around it.
The Olde Pink House, 23 Abercorn Street.
Dine in the rose-coloured 1771 mansion on Reynolds Square — Lowcountry seafood and Southern classics in candlelit rooms, with a tavern in the cellar. Book days ahead; order the crispy scored flounder.
Leopold's Ice Cream, 212 East Broughton Street.
Finish at the 1919 soda fountain the Leopold brothers founded — Tutti Frutti and Savannah Socialite at the marble counter. The line moves fast.
For food tours and market walks, browse the Savannah listings on GetYourGuide and book a slot for your first free evening.
Day trips and more
Three escapes cover Savannah beyond the squares: the haunted evening, the beach island and the great cemetery.
Ghosts and Gravestones
Eighty minutes aboard the Trolley of the Doomed: haunted squares, Colonial Park Cemetery stories, and entry to the Andrew Low House and the Perkins and Sons chandlery. From about US$43. Check availability →
Tybee Island Dolphin Tour
Five and a half hours by trolley and boat: lunch at the Crab Shack, a dolphin cruise through Tybee's waterways, and photo time at the Tybee Island Lighthouse, 18 miles east of downtown. Lighthouse admission is extra, and the lighthouse closes on Tuesdays. Check availability →
Bonaventure Cemetery Golf Cart Guided Tour
One hour by golf cart through moss-draped oaks and Victorian monuments, past the graves of Johnny Mercer and Conrad Aiken. Small group, from about US$38. Check availability →
Leave a spare morning for Wormsloe's oak avenue on the Isle of Hope, or Tybee's beach under your own steam.
When to go and what it costs
March to May is the postcard season: azaleas, warm days and St Patrick's Day crowds in mid-March. October and November run close behind — humidity drops, though warm and humid days are still possible well into fall. Summer means real heat and afternoon thunderstorms; winter is mild, quiet and cheapest. One honesty note: Atlantic hurricane season runs to 30 November, so keep an eye on forecasts and book flexible rates.
Money is simple: dollars, cards everywhere, small bills for the cash-only lunch line and exact bus fare. A CAT ride is US$1.50; a Mrs. Wilkes lunch about US$30; an Olde Pink House dinner US$40 to 70 a person before tax and tip.
A budget day in the retro inn, on the free dot shuttle: US$90 to 120. Mid-range — a historic inn, a Pink House dinner, a guided day out: US$220 to 300. A splurge day passes US$500.
What to pack
Tap items to check them off — your list is saved on this device.
Pack for a walking city that sweats: shade, water and a rain plan matter most. This is the full list:
- Comfortable walking shoes Shop walking shoes on Amazon →
- Sunscreen Shop sunscreen on Amazon →
- Reusable water bottle Shop water bottle on Amazon →
- Phone charger and power bank Shop power bank on Amazon →
- Daypack Shop daypack on Amazon →
- Sunglasses Shop sunglasses on Amazon →
- Light rain jacket Shop rain jacket on Amazon →
Add the Savannah extras: insect repellent for dusk in the squares, a light layer for air-conditioned restaurants and the evening ferry, and shoes that handle River Street's cobblestones. Pack breathable fabrics — linen and cotton earn their space.
Language, visa and entry
! Check visa requirements before you fly
English runs Savannah, softened by the Lowcountry drawl and a strong courtesy culture — strangers say good morning, hold doors and ask after your day, and they mean it. Match the pace and these phrases do most of the work:
Good morning, y'alla hello for the whole groupThank you kindlya warm, local thank-youYes ma'am, yes sireveryday courtesy to elders and strangersHave a blessed daythe classic Savannah farewell
Sort your entry paperwork before you book anything non-refundable. US citizens need nothing but ID. Visa Waiver visitors — the UK, most of the EU, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and others — enter for up to 90 days with an ESTA, which costs US$40.62 since 16 Oct 2026; apply only through the official CBP site, at least 72 hours ahead. Everyone else needs a B1/B2 visitor visa.
At the airport, CBP officers stamp you in — six months on a visa, 90 days on the waiver — and may ask where you are staying and when you leave. Keep your hotel address and onward ticket on your phone; an ESTA is an authorization to travel, not a guarantee of entry.
Safety and health
Keep street sense after dark in the Historic District
The squares stay pleasant and busy into the evening; River Street runs later and rowdier. Walk the lit, populated streets back, keep valuables out of sight, and take a rideshare for the last stretch if streets have emptied.
