Great tour. Karen is very knowledgeable, passionate, and easy to talk to. You will come away with a better understanding of how slavery was incorporated into this city, and walk into where they were held after getting off the ships and before being sold into slavery. You'll also see the square where the largest slave auction in US history took place. It is all very sad but so interesting and important to understand what really took place. The only thing we thought we would mention- on the tour, you are told that the holes in the floor of the First Baptist church were for the people on the Underground Railroad to breathe through. We then took the guided tour through the church, and they said that was not true. It was just to let the "wood breathe" and that the "underground railroad" was actually people being moved on boats in the river here. Thank you! read more

Journey By Faith - Monument where the tour ends. - Walking Tours Near Me - Savannah, Georgia

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Ms. Karen gives an AMAZING tour! Armed with tons of historical facts and stories, she is extremely knowledgeable about her native Savannahian history and very engaging. My mom and I took the 90min. Indigo Journey walking tour, and really enjoyed learning about parts of Black history that we weren't aware existed. It didn't hurt that Ms. Karen is also well versed in antebellum gossip, which she sprinkled in to make the tour even more wonderful. We can't wait to return to go on some of her other specialty tours! read more

Great tour! Karen is a great storyteller, and boy are there stories to tell! She is very passionate about the subject and has done a lot of research to build the tour. She also offers up reading suggestions if you want to dig deeper. The history of slavery in America is (at the least) embarrassing and shameful, and therefore SHOULD be taught to avoid mistakes of the past and to help us all heal. I appreciate the focus on a number of people and families, which helped to make the stories specific and personal instead of abstract. Stand where slaves were auctioned at the market, see where they arrived by ship, see the church that they built and hear their stories. Please note that some of the content may be upsetting, so just let her know if you have children who may be sensitive. read more

Amazing, eye-opening, and educational! Although a hard-to-swallow experience, I'm glad I took this tour. Ms. Karen is authentic as they come and the depth of her knowledge is a gem and she doesn't mind sharing! I decided to book this tour based on the suggestion of Lisa from Massachusetts:-) It was a little chilly, but the short walking journey and the sun kept me warm! I was taken back by the stories and would tell anyone to book this tour during your visit to Savannah. Slavery and the enslaved are apart of American history; we should stop ignoring our ugly past! And this tour is one way we can educate ourselves and understand our history so we won't have to repeat it! read more

Outstanding tour! Karen Wortham is a historian and storyteller who makes historic Savannah come to life. The Indigo Journey Walking Tour was the highlight of our visit in Savannah. read more

This was one of the most unique tours I have been on in Savannah. Miss Karen shared so much about the people who didn't make it into the history books. Starting in Franklin Square and walking around downtown Savannah she told us about the slave trade's impact on Savannah. Absolutely would recommend to any history buff and anyone else looking for a new perspective of this historical city. read more

Journey By Faith - Great people met on this fantastic tour! - Walking Tours Near Me - Savannah, Georgia

Karen provides an informative, interesting, worthwhile fact filled tour of her city and what it meant to be enslaved. We enjoyed her tour and recommended it highly. read more

This was one of the highlights of our visit to Savannah. Our tour was very informative and thought-provoking, and sometimes sobering when you realize the conditions of enslaved people in Savannah. Karen, our guide, teaches the history almost entirely through engaging stories, usually tying details to actual sites right near where you are standing. (Seeing the dark, dank "barracoon," a temporary holding enclosure for newly arrived slaves, and understanding its original purpose, was an unforgettable experience.) So while it was impossible for Karen to convey the entire complex history of the African-American experience in Colonial Savannah, we left knowing a lot more than when we started -- and promising ourselves to get to the library soon to do more follow-up reading! (Highly recommended: "The Weeping Time: Memory and the Largest Slave Auction in American History" by Anne Bailey, 2017.) read more

Karen, our tour guide was AMAZING! This educational and funny tour started at 10 AM at the Franklin Square and ended at the River Street. Karen articulates African American history, Savannah stories with such passion which will have you standing on the tip of your toes wanting to hear more. The next time I'm in Savannah, I will take advantage of other tours Karen offers. I took the Journey By Faith tour on 7/7/2018, and I've been googling and researching these stories. I then realized the power of tours like this; you leave wanting more insight into our history. read more

My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Karen has the passion for her subject that we wish all tour guides had. Add that to her extensive knowledge of slave life in general and slave life in Savannah in particular, and you have a 1.5 -2 hours that flies by. Her stories of how Savannah slave owners treated their human property, while sometimes nauseating, gave us a perspective that we hadn't previously had. Thanks Karen! read more

