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7 Days in Charleston: Perfect 1 Week Charleston Itinerary

Get ready for some sweet tea and Southern Charm. This 7-day Charleston itinerary has you covered with all the best things to do on your visit to The Holy City.

I’d been itching to go back to Charleston for a longer trip since I had my bachelorette party there, so Kevin and I decided to take a week-long romantic getaway.

Get ready to spend 7 days in Charleston with this itinerary that gets to the heart of this beloved Southern city!

A special thanks to Explore Charleston for providing us with a complimentary VIP pass for many of the attractions we visited! As always, all opinions are my own.

Pineapple Fountain, Charleston Waterfront Park, Charleston, South Carolina

Post Contents

Charleston Itinerary

Day 1 in Charleston

We drove to Charleston because it’s only about a 5 hour drive from Atlanta. I do recommend having a car for this itinerary because there’s a lot to see that’s not in Downtown Charleston that you’ll need to drive to. So if you flew in, I recommend renting a car.

Use your first day in Charleston to get settled into your hotel and do a small amount of sightseeing.

Check-in at the Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview

King bed at Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview, Charleston, South Carolina

For our 7 day trip to Charleston, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview, which is just across the Ashley River from Downtown Charleston and you don’t have to pay the ridiculous downtown prices (Downtown Charleston hotels can be crazy expensive).

This circular hotel is right on the water, and you can get some amazing views. We paid a little extra for a river-view room and really enjoyed it. The room is exactly the same as every other Holiday Inn in the country, so the quality wasn’t anything special, it was just fine.

The real advantage of this hotel is that they have free parking and free shuttle to Downtown. Let me repeat: a FREE SHUTTLE to Downtown. It runs everyday from early morning to late at night. You don’t have to worry about driving downtown, paying for parking, and you can party a little hard at a rooftop bar and still make it home. It’s great.

They have a restaurant and bar on the top floor with amazing views. Their little snack shop was surprisingly not overpriced. They have an outdoor pool and a fitness center. There’s a Waffle House right next door. Lots of good things.

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview and highly recommend it.

Visit the Charleston Visitor Center

Charleston Visitor Center exterior, Charleston, South Carolina

The visitor center is always a great place to start a trip to a new city!

The Charleston Visitor Center is located in the old Deans Warehouse for the railroad, and it was built between 1840 to 1856.

You can get maps of the city, read some information about the city’s history, find the best things to do in Charleston, and learn about their free bus system CARTA that has a stop right outside the welcome center and is a great way to get around Charleston.

Dinner at Well-Hung Vineyard & Restaurant

Well-Hung Vineyard & Restaurant is a female-owned winery out of Virginia with a location in Downtown Charleston right by the Historic Charleston City Market.

The restaurant is set up in a cute old 2-story home with a bar downstairs and dining upstairs and on the porch. We ate out on the porch since it was a nice spring day.

I did their Sweetness Flight with their Wishful Thinking, Just Peachy, Creamy Dreams, and Happy Ending wines. Kevin got a glass of their Pop Your Cork Chardonnay. We were a fan of all the wines we tried, and their names are just phenomenal.

To eat, I went with their Shrimp Scampi and Kevin had THE Ribeye.

Drinks at Bin 152

Glasses of white wine at Bin 152, Charleston, South Carolina

We had some time to kill between dinner and a ghost tour, so we decided to double-down on the wine and stop at Bin 152 Wine Bar.

This wine bar is small but cozy, with some rustic vibes. They have over 40 different wines by the glass and over 200 wines by the bottle.

We tried a couple different Chardonnays from around the world and relaxed here for an hour.

Ghost Tour of the Old City Jail

Charleston’s Old City Jail is considered the city’s most haunted building. So of course we had to take this Haunted Old City Jail Night-Time Tour. Plus, the jail looks like a castle, and y’all know I’m a sucker for anything castle-like.

The Old City Jail housed the city’s most disturbed criminals, pirates, enslaved people, and Civil War prisoners. Thousands of people, both guilty and innocent, died inside the jail, so it’s no wonder there’s a lot of paranormal activity.

