3 days in Charleston

Day by day

1. Day 1: The Battery and White Point Garden and Rainbow Row

   The Battery and White Point Garden, Rainbow Row and Nathaniel Russell House, then Upper King Street in the evening.

   1. Morning

      The Battery and White Point Garden

      The raised sea-wall promenade at the tip of the peninsula looks across the harbour to Fort Sumter, with mansions such as the Edmondston-Alston House lining East Battery.

   2. Late morning

      Rainbow Row

      Photograph from the opposite side of East Bay Street in the morning, when the sun lights the façades and traffic is light.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Shrimp and grits

      Restaurants across downtown and Shem Creek; look for menus naming stone-ground grits from Lowcountry mills.

   4. Afternoon

      Nathaniel Russell House

      Completed in 1808 for a Rhode Island-born merchant, this Federal-style house on Meeting Street is known for its free-flying spiral staircase that climbs three floors without visible support.

   5. Evening

      Upper King Street

      The densest stretch of cocktail bars, breweries' taprooms and late kitchens, busiest on Friday and Saturday.

2. Day 2: Fort Sumter National Monument and Charleston City Market

   Fort Sumter National Monument, Charleston City Market and Joe Riley Waterfront Park, then East Bay Street and the Market in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Fort Sumter National Monument

      Visit the free Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center at Liberty Square before your boat, and sit on the harbour side for views of the Battery.

   2. Late morning

      Charleston City Market

      Four blocks of open-sided sheds run from Meeting Street to East Bay Street, with the 1841 Greek Revival Market Hall at the head.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: She-crab soup

      Seafood restaurants on East Bay Street and in the Market area; add the sherry yourself if it comes on the side.

   4. Afternoon

      Joe Riley Waterfront Park

      Claim one of the bench swings at the end of the pier early in the evening to watch ships and dolphins in the harbour.

   5. Evening

      East Bay Street and the Market

      Hotel bars, rooftop terraces and long-running pubs within a short walk of the main hotels.

3. Day 3: Aiken-Rhett House and The Charleston Museum

   Aiken-Rhett House, The Charleston Museum and Old Slave Mart Museum, then Folly Beach in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Aiken-Rhett House

      A townhouse complex on Elizabeth Street kept largely as it was found, with faded wallpaper, original outbuildings and the work yard where enslaved people cooked, washed and lived.

   2. Late morning

      The Charleston Museum

      It faces the visitor centre on Meeting Street, so it is an easy first stop to get your bearings on a rainy morning.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Lowcountry boil

      Casual seafood spots on Folly Beach, James Island and Shem Creek, especially in summer.

   4. Afternoon

      Old Slave Mart Museum

      This building on cobbled Chalmers Street was part of Ryan's Mart, where enslaved people were auctioned in the late 1850s after public sales were banned from the street.

   5. Evening

      Folly Beach

      Casual beach bars and live music along Center Street near the pier.

Before you go

• Fort Sumter National Monument: Ferries sell out on spring and summer weekends; reserve a departure time online in advance.

If it rains

• Swap in International African American Museum (Ansonborough): Leave time for the African Ancestors Memorial Garden, where the outline of a slave ship is set into the ground beside the harbour.
• Swap in Gibbes Museum of Art (French Quarter and Market area): Look for the miniature portrait collection on the upper floor, one of the largest in the country.
• Swap in Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon (French Quarter and Market area): Ask about the section of the original 18th-century sea wall visible in the dungeon.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 3 nights, French Quarter and Market area keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, South of Broad ($$$$) suits couples, quiet stays, luxury and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 9–10 hours of visiting over 3 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10 hours in December to 14.3 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in Charleston
• 2 days in Charleston
• 5 days in Charleston

Questions travellers ask