Travel Guide: Charleston, South Carolina

A charming city with colorful, historic buildings and tasty Southern cuisine

I visited Charleston this summer with my family and would certainly visit again. The city is super cute, with historic, colorful buildings and flowers. It also has a southern, elegant allure. This destination is great for all types of trips, but I do think it would make a great bachelorette or girls only trip.

In this post, I’ll share ideas for things to do and places to eat and shop to help make your trip planning more seamless.

So, let’s get started!

Where to Stay

Charleston is divided into several areas, each with a unique atomosphere. However, I recommend staying in either the Downtown or Mount Pleasant areas. They are more centrally located, so they are closer to the airport and the bulk of what I discuss in this post.

1). Downtown

Shopping, Beautiful buildings, Rainbow Row, the battery, walking distance of everything, King Street

We stayed at this 5-bedroom, 4.5-bathroom Airbnb in Downtown Charleston. I give it a five-star rating. It was clean, spacious, renovated, a short walk from King Street, and had coffee and all kitchen necessities.

2). Mount Pleasant / Sullivan’s Island (10-15 minute drive from Downtown)

more secluded beach, Posh beach town, gorgeous homes

3). James Island / Folly Beach (15-20 minute drive from Downtown)

Surf shack vibe, a typical beach town

4). Johns Island / Kiawah Island (20-40 minute drive from Downtown)

Private beach, Golf resort

Getting Around

We flew into the Charleston International Airport, which was about a 15-minute drive to downtown.

We got a rental car, but because our Airbnb was near King Street, everything was within walking distance, so having a car was not really necessary. However, having a car was nice for our drive to Sullivan’s Island, so I recommend getting one to explore more of the areas I mentioned above. Uber is also readily available and there are bikes for rent. I think it would be fun to rent a bike for a day to explore downtown Charleston.

Where to Eat and Drink

Breakfast

• Holey City Bagels
• Millers All Day ~ amazing brunch!
• Magnolias

Lunch

• Lewis Barbeque
• Caviar and Bananas

Dinner

• Poogan’s Porch
• Lenoir
• Church and Union ~ unique, cool atmosphere
• Henry’s On The Market ~ live country music

Dessert

• Sugar Bakeshop
• La Pâtisserie
• Peace Pie
• Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Coffee

• The Daily
• Island Provisions
• Bitty and Beau’s Coffee
• Clerks Coffee Company
• Highfalutin Coffee Roasters
• The Rise Coffee Bar
• Mudhouse

Things to Do

Spa Service / Self-Care Day

A fun thing to do on your trip is schedule a personal care appointment, whether that is getting your hair and makeup done, eyebrow tinting, massage, manicure/pedicure, etc. Traveling is a form of self-care, so why not have a salon or spa day?

My mom, sisters, and I got our hair and makeup done at The Beacon!

Photoshoot

The same day we got our hair and makeup done, we had a photoshoot with a local photographer, named Dennis. We booked the photo session through Airbnb. This was such a neat experience and I highly recommend looking into booking a photoshoot when traveling. The photos truly captured Charleston and now we have beautiful family photos to remember this trip!

Our photographer was amazing! He made the session fun and knew all the good spots. He took us to Rainbow Row, White Point Garden, and Dock Street Theater for vibrant, colorful, historic photos that perfectly captured Charleston’s charm. Check out Dennis’ Instagram and website to see other photos and book your session with him.

The Battery, Rainbow Row, and White Point Garden

Watch my mini running vlog here for a quick glimpse of these places.

Take a Stroll on King Street

Shopping, beautiful architecture, and fine dining

Paddleboard at Shem Creek

My sister and I rented a paddleboard from Nature Adventures. You can use the paddleboard for up to three hours. If you get lucky, you may see dolphins! My sister and I didn’t see any, but we saw a sea turtle!

Explore Mount Pleasant and Sullivan’s Island

Sullivan’s Island is only a 15-20 minute drive from downtown. When you arrive there is a small, paid parking lot that is a short walk to the beach. The beach here is more secluded, with tide pools. There are also cute restaurants on surf shops along the way. The houses in this area are gorgeous estates.

Visit Folly Beach

We didn’t get to visit Folly Beach, but if I go back to Charleston this is on my list of things to do. A local told me the difference between Sullivan’s Island and Folly Beach is that Sullivan’s Island is more secluded with a “posh” ambiance whereas Folly Beach is what you think of for a typical surf town, with surf shack vibes.

Conclusion

Charleston, known for its charm and history is a fantastic travel destination. I hope this post is helpful in planning your trip.

Madison