A ghost tour of the Old City Jail lets you see into the cells, hallways, torture chambers, and dark rooms of the bottom floor of the prison. This is one of the best Charleston tours, so definitely check it out!

Book your Haunted Old City Jail Night-Time Tour here.

Day 2 in Charleston

Our second day in Charleston we spent exploring the Mount Pleasant area, across the Cooper River from Downtown Charleston.

Breakfast at Vicious Biscuit

Beignets at Vicious Biscuit, Mount Pleasant, Charleston, South Carolina

For breakfast, we went to Vicious Biscuit in Mount Pleasant. This biscuit-centric restaurant has an over-the-top menu of biscuit sandwiches, breakfast platters, and breakfast bowls.

We shared The Vicious Beignets, which were cinnamon cream cheese-filled pastries with strawberry jam, strawberries, whipped cream, maple syrup, and powdered sugar. They were so good, I’d make a trip back just for those.

Visit the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is a museum on Charleston Harbor with the USS Yorktown as its centerpiece. But there’s also the USS Laffey, a Vietnam Experience Exhibit, and the Medal of Honor Museum.

The WWII aircraft carrier USS Yorktown is the main draw. This ship played a significant part in the Pacific offensive in 1943-1945 and earned battle stars in Vietnam (1965-1968). In 1968, the ship recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule.

On your self-guided tour, you get to explore practically the entire ship. You could easily spend all day here. You get to check out the engine room, see the aircraft on the deck, see the sailors’ living quarters, and there’s a replica of the Apollo 8 capsule.

And that’s just the one ship, there’s still more to see!

You can also explore all over the USS Laffey, the most decorated WWII-era US Destroyer still in existence. This ship has an interesting Combat Information Center experience that puts you in the middle of a search for enemy submarines.

The Vietnam Experience Exhibit brings the history of the Vietnam War to life in an immersive experience with holograms and 3D productions. And the Medal of Honor Museum on the USS Yorktown tells the stories of the Americans who have been awarded the Medal of Honor.

If that’s not enough, you can also take an exclusive night-time ghost tour of the USS Yorktown where you’ll hear about maritime superstitions and mysterious sailor disappearances. You can get discounted tickets to the Haunted USS Yorktown Tour using the Charleston TourPass.

Lunch at White Duck Taco Shop

4 tacos from White Duck Taco Shop, Mount Pleasant, Charleston, South Carolina

For lunch, we went to White Duck Taco Shop. This restaurant has a la carte tacos inspired by different flavors around the world.

We tried the Korean Beef Bulgogi, Lamb Gyro, Mole Roasted Duck, and Fish tacos.

Visit Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens

Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens is one of the best plantations in the Charleston area. The plantation was founded by John Boone in 1681, and it’s one of America’s oldest continually operating farms.

Its famed Avenue of the Oaks makes it one of the most photographed places in the US. The towering Live Oaks were planted in 1743, and now they arch overhead for a stunning entry to the home.

Boone Hall doesn’t shy away from its slave history. It’s the only plantation in the Lowcountry with a live Gullah culture presentation. The Gullah are the descendants of West and Central Africans who were enslaved in South Carolina. Descendants of these enslaved people present the history of their culture through storytelling, song, and dance in a 30 minute presentation held three times a day.

The plantation also has nine historic slave cabins each with an exhibit that presents a different period in African American history, aspects of daily life, and the struggles they faced.

The mansion that is at Boone Hall today was built in 1936 by a Canadian ambassador. You can take a guided tour of the first floor of the Georgian home.

Another highlight is the Plantation Tractor Tour, which takes you around the entire 738 acres of the plantation. You’ll learn about the history of Boone Hall Plantation, the agriculture and natural history of the area, and about the working farm today.

This could easily be another all-day affair. They also have a formal garden you can tour yourself, history talks about the families who lived here, a historical dwelling history talk about enslaved life at Boone Hall, a stable tour of the plantation’s equine history, a self-guided nature walk, and a tropic conservatory.

