When looking for a historical escape in the South, you will want to spend at least two days in Charleston. With its dark and historical past, history lovers will enjoy a weekend in Charleston. If you have more time, add on time in Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head to explore more of South Carolina.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a commission at no cost to you! Special thanks to the Charleston Tourism Board for hosting me at several attractions on my trip to Charleston! As always, all thoughts and opinions remain my own.
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History of Charleston
Charleston was first settled in 1670 by English colonists. It was named Charles Towne in honor of King Charles. It later grew during the colonial era to become a major training hub and port that relied on indigo, rice cultivation, and the transatlantic slave trade.
During the pre-Civil War Era, Charleston’s economy continued to flourish, mostly due to the slave trade. Charleston later became the location of the beginning of the Civil War and played a significant part in the war. Post-Civil War, Charleston went through a period of social and political change.
Throughout the 1900s, Charleston has attracted many tourists and continued growing and evolving. Today, Charleston has a vibrant art scene historic architecture, and is a major cultural and economic center within the United States.
When to Spend Two Days in Charleston
Spring and early fall are the best seasons to visit Charleston. Summertime can get quite hot and humid, and sometimes fall can have hurricanes. Be prepared for whenever you go for some rain and humid weather.
How to Get to Charleston
Charleston International Airport is the main airport in the area. Flights arrive here from all around the United States, mostly with direct flights from major cities. It shares with the local Air Force Base, hence why it has the international title despite not having international passenger flights. We paid about $200 round-trip (if I had not used points) for a direct flight from Los Angeles.
This Airport Transfer is a good way to get to your hotel if you do not have a shuttle or a car.
Transportation in Charleston
If you stay downtown and do not want to explore more of the areas around Charleston, you can probably get away without a car. Uber/Lyft are available to get you everywhere. Some of the hotels also have shuttles that will take you places.
However, if you want to explore more places in the surrounding area or want ease of travel, a rental car is preferable. I recommend renting a car through Economy Bookings as it will search all rental car companies for you. Parking downtown is only $2 per hour, and there are a ton of parking structures.
Where to Stay in Charleston
TripAdvisor is a great place to start your hotel search. You can always try searching Priceline Express Deals for a better price or try to price match a hotel.
- Hilton Garden Inn Charleston Airport
- Mills House Charleston
- Embassy Suites Charleston Historic District
- Hampton Inn Charleston Historic District
- Courtyard Charleston Historic District
- Courtyard North Charleston Airport/Coliseum
- TownePlace Suites Charleston Airport
- Crowne Plaza Charleston Airport -Convention Center
Charleston Tour Pass
If you are interested in seeing a lot of the main sites in Charleston, you may want to invest in a Charleston Tour Pass. For one price, you can get admission to 40+ attractions and also skip the line at many of them. Best of all, the ticket is on your phone which makes it super easy to use.
Things to do During Two Days in Charleston
Day 1
Waffle House
Cost: $
Hours: 24 hours
Start off your two days in Charleston with a visit to Waffle House for breakfast. If you took a red-eye flight like we did, you will be hungry when you land, and not much will be open yet. You can get an amazing breakfast for under $10.
Drayton Hall
Cost: $29
Hours: 9am-5pm
Drayton Hall, a plantation from the 1800s, is an option to stop at if you want to visit a plantation. While I still have very mixed feelings about visiting a plantation, I did feel Drayton Hall did a decent job of telling the alternative, more negative side of the history of the plantation. They did do a land acknowledgment in their audioguide and gave a lot of information about the slaves of the plantation.
Visitors can go on a tour of the plantation or do a self-guided tour. There is also a small museum. I did appreciate that Drayton Hall does not have an inn on the property.
Husk
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Fri: 5pm-10pm, Sat-Sun: 10am-2pm, 5pm-11pm
Next, grab lunch or brunch at Husk. This restaurant has some good Southern eats and cocktails. You cannot go wrong with whatever you choose! What is cool about Husk is that all the ingredients come from the South and are pretty fresh. You can also opt to stop at the bar for a drink. Husk also has locations in Nashville and Savannah.
Gibbes Art Museum
Cost: $12
Hours: Mon-Sat: 10am-5pm, Sun: 1pm-5pm
The Gibbes Art Museum makes for the perfect break from the outdoors during your two days in Charleston. The first floor is free to visit, but the second and third floors require a ticket. The second floor has some permanent collections detailing 18th and 19th-century American Art. The other areas have rotating exhibitions. You can see most of the museum in about an hour.
Charleston City Market
Cost: Free to Look
Hours: 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat-Sun: 6:30pm-10:30pm
The City Market is the place to go during your two days in Charleston if you want the best shopping and some bites to eat. Visitors can easily spend several hours wandering through the various buildings of the market. The stalls sell a ton of different handicrafts. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the market turns into a night market and is open later.
High Wire Distilling
Cost: $10 and up
Hours: Mon-Sat: 10am-6pm
High Wire Distilling is a fun stop after exploring a bit of downtown Charleston. Visitors can opt to take a tour of the facility to learn about how the whiskey is made. Alternatively, you can just stop at the bar for a tasting or a cocktail.
