Georgia Studies Tours:
Savannah and Beyond

Custom field trips for 8th grade Georgia Studies classes. Build the trip that fits your class. Choose from more than 20 historic, cultural and natural sites across Georgia, and Son Tours will turn your picks into a complete, worry-free itinerary.
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See Sample Itinerary

Your Class. Your Curriculum. Your Tour.

Georgia Studies is the heart of 8th grade social studies, and there's no better way to learn it than to stand where it happened. No two classes are the same, so no two Son Tours trips have to be either. Below is our full menu of destinations, from Savannah's colonial squares and Civil War forts to ancient American Indian mounds, presidential hometowns and one of the largest swamps in North America.

No tour can include everything. That's the point. Pick the stops that match what your 8th graders are learning, or let us recommend a route. Either way, we handle the planning, reservations, transportation, security and billing.

How It Works

How to Build Your Georgia Studies Tour

#1

Browse the menu.

Look through the Savannah and statewide stops below and note the ones that fit your curriculum.

#2

Tell us what you want.

Share your picks, number of days, group size and travel dates. Not sure yet? We'll suggest a route.

#3

We build it.

Son Tours plans a day-by-day itinerary with meals, hotels, transportation and overnight security.

#4

You travel.

An experienced Son Tours representative stays with your group the whole trip.

The Menu (Savannah)

Savannah: Georgia's First City

Savannah is the heart of most Georgia Studies tours. Founded in 1733, it lets students walk through nearly three centuries of history in a single trip. Choose from the stops below.

Colonial Savannah

  • Explore the ruins of this historic estate, with interactive exhibits and programs on colonial life in 18th-century Savannah.

  • Step into an authentic 19th-century classroom in Savannah's first public schoolhouse, built in 1856, then take a walking tour of the historic squares to learn how Savannah's architecture and city plan came to be.

  • Dine at this historic restaurant, established in 1753 and known for its Southern-style food and pirate theme.

African American and Gullah Geechee History

  • Hear a moving talk inside this beautifully preserved church, dating to 1777 and recognized as the oldest Black church in the United States.

  • Visit the former A.S. Varn & Son Oyster and Crab Factory, run by the Gullah Geechee community, and learn how oysters were caught and processed, along with the culture of the Gullah Geechee people who have lived in Pin Point for generations.

The Civil War

  • Take part in Civil War training, drills and a cannon firing led by soldiers in period dress.

  • Take a guided tour of the house General Sherman used as his headquarters in the final months of the war, and learn about Savannah after the Civil War.

The 20th Century

  • Visit the childhood home of the famous Southern Gothic author.

  • See a collection of restored historic rolling stock and learn the history of railroading in Georgia.

  • See the Prelude to World War II exhibit, which chronicles Germany after World War I.

  • Explore this interactive, immersive museum, with wax figures and displays on women's rights and the national ban on alcohol from 1920 to 1933.

Coastal Science

  • Learn in a coastal classroom with a beach ecology walk and a sea turtle exhibit that bring marine science to life.

  • Look for dolphins from the boat while the captain and first mate point out Tybee Island landmarks.

Free Time and Evenings

  • Shop for sweets, shirts, hats and souvenirs along the river walk while cargo ships sail into port.

  • The famous fountain, built in 1858, is the perfect spot for a group photo.

  • Cruise the Savannah River with a spaghetti dinner and a DJ dance party.

The Menu (Statewide)

Statewide Stops

Add one or more of these stops on the way to or from the coast.

  • Explore a Mississippian American Indian community dating to 900 CE, climb its mounds and step inside a preserved earth lodge.

  • Take a ranger-led tour of the largest Confederate prisoner-of-war camp, which operated for the last 14 months of the Civil War, then visit the National Prisoner of War Museum.

  • Visit the hometown of Jimmy Carter, Georgia's only U.S. president. Ranger-led programs cover each stage of his life, including his boyhood peanut farm, his high school and the Plains Depot where he ran his presidential campaign. Finish with peanut ice cream and shopping at the local general store.

