We recently had the pleasure of visiting Charleston for a week and it’s safe to say I fell in love with that city. It has so much to offer! It’s close to the beach (Sullivan’s Island), it has a city feel, but you can also get away for a calmer “suburb” experience in Mount Pleasant.
That’s actually where we stayed. We got an Airbnb in the Old Village in Mount Pleasant. Just a short, 12-minute drive to Downtown Charleston and about 15 minutes away from Sullivan’s Island. It was truly the perfect location and it allowed us to explore Charleston to the fullest while also enjoying plenty of greenery, parks, and nice walks with the dogs.
We were there from Sunday evening through Friday morning and truly it was the perfect amount of time to explore the Holy City. However, if you only have 3 days I’m pretty confident you can still experience quite a bit. Either way I’m sharing our Charleston itinerary so you know what’s a must-visit if you’re planning a trip to Charleston!
Day 1:
Our first full day was quite a packed day. If you like to take things slow, our Charleston itinerary might feel a bit overwhelming as Kris and I like to explore as much as we possibly can with whatever time we have. However, you can also pick and choose what you’d like to see!
Breakfast:
We started our morning off visiting Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits. Beware there WILL be a line! It’s quite a popular spot but the line does move quickly. Take this with a grain of salt: it wasn’t our favorite spot. However, I’m not much of a biscuit person in general so it’s definitely a me thing, not a Callie’s thing. Their biscuits are a bit drier and more like a cake consistency so they can be quite filling (and I’m not a cake person). However, they taste really good. They were just a little too much for me and a few bites was more than enough.
Time to Explore:
After breakfast we walked around King Street. Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits is on King Street so we didn’t have to make any detours. We just walked down the street and visited a few shops and historic spots. I’m a huge fan of The Notebook so we walked past The American Theater and reminisced on Allie and Noah’s date. We also walked past the William Aiken House, though we didn’t go inside because we were with the pups. I did some shopping at Two Cumberland, a super cute boutique and also visited the Amanda Lindroth store which has beautiful handmade products for your home! Other cute stores include Hampden Clothing, Beau and Ro, and Old Whaling Co.
Lunch:
While we were walking around King Street we got really hungry and found AW Shuck’s, a really good seafood place. That’s one thing about Charleston- there is seafood galore! The tacos were absolutely delicious and they had an adorable outdoor seating area that reminded me of European cafés.
Visiting South of Broad:
After lunch we decided to visit South of Broad. That included The Battery, Rainbow Row, and the Calhoun Mansion. One thing to note about Charleston is parking can be hard to find depending on where you are. Parking on King Street was so easy – there were plenty of parking garages and the occasional street parking spot. However, parking on South of Broad was a bit harder. We were able to find a parking lot right by Rainbow Row so we just walked around the other areas to explore (wear comfy shoes).
Rainbow Row is a must visit in my opinion so plan to include it in your Charleston itinerary. The colorful houses make for beautiful photos but also just to simply admire them. It truly is a beautiful area. The Battery is not only a beautiful park and area in general, but it’s also quite historic (obviously). There’s lots of cannons you can walk past as well as look out the water so you can envision what battles were like years ago. Lastly, we walked past the Calhoun Mansion as I was committed to visiting all The Notebook spots. It was closed so we could only see it from the outside but that was enough to fill my heart with joy.
Dessert Time:
After all the walking we needed some dessert to fuel us up! We stopped by Offtrack Ice Cream and enjoyed a Key Lime and Peach Crisp ice cream cone. They have tons of flavors and options, including affogato if you like coffee and ice cream. Overall 10/10 recommend.
Dinner:
Dinner was at Post House Inn in Mount Pleasant. I’ve seen Julia Berolzheimer recommend it a few times so I knew we had to go. The food was absolutely delicious, they had great seasonal drinks, and the service was amazing. As the name suggests, it’s also an inn so you might consider staying there as well. They offer bikes to guests so you can bike around Mount Pleasant and explore the area.
Day 2:
Coffee Stop:
We started our second day of our Charleston itinerary with coffee at Brown Fox Coffee. It’s located in Mount Pleasant and it was just a walk away from our Airbnb so we took the pups on a walk to grab coffee. I enjoyed a delicious PSL and since it was just a walk away, we stopped by again a few days later and I got the Pumpkin Spice Chai – 20/10 recommend!
Time to Learn:
We visited the Boone Hall Plantation where we learned a lot about the history of the plantation, slavery, and the Gullah people of Charleston. The Notebook was filmed in Boone Hall Plantation so that was fun as well. The mansion is actually a private property so we weren’t allowed to take any photos but it is beautiful. There’s tours every half hour and you get to see the first floor of the house as the second floor is closed off to the public. We also walked through the gardens and listened to a lesson on the history of Boone Hall and slavery in the plantation. Lastly, we also watched the Gullah Show where we learned more about the Gullah people of Charleston and their culture. Highly suggest making time for that. Overall we spent about three hours at Boone Hall so make sure you account for enough time there.
Lunch:
Afterwards we went to Sullivan’s Island to eat lunch at The Obstinate Daughter. The food was absolutely delicious and probably some of the best brussels sprouts I’ve ever had! I got the chicken with farro and Kris enjoyed a pizza, which he also said was absolutely delicious.
Exploring Sullivan’s Island:
After lunch we walked around Sullivan’s Island, including Fort Moultrie. It was closed that day so we were only able to walk around it but it was still quite interesting to see how the fort was built, where the cannons were and reading more about its history.
