The Top Charleston Things to Do: How to Appreciate Historic Charleston and Charleston County on Your Next Getaway
Charleston, South Carolina is a city filled with informative and fun things to do. Between taking walking tours, seeing historic homes and buildings, celebrating plenty of festivals and appreciating Charleston County, you’ll find more than enough to occupy a long weekend and more in this Southern city.
Colourful downtown Charleston
Unlike several of the destinations Chris and I profile on this website, Charleston, South Carolina is not exactly a lesser-known or surprising destination. It’s one of the most beloved historic cities in the United States, but with its fame also comes layers of complex history.
During our trip to Charleston, our tour guide and the owner of Walk and Talk Charleston, Tyler Friedman, said it best: “We try to honour the beauty and brutality of Charleston’s story.” While there is so much to be appreciated in Charleston today from its architecturally striking multi-century homes to its perfectly planned streets, gardens and parks to its renowned ornate iron gates, nearly every detail in this city that we marvel at today was built and crafted by skilled, enslaved Africans.
As I learned visiting the Legacy Museum in Montgomery, AL, Charleston was a major port of entry during the transatlantic slave trade, and its history of enslavement was brushed over for many years. More recently, this is a history that Charleston has embraced. African Americans have been instrumental to Charleston as a city, and their stories are much more widely shared at sites throughout the city and at the International African American Museum today.
With such an extensive and layered history, it should come as no surprise that there’s a lot to do in Charleston. And I don’t just mean in its historic centre. There are many things worth doing that aren’t technically in the city, but are part of the city’s metropolitan area. In this article, my goal is to help you plan a well-rounded trip from start to finish, filled with plenty of memorable things to do in Charleston.
Please note that this article contains affiliate links. Simply put, this means we may receive a small commission for some of the recommendations made in this article at no additional cost to you.
How to Get to Charleston & Where to Stay
A lot of people fly to Charleston from other parts of North America and beyond.
Chris and I flew to Charleston from our home base of Toronto. There’s a seasonal (approx. April to October), direct flight with Air Canada from Toronto Pearson Airport to Charleston International Airport. Most flights to Charleston are from cities in the United States, but there are some other direct flights from Mexico and Western Europe, too.
From the Charleston Airport, your best bet is to take a taxi or ride share to your destination, but there is also a Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) bus that picks up passengers just outside of baggage claim at the airport. Rental cars are also available here, just bear in mind that parking might be tricky if you’re planning on staying in the historic centre.
Where to Stay in Charleston
The large, Charleston porch at 20 South Battery
Chris and I went car-free on this trip to Charleston, which we loved. The historic core of Charleston is very walkable, and it’s a great way to check out the city’s picturesque neighbourhoods.
There are a lot of different places to stay in Charleston, from more conventional hotels to historic homes. Chris and I stayed at 20 South Battery, a historic mansion in The Battery (one of Charleston’s most historic neighbourhoods) that’s been converted into a hotel. We loved our stay here because of the hotel’s friendly, helpful staff and the living history within its walls.
There are some guest rooms in the main house, with others in the converted cellar and carriage house, and several lavish common areas filled with historic artifacts and furniture, including the fourth floor library!
Other places I’m told are great to stay in Charleston include Mills House Charleston and Hotel Emeline, but you can feel free to use this map to sort out the best place to stay for your trip. Choosing a property to stay at in Charleston is half the fun!
The Top Things to Do in Central Charleston
When it comes to planning on what to do in Charleston, you’ll find there are a lot of options. I’d recommend going through this list and figuring out what speaks to you. I think the most important thing to do on any trip to Charleston is to take a guided walking tour early on in your visit. It’s the best way to get the historical and cultural context needed to appreciate the city.
Just a quick note about your visit to Charleston—while the city and its historic buildings are beautiful, bear in mind that a lot of Charleston’s prettiest homes and streets are mostly filled with private properties. Homeowners are used to visitors appreciating the city and their homes, but be mindful of keeping your distance and respecting private property when it comes to taking photos during your trip.
Take a Guided History & Architecture Walking Tour
Everyone has different reasons for wanting to visit Charleston, but since the city is so rich with history and lore, understanding more about it is essential to appreciating it. You simply must take a walking tour while in Charleston!
Chris and I loved our tour with Walk and Talk Charleston. We took a private tour with owner and founder Tyler Friedman, who is a wealth of information when it comes to the history and architecture of Charleston. We learned so much on this conversational and academic-toned tour, and appreciated the passion Tyler clearly has for this city.
The “Classic Charleston History and Historic Gossip Tour” is one of their best known tours, but you can also take tours centred around everything from Charleston’s LGBTQ+ history to ghost tours to the city’s pink buildings. You can find all the tour details on their website.
Visit the International African American museum
It’s impossible to learn about Charleston’s history without simultaneously grappling with its role in the transatlantic slave trade. It’s estimated that 10 to 12 million enslaved Africans were taken to the Americas between the 16th and 19th centuries, hundreds of thousands of whom came to what is now the United States via Charleston.