All of this is included in your general admission ticket.

Get your Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens ticket here. Or get discounted tickets to Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens using the Charleston TourPass.

Dinner at Oyster House Seafood Restaurant

Oyster House Seafood Restaurant is located in an old warehouse just off the Charleston City Market. They have a breezy covered patio that’s perfect for enjoying fresh seafood and Lowcountry favorites. Their specialty, of course, is fresh oysters.

We had the Fire Roasted Oysters, the Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna, the Coastal Seafood Trio, and a Pomegranate Martini to drink.

Drinks at The Rooftop at The Vendue

The Rooftop at the Vendue is one of Charleston’s best rooftop bars atop The Vendue, Charleston’s Art Hotel.

They have views for miles over the tops of Downtown Charleston. There are a few different levels, areas, and nooks where you can sip your drink. The decor is just as funky as the hotel downstairs. And it’s a great place to catch the sunset!

I recommend the Strawberry Basil Lemonade cocktail.

Day 3 in Charleston

For our third day in Charleston, we really dove into the history in Downtown, plus a morning trip to Fort Sumter.

Visit Fort Sumter National Monument

To get to Fort Sumter National Monument, you’ll have to take a National Park Service-authorized ferry transfer. There are departure locations at Patriots Point and at the Fort Sumter Visitor Center at Liberty Square in Downtown. We left from the Liberty Square visitor center since we were planning the rest of our day in Downtown.

The Battle of Fort Sumter was the start of the Civil War. The fort was built after the war of 1812 to protect Charleston Harbor, and it was still unfinished when the Civil War began in 1861. Fort Sumter was a Union-controlled fort when it was fired upon, the first shots of the Civil War, by the South Carolina Militia. During the battle, the fort was surrendered to the Confederates. The fort remained under Confederate control until Sherman’s advance through South Carolina forced the evacuation of Charleston and the fort was abandoned.

After a 30 minute ferry ride out to the island, you’re free to explore Fort Sumter on your own for an hour. When you take the first ferry over, you can assist the Ranger raise the US flag over the fort, and when you take the final ferry, you can help lower the flag and fold the colors.

There are informational plaques posted throughout the fort, and Rangers are there to answer any questions. Rangers will give you an overview of the fort on the ferry ride over.

Get your Fort Sumter National Monument ticket here. Or get discounted tickets to the Fort Sumter using the Charleston TourPass.

Lunch at Ted’s Butcherblock

Sandwich from Ted's Butcherblock, Charleston, South Carolina

For lunch, we went to Ted’s Butcherblock, an old-fashioned butcher counter and gourmet deli. Their menu has craft sandwiches, soups, salads, charcuterie, and smoked meats.

We had the Italian Sandwich and the Chicken, Pancetta & Avocado Sandwich.

Tour the Aiken-Rhett House Museum

The Aiken-Rhett House Museum is one of the best-preserved townhomes in Charleston. The museum explores life in antebellum Charleston through the wealthy Governor and Mrs. Aiken and the enslaved people who maintained the property.

The home was built in 1820 and was expanded by Governor and Mrs. Aiken in the 1830s and 1850s. The Historic Foundation Charleston keeps the home preserved-as-found, so none of the architecture, furniture, or finishes have been altered since the mid-1800s. The only restored room in the house is the art gallery.

The preserved state of the house allows you to gain a better understanding of every-day life at the Aiken-Rhett House. The slave quarters still have their original paint, floors, and fixtures that have been virtually untouched.

You’ll take a self-guided audio tour of the home to learn all about its history.

You can get discounted tickets to the Aiken-Rhett House Museum using the Charleston TourPass.

Tour the Joseph Manigault House

Not far from the Aiken-Rhett House is the Joseph Manigault House. This antebellum home was built in 1803 in the Adam style.

The home has been meticulously restored to its original design and color scheme. The furniture in the home comes from America, England, and France and dates to the early 1800s. Outside, the locations of historical outbuildings like the kitchen and slave quarters are marked by interpretive signs.

