Charleston is one of the most charming travel destinations in the United States, with a plethora of historic sights, attractions and delicious cuisine for visitors to enjoy. I’ve visited Charleston three times, and have loved getting to know this beautiful and vibrant city over the years, so I’ve put together this guide to the best things to do in Charleston for first time visitors. The best things to do in Charleston for first time visitors include exploring the historic downtown district, visiting Rainbow Row, The Battery and Waterfront Park, indulging in Southern cuisine and visiting the city for Charleston Literary Festival which comes to town every fall.

Charleston Literary Festival is returning to Charleston this November, which brings with it a number of amazing things to do in Charleston, which are perfect for first time visitors and returning visitors alike. This post is proudly sponsored by Charleston Literary Festival, which is coming to Charleston from 1-10 November 2024. You can find out more about the festival & purchase tickets here.

Charleston Literary Festival

Charleston Literary Festival is one of the longest & most ambitious literary festivals in the USA. Every November, more than 50 authors descend on Charleston for 10 days of literary talks & events, hosted in the Dock Street Theatre. Charleston Literary Festival is the perfect opportunity to visit Charleston for the first time, with plenty of times between sessions to explore the city!

Rainbow Row

Rainbow Row is one of Charleston’s most picturesque photo spots, and an iconic scene in Charleston. Rainbow Row is a string of historic facades, painted in a rainbow of pastel hues, in downtown Charleston. It’s a popular spot for wedding & engagement photography, as well as being one of the prettiest streets in the city.

Visit Historic Homes

Charleston is one of the best preserved historic cities in the United States, and is famous for its grand historic homes. Visiting a historic home is a great way to see behind closed doors and get a deeper understanding of the city! If you’re attending Charleston Literary Festival, VIP Premium Weekend Experience tickets will get you exclusive access to historic homes, available on both weekends of the festival.

Indulge in Southern Cuisine

Southern cuisine is legendary, so you’ll want to come hungry to Charleston! Honestly, it’s hard to find a bad meal in Charleston, but there are a few key southern dishes you’ll want to try. Some of the best southern dishes to try in Charleston include biscuits, pimento cheese (often served as a starter), fried green tomatoes, shrimp & grits, and low country seafood like catfish, chowders and crab cakes, and oysters, which you’ll find all over the city. Some of the best spots for Southern cuisine are Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit, FIG, Magnolia’s and Leon’s Oyster Shop.

Literary Walking Tour

Get the insider scoop on Charleston’s literary history, with a Literary Walking Tour led by a local author & historian. This is a unique way to discover Charleston, and is available as part of Charleston Literary Festival this November, as part of the VIP Premium Weekend Experience. Passes for the VIP Premium Weekend Experience are limited, so make sure secure your tickets ASAP!

International African American Museum

The International African American Museum opened in Charleston in 2023, and was named one of the “world’s greatest places” in 2024 by Time Magazine. The museum’s mission is to tell the unvarnished stories of the African American experience across generations, and is more than twenty years in the making. Housed in a historically significant site at Gadsden’s Wharf, the museum has nine galleries which share how enslaved and free Africans shaped the USA, economically, politically and culturally, while shining a light on the renowned culture of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. The International African American Museum’s galleries include several permanent galleries; the Transatlantic Experience, the Atlantic Worlds Gallery, the South Carolina Connections Gallery, the Gullah Geechee Gallery, the American Journeys Gallery, the Carolina Gold Gallery, and the African Roots Gallery, as well as a rotating Special Exhibitions Gallery. The museum is open from Tuesday-Sunday, and timed ticketed entry is required.

Charleston’s Historic Downtown

Charleston has one of the largest historic districts in the United States, and it has to be one of the best preserved and most beautiful too! This isn’t just a few quaint streets stuck in time, but an entire neighbourhood of carefully preserved buildings and lively bars, restaurants and shops that make Charleston’s downtown truly the heart of the action. If you’re not where sure to start, wander down King Street, which is divided into three distinct precincts: Upper King, Middle King and Lower King. You’ll find restaurants and bars on Upper King, boutiques and antiques on Middle King and historic buildings like Charleston Library Society and St Michael’s Episcopal Church on Lower King, which is the oldest part of the street.

