Imagine trading the hiss of your RV’s kettle for the gentle clink of bone-china cups beneath centuries-old chandeliers. Just a 40-minute cruise from your campsite at Savannah Lakes, Savannah’s historic tearooms invite you to savor stories steeped since 1733—long before “to-go” was a thing. Which parlor first poured Lowcountry jasmine into silver pots? Where can you park a Class A, slip into a sundress, and still make the 2 p.m. seating?
Sip on; the answers—and a map to three unforgettable tables—await in the paragraphs ahead.
Key Takeaways
A quick scan of the notes below turns any reader into an instant insider. Skim them now, and you’ll stride into Savannah’s tea parlors armed with the same confidence as a local sipping sweet peach iced tea on their porch.
• Drive or shuttle: The RV resort is 40 minutes from downtown; leave the big rig parked and use a car or the free DOT bus.
• Three main tea rooms:
– Olde Pink House: built 1771, tea 2:30–4 p.m., about $38.
– Gryphon: 1926 building, strong Wi-Fi, tea about $32.
– Savannah Tea Room: walk-ins okay, 140 tea jars, kids’ plate $9.
• Book seats 2 days ahead, wear neat clothes, tip 18-20%.
• Easy parking: Whitaker, Bryan, or Liberty garages cost about $16 for the day.
• Tea manners: stir softly, eat sandwiches first, scones next, sweets last.
• Fun plans: couples, families, workers, or cyclists can mix tea with parks, museums, or ghost tours.
• Pack light gear: umbrella, water bottle, small tea tins, folding kettle; use 1 teaspoon tea for 8 ounces water.
• Seasons matter: spring jasmine, summer iced tea, fall jazz shows, winter praline scones..
The Roots of Savannah’s Tea Ritual
Savannah’s very street plan—22 leafy squares laid out in 1733—invited neighbors to linger. In those early decades, ale and rum dominated tavern counters, yet by the late 1700s the wharves brimmed with British cargo holds stacked high with tea chests. Port workers carried the leaves inland, and refined households soon replaced tankards with porcelain cups during the warm, languid afternoons that still define Lowcountry life.
By 1771 The Pink House rose just off Reynolds Square, its brick façade sheltering the conversations of bankers, governors, and eventually preservationist Alida Harper Fowlkes, who transformed the space into a Georgian Tea Room during the 1920s. That seamless blend of enterprise and elegance set a template. Even today, when you sip Darjeeling under a ceiling fan, you echo centuries of Savannahians who used the ritual to stay cool, trade news, and polish manners.
Landmark Parlors Where History Still Pours
Step first into The Olde Pink House, a rose-tinted mansion dating to 1771 and now famed for candlelit Federal rooms and servers gliding across creaking heart-pine floors. Once Georgia’s first bank, the building channels genteel authority; scones arrive on silver risers, and a pianist drifts through “Moon River.” Afternoon tea is offered 2:30–4 p.m., costs about $38 per person, and rewards advance reservations of at least 48 hours (Planters Inn dining page).
Five blocks west, mahogany bookcases and stained glass define Gryphon Tea Room, a 1926 Scottish Rite Temple turned apothecary turned art-school café. Student servers from SCAD polish brass and plate Earl Grey crème brûlée beside vegan rose-petal macarons. Wi-Fi clocks a dependable 40 Mbps, making the corner banquettes prime real estate for a mid-morning Zoom call (Gryphon Dining). Three-tier service runs about $32; add $4 for a gluten-free stand.
For intimacy, follow Broughton Street’s brick sidewalks to the tiny Savannah Tea Room, now tucked near Madison Square behind a discreet cobalt door. Inside, 140 loose-leaf tins line the shelves, and every guest receives a three-sniff sampling before choosing. Kids’ Peter Rabbit plates run $9, while grown-ups might chase an oolong flight with peach scones (Savannah Tea Room site). Walk-ins are welcome, making this the city’s safety valve when itineraries shift.
Navigating from Savannah Lakes to Your First Sip
Set your GPS for Whitaker, Bryan, or Liberty Street Garages; each offers all-day rates near $16 and positions you within a five-minute stroll of every parlor mentioned. The drive from Savannah Lakes RV Resort spans 28 miles via Highway 21. Leave by 9 a.m. if a festival banners the city, because weekday bottlenecks near Garden City can add 15 minutes. Downtown streets themselves favor horse-drawn carriages over motorcoaches—park your Class A at the resort and pilot a toad or hire a rideshare instead.