Today, the International African American Museum reclaims this history, and celebrates the Black American history and culture that has persevered and grown in this region of the American South. Located at Gadsden’s Wharf—the port of arrival for nearly half of all enslaved Africans brought to North America—the design of both the exterior and interior of the museum is layered in symbolism confronting the dark past of the transatlantic slave trade and Civil Rights.
When you first visit, take your time to walk around and appreciate the museum’s exterior gardens. Here you’ll find the flourishing Palm Grove of Canary Island Palms (native to the Canary Islands of Northwestern Africa), a Sweetgrass field (a nod to the origins of Lowcountry basket weaving), Maya Angelou’s poem “Still I Rise” (carved into the walls outlining the footprint of the original Gasden’s Wharf building), and the Tide Tribute memorial. Set in the ground in front of the wharf, the Tide Tribute depicts the “Brookes” slave ship diagram of men, women and children who were laid shackled in the bellies of ships brought to the Charleston Harbor.
Inside the museum are several permanent and rotating exhibits sharing the history and experiences of enslaved Africans and celebrating local culture, including the Gullah Geechee peoples of the southern Lowcountry.
The museum is opened Tuesdays to Sundays, and you can head to their website to learn more before your visit.
Walk Along The Battery
What was once Charleston’s protective seawall is now a waterfront park promenade circling the historic peninsula of the city. In addition to being a great area to get beautiful views of historic homes and the harbour, it makes for a nice way to get some steps in on a visit to Charleston.
The Battery seawall starts around High Battery near Water Street and East Battery Street. You can follow the pedestrian path along the wall for quite a distance. Make sure you stop at the beautiful White Point Garden along the way—filled with old growth Southern Oaks—and continue walking up to where Murray Boulevard meets Tradd Street.
Head to Charleston City Market
The Charleston City Market is a worthwhile stop at any time during your trip to Charleston. It’s over 200 years old with various food, arts, crafts and goods vendors to paruse while you’re in town.
While many vendors open temporary stalls on a daily basis, the westernmost block of the market has several permanent vendors, including Chuma Gullah Gallery. This gallery is one of the few official sellers of prints, artworks and lithography of Charleston’s most famous artist, Jonathan Green. His artwork and prints are synonymous with Charleston, and make a worthwhile souvenir to take home with you.
If you’re in the mood for a small meal or snack, I can’t recommend Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit enough. They have two locations in town, one of which is in the market. They’ve been voted Charleston’s best biscuits, and you can also order biscuit sandwiches. I had a Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit (a large piece of fried hot honey chicken on a biscuit) and it was incredible!
The market is open every day of the week from 9:30am to 5pm.
Take a Cruise Around the Harbour
As a historic port city, it only makes sense to get out on the Charleston Harbor at some point during your trip. Charleston Harbor Tours offers a few different types of tours on the water.
At the time of our visit, Chris and I planned on heading out on the Schooner Pride, a 3-mast sailboat that takes you out on the harbour. Unfortunately it had to undergo repairs at the last minute during our trip, so we headed out on a 90-minute cruise on the motorized Carolina Belle cruise instead.
Cruises happen at various times throughout the day, but we really enjoyed our sunset tour of the harbour.
Visit One of Charleston’s Restaurants & Food Stops
Charleston’s restaurant scene is nothing to scoff at. There is an abundance of incredible restaurants in this city, making it a challenge to make decisions when you’re only in town for a few days, like we were.
Here are a few spots we loved during our visit:
Anson Restaurant: What a dinner experience from start to finish! A blend of Southern cuisine, steakhouse offerings and meticulously crafted dishes, with an impeccable wine list. Chris and I dined on Lobstercargot, East Coast Halibut, a Filet Mignon Center Cut and topped it all off with a slice of their not-to-be-missed homemade Pecan Pie. Each dish was more exquisite than the last. Definitely a great spot to come for a celebration or memorable dinner out.
Hank’s Seafood Restaurant: Another winner. If Southern seafood is your cup of tea, this local favourite is a must. You really can’t go wrong—we enjoyed starting with a seafood tower including fresh peel-and-eat Charleston shrimp and their Charleston She-Crab soup (a famous local dish) is delicious. For mains we dined on Seared Scallops, Butter Poached Lobster Tails & Crab Cakes. If it comes from the sea, you can count on finding it prepared perfectly here.
Frannie & The Fox: An excellent casual Italian restaurant inside of Hotel Emeline. Delicious wood fired pizzas and more Italian-style offerings. If the weather is decent, I’d recommend trying to get a spot on their romantic courtyard patio.
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit: I mentioned this in the section about the City Market, but either of their locations are great for a light southern-style breakfast or lunch with biscuits and grits.
Attend the Charleston Festival or Other Seasonal Events
At the time of our visit, the Charleston Festival (late March to early April) was on. This spring festival put on by the Historic Charleston Foundation is filled with all sorts of programming, from events and activities to outdoor garden tours and tours of private homes.