Lowland Charleston

For classic Southern comfort food, look no further than Lowland Charleston. James Beard award-winning chef Jason Stanhope’s menu of farm-to-table Southern cuisine includes produce-driven dishes such as the Cheryl Day Biscuit with farmer cheese & pepper jelly, grilled east coast halibut with creamy sweetcorn and summer squash and crispy South Carolina quail and habanada agrodolce. The restaurant interiors are also stunning – housed in a former carriage house, the bar room, parlour, and two dining rooms each have so much historic character and charm. I especially love the handpainted spanish moss on the walls of the upstairs dining room!

Sunday Brunch

Southern brunch is in a league of its own – where else can you get chicken & waffles for breakfast?! Brunch in the south is a leisurely and decadent affair, and a must-do for first time visitors to Charleston. There are several great brunch spots in Charleston, but for the ultimate Southern experience, you can enjoy brunch in a historic Charleston home during Charleston Literary Festival this November, as part of the VIP Premium Weekend Experience Package. Meet like-minded booklovers at a private brunch inside a historic Charleston home, and make some friends before an afternoon of inspiring author events at the festival.

Charleston City Market

Charleston City Market is one of the oldest markets in the United States, and is still one of the best things to do in Charleston for first time visitors, to this day! You’ll find locally made homewares, accessories and plenty of delicious Southern cuisine, all housed in the halls of Charleston City Market. 

McLeod Plantation Historic Site

The McLeod Plantation Historic Site is a 37 acre Gullah/Geechee heritage site that pays tribute to the enslaved African men, women and children, and their descendents, whose work and culture has shaped the Lowcountry into the place it is today. It has been carefully preserved for its historical and cultural significance, and ensures that this chapter of Charleston’s history is not forgotten. At the McLeod Plantation Historic Site, you can learn about daily life for those who lived and worked there before and after the abolition of slavery, learn about the important of sea island cotton, learn about the role of the free black Massachusetts 55th Volunteer infantry in emancipating enslaved people, learn about the spirituality of the residents, and trace the emergence of Gullah Culture in the Low Country.

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

Biscuits are a staple of southern cuisine, and there’s no better place to try them (or get your fix) than Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit. Handmade, and regarded as being the best biscuits in Charleston, you’ll be spoilt for choice with 7 flavours of sweet and savoury biscuits, including buttermilk, country ham, cheese and chive, sharp cheddar, blueberry and strawberry shortcake! If you’re feeling hungry, try a biscuit sandwich like the sausage and pimento cheese or the goat cheese biscuit. So good!

Waterfront Park & Pineapple Fountain

Pineapples are a symbol of Southern hospitality, and you’ll find them all over Charleston. The grandest pineapple of them all is the Pineapple Fountain, found in Waterfront Park. Waterfront Park is one of the loveliest spots in Charleston, with views over Charleston Harbor and the Cooper River.

Second Sundays 

If you time your visit to Charleston for the second sunday of the month, you’ll be able to experience the city’s Second Sundays on King Street. A relaxed, carnival like atmosphere draws a crowd to King Street, which is pedestrianised for the day and comes alive with live music, artists set up on the sidewalk, food vendors and more. Second Sundays runs from 12pm-5pm, between Queen Street and Calhoun St. We stumbled across Second Sundays on our first trip to Charleston and it was one of the most memorable afternoons of our trip!

Leon’s Oyster Shop

Lowcountry seafood is legendary, and there’s no better place to indulge than Leon’s Oyster Shop. The locally loved restaurant is one of the most popular reservations in town, and has a lively, laidback atmosphere that’s perfect for groups. Open for lunch and dinner every day, swing by Leon’s Oyster shop for classic Southern fried chicken, crispy fried shrimp or oyster rolls, and as many oysters as you can get your hands on!

The Battery

Strolling along the seawall of the Battery is one of the best things to do in Charleston for first time visitors. Start at Waterfront Park, and walk the mile-long walk along East Battery and South Battery to White Point Garden. Along the way, you’ll see 13 historic Georgian mansions which have made The Battery one of Charleston’s number one tourist attractions.

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