After you settle the rig, hop onto the free DOT shuttle that loops every ten minutes through the Historic District. The system lets you sip at Gryphon, wander Forsyth Park, and reach River Street without feeding a meter. Savannah’s subtropical mood pairs 80 percent humidity with surprise rain bursts, so stash a light umbrella and refillable water bottle in your daypack.
Simple Etiquette for a Graceful Afternoon
Reservations remain the norm, giving kitchens time to stack cucumber sandwiches and clotted cream. Book at least two days ahead and note any gluten-free or vegan request; Gryphon’s student brigade loves rising to dietary challenges. Dress codes lean business-casual: collared shirts, sundresses, or crisp jeans. Air-conditioning hums, so retirees may appreciate a light cardigan.
When the teapot lands, start with a white or green selection before noon, move to malty Assam with a multi-tier stand, and ease into chamomile after 4 p.m. Stir in a gentle back-and-forth motion—no swirling—and rest the spoon on the saucer, not the tablecloth. Nibble savories first, split scones horizontally, add cream before jam, and finish with sweets. If service feels flawless, 18–20 percent gratuity suits both veteran waitstaff and SCAD scholars.
Choose Your Perfect Day in Three Easy Itineraries
Heritage-seeking couples might glide their walkers onto Gryphon’s curb ramp at 10 a.m., linger under stained glass for two quiet hours, then drift along shaded Madison Square benches. By 1 p.m., an elevator at The Pink House’s rear entrance delivers them to a serene tea room where live piano hushes city bustle. Cobblestones near River Street can jar knees, so return via Johnson Square’s flat sidewalks.
Families chasing wow moments can start at Forsyth Park’s Saturday farmers market for sticky honey samples, then pivot at 11 a.m. to the Savannah Tea Room where children sniff cinnamon and lavender jars like budding botanists. Hop the free shuttle at noon toward the Children’s Museum playground; entry runs $10 and expends youthful energy before the sugar crash. A photo stop back at Gryphon’s stained glass caps the memory reel without bruising budgets—tea for four plus museum tickets hovers around $100 total.
Solo remote workers or culinary couples open laptops at Gryphon by 8 a.m., order a quiet-steam Earl Grey to keep keyboards safe, and knock out email behind mahogany columns. By noon, a ten-minute stroll reaches The Pink House shrimp sliders and peach-tea flight, perfect for an Instagram moment tagged #SavannahSips. Over in the adventure lane, cyclists pedal six mellow miles on McQueen’s Island Rail Trail at sunrise, lock bikes inside Bryan Street Garage by 10 a.m., and reward themselves with iced jasmine green and pimento-cheese scones on Gryphon’s dog-friendly patio before an afternoon kayak tour.
Brewing Comfort Back at the Campsite
Loose-leaf packs survive travel better than fragile pastry boxes. Seal two-ounce bags in small tins to protect aromas from campground humidity, then slip a collapsible 110-volt kettle and digital thermometer into the galley drawer. The 3-gram rule—one rounded teaspoon per eight ounces of water—keeps brews repeatable even when the picnic table doubles as your counter.
Savannah Lakes RV Resort’s filtered spigots prevent mineral buildup that can mute floral notes. After steeping, toss spent leaves into the campsite’s compost bin; tea breaks down fast and feeds pine-needle soil, aligning with Leave No Trace principles. As twilight flickers, pair campfire s’mores with smoky Lapsang Souchong or tame the spice of leftover Lowcountry boil with mellow rooibos.
Layer Heritage in a Single Day
Early risers can browse Forsyth’s farmers market, collecting local tupelo honey for later drizzle. A leisurely Bull Street walk north passes six historic squares where live oaks form natural parasols and brass plaques whisper the city’s past. By midday, The Olde Pink House tour and tea absorb two restorative hours before the free streetcar glides toward River Street.
Riverside praline shops offer sweet samples while container ships glide by like floating skyscrapers. Book an 8 p.m. ghost tour that departs Johnson Square, allowing a calm digestion window after tea and making it back to the garage long before the 11 p.m. gate lowers. History, sweetness, and a playful shiver all fold into one calendar square.
Seasonal Flavors Worth Planning For
Late March unfurls azalea petals across every square, and tea rooms answer with limited jasmine-green or rose-black blends that vanish once blooms fade. Reserve early; spring crowds swell like camellias after rain. July’s humidity begs for iced-tea flights—ask your server about cold-brewed varieties steeped eight to twelve hours for crisp, low-tannin refreshment.
