I am so excited to be sharing with you all my Savannah, Georgia travel guide. As you know I went on a mother/daughter trip over Memorial Day weekend to this cute Southern town. We had a blast and it was nice to get away and enjoy the time together. We had never been to Savannah and other than driving through Georgia, we had never visited the state before. This was our 3rd annual mother/daughter trip. As you remember we went to Charleston last year and Napa/Sonoma before that. Both of those trips were unique in their own way, and of course geographically as well. We did like the easy going feel of a Southern town and the ability to walk everywhere and had heard great things about Savannah, so we decided to check it out. Our flight was on a Saturday afternoon and we came back on a Tuesday afternoon. We flew straight into the Savannah airport and I think that was the best travel choice as well as the length of trip too. Even though it rained every day we were there, we were able to walk around and see everything that was on our list and then some. If we had one extra day we could have gone to Tybee Island which was a short drive away, but other than that I think about 3 days is perfect for this cute little town. We also were able to travel with only our carry on luggage which is quite impressive. I was able to get these cute travel essentials from The Monogram Shop that helped along the flight including my fun eye mask, and yes I had some bubbly on the flight there. I mean what else would a little mother/daughter fun trip include?!

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Items c/o The Monogram Shop

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To Stay

There are plenty of hotels all throughout Savannah. The majority of the hotels are located in the historic district that includes some house rentals as well. If you want to stay in a historic quant hotel or something a little more modern, there are plenty of options. Even if your hotel is only a couple of years old, chances are the building is still a historic building that was built in the early 1900 or late 1800’s.

• Kimpton Brice Hotel $$$: This was the hotel that we stayed at while we were here and it was seriously the cutest. It is first of all dog friendly for those who travel with their pets. When you walk in there is this swing and book shelves that are perfect for pictures. It has this different modern feel to it which I liked. The hotel itself has only been open for a couple of years, but the building is extremely old. That was one thing my mom requested was that we did not stay at an old or haunted hotel while in Savannah. I will get to that part on “things to do” below. The rooms were spacious and had the traditional meets modern look to them. The hotel was on River Street and we were still able to walk everywhere. We even ate at their restaurant once for breakfast, and their bar has great cocktails as well. Everyday they have complimentary wine happy hour that you can enjoy on their back patio. You can even rent some old fashioned bikes to take around the city if you would like. Since it rained a lot we weren’t able to do this, but for sure would if we could.
• The Bohemian Hotel $$$: I have heard great things about this hotel as well. The decor looks fun with lots of velvet incorporated in it. We did go to this hotel one night to check out their rooftop bar which was a great view of the river. They sometimes have bands that perform on the rooftop as well. The hotel is also located on River Street which is right by the Historic District, so a great location again.
• AirBNB $-$$$: If you want to get the true Southern look of your room I would recommend booking an AirBNB while in Savannah. I know that they have plenty around all of the different squares of the city. These are always the most genuine stays as a lot of the times the locals can give you recommendations on their favorite places, and it might be a bigger space as well. My mom and I like the idea of housekeeping, a restaurant/bar, and the amenities of a hotel so that is why we chose the Kimpton Brice.

To Eat

Savannah is quite a foodie town I will have to say. I love trying new restaurants and when I am in Houston I always know when the next new restaurant is opening. There are so many different cuisines I noticed while in Savannah. It is not just your typical Southern cuisine and that is it. Even though we had to have a true Southern meal while we were here, there are a lot more options to offer. We ate everything from seafood, Southern, American and then I would say Southern eclectic. There are also some great Asian restaurants that we didn’t get a chance to try. I loved walking through the main streets of historic Savannah and checking some great restaurants off my list.

