12 packing essentials every Savannah visitor brings in 2026
Broken-in walking shoes with grippy soles top the list for Savannah in 2026, with insect repellent a close second, though shoes win the tie-breaker. Locals and visitors both name sore feet as their biggest regret: the uneven stone paving on River Street and the mile-long walk down Bull Street catch out new sneakers on day one.
Each item was scored on three things: how useful it is in Savannah, quality per dollar, and how often travellers say they regretted leaving it behind. Shoes won because Savannah is harder on feet than on anything else you bring, with River Street paved in old ballast stones and the steep stone stairs of Factors Walk wearing out thin soles. Bull Street runs roughly a mile from Johnson Square to the north gate of Forsyth Park, and you'll probably walk it twice before dinner at City Market. Repellent came second by a narrow margin. Sand gnats can wreck an hour at Bonaventure Cemetery, but they rarely ruin a whole trip.
The commonest mistake is packing for heat alone. From June through September, storms tend to roll in off the marsh in the afternoon, and hurricane season runs until 30 November. October is the opposite problem: the 1 pm reading on 19 October was 17.8°C under clear skies, which is pleasant on foot. The Savannah Belles Ferry crossing to Hutchinson Island feels colder on the water after dark, though, and anyone riding it to Jurassic Quest at the convention center on 23 October will likely want a layer for the trip back.
Another mistake is assuming you need a car: the free dot Express Shuttle loops the Historic District, so your shoes and the shuttle cover most days. Adults can carry a drink in a plastic to-go cup through much of the Historic District, which is why bars on Congress Street check ID at the door. A passport or driver's licence still earns its place in your bag.
Walking shoes are the wrong top pick for a beach-first trip. If you're staying on Tybee Island, about 18 miles east along US 80, you'll live in sandals, so sunscreen and a beach towel move up the list. The same goes for a traveller who lands at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (SAV) for a 24-hour stop and spends most of it on a trolley tour. Wheelchair users will find the ballast stones and the brick ramps down from Bay Street harder than any shoe can fix.
The full list
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Broken-in walking shoes with grippy soles
The ballast stones on River Street turn slick after rain, and the stairs from Bay Street down to Factors Walk are steep and uneven. A full day crossing the squares between Reynolds Square and Forsyth Park often runs past 15,000 steps.
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Picaridin or DEET insect repellent
Sand gnats swarm at dusk around the live oaks in Bonaventure Cemetery, on the Tybee Island marsh side, and on the benches in Forsyth Park. Fabric sprays won't stop them, so apply a skin repellent before any evening ghost walk through Colonial Park Cemetery.
Shop Picaridin or DEET insect repellent -
Light packable layer or fleece
Autumn evenings cool down fast on the Savannah Belles Ferry back from Hutchinson Island and at outdoor tables along Broughton Street after sunset. The restaurant air conditioning in City Market can run cold too.
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Compact umbrella or packable rain shell
Summer storms over the Historic District tend to arrive mid-afternoon and pass within an hour. Beyond the oaks, the squares offer little cover, so a pocket umbrella saves the walk from Chippewa Square to the Telfair Museums.
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Photo ID (passport or driver's licence)
Bars on Congress Street and River Street card at the door before serving drinks in to-go cups, and Enmarket Arena checks bags and tickets for Ghost Pirates hockey games. For overseas visitors, that means the passport itself, not a photocopy.
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Reef-safe sunscreen SPF 30+
Tybee Island's North Beach has little shade, and the glare off the Savannah River on River Street boat tours is strong. Locals reapply even on clear, cool October days at Fort Pulaski National Monument, where the earthworks stand in open sun.
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Insulated refillable water bottle
The squares and Forsyth Park have public fountains, and cafes on Bull Street will usually refill a bottle. Either beats buying $3 bottles in River Street gift shops during a humid afternoon walk.
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Portable phone power bank
Self-guided audio tours of the 22 squares, map navigation to the Starland District, and digital tickets for events at the Savannah Convention Center will drain a phone by late afternoon. Free charging spots downtown are scarce.
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Wide-brim hat and polarised sunglasses
Open stretches like the Fort Pulaski parade ground and the Tybee Island Light Station grounds offer almost no shade, and polarised lenses also cut glare from the river at Rousakis Riverfront Plaza.
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Anti-chafe balm
In humid months, damp, sticky air turns the long Bull Street walk to the Victorian District into a chafing problem, and a small stick fits in a pocket and costs less than a cab back to the hotel.
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Small crossbody bag
It keeps your hands free on crowded First Friday evenings on River Street and when carrying a to-go cup between bars on Congress Street, and it fits easily on the narrow seats of the dot Express Shuttle.
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Sandals or water shoes
Tybee Island's sand gets seriously hot by midday in summer, and oyster shells line the creek edges near Lazaretto Creek, so a second pair of shoes gives your walking pair a day to dry out after a Historic District downpour.
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