A Weekend in Savannah, GA

I’ve made it a goal of mine to explore more of the cities around where I live + grew up in the southeast. When it comes to travel, I’m often brainstorming fun places that we can jet set off to but there are so many little hidden gems right around us + Savannah, GA was just that! We ventured to Savannah for a little weekend trip. We stayed in an Airbnb since we brought the dogs + it seemed like it was one of the more affordable options at the time. Our Airbnb was right outside of the heart of downtown, south of Forsyth Park. 

The first afternoon/evening when we arrived, we got settled in then spent the evening exploring the Plant Riverside District. It’s a fun area with a lot to do right alongside the river. There is a wide variety of different restaurants, bars, shops + more. We decided to eat at Graffito, a Neapolitan pizza place in the heart of the district. We had a short wait for our table, so we decided to grab a drink at the Riverside Biergarten right outside of the restaurant. It was a fun, open-air bar with heaters in the winter. Also! Savannah allows open containers throughout the city. So, we were able to take our beer on the go. There was a little Christmas/Holiday market along the water that we walked around while we waited. This area is definitely more touristy but has a lot to offer. 

The food was great – we got the spicy calabrese pizza + salads, both of which were delicious + fresh! I had a vanilla Moscow mule – which was an interesting holiday twist on one of my favorite drinks.

The following morning, Saturday: we woke up + grabbed coffee from The Culturist Union – an adorable coffee shop with an artisan marketplace featuring local artists! We then walked the dogs to Forsyth Park – a 30 acre park in the center of Savannah. On Saturday mornings, they have a large farmers market with a variety of vendors. It’s a great park for outdoor activities – they even have tennis courts + soccer fields! We grabbed breakfast at Clary’s Café after it came highly recommended. Overall, I wasn’t blown away. It was your standard breakfast with a fairly unremarkable atmosphere (wouldn’t recommend).

We then walked around the Historic District, looking at the beautiful homes, cobblestone streets + gardens. The Historic District is split into North + South – although they are located very close together. Jones street is said to be one of the prettiest streets in Savannah but they were all so charming to me! With SCAD centrally located in Savannah, there is a big creative influence. You can also stop by the downtown store: ShopSCAD, which features some of the artwork + designs of SCAD students + staff. 

It seemed that on nearly every block, there was a small square – adorned with benches to sit or walk ways to explore. Cippewa Square in particular (located in Historic District – North) was formerly home to Forrest Gump’s bench – sadly it’s no longer there but is still a popular spot for pictures. The Spanish moss on the trees made it so dreamy! It truly is a beautiful city to explore by foot – but there are also a variety of tour options including carriage rides, bike tours + even Segway tours. 

Since all good vacations revolve around food, we stopped at Big Bon Bodega for lunch – right before they closed for the afternoon. It’s a wood-fired bagel shop in the morning + pizza restaurant in the evening. We grabbed bagels + even a half-dozen to take home. I got the everything bagel with kimchi cream cheese. Wow! I was a little nervous about the thought of kimchi cream cheese but it was delicious… Highly recommend. 

After a little rest + recovery – we headed out for a little shopping on Broughton Street. Apparently, it’s the hub of shopping downtown, a multi-block street with shops + restaurants on both sides of the street. We stopped at some of the favorites, like Savannah Bee Company + Paris Market, as well as some local boutiques. 

For dinner, we made our way to Starland Yard – a food truck park in the Starland District centered around Vittoria Pizzeria + the Yard Bar which are always available. It’s a perfect spot, especially if you’re with a group as it has a little something for everyone! They swipe your credit card at the entrance, so all you need to do is give each food truck your name + they are able to add it to your tab! We ended up grabbing a pizza + salad the pizzeria, drinks from the Yard Bar + cookies from Big Boy Cookies. You can check their schedule to see which trucks will be there each day! They also have occasional live music, a variety of seating areas, TVs, + heaters during the winter. After dinner, we stopped at Two Tides Brewing Company right around the corner. It’s a little hidden on the second story + does require a few flights of stairs. It’s a funky vibe with a few different rooms + seating areas, including some patio seating. I was a little underwhelmed + we were one of the only guests. However, we walked their “sister” bar – The Smol Bar – which is located right below the brewery + it looked like fun so that might be worth checking out!   

On our final morning, we made our way to Foxy Loxy Cafe for coffee + breakfast (also located in the Starland District). I had the most delicious breakfast burrito – toasted + served with a couple different sauces. We also had one of their gluten-free orange muffins + had to grab a few to bring home because wow!

I hope this provides you with a good starting point to hit some of the most popular + highly recommended spots in Savannah! Overall, I found it to be a very manageable city. Of note: we visited during the colder months + likely more of the “off season”. The creativity that SCAD brings to the city was so unique. The streets have so much charm. Savannah definitely didn’t disappoint, I can’t wait to go back + explore more!

How to get around: The city is very walkable but we also didn’t have any issues driving, with little to no traffic, + adequate parking. We were also able to easily find an Uber or Lyft. If you’d like to have more of a tour of the city – there are a variety of opportunities including carriage or segway tours. There is also a Riverboat Cruise or Ferry Ride to explore the city from the water. I believe there is some public transportation (busses, etc) but we didn’t use any of those!

Restaurants: All throughout the city! The food scene in Savannah is incredible. Since we visited in the off season, most restaurants had only a short wait, if any. However, it couldn’t hurt to make a reservation!

Night life: There is no shortage of nightlife in Savannah. Congress Street is the hub!

Shopping: Highly recommend Broughton Street for blocks of great shopping.

Although we couldn’t get to all of the recommended spots, I’ve put them together into a list + will definitely be saving these for our next trip!

-Tybee Island (home to Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse)

-Avenue of live oaks (+ beautiful Spanish moss) at Wormslow State Historic Site

-So many coffee shops! Some of the most recommended were Perc, The Coffee Fox, The Collins Quarter, Fox & Fig

-Restaurants galore! I’m looking forward to visiting Husk + The Vault

–Pinkie Masters: a local dive bar, formerly visited by President Carter + others

–Front Porch Improv: a weekly comedy show, said to be a must see!

-Ghost Tours: Savannah is known to be haunted + spooky

–Savannah First-Timer’s Guide is also a great resource