Classic South
Augusta's Riverwalk under willow oaks, azalea gardens along the Savannah River, and hush-quiet golf mornings. The gentleman-South, at its most polished.
The Classic South is Georgia at its most manicured — Augusta National's azaleas, Thomson's horse country, Washington's antebellum courthouse square, and the Savannah River winding past willow oaks and cotton fields. It's a region defined by the first full week of April, when the Masters Tournament turns Augusta into the world's golf capital, but the rest of the year rewards travelers who like their South quiet, garden-heavy, and dressed for dinner.
Augusta itself is the anchor — a river city founded in 1736 as a trading post, later a Confederate powder works, and now a small metro with a walkable downtown, a lovely canal, and the second-oldest arts festival in the country.
Best time to visit
- The first week of April for azaleas and (if you have badges) the Masters. Even without tournament access, the town has patio parties, watch events, and the best restaurant week of the year.
- October brings the Arts in the Heart festival, cooler golf, and river-cruise weather on the Savannah.
- Winters are mild and the Riverwalk stays walkable in the 50s. Summer is Georgia-hot; Clarks Hill Lake north of town is the local escape.
Getting around
- Augusta is 2.5 hours east of Atlanta on I-20 or 2 hours from Columbia, SC. It has a small regional airport (AGS) with Delta service.
- Downtown Augusta is walkable — Broad Street, the Riverwalk, and the Augusta Canal towpath cover 90% of what you'll want to see.
- For the surrounding countryside (Washington, Thomson, Lincolnton), you need a car; roads are pretty and quiet.
Top things to do
The Riverwalk runs along the Savannah with river views, playgrounds, and a summer amphitheater. Rent a bike or an electric-motor Petersburg boat and cruise the historic Augusta Canal past the old textile mills.
Even without a ticket, walking Berckmans Road and Washington Road during tournament week is a scene. The rest of the year, Augusta National is private and closed — but the surrounding neighborhood of dogwood-lined streets is a lovely drive.
One of the prettiest antebellum towns in the South and reportedly the site where the Confederate cabinet officially dissolved. The Robert Toombs House and the Callaway Plantation are worth an afternoon.
70,000 acres, 1,200 miles of shoreline, and one of the Southeast's great bass-fishing and pontoon lakes. Mistletoe State Park is the pretty base.
Insider tips
- Skip the Masters unless you have badges — the town is packed and expensive. The week after is beautiful and half-price.
- Frog Hollow Tavern downtown is the reservation to make in Augusta — farm-to-table done seriously.
- The Morris Museum of Art on the Riverwalk is the country's oldest museum dedicated to Southern art — small, free, and worth an hour.
Itineraries through Classic South
Ready-to-book multi-day plans that thread Classic South together with the surrounding stops travelers love most.
Cross the state from ocean to summit — Sea Island tides, Savannah squares, Milledgeville brick, and a Blue Ridge cabin finale.
Carriage rides, courtyard breakfasts, and low-country dinners under moss. Built for two, unhurried at every step.
FDR's Little White House, Andersonville's quiet fields, and Callaway Gardens in bloom. The state's tender historical heart.
Chase the sunset.
Meet the South.
From peach orchards at first light to tidewater dinners at last light — your itinerary is waiting to be written.
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