How to Spend 3 Nights in Charleston, SC

If you’ve followed my blog, you know that most of our posts focus on family travel.  However, once in a while, my husband and I sneak off for an adult getaway.  Our kids are at the center of all that we do, but taking time to focus on your spouse is important to any marriage!  I surprised my husband and booked us a quick 3-night trip to Charleston, South Carolina to celebrate our 17^th anniversary.

We travel A LOT and the majority of our trips include our kids, but sometimes it’s nice to put ourselves first and do the things that WE want to do! 

Charleston has been on my bucket list for a while.  My husband and I love finding good restaurants or unique places to grab a drink.  If you’re the same, Charleston has you covered!  There are so many fantastic restaurants and bars in Charleston, giving you so many options.  Plus, the city is full of historic charm and beauty making it a perfect little weekend getaway.  In addition, the city is totally walkable, but rideshares are always available if you’re too tired!

Getting around Downtown Charleston

The area referred to as “Charleston” covers a lot of ground.  Since we planned to take in all the historic charm and dine in the most popular restaurants, staying in the downtown historic district made the most sense for us. Hotel prices may be higher than in neighboring cities like Mt. Pleasant, but the time and money you’ll spend going in and out of the city will add up quickly. 

We did tons of walking, but we also utilized Uber when we were tired or didn’t feel like walking.  This is also a much better option over renting a car or taking public transportation.  Hotel parking is EXPENSIVE (it was $42/night at our hotel) and I couldn’t find any significantly cheaper options either.

Car Rental

Since we wanted to venture out of the city, we decided to rent a car for just one day.  I looked at a variety of options, but we used Budget Car Rental, which was only about a 7-minute walk from our hotel. We considered keeping our rental overnight and using it to get back to the airport, but the added cost of parking made a one-day rental our cheapest option ($90).

If you choose to do the same thing, keep in mind that we rented our car on a Monday because we could have the car from 8am to 6pm.  However, weekend hours are limited so you’ll spend about the same on the car, but for less hours since this location does not allow after-hours returns. 

Day 1

We arrived in Charleston around 10:30am and took an Uber to our hotel (Hyatt House Charleston Downtown Historic District), which was around $22.  We planned to just drop our luggage and leave it with the hotel while we explored the city, but they had a room ready for us and let us check in early!

Before our trip, I did tons of research on what to do and where to eat.  There are so many options when it comes to food, but there were a few places that just rose to the top of my list!

Lunch at Poogan’s Porch

Poogan’s Porch is one of those highly rated restaurants.  It’s located in a Victorian townhouse on Queen Street and is known for its Southern comfort food. We sat inside the dining room, but you can sit outside on the porch as well.  If you’re coming during a busy season or during normal lunch or dinner hours, I’d recommend making reservations.  We arrived for our 12:15pm reservation and the wait without a reservation was about an hour.

This restaurant was about a 25-minute walk from our hotel, but we didn’t mind as we got to check out the shops and restaurants available on King Street, which is the main street in Charleston. 

Our food at Poogan’s Porch was great!  I ordered the Chicken and Waffles and my husband got the Chicken Sandwich.  The chicken had a crispy breading with a little kick.  The waffles were drizzled with huckleberry syrup along with cinnamon peaches that were so yummy!  My husband’s sandwich had the same fried chicken with pimento cheese on a brioche bun and was served with seasoned sidewinder fries.  Both meals were fantastic!  The portion sizes were large though—I only ate half of my meal.  I wish we had split a meal and ordered an appetizer to share.

Old South Carriage Tour

After lunch, we initially planned to walk the city, but so many people recommended a carriage tour.  Since the tour company was just a short walk from Poogan’s Porch, we decided to start with that.

On our way to Old South Carriage Company, we wandered through the Charleston City Market.  This historic market is filled with a variety of shops as well as local vendors that set up each day.  You can find unique handmade crafts, foods and sweetgrass baskets. 

We didn’t book our carriage tour in advance, we just walked up, purchased our tickets and were able to hop on the next ride.  I’m sure in some cases a reservation may be necessary, but rain was in the forecast, so we didn’t want to get stuck with tickets on a rainy day. 

While we waited for our tour to board, we checked out the horses. The tour was about an hour long and shared history on the homes, churches and landmarks we passed.

One thing we didn’t realize is that the “zone” you tour is in is complete luck of the draw.  Once you’re boarded, you stop at what looks to be a Bingo machine.  It randomly tells the tour guide which part of the city you’ll visit.  That means that there are a variety of “history lessons” you can get, but if you do this tour more than once, you could end up going to the same area/zone twice.

