A Must Read for 1st Time Charleston Visitors
- lisa71541
- Dec 28, 2023
- 7 min read
If you are planning a trip to Charleston, you need to read this visitor guide first.
Southern charm, tasty food, rooftop bars, boutique shopping, and beaches...what more could you ask for? Charleston has it all! It also has the friendliest locals around. We heard many stories of how strangers came together to help their neighbors during storms or hardships and everyone we passed in the street greeted us.
The city is also easy to navigate. By the start of day 2 we had already learned our way around. This is a safe city, of course if you are traveling solo I would not wander around in dark lit places at night and watch your alcohol intake and never share the location of where you are staying.
When should I visit?
Charleston is right on the water, but it is also extremely hot in the summer. It will also be extremely crowded during the summer months and restaurants and tours will be harder to book. This is also an area with lots of walking and outdoor dining, which is not ideal in the hot Carolina sun. In addition, Charleston is basically sea level and if there are storm surges the city floods easily. So, avoiding any hurricane times would be recommended as well. I would stick with visiting in the spring or fall.
We were there in late September and the temperature was in the mid 80s, but the evenings were in the mid 70s which was perfect for a dress and patio dining.
How to get there?
Flying into the Charleston airport is easy and the airport itself is relatively small. The airport is about 15 min from the historic district of Charleston. I recommend staying in the French Quarter in the Historic District. This will allow you to practically walk to the key sites, wander along the quaint cobblestone streets, dine on some of the best food and visit some of the best bars. If you decide to take a day trip outside of the city, it is easy and inexpensive to grab an Uber.
Where to Stay?
The historic district is 90% walkable to everything you would want to see. We were able to walk everywhere we went downtown, except the Southbound restaurant. We took an Uber that was around $13 each way. They also have pedicabs (bike taxis) that can take you around the French Quarter. The area is safe and the perfect spot to explore without a plan. The alleys have so much character and you will find some hidden gems of character and architecture by getting lost in the charm of the city.
The Spectator Hotel
There are plenty of great hotel options in the historic district, we stayed at The Spectator, which is a boutique hotel right next to the Charleston market, nestled in between Queen Street and East Bay Street. ranked as the #5 hotel in the continental US and #98 in the world by Travel & Leisure.
Being a boutique hotel, it is quaint and has a lot of personal touches and service. One of my favorites Is the butler service they provide. Yes, each guest has a personal butler. True definition of Southern Hospitality.
Our butler escorted us up to our room, showed us the room features, took care of any steaming, and helped us secure a couple of key reservations. One of which was a semi-private historic walking tour around Charleston by a local that we would not have found on our own.
The room had some great features, such as double sink with a ton of counter space, a towel warmer, phone sanitizer & charger, sound machine, fully stocked mini fridge with great drink options. The bed and pillows were incredibly comfortable and the personalized butler service was better than a hotel concierge. I have a room tour on my IG Charleston high light reel.
What other hotel amenities do they offer?
There is not an on-site restaurant although they do provide room service. It was prompt. We asked for a 7:30 -8am coffee and smoothie delivery two mornings of our visit and it was at our door at 7:30am. The smoothies and coffee were delicious! I have a full room tour on my Instagram highlight reel.
Alternative Hotel:
Charleston Place- If you are looking for a larger hotel with restaurants on-site and where you might have the chance to spot a celebrity, I would recommend the Charleston Place hotel. This is a classic and timeless hotel with a rooftop pool, spa, and award-winning dining and a very stately on-site bar.
How long should I plan to stay?
If you are coming for the food, you could easily stay for a week eat a different spot and have a delicious food for every meal. But realistically you could easily cover all the sites in 2 days. If you want to do a beach day or visit any of the plantations, you should tack on another 1-2 days.
What Should I Visit Outside of the Historic Area?
For planning, you can expect one plantation will take you at least ½ a day. The big 3 plantations are all together in a row so if you want to do more than one you can visit them back-to-back on the same day.
Magnolia Place
Middleton Place
Drayton Hall
Are three of the above plantations are only a couple of miles from one another. It is very easy to grab an uber from any of these locations. If you are not sure which to visit, Magnolia Place is the most popular and Middleton Place was the one that was recommended to us by the locals. Middleton has a delicious restaurant on-site too. All of them will offer self-walking or guided tours.
