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Your Charleston Summertime Bucket List

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The Charleston area has so many attractions, activities, outdoor amenities and events it can be tough to narrow down your choices. Let’s prioritize. We’ve created a lineup of sizzlin’ summer activities for your own Charleston bucket list.

Let us know which ones you do and what you would add to the list by sharing on social media with #chsbucketlist.

Sandcastle construction

You can’t go wrong with a trip to the beach. Whether you’re reading a juicy paperback in your beach chair, splashing in the waves with the kiddos or channeling your inner architect to build a serious sandcastle, nothing beats a day at the beach. (Check out our beach guide.)

Charleston Farmers Market/ photo by City of Charleston
Charleston Farmers Market/ photo by City of Charleston

Local goodness

Marion Square is abuzz with activity on Saturdays as shoppers head to the Charleston Farmers Market for local produce and veggies, food vendors and a wide selection of arts and crafts perfect for souvenirs and gifts. Or stop off at the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market on Tuesday afternoons for a selection of local flowers, produce and baked goods (located a Moultrie Middle School on Coleman Boulevard).

Sweet tea tastin’

The Sweet Tea Trail stretches along five districts of Summerville, giving visitors uniquely Southern dining, shopping, historical and cultural experiences along the way. Known as the “birthplace of sweet tea,” visit Summerville on Sept. 15 for the Sweet Tea Festival.

Explore the city with some tours

There are a ton of great tours in Charleston to explore the city and learn about Charleston’s abundant history and beauty. Take a harbor tour, carriage tour, walking or bus tour. Be sure to visit the area’s top historic sites as well. A time and money saving option that people are loving is TourPass Charleston where you pay one price which grants you access to over 40 of top tours and attractions such as Fort Sumter, carriage, harbor, plantations, bus, walking tours and all the museums and historic homes.

Get on the water

In the heat of the summer, cool off with a tour around the Charleston harbor, learning about the city’s history and landmarks. Or take an eco-tour, rent a kayak or get a bird’s eye view of Charleston while parasailing. (See the list of Boat & Water Tours.)

Gibbes Museum of Art
Gibbes Museum of Art

Drinks and a view

Kick back with a cocktail and take in the Charleston skyline from one of the city’s rooftop bars, including the Rooftop Cocktail Bar at the Vendue Inn, Pavilion Bar or Stars Rooftop & Grill Room – all located in the heart of downtown Charleston. Check out our blog post on more places to enjoy outdoor dining.

Sit in the shade

Admire the Angel Oak, a majestic oak tree thought to be one of the oldest living things east of the Mississippi River. For centuries, the Angel Oak has grown up to 65 feet and has a shady canopy of branches spanning 17,000 square feet.

Be adventurous

Let loose and go wild with some of Charleston’s most adventurous activities. Master the ropes course at Wild Blue Ropes, test your balance paddleboarding on Shem Creek or fly through the trees at Charleston Zip Line Adventures located just north of Mount Pleasant.

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/

Additional Places to Explore

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