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Savannah & Tybee Island: Dolphin Cruise, Lighthouse Stop & Crab Shack Lunch

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/11

Duration5h–6h

GroupUp to 40

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

From Savannah to Tybee: dolphins, old lighthouses, and messy crab lunches

You’ll ride from Savannah to Tybee Island by trolley or bus, eat lunch at The Crab Shack (on your own), then set off on a dolphin cruise through Tybee’s waterways with local guides who know every story. There’s a stop by the historic lighthouse for photos before heading back — expect sea breezes and maybe some laughter you didn’t see coming.

5h–6h

Step-by-step itinerary

Travel via trolley or bus to Tybee Island
Have lunch on your own at the Crab Shack
Board boat for dolphin cruise
Pass by Fort Pulaski during cruise
Pass by Cockspur Island Lighthouse
Stop at Tybee Island Lighthouse for photos
Return to Savannah

The Experience

I’ll be honest, we nearly missed the trolley because I couldn’t find my sunglasses (they were in my bag — classic). But we made it out of Savannah just as the humidity started to settle in, windows fogging up a little as we rolled past those mossy oaks. Our guide, Angela, joked about “island time” and I guess she meant it — everything slowed down once we hit Tybee. At The Crab Shack, there were cats weaving under picnic tables and that salty smell from the marshes mixing with fried shrimp. I ordered too much food. No regrets.

The dolphin cruise was next. I didn’t expect to laugh so much — everyone kept pointing and shouting when a fin popped up, like we’d never seen dolphins before (I hadn’t, not like this). The captain knew every sandbar and called out osprey nests as we passed Fort Pulaski in the distance. Sun on my arms, wind tangling my hair. I still think about that view back toward Cockspur Island Lighthouse — kind of hazy but beautiful in its own way.

We stopped by Tybee Island Lighthouse after the boat ride. You can’t go inside unless you buy a ticket (which isn’t included), but honestly just standing there with the Atlantic stretching out behind it felt enough for me. Some folks lined up for photos; others just leaned against the fence quietly. On the way back to Savannah, Angela handed out wet wipes for our crabby fingers and told us how storms sometimes knock out power on Tybee for hours — she said it like it was just another part of life here. And then someone’s phone rang with a ringtone that sounded like seagulls, which made half the trolley laugh for no good reason.

What’s included

Your day includes roundtrip transport by trolley or bus from Savannah to Tybee Island, a guided dolphin cruise through local waterways with admission covered, free time for lunch at The Crab Shack (lunch cost not included), plus a photo stop by Tybee Island Lighthouse before returning to Savannah in late afternoon.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Gray Line Savannah