★ 4.7 (381)5.5 hoursfrom $80
Tybee Island Dolphin Tour
Operator: Head to Tybee Island by trolley/bus for a delicious lunch, dolphin cruise, and ocean view photo opportunities.
Check availability →Free cancellation listed
Tybee Island from Savannah
Choose North Beach plus Fort Pulaski, or give South Beach the longer block. Trying to do every beach area creates more parking than beach time.
Written by Alex H., Travel editor and researcherUpdated September 2026
Tybee Island is about 17.5 road miles from central Savannah via US-80. Drive time varies sharply with traffic, bridge activity and busy beach weekends, so a fixed 20-minute promise is not useful. Plan Tybee as its own day or a substantial half-day, and leave margin around any timed activity back in Savannah.
Visiting basics
- Road access
- US-80 is the main approach from Savannah
- Current parking rate
- $4 per hour, enforced 8 a.m.–8 p.m. year-round
- Calendar-day pass
- $25; check the city payment instructions and exclusions
- Pets on beach
- Not permitted under current city beach rules
- Accessible access
- Mobi-Mats at three access points; beach wheelchairs are subject to availability
- Facts checked
- September 1, 2026
Pick the beach area before parking
| Area | Choose it for | Know first |
|---|---|---|
| North Beach | Lighthouse area, a quieter base and a Fort Pulaski pairing | Beach parking and attraction admission are separate decisions |
| Mid Beach | A residential stretch and a simpler beach-focused visit | Facilities and parking are less concentrated than at the main hubs |
| South Beach | Pier area, denser food choices and the busiest visitor zone | Parking demand is high; the signed south-end sandbar area is off limits |
| Back River | Calmer scenery and sunset orientation | It is not the same setting or surf exposure as the ocean beaches |
| Little Tybee | A boat-accessed undeveloped island trip | No road access or visitor facilities; it is not a casual extension of a beach walk |
Parking is paid throughout the year
The city currently charges $4 per hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day, with a $25 calendar-day pass. Use the city's parking page for payment methods, lot details and any changed rate. Saving a parking location before walking onto the beach is useful because nearby access points can look similar.
Rules and daily water conditions
Current city rules prohibit pets, glass, smoking, littering and disturbing dune vegetation on the beach. Signs also mark the south-end sandbar area as off limits. Rules do not describe the day's water: check the Ocean Rescue flag guidance and the National Weather Service forecast, and swim near a lifeguard when staffed. A calm-looking surface is not a safety guarantee.
Pairing Fort Pulaski with the beach
Fort Pulaski sits along the same road corridor before Tybee. It can fit a full-day plan if the group starts early and accepts less beach time. The National Park Service currently charges $10 per person age 16 and older for a seven-day pass and operates cashlessly; verify the park's hours and alerts before departure. Do not add the fort to a short beach visit merely because it is on the route.
A workable day plan
Choose either North Beach plus Fort Pulaski, or a longer South Beach block with lunch nearby. Add a dolphin or marsh tour only after confirming its departure dock, check-in time and parking arrangement. For the return, leave buffer before a downtown dinner or evening tour because US-80 has no equivalent parallel route for bypassing a delay.
My two workable Tybee days
For history plus beach time, stop at Fort Pulaski and continue to North Beach. For a beach-and-food day, go straight to South Beach and stay put. In either plan, obey the signed south-end sandbar closure.
Relevant bookable experiences
Book the wildlife outing before fixing the beach day
Compare the Tybee dolphin day trip with wildlife and sunset dolphin cruises, then build parking and beach time around the listed departure point and check-in.
★ 4.8 (228)2 hoursfrom $47
Dolphin Spotting and Wildlife Eco Cruise
Check availability →Current terms shown at checkout
★ 4.8 (63)2 hoursfrom $53
Sunset Dolphin Watching Eco Tour by Boat
Operator: Discover the Savannah River on a sunset dolphin-watching eco trip by boat. Enjoy the narration from the captain, admire the marine wildlife, and watch the sun go down as you sail back to port.
Check availability →Free cancellation listed
Disclosure: booking links on this page go to GetYourGuide. If you book through one, this site may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commission does not determine which tours appear or how catalog rankings are calculated.
Primary sources
Checked September 1, 2026. Schedules, fees and policies can change, so recheck a linked source when the detail will affect your visit.
- Visit Tybee: getting here — road distance and US-80 access
- City of Tybee Island parking services — rates, payment times and day pass
- Visit Tybee: beaches — beach areas, facilities and access
- City of Tybee Island beach rules — current prohibited items and conduct
- City of Tybee Island beach rules ordinance — official south-end sandbar restriction
- Tybee Island Ocean Rescue — flags and lifeguard guidance
- City of Tybee Island accessibility — Mobi-Mats and beach wheelchairs
- National Weather Service Tybee forecast — current coastal weather
- Fort Pulaski National Monument fees — current federal admission information