Charleston Savannah

Day 1 - Georgia on your mind
This most memorable of South Carolina and Georgia tours departs from Florida's Jacksonville International Airport at 3:00 PM. For guests spending the previous night on Jekyll Island, a transfer is included from Jacksonville International Airport to the Jekyll Island Club Hotel in the heart of the island's National Historic Landmark District. Enjoy the welcome reception and dinner at your elegant Victorian hotel, which was originally founded in the late 19th century as a hunting retreat for some of America's richest and most powerful families including the Rockefellers and the Vanderbilts.

Meals: Dinner
Lodging: Jekyll Island Club Hotel, Jekyll Island, GA

Day 2 - St. Simons Island & Savannah
Tour Jekyll Island's 240-acre historic district, including Faith Chapel and Rockefeller's Indian Mound, and travel to nearby St. Simons Island, hosting expansive marshlands. Travel to Savannah for a two-night stay, where you'll admire the elegant architecture and the geometric city design, with 24 park squares featuring live oaks draped with Spanish moss; it's one of the country's most graceful cities. Tonight, enjoy a Tauck Exclusive - an unforgettable private evening featuring a taste of Savannah's time-honored Madeira traditions at the Davenport House Museum, followed by dinner at 45 Bistro in the Marshal House Hotel in the heart of the Historic District.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: Hilton Savannah DeSoto, Savannah, GA Map

Day 3 - Landmarks of historic Savannah
Begin your day with a private tour of the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace in Savannah, family home of the founder of the Girl Scouts of the USA, and visit the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, interpreting the great Atlantic sea trade of centuries past. A local expert provides an insider's view of Savannah's park squares and notable buildings, part of one of the first planned cities in America, on a guided tour; its National Historic Landmark District is the largest in the country, and features more than 1,000 architecturally significant buildings. The remainder of the day is yours to explore more of Savannah on your own, perhaps wandering the city's trendy waterfront district.

Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: Hilton Savannah DeSoto, Savannah, GA

Day 4 - Civil War history & barrier beaches
Bid Savannah farewell and head off to a key site of the Civil War, Fort Pulaski National Monument, an impressive brick fortress captured by Union forces in 1862. Continue on to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, boasting one of the most pristine marine estuaries on the east coast, featuring miles of barrier beaches that are ideal for walking and beachcombing. Enjoy an à la carte dinner at your inviting oceanfront resort tonight.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, Hilton Head, SC

Day 5 - Step back in time in Beaufort en route to Charleston
Take time for a morning walk on Hilton Head's pristine beaches if you wish before journeying north along the coast. Arrive in Beaufort, "Queen of the Carolina Sea Islands," where you'll view the timeless architecture of its National Historic Landmark District on a horse-drawn carriage ride. Head to Charleston, the lovely and historic first capital of South Carolina. An exclusively chartered private boat cruise of Charleston Harbor this afternoon imparts a wealth of information about the city's centuries of maritime history. Your home for the next three nights is a 150-year-old hotel at the center of Charleston's historic district. Dinner tonight is at your choice of several fine Charleston restaurants.

Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Lodging: The Mills House Hotel, Charleston, SC

Day 6 - Explore the past in gracious Charleston
Relive the past on a guided sightseeing tour of prosperous Charleston along cobblestone streets and past walled gardens. The city's 789-acre historic district showcases extraordinary architecture, from pre-Revolutionary War buildings to graceful antebellum homes; highlights include The Citadel and the Battery. Explore on your own in the afternoon; perhaps take a carriage tour, visit the Gibbes Museum of Art, or see Fort Sumter National Monument, where the first shot of the Civil War was fired in 1861.

Meals: Breakfast
Lodging: The Mills House Hotel, Charleston, SC

Day 7 - Grand plantations and gardens of centuries past
Visit some of the finest plantations and gardens in America today. A morning excursion takes you first to Drayton Hall, a Georgian Palladian mansion built in 1738 that is preserved in original condition, without electricity or plumbing. Join senior interpreters for a Conoisseur Tour that takes an in-depth look at three centuries of Drayton Hall via historical photographs, plantation logs and archived letters. Then it's on to Middleton Place for a tour of its mansion built in 1755, stable yard with period artifacts, and the oldest formal gardens in the United States, considered a landscaping masterpiece. This evening, relive this most gracious of South Carolina and Georgia tours during the farewell reception and dinner at your historic Charleston hotel.

Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
Lodging: The Mills House Hotel, Charleston, SC

Day 8 - Journey home
Your most remarkable South Carolina and Georgia tour ends in Charleston, South Carolina. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from The Mills House Hotel to Charleston International Airport. Allow a minimum of two hours for flight check-in.

Meals: Breakfast

ACCOMMODATIONS

Night 1: Jekyll Island Club Hotel
Jekyll Island, Georgia

Once the exclusive retreat of the Rockefellers, the Vanderbilts and their millionaire friends, this lovingly restored and meticulous maintained Victorian gem has been voted one of the world’s 500 best hotels by the readers of Travel + Leisure. Located in a protected area of Jekyll Island, the grandeur of the buildings and grounds of this historic landmark evoke memories of the Gilded Age. Guest rooms feature color cable TV / DVD, iron / ironing board, in-room safe, coffee maker and refreshments center. Leisure options include an outdoor swimming pool, croquet, a putting green and a lending library. Dining venues include the elegant Grand Dining Room, with its Ionic columns and commanding views of the Jekyll River and the alfresco dining experience at The Courtyard at Crane Cottage, which offers a casual yet sophisticated ambiance.

