How to Plan a Girl’s Trip to Charleston!

I just returned from a 10-day trip to South Carolina, touring everywhere from Charleston to Savannah, Hilton Head, Sullivan’s Island, & Bluffton.  The first part of the trip was four action-packed days in Charleston with my college friends.  This is a PERFECT place for a girl’s trip!  We loved shopping on King Street, all our fabulous meals, the charming Southern setting, & the incredible views from our hotel, the Beach Club at Charleston.  Here, I’ll show you how to plan a girl’s trip to Charleston, South Carolina!

 

How Long to Spend in Charleston?

If you can, spend at least three nights in Charleston.  Our three nights & four days flew by, & we still had many things left on our list that we weren’t able to do (like wanting to check out more rooftop bars)!  If you live on the East Coast & are just looking for a quick, romantic getaway: two nights could suffice. 

But more time is preferable.

Where to Stay in Charleston

First things first: where to stay in Charleston?? 

This topic caused some debate among me & my friends.  Our first bit of advice (from my cousin) was to stay right by King Street.  But hotels in that area can be really expensive!  Then, we were told to stay a little closer to the beach, & not right in Charleston ~ so that we could get the best of both worlds (city + beach).  This ended up being the right choice for us.  We decided to stay at the Beach Club at Charleston, which is technically in Mt. Pleasant….right across the bridge from Charleston, about a 10-minute Uber.

We appreciated having bigger rooms, 2-queen rooms (which can be hard to find in Charleston), a huge pool, hot tub, fire pits, several restaurants, a gift shop, etc.  It also put us closer to Sullivan’s Island, where we brunched on Sunday.

Check rates at our hotel: The Beach Club at Charleston Harbor.

 

Great Hotels for Girl’s Trips in Charleston

⭐️⭐️⭐️  The Ryder Hotel — If we had stayed in downtown Charleston, this is where we would’ve stayed.  They have a great location right by King Street, a small pool, & chic restaurant & cocktail bar called Little Palm.  Their rates are the most reasonable for this part of town.  Most rooms are Kings, but they do offer 2-Queen rooms if that’s important for your group.  Click here for rates & availability 

⭐️⭐️⭐️  Emeline – Sit in front of the cozy fireplace here & catch up with your girlfriends!  This cute boutique hotel is a little less expensive than neighboring hotels, & it puts you right next to the city’s iconic market & all kinds of shopping.  They have a restaurant, bar, & coffee shop!  Click here for rates & availability

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  Harbourview Inn – Located by the harbor & iconic Pineapple Fountain, rooms here are a little more spacious than the average room in Charleston.  They have a rooftop terrace, all-day coffee, along with afternoon wine & cheese pairings.  Great if you want to be by the water, but still close to downtown!  Click here for rates & availability

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  French Quarter Inn – Set in a perfect location off Market Street, this is a great spot to be in the middle of all the action.  Horse carriage rides are just a block away + a ton of rooftop bars, Pineapple Fountain & Rainbow Row.  And the French Quarter is a charming area!  Many of their suites offer 2-Queens. Click here for rates & availability

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  The Cottages on Charleston Harbor – If you have a big group that all wants to stay together: stay here.  We almost chose this place!  Located in Mt. Pleasant, about 10 minutes from downtown Charleston, their spacious cottages accommodate up to 6 guests.  Great if you want a kitchen, waterfront views, & more space to play games & hang out!  Click here for rates & availability

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  The Charleston Place – This is the hotel we kept returning to as we shopped in Charleston!  It has a perfect location by King Street & all the shopping, great on-site restaurants (we had swanky afternoon cocktails at their woodsy Thoroughbred Club). & they also offer Double Rooms.  You may run into a celebrity or two here!  Click here for rates & availability

Where to Dine in Charleston…

It’s recommended that you have reservations in Charleston, especially if you want to visit some of its most popular restaurants.  My friend Courtney made our reservations: one for brunch, one for dinner.  That allowed for some spontaneity in between, to grab drinks at cute bars we happened upon (like Church and Union or the side patio at Husk), etc.

Our reservations are listed below.

Great Places to Brunch in Charleston 

• Halls Chophouse (known for their famous Sunday gospel brunch)
• Husk 
• Millers All Day (on King Street)
• Iron Rose
• Magnolias
• Park & Grove 
• Sullivan’s Fish Camp (on Sullivan’s Island)

 

Great Places for Dinner in Charleston 

• Lowland (across from Pinch Hotel)
• FIG
• Fleet Landing Restaurant (by the pier)
• Magnolias
• Poogan’s Porch 
• Basic Kitchen
• The Establishment (great seafood)

Photo Tour of Charleston…

How to Plan a Girl’s Trip to Charleston

I’ll be writing more about Charleston & South Carolina in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

xoxo Noelia

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