Savannah Travel Guide

This Savannah Travel Guide dives into the historic streets of Savannah, GA sharing the best eats, sips, shops and photo spots but also dips into the sands of Tybee Island (with some gorgeous photo inspo!).

It’s only been about two weeks since I’ve been back, and I’m already dreaming of macaroons + silky lattes back on the porch of their Parisian inspired cafes. Savannah is a magical city with so much charm and I can’t wait to share with you all the hidden gems of the city that I was able to explore with the help of my MLJ Vacay itinerary.

Keep reading for my top picks in every category from food, coffee + deserts to shops, photo spots and more!

Cafes + Coffee Shops

While in Savannah, finding the cutest little spots to cool off with an iced coffee or tea is a must with the crazy heat and humidity that swamps the outdoors. While the Paris Market Cafe may be a tourist attraction, coffee shop, market + bakery all in one, it also makes for the cutest photo location – just be sure to get there early (even before they’re open) to grab a spot at one of the best tables for the perfect IG worthy shot.

If you’re on the “oat milk craze” like me, you’re going to want to include Foxy Loxy and/or Fox + Fig on your itinerary. Back home in Minneapolis, you can find oat milk at just about every coffee house (when it’s not sold out), but down in the south, finding oat milk is a scavenger hunt all on its own and these two locations have it on hand for all the coffee connoisseurs.

Favorites:

• Foxy Loxy
• Coffee Fox
• Cafe M
• Paris Market Cafe
• Fox + Fig

Bakeries + Sweets

While it would have been easy to nibble our way through Savannah on strictly sweets alone, we had to limit ourself to only a few goodies here and there. Although what’s wrong with chocolate for dinner anyhow? 😉  I don’t know about you, but I am always craving a little something sweet after dinner (chocolate in particular) which is why MLJ Vacay found us the perfect spot to indulge for post-dinner sweets. Lulu’s Chocolate Bar is right downtown Savannah and was the perfect spot to hit to satisfy my chocolate cravings. Boasting chocolate martinis and cakes galore, it was easy to pop right in and grab a slice of their german chocolate cake to-go where I could happily indulge from the comfort of our air bnb.

While we were unable to make it to all of the locations listed below, they were definitely high up on our list and will be the first place we go next time around!

Favorites:

• Back in the Day Bakery
• Lulu’s Chocolate Bar
• Marche De Macaroons
• Adam Turoni’s Chocolate Shop

Restaurants + Bars

When it comes to food, I will admit that I am not a huge “foodie.” I love trying a new bite here and there, but more often than not, my vegetarian diet keeps me close to the hummus starters, salads and the occasional veggie burger. MLJ Vacay helped us stay close to comfort but also explore the neatest nooks of Savannah by selecting the restaurants that best fit our not-so-foodie taste buds yet satisfied our desire for insta-worthy atmospheres.

Our first night in Savannah, we missed our dinner reservation at Collin’s Quarter (whoops) by getting caught up in conversation with our air bob host, Johnathan (he was great!). I’ve heard from the locals, however, that a dining experience at Collin’s Quarter is a must – so it’s on our list for the next time around 🙂

One resturant that we particularly enjoyed was the Grove. A fairly new space to the Savannah scene, the Grove sits on the corner of Congress + Jefferson and has a simple modern aesthetic with a cool rooftop bar + eating space as well. We actually visited the Grove twice as we couldn’t resist their tasty homemade hummus + pita chips! For dinner, I had ordered their Savannah Strawberry salad which was incredibly light and delicious with a side of their smooth house Pinot Noir.

The Little Duck Diner was another spot that got two checks on our list – once for breakfast and the second for drinks! We had first visited the Little Duck Diner on Sunday morning mostly for photos, but secondly, to try their amazing breakfast selection. We ordered decadent waffles topped in all sorts of yummy choices. I had the Ellis Square waffle which came smothered in Nutella and candied with Macadamia nuts – sooooo sweet, but so good! The Little Duck diner is known for their famous rubber ducks which top off three of their drinks; Mimosa’s, Bloody Mary’s, and the Lavender Bubble Bath Bellini. **Take note** in Georgia, alcohol cannot be served before 12:30pm – so for all you Sunday brunchers… plan accordingly!