The guided tour of this home focuses on the Manigaults’ life in the home as wealthy rice planters and the unique architecture and design of the house.

You can get discounted tickets to the Joseph Manigault House using the Charleston TourPass.

Tour the Heyward-Washington House

The Heyward-Washington House is a Georgia-style townhome built in 1772 for Thomas Heyward, Jr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Its other claim to fame is that George Washington stayed here during his 1791 week-long visit to Charleston.

The home was sold in 1794 for John F. Grimke, father of famous abolitionists and suffragettes Sarah and Angeline Grimke. The home served as a boarding house, a private residence, and a lodging for Union soldiers until it was acquired by the Charleston Museum in 1929 when it was opened as the city’s first house museum.

The self-guided audio tour of this home takes you through the historic outbuildings at the back of the house, like the only 1740s kitchen building open to the public, and through the first and second floors of the home. The house is furnished with a collection of historic Charleston-made pieces, including the Holmes Bookcase. The formal gardens feature plants commonly used in the Lowcountry in the late 18th century.

You can get discounted tickets to the Heyward-Washington House using the Charleston TourPass.

Visit Rainbow Row

Paige in front of Rainbow Row, Charleston, South Carolina

Not far from the Heyward-Washington House is Rainbow Row, Charleston’s row of brightly-colored houses near the waterfront. This is one of the most photographed spots in Charleston.

This row of homes dates back to the 1740s, but after the Civil War the area was considered a slum. In 1931, Dorothy Porcher Legge and her husband purchased a section of homes and painted them pastel pink in order to make the place look nicer. Throughout the years, other residents began to paint their home pastel colors as well.

Today, it’s one of Charleston’s best free sights and the perfect Instagram spot.

See the Pineapple Fountain

The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality in Charleston, and the Pineapple Fountain in Charleston Waterfront Park is one of the city’s most iconic sights.

Charleston Waterfront Park sits along the Cooper River. It opened in 1989 after Hurricane Hugo with the Pineapple Fountain at its center. The park has a canopy of trees, an open grassy lawn, and a walkway along the river lined with Palmetto tress. There are plenty of benches and places to sit, relax, and enjoy the views.

Visit the Old Slave Mart Museum

The Old Slave Mart Museum was once the site of slave auctions in Charleston. The building was built in 1859 and was the last slave auction facility in South Carolina.

The market was part of a private auction facility known as Ryan’s Slave Mart that was established in 1856 after a citywide ban on public slave auctions. Auctions were held at the site until 1863 and the market was officially closed in 1865 with Union occupation of Charleston.

The Old Slave Mart Museum was the first African-American slave museum, and it has operated on and off since 1938. The museum looks at the history of slave trade in Charleston and in America as a whole.

The museum has few artifacts and is mostly comprised of informational posters that tell the story of Charleston’s role in the slave trade. There’s a lot of reading and a lot to learn, and they even have personal accounts from former enslaved persons.

You can get discounted tickets to the Old Slave Mart Museum using the Charleston TourPass.

Dinner at Queology Barbecue

Chicken wings from Queology Barbecue, Charleston, South Carolina

For dinner, we went to Queology Barbecue, an award-winning barbecue restaurant with a lively covered patio and some of the best wings in town.

We got the Buffalo Mild Wings and their Loaded Fries with queso, jalapenos, barbecue sauce, tomatoes, and onions.

Drinks at Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. & Taproom

Green and orange beer from Edmund's Oast Brewing Co. Taproom, Charleston, South Carolina

For after dinner drinks, we headed up to Edmund’s Oast Brewing Co. & Taproom where their production brewery is. You can enjoy a drink on their expansive patio and courtyard.

They have 20 house-brewed beers on tap, along with wine and cocktails. We tried a couple of their sours that were on tap.

Day 4 in Charleston

For our fourth day in Charleston, we headed out to Sullivan’s Island in the morning before exploring even more of Downtown Charleston.

Visit Fort Moultrie National Historical Park

Fort Moultrie was a fortification built of palmetto logs that was built to protect Charleston during the American Revolution. The fort was named after General William Moultrie following his success in the Battle of Sullivan’s Island in 1776.

