Savannah Port Tour

From Old Town Bluffton Inn

By Car	35 Minutes
By Walk	Not Walkable

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Details

Address	300 West River Street, Savannah, GA 31401, United States
Phone	+1 843-686-6996
Website	www.outsidesav.com
Hours	Departure times vary by season

Photo by @0utsidebrands

Ninety minutes on the Savannah River that starts with the historic riverfront and ends underneath container ships the size of city blocks. A captain explains how the whole machine works while you crane your neck at it. It is the most unexpectedly good thing we send guests to do.

Most people come to Savannah for the squares and the Spanish moss, and then spend the afternoon on River Street watching enormous ships slide past without ever quite registering what they are looking at. This 90-minute tour answers the question. It opens with the historic riverfront from the water, which is the angle the city was actually built to be seen from, then turns upriver toward the Georgia Ports Authority terminals and gets close enough that the scale stops being abstract. Ship-to-shore cranes the height of buildings. Stacks of containers running back further than you can see. Vessels being worked around the clock by people who make it look ordinary. Your captain talks you through what is happening and why, and the pleasure of it is that it turns a backdrop into a system you understand. It is just as good for people who did not expect to care as it is for those who did.

Photo by @0utsidebrands

The port itself is worth knowing a little about before you go. Savannah sits about 18 miles up the river from the Atlantic, and its Garden City Terminal is the largest single-terminal container facility in North America, one of the busiest container ports in the United States, handling millions of containers a year across more than a thousand acres. The rail yard on the terminal is the largest of its kind on the continent. None of that means much on a page, which is exactly why the tour works. You have to be under it. Practical notes are simple. It is 90 minutes on the water; you check in at Outside Savannah at 300 West River Street fifteen minutes before departure, and the boat leaves from the dock behind the Riverfront Hyatt. Parking in downtown Savannah is the only fiddly part of the day, so allow time for it, and our advice is to make the tour the anchor of a Savannah day rather than a detour on the way to something else.

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Old Town Bluffton Inn

Amenities

High Speed Wifi
L'Occitane en Provence
Hair Dryers
Steamer/Iron Combo
Bath Robes and Slippers*
In-Room Safe
55in Standard TV
Alarm Clock with Outlets
White Noise Machine

*Upon Request

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Photo by @0utsidebrands

Why Visit

Our Inn-sider answer for anyone who thinks they have already done Savannah. This is the half of the city nobody photographs, and it is only 90 minutes.

A working port at close range, including Garden City Terminal, the largest single-terminal container facility in North America, seen from the water rather than from a highway overpass
A narrated tour, so you leave understanding how a port actually functions rather than just having looked at big boats
Savannah's historic riverfront from the river, which is the view the city was designed around and the one most visitors never get
Ninety minutes, which fits neatly into a Savannah day alongside the squares, lunch, and a wander, without eating the whole afternoon
Genuinely good for mixed groups, since it holds the attention of the history lover and the engineer in your party at the same time, which very few things do
Easy from here. About 35 minutes down the road, and you come home to Old Town for dinner on foot rather than paying Savannah prices to park overnight

Message from the Harrisons

The Savannah Port Tour is one of the coolest things I’ve done down here. Seeing the ships and the port up close is incredible, and the local captain brings the whole experience to life with stories from along the river. I would absolutely do it again.

Vince Harrison

Best Time To Visit

The port runs all year and so does the tour, so this is a genuinely all-weather, all-season option and a good one to hold in reserve. Spring and fall are the most comfortable on the water and the busiest in Savannah, so book ahead and expect the riverfront to be lively. Summer is hot on land, but there is a breeze on the river, and a late-afternoon departure is the civilized way to do it when the city is baking. Winter is the quiet secret. Downtown Savannah empties out, parking gets easier, and the cold, clear light on the water and the cranes is the best of the year for photographs. The port itself does not slow down for any of it, which is part of the appeal. Departure times shift with the season, so check current schedules on our excursions page or ask us at the front desk.

Reservations

A 90-minute tour, booked in advance through our excursions page. Check in at Outside Savannah, 300 West River Street, fifteen minutes before departure, and the boat leaves from the dock behind the Riverfront Hyatt. Confirm current departure times when you book, as they vary by season.

What You'll See

The historic riverfront and the bridge from the water on the way out, then the container terminals upriver, the ship-to-shore cranes at work, and whatever vessels happen to be in. No two trips look the same, because the ships change daily.

Getting There

About 35 minutes by car from Old Town Bluffton Inn, straight down toward Savannah. Downtown parking is the only real complication, so leave yourself some margin and use one of the River Street garages instead of circling. This is one of the places on our Explore list you simply can't walk to, but it is a simple drive, and you will be back in Bluffton the same evening.

Insider Tip

Make the tour the middle of a Savannah day rather than the whole reason for going. Squares and coffee in the morning, the port at midday, then lunch on River Street once you can identify what is going on. And drive home for dinner. Old Town has more than twenty restaurants within walking distance, and Savannah is a parking garage and a hotel bill.

Good to Know

Dress for the water rather than the sidewalk, since it is cooler and windier out there than in the city, especially between November and March. Take sun protection in summer, and bring water and snacks. The tour runs in most conditions but can be affected by weather, so have a backup plan for the afternoon. Ask about accessibility when you book if it matters to your group.

A Savannah Day

Breakfast and Drive

9:00 AM

Breakfast is on at the Inn. It is about 35 minutes to downtown Savannah, so leave after the traffic and before the parking fills.

The Squares

10:00 AM

Park once and walk. The historic district is best taken slowly and without a list. Coffee somewhere with a view of a square is a perfectly good plan for an hour.

Port Tour

12:00 PM

Ninety minutes on the river, out past the historic riverfront and up to the container terminals. Check in fifteen minutes early at Outside Savannah, 300 West River Street.

River Street

2:00 PM

Come off the boat hungry and eat right there. The ships going past make considerably more sense than they did before the tour. Afterward, add one more thing at your own pace, a museum, a bookshop, or the riverfront, before the drive home. Savannah rewards doing less.

Wine at the Inn

6:00 PM

Our complimentary, guest-exclusive wine bar is open from 3 to 7 pm, so settle into a chair in the parlor or on the balcony while Camo does his rounds.

Evening in Old Town

7:00 PM

More than twenty restaurants are within walking distance of your room, so no one has to drive after a day in Savannah.

FAQ

The Savannah Port Tour is a 90-minute narrated boat tour. It starts along Savannah’s historic riverfront and continues upriver to the Georgia Ports Authority container terminals.

Check in at Outside Savannah, 300 West River Street, Savannah, GA, 15 minutes before departure. The boat leaves from the dock behind the Riverfront Hyatt.

Book in advance through ourexcursions page, where the tour is run by our partner Outside Brands. Departure times vary by season, and our front desk is happy to help you plan the day.

Downtown Savannah is about a 35-minute drive from Old Town Bluffton Inn. Allow extra time for parking and use one of the River Street garages.

You’ll see the historic riverfront from the water, then the container terminals, ship-to-shore cranes, and cargo vessels at Garden City Terminal, the largest single-terminal container facility in North America. No two trips are the same, since the ships change daily.

Dress for the water, since the river is cooler and windier than the city, especially from November to March. In summer, bring sun protection, water, and snacks.