In March Ted and I traded our snowy Chicago for a weekend of warmth and sun in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s become a popular weekend destination and is also home to one of my favorite bloggers, Julia, from Girl Meets Glam. She raves abouts Charleston and after getting to visit this beautiful city, I now get what the hype is about. The city reminds me a lot of New Orleans, but its more refined and elegant. Where New Orleans has a rawness to it, Charleston feels more high end. I love both cities but they definitely have a different vibe.

I wanted to share our itinerary since I have a few friends headed to Charleston this summer and have had other’s ask me about our trip. For context, we flew in on a Friday night and flew out on Monday afternoon. Since those were travel days, this itinerary is only for the two full days spent in Charleston: Saturday & Sunday.

I don’t recommend flying in on a Saturday morning and flying out on a Sunday night, because there’s just so much to see and do ! So if you can turn your Charleston visit into  a longer weekend,  do it!

Saturday

Walking Tour

Ted and I like to start all of our trips with walking tours. We get a sense of the city this way, see all the main sites, and are quickly able to find our way around. We love history so typically choose history themed tours, but there are tons out there: architecture, ghost tours, food tours, some are even done via horse and carriage which looked super fun.

Old Exchange & Provost Tour

This beautiful old building was the site of  numerous Revolutionary war skirmishes and has a long history. We took a tour of the dungeon and explored the beautiful ballroom. It’s blue and white and gorgeous, so naturally I was in heaven.

Rainbow Row

Rainbow Row is a block long and just off the water front.  It’s made up of thirteen colorful Georgian row houses and is Charleston’s most photographed street.

Bakery Snack at One Broad Street

This is such a cute little bakery/brunch spot. Ted and I needed a quick snack after our busy morning so we got some coffee and sweet treats here.

Nathaniel Russel House

This beautiful old house is famous for its suspended spiral staircase. It’s a beautiful work of art and also an engineering marvel.

Dinner at Poogan’s Porch

When folks saw I was in Charleston I got a ton of messages from people telling me to go to Husk, one of Charleston’s best restaurants. Ted and I found it and the food looked incredible, but the wait for dinner was three hours. We were so hungry and knew we couldn’t wait that long so while we didn’t get the opportunity to dine at Husk we discovered Poogan’s Porch which was right next door. We sat outside on the porch and had the best fried chicken of our lives. Serve with mashed potatoes, gravy,  and collard greens this was a classic southern meal that made me so happy! Look how tasty! I would 100% go back here again and recommend it as a more affordable alternative to Husk.

Sunday

Mass at St. Michael’s

Ted and I went to an early morning service here – its one of Charleston’s oldest churches and was visited by historical figures like George Washington.  Even though we’re Catholic we were able to follow along with the service.  I always enjoy exploring other religions and ways of worshiping.

Fort Sumter Ferry & Tour

This was the number one place to visit for Ted. He’s a serious Civil War buff and for those of you who don’t know, the Civil War started at Fort Sumter. So of course we had to go. We took a ferry there since it’s our in the middle of the harbor. I liked the ferry ride the best and  Ted got to geek out at the site.

Lunch at Eli’s

This cute restaurant was just a block from our hotel and it caught my eye since we kept walking past it as we explored the city.  I had the Charleston Red Rice Breakfast Hash and oh my god was it good! A classic breakfast with a southern twist.

McLeoad Plantation

We wanted to visit a plantation but didn’t have enough time to take a day tour or drive out to some of the larger ones surrounding Charleston. If you’re short on time visit McLeoad Plantation! Ted and I were able to uber there since its just 15 minutes  outside of Charleston. The tour was excellent and focuses on the house and its history during the reconstruction era.

White Point Garden

We spent the rest of our Saturday wandering the city and sitting by the water in the White Point Garden Park. A relaxing end to a busy weekend.

Hotel

Charleston is full of gorgeous bed and breakfasts but the affordable ones sell out fast. By the time I started looking at hotels the only ones left were charging over $700 per night, and while I wanted to stay somewhere super cute that’s just not our budget (someday maybe, but not today).

Ted and I didn’t rent a car and prefer to walk everywhere so my main goal was to make sure we were in the historic district of town. Luckily I was able to find a room at the Days Inn Charleston Historic District for about $100 bucks a night. It’s just a regular hotel but I have to say it location was fantastic. You literally could not get a more centrally located hotel in Charleston and we saved so much time not having to travel into the city. The rooms are ok, but its this hotel’s local tion alone that makes me mention it. So that’s my honest review — if I could stay somewhere else I would, but since this was the few affordable rooms left in the historic district we took it. Lesson learned : book your hotel early and stay somewhere central in the city.

I can’t wait to go back to Charleston and hope you end up loving this city as much as Ted and I did. Let me know if you have plans to go!