Travel Guide: Charleston, South Carolina

After spending a recent long weekend in Charleston, South Carolina, I fell in love with the city. Its rich history, culinary scene and natural beauty make it one of my new favorite cities in the United States.

We’re going to be spending more time there over the next year, so will be updating our guide to share with you. Here are our suggestions for a long weekend in what’s referred to as the Holy City. (Also read our post on where to eat & drink in Charleston!)

Friday:

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
A harbor cruise on the Carolina Belle is such a great way to get acquainted with Charleston

Harbor Tour: Hop aboard the Carolina Belle to learn about Charleston and its neighboring areas by sea. This 90-minute tour covers SO much ground, and it’s a ton to be at sea, getting beautiful shots of the city.

During our tour, we saw historically important sites such as Fort Sumter, historic mansions on the Battery, Mount Pleasant, Sullivan Island and learned about Charleston’s history of pirates! One of the most memorable bits was when a school of dolphins came to the front of the boat and swam in front of us for more than 40 minutes, jumping and diving, putting on a show for us.

My parents did this tour on our last trip to Charleston and came back raving about it, so we were happy to get to experience it this time, too. We got great photos of ourselves and some of Charleston’s iconic vistas.

Charleston Travel Guide
The most amazing oysters and ambiance at Darling Oyster Bar

The Darling Oyster Bar:  A stop at The Darling Oyster Bar is a great place to start your trip for some bites and drinks. It is ideally situated on King Street, which is where most of the bars and restaurants in Charleston. We loved the design of this seafood restaurant, which had a Hamptons-meets-Charleston vibe to it.

They had a great cocktail menu and really awesome oysters. Would suggest you pop in at the bar for an aperitif and oysters even if you don’t get a full meal here because it’s memorable.

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
The “pop tarts” at The Belmont are as incredible as their cocktails.

The Belmont: Head to this fancy cocktail bar for some of the best drinks you’ll experience. Be sure to sit at the bar, because then you’ll get to interact with your bartender, who can create custom cocktails for you based on your preferences.

We loved the vibe at The Belmont, which had vintage stamped ceiling and exposed brick walls. The bar had a really cozy feel to it which I really appreciated.

We sat at the bar and told the bartender what we were looking for and had some of the best cocktails I’ve ever had. I started with the Bells of Jalisco, which has tequila, mezcal, jalapeño honey and lime, and it was like the best spicy margarita in history. I also had the cielo, which was a mix of vodka, St. Germain and grapefruit, also wonderful. We also had their porchswing drink, which is very popular. It has Aperol, St. Germain, grapefruit and cava. My fiancé had two brown drinks — Manhattans with the bartender’s rendition base don what he was in the mood for.

They also have the most amazing bar menu featuring homemade pop tarts. Once you walk into the bar, you can smell them baking and it is just delightful, adding to the cozy feel. We got a banana nutella one and a brie and raspberry one, and it was just incredible.

Charleston-Travel-GuideGin Joint: For more fancy cocktails, walk over to Gin Joint, which feels like you are stepping back into time in the 1920s. Gin Joint has dozens of different gins and other spirits and a menu of the most eclectic cocktails. Here’s what we sampled: my first cocktail is one of the most creative cocktails I’ve ever had. It has cream cheese washed gin with lime and seeds in it, giving it the savory and salty taste of an everything bagel. Have never had a drink like it before, and somehow it worked. My fiancé did the bartender’s choice, where you give the server two words to describe what you are looking for and they make you a drink using their creative license. He said Smoky and Bold and got an awesome smoky Manhattan with bacon flavoring.

We had one last drink to split which unfortunately is no longer on the menu (they switch it up pretty regularly in order to capitalize on what’s in season). The drink was a fun one, coming with an ice cube made of ice-cream that melted into the drink and sweetened it once you poured the cocktail over it. It was perfect for the Charleston heat and we loved the theatrics that came along with it. We also had the pimiento cheese to nibble on that came with a pretzel flatbread of sorts as well as the yummiest blistered shishito peppers. Would highly recommend all!