Tour Highlight – Charleston History

On our tour, we learned that Charleston’s rules for tearing down historic buildings are strict and meant to protect the city’s cultural and architectural heritage.  Demolition of any structure that is 50 years or older requires approval, and in most cases is protected from demolition. 

Even though most of the buildings in Charleston are historic, you will still see newer buildings as well.  A new structure can be built if a previous building has a severe structural instability.  For instance, if a fire burned down a wooden home, a newly built home can take its place.  However, if there was a brick structure that is still structurally sound, the builders will need to build around that structure—they can’t tear it down.  And in cases where more land is needed, homes may be physically moved to other locations to keep them preserved.

You’ll also notice that several buildings have been reinforced due to hurricane damage.  These buildings have large metal washers and bolts where steel piping has been inserted to reinforce the foundation.  These strict rules really do help Charleston to retain its historic character.

Rainbow Row

After our tour, we walked to Rainbow Row.  If you’ve visited San Francisco, you’ve more than likely seen the Painted Ladies.  Rainbow Row is Charleston’s version of pastel-colored homes on East Bay Street. There aren’t many places where a pink or purple house fits in with the rest of the neighborhood, but they do in Charleston!

While we were in the area, we also visited the Tavern at Rainbow Row, which holds the title of the oldest liquor store in the U.S.

Bakehouse Charleston + Philadelphia Alley

Since our flight was so early, we were in need of a pick me up so we stopped at Bakehouse Charleston for a coffee before heading over to Philadelphia Alley as we headed back to our hotel.  This narrow alleyway is tucked away between Church and State Streets and offers a quiet escape from busier parts of the city.  It’s lined with brick buildings and creeping ivy, making it a peaceful place to walk and take in the city’s old-world charm.

Naptime!

We were up around 3am so by 3pm we were exhausted.  We decided to head back to the room and take a nap!  It’s funny how kids love to fight their naps, but I totally enjoy them in my adult life!  It’s amazing how much energy I get from even a quick power nap! 

When I planned our trip, I didn’t want us to be tied down all day with reservations, so I only booked one place each day.  Since we made a lunch reservation at Poogan’s Porch, I kept our options open for dinner.  It was a good thing too because we weren’t very hungry.

Although we felt refreshed and energized after our nap, we decided to grab an Uber to Waterfront Park, where we visited the iconic Pineapple Fountain.  This beloved symbol of Charleston’s hospitality is a perfect spot for pictures.  We enjoyed walking on the pier and taking in the views of the harbor.

Fleet Landing + Carmella’s Cafe

Fleet Landing was on my list of places to grab a drink.  I love a good beach drink, and this was the only spot on the water in the city.  Since we didn’t have the kids, we decided to just grab some seats at the bar.  We ordered drinks and a couple of appetizers to share.  My husband is a huge fan of seafood, but I am not.  He ordered the crab bruschetta and a bowl of She Crab soup.  I ended up eating half of his bruschetta and even had a few bites of his soup.  Both were actually pretty good. 

Even when I am full, I feel like I always have room for dessert!  The dessert menu at Fleet Landing was tempting, but I really wanted to try Carmella’s Café and Dessert Bar so we decided to skip dessert at the restaurant and head over to Carmella’s instead.  The cannoli at Carmela’s was calling my name so that’s what I ordered!  And boy was it delicious!  It reminded me of the cannoli we had in Boston at Mike’s, which was probably the best cannoli I’ve ever eaten!

DIY Walking Tour

After dessert, we decided to walk and explore more of Charleston at sunset.  We walked past the U.S. Customs House as well as historic homes like the John Mc Nellage House and the Jones-Howell House, which are both beautifully preserved examples of 18^th century architecture.  We also passed Goldsmith’s Row and the Colonel William Rhett House.

As we got closer to our hotel, we passed the William Aiken House, which is another mansion that serves as a popular event venue.  As we walked by earlier in the day, we saw a huge tour bus heard them rehearsing “Shut up and Dance with Me.”  We’re not 100% sure, but we think it was a private event where Walk the Moon was playing.  On our walk back to our hotel, we passed by again and caught the event in action. 

Pour Taproom

Connected to our hotel was the Pour Taproom, which is a pay by the ounce draft bar.  When you check in, they give you a key card that activates the taps.  They had over 30 taps to choose from and you can pour as little or as much as you want.  They had a variety of craft beers, plus even some ciders on tap.  I fell in love with this strawberry and lime Rekorderlig cider, while my husband tried several different beers.

