A Day Trip to Tybee Island from Hilton Head Island
Tybee Island is Savannah’s beach, about an hour and a half from Hilton Head: a small, easygoing beach town with Georgia’s oldest lighthouse, a long pier, and Fort Pulaski on the causeway in.
How Far Is Tybee Island from Hilton Head?
From Coligny it is about 57 miles to the Tybee pier, an hour and a half without traffic; from the bridges at the north end of Hilton Head it is about 48 miles and an hour and a quarter. The drive goes through Savannah: US 278 west off the island, SC 170 and US 17 across the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, then US 80 east for the last 18 miles, over the marshes and past Fort Pulaski onto the island.
Because the road runs through Savannah, Tybee and a morning in the city make one day. See Hilton Head to Savannah for that half.
Tybee Island vs Hilton Head
The two islands are an hour and a half apart and feel very different. Tybee is a small beach town: cottages, beach bars and a pier, a lighthouse on the north end, and downtown Savannah half an hour away. It is casual and lively, and most visitors come for the day.
Hilton Head is a resort island: 12 miles of wide, hard-packed beach, 64 miles of public bike paths, 20 golf courses, and resort communities such as Sea Pines and Palmetto Dunes, with no billboards or neon signs. People come for a week. If you want a beach week with bikes and golf, Hilton Head; if you want a beach day from Savannah with a lighthouse and lunch by the pier, Tybee. Staying on Hilton Head, Tybee makes a good day out.
What to See on a Tybee Day Trip
Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse: 178 steps to the gallery, with the keepers’ cottages and a museum on the ticket. Closed on Tuesdays.
The pier on the south beach, for fishing and a walk out over the water, with Tybrisa Street’s shops and restaurants a block away.
A moated brick fort on US 80, 15 minutes before Tybee. Union rifled cannon breached its walls in 1862, and the damage still shows.
The quieter end of the island, by the lighthouse and the mouth of the Savannah River: room to spread out, shells and dolphins at sunset.
Tybee is small, and everything is on one road. The lighthouse and North Beach are at the north end, where the Savannah River meets the ocean; the pier, Tybrisa Street and the busiest beach are at the south end. Butler Avenue runs between them.
Parking on Tybee Island
Parking on Tybee is paid almost everywhere, and the city takes no cash: pay at a kiosk or with the free Park TYB app, and download it before you arrive; enforcement starts in the morning. The lighthouse has its own free lot for visitors, so start there. Rates change with the season; check the posted signs.
A Day on Tybee from Hilton Head Island
Leave Hilton Head by 8:30 and stop at Fort Pulaski on the way in, when the fort is cool and quiet.
The lighthouse at the north end, then lunch on Tybrisa Street by the pier.
The beach, at North Beach for space or by the pier for the crowd.
Dinner in Savannah on the way home, and back on Hilton Head by 9.
Other day trips from Hilton Head: Savannah, on the way, Beaufort and Charleston. See all of them on day trips from Hilton Head.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Tybee Island from Hilton Head?
About 48 miles from the bridges at the north end of Hilton Head and 57 from Coligny: an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half by car, through Savannah.
Is Tybee Island or Hilton Head better?
They suit different trips. Tybee is a small, casual beach town half an hour from Savannah, best for a beach day. Hilton Head has 12 miles of beach, bike paths and golf, and suits a week’s stay.
Can you climb the Tybee Island Lighthouse?
Yes: 178 steps to the gallery, on a ticket that also covers the keepers’ cottages and a museum. It is closed on Tuesdays, and the last tickets are sold at 4:30.
Where do you park on Tybee Island?
Almost all parking is paid, by kiosk or the Park TYB app, with no cash. The lighthouse has a free lot for visitors.
Is Fort Pulaski on the way to Tybee?
Yes. It is on US 80 on Cockspur Island, about 15 minutes before the Tybee pier.
Local guides like this come standard for Guests of Partner Properties — one small part of what a Partner Property gives every guest.
Book Partner Properties