January | Things to Do in Charleston, SC

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Happy New Year, Charleston! Here’s to another year of food, fun, and adventure in Charleston. We have plenty to look forward to in 2023 so book your flight, pack your bags and plan the most exciting Charleston vacation yet. We hope you have a wonderful year!

Events to kick off the New Year

Museum Mile Month: Jan. 1-31

During the month of January 2023, enjoy access to participating Museum Mile sites with the purchase of one low ticket price! With the Museum Mile Month pass, you can spend an entire month learning about Charleston’s rich history and culture while visiting sites in the order that best fits your schedule. Adult tickets are $35 and children’s are $10 for 13 different sites.

Charleston Restaurant Week: Jan. 12 – 22.

Dozens of restaurants all over the Charleston area offer specially priced menus celebrating Charleston and its varied cuisine. Over 50 restaurants participate in this much-anticipated event. Pick your favorite places or try something new!

Charleston Half Marathon: Jan. 14

This year’s PNC Bank Charleston Half Marathon® is a scenic 13.1-mile run that will showcase the beauty and the history of the Lowcountry, featuring Hampton Park, The Citadel, The Battery, Iconic King Street, and a finish at Charleston’s oldest working distillery, Firefly Distillery.

Taste of Folly: Jan. 13-14

Center Street on Folly Beach transforms into four blocks of food and fun. Bring the whole family to enjoy Folly establishments to serving up their best dishes and exhibit their skills through live demonstrations. All of this will be complemented by local bands, activities, contest, 50+ Folly art, craft, and fashion vendors, and a robust kid area, Taste of Folly will have something for everyone! 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show” by Charleston Stage: Jan. 21,22, 28 & 29

Watch Eric Carle’s Enchanting Children’s Classic live on stage. The critically acclaimed production of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show created by Jonathan Rockefeller features a menagerie of 75 lovable puppets. The production faithfully adapts four stories by author/illustrator Eric Carle: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, The Very Lonely Firefly and of course, the star of the show – The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Performed by Charleston Stage at the historic Dock Street Theatre. 

Lowcountry Oyster Festival: Jan. 29

The Lowcountry Oyster Festival is the world’s largest oyster festival and has been named one of the “top 20 events in the Southeast” by the Southeastern Tourism Society. Highlights include the oyster shucking and oyster eating contests, live music on the main stage, wine, a selection of domestic and imported beers, a children’s area and food court showcasing a variety of local favorite restaurants.

 

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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