Savannah's Slave Trade, Told From River Street to Laurel Grove
A Gullah Geechee storyteller narrates Savannah's slavery history while the tour vehicle rolls past the places it happened.
A Gullah Geechee storyteller narrates Savannah's slavery history on this ride. The route traces where enslaved West Africans first arrived, were held and were sold, from the River Street warehouses to Laurel Grove Cemetery.
The booking below is Gray Line Savannah's departure of this tour. Fares are per person, children 4 to 11 pay a lower fare, and children 3 and under sit on an adult's lap.
Savannah Slavery to Freedom Guided History TourGray Line Savannah's narrated tour, sold as 2 to 2.5 hours, with one 10:30 AM departure on the current calendar. Full refund up to 24 hours before.www.viator.comThe Voice Can Be Sistah Patt or Sistah Roz
Sistah Patt, a Gullah Geechee storyteller, is the name on this tour.
The storyteller on your departure can be Sistah Patt or Sistah Roz. Some groups have had both, with one narrating and the other acting out a scene near the end. Travelers describe Roz's tours much as they describe Patt's: songs, a Gullah Geechee accent, and a lot of names and dates.
Most of It Is Seen From the Bus Window
The route runs past the River Street warehouses, Factors Walk, Johnson Square and the Second African Baptist Church, mostly without stopping. The tour presents Johnson Square as a place where enslaved people were sold at auction; the manual Savannah uses to license its tour guides places the city's commercial slave market at Ellis Square.
Travelers describe stepping off once or twice and going inside none of the buildings. One July 2026 traveler expected a plantation with slave quarters. There isn't one on this route. The sites are city streets, a square, a church and a cemetery.
The Last Stop Is Laurel Grove Cemetery
Laurel Grove Cemetery is where travelers say the tour ends, and they describe it as a burial ground for enslaved people.
Travelers in 2024 described a ceremony at the graves, one calling it a libation, and reviews into late 2025 mention a reenacted scene of a mother begging that her children not be sold. It is heavy material. A grandparent wrote in January 2026 that grandchildren aged 7 and 11 found it too intense. A parent with four children aged 7 to 15 said in August 2026 that the youngest fell asleep and the rest stayed engaged.
Bring Water, and Use the Restroom Before You Board
The tour is sold as 2 to 2.5 hours. Travelers in 2026 keep reporting about three hours, and one counted nearly three and a half.
Bottled water is not included. Two July 2026 travelers said the vehicle's air conditioning could not keep up with the heat, and others found no restroom near the stops. A January 2026 review on Gray Line's own page mentions a restroom at the Gray Line office and a bistro next door for snacks to take along. The listing asks for 24 hours' notice to request an ADA-accessible vehicle.
📍 Meet at the Savannah Visitor Center, 301 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, at least 15 minutes before tour time. That is the address on this booking and in Gray Line's own booking notes, which also say the tour will not wait for late arrivals and that late arrivals and no-shows are charged in full. Gray Line's tour page still names its office at 223 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, the company's street address, and says the voucher carries the confirmed time and pickup details. If you drive, the visitor center lot is free for the first hour and a dollar an hour after that.
Gray Line's tour page also lists hotel pickup and drop-off, and travelers who booked here describe being picked up at, or offered a shuttle from, their hotel. Gray Line Savannah's FAQ says pickups begin about 30 minutes before tour time and are arranged by calling 1 (912) 964-8989. The booking itself promises only the visitor center meeting point.
- Cancel at least 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
- Gray Line can call off a departure for bad weather or too few passengers; its page offers a refund, credit or a new date when it does.
- Tips and parking are not included.
- As of mid-October 2026 the calendar shows one 10:30 AM departure, Wednesday to Saturday, thinning to Fridays and Saturdays by mid-January.
With a morning start and about three hours on board, the afternoon stays free to walk Johnson Square and River Street at your own pace.