Savannah Boat Tours

The best things to do in Savannah are very different, however, an activity that is interesting for most people are the boat rides along the Savannah River, which marks the boundary between the state of Georgia and the state of South Carolina and which, for centuries, has given great historical importance to this beautiful city.

I invite you to read on to learn how this type of boat ride works, so you can keep in mind the budget and the duration of this tourist experience.

The best option

Savannah Cruise

A boat ride of about 90 minutes with live narration

Enjoy one of the best boat rides on the Savannah River as you relax listening to the guide's stories and admiring the city's skyline.

From AED 149 at Hellotickets

Recommended if you are interested in the idea of navigating one of the most beautiful rivers in the south of the United States and if you want to live one of the most typical tourism experiences in Savannah. It is also a good plan if you like to experience nature and appreciate its beauty from the comfort of your own home.

A boat ride on the Savannah River is an experience that can be experienced in many different ways even though in theory it's always the same event:

• Savannah River Cruise, which is a short ride for 100 to 200 people who enter a steamboat in the best style of those of the last century. This tour is intended to give participants a privileged view of the natural environment.
• Savannah Sunset Cruise, which is a boat ride focused on offering a more exclusive experience.
• Savannah Dinner Cruise, where participants can enjoy a three-course dinner accompanied by live music and entertainment.

All three types are among the best things to do in Savannah and are ideal alternatives if you're looking to tour the city from a unique and different perspective. Especially if you've never had the chance to ride on a boat of this unique design.

Interesting details

• Price: Boat fares depend on the experience offered. Those that include dinner and live entertainment usually cost from 84 euros per person, while tours that only give you a ride on the river usually cost around 39 euros per person.
• Duration: The average duration of these types of tours is always quite similar. Tours that do not include food usually last 1 hour and 30 minutes, while tours that are geared towards dinner or lunch usually last 2 hours maximum.
• Means of transport: This is usually a mechanised-powered boat that attempts to resemble the wooden paddle steamers that were so prevalent in the American South during the 18th century.
• Pros: This sightseeing experience is a great way to enjoy the beauty of the Savannah River.
• Disadvantages of this option: Some people find that two hours is not enough time and would prefer a boat ride that includes a visit to another nearby destination in the state of Georgia.

There are different ways to book a Savannah river cruise and it's up to you and your interests to choose one of them:

• Wait until you arrive in the city to go to a tourist services agency and then choose the option you find most convincing. The problem is that there is no guarantee that you will have availability for the date and time you are interested in, nor that the prices are really competitive.
• A better bet is to book a Savannah cruise online. The first reason why this is a more favourable option is that you can pay for it with your credit card from the comfort of your own home. The second reason is that you can make a fairer comparison between all the alternatives available on the internet.

With an online booking you can also usually count on a free cancellation of your purchase if you notify them well in advance and you even have the possibility to see the references of other people who have already enjoyed the best ride you are interested in buying.

That's very important, as you can find out if it's one of the best things to do in Savannah with kids. All thanks to the testimonials of other families who, like you, wanted to join the tour with the little ones and weren't so sure if they were making the right decision for them.

The length of Savannah river cruises is fairly predictable, as on average they always last between 1.5 and 2 hours. Occasionally, rides that include dinner and live entertainment may extend to 2.5 hours, but it's very rare for them to go up to three hours because the logistics don't usually allow for it.

Either way, keep in mind that an hour is more than enough time to enjoy the experience of getting on board and taking in the scenery and even hearing enough information about the history of sailing if it's a guided experience.

So, if you book a Savannah cruise, this activity can take up a small part of your day. Therefore, you can devote the early afternoon to participating in other sightseeing tours, while the rest of your evening can be geared towards entertaining activities such as the best ghost tours in Savannah, which are truly entertaining for true history buffs with a spooky approach that is quite close to the paranormal world.