Speaking of alcohol, another interesting thing to note about Savannah is that their downtown area is open container! No more wasting drinks at a restuarnat, ask them for a to-go cup and you’ll be on your way, drink in hand.

Top Deck was one of our favorite bars that we visited on our trip. Top Deck had an awesome atmosphere and is settled on top of the Cotton Sail hotel. I would recommend arriving to Top Deck for a sunset drink (I recommend the Sparkling Hibiscus) and a tasting of their Spinach Artichoke dip.

Favorites:

• The Grove
• Top Deck
• Little Duck Diner
• Husk
• Collins Quarter

Shopping

For the size of Savannah (which is rather small), I was impressed with the shopping that they had to offer. With a range of small + local boutiques to large fast fashion stores, such as H&M and Lululemon, there really is a little something for every style and shopper. As a blogger who likes to focus on local boutiques and support the small businesses, I was especially fond of the selection for boutiques. I’ve listed some of my favorites below:

Favorites:

• Fab’rik
• Dress Up
• The Impeccable Pig
• Lululemon
• Free People
• Antrhopologie
• H&M
• Banana Republic

Beaches

Coming form Minnesota, whenever you have the chance to visit a beach (other than a lakeshore) it’s a must. On one of our last days of vacay, MLJ Vacay planned in a stop to Tybee beach to rent bikes and bike around the little beach town. We had to make sure we visited Tybee early to get the perfect IG shot on their famous beach swings at sunrise.

Hilton Head was another area that we visited just briefly for a couple of hours on our way back to Savannah from Charleston. I had never been to Hilton Head, but according to our itinerary, making a stop at the legendary Salty Dog Cafe was a must. They have a TON of patio seating as well as quite a bit of indoor seating for those who are looking to escape the heat.

Hilton Head is very “resort-y” and has less of a beach town feel. For those looking for a cute beach town with shops & restuarants, I would recommendd Tybee Island over Hilton Head.

Favorites:

• Tybee Beach
• Hilton Head (little drive)

Accommodations

Traveling is all fun and games, but for us, it was important to keep things at a reasonable price point, which is why we chose to stay in Airbnb’s throughout our stay. While it would have been nice to book a grand hotel, doing so is typically a starting rate of at least $300 night and who needs to spend that much time in their hotel room anyway?

I’ve included the links to both of the Airbnb’s that we stayed in while in Savannah. The first place we stayed was an Island Home between Savannah and Tybee beach so it would be perfect for those looking for a little bit of beach and historic Savannah. The host, Johnathan, was amazing and we had a fun time chatting with him about all of his crazy adventures. We even missed our dinner conversation being caught up in conversation!

The second home we stayed in had more of a “Historic Mansion” vibe. There were 4 rooms for rent in the house, each decorated with simple, elegant decor. I loved the pink fireplace in our room and the high ceilings. It was truly the perfect spot to capture a few IG pics!

Photo Spots

Last but not least, I wanted to share a few of my favorite photo spots from our time in Savannah. MLJ Vacay did a fantastic job finding unique spots that were off the beaten path but also included the spots that were specific to Savannah making our photoshoots a breeze.

• Olde Pink House
• Lucas Theatre
• Rainbow Row on Bryan St.
• Paris Market Cafe

I hope you all have the opportunity to visit Savannah, GA. Whether you’re driving by and need a quick stop for coffee or are looking to spend a day or two in the city, I would love to see your travels and where this guide may take you!

Also, be sure to stay tuned for PART TWO of my MLJ Vacay itinerary as I will be taking you through the picturesque streets of Charleston, SC! So many bright colors, fun summer styles and delicious eats are headed your way… you won’t want to miss it.

Thanks for stopping by!

xx, Jozy

Interested in an MLJ Vacay Itinerary? They cater to every need + vacay style making each itinerary unique. Contact Melissa here for more info!

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