Charleston is a charming city filled with history, beauty, and diverse experiences. Explore cobblestone streets, take carriage tours, and visit plantations to learn about pirates, planters, and Gullah culture.
Enjoy the city's vibrant atmosphere with delicious food crawls, museum visits, and gallery explorations.
Whether you prefer relaxing on beaches or immersing yourself in artistic endeavors, this beautiful city has something for everyone. So, pack your bags, bring your curiosity, and uncover the best things to do in Charleston:
Riley Waterfront Park in Charleston is a popular destination with beautiful river views, a fishing pier, and notable fountains. It's perfect for romantic strolls and enjoying the serene Lowcountry life by the water.
Located near the Charleston City Market, it's a favorite among locals and visitors for its relaxing atmosphere and stunning views of Charleston Harbor. This park is a must-visit to experience the charm of Charleston's waterfront.
Taking a carriage ride through Charleston's historic district is a popular and enjoyable activity for visitors. Two well-known companies, the Old South Carriage Company and Palmetto Carriage Works, offer these tours.
Lasting about 1 hour, the tours cover 25-30 blocks of Charleston's downtown area, showcasing houses, gardens, mansions, churches, and parks while providing insights into the area's history, architecture, and flora.
Moreover, engaging guides lead the tours, and beautiful horses pull the carriages, creating a relaxing and informative experience. Both companies offer public and private tours, with booking options, making it things to do in South Carolina Charleston.
Rainbow Row is a famous waterfront area with 13 brightly-colored historic houses along East Bay Street. Popular among tourists, these pastel houses are often part of city walking tours. Steeped in history, the vibrant colors of Rainbow Row have interesting stories.
Visitors can stroll down the row, admire unique architecture, and learn about the houses' captivating past. To get the most out of your visit, consider a walking tour that includes Rainbow Row for a deeper understanding of its history and significance.
Charleston City Market, in the heart of South Carolina, features over 300 local entrepreneurs offering a diverse range of handcrafted goods, artwork, and sought-after sweetgrass baskets. Open daily and hosting a Night Market on Fridays and Saturdays from March to December, it provides a dynamic artisan experience.
Additionally, the surrounding neighborhood offers dining, shopping, and accommodation options, making it an ideal destination to immerse yourself in Charleston's rich cultural experience.
Folly Beach, one of the beaches in the USA is a 12-square-mile barrier island with a relaxed atmosphere and six miles of wide beaches. Visitors can enjoy surfing, fishing, biking, kayaking, and more, with opportunities to spot sea wildlife.
Moreover, the town offers locally owned stores and diverse restaurants, making it an ideal vacation spot just minutes from historic downtown Charleston.
Activities like walking on the fishing pier, dolphin watching, and collecting seashells add to the charm of this perfect place to relax and unwind.
Charleston has ghost tours for a spooky and historical experience. Bulldog Tours and Tour Charleston LLC are well-regarded companies offering these tours. Bulldog Tours explores haunted locations like cemeteries, legendary places, jail cells, and dungeons.
Additionally, Tour Charleston LLC provides a 90-minute walking ghost tour, sharing hauntings from their book "The Ghosts of Charleston." They also offer an exclusive night-time tour of the haunted Unitarian Church GRAVEYARD for a unique experience.
These tours emphasize history and storytelling, making them engaging for visitors interested in Charleston's haunted side.
The Charleston Tea Garden on Wadmalaw Island is the largest in the U.S. Visitors can take a 45-minute tour to learn about its history, see tea plants, and explore a plantation with over 300 varieties of tea.
Additionally, a trolley tour of the greenhouse and tea harvesting equipment is available, and the garden has a gift shop with tea-related items.
Open seven days a week, it provides a unique and educational experience, making it one of the best things to see in Charleston South Carolina for tea enthusiasts.
The South Carolina Aquarium, opened in 2000, is home to over 10,000 animals, including river otters, sharks, and loggerhead turtles, featured in 100 exhibits.
The Touch Tank lets visitors interact with marine animals, and the 93,000-square-foot building represents the Southeast Appalachian Watershed, showcasing diverse ecosystems.
Additionally, the Sea Turtle Care Center highlights conservation efforts. Overall, the aquarium offers an educational and entertaining experience for all ages, making it a must-visit attraction in Charleston.
The Dock Street Theatre in Charleston, South Carolina, is a top-tier performing arts venue with a rich history. Originally a hotel in 1809, it became a theater in 1935 and underwent a $19 million renovation for accessibility and safety in 1978.
Now home to Charleston Stage, the theater hosts over 100 performances annually and is a venue for various festivals.
Here, visitors can enjoy a range of productions by local and touring groups, and the historic building is open daily for tourists, offering rental space for private events and meetings.
Embark on a captivating kayak tour with Charleston Outdoor Adventures and Nature Adventure Outfitters for a unique perspective of the city's historic skyline and coastal beauty. Guided by experts, the tour blends adventure with historical narratives, offering views of diverse wildlife in marshes and estuaries.
