Travel – Charleston 1 day itinerary

Anyone that knows me or John, knows that we both love to travel. Over the years, we have covered a lot of ground and experienced amazing cultural experiences in many, many cities around the globe. I hope to do a better job of organizing our recommended restaurants and activities to better share with friends, family and other adventurers!

Charleston – Our #1 City

Back in 2012, we had our first trip to Charleston, SC. We booked an old Carriage House behind a grand house on Spring St. To say that we fell in love immediately would be an understatement! The food, architecture, history, parks, people…all of it! We have been back to visit at least every other year, hauling friends and family with us, recommending all of our favorite places and meals. Charleston is our gem, our dream for winter time retirement. Let’s see if I can round up our best of the best and share here for you. Because there is so much to share, I will break it down into 1 day, 3 day and week itineraries. Let’s start with a one day itinerary!

With so much to see in Charleston, a one day itinerary can be daunting! But it is possible to plan ahead and get the most out of the hours you have. Here is my recommended plan of action:

Morning

Breakfast on Broad

Make your way to Broad St. to start your day with a proper French pressed coffee and breakfast. One of my favorite, quirky spots in Charleston is a tiny, French café, Gaulart & Maliclet, otherwise known as “Fast and French”. I found this gem on our first trip to Charleston and have made it a breakfast staple on every other trip to the Holy City. The croissants and baguettes are outstanding. I am a ham and cheese croissant fan, but have taken friends and family here and sandwiches, cheese plates, pates and soups of all sorts have been ordered and devoured. We typically go for breakfast, but they have a full menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is small, and quirky and seating can be tricky, but I simply love this place!

Historic Meeting Street Market

Walk east on Broad. Get a photo of Saint Michael’s Church on the right, as you take a left on Meeting Street. Charleston City Hall and Washington Square will be on your right, both worth a gander and photo op. Continue on Meeting until you see the Charleston City Market on your right. It cannot be missed. Wander through the 4 blocks of market stalls. This is a prime spot for finding something truly local to bring home. Every year, I buy what is called a “rice bracelet“, which is a sterling silver bracelet made of beads that look like grains of rice. They are about $22 and easy enough to wear out of the market as a small token of my trip. There are a lot of vendors selling all sorts of baskets that are made of sweetgrass. They are amazing! If you have the cash (they are not cheap) and the space to store one of them, they are truly unique and would make an awesome gift. Ask the vendor about the history of these baskets. They come with a long local, Gullah history that I am sure they will be glad to share!

Historic Downtown Carriage Tour

Once you have your goodies and have walked off some of your breakfast, head to one of the Carriage Tour Companies just off of the market. These tours are typically about 1 hour and will give you a view of some of the main “not to be missed” sights in Charleston, such as the battery, rainbow row, some unbelievable historic homes south of Broad Street and more! Check out this option for tours, but you can rest assured that outside of the market there will be many reputable vendors that are looking to bring in your business.

Afternoon

Once your tour is complete, swing into Henry’s on the Market for a quick refreshment. The bar is large, they have a rooftop and the bartenders are great! The bathroom could definitely be improved, but they are there and for a quick stop, sufficient enough. Now, it is time for lunch! Head to Slightly North of Broad (S.N.O.B) or Magnolias for a typical southern lunch. I have had the Southern Medley at S.N.O.B and the fried chicken at Magnolias and would recommend both.

Late Afternoon/Evening

Here is where you have numerous choices. If you are staying in the city, this is when I typically would want to head back to the room or AirBnB for a refresh and a bit of relaxation. From there, options are endless. I will highlight a few options, depending on where you are staying.

Not staying, just hanging through dinner:

Drop into Charleston Place and grab a drink at the Thoroughbred Club to get off your feet for a bit. The atmosphere is swanky and soothing. Charleston Place is an upscale retail area that is attached to the Belmond Hotel, so there are bathrooms, shopping, and tip coming at you here…if you need advice regarding where to go, how to get to your destination etc. drop into the concierge (if they are not busy) and you are likely to get the advice that you need. Grab dinner at Meeting on Market, which is inside Charleston Place, facing the City Market, or alternatively, head to Hank’s. Hank’s is a stand up, amazingly beautiful place for southern seafood, fried chicken, steak and other staples. You cannot go wrong!

Staying downtown and are on foot

Follow the above itinerary. Or alternatively, take a stroll to the Pineapple Fountain at the Charleston Waterfront Park and enjoy the swings on the Waterfront Park Pier. For a very upscale dinner, head to the Peninsula Grill, where you will get, not only an amazing meal, but can try their famous 12 layer coconut, vanilla cake! Or, for a more casual meal, meander you way back to Broad St., to the Blind Tiger Pub, one of Charleston’s oldest establishments for a pint, some socializing and a good meal!

Staying anywhere and/or willing to grab an Uber, Lyft, PediCab or drive yourself!

Options are endless!! In addition to the above recommendation, one of my favorite spots would be Chez Nous. This is a place where the menu changes every day. You will need to check Instagram in the late morning to find out what the menu will be for the day, to ensure it is something you are interested in. Each day, the chef prepares 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and 2 desserts. That is the complete menu. You can book through Resy and it is typically not super difficult to get a table once you check the menu. Other options would be Little Jack’s Tavern if you want a seriously awesome burger, or one of my absolute, 100% recommendations, Stella’s. This is a super unique Greek place with a winding bar with diner style stools and food that will have you coming back with every visit to Charleston! The saganaki, octopus and whole fish are out of this world! It is lively, fun, quirky and the food is something to write home about!!

Tips and tricks

There is a free bus service called DASH that can get you around most main areas of Charleston for free. This can be convenient when it happens to be at a stop where you are looking to get a ride. Otherwise, it can be a lot of waiting. If you have one day, take the tour and make the best of the amazing things you can see in the main downtown/French Quarter area of the city. If you decide to come back for numerous days, the DASH becomes a handy tool for when it works out in your favor.

Pedicabs are everywhere along King Street in CHS. Take advantage of them! My husband and I felt ridiculous using these, but after 8 hours of walking, eating and drinking, having the pedicab there, without even a phone app needed, can be amazing. And they are there…looking for business!

Once you have an idea of what time you will begin your day, you can roughly plan for timing of the Tour and meals, so you can plan for reservations. Particularly at Slightly North of Broad for lunch. Resy tends to be the most widely used app in CHS for restaurant reservations.

At Little Jack’s, if you are not up for a full meal after a day of eating your way through the city, ask for the “off the menu”, special of 2 burgers. No fries, sides etc. My husband and I will sometimes opt to split this if we are simply trying to squeeze in one of their burgers while in town!

Reach out to me via the “Contact Me” at the Footer of all pages if you want any further advice or recommendations! I am always happy to help, if I can.

Next up, 3 day and weeklong stay itineraries!

Google Map of Charleston Downtown