Chasing Sage Restaurant
Cost: $$
Hours: Mon-Thurs: 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat: 5pm-11pm
Chasing Sage is a newer restaurant in Charleston that was probably my favorite of the trip. This is a small plate restaurant, so everything is meant for sharing. Everything is locally grown and sourced, so all the food is super fresh as well. You will not want to miss Chasing Sage during your two days in Charleston.
Waterfront Park
Cost: Free
After dinner, take a stroll through Waterfront Park to check out the infamous pineapple fountain, and it is also a good place to catch the sunset or take pictures.
Drinks Downtown
Cost: $
Hours: Varies by location
After dinner, grab some drinks at some of the downtown bars. There are many good options, but two that I really enjoyed were The Gin Joint and the Thoroughbred Club.
At the Gin Joint, they have a ton of different gins and gin drinks. They also have a surprise cocktail option where you can give some adjectives to describe a drink, and they make a surprise one for you. The Thoroughbred Club is located inside the Charleston Place Hotel They have a ton of fun cocktail options as well, and it is a little bit fancier of a place.
Day 2
Fort Sumter
Cost: $35
Hours: 9am-5pm
Start your second of two days in Charleston with a visit to one of the most famous Civil War sites, Fort Sumter. This is the site of the start of the Civil War, where the Confederates attacked the Union fort and officially started the bloodiest war in America’s history.
To visit, you will need to buy ferry tickets for $35/person. The ferry leaves several times a day from Downtown Charleston. It will take about 30 minutes each way to get to the fort. Once there, you will have about an hour to explore the remains of the fort and view the museum. The fort itself is run by the National Park Service, so there will be park rangers around to answer your questions.
Overall, it is the perfect experience for history lovers to get to learn about one of the darkest periods in American history. They do a good job at presenting all the information and helping visitors understand the complex past.
Rodney Scott BBQ
Cost: $$
Hours: 11am-9pm
When spending two days in Charleston, having Carolina BBQ is a must! Rodney Scott is one of the most popular places in Charleston to have barbeque. There is also a location in Atlanta, Georgia if you end up there!
They offer a wide assortment of meats to try and they have the best hush puppies. Make sure to try the whole hog pork as it is delicious and super unique. They take the meat of the entire pig and mix it up.
Old Slave Mart Museum
Cost: $8
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9am-5pm
The Old Slave Mart Museum covers the history of Slavery in America. During its early years, 35-40% of Charleston’s population was slaves. This building was previously used as a slave market. All of the exhibits inside this small building cover information about slavery -from when they were brought here from Africa
to the uprisings and revolts that led to their eventual freedom.
I thought the Old Slave Mart Museum is a good stop to add to two days in Charleston for people who have little knowledge about the history of slavery in the United States. It provides an eighth-grade level overview of this history.
Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
Cost: $15
Hours: Mon-Sat: 9am-5pm, Sun: 11am-5pm
The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon was one of my favorite stops during two days in Charleston. This building started as a storage place for goods and gunpowder during the early colonial times. It later became the town prison where many British were imprisoned during the Revolution. The Old Exchange was also an important government building during this period.
To visit the dungeon, you will have to go on a tour that lasts about 20 minutes. It is offered every 30 minutes. There are also two floors of exhibits about Charleston during the colonial and Revolutionary times. One of the rooms is where South Carolina ratified the Constitution.
Rainbow Row
Cost: Free
Rainbow Row is probably one of the most Instagrammable places in Charleston. This colorful row of houses along a quaint street is a super popular photo stop. If it is open, make sure to check out the Tavern at Rainbow Row. This popular liquor store has a great selection of beer, wine, and whiskey.
The Charleston Museum
Cost: $15
Hours: 9am-5pm
The Charleston Museum is considered America’s first museum. Established in 1773, this museum has been preserving the history of the area. The museum consists of several permanent and temporary exhibits as well as a couple of historical houses.
It will take about an hour to go through the museum. For the historic homes, you will want to check the times on the website for when tours are offered. You will not want to miss the Charleston Museum during your two days in Charleston.
Pink Bellies
Cost: $$
Hours: Thus-Sun: 5pm-9pm
One of the other awesome places to eat during your two days in Charleston is Pink Bellies. This Vietnamese restaurant has some delicious dishes. They are mostly known for their noodles, but everything we tried was so delicious.
Drinks on King Street
Cost: $
Hours: Varies by location
After a delicious dinner at Pink Bellies, wander around King Street and grab cocktails at the wide variety of bars. There are many types of bars, from rooftop locations to more intimate speakeasy-style bars. Two of my favorites were The Belmont and The Cocktail Club.
More Than Two Days in Charleston
While I only had enough time to spend two days in Charleston, I would recommend spending three days if you have the time. There are some amazing beaches in the Charleston area that are great for spending some time at.
Final Tips for Two Days in Charleston
Two days in Charleston provides for the perfect amount of time to see all of the main sites. You could also pair it with a trip to Savannah or Atlanta in Georgia or head north to see the beauty of North Carolina.
Other Charleston Tour Options
If you are looking for other things to do in Charleston, check out these tour options.
