For couples · Charleston · United States
Romantic things to do in Charleston
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: MadeYourReadThis, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Charleston's romance is in its gas lamps, walled gardens and harbour light. Walk the quiet streets South of Broad in the evening, book a long dinner, and save a day for the gardens on the Ashley River. Couples tend to stay in South of Broad.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 6
- Couple-friendly sights
- 4
- Area for couples
- South of Broad
- Best months
- November
Romantic ideas
1.Evening walk South of Broad
After dinner, wander Church Street, Tradd Street and the alleys around them by gaslight, ending at the Battery.
2.Carriage ride
A horse-drawn carriage tour through the historic district is a slow, classic way to see the old streets together.
3.Middleton Place gardens
Walk the terraces and butterfly lakes above the Ashley River, then have lunch at the restaurant on the grounds.
4.Pier swings at Waterfront Park
Share a bench swing at the end of the pier and watch sailboats and the sunset over the harbour.
5.Rooftop drinks
Several downtown hotel rooftop bars look across the steeples to the Ravenel Bridge; arrive before sunset for a table.
6.Sunset sail
Schooner and catamaran cruises leave the downtown harbour in the evening for dolphin-spotting and views of Fort Sumter.
Sights couples love
Waterfront · South of Broad
The Battery and White Point Garden
Walk the High Battery at sunset, then head up Church Street past St. Michael's for the gas-lit evening walk back.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes–1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Park · French Quarter and Market area
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.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Couples
- Views
- Outdoors
Garden · Ashley River Road
Middleton Place
Combine it with Drayton Hall, a few minutes away on Ashley River Road, for a full day of plantation history.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Expensive
- History
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Mount Pleasant
Shem Creek
Walk the boardwalk into the marsh at sunset, then eat at a deck table overlooking the shrimp boats.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Nature
- Couples
- Active
Where couples should stay
$$$$ · Best for couples, quiet stays, luxury and culture
South of Broad
The residential streets below Broad Street — Meeting, Legare, Tradd and Church — hold Charleston's most photographed houses, cobbled Chalmers Street and alleys such as Stoll's Alley and Longitude Lane. There are few hotels and almost no shops, so accommodation is mostly inns and rentals in historic houses. It is quiet at night and a 10–15-minute walk from the Market area.
- Good
- The most beautiful streets in the city; Very quiet after dark; Waterfront walks along the Battery
- Watch out
- Few hotels and high prices; Little to eat within the area itself
- Nearby
- The Battery, Rainbow Row, Nathaniel Russell House, White Point Garden
Romantic day trips
- Beaufort (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car) — A small antebellum town on the Beaufort River with white-columned houses, a waterfront park and a quieter pace than Charleston.
- Savannah (About 2 hours by car) — Georgia's oldest city is laid out around 22 garden squares shaded by live oaks and Spanish moss.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Shrimp and grits, She-crab soup and Lowcountry boil. Dress is smart-casual for dinner downtown; shorts are fine at Shem Creek and Folly Beach.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Charleston romantic?
Charleston's romance is in its gas lamps, walled gardens and harbour light. Walk the quiet streets South of Broad in the evening, book a long dinner, and save a day for the gardens on the Ashley River.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Charleston?
Evening walk South of Broad: After dinner, wander Church Street, Tradd Street and the alleys around them by gaslight, ending at the Battery.
+Where should couples stay in Charleston?
South of Broad: Grand single houses, walled gardens and the Battery promenade at the tip of the peninsula.