Going to Charleston, South Carolina? SAVE THIS POST!
Charleston is a great city to experience even if just for a day. Here is what you can see and do if you only have one day in this charming city like we did over winter break.
The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge
Start with a drive over the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. This stunning futuristic-like design is 13,200 feet long, standing at 573 feet high! It opened in 2005 and is officially the longest cable stayed bridge in North America. Since we drove over it, I couldn’t get a photo so here is a picture I found on Pixabay.
Address: Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge, Charleston, SC 29403
The Charleston Tea Plantation
Tour the Charleston Tea Plantation located on Wadmalaw Island. It’s a 30-minute drive from downtown Charleston and is the ONLY tea plantation in North America. You can take a FREE tour of their factory (12 minutes tour) and try FREE samples of their teas (iced and hot) at their sampling bar. Meshach and Tristan really love their iced peach tea.
I loved them all because I’m a tea fanatic. If you’re not crunched for time, you can also tour their plantation seeing acres of their tea bushes with a stop at their greenhouse on a 40-minute Trolley Tour for a fee (currently $7 for children ages 4 – 11 & $14 for ages 12 and up.)
Address: 6617 Maybank Hwy, Wadmalaw Island, SC 29487
Angel Oak Tree
On your way back to Charleston, stop to admire the beautiful Angel Oak Tree in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island. It’s 20 minutes away from Charleston. Parking is FREE and there is no fee to view it. This visit might only take you a few minutes (unless you plan on taking tons of photos.)
The tree is 66.5 feet tall and has a circumference of 28 feet producing shade that covers 17,200 sq. ft Its longest branch distance is 187 ft.
Address: 3688 Angel Oak Rd, Johns Island, SC 29455
Marion Square
Marion Square is a historic greenspace of 6 1/2 acres that sits between Meeting Street and King Street. It looks like a great space for relaxing on a nice day in Charleston. A weekend farmer’s market is also hosted here during the warm weather months.
Address: 329 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29403
The Charleston Museum
The Charleston Museum is packed with natural history exhibits and historic artifacts. Two historic Charleston houses are also part of the museum and if you have time, you can buy a combo ticket to not only view the museum exhibits but also the houses like the Joseph Manigault House located right across the street from the museum.
There are also fun interactive kid exhibits that Tristan really loves.
Address: 360 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29403
College of Charleston
Take a stroll through the super cute main campus for The College of Charleston. It was around Christmas when we went, so the campus was lit up with beautiful lights hanging from the trees like a Winter Wonderland.
Located away from the main campus is the free museum, Mace Brown Museum of Natural History. We didn’t make it to this museum because it was closed, but from the reviews it’s a cool museum for those fascinated by paleontology. It even houses the jaw of a real Megalodon!
Address (The College): 66 George St, Charleston, SC 29424
Address (Mace Brown Museum of National History): 202 Calhoun St, Charleston, SC 29401
Byrd’s Famous Cookies
If you’re craving something sweet, stop by this yummy scented cookie shop. We went to the one on S. Market Street since it was close to our dinner spot. There is a sample bar where you can try FREE samples of all kinds of delicious cookies like Georgia Peach, Toasted Pumpkin, and Cupcake (Tristan’s favorite!)
Address: 71 S Market St, Charleston, SC 29401
Florence’s Low Country Kitchen
Florence’s Low Country Kitchen also located on S. Market Street serving up super delicious Southern dishes. We ordered Jambalaya, a fried chicken plate and fried green tomatoes. The Jambalaya has crawfish (omg I love crawfish!!!), shrimp, Andouille sausage, bell peppers, onions and red rice.
I wish we had room to try their Geechie Boy Grits – it looks so good in the photos I’ve seen online.
Address: 49 S Market St, Charleston, SC 29401
Parking Info
Go to this website for rates and parking garage locations around Charleston. We parked at the Concord/Cumberland Garage to visit the cookie shop and eat dinner on S. Market Street, which was only a couple minutes walk from the garage. For Marion Square, The College of Charleston and The Charleston Museum, we parked at the St. Philip Street Parking Garage and walked. We briefly walked through King Street too.
I also read online that you could park at the Visitors Center and hop on the DASH (Downtown Area Shuttle) Trolley – a trolley that will take you around popular Charleston area locations for FREE.
You just have to pay to park though.
I hope my recommendations help. You can also watch our entire day trip on my Insta Stories Highlights for Charleston.
What is your favorite day trip? Comment below and share this post!
Sign up for our FREE newsletters and get inspirational stories, travel tips, giveaways and more great content delivered to your inbox!
