Charleston has always been one of my favorite places to visit. I’ve only been twice (once with my mom back in college, and then most recently a few weeks ago), and I’m always found it to be one of the most charming, beautiful, and obviously delicious cities I’ve been to in the US. I was only there for a few days, so I wanted to pul together a Charleston travel guide of what I’d recommend doing if you’re only in town for a few days! There’s so much to do that it’s hard to narrow it down to one short list, but here are a few places I truly loved while I was in town!

Charleston Travel Guide:

Places to see and things to do:

When we were in Charleston, COVID was obviously a bit of a complicating factor, but one of the great things about Charleston is that it’s relatively easy to walk everywhere and see some of the historical places that make Charleston so special. We checked out a few of the self-walking tours (here’s a great resource we liked!) and made sure to stop at a few the places I loved from last time too.

Magnolia Cemetery:

This is one of the most beautiful cemeteries in Charleston (and the Spanish moss in the trees made it one of the most beautiful I’ve seen!). It’s located in downtown Charleston, and is a nice little walk around the cemetery and other local parks and shops close by. The cemetery is the oldest in Charleston and is the final resting place for many politicians and prominent families from the area – and features lots of pretty Victorian architecture and features that make it worth lingering around in. Around the corner, there’s also a cute little park for some more walking and checking out even more (!!!) Spanish moss. 

Charleston Waterfront Park & Pineapple Fountain:

One of the most iconic (and Instagramable) places in Charleston is the Pineapple fountain located in the waterfront park. Pineapples have always been a symbol of southern hospitality, and was erected in 1990 after Hurricane Hugo, and since then has been a location for weddings, engagement photos, and a popular spot for tourists.

If you continue to walk down the park, you’ll pretty quickly hit The Battery, another Charleston landmark that is a defensive seawall and promenade in the city. It was originally named after for a civil-war coastal defense artillery battery, and is relatively long, stretching on the lower shored of the Charleston peninsula.

While you’re in the area, also check out the rainbow row of homes that are another iconic site in the city. It’s a row of homes north of Tradd St. and south of Elliot St. on East Bay Street, originally painted in the early 1900’s to renovate them. Inspired by the bright colors in the Caribbean, the owners created a rainbow of pastel colors that still are maintained in present day. 

Exploring King Street:

King Street is basically the downtown street to visit for shopping and eating at many of the most popular restaurants in Charleston. The street is iconic to the city, and has been a popular spot for locals and visitors alike for over 300 years. King Street is so large that there’s multiple districts within the area:  Lower King Street Antiques District, Middle King Street Fashion District, and Upper King Street Design and Dining District. If you’re looking to just go shopping and eating, the upper district is probably your best bet, but I love walking down the full street in the afternoon to wander around local shops, see the beautiful architecture, and take your time stopping for drinks, treats and picking up a few things for yourself, and souvenirs for friends (if you’re feeling generous!). 

Visiting the Local Beaches and Islands:

Unlike last time I went to Charleston, this time I tried to explore a little more outside the city to check out the beaches nearby! We traveled with my puppy, so we needed to find ways to get him tired in the morning to make sure the rest of the trip went relatively smoothly 🙂

We stayed about 10 minutes away from Folly Beach, so we spent most mornings with a cup of coffee walking up and down the beach with our pup. Folly Beach actually has a super cute “downtown” area, filled with coffee shops, taco stands and seafood restaurants that makes it a great afternoon trip to explore.

Sullivan’s Island is the other direction from Folly Beach, but another beautiful (if not more beautiful) beach to explore. Fun fact – Edgar Allen Poe spent a year living in Sullivan’s Island, so there’s lots of mementos to his stay in the town, including a few restaurants and naming the local library after him. If you can only pick one beach, I’d recommend Sullivan’s Island since it’s a bit more scenic, but both are great options for an afternoon or full day trip. 