• The Grey: We went to this restaurant the first night we were in Savannah and it did not disappoint. It is in the building of an old Greyhound bus terminal which I thought was the coolest thing. We ended up just sitting at the bar which we really enjoyed. Their cocktail list was extensive and so yummy. They serve everything from oysters to foie and grits depending on your appetite. We almost came and ate here again because it was so good. This restaurant has won many awards including Eater’s best restaurant, so you have to check it out.
• Leopold’s Ice Cream: This is pretty much an institution in Savannah. I love trying new ice cream places, and while on vacation it makes it that much more fun. I have never seen an ice cream shop with as much hype and a line as this one had. It has been around since the early 1900’s and it is one of those traditional ice cream shops that have awesome flavors. It even has a Thin Mints flavor in reference to the Girl Scouts that were founded in Savannah. We did end up waiting for about 30 minutes in this line, but it was worth it. The flavor butter pecan was so good. A helpful tip to know is that they have 2 stands at the airport that have 0 lines, so save room for that later too.
• Pacci Restaurant: We had breakfast here one morning which was the restaurant at our hotel. The decor was my favorite out of the restaurants we ate at. It reminded me of a huge house that Chip and Joanna Gaines would have made over; basically a fun rustic farmhouse. I ordered their ricotta pancakes and my mom had one of their signature breakfast dishes. I thought it was awesome, and if you live in Houston it reminded me of Brasserie 19’s ricotta pancakes which are always amazing. After breakfast it turns into an amazing Italian restaurant.
• The Public Kitchen & Bar: After strolling through the town all day we came here for an early dinner. It is a cute little place with an eclectic vibe and a great bar scene too. Their food is American which I was craving after walking lots of miles. We sat in this little downstairs area that was cozy, and were amazed at all of the great choices. I ended up ordering the pimiento grilled cheese and my mom had chicken salad, and both were out of this world.
• Olde Pink House: If you want a true Savannah Southern meal then I would head to this restaurant. I had seen this place on everyone’s list and had to try it for myself. It is a white tablecloth place where you feel like you have been transformed into the 1800’s. It is set in this olde pink mansion and the service and food are great. We wanted to get some fried green tomatoes, grits, and collared greens and they had all of these and more. After dinner we headed downstairs to get a cocktail at their bar.
• B Matthew’s Eatery: We went to this place on our last day before we were going to the airport. It was one of the closest restaurants to our hotel, and I had also heard great reviews about it. We wanted to have a simple breakfast in a low key setting, and that is what we got. It is a quant little restaurant and the food was really good. I ended up getting a breakfast wrap and my mom had a quiche. The portions are huge and the wait staff is so friendly. If we had more time we would have come here for lunch or dinner too.
• The Collins Quarter: I had to save the best and my favorite restaurant for last on this list. I had heard so many wonderful things about this cute little restaurant before I even came to Savannah. Inside the restuarant it is light, bright, airy and there are fun booths and exposed brick on the walls. Everytime we would walk past this restaurant it was always lively whether it was for brunch or a late dinner. We went during brunch and would have loved to stay the entire day. This restaurant is unique as it is Aussie inspired after a historic street in Melbourne, Australia. We started off with some mimosas of course. I mean what is brunch without some bubbly? Then for our food we had avocado toast and salmon on toast. They had my 2 favorite go-to breakfast picks at once. This was a great people watching place and they had an extensive menu where everything sounded great. The waitstaff was friendly and the restaurant was set in a fun area in the heart of the historic district. Overall I would give this restaurant a huge 5 plus stars.

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To Do

There are a lot of activities to do around Savannah and you could even take a day trip to nearby Tybee Island, but we stuck to doing things in the historic area. We tried to do activities that were walking distance from our hotel and that were relaxing and that we didn’t have to plan too much for. When we go on mother/daughter trips we don’t always have everything go according to plan, but these are the things we did and that I would highly suggest you add as a “must do.”

• Take A Historic Tour: As I have gotten older I have really enjoyed going on tours. You never would have been able to bring me on a tour, especially if it related to history when I was little. It is funny how those types of things change. When we went to Charleston we went on a historic tour and it was one of my favorite things we did. There are so many options that you can do like a walking tour, carriage tour, or a trolley tour which we did. This tour took us through the historic district and all around the squares. We even had characters come on board the trolley that were dressed up like back in the older centuries to tell stories and bring that history to life. There are several tour options, but we decided to do the 1 1/2 hour tour which was a perfect length to see the city.
• Stroll Through the Squares: Savannah has 22 squares spread throughout the city and it is easy to see all of them during your trip. Between walking multiple miles a day as well as the historic trolley tour, you will for sure see the majority of them. Each of them are not that big, but big enough to just walk around or sit on a bench and look at the Spanish moss hanging from the trees. If you are a huge Forrest Gump fan like me then you have to go to Chippewa Square. The square was the location for the famous bus stop “life is like a box of chocolates” scene. The bench is no longer there and is in a museum, but at least you can still stand in the same location.
• Visit the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist: The whole architecture in Savannah is gorgeous with all of the historic houses, but also the churches as well. The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist was one that stuck out to to us on this trip and I am glad we ended up visiting it. I have never been to Europe but my mom has and said it reminded her of some churches she has visited there. I love pretty churches and this was just gorgeous. You are able to walk through and tour the church at your leisure during set hours during the day. I would recommend stopping by and paying a little visit.
• Walk Through Forsyth Park: It would not be a trip to Savannah if you didn’t get the famous fountain photo in the middle of Forsyth Park right?! This was a pretty park where a lot of people hang around during the weekends. It reminded me of a smaller scale Central Park because of all of the trees and benches everywhere. I love how Savannah has so many parks and squares throughout the city. This really is a walkable city that has nature surrounding it.
• Go On a Haunted Tour: This was something that I had to do while we were here. Even though there were so many restaurants on my list, I knew that I had to do a haunted tour as well. I had heard so many times that this city was haunted, and that the one thing on everyone’s list was a tour through the city. After convincing my mom forever we finally booked the haunted tour from the same company we did our historic trolley tour. We went through the city on the trolley where they told of ghost stories, and we also toured the Sorrel-Weed house which is one of the most haunted houses. It was interesting to hear about the stories and to find out that Savannah is indeed one of the most haunted cities in America.

