You can get a downloadable map of this itinerary here.
***Written by Charleston local, Ciara. Ciara works in orthopedic surgery in Charleston for MUSC. She is originally from Florida, studied at the University of Alabama, and continued her work and studies at Baylor University. She loves spending time with her husband, Caleb, and her pup, Luca, exploring the city, trying new restaurants, and being on the water.
BEST TIME TO TRAVEL: April-June and October is the best time to come to the Lowcountry! The summers are so hot and humid that it isn’t comfortable to spend time outside exploring.
PLACES TO STAY: If you’re looking to splurge a bit, Emeline, The Restoration Hotel or 86 Cannon B&B. If you’re traveling on a budget, look at Airbnb/VRBOs in the Avondale area of West Ashley or in Mt. Pleasant. the Marriott in Westedge is a good option downtown that is quieter but still downtown and within 10 minutes of everything.
BEFORE YOUR TRIP: download the holy spokes app (bike rental), the GPS my city (self-guided walking tours) and make reservations to any restaurants you can’t live without trying.
thursday.
Hit Berkley’s for lunch for a quiet start to the trip. They are known for their sandwiches but we go at least once a week and have yet to have anything less than AMAZING on their menu.
Next, take an Uber to the corner of King St. and Broad St. Start at Berlin’s and walk your way up North. Take the afternoon to walk King Street and put your name in early for dinner at 167 Raw (they don’t take reservations). Budget for a little shopping on King Street, there are SO MANY unique stores and all the favorites. Plus, it should be quieter and less busy as most tourists get here on Friday.
After dinner at 167 raw, walk 2 blocks to the corner of King and Beaufain for Off-Track Ice Cream. They have made from scratch, locally sourced traditional and vegan ice cream.
friday.
Hit up Queen Street Grocery for a local favorite breakfast sandwich. Grab a bike from one of the holy spokes docking stations and head towards the Battery, waterfront park and the neighborhood around rainbow row. Be sure to plan some extra time to stop and read all of historical markers on the houses in this neighborhood. They have extraordinarily unique architecture, mostly built in the early 1800s.
Skip the infamous historical carriage tours and take a self-guided tour on the GPS my city, they have 5 available options. My personal favorites are the Downtown Religious Sites and the Historical Houses. Highly recommend dinner at Herd Provisions, sit on the porch!
saturday.
Wake up early and head to either Harken Coffee Shop, a cozy Instagram worthy spot off Meeting Street or a local small bakery called Brown’s Court Bakery.You must go early if you plan on the bakery, as they have a loyal following and will sell out early. Then, get an uber and head to the beach at Sullivan’s Island. Be sure to stop at Co-op for a frosé and a sandwich for lunch, just be sure to bring a reusable container to pour it in! There are HEFTY FINES for reusable plastics and alcohol on the beach.
On the way back from the beach, stop at Shem Creek for a walk down the pier or rent a kayak and explore creek and waterways. There so many fun spots but our favorite is Red’s Ice House, go up to the top deck and enjoy the view.
