Charleston, South Carolina

I visited Charleston for the first time for my bachelorette weekend in 2022 and it was an absolute blast. My expectations for Charleston were that it was going to be a cute southern city with cobblestone sidewalks and lots of charm, and I will say – Charleston did not disappoint.

Here you will find a summary of my visit to Charleston through the lens of my bachelorette weekend. And if you do visit Charleston during peek season, you will likely discover that it’s a city where lots of bachelor and bachelorette groups like to go.

A quick history lesson… If you spend just 2 minutes walking around Charleston, you’ll start to notice the buildings and porches are painted with a similar light blue paint color. A long time ago, it was thought that this shade of blue paint, which resembles the water, would keep the “haints” or evil spirits away. The paint color is now referred to as haint blue.

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Where to stay

While visiting Charleston, our group of 10 stayed at an Airbnb right off of King Street – which is the main street in Charleston known for all the restaurants, bars, and shops.

The location was absolutely perfect. Except for a few activities, we were able to walk to everything we wanted to during the weekend which was really nice and I’m sure saved us some money.

I would recommend the Airbnb we stayed at for it’s location and for the most part it was a clean and we felt safe but it was more of an older building where the kitchen and bathrooms seemed a bit rundown so I’m not sure if I would choose it again. That said, we didn’t have a ton of choices because of the size group we had (originally planned for 13 people) and it definitely accommodated our large group nicely.

Where to eat & drink

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit- $
A must try! Traditional southern biscuits that you can grab-n-go.

167 Raw Oyster Bar - $$
This place is a popular spot. We showed up at 11AM right when it opened with a group of 10 people and were able to get seated about 15 minutes later. I’ve heard wait times can typically range from 1-2 hours so getting seated right away was so nice. This place was SO good though so definitely worth the wait. Some of the best oysters I’ve ever had.

Stella’s - $$
Delicious mediterranean food. They serve big portions and it was great for a big group. You’ve got to try their flaming cheese!

Park & Grove - $$
Farm to table style breakfast and brunch

Bangkok Lounge - $
Super fun and divey karaoke bar

Must Do’s

Charleston Old South carriage tour
This tour was so much fun and such a great way to kick off the trip. I learned a lot about Charleston and would totally do this again next time.

Afternoon Tea at the Champagne Bar
I LOVE afternoon tea and the tea experience at the Champagne Bar at Hotel Bennett was so beautiful and fun.

Sunset cruise
During the trip, I wanted to make sure we did at some least one activity that was on the water and this sunset cruise was really fun. I will say, there are TONS of boat cruises offered in Charleston and I wouldn’t feel tied to doing this exact one again but the ride was great, the tour guides were super energetic, and they served beer and wine for purchase.

Shem Creek Kayak Tour
This kayak tour was a really big hit with the group! We took the first tour out on Saturday morning and saw SO many dolphins swimming right next to us in the kayaks. It was completely unexpected and so much fun. I highly recommend taking the first tour out in the morning to avoid the crowds in the water which start around noon.

Walk around
Charleston is a very walkable place which I love. King street is the main street people hang out on with restaurants, bars, and shops but Rainbow Row and the Pineapple Fountain are nearby and, although a bit touristy, are two cool places you could check out while in town.

Plan your bachelorette weekend in Charleston

Like I said at the beginning, I had an absolute BLAST in Charleston for my bachelorette weekend. I love planning events and activities so I worked very hard with my Maid of Honor to put together a super fun schedule for our group. I’ve created a copy of this schedule for you to check out if you’re interested and need some inspiration while planning your bachelorette weekend or next trip to Charleston. Enjoy!