Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
City Guide: Charleston, SC
36
items By
Things to see and do in this city which blends city and beach so very well. View this list in Map view to see where the recommendations are located!
Map
Sections
5
Shops & Restaurants
Free Activities
Historic Sites
Paid Activities
Hotels
Shops & Restaurants
Where to bu
Moissanite custom jewelers; need to make showing appointment, no walk ins permitted. It’s a small space and there are only so many showroom spaces. Super well-priced and you can design everything down to the cut of the stone. I love the ring I design...
East West Gem Co.
Also available at Charleston City Market.
I think these are excellent biscuits, fantastic with sausage gravy and jams.
I think these are excellent biscuits, fantastic with sausage gravy and jams.
Callie's Hot Little Biscuit
Seafood on the water's edge, perfect for an evening meal with a view!
Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar
The mac and cheese looks good, but I haven't been yet to tell you personally how this BBQ spot is.
Rodney Scott's BBQ
French destination with a limited, rotating menu. Each seating allows you to choose between 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 dessert options. Reservations for indoor or outdoor dining available
OUR PLACE | chez-nous-html - Charleston
Crisp, golden-fried fresh catch and fixin's.
Dave's Carry-Out
Oysters, fish, Peruvian chicken, inventive hot dog combinations, and doughnuts. Honestly, this place has it all!
Bar George
Known for soul food classics like crab and shrimp fried rice and fried chicken. Primarily a to-go location. If you're in the south, why not try good soul food.
Hannibal's Kitchen
Owned and operated by the daughters of the founder; $8 for a meat and two sides. Fried chicken, fried pork chops, oxtail, fried fish.
Bertha's Kitchen
Open daily 7a-6p, try the Camellias cake - it was so good! Who said dessert had to be after dinner?
La Pâtisserie
Apple cider doughnuts and cupcakes - stop by for a dessert and then keep walking around while you debate whether to go back and get something else
Sugar Bakeshop
Recommended by all of Katie's coworkers, but we haven't checked this out ourselves yet. We do plan to check it out on our next trip down!
167 Raw Oyster Bar
Can't go wrong with oysters and fried chicken - they were so good! Classic combination for a southern restaurant on the water :)
Leon's
Delicious crab pots and an outdoor rooftop dining area overlooking the historic city market. I've been here on every visit to the city and it's probably going to be on my visit list for the future visits too.
Charleston Crab House
My first ever crab was here on the patio - fantastic crab pots and excellent frozen drinks. Get the crabby monkey for some dessert with dinner.
The Crab Shack
Stellar Italian food & really good cocktails. Ate dinner here one night and wasn't disappointed.
Melfi's
Incredible - best food in Charleston. I love spicy things, and this was the perfect amount of spicy without feeling uncomfortable. Get the okonomyaki cabbage pancake & you won't be disappointed.
Xiao Bao Biscuit
Free samples all day! Pretty good cookies - and there are two locations that you can walk between to get even more if you want to!
Byrd's Famous Cookies
Free Activities
Limited street parking available; open 9:30a to 6p daily. Look for tiles displayed on particular vendor stations that state “Certified Authentic: Handmade in Charleston”
Historic Charleston City Market
Limited street parking, more lots available closer to Waterfront Park. Free DASH bus (#211) provides service to Waterfront Park and East Bay Street.
The Battery
Beautiful around sunset
Park somewhere closer to shops and restaurants and stroll until you reach the park around sunset. Spend some time appreciating the natural beauty of this area before heading back for dinner reservations. Or, come after dinner with an ice cream or oth...
Park somewhere closer to shops and restaurants and stroll until you reach the park around sunset. Spend some time appreciating the natural beauty of this area before heading back for dinner reservations. Or, come after dinner with an ice cream or oth...
Joe Riley Waterfront Park
More than a dozen brightly painted historic homes dating back to mid 1700
You'll definitely see people taking pictures, but remember that there are people actually living in these homes and don't do anything that you wouldn't want done to you home!
You'll definitely see people taking pictures, but remember that there are people actually living in these homes and don't do anything that you wouldn't want done to you home!