Suitable for all skill levels, one can choose between group or private tours, and consider a sunset excursion for a magical experience. With provided equipment and eco-friendly practices, this kayak tour promises a memorable adventure for nature enthusiasts and history buffs alike.
White Point Garden, also known as Battery Park, is a historic and scenic park in Charleston where two rivers meet the ocean. It's a peaceful spot with waterfront views, ideal for a stroll, picnic, or enjoying historical monuments.
The park has oak trees, palmettos, and a well-designed path with oyster shells, leading to markers, monuments, and Civil War cannons. Surrounded by old mansions, it offers great views of Fort Sumter and Charleston Harbor. A must-visit for history and tranquility in Charleston.
Explore Charleston by taking a guided walking tour. Local tour companies offer informative and friendly guides who share stories about the city's history, architecture, and culture, making this tour one of the fun things to do Charleston SC has to offer.
Popular options include the Historic Walking Tour and the Ghost Tour, covering different neighborhoods and aspects of Charleston's past. You can conveniently book the tour online or in person; these tours are suitable for all ages, providing exercise and a close-up view of the city's iconic sights.
The Gibbes Museum of Art is a must-visit in the historic district. With over 10,000 American artworks connected to the Southern US and Charleston, it showcases paintings, sculptures, photographs, and miniature portraits.
The museum features rotating collections borrowed from renowned museums worldwide.
While the first-floor gallery is free, admission is needed for the second and third-floor galleries. Additionally, the museum provides community education, outreach programs, classes, lectures, and activities to inspire budding artists which makes visiting this place one of the most inspiring things to do Charleston has to offer.
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is a historic house with gardens near Charleston. Dating back to 1676, it is one of the oldest plantations in the South, with a rich history spanning from the American Revolution to the Civil War and beyond.
The plantation house is open to the public, offering access to historic gardens, a petting zoo, a conservatory, a theater, a Peacock Cafe, a garden center, and a gift shop. Explore this must-visit destination with guided tours showcasing the plantation house, nature train, boat, slavery to freedom tour, and the self-guided Audubon Swamp Garden.
Cypress Gardens, one of the best places to visit in the USA, originated as a freshwater reserve for Dean Hall rice plantation.
It offers attractions like the Butterfly House showcasing butterfly life stages, the Swamparium featuring native fish, amphibians, and reptiles, and swamp boat rentals for alligator and wildlife spotting.
Additionally, with 3.5 miles of walking trails, visitors can explore the scenic swamp and gardens. The site has also been featured in movies like The Notebook, Cold Mountain, and The Patriot.
Discover history with a visit to Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie. Take a boat tour to Fort Sumter, the iconic starting point of the Civil War, and explore its historical significance which is one of the best things to do in Charleston S C for history lovers.
Additionally, delve into the military history of Fort Moultrie, which spans from the American Revolution to World War II, offering a fascinating insight into coastal defense evolution. These forts provide a captivating journey through time, making them essential destinations for history enthusiasts.
King Street in Charleston is a top shopping spot, featuring a mix of local boutiques and national chains. Divided into Lower King (known for antique shops), Middle King (home to boutiques and brands), and Upper King (the Design and Dining District), the street offers diverse shopping experiences.
Popular stores include Blue Bicycle Books, Berlin's, Croghan's Jewel Box, Candlefish Charleston, Finicky Filly, Worthwhile, and Williams Sonoma. Alongside shopping, visitors can explore art galleries, restaurants, and cafes, enhancing the overall experience on King Street.
Middleton Place in Charleston is a must-visit for azalea enthusiasts, featuring over 100,000 azaleas in America's oldest landscaped gardens. Enjoy the vibrant colors in a picturesque setting.
Experience 18th and 19th-century plantation life with costumed craftspeople and historic animals in the Plantation Stableyards.
Also, the well-maintained grounds offer beautiful river trails with various bird sightings. Additionally, admission discounts are available for students, military, and seniors which makes this place a must-see in the neighborhood.
Charleston is a hub for experiencing Gullah Geechee culture, a distinctive African American group rooted along the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
Explore Gullah culture through live presentations, sweetgrass basket shopping, culinary delights, Gullah Tours, historic sites like McLeod Plantation, and cultural events such as the Sound of Charleston.
Moreover, the area also boasts museums, galleries, and restaurants preserving the heritage of West African slaves brought to the Lowcountry in the 18th century.
The Angel Oak Tree in Johns Island, Charleston is a must-visit attraction. This 300-400-year-old tree stands 65 feet tall with a 25.5 feet circumference and serves as a symbol of the city.
Moreover, the park where the tree is located is open daily, offering free admission for visitors to enjoy a picnic area and a gift shop on-site, which also makes this a budget-friendly place. As one of the oldest living things in the country, the Angel Oak Tree is a must-see for anyone traveling to Charleston.
