Charleston to Savannah Road Trip: How to Spend a Week in the Lowcountry

The South Carolina Lowcountry is perhaps one of my favorite places in the United States. One of the best ways to experience this part of the U.S. is on a Charleston to Savannah road trip. This road trip will take you between Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA (with a quick stop in Hilton Head Island). I’ve done some variation of this trip more than once, and it’s definitely one to add to your travel bucket list!

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through our affiliate links, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

Charleston, SC vs. Savannah, GA: Which City Should I Visit?

Both Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA are amazing cities!  So, why choose to visit only one of them?  Instead, design your trip so that you can experience them both!  After all, these amazing Lowcountry cities are only about a 2 hour drive from one another.

I have had the pleasure of completing this road trip on two separate occasions.  The first time, Jason and I went in late May and traveled from Savannah to Charleston.  The second time, my mom and I flipped the route and spent a week road tripping from Charleston to Savannah in June.

There are a ton of activities to do in both cities from sampling great local fare, visiting National Parks and historic sites, walking (or taking a carriage ride) along streets that were designed to meander (alongside beautiful Spanish moss laden trees), and enjoying beautiful sandy beaches.  You really cannot go wrong in this area of the country. 

My first experience in Savannah was negatively impacted by rainy, humid and steamy weather. Days later, Charleston stole my heart while strolling alongside the beautiful historic mansions in the Battery.

The second time that I went; however, I appreciated Savannah a lot more because the weather was much less humid. On this trip, I was so wrapped up in the character of this beautiful town that I didn’t want to leave!

With both cities having so much to offer, how can you get the best of both places? That’s what we’ll answer in the remainder of this post.

How To Allocate Your Time on a Charleston to Savannah Road Trip

If you’re dedicated to spending time in both cities while spending a day in between with an overnight in Hilton Head Island, I’d split my time evenly.  If you had seven days and six nights, that would look like the following:

I would be indifferent between the option of starting in Savannah or starting in Charleston as the total drive time would be the same, and you’d have more than two entire days to explore each place.

If you drive directly from Charleston to Savannah, it will take about 2 hours. Adding a stop through Hilton Head Island (pictured below) adds about 45 minutes to the itinerary (to get there and to leave).

Itinerary for Savannah, GA

If I were to go back to Savannah to get the most out of a “first time” experience, here’s what I would do:

• Visit National Park Unit in the area (Fort Pulaski National Monument) 
• Stop by Tybee Island
• Stop by River Street Sweets for a tasty Praline – they make the pralines right in front of you and mmmmmmmm – they are so tasty!
• Get Shrimp and Grits at Vic’s on the River! I don’t even like grits, but I thought I’d try them and they were AMAZING! I spent the rest of the trip (in both Savannah and Charleston) trying various Shrimp and Grits trying to chase that amazing experience, but nothing else came close! Linger a few minutes to catch a glimpse of a passing container ship. This was a new experience for me!
• Set out on foot to walk the city squares – take in the architecture and statues. I highly recommend reading this awesome classic before going to Savannah. It will give walking the city squares an entirely new meaning!
• Don’t shy away from the public transit – you can get into some good conversations with the locals

National Parks Near Savannah, GA

Fort Pulaski National Monument

For Pulaski National Monument is a stunning masonry fortification in Savannah, GA. It is one of the 400+ National Park Units, and preserves the history of the American Civil War. This National Monument is surrounded by a moat, and you can still see damage to the exterior from rifled cannon which delivered a tremendous blow to the structure. Once you traverse the draw bridge on foot, you are inside of the spacious fortification that housed both soldiers and hundreds of Confederate Prisoners of War.

When you visit, try to see if you can catch up with a guided tour. We learned about the soldiers attire and got to witness live rifle firing. I was impressed to learn about the construction of the fort itself and hear stories about the people that lived and served at the fort.

Itinerary for Charleston, SC

If I were to go back to Charleston to get the most out of a “first time” experience, here’s what I would do:

• Visit the National Park Units in the area (Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park and Charles Pinckney National Historic Site)  the Reconstruction Era, Ninety Six, and Gullah Coridoor
• Tour a Plantation
• Walk the Battery and Rainbow Row
• Take a leisurely stroll along the Waterfront Park
• Take a Guided Tour (I highly recommend Mr. Brown’s Gullah Tour experience which takes you to historical sites of interest to the African American experienve in Charleston)
• Break the Budget for some excellent food sampling (but save your Shrimp and Grits taste testing for Vics on the River in Savannah!)
• Watch some local Gullah basket weaving
• Stop by a neighboring beach town (try Isle of Palms for lovely public access to the Atlantic Ocean)
• Noteworthy for me: Visit the Louis Gregory Baha’i Museum (a hidden gem for fellowship with friends over prayer and talking about race unity!)

National Parks near Charleston, SC

National Parks are the impetus behind much of our travels, and there are many beautiful and historical National Park units in the Charleston, SC area.

Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Fort Sumter is one of the most iconic sites in the US as it served as an island fortification during the American Revolution, and later was the site of the first shots of the American Civil War. This island fort off of the Charleston Bay is accessible via ferry and is a must do activity in the area, even if you aren’t a fan of military history. There is something almost reverent about being in such a place and seeing the American flag raised over the ocean.

Tickets for the ferry ride over can be purchased at the Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center in Charleston, or at Patriot’s Point (where you can also check out the USS Cairo.

Fort Moultrie is a related fortification located on Sullivan’s Island. This fort experience is different from Fort Sumter in that you do not have to take a ferry, rather, you will drive to it.

Reconstruction Era National Historical Park

The Reconstruction Era National Historical Park is a newer park located in Beaufort, SC. It honors the history of the historical period in the US after the Civil War where the US entered a period of reconstruction in an effort to improve the conditions of formerly enslaved people in the South. This is a newer National Park unit, and I cannot wait to visit! It’s located along the Gullah Geechee heritage cooridor between Savannah and Charleston.

Charles Pinckney National Historic Site

The Charles Pinckney National Historic Site preserves the home of ‘Constitution Charlie’ one of the signers of the U.S. Constitution. Here, you will learn about the life and service of Charles Pinckney as you tour this plantation and home.

Plantations in Charleston, South Carolina

On my first trip to the South Carolina lowcountry, a local told Jason and me that we should check out a plantation. They indicated that if you saw one, you pretty much saw them all as they offer similar experiences. There are several options, and in my trips, I have been able to visit only two of them which I’ll elaborate below. I found these two experiences to be quite different from one another, and while there is more to do in the lowcountry beyond visiting plantations, I think that it could be a good experience to visit more than one if you have the time.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens was a large plantation along the Ashley River. There, you can take advantage of guided tours and a petting zoo. On the tour, we were driven around the grounds with other plantation visitors. The grounds and gardens are very beautiful and extensive. In addition to well appointed trees and flowering plants, you will also see some of the water features that surround the land (and see the aligators that live there).

Additionally, you will learn about the people that called these grounds home. There is a tour option that provides a guided walk through of rooms inside of the Drayton family home (the main house on the plantation). There is also an experience called ‘From Slavery to Freedom’ where you can learn more about the enslaved families that worked the grounds.

Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens

Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens provided another great experience. This plantation focused on the experience of the Gullah / Geechee people, African Americans who live in the Lowcountry, through dramatization and an epic self-guided tour through the cabins that were occupied by the enslaved people that worked the land. It was truly a treat to hear the stories and music in the dramatization and to get a chance to truly reflect and learn about the experience of the people that cultivated the land.

This plantation has more roots in the harvesting of fruits and has extensive fields of trees. Tours of the main house are offered as well.

Another of my favorite features when you enter the plantation are the ordered rows of Oaks laden in spanish moss. This ‘Avenue of the Oaks’ is the image that I default to when I think of a southern plantation. One other feature that I enjoyed here is the Butterfly garden. We visited this area when we purchased tickets for our tour.

If I were to revisit only one of these plantations, it would be this one. In my opinion, Magnolia had the most beautiful landscaping, but Boone Hall wins for me for how it delivered on the historical aspects of the experience of the Gullah people.

Other Plantations of Interest

The next time that I visit, I would like to explore the Charleston Tea Plantation which is home to hundreds of varieties of tea plants. I also would like to see the Middleton Place to see some of the oldest landscaped gardens in the US. Here is a great post that highlights other plantations in the area.

Explore the Many Things to do in Downtown Charleston, SC

Downtown Charleston is a treat! There is so much history in the area as it is one of America’s first cities and its location made it an entry point to the country. You can explore the legacy of slavery, the policital influence of the sites and attracted the likes of George Washington, through modern day efforts to explore dynamics of race in the south.

I recommend walking the downtown area on foot and checking out the following areas:

• the Historic Charleston City Market is an open air market where vendors sell their goods on the street
• the Waterfront Park is one of my favorite places to take in the southern air. I recommend walking from Fleet’s Landing all the way down to the Battery where you will be able to see the amazing historical mansions along the waterfront.
• another area that is famous is Rainbow Row, a row of houses painted in a rainbow of colors. This is easily accessible by foot as well.

Making a Stop in Hilton Head Island, SC

If you have time and want to spend some of it on the water, make a stop through Hilton Head Island. This gorgeous lowcountry island right on the Atlantic Ocean. While it isn’t the draw for me personally, many people vacation here to golf and shop. I simply love the water!

If you do make a point to stop over in Hilton Head Island, do yourself a favor and make a reservation at the Jazz Corner, a small restaurant with live and lovely jazz music! When I went with my mom, we caught the Lavon Stevens quartet and the sounds of Tenderly (video below) is a cornerstone of my memories of this trip. The Jazz Corner is a true hidden gem!

Conclusion

Both cities have their own distinctive charm that will give you a fill of history, recreation and culture. So, don’t choose one or the other… take a Charleston to Savannah road trip to see them both! Check out more destinations that might inspire your next trip here. Happy exploring!