  • Explore one of the largest swamps in North America. Ride a boat through its tannin-black water, learn about its wildlife through live animal presentations and ride the Lady Suwannee, a steam-style train.

  • Tour Franklin D. Roosevelt's Warm Springs home and see the spring-fed pools that drew people living with polio and other illnesses.

Sample Itinerary

One Way to Do It: A Sample 3-Day Tour

Here's how one 8th grade class built its Georgia History Tour. Your tour can look completely different. Swap stops, add days or start from scratch. Times will vary based on your school's location.

  • 7:15 a.m. → Bus arrives at school

    7:30 a.m. → Depart school

    9:30 a.m. →‍ ‍Little White House, Warm Springs, including a visit to the pools

    11:00 a.m.     →    ‍ ‍Depart for Ocmulgee Mounds

    12:30 p.m. →‍ ‍Picnic lunch at Ocmulgee (Papa John's pizza)

    1:00 p.m. →‍ ‍Ocmulgee Mounds: climb the highest mound and tour the visitor center

    2:30 p.m. →‍ ‍Depart for Savannah

    5:30 p.m. → Dinner on River Street

    7:00 p.m. → Free time on River Street

    8:00 p.m. → Walk to hotel and unload buses

    10:00 p.m. →‍ ‍Overnight security arrives

  • 7:00 a.m. → Wake-up

    7:30 a.m. → Breakfast buffet at hotel

    8:45 a.m. → Depart hotel

    9:30 a.m. → Massie Heritage Center: Savannah's first public schoolroom, how Oglethorpe laid out the city and its architectural styles

    11:30a.m. → First African Baptist Church: interpretive talk

    1:00 p.m. → Boxed lunch at the Waving Girl statue on River Street

    1:30 p.m. → Depart for Pin Point Museum

    2:00 p.m. → Pin Point Museum: Gullah Geechee history and culture

    4:00 p.m. → Old Fort Jackson: Civil War training, drills and cannon firing

    6:00 p.m. → Dinner at The Pirates' House

    7:00 p.m. → Evening walking tour of Savannah's square

    9:30 p.m. → Depart for hotel

    10:00 p.m. → Overnight security arrives

  • 7:00 a.m. → Wake-up

    7:45 a.m. → Breakfast buffet at hotel

    8:30 a.m. → Load luggage on bus

    8:45 a.m. → Depart for Tybee Island

    9:30 a.m. → Tybee Marine Science Center: guided aquarium visit, beach ecology walk and sand sifting for sea life with a marine scientist

    11:30 a.m. → Lunch at the Tybee Island Pavilion (Chick-fil-A) and free time on the beach

    1:30 p.m. → Depart for home

    6:30 p.m. → Arrive back at school

Why Son Tours

Why 8th Grade Teachers Choose Son Tours

Our licensed tour operators and guides stay with your 8th graders at every stop, and an experienced Son Tours representative travels with your group. We handle the planning, reservations, deluxe accommodations, security and billing, so teachers can focus on students rather than logistics. With more than 30 years of experience, Son Tours is a full-service student travel company based right here in Georgia.

Build Your Tour

Build Your Georgia Studies Tour

Tell us what interests you, and we'll send you a custom itinerary. Not sure where to start? Leave the stops blank and we'll recommend a route.

Frequently Asked Questions

Georgia Studies Tour FAQs

  • Yes. Every stop on the menu ties back to the 8th grade Georgia Studies curriculum, from American Indian history and colonial Savannah to the Civil War, the 20th century and Georgia's geography.

  • Yes. Every Georgia Studies tour is customizable. Pick stops from our menu, or let us recommend a route based on your curriculum, schedule and budget.

  • It depends on how many days you travel and how far apart the stops are. Our sample 3-day tour includes about 10 stops. We'll help you choose a realistic mix.

  • Savannah is our most popular base, but it's your call. Tell us what you're looking for, and we'll build the route around it.

  • Yes. Overnight hotel security is part of every overnight Son Tours trip.

  • Depending on the tour you create, things like transportation, lodging, meals, admissions, guides and security are included.