Since we were guests at the hotel, we also got a 10% discount by showing our room key.  It was the perfect place to end our evening.  We were sad to find that it was closed on Sunday and Monday—otherwise, we probably would have gone back again!

Day 2

I checked the weather before we left home and it looked like it was going to rain all weekend.  Fortunately, Saturday’s forecast changed and turned out to be a beautiful day.  Sunday, on the other hand, was a different story.

It literally rained in Charleston ALL DAY on Sunday.  Thankfully, it was a drizzle and not a complete downpour, but it didn’t stop.  We had to change our plans a bit, but we didn’t let the rain stop us!  After breakfast, we just started walking.  We had one umbrella but ended up stopping at Target to grab another so we each had our own.

Free Bus

We also utilized the free buses.  There are several bus routes that take you out of the city, but there are also a few free ones that work right in the heart of Charleston.  This wasn’t our first time using public transportation and, for the most part, the city is clean.  However, you will see homeless people ride the bus and smell it too, so just be prepared for that.  It is, however, a nice option when you’re tired or have some icky weather.  The stops were clearly marked and there is an app you can download that shows where the bus is in relation to your stop. 

Miller’s All Day

One of the restaurants on my list was Miller’s All Day.  It’s another highly-rated breakfast and lunch spot, but also had a Banana Bread Mai Tai that I really wanted to try!  When we arrived, the wait was about an hour, but we were able to snag a couple of seats at the bar.  We grabbed drinks and shared a patty melt for lunch (lesson learned from Poogan’s Porch)!  Our food and drinks were great and gave us enough fuel to prepare us for our rainy trek.

The Battery + White Point Garden

After lunch, we made our way to The Battery and White Point Garden, which is at the southern tip of the Charleston peninsula.  The houses are amazing in this area!  They are huge and beautiful with their historic charm.  We also saw other historic landmarks like the County of Charleston Historic Courthouse, Charleston City Hall and St. Michaels Church. 

St. Michael’s Church was built in the 1760’s and has a cemetery with gravestones dating back to the 1700’s.  It may sound creepy to walk through a graveyard, but it’s so interesting to see the weathered stones and take in the history of this city.

2nd Sunday – King Street

As we made our way back to King Street, it was right in time for Second Sunday, which is a monthly event where the street is closed to traffic between noon and 5pm.  Shops are open and vendors are set up in the streets.  I’m sure the energy would have been a bit more lively if the rain had stayed away, but plenty of people were still out enjoying the event. 

Even with the rain, just walking through the city was beautiful – full of historic charm and character!

The Gateway Walk

Tucked away off King Street, we visited one of Charleston’s hidden gems—the Gateway Walk.  Through a gate, following a brick-lined pathway is a garden of greenery and secret courtyards, and ends in the cemetery of St. John’s Lutheran Church.  This cemetery also had gravestones dating back to the 1700’s.  Some were so weathered, you couldn’t make out any names or dates, while others were huge and legible.  Again, so interesting to see.

By the time we got back to our hotel, we were pretty cold and damp.  I was ready for another nap on this chilly, dreary day. 

Dinner at Magnolia’s Restaurant

After we rested, we got ready for our anniversary dinner at Magnolia’s, which is known for its elegant take on Lowcountry cuisine.  I had the filet, which was topped with melted pimento cheese and a demi-glaze and served with an herb potato cake, asparagus and grilled Roma tomatoes.  It was fantastic!  My husband went with the special of the evening, which was swordfish over pasta in a truffle sauce.  I had some of his dinner and it was delicious—even for fish! 

Fleet Landing – Round 2

After dinner, we headed back over to Fleet Landing, which was right across the street from Magnolia’s.  We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the bar tenders, so we headed back for drinks and dessert!  I saw a Key Lime Pie Martini on the drink menu the night before that I just had to try.  When we were on our honeymoon, that’s what I was drinking so it only made sense that I have another on our anniversary!  My husband was feeling a little “extra” and ordered an espresso martini, which was dangerously good!  It went down so smoothly and tasted like an iced cold brew.

For dessert, we went with the bar tender’s recommendation of the Huguenot Torte, which is a classic Charleston dessert made with apples, pecans and a delicate meringue-like crust and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  It was a perfectly sweet way to end our anniversary.

Day 3

We reserved a car through Budget Car Rental for 8am-6pm so that we could venture out of the city and visit a plantation and the beach.  The rental facility was about a 7-minute walk from our hotel.  We got there before 8am, hoping to get in and be on our way by 8am, but their doors didn’t open until about 8:01am!  They got us out quickly though and we headed right to Magnolia Plantation. 