Night 2 & 3: Hilton Savannah DeSoto
Savannah, Georgia

Situated in the very heart of delightfully intriguing Savannah, the Hilton Savannah Desoto was built in 1890 and is considered by many to be the city’s grandest large hotel. Guest rooms, each with a balcony, are quite comfortable and all offer views of this lovely and historic southern city. In-room amenities include air conditioning, coffee maker, iron / ironing board, cable TV and Internet access. A swimming pool awaits during leisure time. Magnolia’s Restaurant, the beautifully restored grand dining room, serves authentic Savannah cuisine. Gracious southern hospitality is a hallmark of the Hilton Savannah DeSoto.

Night 4: The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa
Hilton Head, South Carolina

This impressive beachfront resort enjoys the well-earned reputation as being the very best on the island. Set on the most pristine and private stretch of beach on the island, the resort offers a wide range of facilities, activities and amenities. Guest rooms offer Westin’s signature Heavenly Bed®, private balcony or patio, coffee maker, hairdryer, iron / ironing board, high-speed Internet access and cable TV. Recreational options include a lovely outdoor swimming pool as well as a heated indoor pool, WestinWORKOUT® exercise facilities, tennis courts, steam room and sauna and aerobic classes. The resort’s AAA Four-Diamond restaurant, the Barony Grill, offers fine dining and exceptional service. The readers of Travel + Leisure have voted The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa one of the 500 best hotels in the world.

Night 5, 6 & 7: The Mills House Hotel
Charleston, South Carolina

The original Mills House Hotel welcomed its first guests over 100 years ago. Located in the heart of historic Charleston, this charming hotel extends gracious southern hospitality in the true tradition of the genteel way of life in this charming city. Each individually decorated guest room offers a hair dryer, coffee maker and iron with ironing board. Guests are invited to relax around the swimming pool as they enjoy Charleston’s warm climate. Dining in the Barbados Room features an outstanding selection of Lowcountry specialties. Both the Best Friend Bar (named for the nation’s first steam locomotive based in Charleston) and the First Shot Lounge (named for the first shot fired in the Civil War) are ideal venues in which to sip your favorite libation.

Inclusive Prices

Tour prices are per person in U.S. dollars. All hotel accommodations, motor coach transportation, sightseeing, admissions, luggage handling, and the services of the Tour Director, local drivers and guides are included. A representative will meet you at Jacksonville Airport at 3 PM and provide transportation to the Jekyll Island Club Hotel. If you arrive late or miss the group transfer, there is no scheduled or public transportation from the airport to Jekyll Island. We will also provide transportation from The Mills House Hotel to the Charleston Airport on the day of your departure.

Hotel Accommodations – This price includes all hotel accommodations with private baths. The Tauck standard is to provide the best available accommodations without sacrificing value. Although the quality of may differ slightly from place to place, this standard remains uncompromised. Two-bedded rooms are reserved in most hotels. Triples are two-bedded rooms plus a rollaway cot and are not recommended for comfort.

Meals – Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary.

Tour Director – Charleston/Savannah is conducted by a Tour Director who will remain with the group throughout the duration of the tour. Your Tauck Director is a professional, fully trained employee of the Tour Operator.

Gratuities Included – All appropriate gratuities for hotel and restaurant staffs and local guides are included.

No Options Sold – Your Tour Directors will assist you with information on free-time activities based on honest opinion and guidance, but they will not sell you anything. This means better value and a more relaxed and pleasant experience for you.

Not Included

Airfare to the tour departure point and from the tour ending point is not included. Airfare may be purchased from Tauck for travel originating in the United States.

Hotel Rooms Before and After Tours – To avoid jet lag and possible flight delays, you may wish to make hotel arrangements for the nights preceding or following your tour. As a service, we will book additional nights for you on a space-available basis using special rates only available through us. Hotel room charges will be added to the tour cost. If you wish to spend additional nights, please consult the Extend This Journey section on this website and discuss it with the reservations agent when you book your tour.

Luggage Responsibility – Although every effort is made to handle your luggage carefully, we cannot be responsible, assume liability or accept claims for loss or damage to luggage and personal effects due to breakage, theft, or fair wear and tear through hotel, airline and group carrier handling. It is important for your own self-interest and protection that you make certain you have adequate insurance to cover these eventualities. Please refer to the Protection Plan for more information.

Personal Expenses - Phone calls, room service, alcoholic and bar beverages, mineral water, soft drinks, laundry, airline excess luggage charges, vaccinations, visa fees, individual airport arrival transfers, airport departure transfers, airport and departure taxes, and other optional or incidental extras are not included and may be significant.

Tour Director Gratuities – The customary gratuities to the Tour Director and driver are not included. Gratuities should be extended on a voluntary, individual basis and not as a group.

Value Includes:

A guided tour with expert interpreters that delves into three centuries of history at Drayton Hall, using a rich cache of historical photographs, plantation logs and archived letters
A private cruise in Charleston Harbor, where Charleston's rich maritime heritage comes alive, from the Revolutionary War to pirates to nature; visit places that bigger boats can't reach
An exclusive private evening featuring a taste of Savannah's beloved Madeira traditions at the Federal-style Davenport House Museum, followed by an elegant dinner at 45 Bistro in the landmark Marshall House Hotel
Airport transfers upon arrival and departure as detailed
15 meals, service charges, gratuities to local guides, admission fees, taxes and porterage