Table of Contents
- 1 Top Things to Do in Charleston
- 1.1 Rent a Bike
- 1.2 Folly Beach
- 1.3 Visit Fort Sumter
- 1.4 Sullivan's Island
- 1.5 Take a Carriage or Walking Tour
- 1.6 Do Some Shopping
- 1.7 Charleston City Market
- 1.8 Isle of Palms
- 1.9 Walk Through the Battery
- 1.10 Explore Magnolia Plantation
- 1.11 Visit Rainbow Row
- 1.12 Middleton Place
- 1.13 Boone Hall Plantation
- 1.14 Tour the Historic Homes
- 1.15 Charleston Museum
- 1.16 The Old Exchange
- 1.17 Visit Angel Oak
- 1.18 Take a Food Tour
- 1.19 USS Yorktown and Patriot's Point
- 1.20 Take a Ghost Tour
- 1.21 Conclusion
- 1.22 PIN IT FOR LATER!
Last updated on November 24th, 2022
Charleston is one of my favorite cities in the United States. It is full of historic homes, delicious food, and southern culture.
The downtown area is bustling with visitors walking the cobblestone streets or spending time walking around the waterfront paths.
Less than 30 minutes from the downtown area you can relax on the beach or take a refreshing dip in the ocean.
There is something to do for everyone here! Charleston is one place that you will want to come back and visit over and over again.
I have come up with 20 things to do in and around Charleston. From museum tours to sandy beaches, I’ve got you covered!
Top Things to Do in Charleston
Rent a Bike
One of the most enjoyable activities is to ride a bike through the city and explore all the quaint alleyways and enjoy the historic homes. There are many bike rental stations by the Holy Spokes company. They can be found around the downtown area where you can grab a bike and peddle away.
Bike rentals are $8 per hour or $20 for the day. Best of all, once you are done you can conveniently deposit back at any location you choose. The bikes even come with a 4-digit pin which you will get with your rental.
You can lock your bike at any time during the day using that code. Download the Mobile App to conveniently reserve your bike and check out the different rental stations.
If you would like a more traditional bike rental, check out The Bicycle Shoppe. Some of the best places to explore by bike are Rainbow Row, the Battery, and Charleston Waterfront Park.
Folly Beach
Folly Beach is one of the more well-known beaches in the area and therefore one of the busiest. To get there from downtown Charleston, take Highway 171 straight there. The drive is about 40 minutes but can be full of traffic during the busier times of year and weekends.
Folly Beach is a great option if you want a more upbeat setting with lots of restaurants and bars to choose from. You will find the majority all along Center Street as well as some cute surf shops.
Folly Beach also has an infinite number of vacation rentals if you want to stay at the beach. What is really nice about Folly Beach is there are lots of activities for families. You can go fishing, paddleboards, kayaking, or just enjoy relaxing on the beach.
Visit Fort Sumter
No trip to Charleston is complete without a visit to Fort Sumter. This is the site of the first shots fired of the Civil War. It was also used during the Spanish-American War, WWI, and WWII.
The Ferry departs from either the Fort Sumter Visitor and Education Center in Downtown Charleston or Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant.
There are only a few departure times that vary based on time of year and location. For updated times check Fort Sumter’s official website. Tickets cost $30 for adults and only $18 for children aged 4-11.
Children under the age of 4 are free. Enjoy a 30-minute cruise on the harbor before stepping foot onto the grounds of Fort Sumter and learning about the heroes who served here.
Sullivan's Island
Sullivan’s Island is another local beach and my personal favorite. Unlike Folly Beach, Sullivan’s Island is much quieter and less busy. There are only a few restaurants in the area and the majority of beachgoers here own beach-side property.
It is also the most luxurious of the three beaches with properties in the million-dollar range. If you are looking for a laid-back setting then Sullivan’s is the perfect place.
They do not have the many restaurants and activities like Folly Beach does. Sullivan’s is meant for complete relaxation. What we loved most was seeing the sailboats go by as we relaxed on the beach while we soaked up the sun.
If you get hungry, it is just a short walk to the restaurants. Obstinate Daughter is my personal favorite, but Poe’s Tavern and Mex 1 Coastal Cantina are all wonderful as well. There are also no hotels or condos on the beach, the only rentals are homes that can be pretty pricey.
If you are going with a large party of people, it is worth the splurge for a house on the beach. There are many accommodations like the Cottages on Charleston Harbor and Charleston Harbor Resort that are only about five minutes from the beach.
