The Perfect Savannah To Charleston Road Trip Itinerary (2024)
Want to know the best Savannah to Charleston road trip itinerary? We’ve got you covered with everything we learned on our road trip!
A Savannah to Charleston road trip is one of the shortest distances between cities you’ll ever drive.
The drive from Savannah to Charleston is just about 2 hours depending on traffic and depending on your exact starting and ending points.
In mileage, this is roughly 107 miles.
But if you want, there are several places in-between where you can stop.
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Savannah To Charleston Road Trip Itinerary
Hilton Head Island is about 45 minutes away from Savannah and still about 2 hours from Charleston.
A personal favorite beach of mine is Hunting Island, which is about an hour away from Hilton Head Island and still about 2 hours from Charleston.
Due to the winding water ways, even though Hilton Head Island and Hunting Island are considerably closer to Charleston geographically, the driving time is still the same.
So if you’re wanting to take the scenic route, here is the perfect Savannah to Charleston road trip itinerary.
✅ Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia is a charming and historic city known for its architecture, cobblestone streets, and Southern hospitality.
Here are some of the top activities and sites to see when you’re in Savannah.
✓ Old Town Trolley
These trolleys operate in a handful of cities around the US.
We had taken it around San Diego before, so we knew this would be the best way to see as much of Savannah as possible in just one day.
The tickets are a little pricey, especially for a whole family, but for us it was worth it for the convenience and the short amount of time we had.
It’s really the best way to get acquainted with a new city.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Savannah Old Town Trolley Tickets Today!
✓ Forsyth Park
Forsyth Park is the site of the fountain that you always see in photos from Savannah.
This place is huge and busy on weekends.
People were having picnics, weddings, lunch at the restaurant, and just taking leisurely strolls.
✓ Wormsloe State Historic Site
The drive in is lined with something like 400 trees that create a tunnel over the road.
Once you’re in, you can take various trails around the park to different sites.
We went to the ruins of the first house built on the property and we saw the surrounding swamp/marsh area just on the other side of the trees.
We also saw the original burial sites on property (which have now been moved), and visited the replica village set up with a blacksmith shop, house, etc.
It’s all on a pretty flat surface.
Sometimes you’re walking on dirt, sometimes it’s a boardwalk.
I did this with my grandparents who are in their 70s and they had no issues.
We spent roughly an hour walking the entire loop.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Wormsloe Historic Site & Bonaventure Cemetery Tour Today!
✓ Old Fort Jackson
This was a surprisingly more fun stop than I thought it would be.
I wanted to see it just because old forts are usually cool to roam around.
But this one had music, a campfire, and lots of tunnels to explore!
I even got locked in a jail cell.
I took a lot more videos than photos, so make sure to watch the YouTube video at the top of this post to see more from Old Fort Jackson!
Where To Stay In Savannah: Staybridge Suites Savannah Airport Pooler
If you can swing it and it’s available, staying in any of the historic properties in the city is a great experience.
If you’re looking for something more affordable or in a quieter area, then we have a place we recommend just outside of town.
It’s quite a bit cheaper to stay a few minutes outside of town and it was more convenient when visiting the places in the surrounding area, so we stayed in Pooler.
The Staybridge Suites in Pooler is great because it has a kitchen and a separate bedroom from the living area.
It’s also close to a ton of restaurants and shopping.
Watch the full walk-through of our room at Staybridge Suites in this video on our YouTube Channel.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Staybridge Suites Savannah Airport – Pooler Stay Today!
✅ Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
The first stop after Savannah on your Savannah to Charleston road trip is Hilton Head Island.
About 45 minutes up the road from Savannah, Georgia is Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
This is a hugely popular vacation spot for tourists.
I recommend checking out Disney’s resort here if you’re able to.
These are some of the most popular activities for visitors on Hilton Head Island.
✓ Hilton Head Island Dolphin Boat Cruise
Dolphin boat cruises are very popular in Hilton Head.
It’s a family friendly activity that everyone will enjoy and you also get to enjoy the views from the water.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Hilton Head Island Dolphin Boat Cruise Today!
✓ Guided Kayak Nature Tour Of Hilton Head Island
Another fun water activity is kayaking through the Broad Creek Wildlife Area.
You’ll see a variety of birds and other wildlife as you make your way through various ecosystems including salt marshes, tidal rivers, and creeks.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your 2 Hour Guided Kayak Nature Tour Of Hilton Head Island Today!
✓ Enjoy Your Resort Amenities And Excursions
Hilton Head Island is filled with a variety of resort properties for guests to stay in.
Most resorts have their own beachfront or waterfront property where they offer rentals or they host a variety of activities to do throughout the day.
You can rent bikes and go exploring for the day or take a guided tour through certain areas of the island.
