Cruise from Charleston SCSavannah Trolley Tour: The Old Savannah 75-Minute Overview
This Savannah trolley tour is a 75-minute, non-stop, fully narrated ride through the historic districts of Savannah, Georgia, run by Historic Tours of America from its Welcome Center at 217 W. Boundary Street. Costumed guides cover more than 270 years of history along cobblestone streets and beneath moss-draped oaks for $37 per person. One thing matters before you book: the tour starts and ends in Savannah, so it is not a transfer from Charleston. You need your own car or the Silver Meteor train, which the Charleston to Savannah page explains. It is also one listing among many, so compare it with the other cruises from Charleston SC and city trips before you pay.
About This Tour
Historic Tours of America runs this listing as the Savannah: Old Savannah Tours Historic Overview on GetYourGuide. A custom-built open-air trolley carries you through the Savannah Historic District, one of the largest National Urban Historic Landmarked Districts in America. The guide narrates in English while the trolley rides cobblestone streets, past stately mansions, beneath moss-draped oaks and along the romantic riverfront.
The ride is non-stop, so you stay seated the whole 75 minutes. It is an overview of the city, not a hop-on hop-off pass and not a plantation or house-entry tour. It starts and ends at the same Welcome Center, and the listing marks it likely to sell out.
$37 per person, listed on GetYourGuide, rated 4.7 from 1,022 verified reviews. Reserve now and pay later is offered.
75 minutes, non-stop, with no time off the trolley.
Old Savannah Tours Welcome Center, 217 W. Boundary Street, Savannah, Georgia. Look for the white trolley with Old Savannah Tours on it. Parking details at the Welcome Center are not stated in the listing.
A custom-built open-air trolley. Group size is not stated in the listing.
Included is the fully narrated sightseeing tour with a live English-speaking costumed guide. Tips are listed as not included. The listing does not mention food, drinks or entry tickets.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are shown at booking, and the listing notes wheelchair access on the 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm departures. It is flagged likely to sell out, so pick a date early.
Quick answer Savannah trolley tour in brief
This Savannah trolley tour costs $37 per person, lasts 75 minutes non-stop and starts at 217 W. Boundary Street in Savannah, not in Charleston. You must reach Savannah yourself, about a 2 to 2.5-hour drive or the 4:51am Silver Meteor train.
Key takeaways
- See what the $37 ticket covers and what it leaves out in what the price actually covers.
- The tour starts in Savannah, so plan the drive or train with the Charleston to Savannah guide.
- It is a sit-down overview with no stops. For a similar narrated ride, compare the Beaufort Historic City Tour by Bus or all cruises from Charleston.
What the Price Actually Covers
The listing is unusually short on inclusions, so the split below comes only from what the operator and GetYourGuide state for this $37 ticket.
What Is Included
Exactly one item is listed as included: the fully narrated sightseeing tour. That covers the custom-built open-air trolley, the live English-speaking costumed guide and the 75-minute ride through the historic districts. Your mobile ticket arrives in the GetYourGuide app right after booking, with no printing required.
- Fully narrated 75-minute sightseeing tour
- Live tour guide in English
- Mobile ticket, no printing
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
- Reserve now and pay later
What Is Not Included and What You May Pay on the Day
Tips are the only extra the listing names, but the trolley does not stop at any house, museum or attraction, so there is no entry to pay for. The listing does not mention food or drinks. Transport to Savannah is your own cost, and the listing is silent on parking at the Welcome Center, so ask on arrival.
For scale: the Fort Sumter Ferry and Fort Entry is $43 for the roundtrip ferry plus fort access in Charleston, and Savannah's own squares, Forsyth Park and River Street cost nothing to walk.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 75-minute narrated trolley ride | Yes | Non-stop, open-air trolley |
| Costumed live guide, English | Yes | Live narration throughout |
| Mobile ticket | Yes | Shows in the app right after booking |
| Tips | No | Listed as not included |
| Food and drinks | No | Not mentioned in the listing |
| Entry to any attraction | No | The tour never leaves the trolley |
| Transport to Savannah | No | Drive or take the Silver Meteor yourself |
The gilded dome of Savannah City Hall rises above the trees. Photo: Billy Hathorn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
Because this is a single non-stop circuit in Savannah, the day is simple: arrive, board, ride 75 minutes, and then have the rest of Savannah in front of you.