If you book a Savannah dinner cruise you will see:

• Savannah' s historic downtown known as the Riverfront. Since its founding it has been one of the city's main piers and today it has become an extremely popular tourist and commercial area.
• Hutchinson Island, a stretch of land just across from Savannah that separates the state of Georgia from the territory of the state of South Carolina.
• If you walk towards the mouth you'll come across sites such as Old Fort Jackson, which is a Civil War-era construction. The landscape you will also see is that of a delta that opens its way to a point where it merges completely with the Atlantic Ocean.
• If you walk in the opposite direction, you can appreciate the natural scenery of the forests closer to the city's outskirts and see some of the industrial buildings to the north-east of Savannah.

However, if you're looking to be impressed by historic buildings, you'll want to check out some of Savannah' s best museums. It's worth bearing in mind that this is a city that didn't really grow up along the river, but that many of its most important buildings are inland and have been occupied by the city for more than 200 years.

On the other hand, if you want to get the most out of your Savannah cruise, consider the following tips:

• If you get seasick, take a special medication for seasickness. This type of boat is characterised by less stability than other types of boats.
• Take snacks and drinks if it is a sightseeing trip without dinner. A recommendation that will also be useful if you want to participate in one of the best tram tours in Savannah. You may work up an appetite during the experience and it's quite uncomfortable to have to wait until you can visit a restaurant to satisfy your cravings.
• Go with the willingness to enjoy the experience to make the journey enjoyable. Although this is something that can be applied to all the best Savannah tours. The idea is to do your part to make the event fun, even if it's not living up to your expectations.
• Don't forget the sunscreen, as Savannah is a city that is characterised by being quite sunny most of the year. In fact, I advise you to wear breathable clothing, as humidity is another big feature of Savannah's climate during summer, spring and even autumn.

The average fare for a boat trip in Savannah always depends on what is on offer. If it is just a sightseeing tour on the river then it usually costs between €39 and €50 per person. On the other hand, if it is a tour that includes dinner or lunch with live entertainment then the price is likely to be around 84 euros. Any other fare below that price is in every sense desirable.

You have to bear in mind that these prices are still quite favourable when compared to the cost of a boat ride in other tourist cities in the United States itself. For this reason, booking a Savannah river cruise has become a must for visitors to the city.

So if you are going to Savannah for three days or are staying for a longer period of time, it is recommended that you take part in a Savannah river cruise. The river is one of the most special places in this part of Georgia and the boat itself is a sight to behold.

For better or worse, if you book a Savannah cruise you don't get to choose which places to visit. In fact, it's a linear route where you depart and return to the same pier.

Either way, I advise you to pay close attention to your surroundings as you have the chance to see the city from the perspective of the river which for many centuries was one of the most important for trade in the whole region.

Also, this tour is one of the best things to do in Savannah during Christmas because of the opportunity to see the Riverfront area decorated in the best festive style.

Booking a Savannah dinner cruise is recommended for the simple fact that it allows you to explore an area of the city or at least the surrounding area, at a low cost and in a completely safe way.

At the same time, it's an activity that doesn't take up your whole day and allows you to combine it with other events that are just as interesting so that you can complete the list of places you want to see in the city. So, a tour is something you could do after taking part in one of Savannah' s best food tours, or even before them, if it's a dinner-focused evening tour.

And if it's a boat tour that also includes dining with live entertainment, then you're getting a completely unique experience for a very reasonable price.

Booking a Savannah cruise will always be a better alternative to going out on a boat on your own for a number of reasons. Want to know them?

• On such a boat you will never have to worry about hiring a deckhand, let alone planning a sailing route. Which you would have to do if you were paying for an individual boat for your family group.
• Budget is another reason to take into account, because if you rent a boat for your group of companions, the rates would double or even triple. This is logical, as renting a boat for a group of people is not cheap, especially when you know that you have to pay for a sailor to drive the boat.
• You'll learn more, as you might miss a lot of details about the community's past on a self-guided tour, as many of the guided tours have a specialist who gives a talk that is even of the same quality as some of Savannah's best history tours.