The Savannah Belles Ferry connects River Street with Hutchinson Island, where the Savannah Convention Center and the Westin stand across the river from downtown. Choose your landing for the place you want to reach, and give the return crossing as much attention as the outward trip: the eastern downtown stop has a shorter posted service window.
When to use the ferry
- Purpose
- Passenger river crossing
- Connects
- River Street and Hutchinson Island
- Ticket before boarding
- Not required
Use the ferry for the Savannah Convention Center or the Westin on Hutchinson Island. It is a passenger connection across the Savannah River, rather than a sightseeing cruise or a way to travel around the wider city.
For nearby visits on the downtown bank, walking is the default. City Hall Landing to Waving Girl Landing is about 0.5 miles on foot, taking about 11 minutes along the waterfront. That makes the two downtown stops alternative starting points for a crossing, rather than a reason to board a boat for a same-bank journey.
For trips away from the waterfront, Savannah bus routes explain the dot shuttle and the wider CAT network, which serve different needs from this river crossing.
Jami430 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Edited
City Hall, Waving Girl and Westin landings
| Landing | Service | Board towards | Places served |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Hall | Savannah Belles Ferry | Hutchinson Island | Central River Street |
| Waving Girl | Savannah Belles Ferry | Hutchinson Island | Morrell Park; Marriott Riverfront |
| Westin | Savannah Belles Ferry | Downtown Savannah | Convention Center; Westin |
For the crossing described above, City Hall Landing is the central downtown choice, with City Hall and the Hyatt Regency as your landmarks. It suits a departure from the central stretch of River Street.
- Name
- City Hall Landing
- Location
- River Street, by City Hall and the Hyatt Regency, Savannah Maps
- Site
- connectonthedot.com
- Essential fact
- A Savannah Belles Ferry boarding point on River Street beside City Hall.
Waving Girl Landing suits the eastern waterfront, with Morrell Park and the Savannah Marriott Riverfront identifying this end of the river walk. Choose it when your downtown visit brings you to that end, rather than returning to the central landing.
- Name
- Waving Girl Landing
- Location
- By Morrell Park and the Savannah Marriott Riverfront, Savannah Maps
- Essential fact
- A Savannah Belles Ferry boarding point at the eastern end of River Street, by Morrell Park.
On Hutchinson Island, board at the Westin landing, beside the Savannah Convention Center and next to the Westin. This is the island boarding point to use for your return to downtown.
The Savannah Belles Ferry journey from Waving Girl Landing to the Hutchinson Island ferry landing takes about 9 minutes over about 0.6 miles. Use that as a journey estimate between the landings, and allow separately for reaching the boarding point and waiting to board.
Service hours and return crossings
| Service detail | Time or rule | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Operating days | Daily | CAT ferry page |
| Holiday exceptions | Thanksgiving; Christmas; New Year’s Day | CAT ferry page |
| Service window | 7am–10pm | CAT ferry page |
| Frequency | Every 10 minutes | CAT ferry page |
| Waving Girl first departure | 8:20am | Older linked timetable |
| Waving Girl interval | Every 30 minutes | Older linked timetable |
Once you have chosen a landing, distinguish the advertised service hours from the older departure schedule. CAT’s ferry page gives the broad operating window and frequency above, while its older linked timetable follows a different departure pattern.
The standard sailing pattern is City Hall Landing to the Westin landing on Hutchinson Island, then Waving Girl Landing, before reversing. The island stop appears as Trade Center Landing in the older schedule, but use the Westin boarding point described above when finding your boat.
Weather and other river traffic can interrupt ferry service without notice. Leave room in your plans if you need to be back downtown for a fixed appointment. The Hutchinson Island ferry landing has a call box for contacting licensed ground taxi service, giving you a road-return option if the ferry is interrupted.
Fares and step-free access
| Journey | Passenger fare |
|---|---|
| Single ferry journey | $0 (free) |
The Savannah Belles Ferry is ADA-accessible, meaning it is described as accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Plan the street approach separately from boarding the vessel, especially if you need to avoid the stairs between the downtown bluff and waterfront.
Use the public outdoor lift between the Hyatt Regency and City Hall to reach River Street from Bay Street at City Hall Landing. The Alida also has a public outdoor lift connecting the bluff and waterfront. For Waving Girl Landing, continue along River Street towards Morrell Park after descending, rather than taking a stairway down from the bluff.
Choosing your boarding point
Do
- Choose the Savannah Belles landing that serves your destination.
- Use a documented public lift when avoiding stairs.
Don’t
- Treat a waterfront sightseeing boat as the Belles passenger service.
- Assume vessel accessibility also describes the entire street approach.
Sources & fact-checking
Checks against the sources below cover: services.
