SouthCarolina
5
Day Itinerary •
USA
Five days in South Carolina lets you explore the full extraordinary breadth of the Palmetto State, from the magnificent antebellum grandeur of Charleston and the extraordinary Lowcountry coast to the remarkable Congaree old-growth forest, the Blue Ridge Mountains of Upstate South Carolina and the extraordinary Grand Strand beaches of Myrtle Beach. This route covers the complete South Carolina experience. The extraordinary Rainbow Row and Magnolia Plantation of Charleston, the Gullah Geechee sea islands of Beaufort and Hunting Island, the extraordinary Congaree National Park, the waterfalls and Table Rock of the Blue Ridge Escarpment and the extraordinary Pawleys Island and Brookgreen Gardens.
Best Time To Visit
March to May or October to November
Getting There
Fly into Charleston (CHS) or Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP)
Getting Around
Rental car essential outside Charleston
Budget Per Day
Approx $120 to $200 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy to moderate, some Blue Ridge hiking
DAY 1
CHARLESTON
MORNING
CHARLESTON HISTORIC DISTRICT AND RAINBOW ROW
Charleston is the most extraordinary historic city in the South, its extraordinary Rainbow Row of 13 pastel Georgian townhouses on East Bay Street the most photographed streetscape in South Carolina and the Battery seawall of antebellum mansions overlooking Charleston Harbor the finest waterfront promenade in the South. The extraordinary French Quarter with its cobblestone Church Street, St Philip's Church and the Dock Street Theatre gives the most extraordinary colonial streetscape in America. All free. Drive: 20 min walk
MIDDAY
MAGNOLIA PLANTATION AND GARDENS
Magnolia Plantation is the most extraordinary historic garden in the South, continuously cultivated since 1676 with the finest azalea collection in America flowering in extraordinary color from late February through April. The cypress swamp gardens alive with alligators and great blue herons, the extraordinary 1676 plantation house and the remarkable Nature Train through the wildlife refuge give the finest plantation experience in South Carolina. Entry approx $20. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
AIKEN-RHETT HOUSE AND CHARLESTON FOOD SCENE
The Aiken-Rhett House is the most extraordinary historic house museum in Charleston, its extraordinary 1820 urban plantation preserved almost entirely unchanged since the Civil War with original wallpaper, furnishings, kitchen buildings and slave quarters giving the most extraordinary and honest insight into antebellum Charleston. The extraordinary King Street food and cocktail scene and the Charleston City Market sweetgrass basket weavers are unmissable. House entry approx $12.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Elfreth's Alley equivalent in Charleston is the extraordinary Cabbage Row at 89 to 91 Church Street, the tenement buildings that inspired DuBose Heyward's Porgy and Bess and the original Catfish Row of the novel. The extraordinary St Michael's Church graveyard on Meeting Street contains the most extraordinary collection of colonial Charleston graves in the city. Free.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Husk, Charleston The most celebrated Southern restaurant in America. Extraordinary local South Carolina ingredients. | Lunch: Hominy Grill, Charleston The finest shrimp and grits in Charleston. Extraordinary Lowcountry cuisine since 1996. | Dinner: FIG, Charleston The finest farm-to-table restaurant in Charleston. Extraordinary local produce. Book weeks ahead.
DAY 2
LOWCOUNTRY COAST
MORNING
BEAUFORT AND THE GULLAH GEECHEE HERITAGE
Beaufort is the most extraordinary Gullah Geechee heritage city in South Carolina, its extraordinary antebellum waterfront and the Penn Center on St Helena Island, the most important Freedmen's Bureau school in the South where Martin Luther King Jr. held Southern Christian Leadership Conference retreats, giving the most extraordinary African American heritage experience in the Lowcountry. The Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park is the finest in the state. Free to explore. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
HUNTING ISLAND STATE PARK LIGHTHOUSE AND BEACH
Hunting Island State Park is the most extraordinary state park in South Carolina, its extraordinary 5,000-acre barrier island of maritime forest, salt marsh and wild beach giving the finest undeveloped coast in the Lowcountry. The 1875 Hunting Island lighthouse at 132 feet gives the finest coastal view in South Carolina. The extraordinary beach of live oaks draped with Spanish moss leaning over the sand is the most atmospheric coastal scene in the state. Entry $4 per person. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
ACE BASIN AND DAUFUSKIE ISLAND FERRY
The ACE Basin is the most extraordinary coastal wilderness in South Carolina, its 350,000 acres of pristine salt marsh and tidal creek the largest undeveloped estuary on the East Coast. Daufuskie Island, the extraordinary car-free Gullah Geechee sea island accessible by ferry from Hilton Head with its abandoned Freedmen's Bureau buildings and pristine beaches, is the most extraordinary hidden island in the Lowcountry. Ferry from Hilton Head approx $25 return.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Penn Center on St Helena Island near Beaufort is the finest African American heritage site in the South Carolina Lowcountry, its extraordinary 1862 school for freed slaves later hosting Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The Gullah cultural museum is extraordinary. Entry approx $7.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Blackstone's Cafe, Beaufort The finest breakfast in Beaufort. Extraordinary local eggs, biscuits and strong Lowcountry coffee. | Lunch: Saltus River Grill, Beaufort The finest waterfront lunch in Beaufort. Extraordinary local oysters and shrimp on the Beaufort River. | Dinner: Plums Restaurant, Beaufort The finest restaurant in Beaufort. Extraordinary Lowcountry seafood and South Carolina craft beer.
