11 Best Things To Do in Charleston, SC

Charleston is a lively city full of architecture, art, history, museums, and delicious food. From spending time on the water, to walking around the beautiful and clean downtown, to some fun spots to eat, here are 11 recommendations on places to visit while in town!

1. Fort Sumter

Fort Sumter should be at the top of the list for any history buff! Not only is it full of rich history, but the ride over is as scenic as they come. A 30-minute ferry ride gets you over to the island while watching pelicans dive into the water or fly in formation above the water. Once on the island, you can listen to a 10-minute history detailing how the first shots of the Civil War were fired there, the 36-hour bombardment on the Fort, and the bold request of Robert Anderson as he surrendered. My favorite bit of history I learned was how they chose to end the war here with a flag-raising ceremony, creating a beautiful full-circle moment in the war’s history. Not only that, but reporters and spectators could walk from Charleston to Fort Sumter without ever getting wet because so many boats were lined up to watch the raising of the flag.

2. Charleston City Night Market

The Charleston City Night Market runs on Friday and Saturday nights from 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm. It’s located in multiple red brick buildings between Church Street and Easy Bay Street. Similar to a farmer’s market, you can find all kinds of goodies here, from the classics like art, jewelry, and soap to unique items like BBQ sauce, children’s books, and puzzles. My favorite vendor was a lady selling prints of fish. Her father would catch the fish, and then she would slab them up with ink, stick them to a piece of paper, and peel it off for an outline of the fish complete with scales, its tail, fins, and eye. While I loved this concept, I opted for an art piece to commemorate my time in Charleston: a painting of some beautiful downtown windows complete with light blue shutters and window planters overflowing with a variety of flowers.

3. Buxton Books

A popular downtown bookstore, Buxton Books has every genre you may need while visiting. From fiction, to romance, to cooking and even a section dedicated to books with author signatures! I pick up a signed copy of A.J. Finn’s new book, End of Story, and I can’t wait to dive in and read it. If you enjoy perusing a good indie bookstore, definitely check out their website for upcoming events, as they may have a signing while you’re in town.

4. Gingerline

I usually like to make reservations when I am traveling solo, but I stumbled across this place when I was walking around the downtown area and had to try it out! It has a nice combination of indoor and outdoor seating to go with their coastal menu. I recommend the “Classic Cubano” with house chips and an unsweet tea! From cute glasses, to a nice atmosphere, and yummy food, this is a place you will want to check out!

5. Carmella’s Cafe and Dessert Bar

I went to Carmella’s on my first night in Charleston. Located a block away from the water, this place is a dessert shop and bar. They had quite a few dessert options from cakes like cannoli, carrot, and mixed berry; to cookies like lemon ricotta and strawberry cheesecake; to just your normal cheesecake, there are quite a few options on this menu for everyone. I got their hummingbird cake, which had a perfect texture and was covered in a delicious sweet cream cheese frosting.

6. Charleston Harbor Marina

Walking along the backside of the Charleston Marina, you will come across a few places giving tours on the water. I booked my trip with Charleston Harbor Tours, which takes you out to the cusp of the Atlantic Ocean while giving brief tidbits of Charleston history on your tour, including the eye-popping prices of homes on Sullivan’s Island and old maritime lore. If there are any OBX fans out there, you might recognize their boat as the ferry John B. and Sarah Cameron took in Season 1. The last destination is directly underneath the bridge where they honk their horn and the echo reverberates under the concrete!

7. Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is one of the most beautiful churches I’ve ever visited. The roof is a dreamy, gold constellation pattern on top of a pastel navy. The side walls are either a soft red or a light yellow, making for the perfect combination of primary colors. The cathedral was founded in 1821, which is detailed on a historical street sign near the church. The red-brick exterior goes so high that your head has to be parallel with the ground for even a glimpse at the top, and the cut-outs and geometric design make it an architectural must-see.

8. Rudy Royale

Rudy Royale is a southern restaurant specializing in fried chicken. They have a lot of fun takes on classic dishes including the one I got: General Rudy’s Chicken. This included yummy fried chicken over a bed of jasmine rice, broccoli, and sesame seeds. Staying on theme, they have many variations of “Rudy” drinks and a few dessert options to pick from. I recommend the Strawberry Shortcake!

9. Rainbow Row

A Charleston staple. Need I say more?

10. Magnolia Plantation

Take a break from downtown and head North to Magnolia Plantation! Complete with gorgeous landscaping and never-ending greenery, it is not what I expected. I hopped on their little train trolley, which goes around the grounds for a nature tour. You will see multiple bodies of water covered in duckweed and the heads and tail tips of two to three-foot alligators popping out. They even built little ramps in the water for them to rest on. Other than the wildlife, there are plenty of flowers and trees, including one of my favorite flowers: delphinium. In addition, mid-April to mid-May is when their Magnolia trees are starting to bloom. After my train ride, I took a tour of the house and learned about how the original plantation house burnt down from a lightning strike. Then, the house they built to replace it burnt down from a fire started by Union soldiers after the war’s end. Eventually, the owner scrounged up as much money as he could to build a very simple, basic house. Nine years later, his daughter built a house around the house and connected them, creating two houses in one. My favorite part was an original painting of Benjamin Franklin hanging in the dining room from the late 1700s, depicting him as quite the lady’s man.

11. Meyer Vogl Gallery

Charleston is overflowing with art galleries (and I recommend visiting each one), including the Meyer Vogl Gallery. On the corner of Queen and Meeting Street, this gallery displays not only beautiful paintings but one-of-a-kind glass sculptures. Want to know how one-of-a-kind? Imagine glass looking like water. Be sure to make your way to the back and up the stairs so you don’t miss out on any of the amazing artistry in the gallery.

I hope this provides some inspiration for your next trip to Charleston! If you would like to listen to how I planned my itinerary and get a more in-depth look at everything I did while over there, you can listen to my podcast episode on the trip here!