Where To Stay On Hilton Head Island: Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort
Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort is one of their Disney Vacation Club timeshare resorts, but you don’t have to be a member to stay here.
You’ll get everything you’d expect from the Disney resorts that are at the theme parks.
They have plenty of amenities and activities on property to enjoy and the resort is close to all the things you’d want to do on Hilton Head Island.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Stay At Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort Today!
✅ Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is just under an hour’s drive from Hilton Head Island and is only about 40 miles away.
To get from Hilton Head to Beaufort, you’ll take Interstate 278 to State Route 170 and that will take you all the way to Beaufort.
Beaufort is a beautiful historic small town in South Carolina.
It’s located just outside of the Parris Island Marine Corps Base.
So if you know any marines heading off to boot camp you’ll probably stay in Beaufort when you go to their graduation.
Here are some popular activities to do while you’re visiting Beaufort.
✓ Beaufort City Minibus Tour
The best way to get your bearings of a new town is to take a guided tour.
This way you can get acquainted with the layout of the town and you’ll have an expert with you that can answer any questions you have.
Your guide will also be able to tell you all the best restaurants to check out while you’re visiting too.
With this tour in particular, you’ll find that a couple dozen movies have been filmed right in Beaufort and you’ll get to see many of the filming locations.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Beaufort City Minibus Tour Today!
✓ Horse Drawn Carriage Tour
A popular way to enjoy a scenic view of town in the Southern states is by a horse drawn carriage tour.
We’ve taken these in a variety of places including St. Augustine, Charleston, and New Orleans and it’s just a great way to see and learn about a new place.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Beaufort Horse Drawn Carriage Tour Today!
✓ Kazoobie Factory Tour And Museum
Learn all about the making of kazoos at this family owned factory and museum.
You can even build your own kazoo to take home.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Kazoobie Factory Tour And Museum Visit Today!
Where To Stay In Beaufort: Rhett House Inn
Rhett House Inn is a beautiful bed and breakfast in Downtown Beaufort, about 20 miles outside of Hunting Island State Park.
Breakfast, parking, and wifi are included in the cost of your room.
There is a restaurant and a bar/lounge on property where you can enjoy other meals and drinks as well.
Rhett House Inn consistently has a 9+ star rating out of 10 by it’s visitors, so you’re sure to have a great stay here in this historic property.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Stay At Rhett House Inn Today!
✅ Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina
Hunting Island is about a 30 minute drive outside of Beaufort, South Carolina.
It’s only about 20 miles to the East.
Hunting Island State Park, nestled along the South Carolina coast, is a captivating natural oasis with pristine beaches, scenic trails, and a historic lighthouse.
A visit to this coastal gem offers opportunities for beachcombing, wildlife spotting, hiking through lush maritime forests, and climbing to the top of the lighthouse for breathtaking panoramic views.
This is a great place to add onto your stay in Beaufort since it is so close and you have to go back through Beaufort to get to Charleston.
Here are some of the most popular activities and things to do in Hunting Island State Park.
✓ Climb To The Top Of The Historic Hunting Island Lighthouse
A popular activity on the East Coast is seeing all the different lighthouses.
Each one has a different design and color scheme.
This lighthouse was re-built in 1875 after it was destroyed in the Civil War.
✓ Visit The Nature Center
Be sure to visit the Nature Center while you’re in Hunting Island State Park and check out the alligators.
✓ Watch The Sunset From The Marsh Boardwalk
The best sunset spot in the park is along the Marsh Boardwalk.
This is a quarter mile boardwalk trail with a dock at the end where you can enjoy the sunset views.
✓ Take A Ferry To St. Phillips Island
The only way to get to St Phillips Island is by ferry.
It’s a 4 mile long undeveloped barrier island off of Beaufort.
The ferry is only a 30 minute ride and a naturalist will be onboard to share information about the island and answer any questions.
Roundtrip you’ll spend about 6 hours between the ferry and touring the island.
Where To Stay In Hunting Island State Park: The Turner House At St. Phillips Island
The Turner House is located on St. Phillips Island, so you’ll have to take the ferry tour to get there.
It accommodates up to 10 guests and has a variety of bedrooms on different levels of the house.
You’ll have access to the beach, trails, a golf cart, and all the things you’d need for fishing or a beach day.
It’s $12,000 for a 5 night stay and it includes a $1,000 grocery credit.
If you split that between 5 couples, it’s only $480 a night per couple to have this entire place to yourself on an almost empty island.
A much cheaper option is to camp in Hunting Island State Park in one of their designated campgrounds.
You can RV camp or you can tent camp at these sites.
✅ Charleston
Whether you’re driving straight from Savannah or stopping at Hilton Head Island or Hunting Island, your drive to Charleston will be about 2 hours.
