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12 Must-Do Charleston Activities for Year-Round Fun

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Did you make a New Year’s resolution in 2015? Maybe you vowed to exercise regularly, eat better, stop smoking or work less and play more. Was travel or exploration on that list? There’s a good chance Charleston is on your travel bucket list and there’s no time like the New Year to make your vacation plans. Or if you happen to be one of the lucky folks to live in this amazing, why not resolve to see something new this year?

There’s so much to do and see in this award-winning city it would be tough to do everything all at once. So we’ve put together 12 must-do items for your Charleston visit or staycation.

January

LC Oyster Festival_The Chart Group
The Chart Group

Join in the world’s largest oyster festival on Jan. 25 at Boone Hall Plantation in Mount Pleasant. The Lowcountry Oyster Festival includes the oyster shucking and oyster eating contests as well as live music, wine, a selection of domestic and imported beers, a children’s area and a food court showcasing a variety of local restaurants.

February

Conservationists and nature enthusiasts come from all over the country for Southeastern Wildlife Exposition Feb. 13-15, a celebration of art, animal demonstrations, environmental education and culinary events. New this year is a program with Richard Wiese, host of “Born to Explore with Richard Wiese,” an Emmy Award-winning travel and adventure program on ABC. Annual favorites include the retriever demos, birds of prey flight demonstrations and the high-flying DockDogs event at Brittlebank Park.

March

On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through March 21, take part in one of the camellia walks at Middleton Place. These guided tours focus on camellias throughout the original gardens as well as the “new” camellia garden of the 1950s. Reservations required.

April

Join The Garden Club of Charleston for its 80th annual House and Garden Tours on April 10-11. Tour private homes and gardens not normally open to the public. Each house features floral arrangements by members of The Garden Club.

May

Take advantage of extra fun in downtown Charleston and in historic Summerville. A monthly must-do is 2nd Sunday on King Street when the street is closed to vehicular traffic from Queen Street North to Calhoun Street for shopping, outdoor dining and entertainment. Head to historic downtown Summerville from 5-8 p.m. every third Thursday. Shops and restaurants will be open late and some have special promotions.

June

Take in world-class art, theater, music and more during the annual Spoleto Festival USA (May 22 to June 7). A favorite is the finale in June 7 featuring live music, gourmet picnic fare, local craft beers and a spectacular fireworks display all at Middleton Place. For the best in local arts events, check out concurrent Piccolo Spoleto with several free and low-cost events around town.

paddleboarderJuly

Go paddleboarding on Shem Creek. Stay cool, get a core workout and maybe catch a glimpse of some dolphins playing in the creek. Afterward, enjoy lunch and a cool drink at one of the many restaurants along Shem Creek.

August

The heat in on in August and there’s only one thing to do: hit the beach. Pack a book, towel and your sunglasses and relax at Folly Beach, Isle of Palms or Sullivan’s Island.

September

Tour the Charleston harbor for a breath-taking view of Charleston’s picturesque skyline. Check out a dinner cruise with Charleston Harbor Tours for a romantic evening cruising under the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge and alongside the USS Yorktown.

Ghost Tour/Bulldog Tours
photo/Bulldog Tours

October

Get your fill of spooky with a blend of Charleston history on a ghost tour with our friends at Bulldog Tours. Tour graveyards, the Old City Jail and the Provost Dungeon at the Old Exchange Building.

November

Do some early holiday shopping with a trip to the Charleston Farmer’s Market in Marion Square. It’s a great place to find local gifts, pick up some veggies for Thanksgiving dinner and simply enjoy a morning in downtown Charleston to kick off your holiday season.

December

Charleston’s holiday events calendar is always overflowing with performances, parades, tree lightings, special shopping events and more. Be sure to visit our blog for a list of must-do holiday events and activities.

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Charleston FAQ's

Choosing a hotel and where to stay in Charleston all depends on your budget and goals. Do you want to stay Downtown, at the beach or in the outer areas such as North Charleston where you have to drive to get everywhere? For more help on deciding: https://travelerofcharleston.com/articles/hotels/

Charleston has 3 main public beaches which are: Folly, Isle of Palms and Sullivans. Each beach has it’s own atmosphere. The most common beach that people visit is Folly Beach and then Isle of Palms followed by Sullivans Island. For more info on Charleston’s beaches visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/

Charleston, SC is full of historical things to do. Everything from museums, to public sites and free landmark sites such as Rainbow Row and the Battery can be seen. For more info on Charleston’s top historical sites visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/places-to-learn-about-charleston-sc-history/

There are many things that will keep the kids and family entertained and educated in Charleston. There are historic sites such as Fort Sumter, a Children’s Museum, Aquarium and the USS Yorktown…a WWII era aircraft carrier you can tour. For more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-family-fun-activities/

There’s so many  things you could do in Charleston it can be overwhelming. We recommend that first time visitors, checkout the ultimate first-time visitor guide here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-first-time-visitors-guide/

Spring in Charleston, SC is an amazing time of year to visit. The flowers are blooming and the weather is mild and sunny. For more info, check-out our spring guide to Charleston here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-springtime-in-charleston/

Summer in Charleston is a great time to visit. There’s plenty of things to keep you busy and visiting the beach will probably….or should be on your short-list. Also water-based activities and tours are popular. Checkout this summer guide to Charleston for more info: 

Our 10 Favorite Summer Activities in Charleston

Fall is one of the best times to visit. The weather cools down a bit and the skies are typically blue and clear. In addition there are many great events, festivals and the large crowds of summer have gone back to school or work. For more info on visiting in the fall, checkout this article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-12-things-to-do-fall/

There are so many great things to do that it’s difficult to narrow the list down. This article does a great job with figuring out the must do things to do in Charleston

7 Can’t Miss Reasons to Visit Charleston, SC Now

The consensus is a minimum of 3-days is needed to settle in and experience Charleston. For instance, many people take 2 days exploring downtown and another day visiting sites outside of downtown such as the plantations, Angel Oak Tree or beaches. Checkout this page for a list of tours and attractions: 

Charleston’s Top Tours & Attractions | Things to do

Downtown Charleston was made for walking and for sure one of the best way to soak up and experience the history first-hand. This article goes over getting around Charleston with and without a car as well: 

Getting Around Charleston, SC

We’re of course partial to Charleston, but here’s the truth. There are many similarities however there are some differences in our opinion: 

  • Both cities are historic and beautiful. 
  • Both cities are extremely walkable. Savannah, with it’s park-like squares maybe more walkable than Charleston. 
  • Charleston has a more established and food scene with many more options. 
  • Charleston has better hotels and shopping.
  • Both cities have equally good tours.
  • Charleston has better beach options. Savannah has Tybee which is great, however it’s 1 beach vibe versus Charleston which has 3 beaches with different vibes. Checkout this Charleston beach guide article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/
  • In Savannah you can walk with alcoholic beverages on the street. This is not allowed in Charleston. This can be good or bad depending on your stance. 
  • Savannah is more affordable.
  • TourPass offers all-inclusive passes in both cities: https://tourpass.com

There are always great and world-class events happening in Charleston. For a calendar of events and things to do in Charleston, checkout our online calendar of events: https://travelerofcharleston.com/events/

Of course there are free money-saving coupons that you can use. Visit the coupons page for a bunch of ways to save: https://travelerofcharleston.com/coupon/

Charleston has some fantastic can’t miss tours such as Fort Sumter, carriage, ghost, harbor, historic and culinary tours. For a full list with more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/attractions/

Checkout the Charleston Relocation Guide page which will guide you during your move: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-sc-relocation-guide/

Additional Places to Explore

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