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To Shop

There are so many great places to shop that we spotted in Savannah. Some of these below we had planned to go to in advance, and others we stumbled upon when we were just walking through the city. The city has it’s classic Southern inspired stores and gift boutique shops, and then stores that really show the true Savannah with plenty of character.

• ShopSCAD: SCAD which is the Savannah College of Art and Design is everywhere in Savannah. From the campuses, their art displayed, and even this little store, they are spread throughout the city. This cute little shop sells homemade items made from students or graduates of the school. It is such a unique store to find a knick knack, art piece, and even that next funky leather shirt. I thought this was such a unique experience.
• 24e Design Co: This store had so many unique home furnishings. Lately I have loved going into home stores to check out new picks and get some ideas for my apartment. This store was unique and had so many different statement pieces. It reminded me of Jonathan Adler meets a fun vintage store. If you are looking for a great store that you can bring back a treasure I would head here.
• The Paris Market & Brocante: I had heard so many great reviews about this store before I even visited, which included best shop in the South by Southern Living Magazine. This store is inspired by France from their decor, furnishings they sell, and even some handmade soaps and perfumes. You can find so many knick knacks in this store including fine china and the best smelling candles. I always like to get a souvenir when I travel and this store did the trick. They also have the best little coffee area complete with little sweets too. You have to bring back a yummy smelling candle if you go. This is for sure a must shopping destination in Savannah.
• Alex Raskin Antiques: When you first step up to this antique store you want to wait about 5 minutes to take pictures of the amazing building this shop resides in. It is one of the prettiest buildings I saw while in Savannah. I love antiques and several pieces in my bedroom and bathroom are from antique stores. I knew that I had to check out some antiques while I was here visiting in the South. I honestly didn’t think there was anything special about the antiques in this store, and the items were way too crowded inside. I would still make a trip here to explore for yourself and if nothing else for the picture opportunity.
• Emily McCarthy: I had been eyeing this shop online when we were planning our trip to Savannah. I love stores that specialize in monograms and have plenty of gift options as well. It is off the main historic area and we ended up walking a while to get there, but it for sure is a cute store that has a lot of fun goodies. You can get anything from a personalized tray to a palm print cocktail shaker.  They even have a great collection of coffee table books if you are a collector like me.

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To Drink

Savannah has a cool scene whether it is day or night. We didn’t venture too far away at night from our hotel, and like I have mentioned everything is a walk or Uber ride away anyway. You can’t go 1 block down Broughton or Bull Street without finding a new bar or restaurant. They were all a different vibe as well depending on if you wanted a chill or more up scale cocktail bar.

• The Artillery: This is a famous cocktail bar right next to the Public restaurant that is for sure a trendy and popular bar. It’s location is central to all of the best restaurants around. It has marble counter tops, exposed brick walls, and an extensive cocktail list. I would come here after grabbing a bite to eat at the Public.
• Gryphon Tea Room: This is technically a little cafe of the SCAD, but is a tea room that serves the best drinks. It is an intimate setting with white table cloths and books lined on the shelves with a cozy atmosphere. It is a nice place to grab a coffee or tea after a day of walking and just people watch. They have a great sandwich and salad selection as well. If it is not too hot outside, the bistro sets are great to enjoy your hot drink.
• The Coffee Fox: If you are wanting a cup of coffee to start your morning I would head to this place. It is a retro diner style decor that has a coffee list that is almost as long as Starbucks. Every morning and throughout the afternoon there were people always in here enjoying their cup of coffee. They even change it up a bit and serve craft beer, wine, and bubbly. You have to make sure you get all of the drink groups at one place!
• Alley Cat Lounge: Every one of our servers at the restaurants we ate at recommended this speak easy bar. It was closed on the Sunday night that we had tried to go though. It is hidden in this little back alley and then in a basement that turns into an underground night life oasis. The cocktail list looks impressive and is a little unique place to try while in Savannah.

 

We had a great time in Savannah and I hope you now have some suggestions on what to do in this city. One of my favorite parts about visiting this city was the food, the walking distance to everything, and how it had that Southern charm with a little art edge to it. It reminded me some of Charleston with some of the roads and houses, but add in the Spanish moss and tone down the bright buildings and you have a piece of Savannah. I would recommend going with some girlfriends or doing a mother/daughter trip and just plan on walking and relaxing and taking it all in. Savannah is a true Southern town with a little bit of a combination of New Orleans, Austin, and Charleston all into one. As they say Savannah has a wealth of history and an architecture that few American cities can match.