The soft palmetto logs were a great defense against cannons since they didn’t crack under bombardment. It was this that inspired the South Carolina state flag and nickname of The Palmetto State. The palmetto along with General Moultrie’s own blue flag inspired the design of the state flag.

Fort Moultrie has been restored to show the major periods of history from 1809 through 1947, when the fort was rebuilt as a brick fortification, expanded, and modernized as each new war brought with it new weapons technology.

When you visit, you can watch a video on the fort’s history, look through the small museum at the visitor center, then head across the street for a self-guided tour of the fort. They have Ranger-led talks at the fort a couple times a day, but for the most part you’re free to explore on your own.

There’s also a hidden observation deck at the top of the visitor center! There are a couple sets of stairs around the sides of the building.

Lunch at Poe’s Tavern

For lunch, we stopped at Poe’s Tavern on Sullivan’s Island because I’m a sucker for anything literary themed. This gastropub specializes in hamburgers, fish tacos, sandwiches, and salads. All their sandwiches are named after Edgar Allan Poe stories.

We had the Amontillado Burger and the Sleeper Burger.

Check out Charleston City Market

Charleston City Market, Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston City Market is a historic outdoor market in downtown that was established in 1788. The land was ceded to the city with the stipulation that it must be used as a market for perpetuity. It spans four blocks from Meeting Street to East Bay Street.

Historically, this market was where meat, vegetable, and fish vendors sold their goods. Since the 1970s, the market has had local vendors selling unique crafts, gifts, art, and goods.

The market is open daily for you to walk through the open-air sheds and shop the local sellers. You can also go inside the air-conditioned Great Hall marketplace and visit the Museum at Market Hall (discounted tickets available with the Charleston TourPass). The also occasionally have a Night Market with local artist and hand-crafted sellers.

Visit the Charleston Museum

The Charleston Museum is the oldest museum in the United States. It was founded in 1773 and was inspired by the British Museum in London.

The museum has permanent exhibits dedicated to the history and natural history of Charleston and the Lowcountry. They have also retained some of the collection from the museum’s early days, an exotic mix of the museum’s 19th century focus that aimed to show visitors a little of everything around the world.

The Charleston Museum also exhibits an impressive collection of historic weapons, historic textiles, Charleston silverworks, and a hands-on exhibit for children.

You can get discounted tickets to the Charleston Museum using the Charleston TourPass.

Visit the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon

The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon has a long history as a commercial exchange, a custom house, a post office, a city hall, and a military headquarters. Completed in 1771, the building now houses a museum with a focus on the American Revolution and colonial Charleston.

You’ll take a self-guided tour of the top two floors where you’ll see where the Constitution was ratified, see where George Washington was entertained on his trip to Charleston, and learn about Charleston’s slave trade.

On the bottom floor is a guided tour of the Provost Dungeon where the British kept prisoners of war during the Revolution.

You can get discounted tickets to the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon using the Charleston TourPass.

Visit the Gibbes Museum of Art

The Gibbes Museum of Art is a small art museum that was established in 1858. The museum focuses on American art, highlighting many artists with a connection to Charleston or the South.

Their permanent collection features paintings, sculpture, miniature portraits, works on paper, decorative art, and multimedia spanning from the colonial era to the present. The first American miniatures were painted in Charleston, and their miniature collection has over 600 works from the 18th to 20th century.

The museum features six to eight special exhibitions per year that spotlight particular artists, introduce new art forms, and provide perspective on larger community issues.

You can get discounted tickets to the Gibbs Museum of Art using the Charleston TourPass.

Get Ice Cream at Carmella’s Cafe and Dessert Bar

Carmella’s Cafe and Dessert Bar is the perfect spot for a mid-day snack. Whenever we passed by the cafe in the evenings, the line was out the door; but during the day, there was hardly a wait.

This cafe has desserts, gelato, sorbet, organic coffees, sandwiches, pizza, wine, beer, cocktails, and boozy milkshakes.

We got a double scoop of gelato and a chocolate milkshake.

