Welcome back to another one of my adventures…and this time, we’re venturing outside of Washington, DC to one of the chicest, classiest and CUTEST places on the east coast: Charleston, South Carolina.

A few weeks ago, my sister and I escaped the freezing northern temperatures for a little weekend getaway to Charleston and I’m SO excited to share all of our favorite things. This post is a guide for what to see, do and eat in Charleston, SC.

So grab a snack and get ready for my travel guide to Charleston, South Carolina.  Literally guys, if you have never been here, you need to plan a trip ASAP, because it truly is one of the most magical places in the south.

What To Do In Charleston, SC

The best decision we made in Charleston was to bike through the city. The weather was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and biking made the city so much more accessible (rather than trying to walk it or drive it and having to get in and out/worry about parking).

We rented our bikes from Affordabike right on King Street, and I cannot recommend them enough! Not only do they have the friendliest staff, but they also have the cutest bikes and really great prices as well! We rented to concierge bikes and rode them ALL through the city, from White Point Garden to Rainbow Row! Here are a few places you should stop:

• The Timothy Ford House

If you’re looking for some great photos and beautiful wisteria, definitely check out the Timothy Ford House and make all of your purple dreams come true. I think this is the best wisteria in Charleston that we saw and is fantastic for snapping a few shots!

• Fort Sumter

If you’re into history, Fort Sumter is a national park that is notable for two battles in the American Civil War. They also have ships that you can tour as well as national park grounds.

• The Pineapple Fountain

This is well-known Charleston tourist landmark, but still so beautiful! It is located in Charleston’s Waterfront Park (which is great for a casual stroll along the boardwalk). It was pretty windy when we went, but beautiful!

• Rainbow Row

Probably one of Charleston’s most famous spots, but definitely a must-see if you’re visiting. Rainbow Row is basically a beautiful collection of colored houses in Charleston that are just SO CUTE. Make sure you venture down some of the side streets for some of the hidden gems and colored houses with shutters and flowers.

• White Point Garden

This was an absolutely stunning public park located at the very tip of Charleston. It provides a spectacular view of Fort Sumter and Charleston Harbor and has some great grassy areas, statues and views.

Shem Creek Park

One of our favorite locations in the evening was Shem Creek Park. In fact, we loved it SO much that we came back to get dinner and stroll along the boardwalk two nights in a row! It’s really interesting, because I never saw this on any travel guide, but my good friend who lived in Charleston recommended this place to us and we LOVED it.

Located in Mt. Pleasant, this beautiful boardwalk is surrounded by wonderful restaurants and quaint boats. It’s a fantastic area for a relaxing walk at sunset and if you time it just right, you can catch a glimpse of the dolphins swimming behind the boats when they come in for the evening! Such a hidden gem!

Sullivan’s Island

If you have time, definitely make sure to stop by Sullivan’s Island. It is such a calm, peaceful beach with lots of great little restaurants and shops. It was a bit overcast when we visited, but we still enjoyed a long stroll on the beach and some great food at The Obstinate Daughter. There were absolutely no crowds which made it feel like the perfect little beachy getaway day.

Where To Eat In Charleston, SC

This proved to be harder than we thought, not because there were a lack of restaurants, but because there were TOO MANY good ones. So many incredible places to eat and not enough time to try them all. What a hardship!

• The Obstinate Daughter

However, our FAVORITE restaurant of the entire weekend was actually The Obstinate Daughter on Sullivan’s Island. Make sure you book a reservation to this place, because it fills up quickly and when we went, they were seating only by reservations.

The inside has chic yet nautical vibe that is located on the second floor, so it has great views out the window. Also, if you like seafood, their daily specials rotate every day with lots of fresh options.

We ordered the Obstinate Flatbread, a soft and fluffy flatbread with olive oil sea salt and a butter-bean puree (like hummus) and it was absolutely fantastic.

We also ordered their Ricotta Short Rib Ragu Gnocchi and I CANNOT STRESS that it was one of the best things I have ever eaten in my entire life. Our waiter informed us that it was what they were known for (which is why we selected it), and it probably tops one of the top meals I’ve ever eaten. So, so good. If you get a chance to come here, I really think you’ll be blown away by how gourmet and delicious the food is.

The restaurant also has a cute little gelato shop on the bottom floor if you need a little sweet treat after your meal!

• Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

For breakfast in downtown Charleston, Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit is a must-visit if you are a carb fan in the slightest.

They have the most unique and amazing flavors and their biscuits are out of this world. I tried the cinnamon, cheese and chive and blackberry biscuits and they were all FANTASTIC. If you’re in the mood for something a little extra, they have delicious biscuit sandwiches, grits and coffee. We went on a Saturday morning, so the line was out the door, but fluffy and buttery biscuits are always worth a wait if you ask me!

• The Daily

If you followed me on social media, you definitely saw how many times we visited The Daily in Charleston. They are the sister shop to The Butcher & The Bee, located towards the end King Street…but that’s beside the point. The main point IS that they have THE BEST avocado toast I have ever tasted in my entire life.

I don’t really know how to describe this avocado toast, except by telling you that I’ve eaten a ton of avocado toast in my life and this is definitely the best I’ve ever had. They bake their bread fresh every day and I loved it so much, I bought an entire loaf to replicate their avo toast at home (which I did for an entire week following our trip haha!).

• Bakehouse Charleston

We visited quite a few little bake shops and coffee shops in Charleston, but my favorite was probably Bakehouse Charleston. They have the cutest little interior vibe with a community table and a side dining room/library.

We tried a lemon poppyseed scone and a lavender latte – yum!

---

I could go on and on about every single thing we did, but I feel as though during our short time there, we barely scratched the surface of all there is to do in Charleston! We could’ve spent so many days here, but if you’re looking for things to do on a short trip to Charleston, hopefully this gives you a few ideas! Truth be told, I’m already planning a return trip back because we just couldn’t get enough of this southern treasure of a city!

Have you ever been to Charleston?