Saturday:

With lots of sights to see in downtown Charleston, renting a bike is the most efficient way to cross all of the musts off of your list! (Plus, it’s way more fun than walking or Ubering). We signed up for Charleston’s bikesharing program Holy Spokes for the weekend and it was a ton of fun, and got us so much better acquainted with the city. On our impromptu bike tour we covered lots of ground. Here’s what you’ll want to see, and this is the order we biked as they are all near each other:

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
Some of the hand-woven crafts at City Market in Charleston.

City Market: One of the country’s oldest public markets, this open-air market is filled with local crafters, artists, bakers, and other purveyors of great goods and souveniers.  They are particularly known for their sweetgrass baskets made of palm, so this is a great place to pick one up to go home.

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
Beautiful Rainbow Row in Charleston.

Rainbow Row: Ride your bike to Charleston’s famous Rainbow Row, which is a street with beautiful pastel historic townhouses lined up next to each other. It makes for the ultimate Instagram and is as pretty and charming as the pictures you’ve probably seen. It reminded me a bit of the Painted Ladies in San Francisco.

The Battery: One of the most beautiful stretches of Charleston to walk or bike is the Battery. This area is right on the water and it is where the gilded mansions dating back to the antebellum line the street. I had to stop every few feet to take photos of the gorgeous old homes.

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
The iconic pineapple fountain in Charleston’s Waterfront Park

Waterfront Park: From the Battery you can get to the cutest park also on the water. We took our bikes inside and saw the famous gold Pineapple sculpture and fountain, which we got the obligatory photo with. We then rode through the rest of the park which was beautiful and relaxing.

Colonial Lake: This tidal pond has a beautiful walkway around it that is so peaceful and relaxing. We brought our bikes here and did a few loops while watching people run around the lake and fish in it. It is surrounded by truly beautiful old mansions and homes.

Hampton Park: From here, we rode our bikes a fair distance to Hampton Park and we were so happy we did. This seemed like Charleston’s answer to Central Park, but with charming Southern features, such as giant oak trees covered in Spanish Moss.

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
The filet with apricot is a must-have at Charleston’s Anson Restaurant

Dinner At AnsonWe got into Anson at the last minute for dinner and we are so happy we did. This Charleston institution is their version of a classic steakhouse, but it’s much more charming. Sit upstairs which has smaller rooms beautifully decorated.

If you eat one food in Charleston, let it be their crispy flounder. I am not even typically a flounder fan, but this dish was out of this world good. It is slathered in an apricot shallot sauce and has an apple fennel slaw and it is just divine. You should also start with their she-crab soup which was mind-blowingly awesome. We split the soup because it is heavy. So good. We also had the steak as an entree.

Ghost Tour: Charleston is considered one of the world’s most haunted cities because of its dark history with slavery, rampant fires, wars and pirates. For anyone into the occult, a ghost tour is a must-do. we arranged for a walking ghost tour with Bulldog and had the best time getting creeped out while learning about some of Charleston’s haunted history. The tour took us to several graveyards, haunted homes and other parts of the city where we learned about the famous lore of Charleston and its gulla culture. The tour is an hour and a half and is good fun. Would highly recommend it!

Sunday:

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
The beautiful oak-lined roads at Boone Hall Plantation

Plantation Visits: A trip to Charleston wouldn’t be complete without visiting some of the city’s historic plantations. These former plantations are just palatial, on acres of groomed land with lots of their original buildings, such as plantation homes and slave quarters, still standing.

One of our favorite ones we visited was Boone Hall. The drive in alone to Boone Hall was beautiful, as the streets are lined with giant Spanish Moss trees. Once you get to the actual grounds, parts of it may feel familiar as it is where lots of the movie “The Notebook” was filmed. You can do a guided tour of the Plantation or just walk on your own. It’s super Instagrammable.

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
We fell in love with Middleton Place in Charleston.

