Charleston, South Carolina, as known as the Holy City, has become one of our favorite spots to visit.The charm & colorful beauty of the city makes it so special! We have been a handful of times now & have done all the research for you! I have so many recommendations and opinions, but this is going to be my nitty gritty basic guide to our favorite city!
Where to stay
Downtown is our favorite location to stay for all of the pedestrian site seeing and so many great restaurants. The farther down the peninsula that you get, the better! There are so many beautiful hotels & inns. Our most recent trip we stayed at Hotel Bennett. It was in the heart of downtown and walking to all of our destinations was easy. If you don't feel like walking, you can hop on a Pedicab right outside of the hotel and be biked around town.
If you are wanting more of a beach vacation, Isle of the Palm, Folly Beach, & Sullivan’s Island have great vacation rentals and are only about 20 minutes away from all the action downtown.
What to do
If you are into history, this is such a great town for you! There is history on every inch of this historic city. Whether you just walk the streets and read the plaques on the side of buildings, or take a tour, you are going to learn so much! I would say our favorite historical tour that we have done is a tour of the inside of a home on The Battery. Homes can date back to the 1700s on the peninsula and have so many amazing stories (& antiques!) inside of them.
The signature Pineapple Fountain (a staple of Charleston) is right on the water and just a few steps away from the oldest liquor store & Rainbow Row (another staple of the historic city). You are also steps away from walking through the old City Market where you can see local vendors & shops! Speaking of shopping, King street is the spot to shop!
Outside of downtown, you can visit plantations, Fort Sumter, local distilleries & so much more. I will include a list at the very end. I would recommend Bulldog Tours for all your touring needs in the city!
And last but not least…
Where to eat
Charleston is a food & beverage town! Known for amazing food & drinks, people come from all over just to enjoy this part of the city! I have a very long list of places that we have been to and love, as well as places that we still want to try. I will mention a few of our favorites and include a list at the end.
The Darling Oyster Bar is one that we keep coming back to. Located on King street, it is easy to walk to and the food is wonderful. They shuck the oysters to order so you are getting fresh (& local) is the freshest way possible. We also think they have the best shrimp!
Fleet Landing is located on the water in an old Navy fleet landing. They have an amazing environment and great food. The stuffed seafood hush puppies are our favorite!
167 Raw, located on King Street, does not take reservations, but it is worth the wait! We sat at the bar for lunch and split a Lobster Roll. They also make amazing cocktails!
Again, these are just a few spots, and it was hard to pick! You cannot go wrong in this town!
We love this city & look forward to going back! I can’t wait to hear what you do in Charleston!
Food
Darling Oyster Bar
Fleet Landing
167 Raw
Coast Bar & Grille
Tommy Condons Irish Pub
Poogans Porch
Callies Hot Little Biscuit
The Ordinary
Husk
SNOB
Church & Union
Kaminsky’s Dessert Bar
Tavern & Table
Drink
The Dewberry Rooftop
Camellias- Champagne Bar
Bourbon and Bubbles
The Victor Social club
The Watch
To Do’s
Shopping on King St. (Candlefish, Grit & Grace, Antique stores, Lake Pajamas, Sewing Down South)
City Market
Bulldog Tours- The Darkside of Charleston or Ghost Tour
Fort Sumter
Angel Oak Tree
Pineapple Fountain & The Battery
The Tavern at Rainbow row- Oldest liquor store
Edmondston- Alston House
Boone Hall Plantation- Where The Notebook was filmed
I have so much more to add! Let me know if you have questions!
XXX
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