Surround Yourself in Sweet Scents,
Secret Gardens,
Sublime Architecture and Southern Cuisine
Welcome to Savannah and Charleston
Sold out for 2024-watch for 2025 dates
Friday, April 19 – Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Five Days – Four Nights
This tour takes you to two of the most stunning cities in America, Savannah and Charleston. They are steeped in history and comprised of well-preserved historic districts. A trolley tour through Savannah’s Historic District will pique your attraction to magnificent architectural design, gorgeous parks and hidden gardens. Charleston, one of America’s oldest cities, is abundant with significant sites and homes, French flare and renowned gardens. Both cities embrace you with Southern charm that will stay in your memories forever. Come on y’all!
Day One, Friday, April 19:
Your “southern swing” begins when you arrive by noon at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, where your tour manager will greet you. Board your private motor coach and travel to your hotel located in the Historic District.
The Hotel Indigo, your home for two nights, is known as the
Grand Lady on the Bay.” The building was once 19th-century mega-merchant, Simon Guckenheimer's, dry goods storage house, which was filled with everything the South made best, from tobacco to canned peaches. Now, the Grand Lady stands as a charming boutique hotel with modern style in the vibrant Ellis Square that reflects the essence of Savannah's renowned Historic District. The hotel’s location offers shopping and dining right outside the door, and beautiful squares and antebellum architecture at every turn.
You’ll welcome the chance to stretch your legs as you follow your tour manager to the nearby City Market area. Have lunch on your own and time and enjoy time to explore the shops.
Late afternoon hop on a local trolley for private Historic Overview Tour of Savannah. On the tour you will witness moss-draped oaks, stately mansions, beautiful squares and the expansive riverfront and learn about Savannah’s 270 years of history. Be on the lookout, as characters from Savannah’s past like to hop aboard the trolley from time-to-time!
Your tour ends at back at the Hotel Indigo. There will be time to relax and refresh before you gather in hotel’s Five Oaks Taproom for a welcome reception.
Depart the hotel and walk just down the street for an included dinner. The Chart House is one of the most spectacular waterfront restaurants in the city. The view of the 4th-busiest port in the nation is unmatched, and the same goes for the food!
Day Two, Saturday, April 20:
Start your day with breakfast served in the hotel. Today’s adventure blossoms with hidden treasures around every turn. Prepare to be amazed!
Your first visit is at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens at the Historic Bamboo Farm. This 51-acre botanical garden’s collection began in the late 1880’s when property owner, Mrs. H. B. Miller, planted three giant Japanese Timber Bamboo. By 1915 an impressive bamboo grove developed, which drew the attention of noted botanist and plant explorer David Fairchild. In 1919 Barbour Lathrop, a friend of Fairchild, purchased the site from Mrs. Miller for $5.00, and leased it to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for $1.00
Today, the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens' collections contain around 60 bamboo taxa, said to be the largest American bamboo collection open to the public east of California. With at least 36 different species, the gardens are also home to one of the largest collections of camellias. In addition, the site showcases landscape roses, native plants of the state of Georgia and seasonal annuals and educational displays.
A 50,000-gallon water garden sits on the shores of one of the site's lakes. The Woodland Shade Garden offers picturesque views over a chain of lakes; the White Garden boasts three magnificent white pergolas surrounding a lawn and the Formal Garden features four parterres surrounded by olive and white crape myrtles. The Georgia Trustees Garden replica -- the agricultural plot began by James Oglethorpe, features edible, medicinal and crop commodities that the first settlers to the Georgia colony were expected to produce. And the Iris Garden, designed by Stan Gray, is currently the largest public, non-commercial display of iris in the world. Your visit begins with a tour of the garden grounds with a highlight on the garden’s history. Next you will tour the Iris Garden. Designed by Stan Gray, it is currently the largest public, non-commercial display of iris in the world. Here you will visit with Stan Gray, the Iris Garden expert. After the tour, you are welcome to explore at your leisure.
Depart the Botanical Garden and travel back into Savannah. Gather for an included lunch at the Gryphon Tea Room, the premier dining destination of the Savannah College of Art and Design. The restaurant invites you in with its timeless 1926 Scottish Rite architecture. The elegant interior features white-clothed tables, carved mahogany bookcases and original stained-glass panels conveying warmth and grace. It reflects the tradition of Savannah hospitality and serves delicious food.
After lunch it time for the 47th Annual Tour of Hidden Gardens. This special tour unlocks the garden gates of selected private gardens and historic gardens. As part of the tour, you are invited to a Southern Tea at the Green-Meldrim House, a National Historic Landmark and one of the South’s finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture. Hosted by the Garden Club of Savannah, proceeds from the tour are donated to numerous organizations throughout the Savannah area. Your admission includes a self-guided walking pass and afternoon tea.
