Hilton Head Island to Savannah, GA: A Day Trip
Savannah is about 40 miles from Hilton Head, roughly an hour by car, or a morning boat ride up the Intracoastal Waterway to River Street: an easy day trip to the historic squares, the riverfront and Forsyth Park.
Going the other way? Savannah to Hilton Head
How Far Is Savannah from Hilton Head?
From Coligny, at the south end of the island, it is about 39 miles to Savannah’s City Market, and about an hour in light traffic. From the bridges at the north end, it is about 30 miles and 45 minutes. So the distance from Hilton Head, South Carolina to Savannah, Georgia is 30 to 40 miles depending on where you start, and the drive from Hilton Head to Savannah is 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter.
Take US 278 west off the island, then SC 170 toward Savannah, and US 17 south across the Talmadge Memorial Bridge into downtown. I-95 is the alternative, a few miles longer. The slow part is usually getting off the island: US 278 backs up on summer Saturdays, when rentals change over, and in the evening rush, so leave early and come back after dinner. The road from Bluffton is the same drive; the Bluffton to Savannah guide has it from there.
The Hilton Head to Savannah Ferry
Booked through FareHarbor, the island operators’ own booking system. HHI.com may earn a commission.
There is a ferry from Hilton Head to Savannah, and it is the relaxed way to go: no bridge traffic, no parking, and you step off on River Street. Two companies run it as a round trip that leaves Hilton Head in the morning and brings you back in the afternoon. Both are passenger boats; neither carries cars.
Vagabond Cruise leaves from Harbour Town, inside Sea Pines. The ride is about 1 hour 45 minutes each way, with about four hours in Savannah, and the boat has an enclosed, air-conditioned cabin and a snack bar. Discounted trolley-tour tickets are sold on board. Driving into Sea Pines means the gate fee unless you are staying there.
Island Head runs its daily Savannah ferry from Broad Creek Marina, mid-island, with no gate to pay.
Check each trip’s days, times and price in the booking cards above; schedules shift with the season. Both trips start and finish on Hilton Head, so they suit a day out from the island, not a trip that begins in Savannah.
What to See on a Savannah Day Trip
The riverfront: old cotton warehouses turned into shops, bars and restaurants, with container ships passing close. The ferries dock here.
Four blocks of galleries, shops and restaurants around a car-free plaza, a block up from the river. Lunch is easy here.
The big park at the south end of the Historic District, and the white fountain in every picture of Savannah. A farmers market fills it on Saturday mornings.
A 15-minute drive east of downtown: statues and old family plots under live oaks, on a bluff over the Wilmington River.
The best of Savannah is on foot. General Oglethorpe laid the town out in 1733 around small public squares, and 22 of them survive, each a shaded garden of live oaks and benches a block or two from the next. Walk Bull Street from the river south, square to square, and you end at Forsyth Park. Trolley tours cover the same ground if the heat or the distance is too much.
One Savannah rule surprises visitors: in the Historic District you may carry one drink on the street in a plastic cup of 16 ounces or less. Bars will pour your drink into a to-go cup. No glass and no cans, and outside the district the usual open-container law applies.
Where to Park in Savannah
Downtown Savannah’s parking is paid: meters on the street and city garages around the Historic District. For a day of walking, park once in a garage and leave the car. The Whitaker Street Garage is the closest to City Market, Ellis Square and River Street. The city also sells a visitor day pass that covers its garages, lots and meters, and free shuttles loop the Historic District. Read the posted rates and hours where you park; they change.
A Day in Savannah from Hilton Head Island
Leave Hilton Head by 8:30 to beat the traffic off the island, park at the Whitaker Street Garage, and start on River Street while it is still quiet. Walk the squares south to Forsyth Park after lunch at City Market, then drive out to Bonaventure for the late-afternoon light. Dinner in town and the drive back after 8 miss the evening rush.
Take the morning ferry, walk River Street and the squares nearest the river, and have lunch at City Market. Four hours covers the riverfront and the northern squares comfortably; Forsyth Park is a longer walk or a trolley ride.
Coming the other way, from Savannah for a day on the island? See Savannah to Hilton Head. Other day trips from the island: Daufuskie Island by ferry, and Hunting Island State Park past Beaufort. Tybee Island, Savannah’s beach, is half an hour past the city: see Hilton Head to Tybee Island, and every trip on day trips from Hilton Head.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Savannah, Georgia from Hilton Head Island?
About 30 miles from the bridges at the north end of Hilton Head and 39 from Coligny, at the south end: 45 minutes to an hour and a quarter by car, without heavy traffic.
Is there a ferry from Hilton Head to Savannah?
Yes. Vagabond Cruise runs a round trip from Harbour Town in Sea Pines, and Island Head runs a daily round trip from Broad Creek Marina. Both land on River Street and bring you back the same day.
How long is the ferry from Hilton Head to Savannah?
Vagabond’s boat takes about 1 hour 45 minutes each way, with about four hours in Savannah between.
Can you take a car on the Hilton Head to Savannah ferry?
No. Both are passenger boats. To have a car in Savannah, drive: it is about an hour.
Is there a ferry from Savannah to Hilton Head?
The two Savannah boats start and finish on Hilton Head, so they don’t suit a trip that begins in Savannah. From Savannah, the drive to Hilton Head is about an hour.
Can you drink on the street in Savannah?
In the Historic District, yes: one drink in a plastic cup of 16 ounces or less. No glass or cans, and not outside the district.
Is Savannah worth a day trip from Hilton Head?
Yes. The riverfront, City Market and the historic squares are compact and walkable, and the drive is about an hour each way.
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