Respect the heat and humidity
From May to September Savannah is a sauna, with a real risk of heat exhaustion on long walking days. Start early, take the squares' shade as it comes, drink water constantly and move museums into the afternoon.
Mind the mosquitoes
Marsh air means bites, especially at dusk near the river and in Bonaventure. Repellent is not optional on summer evenings; long sleeves help after dark.
Watch the weather in hurricane season
Atlantic hurricane season runs 1 June to 30 November, and Savannah's low, riverfront setting floods in heavy rain even without a direct storm hit. Check the forecast daily in season, keep flexible bookings, and follow local guidance if a storm is named for the Georgia coast. For anything serious, dial 911.
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The AmericasFrequently asked questions
The bus that replaced the express, the hotel tax stack and the ESTA fee, in short.
Transfers checked against CAT fares and service-change sources and the airport, October 2026; lodging taxes against City of Savannah ordinance records, the Chamber's 2026 Economic Trends brochure and Georgia Code 48-13-50.3; ESTA fee against the CBP Federal Register notice of 1 October 2026.
No airport express — CAT suspended the 100X in 2021. Route 3 West Chatham, a regular city bus, runs hourly from SAV downtown for US$1.50, about 60 minutes. A taxi is about US$28 flat, a rideshare US$26 to US$33, both about 25 minutes.
15% in percentage taxes — 7% sales tax (4% state plus 3% Chatham County) plus the city's 8% hotel/motel tax — plus a flat US$5 per room, per night Georgia state fee. The total lands on top of the quoted room rate.
March to May and October to November: warm days, lower humidity, the squares at their best. Summer is hot, humid and stormy, and Atlantic hurricane season runs to 30 November, so fall trips should keep flexible bookings.
Visa Waiver nationals enter for up to 90 days with an ESTA, US$40.62 since 16 October 2026 — apply on the official CBP site 72 hours ahead. Everyone else needs a B1/B2 visa. US citizens need only ID.
Yes — the district is a flat, shaded grid of squares made for walking, and the free dot shuttle and Savannah Belles Ferry cover the rest. You need a car only for Tybee Island or Wormsloe.
With normal city care, yes. The squares stay busy and pleasant into the evening; River Street runs later and rowdier. The bigger hazards are summer heat, mosquitoes at dusk and heavy rain in hurricane season — plan around all three.
Fares change — CAT, the airport and your ride app always win.
Savannah, saved for arrival
Landing soon? Get the printable PDF — the essentials from this guide, formatted for your phone:
- The airport transport cheat sheet, with ticket links
- Our 3 restaurant picks, with maps
- The packing checklist
One email with your Savannah PDF (guide version: Oct 2026). Fare changes and new guides after that. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Sources and last verified
Airport transfers against Savannah/Hilton Head International and Chatham Area Transit sources, October 2026: CAT's fares page gives the US$1.50 local fare and the free dot shuttle and Savannah Belles Ferry; CAT suspended the 100X Airport Express in March 2021, and its July 2023 service changes confirm Route 3 West Chatham — not a direct shuttle — links the airport with the downtown Intermodal Transit Center. Taxi conflict, documented: the airport publishes a metered maximum, not a flat rate, while Savannah Yellow Cab and The Marshall House both publish US$28 to the Historic District plus US$5 per additional passenger — this guide prints US$28 with that caveat. Rideshare range against Uber's Savannah airport page and a September 2026 transfer check (US$26 to US$33). Lodging taxes against official sources: City of Savannah ordinance records set the hotel/motel tax at 8% from 1 September 2023 (O.C.G.A. 48-13-51(b)); the Savannah Area Chamber's 2026 Economic Trends brochure gives total room tax of 15% (7% sales plus 8% lodging); Georgia Code 48-13-50.3 sets the US$5 nightly state fee; the 7% sales tax is 4% state plus 3% Chatham County per Georgia Department of Revenue charts. ESTA US$40.62 from 16 October 2026 against the CBP Federal Register notice of 1 October 2026. GetYourGuide hub heading-verified as Savannah (l1098); products opened and read: Ghosts and Gravestones (t15351), Tybee Island Dolphin Tour (t244967), Bonaventure Cemetery Golf Cart Guided Tour (t703132). Hotels opened on expedia.com and address-checked: Perry Lane Hotel (h20154636), The Marshall House (h201294), Thunderbird Inn (h1276151). Photo credits as in the guide data. Last verified October 2026.
Affiliate disclosure: hotel names, transfers, experiences, and products linked in this guide may earn After You Land a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices and times were checked in Oct 2026 and change often — confirm before you book.