All of the gardens are located within walking distance of the Green-Meldrim House and you may explore them as you wish. You will learn about the Savannah mystique, witness southern plantings and landscapes and stroll through the historic neighborhoods. The multitudes of gardening ideas are certain to “grow” on you!
Return to the hotel late afternoon to relax and refresh. This evening you have the chance to discover your new favorite restaurant, as dinner is on your own. Within a few minute’s walk from the hotel you’ll find a multitude of locally owned restaurants just waiting to welcome you with Southern hospitality and fabulous cuisine.
Day Three, Sunday, April 21:
Following breakfast, pack your luggage and check out of your rooms. Today’s travels take you to Charleston, defined by its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, pastel antebellum mansions and gardens galore. As you lose yourself amongst the moss-covered oak trees and blooming azaleas, you find yourself being transported on a garden path back in time.
With an early morning departure from Savannah, you will arrive at the magnificent Magnolia Plantation mid morning. Magnolia Plantation is one of the oldest plantations in the South and it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The plantation dates to 1676, when Thomas and Ann Drayton built a house and small formal garden on the site. It is the oldest public tourist site in the Lowcountry, and the oldest public garden in America, opening its doors to visitors in 1870 to view the thousands of beautiful flowers and plants in its famous gardens.
Magnolia was originally a rice plantation. Magnolia became known for its gardens after the Reverend John Grimke-Drayton inherited the property in the 1840s. Grimke-Drayton, an Episcopal minister, began to have the gardens reworked in an English style; according to legend, this was done to lure his bride south from her native Philadelphia. He was among the first to use Camellia japonica in an outdoor setting, and is said to have introduced the first azaleas to America. Under his supervision, the gardens of Magnolia on the Ashley became well known in the antebellum period for their azaleas and live oak trees. Today, 25 acres of the property are devoted to the gardens, 16 acres for the wide lawn surrounding the live oak allée and 150 acres for a marsh and waterfowl conservatory. Since 1941, about 199 acres have been used for a wholesale ornamental plant nursery to raise money for garden operations.
Your visit begins at the Nature Tram for a 45-minute action-packed tour of the plantation's gardens, wetlands, lakes, forests and marshes. Naturalist guides help you spot alligators, turtles, egrets and herons in native habitats. And as you ride through the landscape, guides bring its history, true landscape and culture of the old South to life.
By this time you will have worked up an appetite. Have lunch on your own at the on-site Peacock Café.
Also included in your visit is a guided tour of the Drayton family home, the third to grace the site in more than three centuries of Drayton family occupation. The current main House – the core of which was built prior to the Revolutionary War near Summerville, South Carolina and floated down the Ashley River to Magnolia after the Civil War — gives a glimpse of plantation life in the 19th century and beyond. Ten rooms are open to the public, furnished with early-American antiques, porcelain, quilts and other Drayton family heirlooms. Guides describe life in the 19th century, using furniture and household objects to bring plantation culture alive.
After the house tour, there will be plenty of time to explore the gardens on your own and to visit the lovely gift shop.
Depart the plantation and travel a short distance to “ a Lowcountry treasure,” the Angel Oak Tree. The tree is estimated to be 400–500 years old. It stands 66.5 feet tall, measures 28 feet in circumference. The oak derives its name from the estate of Justus Angel and his wife, Martha Waight Tucker Angel. There will be time for photos and to visit the gift shop.
Depart Angel Oak Park late afternoon and travel into Charleston where you will arrive at your hotel for a two-night stay. The Meeting Street Inn offers peaceful and affordable accommodations amidst Downtown Charleston’s Historic District. After a busy day, you’ll appreciate time to settle into your room, relax and refresh. Gather in the courtyard for a wine and cheese reception.
Now, it’s time for y’all to head out for dinner on your own. Within a short walk from the Inn, you’ll find an abundance of local eateries to satisfy the most discriminating palate.
Day Four, Monday, April 22:
Following an included breakfast served at the hotel, get ready to get “up close and personal” with Charleston. You’ll explore its rich history; stroll through vibrant neighborhoods and past historic sites and witness gardens, architecture and art. You’ll be quick to learn why Charleston is one of the world’s most interesting and beloved historic cities.
Depart the hotel and meet your local guide who will lead you to the Nathanial Russell House. Built by wealthy merchant Nathaniel Russell in 1808, it is recognized as one of America's most important neoclassical houses. As one of the wealthiest citizens in Charleston, Nathaniel Russell sought to build a prestigious home to display his prominence in the city. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973.
The rectangular house has a symmetrical façade, with a projecting four-sided bay that raises the full three-stories of the central block of the house. The house is 9,600 square feet with 6,000 square feet of living area.