Take a Pirates, Patriots & Prohibition Tour

If you want to learn about the seedier side of Charleston’s history, then this private evening Pirates, Patriots & Prohibition Tour is perfect. I actually found this tour through a Tinggly gift box I received, proving yet again that they’re a great gift for travelers!

This tour takes you by sights like the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, Circular Congregational Church, the Powder Magazine, and more to tell you stories of Charleston’s famous pirates and patriots.

This isn’t a ghost tour but is a great history tour that avoids the Charleston heat and takes a look at the darker side of the city’s history.

There aren’t a ton of evening tours in Charleston that aren’t ghost tours, so if you’re looking for something to do in Charleston at night that isn’t scary, then this is a great tour!

Get your Pirates, Patriots & Prohibition Tour ticket here.

Dinner at Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar

Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar is one of the top restaurants in Charleston. You’ll need to make a reservation in advance because this popular spot is always booked up.

This waterfront restaurant serves Southern seafood favorites like crab soup, oysters, and shrimp.

We got the pan-roasted Jumbo Shrimp and the Blackened Triggerfish.

Day 5 in Charleston

For our fifth day in Charleston, we headed out to the Ashley River Historic District to see some of Charleston’s most important plantations.

Visit Middleton Place

Middleton Place was a rice plantation on the banks of the Ashley River. It was began in the late 1730s and was the home of the prominent Middleton family, including Arthur Middleton who was a Founding Father and signer of the Declaration of Independence.

The original main house was burned when the plantation was captured during the Civil War. The family restored the south flanker and converted it to their main residence. It’s this home that you can tour today. Inside, you can see some of the home’s original furnishings, artwork given to the family, family heirlooms, an 1818 edition of the Declaration of Independence, and a copy of the Ordinance of Secession.

The gardens at Middleton Place are America’s Oldest Landscaped Gardens. Began in 1741, the gardens were meant to outshine the neighbors’. The gardens create a maze of camellia, azalea, cypress, and oak. There are terraced lawns, floral allées, sunken gardens, and ornamental lakes.

The plantation also has a large stable yard and historic livestock. The Middletons imported water buffalo in the middle 19th century. You can still see water buffalo and other livestock on the farm today. In the stable yard, you can see demonstrations of blacksmithing, textile spinning, and other trades and learn about the enslaved people who did this work at the plantation.

Throughout the day, the plantation has programming on enslavement at Middleton Place. You can see the slave cemetery, see a demonstration rice field, visit the chapel for the enslaved community, and visit Eliza’s House, a 2-family home that shows the domestic conditions of the African American community at Middleton Place after the Civil War.

Lunch at Famulari’s Pizzeria

Meatball sub from Famulari's Pizzeria, West Ashley, Charleston, South Carolina

For lunch, we went to Famulari’s Pizzeria in West Ashley. This pizza shop serves New York style and Chicago style pizza, calzones, strombolis, subs, and wraps.

We got the Classic Meatball Sub and the Calzone.

Visit Drayton Hall

Drayton Hall was the only plantation house on the Ashley River to survive the American Revolution and the Civil War.

The property was bought in 1738 by John Drayton Sr. who had grown up down the river at Magnolia Plantation. The home was built in the Palladian style, unusual for South Carolina plantation homes, and was completed by the early 1750s. The plantation was based in indigo and rice farming.

The home is being preserved, rather than restored, so you can see materials and designs from every period of the house’s history. A guided tour starts in the cellar level where the enslaved people lived and worked, then flows to the first and second floors to look at the preservation and architecture of the home.

Most of the plantation’s outbuildings have been destroyed, including the 13 slave cabins, the kitchen, and the laundry house. You can still see the privy, as well as a 19th century caretaker’s house that has exhibits on the postbellum history of Drayton Hall as it relates to the site’s African American community and the phosphate mining industry that relied on the labor of freedmen who continued to live on the property.

You can get discounted tickets to Drayton Hall using the Charleston TourPass.

