Carriage Tours of Savannah

What Carriage Tours of Savannah does

Carriage Tours of Savannah is a privately held, family-run tour operator founded around 1975 in Savannah, Georgia, offering horse-drawn carriage sightseeing services to tourists, event planners, and organized groups. The company operates from a single location at 19 Jefferson Street in Savannah's National Historic Landmark District and runs approximately 45-50 minute guided tours across 30 blocks of historic downtown, including landmarks such as the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Colonial Park Cemetery, and the Mercer-Williams House. Its core product portfolio comprises six SKUs: a Public History Tour ($37 adult / $17 child), a Public Ghost & Folklore Tour ($40 adult / $19 child, claimed to be the only horse-drawn ghost tour in Savannah), Daytime and Evening Private Carriage Tours (starting at $175 per booking for up to six passengers), Wedding & Special Event Carriage Services with tuxedo-dressed drivers, and specialized Girl Scout troop tours that include group discounts and badge opportunities.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, with tickets sold primarily through the company's website via an embedded FareHarbor booking widget, supplemented by phone bookings, walk-up traffic at the stable, and organic discovery through Facebook, Instagram, Google Business Profile, and TripAdvisor. Pricing is unit-based with no subscription, licensing, or recurring component; private and event work is quote-based. Underlying technology is minimal — no proprietary software, no AI/ML components, and no disclosed data assets beyond standard booking and social platform integrations. Operational capacity is constrained by a 1-10 person team and a curated herd of Belgian, Percheron, and American Spotted draft horses, which simultaneously serves as a differentiator and a fixed capacity ceiling on growth.

The customer base is diversified across leisure tourists (primary), couples and event planners, corporate and birthday groups, and Girl Scout troops. Marketing is primarily word-of-mouth reinforced by ~50 years of operating history, a New York Times feature, and TripAdvisor presence. There is no disclosed revenue, no institutional funding, no parent company, and no evidence of acquisition or M&A activity; the company operates as an independent, owner-operated enterprise within a single city.

Name

Carriage Tours of Savannah

Legal name

Carriage Tours of Savannah

Website

https://carriagetoursofsavannah.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Carriage Tours of Savannah is a privately held, family-run horse-drawn carriage tour operator founded in 1975, serving tourists, event planners, and organized groups in Savannah, Georgia's historic district with public, private, ghost, and event carriage experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage and sightseeing tour services

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Other (4879), Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land (487110)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Heritage & Historic District Tours (THAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Museum & Landmark Guided Tours (Skip-the-line/Docent-led) (THAJAAAC), Night Tours (Illuminations, Ghost & Legends) (THAJAAAH)

Keywords

• Horse-drawn carriage tours
• Guided city tours
• Historical sightseeing
• Ghost folklore tours
• Wedding carriage services

Headquarters

HQ city

Savannah

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public History Tours: Ticket-based sales for public 45-50 minute history tours of historic downtown Savannah. Adult tickets $37, child tickets $17, infants free, with additional pricing for large dogs.
2. Ghost & Folklore Tours: Ticket-based sales for the city's only horse-drawn ghost tour. Adult tickets $40, child tickets $19. Tour runs 45-50 minutes through Savannah's haunted historic district.
3. Private Carriage Tours: Exclusive private carriage bookings starting at $175 per tour. Seats up to 6 passengers with customizable routes for history, ghost tours, or romantic evening rides.
4. Weddings & Special Events: Custom event services for weddings, engagements, birthdays, anniversaries, proms, and corporate events. Drivers dressed in tuxedos with decorated carriages. Quote-based pricing with personalized service.
5. Girl Scout Troop Tours: Group discount tours for Girl Scout troops visiting Savannah, the birthplace of Girl Scouts. Includes badge opportunities and interactive educational experiences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Carriage Tours of Savannah operates narrated horse-drawn carriage tours of Savannah's Historic District, including public history tours, public ghost and folklore tours, private daytime and evening tours, weddings and special event carriage services, and Girl Scout tours. The company maintains its own barn of horses in Thunderbolt, GA, and serves individual tourists, families, couples, and small private groups visiting Savannah.

