Savannah Shopping Guide: Best Boutiques, Antiques & Souvenirs

💰 Click here to see Georgia Budget Breakdown

💰 Prices updated: June, 2026. Budget figures are estimates — always verify before travel.

Exchange Rate: $1 USD = ₾2.66

Daily Budget (per person)

Shoestring: ₾80.00 – ₾130.00 ($30.08 – $48.87)

Mid-range: ₾150.00 – ₾300.00 ($56.39 – $112.78)

Comfortable: ₾500.00 – ₾1,000.00 ($187.97 – $375.94)

Accommodation (per night)

Hostel/guesthouse: ₾20.00 – ₾45.00 ($7.52 – $16.92)

Mid-range hotel: ₾150.00 – ₾240.00 ($56.39 – $90.23)

Food (per meal)

Budget meal: ₾15.00 ($5.64)

Mid-range meal: ₾40.00 ($15.04)

Upscale meal: ₾100.00 ($37.59)

Transport

Single metro/bus trip: ₾1.00 ($0.38)

Monthly transport pass: ₾40.00 ($15.04)

Savannah‘s shopping scene looks effortless from the outside — moss-draped squares, pretty storefronts, unhurried afternoons. But if you show up without a plan in 2026, you will almost certainly spend money on mass-produced trinkets that were made nowhere near Georgia. Tourism to Savannah has climbed sharply since the new direct Amtrak frequency from Atlanta launched in late 2025, and the crowds have made the tourist-trap shops bolder. This guide cuts through that noise and points you to the places where local makers, serious antique dealers, and genuine regional goods actually live.

The Historic District’s Independent Boutiques

The stretch of Broughton Street between Bull and Drayton is still the spine of Savannah’s retail scene, but the interesting shops have increasingly moved one or two blocks off the main drag. That shift has accelerated in 2026 as rents on Broughton itself pushed smaller independents toward Liberty Street, Jones Street, and the Starland District further south.

On Broughton, Civvies remains a strong stop for curated vintage clothing — the kind of place where a leather jacket from the 1980s sits next to a locally screen-printed tote bag, and the staff actually know the difference between fast fashion and the real thing. A few doors down, The Paris Market is worth the trip for its layered mix of antique curiosities, French-inflected home goods, and stationery. The smell of the place alone — cedar, old paper, something faintly floral — tells you immediately that this is not a chain.

On Jones Street, which is quieter and shadier thanks to the oak canopy overhead, smaller makers have set up proper storefronts. Look for ceramicists and textile artists who rotate in and out of shared studio-retail spaces. These are not permanent fixtures, so checking Instagram before you visit saves you a wasted walk.

The Starland District, centered roughly around 40th Street and Bull, has matured considerably. What was a scrappy creative neighborhood five years ago is now a confident cluster of design studios, vintage furniture shops, and independent bookstores. El Rocko Lounge operates a daytime retail side selling art prints and zines by Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) students and graduates — genuinely one-of-a-kind work at prices that are still reasonable.

Antique Hunting in Savannah

Savannah sits at an interesting crossroads for antiques. The city’s age means genuine 18th and 19th century pieces do surface here, but the tourist economy also means plenty of “antique-washed” junk at inflated prices. Knowing where the serious dealers operate is the difference between a real find and an expensive mistake.

Picker Joe’s Antique Mall on West River Street is the largest multi-dealer space in the city and worth a full morning. The building is cavernous and not air-conditioned to the level you might want in July (the heat is real — more on that later), but the density of stalls means you can work through glassware, silver, old maps, militaria, and furniture in a single visit. Prices are negotiable, especially late in the afternoon when dealers are thinking about what they don’t want to pack up.

For higher-end pieces — documented provenance, proper restoration, that kind of thing — the dealers clustered around Whitaker Street between Gaston and Gordon operate at a different level. These shops tend to specialize: one in 18th-century American furniture, another in vintage maps and prints, another in silver and porcelain. They are not cheap, but they are the real thing.

Alex Raskin Antiques inside the dilapidated-on-purpose Noble Faire mansion on Bull Street is a Savannah institution. The building is falling apart beautifully, and the inventory is spread across multiple floors — oil paintings stacked against crumbling plaster walls, chandeliers hanging from ceilings that have seen better decades. It is the most atmospheric antique shop in the American South. Go even if you are not buying anything.

City Market and River Street — What’s Worth Buying vs. What to Skip

These two areas get the most foot traffic in Savannah, and they deserve an honest assessment rather than blanket enthusiasm or blanket cynicism.