Middleton Place Plantation: Middleton Place is one of our favorite plantations in all of Charleston. (So much so that it’s the venue of our upcoming wedding in April!) This historic landmark dates back o 1704, and is visually just stunning. It has beautiful gardens on par with a botanical garden, while also having the ruins of a plantation home, a preserved plantation home, slave quarters and even a slave cemetery.

Each day, they offer a number of really great informational tours. Our favorite are the slave tours, where you learn about the life of slaves in Charleston dating back to the plataction’s owers, as well as about the slave trade into CHarleston. You’ll even visit the slave cemetery and slave homes on the property. This tour is included in the price of your admission. They also have a house tour that contains the Middleton family furniture, art and other objects. The tour delves into who the Middletons were, the history of the plantation and more.

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
A meal at Husk in Charleston is a must

Brunch at Husk: Husk is a Charleston institution. This restaurant serves up rich and delicious Southern fare in such a cute setting. We made a reservation for brunch and sat out on the patio sipping on cocktails in the sun. We ordered a mix of dishes to try such as the pancake (delicious), eggs, bacon and brisket.

Bike The Ravenel Bridge: In the afternoon, we took the bikes out again and had the best time. Determined to get a workout in, we rode our bikes from our hotel to the Ravenel Bridge, which is an iconic part of the Charleston skyline. This massive bridge is 1,547 feet in length (the third longest in the Western hemisphere!) and very steep in parts, making it an uphill climb that burns your thighs. But, we had a very fun plan for once we got over it, which motivated us. Once you cross the bridge, you are in the Mount Pleasant part of Charleston.

Red’s Ice Bar: We parked our bike at Red’s Bar on Shim Creek, which is this amazing beach bar on the water with cheap drinks and a great playlist. We sat on the balcony drinking spiked seltzers and watching the boats go by on the water when we spotted a bunch of dolphins playing just next to the restaurant.

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
The most beautiful seafood tower I ever did see at Nico Oyster Bar in Charleston

Nico Oyster Bar: Our final dinner in Charleston was absolutely amazing. After biking over the bridge to Mount Pleasant, we had dinner at Nico Oyster bar. Make a reservation to sit at the bar so you can watch the action of oyster towers being made at the raw bar.

We ordered a few glasses of dry French rose and a giant seafood tower for dinner, which is my idea of my favorite meal. The tower, pictured, had oysters, shrimp cocktail with a great seasoning on it,clams, periwinkles and scallop escabeche. Each of the fish was of the highest quality and the presentation was some of the best we’ve seen. We also loved their accoutrements for dipping sauces etc, which made eating the oysters fun.

Monday:

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
Horse and carriage is a great way to take in Charleston’s historic sites.

Historic Carriage Ride: One of your must-dos while in Charleston is hop aboard a horse-drawn carriage and learn the varied history of the city. We took an hour-long ride with Charleston Carriage Works where a local guide who was born and raised in the city gave us a really amazing overview. We learned the history of specific historic homes, about the architecture of the city, slave life and influence and about Charleston’s prominent families dating back some 300 years. It’s an entertaining and leisurely way to take in the sights, and we couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
Sullivan’s Island Beach is a great spot for some relaxing in Charleston.

Sullivan’s Island Beach: Charleston has a bunch of great beach options just nearby. One of them, Sullivan’s, is scenic and calm and the perfect place to lay out with a great book and decompress.

Charleston South Carolina Travel Guide
The sunsets at Bowen’s Island are unbeatable

Dinner at Bowen’s Island Landing: Get ready for a casual fish dinner with stunning sunset views at Bowen’s Island. This fish shack on the water serves up low country boil, shrimp, fried fish and other fare but the real star is the sunset. Time your visit so that you are seated in place for the night’s sunset.

 

Read More Of Our Travel Guides:
Where to Eat & Drink in Charleston
The Definitive Travel Guide to New York City
Travel Guide:The Best Brunches in New York City
Travel Guide: New York City’s Best Boutique Fitness Classes
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Travel Guide: SF Boutique Fitness Classes
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Travel Guide:Napa Valley Restaurants

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