Day Trip to Savannah from Hilton Head, Charleston, or Jacksonville
Savannah is one of the easiest day trips in the Southeast. Hilton Head is under an hour away. Charleston and Jacksonville are each about two hours up or down I-95. That’s close enough to leave after breakfast, see the Historic District properly and be home for a late dinner.
The catch is that a day trip to Savannah gives you a fixed number of hours, and it’s easy to lose two of them looking for parking or walking in circles between squares. This guide covers the drive from each city, where to leave the car, and a realistic hour-by-hour plan that works from all three.
Quick answer: Leave early enough to arrive by 10:00 AM. Park once, take a guided tour of the Historic District to see the whole city in about an hour, then spend the afternoon walking the squares, Forsyth Park and River Street. From Hilton Head the drive is 45 to 60 minutes; from Charleston or Jacksonville, allow about two hours each way.
How far is Savannah? Drive times at a glance
| Starting from | Distance to the Historic District | Typical drive | Main route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island, SC | About 30 to 40 miles, depending on where you start on the island | 45 to 60 minutes | US-278 off the island, then SC-170 and US-17 over the Talmadge Bridge |
| Charleston, SC | About 105 to 110 miles | About 2 hours | I-26 to I-95 south, or US-17 through the Lowcountry (slower but scenic) |
| Jacksonville, FL | About 140 miles | 2 to 2.5 hours | I-95 north, then I-16 east into downtown |
Traffic changes all of these. Summer weekends on Hilton Head’s US-278 bridges and the I-95 corridor through Jacksonville can add half an hour or more, so leave earlier than you think you need to.
Hilton Head to Savannah day trip
Savannah’s This is the shortest of the three, and a lot of Hilton Head visitors do it on a rainy or off-beach day.
The drive. Leave the island on US-278, pass Bluffton, and follow signs for Savannah via SC-170 and US-17. You’ll cross the Talmadge Bridge, which lands you right at the western end of the Historic District near the river. The view of the city and the port from the top of the bridge is a good start to the day.
Why it works. With under an hour each way, you can have a full day in Savannah without an early alarm. Leave at 8:30, and you’re parked and ready by 9:45.
Getting there without a car. There’s no intercity bus to Hilton Head, so a car, rideshare or car service is the only practical option. If you’re staying in a large group, a private charter can make sense; see our private and group tours page.
Charleston to Savannah day trip
Two of the South’s great historic cities are about two hours apart, and plenty of visitors staying in Charleston give Savannah a day.
The drive. The fastest route is I-26 west to I-95 south, then into Savannah via US-17 or I-16. If you have time on the way back, US-17 through the Lowcountry is slower but takes you past marshland and small towns, and Beaufort, SC, is a worthwhile detour.
What’s different about Savannah. If you’ve just come from Charleston, you’ll notice the layout first. Savannah was planned in 1733 as a grid of wards built around public squares, and 22 of them survive. Where Charleston is about its waterfront and grand single houses, Savannah is about the rhythm of square, block, square. The live oaks and Spanish moss are also thicker here.
Timing. A four-hour round trip is a lot for one day. Leave by 7:30 or 8:00 AM, and consider having an early dinner in Savannah so you’re not driving back tired late at night.
Train option. Amtrak runs between Charleston and Savannah, but Savannah’s station sits several miles west of the Historic District, so you’ll need a rideshare at the Savannah end. Check the schedule, because only a few trains run each day.
Jacksonville to Savannah
The drive. Take I-95 north for about two hours, then I-16 east, which ends right in downtown Savannah. It’s the simplest route of the three, and it brings you in close to the Visitor Center and the Liberty Street parking garage.
Worth knowing. Morning traffic leaving Jacksonville on I-95 can be heavy, and leaving before 7:30 AM usually beats it. Both cities are on Eastern time, so there’s no clock change to plan around.
Making it a longer day. If you’re not in a hurry to get home, stay for dinner and let the evening traffic on I-95 thin out before you head south.
Where to park on a day trip to Savannah
Parking is the biggest time-waster on a Savannah day trip. Decide where you’re parking before you arrive.