Rainbow Row
Said to be the largest live oak east of the Mississippi
It's free - may as well go see a bit of history! I also think the area around this tree have developed well with lots of small restaurants and shops to pop into to turn this into a true afternoon activity
It's free - may as well go see a bit of history! I also think the area around this tree have developed well with lots of small restaurants and shops to pop into to turn this into a true afternoon activity
Angel Oak Tree
Historic Sites
Overview of Activities as compiled by USN Travel
Use this as a starting point if you're trying to figure out what is a must-see and don't trust my recommendations :)
Use this as a starting point if you're trying to figure out what is a must-see and don't trust my recommendations :)
The 26 Best Things to Do When You Visit Charleston, SC
Mon-Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Sun 12 p.m..-5 p.m
$26 for 13 and older
Admission includes entry onto the grounds and the first floor of the mansion, guided wagon tours (if available), outdoor presentations on slavery and Gullah culture, entry to the slavery exhibits and more.
$26 for 13 and older
Admission includes entry onto the grounds and the first floor of the mansion, guided wagon tours (if available), outdoor presentations on slavery and Gullah culture, entry to the slavery exhibits and more.
Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens
Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Entrance costs $20 for adults
Admission includes access to guided tours every hour from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. You'll also have the option to take a self-guided tour by downloading the plantation's app on your phone.
Past visitors praised McLeod Plantation for its accuracy in conveying the true history of enslaved people in the South. Reviewers appreciated that the tour guides didn't shy away from the grim realities of slavery or try to cover up the difficult det...
Admission includes access to guided tours every hour from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. You'll also have the option to take a self-guided tour by downloading the plantation's app on your phone.
Past visitors praised McLeod Plantation for its accuracy in conveying the true history of enslaved people in the South. Reviewers appreciated that the tour guides didn't shy away from the grim realities of slavery or try to cover up the difficult det...
McLeod Plantation Historic Site
$15 for adults, 10p - 5p daily (last admission 4:15p). Grounds include stables, kitchens, and slave quarters (original paint and flooring). Self-guided audio tour included with admission.
Aiken-Rhett House Museum
$8 admission; Mon - Sat 9a to 5p
After international slave trade was banned, Charleston became one of the major centers in the domestic slave trading system. This is possibly the only known building used as a slave auction site in South Carolina still in existence.
First African-American slave museum often staffed by individuals who trace their history to the enslaved people of Charleston.
After international slave trade was banned, Charleston became one of the major centers in the domestic slave trading system. This is possibly the only known building used as a slave auction site in South Carolina still in existence.
First African-American slave museum often staffed by individuals who trace their history to the enslaved people of Charleston.
Old Slave Mart Museum
Everyday 9-5p; adults general admission $29, less for individual activities. Gorgeous gardens full of bridges and other decorative functional items. Grounds ticket includes historic slave homes which were occupied until the 1960s. Really interesting ...
Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
Paid Activities
$35 with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance; 90 min walking tour ending in exclusive after-hour access to Unitarian Church Graveyard
Spooky history abounds in a city that was once home to a thriving enslaved persons market. How could it not with that kind of history?
Spooky history abounds in a city that was once home to a thriving enslaved persons market. How could it not with that kind of history?
Ghosts of Charleston Night-Time Walking Tour with Unitarian Church Graveyard
$38 only available Monday or Wednesday evening
Get ready for a trip that's a little bit spooky and a little bit picturesque!
Get ready for a trip that's a little bit spooky and a little bit picturesque!
Narrated Haunted Ghost Cruise of Charleston Harbor
$30 / adult; 9:30a or 10:30a or 1p or 2p options only
A guided tour of the history of Charleston should be on your to-do list when visiting a city that has such a rich history!
A guided tour of the history of Charleston should be on your to-do list when visiting a city that has such a rich history!
French Quarter Historic Charleston Walk
Hugh is the man and built a really awesome ropes course! Fun for all skill levels and just great vibes with the music as well.
Wild Blue Ropes Adventure Park
The Witch's Attic escape room was really creepy, in a good way! We almost didn't get out
Escape in 60
Hotels
Convenient location right outside of downtown; slightly dated bathrooms but gets the job done at a decent price.
Residence Inn by Marriott Charleston Riverview
Pricy, but best hotel in Charleston. Easy walking distance to the market area and comes with a lot of great perks, like free drinks and an awesome courtyard area to lounge in.
Emeline