DAY 3
CONGAREE AND COLUMBIA
MORNING
CONGAREE NATIONAL PARK OLD-GROWTH FOREST BOARDWALK
Congaree National Park is the most extraordinary old-growth floodplain forest in the eastern United States, its extraordinary 26,000 acres of bottomland hardwood champion trees giving a forest of genuinely ancient scale. The 2.4-mile elevated boardwalk loop through the cathedral of loblolly pines, cherrybark oaks and bald cypress beside Cedar Creek is the finest short walk in South Carolina. The extraordinary firefly synchronization in May and June is the finest natural light show in the East. Entry free. Drive: 1.5 hr drive
MIDDAY
CONGAREE CEDAR CREEK CANOE TRAIL
The Cedar Creek canoe trail through Congaree National Park is the most extraordinary paddling experience in South Carolina, its extraordinary 15-mile route through ancient floodplain forest past champion trees and bald cypress knees in water as dark as tea with natural tannins giving a wilderness paddling experience unlike any other in the Southeast. Canoe rentals from Carolina Canoe Club approx $35. Drive: 30 min walk
AFTERNOON
COLUMBIA STATE HOUSE AND FIVE POINTS
The South Carolina State House in Columbia is the most extraordinary state capitol in the Carolinas, its extraordinary bronze stars on the exterior walls marking where Union artillery shells struck during Sherman's 1865 march and the extraordinary interior of Tiffany-style stained glass giving the finest state house tour in the South. The Five Points arts and dining district and the University of South Carolina Horseshoe are the finest in Columbia. State House free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Congaree National Park firefly synchronization event in late May and early June is the finest natural light show in the eastern United States, its extraordinary thousands of synchronous Photinus carolinus fireflies flashing in unison above the floodplain forest floor. Book ranger-led night tours at recreation.gov immediately when they open.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Motor Supply Co. Bistro, Columbia The finest breakfast in Columbia. Extraordinary locally sourced South Carolina produce. | Lunch: Picnic at Congaree Pack lunch from Columbia. The extraordinary boardwalk picnic tables in the old-growth forest. | Dinner: The Oak Table, Columbia The finest farm-to-table restaurant in Columbia. Extraordinary local South Carolina produce.
DAY 4
BLUE RIDGE UPSTATE
MORNING
TABLE ROCK STATE PARK AND THE BLUE RIDGE ESCARPMENT
Table Rock State Park is the most extraordinary state park in Upstate South Carolina, its extraordinary Table Rock mountain at 3,124 feet rising abruptly from the piedmont in one of the finest views in the Carolinas. The Table Rock Trail at 7.2 miles round trip gives the most extraordinary summit view of the Blue Ridge Escarpment. The extraordinary Carrick Creek Trail below Table Rock past several waterfalls is the finest short hike in the park. Entry $5 per person. Drive: 2 hr drive
MIDDAY
CAESARS HEAD STATE PARK AND MOUNTAIN BRIDGE WILDERNESS
Caesars Head State Park is the most extraordinary overlook in South Carolina, its extraordinary 3,208-foot granite outcrop giving a 180-degree view over the Blue Ridge Escarpment with the piedmont spreading to the horizon below. The extraordinary Raven Cliff Falls at 420 feet, the tallest waterfall in South Carolina, and the Jones Gap State Park wilderness trails give the finest waterfall hiking in the state. Caesars Head entry $5. Drive: 30 min drive
AFTERNOON
GREENVILLE AND FALLS PARK ON THE REEDY RIVER
Greenville is the most extraordinary revitalized city in South Carolina, its extraordinary Falls Park on the Reedy River giving a 26-acre urban park with a suspension bridge above a 40-foot waterfall in the heart of downtown. The extraordinary Main Street of independent restaurants, galleries and the Peace Center performing arts venue give Greenville the finest walkable downtown in Upstate South Carolina. Falls Park completely free.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Poinsett Bridge near Landrum is the finest hidden historic bridge in South Carolina, its extraordinary 1820 Gothic arch stone bridge, the oldest surviving bridge in South Carolina, spanning a Upstate creek in a setting of extraordinary beauty entirely unknown to most visitors. Free. The most extraordinary hidden gem in Upstate South Carolina.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Tandem Creperie, Greenville The finest crepes in Greenville. Extraordinary sweet and savory crepes and strong coffee before Table Rock. | Lunch: Open Hearth Restaurant, Greenville Outstanding local South Carolina produce. The finest casual lunch near Falls Park. | Dinner: Soby's, Greenville The most celebrated restaurant in Greenville since 1997. Extraordinary New South cuisine and local wine.