Check in at the Welcome Center
The meeting point is the Old Savannah Tours Welcome Center at 217 W. Boundary Street. The listing tells you to look for the white trolley with Old Savannah Tours written on it. Starting times are shown when you check availability, and the only times the listing names are the wheelchair-accessible 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm departures.
Arrive early enough to find the trolley before boarding.
On the Trolley
Once under way, the trolley rides cobblestone streets beneath moss-draped oaks. The listing says you see stately mansions, the city's squares and the romantic riverfront, and the guide narrates more than 270 years of Savannah history in costume. This is a panoramic overview: the route passes one of the largest National Urban Historic Landmarked Districts in America, but you do not get off.
Savannah has 23 of its original 24 squares remaining, Forsyth Park with its 1858 fountain, and River Street along the water, so the ride works as a map in your head for walking afterwards.
Back at the Dock and the Rest of the Day
The tour returns to the same Welcome Center on W. Boundary Street. From there the free dot Express Shuttle runs every 15 to 20 minutes from 7am to 10pm with about 20 stops across the Historic District, so you can ride out to Forsyth Park or River Street on foot or by shuttle. One review wish worth noting: some riders expected the route to pass plantations, which it does not.
If plantations are the goal, look at the Magnolia Plantation Tour with Coach Transport from Charleston instead.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing itself is thin, so the limits here are the ones it and the operator notes actually state. Each one comes with a better-fitting alternative.
Travellers Who Want a Stop or a Hop-on Hop-off Day
This is a non-stop 75-minute circuit. If you want time at sites or a bus you can leave and rejoin, it is not that product. The Beaufort Historic City Tour by Bus is a similar single-ride format, so for time on the ground in Charleston consider the Fort Sumter Ferry and Fort Entry, which includes about an hour on the island.
People Who Need a Wheelchair Time Outside the Four Listed Departures
The listing says the tour is wheelchair accessible for the 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm times only. Other departures do not carry that guarantee, so book one of those four or ask the operator directly. Minimum age, difficulty level and group size are not stated.
Anyone Expecting Food, Drink or Attraction Entry
No lunch, no drinks and no entry ticket are included, and the trolley never stops. If you want a meal built in, the Charleston Harbor Dinner Cruise includes a 4-course dinner on the water.
Charleston Visitors Without Transport to Savannah
The tour starts and ends in Savannah, Georgia, about 106 to 110 miles from Charleston and roughly 2 to 2.5 hours by car. The only same-day train pairing is the 4:51am Silver Meteor out of North Charleston and the 7:31pm return. Read the practical route options in the Charleston to Savannah guide before booking this trolley.
The twin spires of the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist face Lafayette Square. Photo: bubba73, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Could You See It Without This Cruise?
Savannah is one of the easiest historic cities in America to see for free, and the honest answer is that much of what the trolley passes can be walked at no cost.
What Free Savannah Gives You
Savannah's squares and parks are free to visit, all 23 remaining of the original 24, including Johnson Square, the first square, and Chippewa Square with the Oglethorpe statue. Forsyth Park is 30 acres with a one-mile perimeter, and River Street's cobblestone riverfront is free to walk. The free dot Express Shuttle runs every 15 to 20 minutes from 7am to 10pm, and the free Savannah Belles Ferry crosses the river every 20 to 30 minutes.
So the same streets, oaks and squares cost you nothing.
What Only the Trolley Gives You
What the $37 ticket buys is the narration and the distance. A costumed guide compresses 270 years of history into 75 minutes and you hear it without reading a map. If you have one full day and enjoy walking, the free option is enough: start at the Visitor Center at 301 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, walk the squares south to Forsyth Park, then ride the dot back.
Getting There
The drive from Charleston is about 106 to 110 miles, roughly 2 to 2.5 hours each way with no tolls on I-95 or US-17. Parking in Savannah runs about $1 per hour in most city garages, the Visitor Center lot is free for the first hour then $1 per hour, and a one-day visitor parking pass is $15. The free things to do in Charleston and 2 days in Charleston pages cover cheaper days closer to base if the drive feels like too much.
Shore and transit figures: Visit Savannah
The 75 Minutes, Step by Step
The listing gives clock times only for the wheelchair-accessible departures, so the rest is phase by phase.