City Market, the cobblestone courtyard complex near Franklin Square, is a mixed bag. The art galleries here — and there are several — show legitimate work by working artists, some of them SCAD-affiliated, some independent. If you are looking for original paintings or limited-edition prints with a strong Savannah visual identity (the squares, the marshes, the live oaks), this is actually a decent place to look. Budget ₾200–₾800 equivalent for smaller original works, more for larger pieces.

The souvenir shops within City Market, however, are largely indistinguishable from airport retail. The “Savannah” mugs, magnets, and keychains are manufactured elsewhere. Skip those entirely.

River Street runs along the Savannah River on a lower level below the bluff, connected to the upper city by a series of cobblestone ramps. The shops here lean heavily tourist, and the cobblestones themselves — genuinely old, genuinely beautiful — are about as authentic as it gets on the street. The candy shops, taffy pullers, and praline vendors are the exception to the tourist-trap rule. River Street Sweets and Savannah’s Candy Kitchen both make their pralines on-site. The butter-and-pecan smell hits you from 10 meters away, and watching the candy being poured and cooled on marble slabs is worth the stop regardless of whether you buy anything. A box of fresh pralines is one of the most honest souvenirs you can carry out of this city.

Savannah-Made Souvenirs Worth Taking Home

The question worth asking in any souvenir shop is simple: where was this actually made? In Savannah, the genuinely local options are more specific than a general “Georgia” label suggests.

Ceramics from SCAD graduates are among the most compelling locally-made goods in the city. The school’s presence means a steady pipeline of skilled makers who set up studios in the city after graduation. Pieces range from functional mugs and bowls to sculptural work. The Sulfur Studios collective in the Starland District is one place to find this work, and individual makers sell through their own studios and at weekend markets.

Savannah Bee Company has a flagship store on Broughton Street that sells honey harvested from hives across the Georgia coast and barrier islands. The tupelo honey — delicate, almost floral — is specific to a narrow geographic window in the region and cannot be replicated elsewhere. It is an item with genuine terroir, and the shop will explain exactly where each variety comes from.

Handmade sweetgrass baskets appear at outdoor markets and from individual sellers near the squares. This craft tradition comes from the Gullah Geechee culture of the Georgia and South Carolina coast and carries real cultural weight. Pieces made by traditional craftspeople are significantly more expensive than the machine-made imitations sold in some shops — and worth the difference. Ask directly about provenance before buying.

Art prints by local artists ship flat and survive a long journey home without much drama. The SCAD Museum of Art gift shop stocks a rotating selection of prints by students and faculty at accessible price points.

Specialty Food and Drink Shopping

Georgia-made food products are some of the most transportable and genuinely regional things you can buy in Savannah. The state’s food identity is specific — it is not a vague “Southern” category but a set of distinct products tied to particular climates and communities.

Pecans are the most obvious starting point. Georgia produces more pecans than any other U.S. state, and the difference between a fresh Georgia pecan and a stale supermarket pecan is significant. Glazed, spiced, or plain, they pack well. Look for them at the City Market specialty food stalls or at Byrd Cookie Company, which has been making pecan-based cookies and biscuits in Savannah since 1924. The original Broughton Street location still smells exactly like what it is — a working bakery that has been at this for a century.

Georgia hot sauce and condiments have multiplied in recent years. Small-batch producers making sauces from state-grown peppers, peaches, and Vidalia onions have found retail space in specialty grocery stores like Brighter Day Natural Foods on Bull Street, which stocks a curated selection of Georgia-made pantry goods. Vidalia onion-based condiments — relishes, dressings, and brined preparations — are specific to the region and genuinely hard to find outside the state.

Georgia wine and spirits are a growing category. The state’s wine industry has expanded substantially, and bottle shops in Savannah increasingly stock Georgia-produced wines alongside the more familiar imports. Service Brewing Company, founded by veterans and headquartered in Savannah, sells its beers direct from the taproom and in many local retailers. If you have space in your luggage, a bottle of Georgia-grown muscadine wine is an unusual and genuinely regional item.

The Savannah-specific candy tradition is pralines. A sealed box from River Street Sweets travels surprisingly well for a few days — the sugar crust holds the moisture in.

2026 Budget Reality — What Shopping in Savannah Actually Costs

Prices in Savannah have risen meaningfully since 2024, driven by increased tourism and broader inflation across the U.S. South. Here is an honest breakdown by category.