- If you’re starting with our open-air tour, park free in the grass lot at 405 E Gaston St (across from Ganem’s) while you’re on the tour. There are only five spaces, and they’re for guests currently on a tour, so move the car to a garage afterwards.
- City garages are the easiest all-day option. Liberty Street, Robinson, Bryan Street, State Street and Whitaker Street garages are all inside the Historic District.
- The $15 Visitor Day Pass covers city garages and most meters for the day, if you can buy it on a weekday at the Bryan Street Garage office.
- Sundays are the cheapest day for a day trip, since street meters aren’t enforced.
Full details, including free options, are in our Historic District parking guide.
The Savannah day trip itinerary (hour by hour)
This plan works from any of the three cities. Adjust the start and finish to your drive.
9:45 AM: Arrive and park
Aim to be parked by 9:45. If you’re taking the 10:00 AM tour, go straight to the meeting point on Gaston Street.
10:00 AM: See the whole Historic District in 75 minutes
On a day trip, a guided tour first is the best use of your time. Our Savannah Historic District Open-Air Cruiser Tour covers about ten landmarks in 75 minutes, including Chippewa Square, Forsyth Park, Monterey Square, the Cathedral Basilica, Factors Walk, City Hall and City Market, with a licensed local guide narrating the whole way. You’ll finish knowing the layout of the city and which places you want to go back to. It costs $25 per person, with departures from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, so if you arrive later, just move the plan back.
11:30 AM: Walk the squares you liked
After the tour, walk north along Bull Street through Monterey, Madison, Chippewa and Wright squares. Take a detour down Jones Street, one of the prettiest residential streets in the city, and stop at Chippewa Square to see where the Forrest Gump bench stood.
1:00 PM: Lunch
City Market and Broughton Street have the most choice near the center. Southern food, seafood and casual cafés are all within a few blocks.
2:30 PM: Forsyth Park or a historic house
Choose based on the weather. On a nice day, walk down to Forsyth Park, see the fountain and sit in the shade. If it’s hot or raining, go inside: the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist is free to visit outside Mass times, and the Owens-Thomas House and Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace offer guided tours. Our Forsyth Park guide covers what to see.
4:30 PM: River Street and Factors Walk
Finish on the riverfront. Walk the cobblestones, watch the container ships pass, and pick up pralines or a coffee for the drive. Use the public elevator next to City Hall if the old stone steps look too steep.
6:00 PM: Early dinner, then head home
An early dinner in Savannah means you’ll be home by 8:00 PM from Hilton Head or around 9:00 PM from Charleston or Jacksonville.
Day trip itinerary at a glance
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| 9:45 AM | Arrive and park |
| 10:00 AM | 75-minute open-air tour of the Historic District |
| 11:30 AM | Walk the Bull Street squares and Jones Street |
| 1:00 PM | Lunch at City Market or Broughton Street |
| 2:30 PM | Forsyth Park, or a museum if it’s hot or raining |
| 4:30 PM | River Street and Factors Walk |
| 6:00 PM | Early dinner, then drive home |
For a slower version of the same day with more options, see our one-day Savannah itinerary. If you decide one day isn’t enough, our Savannah weekend itinerary shows how to spread it over two or three.
Day trip mistakes we see often
- Arriving at noon. You lose the coolest, quietest part of the day, and the best tour departures fill up.
- Circling for street parking. Head straight for a garage.
- Trying to see everything. You won’t fit in Bonaventure Cemetery, Wormsloe and Tybee Island as well as the Historic District. Save those for a return trip.
- Ignoring the weather. In summer, plan indoor stops for the early afternoon. From November to March, bring a jacket for the open-air tour and the river breeze.
- Leaving it too late to drive home. Two hours on I-95 in the dark after a long day is no fun.
Taking a group?
Families, church groups, schools and clubs often do Savannah as a day trip from Hilton Head resorts or Charleston. For groups, we run private versions of our open-air tour at a time that suits your schedule. Details are on our private events page.
Frequently asked questions
Make the most of your day in Savannah
On a day trip, the first hour decides how the rest of the day goes. Start with the 75-minute open-air tour, see the whole Historic District from your seat, and spend the rest of the day on the places you liked most.
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