The interior of the Nathaniel Russell house is greatly influenced by the Adam style, popular at the first of the 19th Century, that introduced curved walls, elaborate plasterwork decorations and striking mixed color schemes. The house features three main rooms per floor, each of different geometric designs: a front rectangular room, a center oval room and a square room in the rear. To the south of the house, is a formal English garden with gravel paths, boxwood hedges and plants favored in the 19th century.
Your visit includes a guided house and garden tour. At the end of the tour enjoy a sweet tea and pastries reception.
Continue on with your guide for a walk along Rainbow Row and into the French Quarter. Rainbow Row was originally built in the late 1700s as a series of 13 townhouses. Over time, the homes were used for various purposes, including commercial and residential spaces. By the early 1900s, many of the homes had fallen into disrepair and were in danger of being demolished.
It was then that local preservationist Susan Pringle Frost stepped in to save the dilapidated homes. Frost purchased several of the homes and restored them to their former glory, repainting them in their original pastel colors. The street soon became known as Rainbow Row, a nickname that stuck and is still used today. In 1931, Rainbow Row was officially designated a historic landmark by the National Park Service, ensuring its preservation for future generations.
Board the coach and travel to the Phillip Simmons Memorial Garden, a beautifully landscaped garden dedicated to Philip Simmons, a wrought-iron artist who was known as “Keeper of the Gate.”
This commemorative garden is filled with topiary plants designed by famed gardener, Pearl Fryar. The garden is known as the “heart garden.” Not only because it’s located in the heart of the city, but also for its heart paving stones, heart-shaped plants and the stunning heart design of the garden’s wrought-iron gate, designed by Simmons.
Philip Simmons was an American artisan and blacksmith specializing in the craft of ironwork. Simmons spent 78 years as a blacksmith, focusing on decorative iron work. Examples of Simmons' work, including iron gates, can be seen throughout the city of Charleston, as well as the rest of South Carolina Lowcountry. His pieces are displayed at the Smithsonian Museum, South Carolina State Museum, Paris, France, and China.
Your tour ends near the Historic Charleston City Market. The market stretches four city blocks from the architecturally-significant Market Hall, that faces Meeting Street, through a continuous series of one-story market sheds. Established in the 1790s, this historic landmark is one of the oldest public markets in the U.S. There’s everything from handmade crafts, trinkets and jewelry to the nation’s most prized souvenir—the woven sweetgrass basket. The afternoon is at leisure to have lunch on your own and to explore the shops.
Arrive back at the Inn late afternoon. Put your feet up and “sit for a spell” and enjoy the complimentary Wine and Cheese reception.
Board the coach and travel across the bridge to your farewell dinner destination. Climb aboard the “Spirit of Carolina” for a sunset dinner cruise through the beautiful Charleston Harbor. Relax and dine during this unforgettable evening on the water.
Day Five, Tuesday, April 23:
After breakfast in the hotel, pack your bags and check out of your rooms. Before you leave Charleston, there is one more garden site that you won’t want to miss.
Just a short walk from the hotel is the renowned Gateway Walk, managed by the Garden Club of South Carolina. It was named for the ten pairs of wrought iron gates along its course.
Taking the Gateway Walk feels like you've stumbled upon the secret backyard of this beautiful city. It is one of the most fun, unexpected and undiscovered ways to see some of the most famous places in Charleston.
Board the coach at 9:30 am and travel to the Charleston International Airport for your return flights departing after 12:00 pm.
Your Package Includes:
4 Nights accommodation (2 in Savannah, 2 in Charleston)
4 Breakfasts
1 Lunch
Wine and Cheese Welcome Reception
2 Dinners
Time in Savannah’s renowned City Market
·Historic Overview of Savannah Tour aboard a private trolley
Guided tour at the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens
Private session with iris expert, Stan Gray
Admission to Savannah’s Hidden Garden Tour with Southern Tea
Admission to Magnolia Plantation including House Tour and Nature Tram Ride
Photo stop at the famed Angle Oak
Guided house and garden tour at the Nathaniel Russell House with tea and pastries
·Locally guided tour of Rainbow Row and the French Quarter
Visit to Phillip Simmons’ Memorial Garden
Time at leisure in Charleston’s Historic City Market
Stroll along the Gateway Walk
Full-time tour manager
Private motor coach service upon arrival in Savannah through departure from Charleston
Baggage handling for one piece of luggage per traveler
Taxes and gratuities (NOTE: Gratuities for the tour manager, coach driver and local guides are not included and are at your discretion based on service.)
Air transportation to Savannah and from Charleston is not included in the prices below.
Pricing Information:
Per person double occupancy: 2,366.00
Per person single occupancy: 3,194.00
Prices and itinerary are subject to change.
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