27 Nov Your ultimate Charleston Travel Guide!
So last weekend we did it! We finally visited Charleston, the beautiful city in South Carolina, famous for its historic charm and well preserved architecture with its colourful houses. This town was on my bucket-list and the fifth stop on our road-trip, after Jefferson, Memphis, Nashville and Savannah. Charleston is the wedding capital of the USA as well as the city where the shot was fired that started the American Civil War. It was therefore a very romantic, interesting and cultural stay and it is my new favourite small city in the United States! I therefore want to share my Charleston Travel Guide as I want to encourage you to visit this city as well. It is a super fun, classy and pastel coloured town, perfect for a trip with your family, boyfriend or friends!
Where to stay in Charleston?
We stayed in the King Charles Inn, a very elegant boutique hotel in the historic district of Charleston. In this hotel you can experience the royal charm of traditional southern hospitality. As the King Charles Inn is located at the corner of Meeting and Hasell Street, we could walk to most of the famous attractions, historical places, best restaurants and exclusive boutiques. This charming Inn has a great pool, a delicious happy hour with local cheeses and King Charles Inn wine and a tea and cookie service at night. We were also very happy with the complimentary on-site parking as that can be challenging in Charleston. We especially loved our five-star stay at the King Charles Inn because of the welcoming, helpful and hospitable front desk. So booking a room at the King Charles Inn is a fabulous start of planning your city trip to Charleston.
My perfect outfit for the Charleston get-away with this beautiful sweater by Chicwish, suede skirt and Cougar boots!
Where to dine in Charleston?
We had heard many great stories about the food and restaurant scene in Charleston and – good news – almost all of the best restaurants and bars are on walking distance of King Charles Inn. The #1 restaurant in Charleston is Husk, but it was unfortunately fully booked when I tried to make a reservation 3 weeks in advance. Instead we did cocktails at the Husk bar and enjoyed a cheese platter (yum!!). If you like pasta, you must make reservations at Le Farfalle where we had a fabulous dinner in a fun, casual and trendy setting. Another great date spot is The Darling, which restaurant serves oysters until midnight and has a fabulous Monster bloody Mary! They also have a great lillet cocktail and the atmosphere is super hip. For a quick breakfast or lunch I would recommend Caviar & Bananas. This is a fancy little food market, with an amazing bakery, delicious salad bar and mouth watering sandwiches. Try the avocado toast, the porridge with hazelnut butter and fresh berries and the chocolate croissant. I also had my first sweet matcha tea here, and I loved it! Lunch is done best at Poogan’s Porch, a fun and authentic southern soul food restaurant. Our favourite place was Bin 152, a boutique wine bar with an excellent selection of wines, cheeses and charcuterie. I especially loved our happy hour here as I met one of my favorite bloggers, Julia Engel. She lives in Charleston and I think she has the best style and the most fashionable travel adventures. Ohh, and you should definitely check out her Gal meets Glam travel guide for Charleston as well.
What to do in Charleston?
So besides wining and dining in Charleston, you have to explore the city as well! Even though everything is walkable from the King Charles Inn, we loved exploring the city by bike. You can easily rent a bike via Holy Spokes, which are the city bikes on the side walks divided over city. It is really fun to bike around in South of Broad Street, with it’s many pastel-coloured houses and alleys. Charleston’s main street is King Street, which is the core of Charleston’s retail district. Upper King is the best site of high-end boutiques and art-galleries. You also have to visit the French Quarter with the Charleston City Market, which is north-east from the Historic District. Don’t forget to make a stop at the Waterfront Park with the pineapple fountain. Another to-do is to visit a typical historical house, like the Aiken-Rhett House which has an audio tour that takes 40 minutes. The Nathaniel Russell House is also very impressive with its floating staircase and stunning architecture. By visiting these houses, you will learn a lot of the history of Charleston. We also did a tour by boat to visit Fort Sumter, the island where the American Civil War began. It only takes 2,5 hours and you will have beautiful views over the city of Charleston as a bonus. And if you are here during the weekend, bring your appetite to Marion Square Farmers Market, also a 5 minutes walk from the King Charles Inn.
As always, thank you for reading and enjoy your trip to Charleston! Xx Susanne
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