This of course depends on traffic and your exact start and end points.
To see all that we explored in Charleston, check out this video on our YouTube channel.
Once you get to Charleston, I recommend starting out at the pier.
This nice pier along the water has porch swings which is a great place to just sit and enjoy the scenery.
✓ Have A Snack Break At Tinto Y Crema
At Tinto Y Crema we stopped in for some chocolate ice cream.
✓ Carriage Ride Through Charleston
The best way to get acquainted with a new town is to take a tour.
Charleston does their carriage rides a little differently than other towns.
There’s a handful of different routes so that no place gets too congested at once, and every carriage company has to take their tours to whatever location they are given at that time.
There are a few areas that all carriage rides will still go to regardless, but you’ll spend the vast majority of your time in your chosen area.
As the tourist, I can see some good and bad with this method.
We didn’t have a specific neighborhood we were dead set on touring, so we didn’t particularly care where our tour took us.
But having worked in the industry, I am positive they get complaints all the time.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Carriage Tour Through Charleston Today!
✓ Our Favorite Buildings Around Town
With Charleston being an older city, we knew they would have some amazing old houses.
Below are some of our favorite houses, churches, and shops we came across on our carriage ride.
There was a lot of different architectural styles, which was surprising, but we enjoyed it!
✓ Charleston City Market
After our carriage ride, we walked over to the City Market to get a souvenir.
There are a ton of shops and restaurants over here.
If you’ve been to Boston, it’s similar to Faneuil Hall.
✓ Byrd’s Famous Cookies
Byrd’s Famous Cookies has a variety of cookies that you can get in any assortment you want in a box.
We mostly went with different types of chocolate cookies as well as a birthday cake mix.
✓ Fort Sumter
Another place you’ll want to be sure to check out in Charleston is Fort Sumter.
Fort Sumter holds significant historical importance as the site where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.
A visit to Fort Sumter allows travelers to delve into the nation’s past, explore the fort’s preserved ruins, and gain a deeper understanding of the events that shaped American history.
It requires taking a ferry and then you can take a self-guided tour around the fort.
The ferry is a leisurely 30 minute ride each way and you’ll expect to spend an hour or two roaming around the fort.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Fort Sumter Admission With Roundtrip Ferry Transportation Today!
Where to Stay In Charleston: Doubletree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Charleston Airport
So this place was surprisingly really cool.
I’ve never stayed in a hotel room like this before and it was really unique.
We had a really cool living room and work space set up, floor to ceiling windows, an exposed brick wall, and an updated bathroom.
Most of the times the Hilton properties that have separate rooms like this have full kitchens, or at least partial kitchens, but this microwave/fridge set up was sufficient for the one night.
You can see the full walk-through of our room here in this video on our YouTube Channel.
👉🏼 Click Here To Book Your Doubletree By Hilton Hotel & Suites Charleston Airport Stay Today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions we see about a Savannah to Charleston road trip itinerary.
✔️ How Long Does It Take To Drive From Savannah To Charleston?
If you drive directly from Savannah to Charleston, it takes just under 2 hours without traffic.
It’s about a 106 – 111 mile drive depending on the route you take.
One way is to head out toward the airport and get on I-95 North until you get to Interstate 17, which will take you the rest of the way to Charleston.
Another route is to take Interstate 17 the entire way since it passes right through downtown Savannah.
Lastly, you can take State Routes 315 and 170 until they merge with Interstate 17.
This route is the farthest to the East and goes through Beaufort.
✔️ Is There A Scenic Drive From Savannah To Charleston?
There is not a designated scenic byway, but the drive from Savannah to Charleston can be quite scenic, especially if you take the route that goes to Beaufort or if you detour around Hilton Head Island.
✔️ Is There Anything To See Between Savannah And Charleston?
The most popular stopping points between Savannah and Charleston include Hilton Head Island, Beaufort, Parris Island Marine Corps Base, Hunting Island State Park, Seabrook Island, and a variety of other islands spread throughout this part of the coast.
Each of these places have a variety of activities includes coastal beaches, museums, historic sites, water sports, and more.
✔️ Can You Do Savannah And Charleston At The Same Time?
Savannah and Charleston are only 2 hours away from each other, so you can definitely see both in the same day, but you’ll just only be scratching the surface of what all there is to in each of these places.
It’s best to have at least a full day in each place or a full weekend in each place, or even more if you really want to see and do it all, including all the fun places to stop along the way.
Conclusion: Savannah To Charleston Road Trip Itinerary
This Savannah to Charleston road trip itinerary leaves some destinations open to personal preference and we’ve included plenty of things to do when you’re starting off in Savannah or ending your trip in Charleston.
