Water Tours

The heavy industrial buildup on the Savannah River means that the main river tours for tourists, all departing from the docks in front of the Hyatt Regency hotel, tend to be disappointing in their unrelenting views of cranes, docks, storage tanks, and smokestacks.

Still, for those into that kind of thing, narrated trips up and down the river on the Georgia Queen and the Savannah River Queen are offered by Savannah Riverboat Cruises (912/232-6404, www.savannahriverboat.com [1], $18.95 adults, $9.95 children 4–12).

If you’ve just got to get out on the river for a short time, by far the best bargain is to take one of the two little Savannah Belles (daily 7:30 a.m.–10:30 p.m., free) water ferries, which shuttle passengers from River Street to Hutchinson Island and back every 15–20 minutes. Pick up either the Juliette Gordon Low or the Susie King Taylor on River Street [2] in front of City Hall or at the Waving Girl [3] landing a few blocks east.