Explore Savannah-Charleston with a Self-Guided Driving Audio Tour

What your day looks like

The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, where alligators bask on riverbanks and herons glide over the marshes. This scenic stretch offers a great introduction to the wetlands that define the region. Next, stop at Hardeeville and Ridgeland, towns rich with Southern traditions, where you’ll hear stories of barbecue, railroads, and small-town life. As the drive continues, cross to Saint Helena Island and learn about the Penn Center and the Gullah Geechee culture that has shaped this part of the South. The haunting Old Sheldon Church Ruins are up next, their weathered stone columns and arches telling stories of colonial days and Civil War destruction. Crossing the Combahee River, you’ll hear about Harriet Tubman’s daring raid that freed hundreds of enslaved people. Nature lovers won’t want to miss the ACE Basin, one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the Atlantic Coast, where migratory birds fill the skies. Continue through Jacksonboro to the quiet remains of the Pon Pon Chapel of Ease, another reminder of South Carolina’s deep past. No journey is complete without pausing under the sprawling branches of the Angel Oak Tree, thought to be over 400 years old. Then explore Drayton Hall, one of America’s most carefully preserved plantation houses, where architecture and history remain strikingly intact. Finally, you’ll arrive at Charles Towne Landing, where English settlers first established South Carolina. Then it’s on to Charleston, a city where cobblestone streets, pastel homes, and waterfront views complete your Lowcountry drive.