There are cities that do Halloween, and then there’s Savannah, a city that honestly feels like it was made for spooky season.

We already have the moss-covered oaks, centuries-old houses, cobblestone streets, old cemeteries and enough ghost stories to fill an entire weekend. Add in an October evening, the sun setting a little earlier and temperatures that finally make walking around downtown after dark enjoyable, and Savannah really doesn’t have to try very hard to set the mood.

And while you can take a ghost tour in Savannah any time of year, there’s just something special about doing one in the fall.

The hard part can be deciding which Savannah ghost tour to book.

There are walking tours, trolley tours, haunted pub crawls, paranormal investigations, family-friendly tours and tours that definitely are and some that aren't meant for the kids.

So rather than give you a giant list of every ghost tour in Savannah, I thought I’d share some of the ones I’d recommend depending on the kind of night you’re looking for.

Consider this the Hosting Savannah guide to picking the perfect ghost tour!

IF IT’S YOUR FIRST SAVANNAH GHOST TOUR

Sixth Sense Savannah

If you're picturing the quintessential Savannah ghost-tour experience, walking through the Historic District after dark, stopping outside beautiful old houses and hearing stories that make you look at them a little differently on the walk home, a classic walking tour is where I'd start.

Sixth Sense Savannah has been offering ghost tours here since the 1990s and focuses on the stories, legends and haunted history that have helped give Savannah its spooky reputation.

This is the kind of experience I love recommending to someone who has never done a Savannah ghost tour before because you get two things at once: a nighttime walk through one of the prettiest parts of the city and a completely different look at Savannah's history.

Even if you don't leave completely convinced that Savannah is haunted, you'll probably know a lot more about the city than you did when you started.

WHY I’D PICK THIS ONE: You want that classic walk-through-haunted-Savannah-after-dark experience.

HOSTING SAVANNAH TIP: Make a whole night out of it. Have an early dinner downtown, grab a cocktail to-go where permitted and head toward your tour as the sun starts going down.

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING A LITTLE DARKER

Ghost City Tours — Beyond Good & Evil

Leave the little ones at home for this one.

Ghost City's Beyond Good & Evil is currently a 16+ walking tour that lasts about 90 minutes and leans into Savannah's darker history, paranormal stories, macabre tales and locations associated with Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

The tour begins at the gates of Colonial Park Cemetery and can include stops connected to places like the Hamilton-Turner Inn, 432 Abercorn and Mercer-Williams House.

Basically, it's a little less cute Halloween ghost story and a little more Savannah after dark.

This is the one I'd look at for a girls' trip, couples' weekend or adults-only Savannah getaway when everyone in the group is on board with getting a little spooked.

And yes, Ghost City currently allows guests to bring alcoholic drinks along on this particular tour—which feels very Savannah.

WHY I’D PICK THIS ONE: You want the darker side of Savannah without committing to a full paranormal investigation.

HOSTING SAVANNAH TIP: Do an early dinner downtown first and make the tour your final stop of the evening.

Because walking past a historic cemetery at night while someone tells you Savannah ghost stories is apparently what we call entertainment around here.

IF YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO GO INSIDE THE HAUNTED HOUSE

Sorrel-Weed House

This one just feels especially appropriate during spooky season.

The Sorrel-Weed House sits right on Madison Square and is one of those Savannah houses that is beautiful during the day and somehow feels completely different once the sun goes down.

What makes this experience stand out is that you're not simply standing on the sidewalk while someone tells you about a supposedly haunted house.

You actually get to go inside.

The nighttime experiences at the Sorrel-Weed House explore the history of the property along with the stories and reported paranormal activity associated with the mansion and carriage house.

And if simply hearing the ghost stories isn't enough for you, they also offer paranormal experiences for guests who want to take things one step further.

WHY I’D PICK THIS ONE: You want something more immersive and specifically want the experience of going inside one of Savannah's historic homes after dark.

