8 day tour of Charleston, Savannah, Jekyll Isle, and St. Augustine.
Day 1 - Fly to Charleston
Upon arrival at the Charleston airport, meet your tour manager & transfer to your historic district hotel for the next three nights. Enjoy an evening on own to relax, stroll the market, or dine on local fare.
Day 2 - Charleston Sightseeing
Built on a peninsula, Charleston has remained a beautiful port city for over 300 years. Preservation & Southern gentility are both a way of life here. Your city tour includes the Historic District, the Citadel, Battery Park, and a tour of the Calhoun Mansion. The afternoon is free to explore. Tonight, enjoy a Get Acquainted Dinner. (B,D)
Day 3 - Gardens & Plantation
Today we visit two Ashley River plantations. Magnolia Gardens has 50 acres filled with magnolias & azaleas. Observe the wildlife as you ride the Nature Train through the cypress swamp. Next, visit Middleton Place, home to America’s oldest landscaped garden. Begun in 1741, it took 10 years to complete the terraces, lakes & camellia alleys. Tour the home and stable yard with its craft displays. Return to your hotel for a free evening. (B)
Day 4 - Charleston to Savannah
Depart for the historic port city of Beaufort. Enjoy a narrated horse drawn carriage ride through this quaint 1711 town with its narrow tree lined streets and historic homes. It will remind you of “Gone with the Wind”. Next, arrive in Savannah, one of the South’s most graceful cities. Stay two nights right in the historic district. Tonight, enjoy dinner at Lady & Sons Restaurant, owned by famous chef Paula Deen, who has a show on the Food Network Channel. (B,D)
Day 5 - Savannah Sightseeing
The Cotton Trade made this city a vital shipping port during the 1800’s and today her unique past has been preserved. You’ll begin today with a morning city tour where you’ll see the 20 original squares, all landscaped with oak, azaleas, fountains, and statues. Drive by the Old Cotton Exchange, River Street, & Madison Square of General Sherman’s ‘March to the Sea’ fame. You’ll also tour a restored antebellum mansion prior to a free afternoon to see the sights of John Berendt’s “Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil” or stroll the cobblestone streets at your leisure. Tonight, enjoy southern cuisine at Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room, a Savannah tradition for over 60 years. (B,D)
Day 6 - Savannah to Jekyll Isle
Motor south today to the Golden Isles of Georgia. Stop to tour historic Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation before arriving on St. Simon’s Island to view famous Christ Church. This afternoon, arrive on Jekyll Island, once a hunting reserve for America’s top millionaires. Goodyear, Pulitzer, & Rockefeller built elaborate “cottages” here. Stay at the 1886 Victorian-style hotel, originally an exclusive retreat for the wealthy. Dinner is choice-of-menu in the elegant Grand Dining Room. (B,D)
Day 7 - Jekyll Isle / Free Time
Today, start with a tour of the Historic District’s Rockefeller Indian Mound & Faith Chapel (houses may be substituted). Then you will have time to explore Jekyll Island at your leisure and enjoy the resort. This evening, reminisce over your journey at your Farewell Dinner, another choice-of-menu at your resort hotel. (B,D)
Day 8 - St. Augustine / Fly Home
After breakfast, travel to St. Augustine, America’s oldest city, founded in 1565 and made famous by Ponce De Leon’s search for the Fountain of Youth. Learn about Henry Flagler’s railroad and the Old Castillo Fort. Enjoy a tour of the Oldest House, circa 1710, plus free time on St. George’s Street. Then travel on to the nearby Jacksonville airport for your return flights home. (B)