Savannah History Tour: What to Expect

If you have never taken a guided history tour of Savannah, the experience is easier to enjoy when you know what is coming. Savannah was founded in 1733 by General James Oglethorpe, who laid the city out on a grid of squares — and that grid is exactly what a history tour walks you through. This guide explains what a typical Savannah history tour covers, how it is paced, where it meets, and how to get the most out of two hours with a local guide.

What a Savannah History Tour Actually Covers

A standard guided walking tour is built around the historic district’s landmark squares and the stories attached to them. On the featured Highlights & Hidden Gems tour, your guide blends the famous landmarks with quieter side streets — the “hidden gems” that give the tour its name. Across Savannah history tours, the sites you can expect to see or hear about include:

• Forsyth Park — the green heart of the district, with its iconic 1858 fountain
• Johnson Square — Savannah’s oldest square, laid out in 1733
• Chippewa Square — the “Forrest Gump” bench location
• Colonial Park Cemetery — burials dating to the 1700s
• The Mercer Williams House — central to Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
• The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist — Savannah’s grandest church
• The Riverfront — cobblestone River Street and the cotton-era warehouses

Guides also weave in the bigger threads of the city’s past: the Colonial founding, the American Revolution, the Civil War and Sherman’s 1864 occupation, and Savannah’s deep African American heritage.

The Pace and Format

These are walking tours, not strenuous hikes. The featured tour is described as involving “a light degree of exercise along flat, sometimes uneven ground.” Savannah’s historic district is compact and flat, and the route is designed so that anyone reasonably mobile can keep up at a relaxed pace with frequent stops.

Because the route is mostly flat and broken into short walking segments between squares, the tour suits a wide range of ages and fitness levels. If you prefer to cover more ground with less walking, the section also offers a Segway tour and an e-bike tour as alternatives.

Where Tours Meet

Meeting points vary by operator, so check your confirmation carefully. As reference points:

• The Highlights & Hidden Gems tour meets at the northwest corner of Forsyth Park, on the corner of Gaston Street and Whitaker Street — across from Hodgson Hall, headquarters of the Georgia Historical Society.
• The History and Culture walking tour begins in Warren Square, at Congress and Habersham streets, with metered parking nearby and a city garage close to Reynolds Square.

Arrive 10–15 minutes early. Savannah’s grid is easy to navigate, but finding the exact corner of a specific square takes a moment on your first visit.

What to Wear and Bring

The single most important item is comfortable shoes — you will be on your feet for the duration, partly on uneven historic paving. Beyond that, the featured tour’s own “what to bring” list is a useful checklist:

• Umbrella — tours run in light to medium rain
• Camera — the squares and architecture are highly photogenic
• Weather-appropriate clothing — light layers in cooler months, sun protection in summer

In summer, add water and a hat; Savannah’s humidity is no joke. Note that restroom access is limited mid-tour, so plan a stop beforehand.

Tipping and Costs

Savannah history tours are affordable: guided walking tours start from $20, and the featured Highlights & Hidden Gems tour starts at $25 per person. What is not included is gratuity. Tips are excluded across the walking tours in this section, and a tip for a guide who has given you a strong two hours is customary and appreciated. Most tours also include free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure, so booking ahead carries little risk.

How to Get the Most From Your Guide

• Ask questions. Local guides know far more than the scripted route — the best stories often come from a good question between squares.
• Pick your tour to match your interest. Want the broad first-timer overview? The Highlights & Hidden Gems walk is built for it. Want a deeper cultural focus? Consider the African American History Tour.
• Book a morning slot in summer to beat the heat, or a late-afternoon slot in spring and fall for golden light on the antebellum facades.

Ready to Book?

A Savannah history tour is the single best way to make sense of the city in your first day — the squares, the architecture, the layered history, all narrated by someone who lives it. When you are ready, compare Savannah history tours by format, length, and price, and book the one that matches how you like to explore.