Where to Eat & Drink in Charleston:

Obviously no Charleston travel guide is complete without eating and drinking your way through the city! Charleston is known as the southern food capital of the US, and it delivers with so many incredible restaurants, fresh seafood, delicious drinks and more. While we only went to a few places while we were in town, I also got a few incredible recommendations from friends who live in the area and frequent visitors to make my Charleston travel guide a bit more robust in the eating department 😉

Where to eat:

We went to a few places we loved when we were in the city that made it into our Charleston travel guide –

• 167 Raw: Delicious seafood – including some of the best fish tacos I’ve ever had! They have daily specials like ceviche, tacos, a daily market salad and sandwich and everything we ate was delicious. The cocktails are not to be missed either, and they have a lovely COVID friendly patio if you don’t want to sit at the bar!
• Felix: Another spot we went to on our first night – they have delicious cocktails, daily wine specials and a French inspired menu. This place would also be great for brunch too!
• Frannie and the Fox: This was recommended by multiple people who live or frequent Charleston, and it delivered! Another great COVID-friendly option since they have a huge patio and fireplace, and it’s a super large space! The food is wood-fire Italian inspired, with a flair of seafood in true Charleston style. The Taleggio pizza and Rigatoni were favorites from us.
• The Ordinary: We ended up having to cancel our reservation because it was raining and we were with our dog, but from my friend who visits often, she said this was her and her boyfriend’s favorite place in Charleston! They’re known for amazing seafood (and seafood towers!) and have a beautiful outdoor patio right off King Street.
• Xiao Bao Biscuits: Instead of going to The Ordinary, we ordered take out from Xio Bao Biscuits, and had a delicious dinner at our Air BnB. We ordered their famous savory pancake (you have to order it!), dumplings (also delish!), and some curry noodles (which we just OK). Would love to go back on my next visit and dine in, in a post COVID world.
• The Grocery: Another place we wanted to go to that was highly recommended, they’re known for delicious farm to table dishes and a beautiful ambiance. Another great place right off King Street!
• Melfies: An Italian supper club-esque spot that was recommended to us by multiple people, this is another spot we wish we could have experienced! Their pizza is supposed to be phenomenal, and is first on my list when we’re back in the city!
•  Little Jacks: Named one of the best burgers in the US, this place is super cute and casual for a lunchtime spot for a burger, beer and a cocktail!

Where to Drink:

• Prohibition: A cute cocktail bar that nods to the 1920’s prohibition, they serve up classic cocktails
• The Dewberry: Another heavily recommended bar, with amazing cocktails and food. Stop here for a drink outside on their beautiful patio or rooftop and spend a few hours enjoying the view.
• Dalila’s: A super cute 1950’s inspired cocktail bar that makes their own syrups and focuses on seasonal cocktails from scratch. Inspired by Caribbean flavors, all the cocktails we tried were delicious.

Where to Drink Coffee:

• Harken Cafe: I met my friend Shanley here and it was one of the cutest coffee shops I’ve ever been to! They have delicious drinks, healthy meals, and a bunch of vegan and GF desserts that were all amazing. They also have a back porch area, which was a great place to hang that was COIVD friendly.
• Sugar Bakery and Cafe: At some point I’m sure you’ve seen this place on Instagram, but it’s the cutest little bakery filled with indulgent cookies, cupcakes and coffee. We ordered a build your own four pack of cupcakes and picked up a chocolate chip cookie (one of the best I’ve had!) and a dog treat Milo loved. Swing by for an afternoon treat, or on the way out of the city as a sweet souvenir.
• Harbinger Cafe: Another place I wish we could have gone to, but we didn’t have enough time! This coffee shop was another that was recommended multiple times, and it looks super adorable. Adding it to my list for when I’m back!

Where to Stay:

Okay, this is where my Charleston travel guide could use a little more help, but I really only stayed in Air BnB’s due to COVID (and generally trying to stay as far away from being in small, enclosed places as possible!)

We stayed at this super cute Air BnB that was about 10 minutes from downtown, and 10 minutes from Folly Beach, which was perfect for us since we had a car and wanted to exercise the pup! We got a tiny home that was spacious with two bedrooms, a nice kitchen and a private patio, which was lovely and perfect for us for a few days.

If I was to go back (without the dog!) I’d definitely stay at one of the properties at Guesthouse Charleston (pictured above!). I went to tour and take some photos since my friend Shanley was working with them, and the location is basically a 5 minute walk to downtown (so convenient!). Plus they’re decorated beautifully, and they’re great if you’re eventually planning to travel with a large party since there’s multiple bedrooms and a lot of the units can be converted to adjoined units. You can find their availability here!

Okay, so that was quite a lot of info for a weekend, but there’s so much to see and do that I wanted to make my Charleston travel guide as comprehensive as possible! Let me know if you have any questions about Charleston (happy to give any advice) – you can always email me at charminglystyled@gmail.com. And if there’s anything you think I missed, feel free to tell me what else I should include in my Charleston travel guide too!