Tybee Island is Savannah's beach — a 3-mile barrier island at the mouth of the Savannah River, 18 miles east of downtown Savannah on US-80. For family reunions, Tybee offers an unbeatable proposition: one of the most beautiful small cities in America (Savannah) as a day-trip paired with a laid-back barrier island beach with a strong vacation rental inventory. Savannah's historic squares, River Street restaurants, and ghost tour industry are all 25 minutes from the Tybee beachfront — a combination that no other Georgia barrier island can match.
Tybee Island (population 3,000) has several hundred vacation rental homes managed by Tybee Vacation Rentals, Rental Tybee, and Vacasa. The rental market skews toward 3-6 BR beach cottages rather than large manor houses — groups larger than 25 typically need multiple adjacent rentals or a small hotel block at the Tybee Island Inn or Savannah Beach Hotel. A 4-BR oceanfront cottage on Tybee runs $2,000-4,500/week in summer. The island has a complete small-town infrastructure: several good restaurants (The Crab Shack, The North Beach Bar and Grill, Fannie's on the Beach), a fishing pier, kayak tours, and the 1773 Tybee Island Lighthouse (the oldest and tallest in Georgia).
Fort Pulaski National Monument — a magnificently preserved Civil War brick fort on Cockspur Island — is 15 minutes from Tybee and one of the most undervisited Civil War sites in the South. Savannah itself offers 4-5 days of activities: the 22 historic squares, Forsyth Park, the SCAD museums, the Wormsloe plantation live oak avenue, and a River Street seafood restaurant scene. Jacksonville is 1.5 hours south; Atlanta is 4 hours west; Charlotte is 5 hours north.
Where it is
Things to do (with the family)
Hand-curated. Every entry links to its official source so you can plan without guessing.
Tybee Island Lighthouse climb
Georgia's oldest and tallest lighthouse (1773, 154 ft) — 178 steps to the top for panoramic ocean and river views. $12/adult, $9/child. The lighthouse cottage has period furnishings and is part of the admission.
Official source ↗Savannah historic district day trip (18 mi)
22 historic squares, River Street cobblestones, and the antebellum mansion district. The Savannah College of Art & Design campus museums are free. Forsyth Park has a fountain perfect for group photos. The 2.5-mile walking loop of downtown takes 2 hours.
Official source ↗Fort Pulaski National Monument
A masterpiece of pre-Civil War military engineering — an 1847 brick fort that was rendered obsolete in 30 hours of shelling by Union rifled cannons in 1862. Self-guided tour with excellent ranger interpretation. $10/adult. 15 minutes from Tybee.
Official source ↗Dolphin tour from Tybee
Multiple operators (Tybee Island Dolphin Tours, Lazaretto Creek Marina) run 90-minute dolphin and marsh tours. Bottlenose dolphins are near-guaranteed. $25-35/adult. Group charters available for 20+.
Official source ↗Back River kayaking
The Back River (west side of Tybee) is a calm salt marsh waterway. Sea Kayak Georgia runs guided tours and rents kayaks. 2-hour sunset paddles are the most popular group option. $45-60/person.
Official source ↗Tybee Island pier and pavilion
The main beach access point at the south end — pier for fishing, pavilion for rentals, and the widest beach section. Free public beach access; chair and umbrella rentals $20/day.
Official source ↗Savannah ghost tours (evening)
Savannah is one of America's most famously haunted cities. Multiple companies (Cobblestone Tours, Haunted History Tours) run 2-hour walking ghost tours of the historic district. $25/person. Great for teenagers and adults.
Official source ↗North Beach Bar & Grill sundowner
The best sunset bar on Tybee — right on the beach at the north end. Raw bar, seafood, and cold drinks as the sun sets over the Savannah River mouth. The classic Tybee reunion evening.
Official source ↗Find more things to do for your Tybee Island, Georgia reunion
The picks above are general. Inside the Reunly app, Rosi tailors local activities, meals, and printables to your actual dates, group size, ages, and budget — and saves them straight to your reunion plan.
Good for
- Savannah-and-beach combination reunion groups
- Southeast families wanting a laid-back coastal island
- History and culture lovers paired with beach
- Florida-to-Carolina corridor families
- Groups wanting city amenities a short drive from the beach
Practical logistics
- Nearest airport
- Savannah/Hilton Head (SAV) — 25 min · Jacksonville (JAX) — 1.5 hr
- Drive times
- Savannah 25 min · Jacksonville 1.5 hr · Atlanta 4 hr · Charlotte 5 hr
- Best rental sites
- Tybee Vacation Rentals, Rental Tybee, Vacasa, VRBO — "Tybee Island vacation rental"
- Best months
- March-May and October-November (mild, less crowded) · June-August (peak, hot, busy)
- Cell service
- Good throughout the island
- Groceries
- Tybee Market (basic) · Publix in Savannah (25 min) for larger runs
- Parking
- Beach parking $5/hr or $20/day; walking distance from most rentals
When to go
March-May for the best weather (65-78°F water, low crowds). September and October remain warm and significantly less crowded than peak. Peak summer (June-August) is hot and busy but all restaurants and activities are open. St. Patrick's Day in Savannah is the second-largest parade in the US — Tybee is quiet but Savannah is wild.
Best for your group size
Small group · 10–25
Groups of 10-25 fit in 2-3 adjacent beach cottages. Tybee Vacation Rentals specializes in placing groups in neighboring properties.
Medium group · 25–60
Groups of 25-60 need multiple rental homes plus a hotel block. The Tybee Island Inn and DeSoto Beach Hotel both work for this.
