How to spend a long weekend in Charleston: The perfect 4 day itinerary

Planning to spend a weekend in Charleston?

With beautiful parks and beaches, luxurious boutique hotels full of amenities, restaurants you’ll be dreaming about long after you leave, and a city rich in history, Charleston is the perfect place to spend a long weekend. 

In this post, we’re highlighting our favorite activities and neighborhoods for four days (or a long weekend) in Charleston to help you plan your next trip to the Lowcountry.

Why a long weekend in Charleston?

Charleston is one of those unique places that appeals to every kind of traveler. Whether you’re a foodie, a history buff, a nature lover, or just looking for some sun – you will find it in Charleston.

We love the incredible food scene that that Charleston offers, the beautiful waterfront views that are unlike anything you see in the PNW, and the history, architecture, and stories that pre-date the Civil War. Not to mention, there’s nothing like escaping a cold PNW winter and feeling the warmth of the sun.

What we love about Charleston

To put it simply: the food and the history. We have yet to try a Charleston restaurant that we didn’t like. Every place we visit has it’s own unique experience and Southern charm.

We also love the history that you’re surrounded by in Charleston – buildings from the early 1700s, the important role the city played in American history. We just don’t get the same kind of experience with history coming from a place like Washington.

Charleston neighborhoods you can’t miss

Our favorite way to spend a weekend in Charleston is to explore on foot! There’s a lot of infamous neighborhoods that help contribute to the charm, history, and beauty of Charleston’s reputation.

We recommend you add these to your must-visit list as you’re thinking about how to spend a long weekend in Charleston:

King Street

With a history that goes back more than 300 years, King Street is probably one of the most popular areas of Charleston. It can be categorized by three “districts”: Lower King Street (antiques), Central King Street (fashion), and Upper King Street (Design and Dining). We love spending a day in Charleston wandering up and down King Street, visiting local boutiques and art galleries and shopping around.

Charleston Waterfront Park

The Waterfront Park is a beautiful, expansive park with walking paths that overlook the Charleston Harbor and the Cooper River. It’s a lovely place to walk and take in the waterfront views, and it’s walking distance from King Street, the French Quarter, and other popular Charleston neighborhoods.

The French Quarter

The French Quarter is one of our favorite areas in Charleston. It’s also known to be one of the most romantic neighborhoods in the city. The streets are dotted with incredible bars and restaurants, beautiful old churches, luxurious hotels. Here you can also find the Charleston City Market which covers 4 blocks and is a great place to purchase locally made gifts. The French Quarter is another neighborhood that needs to be on your list for your long weekend in Charleston.

The Battery

Named for its role in the Civil War as a defensive seawall and artillery battery, The Battery is now a well-known street for visitors to walk and look at the large, antebellum homes that line the street. A walk along The Battery is something you can’t miss during your weekend in Charleston.

Things to do in Charleston that you need to add to your list

1. Try as many local restaurants as you can

Did you know that Charleston is becoming world-renown for their food scene? True story. You can find incredible options for pretty much anything you’re craving, but we recommend sticking to what Charleston does best: seafood, barbecue, and Southern comfort food.

Another thing we love about Charleston’s food scene? Almost any restaurant you visit features locally grown and sourced ingredients! Check out our favorite spots for brunch, lunch, dinner, AND coffee!

Pro Tip: If you’re curious to learn more about the incredible culinary and farming industry in the Lowcountry, consider booking a Charleston Food Tour. We haven’t tried a Charleston food tour…YET! It’s at the top of our list for the next time we spend a long weekend in Charleston.

We did get a taste of this experience from the guide on our ghost tour and we were blown away to learn all the ways that Charleston is leading the culinary industry worldwide in local and sustainable farm-to-table practices.

2. Treat yourself to some luxury and stay in one of Charleston’s boutique hotels

Upscale but with a touch of classic Charleston charm, there’s dozens of lovely (and luxurious) boutique hotels in Charleston to help your long weekend getaway feel more like a true vacation.

Many of these hotels offer the usual amenities like valet parking, cozy rooms, and spa services but some even offer their own unique amenities like a breakfast basket outside your door each morning or an exclusive vial of perfume to help you remember your stay. We’ve rounded up our 4 favorite boutique hotels in Charleston so you don’t have to spend your time searching.