Dinner:
Since I love Paris and everything French I had to take advantage of all the French cuisine in Charleston. For Dinner we went to 39 Rue de Jean and truly it’s one of our favorite restaurants we visited. Kris said he had the best short ribs in his entire life, and I enjoyed a delicious chicken and gnocchi. The gnocchi was clearly freshly made, though be aware their portions are quite large so go hungry!
Day 3:
Workout:
I hadn’t taken in-person workout classes since before quarantine but when I found out there was a The Barre Code 5 minutes away from our Airbnb I knew I had to go. I absolutely love The Barre Code but sadly their Miami studio closed so I haven’t been able to go for so long. The Mount Pleasant studio is amazing and Courtney, the owner, was so friendly and welcoming. She also taught a killer class so if you’re looking for a workout while visiting Charleston I highly suggest The Barre Code.
Coffee Stop:
On our third day of our Charleston itinerary we stopped by Harken Cafe for breakfast. All of their coffee is from Colombia so I was absolutely stoked. I got a pumpkin spice latte (what else is new) and a brie and apple biscuit which was amazing!
Exploring Around Town:
After coffee we visited Hampton Park which is absolutely beautiful and the dogs played in the dog park for a while. Later on we went to The Tiny Tassel where I got a mug and headband designed with Charleston’s best spots like Rainbow Row. We then visited The French Quarter which has beautiful cobblestone streets. I stopped by The Pink House for a photo and walked past many other beautiful pastel colored houses. Waterfront Park is in The French Quarter so we visited that area and walked to the pier right after that. We also visited the Pineapple Fountain and got some pictures of Ollie and Milo in front of it.
Lunch Break:
After all the walking we got quite hungry and enjoyed lunch at Ruru’s. While it was good I didn’t personally think it was as delicious as all the other meals we had during our stay in Charleston. I got the tacos and guacamole while Kris got a massive burrito.
Dessert Time:
After lunch we stopped by Jeni’s Ice Cream and got a Rainbow Buttermilk Frozen Yogurt ice cream cone. It was absolutely delicious and refreshing though I think I liked Offtrack Ice Cream better than Jeni’s. The good news though is that Jeni’s is sold in stores so I can still enjoy delicious ice cream in Miami since we don’t have a Jeni’s Ice Cream shop.
Late Dinner:
When we set the dates for our trip to Charleston the first thing I did was check for reservations at Husk. I’d heard so much about that restaurant and knew it would get booked quickly so I had to search for reservations right away. Lo and behold there were just two timeslots available. An early 5:30pm dinner or a later one at 8:45pm. We went with the 8:45pm option and trust me when I say that is the best restaurant we ate at during our stay. It’s easy to see why it’s always booked as the food was amazing. Their menu changes daily so you can go as often as you’d like and there will always be something new to try. It’s on the pricier end but it truly was worth it and a must in a Charleston itinerary.
Day 4:
Coffee and Breakfast:
Our last full day in Charleston was a day to explore anything we hadn’t yet. Our Charleston itinerary was pretty packed but we wanted to have a day to roam around. We started off by going to The Harbinger Cafe where I got a Turmeric Chai Latte that was amazing as well as a toast with a pumpkin compote. Highly recommend it though we noticed a lot of students go their to study so all tables fill up quickly.
Exploring the Market:
After breakfast we stopped by the Charleston Candle Company where I got their no. 11 scent: Pineapple Fountain. If you like candles as much as I do, I suggest you visit that place! Shortly after we went to the City Market and walked around looking at mostly handmade products. From paintings to jewelry, candles, and accessories they have it all.
French Lunch:
Keeping up with my goal of visiting French restaurants, we stopped by Felix where I enjoyed a Croque Monsieur with Truffle Parmesan Fries and Kris got a burger. Truly a delicious meal and the restaurant is absolutely beautiful. I’m personally a big fan of French food, hence why I included so many French spots in our Charleston itinerary so if you’re a fan like I am, you’ll love Charleston!
Dessert Time:
French was definitely the theme of the day as we stopped by La Patisserie next to Hotel Bennett (also beautiful and worth a visit to their Pink Champagne Room). Their desserts are almost too pretty to eat but nonetheless they were so delicious we had no choice but to indulge. We also walked over to Sugar Bakeshop to get some cupcakes to go. I’d heard so much about that place I knew I had to visit. It’s an adorable, small cupcake shop with plenty of options to choose from. We got the Raspberry Lemon and ate it later that night and it was amazing.
Sunset at Pitt Street Bridge:
Pitt Street Bridge is in Mount Pleasant and a great spot to watch the sunset. You can walk with your dogs so we took Ollie and Milo for a walk along the bridge while the sun was setting. Some people were having a picnic there and truly it was a brilliant idea as it’s a beautiful spot.
Dinner in Paris:
Our final dinner in our Charleston trip was in Maison, a French restaurant. The outside has a very large painting of the Eiffel Tower and the inside is decorated with pictures of other Parisian iconic spots. The food was amazing, I had a roasted chicken with brussels sprouts and squash and as an appetizer we enjoyed a soup croquette** which was pretty much a croquette filled with french onion soup – absolutely delicious!
I hope this extensive Charleston itinerary has been useful and helps you in planning your trip to Charleston. It’s a gorgeous city with so much to offer and I highly encourage others to visit.
