The holidays are a great time to plan your trip to Savannah. The city has several tours specifically themed for the holiday season, and what’s even better is you can enjoy these tours without the cold of winter weather.
First stop: The Savannah Visitor Information Center and Savannah History Museum showcase the city’s history from its founding in 1733 to the present day. Inside, you can see exhibits about the Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah, rare dugout canoes from the 1800s and a changing exhibit of women’s fashions from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum is also home to Forrest Gump’s bench, one of Johnny Mercer’s Oscar Awards and a carriage owned by the family of Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low. Other exhibits include weapons and military uniforms, as well as items from Savannah’s railway history. Visitors may also enjoy our plush theatre and film presentation, "Savannah the Survivor."
Take a Holly Jolly Trolley Tour: Enjoy caroling and tales of holiday traditions aboard a festively decorated trolley. Delight in a tour of the historic Davenport House and tasty treats at Savannah Candy Kitchen.
Lunch: Savannah loves food and much of her hospitality and charm seasons the dishes popular to this region. On this day, try a Southern sampler by dining at a restaurant that specializes in Southern cuisine to get a sample of good ole’ home cooking like Paula Deen’s Lady and Sons or Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room.
Visit an entire Festive Village: The Savannah Harbor Gingerbread Village and Trees of Life Celebration is on display at theWestin Savannah Harbor Golf Resort & Spa’s lobby, filled with holiday cheer as local chefs and businesses compete for bragging rights as the best gingerbread creation in Savannah! At the same time, experience a winter wonderland, with creatively-decorated holiday trees are on display in the main lobby. These trees are decorated by area businesses, groups and individuals and are auctioned to benefit a local charity.
Progressive Dinner: Sample a wonderful variety of Lowcountry cuisine by taking your group on a progressive dinner in the Historic District. Start out with specially mixed drinks at Bacchus Wine Lounge then move on to tapas appetizers at Jazz’d Tapas Bar. Venture over to your main meal at Belford’s Savannah Seafood & Steak for seafood and steak in City Market. End the meal with something sweet by walking over to Lulu’s Chocolate Bar and enjoy one of the many unique desserts or drinks.
Celebrate the Holidays with the Gordons: Beautifully decorated for the holidays, explore Victorian holiday customs at the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace, home of the founder of the Girl Scouts. The table is set for Christmas dinner, the stockings are ready in Mama’s bedroom and the vintage “Game of Merry Christmas” is out for all to see.
Lunch: Savannah has several Savannah Restaurants to tempt your group’s taste buds. Catch the beautiful views from Historic River Street, enjoy the quirky charm of the City Market or choose one of the many restaurants nestled along the quiet streets of the Savannah's Historic District.
Visit Decorated Historic Home: Savannah’s past is told in the many house museums and cultural centers that populate the area. During the holiday season, these houses will be traditionally decorated and on display for everyone to see. Among the popular stops are the Owens-Thomas House, generally considered to be the finest example of Regency architecture in America and features one of the few intact slave quarters in America, and the Davenport House, an exceptionally fine example of Federal architecture.
Dinner: Your group covered a lot of ground on today and may want to have a casual bite to eat. Savannah’s historic River Street and City Market have all types of casual and upscale dining options. Seafood, steaks and light fare can all be found in the restored cotton warehouses that are home to some of Savannah’s favorite restaurants. We can help you determine which restaurants are particularly group friendly!
It’s Showtime: Your group’s final night in Savannah is sure to be a memorable one as they experience one of the city’s top theatre presentations, “A Christmas Tradition” at the Historic Savannah Theatre. The show brings holiday glitz and glitter with a two-hour performance. The theatre is transformed into a holiday perfect picture, sharing memories of the Christmas standards that your group knows and loves.
Savannah loves the holiday season! Take a look at some of our holiday events and come celebrate this merry time with us:
Holiday Frolic: Savannah’s Historic District will come alive with the sights and sounds of the holidays. Frolic on Broughton Street all day in a festive atmosphere and get in the spirit of the season with outdoor ice skating, snow, Santa’s Workshop Children’s activities, an elegant marketplace and live entertainment for the entire family. In conjunction with Savannah’s Holiday Frolic, The Lucas Theatre will continue the tradition of showing holiday movies.
Tree Lighting Ceremony: In the evening stop by Morrell Park and enjoy the season with a community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. There will be live entertainment for the entire family from local choral groups, dance groups and many others.
Savannah Harbor Boat Parade of Lights: Following the Tree Lighting Ceremony, your group will marvel as more than 60 sailboats and yachts in complete holiday decor compete for decorating awards as part of the Savannah Harbor Boat Parade of Lights. Held on the Savannah Harbor, this will be a beautiful display of holiday cheer. After the parade, stay on the harbor for a holiday fireworks display.
Christmas on the River & Lighted Holiday Parade: Regional arts and crafts and live holiday entertainment highlight this multicultural holiday celebration. This festival offers unique shopping in an old world setting of charm and history! In the evening, the Historic District comes alive as this spectacular holiday parade travels along Historic River Street and Broughton Street on the first Saturday night in December.
Annual Holiday Tour of Homes: This event has been described as "an intimate visit with residents of Savannah's Historic District." Because the tour is a project of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, the hosts are folks who live in the neighborhood, oftentimes the owners themselves, and they have unique stories to tell about the home's features and history.