Souvenirs and Small Gifts

• Budget: Byrd Cookie tins (₾15–₾25 equivalent), praline boxes (₾10–₾20), local hot sauce bottles (₾12–₾18)
• Mid-range: Savannah Bee Company honey jars (₾25–₾45), small art prints (₾30–₾60), locally made ceramics mugs (₾40–₾80)
• Comfortable: Sweetgrass baskets from traditional craftspeople (₾120–₾400+), original paintings from City Market galleries (₾200–₾800+)

Antiques

• Budget: Small vintage items at Picker Joe’s — glassware, prints, jewelry — starting around ₾15–₾50
• Mid-range: Decorative pieces, mirrors, vintage maps — ₾80–₾300
• Comfortable: Documented period furniture and fine silver from Whitaker Street specialists — ₾500 to several thousand

Clothing and Fashion

• Budget: Vintage finds at Civvies — ₾20–₾60
• Mid-range: Independent boutique clothing on Broughton — ₾80–₾200
• Comfortable: Designer pieces and curated imports at higher-end boutiques — ₾250 and up

Note: All GEL figures are approximate conversions from USD at 2026 exchange rates. U.S. sales tax in Georgia runs at approximately 7–8% on most retail purchases and is added at the register, not included in shelf prices.

Practical Tips for Shopping in Savannah in 2026

Timing Your Visits

Savannah in summer (June through August) is brutal — temperatures routinely hit 35°C or above, and the humidity makes it feel worse. Serious shopping, especially anything involving walking between multiple stops, is best done before 11:00 AM or after 4:00 PM. The midday hours are for air-conditioned breaks in a café or a museum. Spring (March to May) and fall (October to November) are the most comfortable seasons for extended browsing.

Parking and Getting Around

The Historic District is compact and walkable. Most of the shopping described in this guide falls within a 2-kilometer radius. Paid parking garages off Abercorn Street and Bryan Street are the practical choice if you are driving; street parking is metered and competitive. In 2026, the city’s expanded bike-share program added several new docking stations near the Starland District, making that neighborhood more accessible without a car.

Card vs. Cash

Every established shop accepts cards. Some individual market vendors and craftspeople at outdoor markets prefer cash, and a few offer small discounts for it. Carrying ₾100–₾150 in USD cash equivalent is useful for market days and one-off purchases from makers selling at pop-up events.

Sunday Markets

The Forsyth Farmers Market runs Sunday mornings in Forsyth Park from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, year-round. In addition to fresh produce, it hosts rotating vendors selling preserves, baked goods, plants, and handmade craft items. This is the most concentrated weekly gathering of local producers in the city. Get there before 10:00 AM for the best selection — the good bread and the specialty honey go fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best street for shopping in Savannah?

Broughton Street is the main retail corridor with the highest concentration of shops, but the most interesting independent boutiques in 2026 have spread to Jones Street and the Starland District around 40th and Bull. A half-day covering Broughton and then walking south to Starland gives you a good cross-section without backtracking.

Are the shops on River Street worth visiting?

For candy and confections — particularly fresh pralines and pecan candies made on-site — yes, absolutely. For general souvenir shopping, the quality is low and the prices reflect the tourist location. The views of the Savannah River and the historic cotton warehouses are free, so a walk through is worthwhile even if you buy nothing beyond a praline.

Where can I find authentic Gullah Geechee sweetgrass baskets in Savannah?

Look for individual craftspeople selling at outdoor markets and near the squares, particularly on weekends. Ask directly whether the piece was made by the seller using traditional methods. Authentic handmade baskets cost considerably more than machine-made imitations — ₾120 to ₾400 or more — and the price difference is a reasonable indicator of authenticity.

What are the best locally made food souvenirs to bring home from Savannah?

Tupelo honey from Savannah Bee Company, fresh pralines from River Street Sweets, pecan cookies from Byrd Cookie Company, and small-batch Georgia hot sauces or Vidalia onion condiments from Brighter Day Natural Foods. All travel reasonably well and are genuinely specific to the region rather than generic Southern branding.

Is Savannah good for antique shopping compared to other Georgia cities?

Yes, Savannah is among the best cities in Georgia for antiques. The city’s age, its port history, and the density of old homes mean genuine period pieces surface regularly. Alex Raskin Antiques and the Whitaker Street dealers operate at a serious level. For sheer volume and variety at accessible prices, Picker Joe’s Antique Mall is the practical first stop for most visitors.

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📷 Featured image by Yaroslav Muzychenko on Unsplash.