5 Must-Do’s in Charleston, South Carolina

While living in Greenville (a charming city in the Blue Ridge foothills), I had the opportunity to enjoy a number of easy weekend roadtrips to cities I might otherwise never have explored. One easy ~3 hour weekend roadtrip was Charleston. This historic city is known for its’ charming inns, historic plantations, lovely gardens, colorful architecture, southern style cuisine, barrier islands, and historical attractions. Not surprisingly, it draws history buffs and photographers from around the world.

With so many timeless attractions, this city is one of the best vacation destinations in the South for anyone who loves old architecture. I love exploring old cities across the US and Charleston would recommend checking it out if you live in the vicinity. A while back I saw a poll (I can’t remember where) where the majority of US citizens stated they would pick Charleston if they could live anywhere with money as no object. I am not sure I would agree, but it’s an interesting city to check off your bucket list.

A city for history buffs

The oldest city in the state was established in 1670 by English colonists. The city has preserved much of its’ quaint historical charm, and thus, the downtown still has a lot of character. The historic district is the 2nd largest in the country. There is a lot to explore here, and thus, I recommend at least a weekend trip to take it all in.

Visiting Charleston is like taking a step back in time as most of the city’s stunning old architecture still remains. I really loved walking around and taking the carriage ride to explore the different architectural styles. Walking along historic cobblestone streets, you will notice the refreshing absence of big business and common chains. As you stroll around and immerse yourself in the city’s rich culture, gorgeous architectural wonders surround you in every direction.

From taking a romantic carriage ride amongst the city’s most prominent historical sites, to stepping your toes on the soft sands of a beautiful beach, to enjoying some southern style shrimp and grits, to exploring Civil war history, to hiking amongst gorgeous Spanish moss trees while you take in incredible vistas of cypress swamps, there is something interesting for everyone. My guide will focus on a few of the city’s most iconic attractions for first time visitors.

1. Take a horse drawn carriage ride

The best way to learn more about the city’s rich history is by taking a carriage tour around the gorgeous downtown historic district. Not only will you learn so much more about the town’s history and see gorgeous historic buildings, you will also save your feet some extra stress. As there is a lot to see downtown, any opportunity to cut down your walking a bit helps. I easily put in over 5 miles in a single day exploring.

You will quickly find that there are numerous carriage options. Palmetto Carriage Works is the oldest running company. Visitors have rated it number 1 for a reason. I really loved my tour with them – the tour guides are knowledgeable, entertaining, and personable.

One of 4 possible tours is available. Each tour is selected by random draw as a way to cut down on congestion. Sights of interest could possibly include Rainbow Row (a gorgeous section of colorful row houses), historic churches, beautiful gardens, and historic mansions.

Our tour took us past many of the city’s most architecturally gorgeous churches. One of the city’s nicknames is “The Holy City.” Our tour guide explained that this city was a big supporter of religious freedom, as settlers of various religious denominations arrived from various parts of Europe. This diversity includes St. Michael’s Protestant Episcopal Church, the oldest church in Charleston, and Beth Elohim, the oldest synagogue in America.

Another interesting site we came across, the Old Charleston Jail, once housed a number of infamous criminals. The jail operated between 1802-1939. Toady, it is considered a paranormal hot spot. You may have seen it featured on various TV programs like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures. I recommend any fans of the supernatural to check out the Haunted Jail tour. As a fan of anything spooky, I would love to come back and take a tour. Unfortunately, we were a bit limited on time to squeeze any extra activities into our itinerary.

We learned so many interesting tidbits along this tour and our tour guide was beyond friendly and knowledgeable about the area. I would highly recommend this carriage tour to new visitors. Tickets start at $50 person for adults and $40 for kids. Check Groupon and hotel brochures for special deals. They also offer a nightly ghost tour which sounds pretty cool.

We took a drive around a completely empty tourist district early on a Sunday morning. It really clears out at this time – that’s for sure! This is a great time to explore the architecture without a lot of foot traffic, although most attractions will be closed.

2. Get back to nature at Palmetto Islands County Park

The Low Country region of South Carolina is home to more salt marshes than any other Atlantic state. Numerous species inhabit these marshes including interesting birds such as the Egret, Blue Heron, and Osprey. Any park in the area is a fantastic place to enjoy the incredible low country scenery, as well as birdwatch.

Unfortunately, most tourists come and go without checking out any of the beautiful natural attractions in the area. Palmetto Islands County Park in the charming suburb of Mt Pleasant is a great place to escape the downtown congestion for a bit.

Here, you can enjoy a nature walk or bike ride, watch for alligators, and explore the beautiful preserved wetlands found throughout this region. I loved birdwatching here, although I didn’t see any gators. This is ok by me as I saw my fair share while living in Tampa for many years.

Learn more about the various parks in the region.

3. Explore Rainbow Row & The Battery

Because these 2 architecturally amazing streets are located so close together, you can conveniently plan to visit both at the same time. If your carriage tour does not include a tour of this beautiful area, I highly recommend checking it out for yourself. Mike and I would have walked over separately whether or not the carriage passed by.

Rainbow Row, aka as Painters Row, is an aptly name block of historic brightly colored pastel rowhouses near the waterfront. Although there are a number of colorful buildings scattered about downtown, this is the main area that draws so many photographers. Really, it is a one-of-a-kind photo opp. And, if you time your visit just right, you can catch a glimpse of a historic carriage making its way down this iconic street.

From here, you can take a short stroll over to a waterfront area known as “The Battery.” This area, named after civil-war coastal defense artillery battery, is located at the southern tip of the Charleston peninsula where the Cooper and Ashley Rivers meet. I loved strolling around, enjoying views of palmetto trees and multi million dollar houses (the largest home is 20,000 sq feet!) line one side and the water on the other.

Additionally, you will find pretty fountains, tree-lined paths, and plenty of places to sit and enjoy the Southern sunshine.

4. Shop at Old City Market

This market dates back to the 1790’s which makes it one of the longest running in the country. There is both a daytime and night market. At the night event, you can shop for goods made from over 200 local artists.

The most famous attraction at the day market is the Sweet Grass basket stand. The 300 year old tradition of weaving Gullah Sweetgrass baskets was brought over by enslaved West Africans. Mike and I took a stroll around, enjoying all the locally created products, but we didn’t buy anything. This is one of the city’s more popular attractions, so expect a crowd.

5. Take a stroll along the beach

There are numerous beaches within an easy drive of the city. Summer is a great time to head over to Isles of Palm. As the heat and humid soars to intolerable levels, it’s pretty uncomfortable to do much else. While Folly Beach is great, it’s also the most crowded of the bunch.

Isle of Palms is a nice quiet alternative. Whether you feel like sunbathing, collecting seashells, dipping your feet in the water, or simply taking a nice stroll, this beautiful beach offers a nice long shoreline to do so. There’s plenty of room here so it never feels overcrowded. After a few days on your feet exploring the historic sights, it’s nice to rejuvenate and reconnect with nature.