One word of caution here–I read some bad reviews for this Budget of people saying they rented a car from this location in advance, but when they went to pick it up, nothing was available. We were the first ones in line and there was one car on the lot. The guy behind us, didn’t get a car because nothing was available. Apparently they bring cars from the airport, but they hadn’t arrived yet and they told him they weren’t sure when they’d get there. I would have been pretty upset if we were the 2nd people in line with an advanced reservation so just be aware that the reviews aren’t wrong!

Magnolia Plantation

There are so many plantations to choose from, but this one’s grounds seemed so pretty, which is why I selected it.  We’ve also heard great things about Boone Hall as well and it would have been less driving, but we made it work!  We arrived before the plantation opened and were able to purchase discounted tickets on their website while we waited ($32/adult).

Once inside, we decided to jump on the first nature train, which takes you around the grounds including Magnolia’s wetlands, forests, marsh and swamp.  We learned about native plants and animals of the Lowcountry as well as the history of rice cultivation and phosphate mining.  We also saw birds and a few alligators too!

Trains run regularly and there are different stops where you can hop on and off.  We ended up getting off at the enslaved cabins so we could do the “From Slavery to Freedom” tour.  We learned about the enslaved people, what they did and how they were eventually freed.  I would recommend this tour as it shares the history of slavery and African America culture.

The house tour was extra, and we didn’t plan to spend all day at the planation so we skipped that.  We were still able to see the outside of the house though.  We walked around the grounds and snapped some photos before heading to Sullivan’s Island where we had a lunch reservation.

Lunch at Obstinate Daughter

We had a lunch reservation on Sullivan’s Island at the Obstinate Daughter.  This is another one of those highly-rated restaurants that everyone talks about.  I had a caprese sandwich and my husband had one of their pizzas and both were really good!

Drinks at Coconut Joe’s

Since we were so close to the beach, I had to dip my toes in the water!  We drove through Sullivan’s Island and Isle of Palms checking out the beautiful beach houses and stopped for drinks at Coconut Joe’s.  I am always up for a fun, tropical drink and what better place to enjoy it than at a rooftop bar overlooking the ocean?  Afterwards, we walked down to the beach and collected sea shells.

Shem Creek

We then made our way to Shem Creek near Mount Pleasant, a lively area known for its beautiful marsh views, seafood restaurants and bustling waterfront scene.  We walked along the boardwalk taking in the scenery. 

If you’re a fan of the Netflix show, Outer Banks, the scenic beauty of Shem Creek serves as the backdrop for the Pogues’ wild adventures.  Although the show is set in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, much is it was filmed in Charleston.  Shem Creek is actually one of the prime Charleston-area spots where scenes were shot for the show’s fictional waterfront areas.

Drinks & Apps at Water’s Edge

We stopped at Water’s Edge and grabbed a table on the deck.  We ordered drinks and had chilled lobster dip as an appetizer.  The restaurant also offered parking reimbursement, which saved us a little cash.

We enjoyed getting out of the city and enjoying the relaxed coastal vibe.  After returning our car, we went back to our room to relax for a bit before heading out for our last evening in the city.

Dinner & Drinks at Bllind Tiger

We grabbed an Uber and went to the Blind Tiger for dinner and drinks.  We enjoyed happy hour and dinner, but were so stuffed afterwards.  I really wanted to have drinks on the Rooftop Bar at the Vendue, but I had enough drinks for the day!  We did go check it out though!

Dessert at Henry’s

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped at Henry’s and grabbed a bread pudding for dessert.  By the time we got back to the room, we had enough room in our bellies to eat our dessert.  It was delicious!

Day 4

Before heading to the airport, we walked over to Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit for a mid morning snack. The biscuits were good, but my favorite biscuits are in Biloxi, Mississippi at The Greenhouse. If you’re ever in that area, be sure to check them out!

We took an Uber to the airport and headed to the louge to relax, eat lunch and have a couple of drinks before flying back home. One of my FAVORITE perks to having the Capital One Venture X credit card is having free access to airport lounges all over the country! It saves us so much money because we can eat and drink for free! And when we’re traveling with kids, it saves even more!

What are your favorite places in Charleston?

We love to hear what we’ve missed that we should add to our list for a future trip!

Stay Tuned to see how we spent only $22.40 on our Flights & Hotel

We love traveling as a family, but having this time away as a couple was what we needed. And our three night hotel stay and roundtrip flights only cost us $22.60! Read on to hear how we booked our round trip flights and hotel on points from one credit card welcome offer!