The best road trip stops on the Savannah to Jacksonville drive are St Simon’s Island, Jekyll Island and Amelia Island. By car, the distance from Savannah to Jacksonville is 139 miles, with a driving time of 2h3m.
Planning a Savannah to Jacksonville road trip itinerary
The drive from Savannah to Jacksonville takes you from a legendarily beautiful city in Georgia to the main hub of north east Florida.
Savannah has a timewarp handsomeness about it. Parks are lined by mossy oak trees, 19th century buildings ooze history and riverboats glide along the rivers.
Museum options include the Georgia State Railroad Museum, Webb Military Museum, Savannah History Museum and American Prohibition Museum, while other heritage attractions include Old Fort Jackson.
Great activities in Savannah include the Ghosts and Gravestones trolley tour, riverboat cruises and a true crime pub crawl.
5 great Savannah experiences to book
- 🚋 Take a trolley tour with a twist – the Savannah for Morons comedy tour.
- 🕯️ On a candlelit ghost tour, discover Savannah’s haunted history.
- 🌳 See the famous trees of Bonaventure Cemetery on a golf cart tour.
- 🐬 Head to Tybee Island on a day tour – with a dolphin cruise thrown in.
- 🍽️ Taste the flavours of the South on a food tour and historic pub crawl.
Top Jacksonville experiences include Amelia Island kayak tours, guided art and architecture tours by electric bike and electric skateboard rides along Fernandina Beach.
For Jacksonville cultural attractions, head to the Cummer Museum or Kingsley Plantation, which tells a complex story of slavery.
Highly-rated Jacksonville accommodation options include the charming Riverdale Inn B&B and the conveniently downtown Hyatt Regency.
5 great experiences around Jacksonville to book now
- 🏛️ Discover how Jacksonville’s history was shaped by fire on an architecture tour.
- 🛶 Take a guided kayak tour to see the local wildlife around Amelia Island.
- 🍫 Indulge your sweet tooth on a chocolate and candy factory tour.
- 🚶 Take a Downtown Fernandina historic walking tour – and learn about pirates, war and colourful local characters.
- 🚴 Enjoy Jacksonville’s art and architecture on an ebike tour.
Savannah to Jacksonville distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Savannah to Jacksonville is 139 miles. This makes for a driving time of around two hours and three minutes.
The quickest route from Savannah to Jacksonville is almost entirely along the I-95. The best road trip stops on the Savannah to Jacksonville driver are St Simon’s Island, Jekyll Island and Amelia Island.
Savannah to Jacksonville road trip attractions: St Simon’s Island
The most developed of the Golden Isles along the Georgia coast, St Simon’s Island can easily be used for fun in the sun. Barry’s Beach Service hires out bikes, kayaks, boogie boards and stand-up paddleboards while offering sailboat tours.
East Beach is the best bet for beach time, while for a bit of thigh-sapping exercise, you can climb to the top of the 104ft St Simon’s Lighthouse. There’s a small museum about the lighthouse and coastal Georgia inside.
Savannah to Jacksonville drive: Jekyll Island
Around the turn of the 20th century, Jekyll Island was an exclusive escape for the super rich, but is now much more egalitarian. For shameless fun, the Summer Waves Water Park has slides and a wave pool.
But Jekyll Island’s highlight is the Georgia Sea Turtle Centre. Here, turtles are rescued and rehabilitated. Visitors can meet the turtles, and learn about the conservation work the Centre is undertaking.
To see slightly bigger creatures, you can hop on board a Jekyll Island dolphin cruise.
Attractions between Savannah and Jacksonville: Amelia Island
Just south of the Georgia border, Amelia Island is primarily about exploring the natural ecosystems. Kayaking rentals, or kayak tours are the best way to see the island.
However, the island also has a bit of history to it. Fort Clinch State Park is based around a mid-19th century masonry fort, but it also has hiking trails and popular fishing spots.
More Florida travel
Other Florida travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- First time visitor’s guide to the Castillo de San Marcos in St Augustine.
- The highlights of Anastasia State Park in St Augustine.
- What to expect at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach and the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach.
- Guides to key Miami cultural attractions: Frost Science Museum, Perez Art Museum, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, Graffiti Museum, HistoryMiami Museum.
- How to spend three days in Key West – including the Hemingway Home and Museum, Harry Truman’s Little White House and a cruise to Dry Tortugas National Park.