3. Book an infamous Charleston ghost tour

A ghost tour was something I was scared to try so we opted out of the experience on our first trip to Charleston. But after so many people told us to give it a try we decided it was a must-do on our second visit. And I’m so glad we did!

We booked our tour through Trip Advisor and had a great experience. There’s all kinds of ghost tour experiences available in different locations around the city and in varying degrees of spookiness. We opted for something a little more family-friendly and had a great time. Our guide was knowledgeable and really brought the stories to life. And from the get-go, he told our small group that this was a history tour and all the ghosts we would be talking about were friendly. Nothing spooky!

We didn’t have any ghost encounters on our tour but our guide had plenty of stories and photos of the areas we were in to keep the tour interesting, sprinkled in with just the right amount of spooky. Our tour even gave us exclusive after-dark access to the most famous graveyard in Charleston, the Unitarian Church Graveyard. Who knows, maybe you’ll be lucky enough to capture some paranormal activity on your tour.

4. Take a plantation tour or visit a museum

If you’re going to spend a long weekend in Charleston (or any time in Charleston, for that matter), touring a plantation should be on your itinerary. It’s so important to learn about the deep, complicated history of this area and it’s role in American history.

We visited the Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens and loved our experience. There are tours of the main plantation house that leave every hour or so, as well as many other exhibits and experiences around the plantation grounds.

We 100% recommend you stay for the “Exploring the Gullah Culture” live presentation. Learning about the rich culture of the Gulla Geechee people on that plantation and in the Lowcountry today is an important experience for any visitor.

But if the weather forecast for your long weekend in Charleston isn’t looking great for walking around a plantation, think about spending the day inside visiting a museum like the Old Slave Mart Museum or the Charleston Museum. Another great option, especially if you are traveling with kids (or even if you’re not), is the South Carolina Aquarium.

If you get lucky with some warm and sunny Charleston weather, think about spending some time on a self-guided walking tour throughout the city. Many buildings have plaques on them with their original date and some history about their previous owners.

The perfect 3-day itinerary for a long weekend in Charleston

Day 1:

• Give yourself a slow morning – sleep in and wander down to the hotel lobby for breakfast. Pro Tip: if you want breakfast delivered to your room each morning, consider booking one of these boutique Charleston hotels.
• Head to one of our favorite Charleston coffee shops to fuel up for a day of exploring
• Spend the morning and early afternoon wandering King Street. Enjoy a leisure day of browsing through all of the stores and art galleries.

Lunch: Recommendation We recommend trying Miller’s All Day or hop in the car and drive to Xiao Bao Biscuit.

Dinner Recommendation: Try The Establishment for something fancier or Hyman’s Seafood for something delicious, but casual.

Drink Recommendation: The Gin Joint

Day 2:

• Coffee at Clerk’s Coffee Company. 
• Visit the shops and the Charleston City Market in the French Quarter. Admire the history and architecture as you explore. 
• If you have a bit of time between lunch and sunset, head to The Battery for a walk along the houses.
• Catch the sunset as you walk the Waterfront

Lunch: Try Poogan’s Smokehouse or one of the other delicious restaurants on East Bay St.

Dinner: Charleston Crab House

Drinks: Church & Union

Day 3:

• Coffee and breakfast at The Harbinger Cafe
• Spend the morning at the South Carolina Aquarium
• After the aquarium, cross the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge towards Mt. Pleasant to Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens. Make sure you stay for the deeply moving “Experiencing Gullah Culture” live presentation.
• Grab a dinner and a drink before meeting at the meet up location for your Ghost Tour (be sure to book this in advance, just to be safe).

Lunch: Leon’s Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop

Dinner: Husk (be sure to make a reservation in advance)

Drinks: Magnolia’s

Have you spent a long weekend in Charleston? What were some of your favorite things you did?

I was named an expert in an ApartmentGuide article, a subsidiary of Redfin. Check out the featured article:  Charleston vs Savannah: Which is Better? A Honest Review on Each City’s Cost, Culture, and More | ApartmentGuide.com