HOSTING SAVANNAH TIP: Give yourself some time to wander around Madison Square before your tour. This part of Savannah is especially beautiful in the evening, and you're surrounded by gorgeous architecture and plenty of places for dinner or drinks beforehand. My favorite restaurant, The Public, is right around the corner and the perfect pre-ghost tour dinner!

IF YOU LOVE THE HISTORY AS MUCH AS THE GHOSTS

Genteel & Bard

This is the kind of tour I'd send the person who tells me:

“I want the ghost stories... but I also want the history behind them.”

Genteel & Bard is a family-owned Savannah tour company known for immersive storytelling, and its darker Savannah experiences combine local history with ghost lore and stories of reported paranormal activity.

That's something I really appreciate about a good Savannah ghost tour.

Behind many of our ghost stories are real people, real homes and very real pieces of Savannah history.

The best tours, in my opinion, are the ones that can make the evening fun and spooky while still remembering that.

WHY I’D PICK THIS ONE: You're a history person first and a ghost-story person second. This tour also offers headsets to hear the tour guide.

HOSTING SAVANNAH TIP: Don't over-plan the evening. Have a really good dinner, take the tour and leave yourself time afterward to wander back through the Historic District.

Savannah at night is half the fun.

IF YOU’RE VISITING SAVANNAH WITH KIDS

Ghost City Tours — Grave Tales

Having kids with you doesn't mean you have to skip spooky Savannah altogether.

Ghost City's Grave Tales is currently an all-ages, 90-minute walking tour through the Historic District. The tour puts more emphasis on Savannah history and the human stories behind its legendary hauntings rather than simply trying to scare everyone.

In other words: spooky enough to feel like you've officially participated in Savannah ghost-tour culture, but designed with families in mind.

This would be the one I'd consider if you're visiting Savannah with children and want them to experience the fun without spending the rest of your vacation convincing them there is absolutely nothing hiding in the hotel room.

WHY I’D PICK THIS ONE: You're visiting Savannah as a family and want an all-ages ghost tour.

HOSTING SAVANNAH TIP: Have an earlier dinner, let everyone grab dessert afterward and make the ghost tour the final adventure of the night.

IF YOU’VE ALREADY WALKED 20,000 STEPS THAT DAY

Ghosts & Gravestones

I love walking Savannah, but after spending an entire day wandering from Forsyth Park to River Street and everywhere in between, sometimes the thought of signing up for another 90 minutes on your feet sounds... less than appealing.

That's when I'd look at Ghosts & Gravestones.

Instead of walking the entire route, you'll board the Trolley of the Doomed with a Ghost Host and ride through Savannah's Historic District while hearing stories about some of the city's darker history and haunted locations.

One thing that makes this experience particularly fun is that it's not only a trolley ride.

The current tour includes nighttime entry into two locations: the Andrew Low House and Perkins & Sons Ship Chandlery, so you still get that immersive element along the way.

The experience is currently rated PG-13 and isn't recommended for young children, so keep that in mind if you're traveling as a family.

WHY I’D PICK THIS ONE: You want the spooky Savannah experience without spending your entire evening walking.

HOSTING SAVANNAH TIP: This tour boards on River Street, so it's really easy to pair with dinner or drinks along the river beforehand.

And after a full day of exploring Savannah, there is absolutely no shame in letting the trolley do the walking for you.

IF YOU WANT SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

Hearse Ghost Tours

Yes. A hearse.

Savannah has a ghost tour where you ride through the city in a converted funeral coach while hearing stories about haunted locations and the darker side of Savannah history.

Is it slightly ridiculous?

Absolutely.

Is riding around Savannah after dark in a hearse during October also kind of perfect?

Also yes.

This is less about having the most serious historical experience of your life and more about doing something you'll probably still be talking about after the trip.

WHY I’D PICK THIS ONE: Girls' trip, birthday weekend, group getaway or you're simply the person who read “ghost tour in a hearse” and immediately stopped considering every other option.