Take a Cocktail Class at Élevé Rooftop Restaurant & Lounge

Élevé Rooftop Restaurant & Lounge is a classy rooftop bar atop the Grand Bohemian Hotel Charleston, and they’ve got a fun cocktail class on the weekends.

Kevin and I ended up being the only people taking the class that evening, so it was a romantic date night for us!

With the class, you get a welcome toast, demonstration and tasting of 4 classic cocktails, a lot of history of cocktails and Charleston, a little lesson in bartending, and then at the end, you get to make one of the classic cocktails for yourself.

Our cocktail menu consisted of an Old Fashioned, a Gin Fizz, a Daiquiri, and a Margarita. I decided to make the Gin Fizz for myself (because it’s the most difficult and I like a challenge), and Kevin made the Margarita.

We really enjoyed this cocktail class, it was a highlight of our trip for sure!

Dinner at Frannie & The Fox

Frannie & The Fox is trendy Italian restaurant in the lobby of the Hotel Emeline. We got a cozy seat in their bar area, called The Den.

I got the Rigatoni with lamb, while Kevin tried the Squid Ink Chitarra (he’s been big on squid ink pasta since we tried it in Venice).

Walk Around Marion Square

Marion Square is a 6.5 acre park that was formerly called Citadel Green because the Old Citadel sits on the north side.

The park has a seasonal farmer’s market with vendors selling local food and handcrafted items. In the square, you’ll also find the Charleston Holocaust Memorial.

Day 6 in Charleston

On our sixth day in Charleston, we went back out to the Ashley River Historic District for a final plantation before visiting the site of Charleston’s founding.

Visit Magnolia Plantation and Gardens

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is one of the oldest plantations in the South, dating back to 1679.

The plantation was originally a rice plantation, but it became known for its gardens after Reverend John Grimké Drayton developed the property in the 1840s. The gardens were well-known for their azaleas and live oak trees. After the Civil War, he opened the gardens to the public.

The original plantation house was burned down during the Civil War. The restored home is based on the home that was built after the war. You can tour the home to learn about the Drayton family and see many family heirlooms.

Beyond the beautiful gardens are former slave cabins that have been restored to reflect different periods from the 1850s to the 20th century. After Emancipation, many newly freed African Americans stayed at Magnolia Plantation to work in the gardens and as tour guides, and they continued to live in these cabins on what was called the “Street”.

The gardens also have a Wildlife Center with rescued animals, a Nature Train tour, and 6 miles of walking and biking trails.

You can get discounted tickets to the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens using the Charleston TourPass.

Lunch at Frothy Beard Brewing Company

Frothy Beard Brewing Company‘s taproom in West Ashley has over 20 rotating beers, pizza, wings, burgers, and fun events. And their cute beardy logo guy looks like Kevin, so we had to go.

They have daily lunch specials, which we definitely took advantage of. We both got a Monster Slice, which are huge and worth it, plus a beer.

Explore Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site

Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site is the original site of the first permanent English settlement in Charleston.

The visitor center has a museum that details the history of the site. Throughout the park, you can explore a Native American ceremonial site, an African American cemetery, an active archaeological site, an interpretive garden, a reconstructed palisades wall, and more.

There’s a wildlife center with bears, bison, otters, and more. There’s an avenue of oaks leading up to the Legare Waring House, an 1840s plantation home.

You can also climb aboard the Adventure, a replica of a ketch, a 17th-century cargo vessel, that’s docked here. This is the second Adventure to be docked here, and it was built in 2008.

You can get discounted tickets to Charles Town Landing State Historic Site using the Charleston TourPass.

See the Angel Oak Tree

The Angel Oak Tree is a huge Southern Live Oak located on Johns Island. The tree is estimated to be 400-500 years old, and is 66.5 feet tall and 28 feet wide. It’s considered the largest Live Oak east of the Mississippi.

The City of Charleston owns the park that the tree sits in. The tree is free to visit, but because of vandalism to the tree, the city has had to put regulations in place to protect it.