Product overview

Carriage Tours of Savannah operates as a single-brand horse-drawn carriage tour company offering six distinct tour products. The core portfolio includes two public shared-ride tours (History Tour and Ghost & Folklore Tour) seating up to 12 guests at $37-$40 per person, and two private carriage offerings (Daytime and Evening Private Tours) for up to 6 passengers at $175 per booking. The company also provides specialized Wedding & Event Carriage Services with tuxedo drivers and custom decorations, plus dedicated Girl Scout Troop Tours with group discounts and badge opportunities. All tours depart from 19 Jefferson Street and cover 30 blocks of Savannah's National Historic Landmark district with 45-50 minute durations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public History Tour A 45-50 minute narrated horse-drawn carriage tour of Savannah's Historic District, available on a scheduled public basis for up to 12 adults per carriage. Priced at $37 per adult and $17 per child. Designed for individual travelers, families, and small groups wanting a guided overview of Savannah's history and architecture.
• Public Ghost & Folklore Tour A themed nighttime horse-drawn carriage tour focused on Savannah's ghost stories and local folklore, run on a scheduled public basis. Priced at $40 per adult and $19 per child. Aimed at tourists, couples, and adult groups seeking a unique evening entertainment experience in Savannah.
• Private Daytime Carriage Tour An exclusive horse-drawn carriage tour of Savannah held during the daytime for private groups of up to 6 passengers, priced at a flat rate of $175. Designed for couples, families, and small private groups seeking a private sightseeing experience without other passengers.
• Private Evening Carriage Tour An exclusive horse-drawn carriage tour of Savannah held in the evening for private groups of up to 6 passengers, priced at a flat rate of $175. Designed for romantic occasions, date nights, and small private groups wanting a quieter, after-dark experience.
• Weddings & Special Events Carriage Service Horse-drawn carriage service provided for weddings and other special events in Savannah, supporting ceremonies and receptions. Aimed at engaged couples, wedding planners, and event organizers wanting a distinctive carriage element tied to Savannah's heritage setting.
• Girl Scouts Tours Educational, group-oriented carriage tour offered for Girl Scout troops and other youth groups visiting Savannah. Targeted at troop leaders, parents, and youth coordinators seeking a history-based group activity aligned with scouting programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Carriages can accommodate up to 12 passengers for public tours
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Savannah Tours by Foot: Walking-tour operator in Savannah offering guided historic and themed tours (pay-what-you-like model). Competes for the same tourist segment with a substantially lower price point and lower-cost delivery format.
• Savannah Taste Experience: Savannah-based food and history walking tour operator. Adjacent tour offering competing for the same tourist visitors' discretionary activity time, with a different thematic focus but identical target customer.

Direct peers

• Palmetto Carriage Works: Horse-drawn carriage tour operator in Charleston, SC, offering guided historic district tours. Closest comparable business model, fleet size, and product mix in a peer Southern historic tourism market.
• Plantation Carriage Tours / Charleston Carriage Tours: Carriage tour operators serving historic Southern destinations (Charleston, Boone Hall Plantation area). Comparable horse-drawn sightseeing model targeting tourists in historic Southern districts with narrated tours.
• Old Savannah Tours: Direct competitor operating horse-drawn carriage tours in Savannah's historic district. Same product, same geography, and overlapping customer base of Savannah tourists seeking guided historic carriage experiences.
• Hearse Ghost Tours Savannah: Savannah ghost tour competitor using distinctive hearse vehicles. Directly competes for the same tourist customers interested in Savannah's haunted history, particularly in the evening segment where Carriage Tours' ghost tour also operates.

Emerging players

• Ghost City Tours: Multi-city walking ghost tour brand with presence in Savannah. Competes in the ghost/folklore tour niche but uses a walking, lower-cost format rather than horse-drawn carriages.

Broad incumbents

• Old Town Trolley Tours (Savannah): Operated by Historic Tours of America, a multi-city sightseeing tour provider offering hop-on/hop-off trolley tours in Savannah. A broader incumbent offering the dominant alternative sightseeing format in the same historic district.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CTOSavannah
• Instagraminstagram.com/ctosavannah
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carriage-tours-of-savannah

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carriage Tours of Savannah