This is THE tour you need to take when visiting Savannah. We all know there is Civil War and slavery history in Georgia. But what do we really understand? For the most part I think The South has been whittled down to hoop skirts, plantations, Spanish moss, and sweet tea...with a little blip along the way called slavery. Look, I love the traditional southern charm as much as the next guy, but when I visit to learn history I want the whole story, even if it isn't pretty. That's exactly what Karen does on her walking tour. In the interest of full disclosure, my husband and I are Caucasian, and both in our 40s. We had been in Savannah for 4 days before taking Karen's tour and, with exception to the Owen Thomas House, the African American story was largely brushed aside. It bothered me significantly. But not Karen! She was captivating, firey, and she hit the group running with details about the breeding of slaves, their inhumane treatment, the separation of families through buying and selling, and the fact that much of this country was built on the back of people kidnapped and dehumanized. 20 minutes into the tour I began to reprocess what I learned in school about slavery, realizing that my limited education could easily fit into a cup the size of a thimble. Here are a few questions Karen addressed: What happens on slave ships? Why did slaves have to relearn how to walk after getting off the boats? How is a black man subdued at auction? What does it mean that a person is no longer a person, but more of a farm implement or a workhorse? How does that mindset trickle down into 2019? Want to see the brick storage area for new slaves who were headed to auction? What about children and slavery? TAKE THIS TOUR! Children as young as 8, with some preparation beforehand, can handle the information. If these historical facts aren't passed down IN THEIR FULLNESS history will repeat itself. I guarantee you, this is the tour you will tell others about, and the tour you won't forget. Thank you Karen! Your personalized attention and well researched, documented accounts have been life changing for us! Stacy and Dan, Louisville KY read more

HIGHLY recommending this tour. Savannah is a beautiful city, but it is also built upon some dark atrocities that must not be forgotten. Karen, a historian & tour guide does a fantastic job of this through a walking tour filled with stories and sites visit. read more

Karen did a great job presenting just what we were looking for: a historical perspective on slavery in Savannah. Her choice of tour stops, the stories she told, and how she wove them into the widely-known events along the way-such as the Civil War--helped us understand better a topic that we all know was there, but maybe are reluctant to talk about today for one reason or another. Karen's passion for the subject and her drive to "dig deep" caused me to feel compassion for all who suffered through this time in our history. It also motivates me to want to retell what I heard today for the sake of all us Americans, no matter our race, creed, or color. Knowing what Karen presented today and taking time to understand it will make us a better nation. All-in-all, highly recommended especially coming from someone who has been on more than a few standard Savannah tours and was looking for something more. Well done Karen. read more

Awesome tour with great details and stories! When I called to make a reservation she told me she had a groupon special and to purchase that for me and my husband instead of paying full price for tickets. She also had bug repellent available for those taking the tour and was so personable and gracious. We are considering having a family reunion in Savannah and I am recommending that this tour be one of the activities. This tour was a highlight of our trip to Savannah. read more

For anyone interested in the real history of Savannah, this tour is not to be missed. Karen does an incredible job of presenting the history of Savannah's slave trade with care and diligence--she has dug through the archives and really knows her stuff--while also infusing the tour with her amazing sense of humor and dynamism that keeps everyone engaged and wanting to learn more. read more

I HIGHLY recommend this tour- it was one of the highlights of our trip. Ms. Karen was amazing-knowledgable, passionate, egaging, down to earth and hilarious. There were some extremely hard moments where I felt my soul mourning, but those are the hard truths of what our ancestors endured and overcame. I cannot recommend this tour enough, especially with Ms. Karen- you will not be disappointed. read more

Our first visit to Savannah and we started with the Indigo Journey Walking Tour. I cannot think of a better way to begin a visit to this city than by taking this tour. Karen Wortham is a fantastic ambassador to Savannah. Her love of the city is obvious, but she is also clear eyed about the history and does not sugar coat the misery that helped develop Savannah and the United States. You wouldn't think that you could be entertained and laugh while being taught about such dark history, but she manages to do it with her unbelievable story telling. It informed every part of the rest of our stay here and made for a richer and deeper experience of this very beautiful but complex city, and of our entire country. Cannot recommend strongly enough! read more

Incredibly informative tour about Savannah's slavery history.

cannot recommend this tour more highly. went per the NYT's recommendation and it surpassed all expectations. karen is charming and knowledgeable - she will have you laughing and aghast at the history. found that slavery often goes unacknowledged (or at most, cursorily nodded at) on other tours, so journey by faith should be the FIRST! thing you do here. read more

Great tour. No sugar coating here. We expected the true history and that's what was given. Ms. Karen is a fantastic story teller and everyone would benefit from the information she provides during her tour no matter what your racial background. read more

I tried on SEVERAL occaisions to book my tour. Karen (the owner) consistantly never responded to my attempts. I purchased her services through groupon...when I arrived in Savannah I called her, I did not reach her so I left a message. She never returned my call. After I returned home I called her again..she told me she was on her way out to do a tour but to text her the day and time I would like to tour, I figured that info out, and followed her direction, she again never responded. I contacted again and texted her the info again...she responded this time saying that the only time available to to tour was at 9am for the date that I wanted. Due to the fact that I was driving to Savannnah, I was not interested in rising as early as I must on my normally scheduled work days...she claimed it was to hot to tour then. I don't know how anyone has had any luck with getting this tour booked. read more