HOSTING SAVANNAH TIP: This tour is one of my personal favorites and it is also very family friendly. My 11 year old daughter begs us to go on this tour almost monthly!

SO... WHICH SAVANNAH GHOST TOUR SHOULD YOU BOOK?

If you're still trying to decide, here's how I'd narrow it down:

For your first Savannah ghost tour: Sixth Sense Savannah

For an adults-only night: Ghost City Tours -Beyond Good & Evil

For going inside a historic haunted house: Sorrel-Weed House

For history and storytelling: Genteel & Bard

For families: Ghost City Tours — Grave Tales

For riding instead of walking: Ghosts & Gravestones

For something quirky and memorable: Hearse Ghost Tours

A FEW THINGS I’D TELL YOU BEFORE BOOKING A SAVANNAH GHOST TOUR

Book ahead—especially in October.

Ghost tours are popular in Savannah year-round, but spooky season is understandably a different story.

Some tour operators specifically warn that October dates, particularly the week around Halloween can sell out. If there's a particular tour or evening you want, I'd book it before your trip instead of waiting until you arrive.

Wear the comfortable shoes.

Historic Savannah is beautiful.

Historic Savannah's uneven brick sidewalks are slightly less charming after you've been walking on them all day.

If you're doing a walking tour, leave the cute-but-questionable shoes at the Airbnb.

Make the ghost tour part of your night—not the entire night.

This may be my biggest tip.

Have dinner somewhere good. Wander through a few squares. Grab a cocktail. Watch Savannah transition from day to night.

Then take the ghost tour.

It makes the whole thing feel less like another attraction you're checking off your itinerary and more like a really fun Savannah night.

Don't let a little rain ruin it.

Many Savannah ghost tours operate rain or shine unless the weather becomes unsafe.

And honestly?

A slightly misty Savannah evening with Spanish moss moving in the trees may make the whole thing even better.

Remember there's real history behind the stories.

This is one thing I think is worth mentioning.

Savannah's haunted reputation makes for a really fun October getaway, but many of the stories you'll hear involve real people and difficult pieces of the city's history.

The tours I appreciate most are the ones that manage to tell a really good ghost story while still treating that history with respect.

AND WHILE WE’RE TALKING ABOUT SPOOKY SAVANNAH...

If you have a little extra time, there are two places I'd add to your itinerary even if you aren't taking a ghost tour there.

Bonaventure Cemetery

This is one of my favorite places to recommend when someone wants to experience that moody, beautiful side of Savannah without doing anything overtly Halloween.

Go during the day and take your time wandering.

The moss-covered oaks, sculptures, historic graves and setting make it unlike anywhere else in Savannah and fall is one of the nicest times to explore because you're finally not doing it in peak summer heat.

Colonial Park Cemetery

If you're staying downtown, there's a good chance you'll pass Colonial Park Cemetery at some point anyway.

It's right in the Historic District, and several of Savannah's ghost stories and tours are connected to the cemetery and the surrounding area.

I think it's especially interesting to see these places during the day and then hear an entirely different side of their history on a nighttime tour.

And of course, remember that these are historic cemeteries and the resting places of real people. Explore, photograph and learn, but treat them with the same respect you would any cemetery.

View my full guide on Savannah cemeteries.

KEEP PLANNING YOUR FALL TRIP TO SAVANNAH

If you're coming to Savannah this fall, we've already done a lot of the planning for you.

Head over to our Hosting Savannah Fall Guide for the festivals, events, seasonal food + drinks, historic sites and new restaurants we're looking forward to this season.

Traveling with the family? Our Pumpkin Patches Near Savannah Guide has even more ideas for an October weekend, including farms, pumpkin picking, hayrides and fall activities just outside the city.

And if you're still looking for somewhere to stay, browse our collection of thoughtfully curated Savannah vacation rentals and make a whole spooky-season weekend out of it.

I hope you have a blast making some spooky Savannah memories!

Until the next check-in—