September syncs with the Savannah Jazz Festival; select parlors lace afternoon service with live trios and a modest cover charge. December layers praline scones under bourbon glaze, selling out by Thanksgiving week. When seats fill, improvise: pick up cinnamon sticks and dried orange peel at City Market, mull black tea back at the RV, and host your own holiday glow beneath Spanish moss.
When the last teapot is emptied and the chandeliers dim, the comfort of your spacious site—and a crackling campfire—awaits just 28 easy miles away. Savannah Lakes RV Resort lets you indulge in downtown’s centuries-old tea ritual by day and unwind amid Lowcountry quiet at night. From reliable Wi-Fi for morning Zoom calls to a heated pool that soothes post-tour feet, every amenity is tuned for retirees lingering all season, families chasing memory-making weekends, and outdoor lovers plotting tomorrow’s trail. Reserve your spot today, pair it with an afternoon-tea reservation, and let one unforgettable cup lead you back to the comfort of Savannah Lakes. Book now, steep later, and taste the best of both worlds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How did Savannah’s tearoom tradition begin?
A: The ritual grew out of the city’s 18th-century status as a busy British port; merchants unloaded tea chests alongside cotton, and Savannahians soon replaced rum-hour gatherings with refined afternoon cups, first in private parlors and, by the 1920s, in public tea rooms like Alida Harper Fowlkes’s Georgian Tea Room at The Pink House.
Q: Which historic tearooms sit closest to Savannah Lakes RV Resort?
A: The Olde Pink House, Gryphon Tea Room, and the Savannah Tea Room are all within a compact half-mile triangle in the Historic District, about a 40-minute drive or shuttle ride from the resort’s gate.
Q: Do I need reservations and is there a dress code?
A: Reservations are strongly advised for The Olde Pink House and Gryphon—usually 48 hours out—while the Savannah Tea Room welcomes walk-ins; attire across all three is business-casual, so a collared shirt, sundress, or neat jeans will keep you perfectly in step with the room’s elegance.
Q: Where should I park a Class A or tow vehicle downtown?
A: Historic streets are narrow, so leave large rigs at the resort, then drive a smaller toad or hire a rideshare to Whitaker, Bryan, or Liberty Street Garages, each offering all-day rates around $16 and a level walk to the tearooms.
Q: Are children welcome and what can they expect?
A: Yes—Gryphon supplies bright macarons and kid-sized china, while the Savannah Tea Room offers $9 Peter Rabbit plates and a fun three-sniff tea sampler that turns choosing a blend into a mini science experiment.
Q: What will an afternoon tea cost my family of four?
A: A typical bill at Gryphon or the Savannah Tea Room runs about $80–$100 total, including tax and tip, while The Olde Pink House’s more formal spread lands closer to $120 for two adults and two children sharing tiers.
Q: Which tearoom has the strongest Wi-Fi for remote work?
A: Gryphon averages 40 Mbps download and plenty of quiet plug-in banquettes, making it a reliable spot for a quick Zoom or an hour of email between pots of Earl Grey.
Q: Can I find vegan, gluten-free, or low-sugar pastries?
A: Gryphon offers vegan rose-petal macarons and a gluten-free tier add-on for $4, while the Savannah Tea Room keeps at least two dairy-free and gluten-light scone flavors on rotation; just mention your needs when booking so the kitchen can set them aside.
Q: Is outdoor or pet-friendly seating available?
A: Gryphon’s shaded sidewalk patio welcomes leashed dogs and serves the full tiered menu, and staff will gladly bring a water bowl, though The Olde Pink House and the Savannah Tea Room keep service indoors only due to their historic interiors.
Q: Can I bike from Savannah Lakes to a tearoom?
A: The full 28-mile route is best tackled by seasoned cyclists, but many guests trailer bikes to the McQueen’s Island Rail Trail, ride six scenic miles, then load up and finish the drive to a downtown garage before rewarding themselves with iced jasmine tea.
Q: Which seasons offer special tea blends worth planning around?
A: Late March brings limited-edition jasmine and rose blends that echo the city’s azalea bloom, summer introduces chilled peach and mint flights, and December layers praline-spiced black teas under bourbon glaze scones that sell out quickly, so booking a month ahead secures both seats and seasonal flavors.
Q: How accessible are the tearooms for limited mobility guests?
A: All three venues have either street-level entries or rear ramps, Gryphon offers an ADA-compliant restroom, and The Olde Pink House’s staff can deploy a small elevator to the tea parlor—just note any mobility aids when reserving so they can greet you curbside.