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Before boarding
Arrive at the Welcome Center
Reach the Old Savannah Tours Welcome Center at 217 W. Boundary Street in Savannah and find the white trolley with Old Savannah Tours on it. The ride starts and ends here.
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Departure
Board the open-air trolley
Take your seat on the custom-built open-air trolley. Starting times are confirmed at booking, with 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm the wheelchair-accessible options.
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On the road
Into the historic districts
The trolley rolls onto cobblestone streets and beneath moss-draped oaks. Your costumed guide begins narrating more than 270 years of Savannah history.
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Mid ride
Squares, mansions and the riverfront
The route passes stately mansions, the city's celebrated squares and the romantic riverfront of one of the largest National Urban Historic Landmarked Districts in America. It stays moving the whole time.
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The turn
The second half of the circuit
The tour is non-stop, so the narration continues without a break until the trolley returns to Boundary Street.
-
Return
Return to the Welcome Center
The tour ends where it began. Carry on into Savannah on foot or on the free dot Express Shuttle, which runs every 15 to 20 minutes until 10pm.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of what this listing does well and where it falls short.
What we genuinely like
- At $37 it costs the same as the Beaufort bus and less than the $43 Fort Sumter ferry and entry
- A 4.7 rating from 1,022 verified GetYourGuide bookings is a large sample
- Costumed live narration in English for the full 75 minutes
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve now, pay later
- Four daily wheelchair-accessible departures at 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm
- Mobile ticket with no printing, ready right after booking
The honest downsides
- It starts and ends in Savannah, so from Charleston the real cost includes a 2 to 2.5-hour drive each way or a 4:51am train
- Non-stop for 75 minutes, so no stops and no attraction entry
- Flagged likely to sell out, and some reviewers find the open-air seats uncomfortable
- The route does not pass plantations, which disappointed at least one reviewer
- Group size and the exact starting times outside the four listed ones are not stated
- Open-air seating means weather is on you, and the listing states no weather policy
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who want a stop-and-see format, plantations, food or drink included, or a tour that begins anywhere near Charleston.
Savannah Trolley Tour Questions
How much does the Savannah trolley tour cost?
The listed price is $37 per person, rated 4.7 from 1,022 verified reviews on GetYourGuide. Tips are not included. Compare it with other listings in the Charleston cruises.
Can I take this Savannah trolley tour as a day trip from Charleston?
Only if you arrange the transport yourself. The tour starts and ends in Savannah, about 106 to 110 miles and 2 to 2.5 hours from Charleston by car. The Charleston to Savannah guide covers the drive and the Silver Meteor train.
What is included in the $37 ticket?
One thing: the fully narrated 75-minute sightseeing tour with a live English-speaking costumed guide. Tips are listed as not included, and the listing mentions no food, drinks or attraction entry. See the full split in what the price actually covers.
Is the trolley wheelchair accessible?
Yes, but only for the 10am, 12pm, 2pm and 4pm departures, per the listing. Other times carry no accessibility statement, so book one of those four. For a water-based alternative, see the Fort Sumter Ferry and Fort Entry.
How long is the tour and does it stop anywhere?
It lasts 75 minutes and is non-stop from start to finish, so you never leave the trolley. If you want time off the vehicle, boat tours like the Morris Island Lighthouse Eco Boat Cruise include an hour ashore.
What is there to do in Savannah after the trolley tour?
Plenty, and almost all of it is free. Savannah has 23 of its original 24 squares, 30-acre Forsyth Park, River Street, the free dot Express Shuttle running every 15 to 20 minutes and the free Savannah Belles Ferry. Ideas for car-free days back in base are on the free things to do in Charleston page.
What is the cancellation policy?
You can cancel up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and reserve now and pay later is offered. That is more flexible than the Charleston Water Taxi All-Day Pass, where all sales are final.
What Travelers Said
We had part of one day to spend in Savannah after vacationing in Hilton Head for one week. This was a great choice! Tiny kept us moving through the busy streets as he shared the history of this beautiful city. He was informative and funny. I highly recommend this tour!
Good tour! Great option for someone who is short on time as it gives a good overview of the historic district especially in the hot summer months.
Our guide, Brittany, was great. Super knowledgeable and funny. Great tour with a family.
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