Take a Carriage or Walking Tour
Tours are always a great way to learn about a new city, especially if you are not staying for long. Best of all, they make trip planning easier because they take you to the most popular and interesting attractions in the area. One nice thing about tours in Charleston is that many companies offer both carriages and walking tour options.
- Old South Carriage Company offers different tours of downtown Charleston. Their most popular is the Historic Charleston Carriage Tour, but they also have a Haunted Carriage Tour and Walking Tours. For more information on each with prices, check out their website!
- Historic Charleston Walking Tour is a 2-hour tours that takes you around to see all the top attractions in the downtown area. Some stops include City Hall, The Exchange Building, and Dock Street Theatre.
Want more options? Click here for a list of highly-rated Charleston tours.
Do Some Shopping
Charleston is full of interesting boutiques and shops. Two of the main places to go shopping are King Street and the City Market.
The South Part of King Street is where all the boutique shopping is. There is a mix of local novelty shops, antique stores, clothing boutiques, and name-brand stores.
King Street is broken up into three different areas. Lower King Street is where you will find the majority of the antique dealers. Middle King is where the majority of the shopping is found.
The Upper part of King Street is where you will find many popular restaurants and bars.
Charleston City Market
The Charleston City Market is another place you can do to find souvenirs, artwork, antiques, and many other interesting things.
This flea market has been open since the late 1700s and is now a popular shopping attraction for tourists. I recommend visiting in the morning as the market starts shutting down around 4 pm.
Isle of Palms
Isle of Palms is only a few minutes drive from Sullivan and offers the perfect mix of the two. Isle of Palms is another great place to go if you are looking for a beach rental and want more of a lively beach setting.
I would highly recommend renting or chartering a boat. The Isle of Palms Marina has lots of boats to choose from, fishing charters, and boat tours. Boat rentals start from as little as $65 for 2-hours and go up to $650 for a full-day rental.
There are also many wonderful restaurants here. If you find yourself in Isle of Palms, stop by the Acme Lowcountry Kitchen. They have some of the most delicious and pretty reasonably priced seafood dishes.
Isle of Palms has lots of different vacation rentals like Wild Dunes Resort and Isle of Palms Hotels. They have every type of accommodation you could need, from one-bedroom condos to beachfront homes.
The Wild Dunes Resort also has a terrific 36 hole golf course, pools, tennis courts, and bike rentals.
Walk Through the Battery
The Battery is located on the lower end of the downtown area. It was used as an artillery battery. Now it is home to some of the most luxurious and beautiful antebellum homes. The Battery is one of my favorite parts of Charleston.
On our first visit to the city, we spent the afternoon walking around the cobblestone streets and admiring all the homes with their picturesque gardens.
The southernmost part of The Battery is White Point Garden. This grassy area is a great place to relax after a day of sightseeing and perfect for picnics and enjoying the nice summer weather.
Explore Magnolia Plantation
The plantation was first owned by the Drayton family in 1676. It is now open to the public to visit, with lots to see and do. Visitors can tour the house, take a ride around the property, and relax in its beautiful gardens.
You could easily spend half a day here, especially in the gardens. That is my favorite part of the estate. They were opened to the public in the 1870s, but parts of the garden are over 300 years old.
Visit Rainbow Row
Rainbow Row is a street lined with historic pastel-colored houses located South of Broad Street. The colorful homes from 83-107 East Bay Street.
Many of the homes were built back in the 1740s and used by merchants who ran their business on the first floor and then lived on top.
After the Civil War, the area turned into the slums, and it was not until 1931 when Dorothy Legge and her husband Judge Lionel Legge purchased some of the homes to revitalize.
It is not known exactly why the couple decided to paint the homes the pastel colors they are today, but they have become a part of Charleston’s history. It is one of the most famous streets in the city and the best place to take pictures as well!
Middleton Place
Middleton Place is another plantation on the outskirts of the city. This home has a more European feel to it than the others with 110 acres of garden and lush green landscape.
What makes the house special is it doubles as an Inn and has a romantic restaurant for visitors. The 55 room Inn offers modern accommodations and gives guests full access to the full estate.
The museum is open daily from 9 am – 5 pm and visitors can choose between general admission tickets and guided tours.
Boone Hall Plantation
Boone Hall Plantation is one of my favorite historic homes in Charleston. The original building was constructed in 1681 with its famous trees planted in 1743.