The locals let us know Boone Plantation was more commercialized than the rest. However, this is where you will find the famous Avenue of the Oaks and where The Notebook was filmed. If you are visiting this plantation, it would be a perfect day to also visit Sullivans Island as they are an easy Uber drive from one another.
Beach Time
You may not realize it, but Charleston is right next to the water. In fact, a fun fact, Charleston is only 19 feet above sea level. My favorite beach to visit is Sullivans Beach on Sullivans Island. The beach is pristine and less frequented than Foley Beach. To access the beach, go to Mile Marker 22 for the easiest public beach access. Check out where to eat on Sullivans Island on my blog post Where to Dine in Charleston.
What Are Must Do's?
Book a carriage Ride
This is a great way to get your bearings in a new area. It may also highlight other areas you would like to visit or knock some spots off your list. There are so many tours to choose from. I recommend not grabbing one sitting by the side of the road, as they will charge you a higher price than one of the larger companies. We used Old South Carriage located on Anson Street. They also have rental kiosks located throughout Charleston. The cost is very reasonable, at the time we went it was $40/person for a 60-minute ride and tours leave every 15-20 minutes. You do not need to book in advance.
For my animal lovers, do not worry, the horses are well cared for here. The horses are retired Amish farm work horses. They are built for pulling heavy equipment and plows. Twice as much weight as a carriage full of visitors. They are also only worked 3 days in a row and then have 3 days off. The horses are also retired earlier than expected and adopted by families that allow them to relax for the remaining many years of their lives.
Walking Tours
If you prefer a walking tour, and I highly recommend it. There are plenty you can find on Viator and GetYourGuide. However, our butler secured this tour as he knows the operators. Martha, from Charleston Perspective was amazing. She runs the tour company with her other 2 cousins whose families have grown up in Charleston. It is a 90-minute tour, was semi-private and was only $38/person (tipping is encouraged). We were taken down neighborhood streets with beautiful homes that we would have missed otherwise. Dave loved the history that was given on how historic homes are treated in Charleston and the stories of how this city handles all the XXX it endures between earthquakes, storm surges and ageing of historic buildings. There are many benefits to smaller group tours. It is much easier to hear the guide and you get a more personalized tour and usually get to cover more group when there are less people and less questions.
What sites to see in Historic Charleston:
I am sure you have heard of Rainbow Row, which is a street of brightly colored homes. It is definitely Instagram worthy. This town offers so much character with its historic and landmarked homes.
Charleston Market- walk the blocks of Charleston Market full of vendors with unique gifts and make sure you check out the stores on the bordering streets.
Head to Pineapple Fountain and walk through Waterfront Park along the bay.
The bookends of the market is E Bay, which has a lot of great restaurants and bars and on the other end is King Street which has both luxury and boutique shopping.
While on King Street, stop into the Charleston Place hotel. It is beautiful inside and if you happen to be there in the evening, and you are an equesterian lover, they have a beautiful bar.
The US Customs Building on E. Bay street is a working Customs department.
Once you are on E Bay Street, take Queen Street all the way up to Meeting Street.
Walk in and out of art galleries and shops along Queen.
Stroll along both Meeting and Queen Street. Make sure you head down alleys.
Head down Philadelphia Alley off Queen Street. Be careful, if you blink you will miss it.
Visit St. Phillips Cemetery on the corner of Meeting & Broad Street. It sounds eerie but you will see gravestones from the 1700’s. It is a small graveyard behind a beautiful church that is open to the public during the day.
Meander up and down Church Street. Stop in and tour Dock Street Theatre. Walk in Huguenot Church.
Make sure to top at the corner of Church and Chalmers Street. The cobblestones are beautiful, and this is a great street for photos.
If you are a Harry Potter fan, check out the addresses on the alley ways. Any residence or business that has an address on an alley has a unique house #.
When you are traveling abroad or to Disney you need to plan. But in this beautiful town, I would have a list of a few things you want to do, secure key reservations but then leave yourself time to just explore and get lost. Enjoy this romantic and charming city.
If you would like food recommendations, check out my blog post Where to Dine in Charleston.
Tell me below what your favorite part of the city is?
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