DAY 5
GRAND STRAND COAST
MORNING
PAWLEYS ISLAND, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY HISTORIC BEACH IN SOUTH CAROLINA
Pawleys Island is the most extraordinary historic beach community in South Carolina, its extraordinary 4-mile barrier island of 19th-century wooden beach houses elevated on stilts above the salt marsh giving the finest antique beach town atmosphere on the Grand Strand. The island is entirely non-commercial, with no hotels, shops or restaurants on the island itself. The extraordinary Pawleys Island Hammock Shops on the mainland are the birthplace of the rope hammock. Island free. Drive: 2 hr drive
MIDDAY
ROOKGREEN GARDENS, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY OUTDOOR SCULPTURE GARDEN IN THE SOUTHEAS
Brookgreen Gardens near Murrells Inlet is the most extraordinary outdoor sculpture garden in the American Southeast, its extraordinary 9,100 acres of former rice plantation landscape housing over 2,000 American figurative sculptures in the finest garden setting in the Carolinas. The extraordinary lowcountry zoo with native South Carolina wildlife, the historic rice plantation heritage displays and the remarkable butterfly house are all unmissable. Entry approx $20. Drive: 20 min drive
AFTERNOON
MURRELLS INLET MARSHWALK AND GRAND STRAND SEAFOOD
Murrells Inlet is the most extraordinary seafood village in South Carolina, its extraordinary Marshwalk boardwalk of waterfront restaurants overlooking the tidal inlet giving the finest collection of Lowcountry seafood dining in the state. Fresh she-crab soup, local oysters, Calabash shrimp and the finest South Carolina flounder are served at a dozen restaurants along the extraordinary half-mile waterfront. The inlet's extraordinary pelican and heron populations are free to observe.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Atalaya Castle at Huntington Beach State Park near Murrells Inlet is the finest hidden historic building on the Grand Strand, its extraordinary 1931 Moorish-style winter home of sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington built by her industrialist husband in a style entirely unlike anything else in South Carolina. Free with park entry.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Sunrise Bistro, Pawleys Island The finest breakfast near Pawleys Island. Extraordinary local eggs and strong Lowcountry coffee. | Lunch: Brookgreen Gardens cafe Outstanding lunch inside the finest sculpture garden in the Southeast. Local South Carolina ingredients. | Dinner: Creek Ratz, Murrells Inlet The finest casual waterfront dining on the Marshwalk. Extraordinary local oysters and flounder.
Where To Stay
Charleston, Night 1 Zero George Street or The Spectator Hotel. Approx $160 to $300 per night. Beaufort or Congaree, Nights 2 to 3 Beaufort Inn or Travelodge Columbia. Approx $100 to $200 per night. Greenville or Pawleys Island, Nights 4 to 5 Soby's Inn or Litchfield Beach and Golf. Approx $120 to $220.
Top Tips
1. Magnolia Plantation azaleas in March and April are the most extraordinary garden spectacle in the South. Go early.
2. Congaree firefly synchronization in May and June: book the ranger-led night tour at recreation.gov immediately.
3. Greenville's Falls Park on the Reedy River is free and the finest urban waterfall park in the Carolinas.
4. Brookgreen Gardens near Pawleys Island has the finest outdoor sculpture collection in the southeastern US.
5. Hunting Island lighthouse gives the finest view of the South Carolina coast. Entry $4, worth every cent.
6. Murrells Inlet Marshwalk is the finest collection of waterfront seafood restaurants in South Carolina.
Total Budget
$120 to $200/day