The Plantation is known for being featured in the movie “The Notebook”. Originally used as a slave plantation, the museum has made great efforts to create a program to educate visitors about slavery and the plantation’s past.
Guests can also enjoy a stroll through the grounds and purchase fresh produce still grown from on the estate from their market.
Tour the Historic Homes
The Williams Mansion, The Aiken-Rhett House, and Nathanial Russell House are two homes that are open to visitors. Williams Mansion, formerly called the Calhoun Mansion, is a marvelous Italian-style manor with over 24, 000 square feet.
The house consists of 35 rooms, 23 fireplaces, and a grand entrance hall. It has been restored over the years and is open to tours all year round.
The Aiken-Rhett and Nathanial Russell houses are two other wonderfully restored 1800s mansions that belonged to prominent inhabitants of the city. They are both now owned by the Historic Charleston Foundation and can be toured as well.
Charleston Museum
The Charleston Museum is designated America’s first museum and was founded in 1773 under the city’s Library Society. The museum displays historical artifacts that take you through Charleston’s history.
The museum features exhibits about early settlers, the Revolution, and Civil War. The museum also has other unique collections that include antiques from around the world. There are also some hands-on exhibits available for kids.
The Old Exchange
The Old Exchange has a very interesting history and dates back to 1771. It was used as a private residence, prison, post office, city hall, and museum. The museum is now open for the public to visit.
It gives an eye-opening experience about both the good and the bad history of Charleston. Entrance tickets are $12 for adults and $5 for children between 6-12. The Old Exchange is open seven days a week until 5 pm.
FUN FACT: The Old Exchange Building is one of only four structures left where the Constitution was ratified.
Visit Angel Oak
One of the most magical parts of Charleston is its beautiful oak trees. There is one, in particular, called the Angel Oak Tree that draws a lot of visitors each year.
Over 400 years old and more than 65 feet tall, it is an incredible sight. The precise location of the tree is 3688 Angel Oak Road, Johns Island, SC 29455.
It is outside of the downtown area, so many people like to stop and see their tree if they are heading to Kiawah Island or Folly Beach.
Take a Food Tour
One of the best parts of Charleston is its food scene. Some so many award-winning chefs who serve a variety of dishes. The hard part is deciding what to try and where to go.
One way to try and get in as much food tasting as possible is through food tours. I love these types of tours because you get to sample a variety of foods and get to know the culture of the city you are visiting.
- Downtown Charleston Culinary Walking Food Tour is highly rated and will take you to 4 different restaurants around the City Market area. Food tastings are of course part of your ticket, but alcoholic beverages need to be purchased separately.
- Savor the Flavors Walking Food Tour includes a variety of restaurants and food choices around the French Quarter and City Market. It is a great option if you want to try a little bit of everything.
- The Upper King Street Culinary Tour takes you over to Upper King Street where some of the more trendy restaurants are located.
- Half-Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class: If you are a true foodie, this tour is for you. Based on all the 5-star reviews alone, it is easy to see why people are willing to spend a little more for this half-day tour. You will spend four hours and a half walking around the city, followed by a cooking demonstration, and lunch with wine pairing.
USS Yorktown and Patriot's Point
The USS Yorktown was an aircraft carrier that served in WWII. Yorktown received 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation for its participation and victories in the war. Later on, Yorktown served in the Vietnam War.
The ship now is stationed at Patriot’s Point Naval and Maritime Museum along the Charleston harbor.
Along with the USS Yorktown, visitors at Patriot’s Point also hold two other ships, 28 aircraft, and several war exhibits.
Take a Ghost Tour
Charleston is one of the most haunted cities in America, behind Savannah and New Orleans. Ghost Tours are a great way to learn about the different hauntings and provide insightful stories about the people who used to call this city home.
These tours are an interesting way to learn about the darker side of the city’s intriguing history.
- Haunted Evening Carriage Tours: Enjoy a ride around Historic Charleston at night while listening to haunted stories by your guide along the way.
- Haunted Night-Time Walking Tour: If you want a more up close and personal tour, I recommend this walking tour. Your guide will teach you all the local history with some spooky tales along the way.
Conclusion
Charleston is a charming Southern city with so much to offer. From food, quiet beaches, and history, there is something for everyone here. Best of all, it is a place that you can always find new and exciting things. Have a unique thing to do in Charleston that is not on the list? I’d love to hear about it!
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