Large group · 60+
Groups of 60+ should book Savannah hotel blocks (Marriott Savannah, DoubleTree Savannah) with a daily shuttle to Tybee — Savannah has the infrastructure, Tybee does not.
Sample 4-day Tybee Island Georgia family reunion
A starter agenda you can copy into Reunly's Schedule and customize for your group.
Day 1 — Arrival + Savannah
- Fly into SAV or drive; stop at Savannah Publix for groceries
- 2:00 PM check-in at Tybee cottage rentals
- 4:00 PM Tybee Island Lighthouse climb
- 5:30 PM beach walk to the pier
- 7:00 PM welcome dinner at The Crab Shack (reserve 2 weeks ahead)
Day 2 — Savannah Day Trip
- 9:00 AM drive to Savannah historic district
- 9:30 AM self-guided squares walking tour
- 11:00 AM Forsyth Park group photo at the fountain
- 12:30 PM lunch on River Street — The Olde Pink House restaurant
- 2:30 PM Bonaventure Cemetery (one of the South's most beautiful)
- 4:30 PM Wormsloe Plantation live oak avenue (free)
- 7:00 PM return to Tybee; grill night at the rental
- 9:00 PM Savannah ghost tour (optional)
Day 3 — Fort Pulaski + Kayaking
- 9:00 AM Fort Pulaski National Monument (15 min drive)
- 11:00 AM Back River kayak tour with Sea Kayak Georgia
- 1:00 PM beach lunch at North Beach Bar & Grill
- 2:30 PM beach afternoon at South Beach
- 5:30 PM dolphin sunset cruise
- 7:30 PM dinner at Fannie's on the Beach
Day 4 — Beach Day + Departure
- 9:00 AM final beach morning
- 11:00 AM family group photo at the lighthouse
- 12:00 PM farewell seafood lunch at Tybee Pier
- 2:00 PM drive home
Reunion organizer tips
Combine a Savannah day trip with the Tybee lighthouse for the first day — drive to Savannah (25 min), walk the historic squares for 2 hours, lunch on River Street, then return to Tybee for the lighthouse climb and beach afternoon.
Reserve The Crab Shack restaurant for a group dinner 2-3 weeks ahead. The open-air waterside dining, peel-and-eat shrimp, and "crab cage" seating makes it the most memorable Tybee group dinner.
For groups with history lovers, Fort Pulaski is extraordinary and takes 2 hours. Combine it with the Wormsloe Plantation live oak avenue (free, 1.5 miles of Spanish moss oaks) for a full history morning.
Charter a dolphin tour boat for the group from Lazaretto Creek Marina — private 2-hour charters for 15-30 people are available and more social than joining a public tour.
How Reunly helps you plan it
Reunly is the all-in-one app made for family reunion organizers. Free to start. No credit card. Cancel anytime.
Smart guest list
Drop in any spreadsheet — Rosi (our AI) reads multi-sheet, color-coded family groups, even handwritten exports. RSVP, dietary, T-shirt, paid status all in one row.
Open in Reunly →Public RSVP link
Share one link with the whole family. They RSVP per event (Friday BBQ, Saturday dinner) without making an account. You see live counts.
Open in Reunly →Budget that adds up
Track estimated vs. actual, who paid, who still owes. Auto-creates per-guest fee rows from your registration cost.
Open in Reunly →Day-by-day schedule
Friday welcome BBQ, Saturday photo, Sunday brunch — with location, meal flag, and per-event RSVPs.
Open in Reunly →Name tags + printables
Avery 5160 sheets color-coded by family, programs, welcome packets, packing lists — auto-filled from your data.
Open in Reunly →Rosi the AI helper
Stuck on a reminder email? A budget? A timeline? Click Rosi anywhere in the app — she drafts it from your live data.
Open in Reunly →Plan your Tybee Island, Georgia reunion with Reunly
Free to start. Build your guest list, share an RSVP link, track payments, and print name tags — no spreadsheets.
Frequently asked
How far is Tybee Island from Savannah, Georgia?
Tybee Island is 18 miles east of downtown Savannah — approximately 25 minutes via US-80 East. This proximity makes Tybee the ideal base for a Savannah-and-beach family reunion: stay on the beach, day-trip to the city.
What is the best beach on Tybee Island?
South Beach (around the pier and pavilion) is the widest and most active beach. North Beach is quieter and less crowded, with the best sunset views from the North Beach Bar & Grill. The beach is 3 miles long overall, with free public access everywhere.
Are there large vacation rentals on Tybee Island?
Tybee's vacation rental inventory tends toward 3-6 BR beach cottages rather than large mansion-style homes. For groups larger than 20-25, plan on multiple adjacent rentals or supplement with a Savannah hotel block. Tybee Vacation Rentals and Vacasa both specialize in placing reunion groups in neighboring properties.
Is Tybee Island good for a family reunion with children?
Yes — Tybee is exceptionally family-friendly. The calm, gently sloping South Beach is safe for young children. The Tybee Lighthouse climb is fun for ages 6+. Dolphin tours are beloved by all ages. The Crab Shack restaurant has a reptile lagoon with live alligators that children find thrilling.
Other reunion-friendly spots nearby
Helpful planning guides
The complete family reunion checklist
12-month, 6-month, and day-of checklists organizers actually use.
Read the guide →Family reunion budget guide
How to estimate, track, and split costs without spreadsheets.
Read the guide →Family reunion on a $2,500 budget
A real budget breakdown for a destination reunion under $2.5K.
Read the guide →