There are different events on for each day of the festival that you can purchase tickets for in advance. On the days we were in town, we went on the Tradd Street Tour and the Hareston Village Tour—each self-guided tour took place between 2-5pm, and brought us into 6 private historic Charleston homes and gardens. If we were in town over a weekend, we would have loved to go on one of the Beyond the Garden Gates tours. We’ll have to save that for next time!
It seems like there’s always something going on in Charleston, and The Charleston Festival is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this city’s events, live music and festivals. I’d encourage you to take a look here before your trip to make sure you aren’t missing anything!
Check Out More of the City’s Historic Properties and museums
Visiting the historic Aiken-Rhett House Museum
There are really so many places worth visiting if you care to learn more about Charleston’s layered, extensive history and culture. Here are a few more spots worth visiting:
Museums: Old Slave Mart Museum, The Charleston Museum, Gibbes Museum of Art, Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
Historic Homes: Aiken-Rhett House Museum, Joseph Manigault House, Heyward-Washington House, Edmondston-Alston House
Wherever you go during your time in Charleston, don’t forget to go shopping along King Street, see what’s happening at the vibrant Marion Square Park, walk through Stoll’s Alley and check out the famous Rainbow Row houses, too.
A Few Things Worth Doing in Charleston County
As I mentioned earlier, there is a lot worth doing beyond central Charleston. Whether you’re spending more than a weekend in Charleston or just looking for a wider variety of places to visit and things to do, here are a few places I’d recommend:
kiawah Island
Sunrise over the beach on Kiawah
This small island is about an hour’s drive away from central Charleston with a wealth of biodiversity, unique places to stay and outdoor activities. You can bring a rental car, or take a ride share here (just note that a large portion of the island is private, and Uber has an exclusivity contract with most of the island).
Chris and I stayed in a villa that was part of Kiawah Island Golf Resort for a few nights, but you could also come to visit for the day. Here’s how I’d recommend spending your time:
Kiawah Day Trip Ideas:
Come to spend the day on Kiawah Beachwalker Park.
It’s a public access park within Charleston County Parks, and you can access Kiawah’s beaches from here. You can also rent beach chairs, umbrellas, and boogie boards here for the day.
Arrange a guided Salt Marsh Paddle tour through Kiawah Resort. Most tours are around 2 hours and depart from Mingo Point.
This is a great way to better understand the local salt marsh ecosystems and even see some of the resident dolphins on a paddle. Kayaking experience is recommended or required for most tours.
If you’d like to access restaurants on the private part of the island during your trip, you can make reservations in advance to gain entry.
Overnight Trips to Kiawah:
Stay at either The Sanctuary—a 5-star resort recommended to us, which was fully booked during our stay—or in a villa on Kiawah Island Golf Resort.
Staying in any accommodation on the resort gives you access to all or most of the resort’s amenities, including its pools, complimentary island shuttle service, and more.
Rent bikes from the resort to bike around the island and along the packed sand during low tide on the beach. There are several dedicated bike paths around the island. Chris and I visited car-free, so this was a great option for us.
Grab breakfast at the Nest Heron Cafe, enjoy lunch and indoor activities like bowling and virtual golf at The Treehouse Activity Center, or have dinner at Cherrywood BBQ & Ale House at Osprey Point
Take a tour of the island through the resort. The guided salt marsh paddle I mentioned above was a highlight, but there are other tours you can take like the Island Explorer Tour, which takes you around the island by van.
Whether you’re coming or going from Kiawah, I’d also highly recommend making a meal stop at Linnette’s at The Dunlin. On top of being beautifully designed, they have a delicious menu—I loved the Shrimp and Grits here!—and a well-stocked bar for crafted cocktails.
More Ideas for Things to Do Outside Charleston
Since Chris and I were visiting car-free with the idea of relaxing on Kiawah and appreciating central Charleston for this trip, we unfortuantely didn’t make it to these spots this time around. But they’re definitely on my list for next time!
Folly Beach County Park
Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site
Charleston Tea Garden
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
Boone Hall Plantation
You’ll Certainly Find Something That Speaks to You in Charleston
After my first trip to Charleston, I can confidently say it feels like a city I’d be happy to return to again and again. Between its history, vibrant community, a seemingly endless roster of events and festivals and plenty of opportunities to explore areas nearby, Charleston and its surrounding areas in South Carolina have a lot to offer.
No matter what it is you choose to do on your trip to Charleston, I can guarantee you’ll find something that speaks to you on your next visit.
I’d like to thank Explore Charleston for hosting Chris and me as media on our first trip to Charleston and Kiawah Island. All opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
Bri Mitchell
Bri Mitchell is a travel writer and content creator from Toronto, Ontario. She loves to highlight all things nature, food, wellness, sustainability and adventure in her work. Bri writes and shares her travel experiences from across Canada, the United States and around the world on Instagram and TikTok (@brimitchelltravels); in her articles for travelingmitch, Ultimate Ontario, and We Explore Canada; and in her weekly travel newsletter, The Weekly Traveller.