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

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So you’re thinking and looking for reasons to visit Charleston, SC but you’re not 100% sure…is that right? If that’s the case, we came up with seven reasons why you should visit Charleston.

1.) Amazing Tours & Attractions

Charleston has some of the most amazing tours, attractions and historic sites to checkout. We recommend visiting our tours page to see what’s available. Another great option that’ll save you money and the hassle of figuring out what to do is to purchase a Tour Pass which also includes an easy to use Mobile Pass. Below you’ll find our Top-rated must do tours/attractions:


2.) Culture

Charleston is known for it’s easy-going Southern laid back style. Everything from sweet tea, seersucker suits and patterns to shrimping and boating on the local rivers and waterways are what makes Charleston unique.


3.) Food

Charleston is known world-wide for amazing local Some James Beard Award Winning Chefs and restaurants hail from the Charleston region along with some top recommendations.

  • FIG – Kicked off Charleston’s food renaissance. FIG (Food is Good) emphasizes local foods and vegetables and is one of the stalwarts of the Southeastern restaurant scene.
  • Rodney Scott BBQ – Smokes whole hogs low and slow…to perfection.
  •  Husk – No other restaurant in Charleston has received as much publicity as Husk. Only Southern in season ingredients are used. The menu changes dependent on the season.

4.). Events

When Covid isn’t present, Charleston is known for some amazing events and people travel from all over the world. Here are the “can’t miss” top events in the city:


5.) Shopping

King Street is where it’s at when it comes to the mecca of Charleston shopping. For local Vendors the City Market is worth visiting as well.


6.) Nightlife

There are plenty of amazing nightlife locales in the Charleston area such as Upper King Street (above Marion Square) to Shem Creek and Folly Beach.

Breweries: Charleston is home to over 30 amazing breweries now! We recommend visiting a few when you’re in town. Checkout or download the Brew Hop Pass app, which is free to download. If you want to redeem some of their free beer offers you can simply subscribe…if you’d rather pay full price you can as well.


7.) Beaches

There are three public beaches in Charleston that include:

  • Sullivan’s Island: Located along-side Isle of Palms north of downtown Charleston….about a 20 minute drive….this is the closest beach.
  • Isle of Palms: Located north of downtown.
  • Folly Beach: Located south of downtown. This beach will take about 30 minutes to drive there.

For a more in depth look at the area beaches, read our blog post “Your Guide to Charleston’s Beaches.”

Save Time & Money Visiting Charleston’s Top Sites

Tour Pass Charleston

TourPass allows Visitors to take advantage of Charleston’s top attractions and historic sites while saving time and money. Tour Pass includes an easy to use mobile pass and is 5 star rated.

They also provide passes for Savannah, GA and St. Augustine, FL

Visiting Charleston Just Got Way Easier!

TourPass includes all the top tours and attractions & historic sites. Save up to 40% or more on admissions + skip the lines

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/

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