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Cool Off at These Charleston Hot Spots

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There’s no denying Charleston summers are h-o-t. But thanks to some indoor attractions and cooling ocean breezes, you can enjoy Charleston without breaking a sweat.

Family Activities

The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry offers a variety of exhibits for young visitors, including water stations, an arts and crafts center, a medieval castle and a pirate ship for climbing (closed Mondays).

At the South Carolina Aquarium, journey from South Carolina’s mountains to the sea, exploring native animals and plants in a variety of exhibits of birds, plants, reptiles and plenty of sea creatures from turtles to otters. Read all about the new Sea Turtle Recovery area in this blog post.

North Charleston Fire MuseumVisit the North Charleston Fire Museum where kids of all ages will love the interactive displays and hands-on equipment. The museum houses the largest collection of professionally restored American LaFrance fire apparatus in the country.

Bus Tours

Learn about Charleston’s rich history while riding in the air-conditioned comfort of a mini-bus.

Adventure Sightseeing offers a 90-minute “See It All” City Tour. Highlights include select stories from 350 years of Charleston history; beautiful architecture in the historic district; a drive through The Citadel military college; a tour around the Battery with a stop for a photo opp. Plus, drive past the Charleston Market, gardens, wrought iron artwork and several of the city’s many historic churches.

Book Gray Line’s 90-minute “Historic City Tour” to see historic homes, the Battery, historic churches, the Charleston Market, the four Gray Line bus touring on South Battery_smcorners of the law and Rainbow Row – all while riding in comfort. A number of combo tours are available with both a bus tour and the opportunity to visit another attraction.

Breezy Beaches

Visit Folly Beach, Sullivan’s Island or the Isle of Palms to splash in the ocean or lounge under an umbrella. Check out our complete Charleston Beach Guide.

Water Tours

Combine a refreshing water tour with a chance to explore Charleston’s history, waterways or natural beauty.

Book a history tour with Charleston Harbor Tours. Climb aboard the Carolina Belle to enjoy a scenic 90-minute tour with more than 75 landmarks and points of interest. A number of special cruises are also available.

Take a dinner cruise with SpiritLine Cruises for waterfront dining at its best. Aboard the Spirit of Carolina, enjoy a three- or four-course dinner made with local, seasonal ingredients with views of the Charleston harbor.

Schooner PrideTake a sunset sail aboard the Schooner Pride, an 84-foot tall ship modeled after the 18th-century coastal trading schooners that once dotted Charleston’s harbor. A moonlight sail and dolphin sail are also available.

You can’t go wrong with a sunset cruise, nature tour, history tour or a ghost tour by boat with Sandlapper Water Tours. Board “The Palmetto,” a 45-foot Corinthian Catamaran and let the water breezes refresh your spirit and the tour guides entertain.

Ever wanted to try kayaking or paddleboarding? Now’s your chance. Nature Adventure Outfitters has a variety of kayaking and paddleboarding tours for all ages and experience levels. Book the popular saltwater tour and explore Shem Creek and a sea island bird sanctuary called Crab Bank Island.

For the adventurous water lover, Tidal Wave Water Sports has WaveRunners visitors can rent and ride in a 3-mile area. Or book a parasailing trip and fly with the seagulls above the ocean. Talk about a view!

Tidal Wave ParasailingThe Palmetto Breeze catamaran has a spacious wooden deck, bar, cushioned seating and deck chairs. Book a dolphin or sunset cruise on the Palmetto Breeze now through October.

Barrier Island Eco Tours offers naturalist-guided excursions exploring the salt marshes and island off Charleston’s coast, including Capers Island, one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier islands.

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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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