Charleston, South Carolina is a wonderful historic city with a lot to offer. You could easily spend a few days here exploring the city and still find new things to keep you busy. On my visit, I was limited to just a half day and I left the Charleston wishing that I had more time.
At a minimum, I’d recommend giving Charleston at least one full day of your itinerary, but two days would be even better. However even if you have limited time, you can still have a good time in Charleston.
The Best Things to Do in Charleston
Here’s five things to do, even on a short visit, to Charleston.
Old Slave Mart
The Old Slave Mart is exactly what it sounds like. It’s an historic market that sold slaves, back when slavery was legal in the United States. It’s believed that this building is the only building in South Carolina left that dealt with the sale of slaves. While you won’t find loads of artifacts here, you will get a plethora of well put together information.
The information that you learn from visiting this museum is not sugarcoated and to appreciate it, you have to be willing to look at some of the ugliest parts of American history dead on. That said, this was by far my favorite museum that we toured in Charleston and I believe it’s one of the best museums I’ve been to in the United States. If you only have time for one museum in Charleston, make it this one.
Allow yourself about one hour for this museum.
Tickets: $8 per adult
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon is another museum in Charleston and is located not too far from the Old Slave Mart. This building served as a city hall, a prison, a post office, and more.
When the British occupied this building, they used the bottom floor of the Exchange as a dungeon for American Prisoners of War. The Exchange hosted delegates from South Carolina, where the debated and eventually ratified the United States Constitution. When George Washington was President, Charleston city leaders held extravagant dinners for the elite at the Exchange. Plus, it was also an important destination as part of the United States domestic slave trade.
I could keep going, but I there’s a lot of history in this one building. British, American, Confederate, and now Charleston city leaders have all had control of the building at one point in time, which explains why there seems to be so much going on here. In fact there’s so much history here that as you go through the museum, it can feel overwhelming.
The Dungeon, which is located in the basement of the museum, gives guided tours (which are included in your entry fee). When you buy your ticket, staff will inform you of when the next tour starts. We timed it almost perfectly (unintentionally) and did the tour first thing. The tour lasts about twenty minutes.
I had seen a lot of reviews that the tour was fabulous and just amazing, but I believe your guide makes all of the difference. Our guide was just ok, so I didn’t have the same feelings of “wow, such an amazing tour!” that other people did.
Allow yourself about one hour for this museum.
Tickets: $15 per adult
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sunday: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
City Market
While it can feel touristy, the City Market is a fun place to do some shopping. The City Market has been around for over 200 years, so there’s plenty of history here (although much different than the prior two entries on this list).
City Market spans four blocks and has nearly 300 vendors. There’s a little bit of everything here and I appreciated that each stall felt different. You’ll find everything from clothes to purses to art to sauces to games and even more. It’s a fun way to spend an hour.
Hours: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm, Daily (closed December 25). 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays
The Battery
While it doesn’t necessarily have to be The Battery, I think getting out and walking along the oceanfront is something you should do in Charleston. The Battery has a lot of history, which is why I’m mentioning this park, but if you want to see the famous Pineapple Fountain, you’ll want to head to the Joe Riley Waterfront Park.
Take some time to walk along the boardwalk and through the park. You’ll find a several historic monuments, but it can just be nice to walk along the ocean.
Rainbow Row and Charleston’s Architecture
One of the best things you can do is wander Charleston’s historic downtown. The architecture is amazing and it’s very colorful. For the most photographed area of Charleston, visit Rainbow Row. This is a series of colorful buildings, allegedly painted in bright colors so drunk sailors could find the correct bunk house after a night out.
But don’t just stay on Rainbow Row. Even beyond Rainbow Row, there’s plenty of architecture and plenty of color to be discovered.
Bonus – Three More Things To Do
Full disclosure: I didn’t do any of these three options, but they were on my list. However, once our time in Charleston got cut to only a half day, my mom and I had to make some sacrifices. On a return trip to Charleston, all three of these are all on my list to explore more.
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a National Monument and is where the first shots of the Civil War took place. To get here, you’ll need to take a ferry. Because of the time needed to get to Fort Sumter, a visit here can take a few hours, which we unfortunately didn’t have on our quick visit to Charleston.
Take a Walking Tour
By 10:00 am, I could not believe how many different walking tours there were. It almost felt like we were the only tourists NOT taking a walking tour. However, if you want to learn about the city’s history, this is one great option of how to do it.
Tour One of the Many Historic Homes
Charleston is full of historic homes. There’s the Edmondston-Alston House, The Williams Mansion, the William Elliot House, and so many more. You could spend days touring all of these mansions, but it’s best to just pick the few the really pique your interest.
So How Long Do You Need in Charleston?
I’d recommend to give yourself a minimum of one full day here, but two days would be better, especially if you’re into history.
If you only have a few hours (like me!), you can do walk the oceanfront at The Batter, tour the Old Slave Mart, visit the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, and wander through City Market. Plus you’ll see plenty of architecture, including Rainbow Row, as you’re walking. My mom and I were able to do all of this at a leisurely pace in about about 4 hours.
How Do You Get Around Charleston?
Once you’re downtown, the city is incredibly walkable. We parked our car at the Cumberland Street Parking Garage and then explored downtown on foot.
Final Thoughts
Charleston was a great city to explore, and it blew away my expectations. With scheduling, we just didn’t have time to really explore this city in depth, which is a shame. But one day, I’ll be back to explore this city properly.
Continue Your Adventure
South Carolina: Just a two hour drive from Charleston is Congaree National Park.
Georgia: A two hour drive along the Atlantic Coast takes you to Savannah, GA, another beautiful, historic city.
North Carolina: Before our visit to Charleston, we came from Asheville, North Carolina where a highlight is touring the Biltmore Estate.
Itineraries: Charleston was just one stop on my road trip from Washington DC to Savannah, GA.