The park is surrounded by a fence and is not open at night. It is free to visit, but donations are accepted. There are tons of signs around the tree reminding you not to climb or sit in the tree. You aren’t allowed to picnic beneath the tree, but there are picnic tables available away from the tree in the park.

You are allowed to walk beneath the tree and touch it, as long as you are gentle with it. It’s pretty incredible how the limbs have grown and it’s withstood so much time and weather.

Drinks at Harborview Restaurant and Lounge

Mojito at Harborview Restaurant and Lounge, Charleston, South Carolina

Harborview Restaurant & Lounge is a bar and restaurant atop the Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview. Since we were staying at this hotel, we figured we should head up to the top to see the views and get a drink before dinner.

The bar has a great view out across the river to Downtown Charleston. They have a classic menu of cocktails. I recommend the Mojito.

Dinner at HOKKAIDO Sushi & Hibachi

Sushi from HOKKAIDO Sushi & Hibachi, Charleston, South Carolina

HOKKAIDO Sushi & Hibachi is a small Japanese restaurant near the Citadel. As the name suggests, they serve sushi and hibachi dishes.

We did the Tuna Lover Roll, the Spicy Tuna Roll, and the Spicy Yellowtail Roll.

Dessert at Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream

Two cups of ice cream from Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream, West Ashely, Charleston, South Carolina

For dessert, we went to Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream off Savannah Highway. They have a wide assortment of ice creams, sundaes, and milkshakes, as well as lunch and dinner foods like sandwiches, burgers, and hot dogs.

We got two heaping cups of ice cream as the perfect end to our day.

Day 7 in Charleston

For our seventh day in Charleston we had just one last thing to see before heading home.

Visit the Hunley Submarine

The H.L. Hunley was a Confederate submarine, the first combat submarine to sink a warship.

The Union and Confederate armies were in a race to create a marine weapon that could sink an “ironclad” ship. The H.L. Hunley was named for its inventor, Horace Lawson Hunley. While it was ultimately successful in sinking the 1,240-ton US Navy Housatonic in Charleston’s outer harbor, the submarine and her crew didn’t survive.

In fact, the Hunley lost 21 crewmen over the course of two test runs and her final mission, including Horace Lawson Hunley. After sinking the Housatonic, the Hunley was lost on the harbor floor.

The submarine was finally located in 2000 and recovered. The Friends of The Hunley museum has the Hunley still undergoing a slow restoration process in a 75,000 gallon tank, artifacts found during the excavation, facial reconstructions of the crewmembers, and a model of the Hunley that you can climb into.

You can get discounted tickets to the Hunley Submarine using the Charleston TourPass.

Save on Charleston’s Top Attractions

Want to save big on Charleston’s top attractions? With the Charleston TourPass, you can save up to 40% on 40+ tours and attractions.

Visit bucket list attractions, enjoy top tours, and discover hidden gems handpicked by local experts. With this pass, you’ll have everything you need right on your phone, saving you both time and money.

Get your Charleston TourPass here.

Where to Stay for 7 Days in Charleston

Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview

Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview, Charleston, South Carolina

For our 7 days in Charleston, we stayed at the Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview.

The rooms were pretty standard for a Holiday Inn. We paid a little extra for a nice view, and I really enjoyed that. They also have a restaurant and bar on the top floor that has amazing views.

The best part about the hotel was their free shuttle that ran daily into Downtown Charleston. This made getting into town so easy! It also saved us a ton of money on parking, plus the hotel was cheaper than staying Downtown, so we were really happy with the price all around.

Book a stay at the Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview here.

7 Days in Charleston Map

Ready to spend 7 days in Charleston, South Carolina? Use the map below to plan out your vacation.

I hope you found this week-long Charleston itinerary helpful!

Where to Stay in Charleston

Find the best place to rest your head in Charleston.

More Charleston Tips

Check out the posts below to continue planning your Charleston vacation:


Ready to visit Charleston, South Carolina? Plan your trip with these tips.


Cheers!

Paige

7 Days in Charleston: Perfect 1 Week Charleston Itinerary

When are you planning to spend 7 days in Charleston, South Carolina? Let me know in the comments!

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