The 6 Best Day Trips from Charleston, SC
Old Sheldon Church Ruins in Yemassee, South Carolina
The Holy City is a pretty amazing place, but if you need a change of scenery, I’ve got great suggestions on the best day trips from Charleston SC for you to take.
As a Charleston native, I love to explore in my hometown, but I often want to take my kids for a fun, educational day out elsewhere in the surrounding area.
Back when we homeschooled, I adored planning these types of trips from Charleston as they were a great way to cover educational materials while getting us out of the house.
All of the day trips below come personally vetted by me and my family to ensure that we only pass on the best tips!
Each of these day trips has a drive time of no more than 2 hours each way.
This means that you can have an easy drive and a full day of sightseeing before you have to come back to Charleston that evening.
Since your time is limited on these short trips, I’ve only shared the top things to see, do, and eat at each location.
Plan to have an early start time to make the most of your day trips.
Of course, you could expand any of these itineraries out to become an entire weekend trip from Charleston, and I’ve included suggestions on how you can do that below, too.
Let’s go have the best day ever!
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What are the best day trips from Charleston SC?
Edisto Island, South Carolina
The road to Botany Bay Plantation
This out-of-the way barrier island south of Charleston is an easy, peaceful, and beautiful hour's drive.
There are just a few restaurants, one grocery store, and only two main roads, so the focus is completely on the gorgeous island environment.
Edisto Island's charm is in its simplicity, so come prepared to set your watch to island time.
Your Edisto Island Day Trip Itinerary
Aim to get to the area no later than 9 AM, especially if you’re visiting in the summer.
You’ll want to head straight for Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve, so you can do the self-drive tour of two former plantations.
Don’t forget to walk the short 1/4 mile hike to the driftwood beach!
Next, you’ll probably be ready for lunch, so head to McConkey’s Jungle Shack, where your kids will LOVE to play I-Spy with all of the fun items glued to the ceiling walls, mirrors, and doorways!
McConkey’s has laid back beach fare like burgers, fries, and chicken fingers. It’s all outdoor dining, but the ceiling fans keep everything cooled.
From McConkey’s, head across Palmetto Boulevard to the Edisto Beach State Park, one of the best state parks for camping in South Carolina.
Edisto Environmental Learning Center
There’s a small entrance fee to get in, but the ample parking, clean restrooms, and outdoor showers are well worth it when visiting with children.
If your family would like to go to the beach, the sand here is nice and wide, but be careful of the undertow (all of Edisto Beach has strong currents).
Finally, head off the island to the free Edisto Environmental Learning Center, where your kids will love the touch tank and life sized fishing boat.
Want more Edisto Island day trip ideas?
Check out my post on the best things to do in Edisto Island SC!!
How to expand your day trip to Edisto Island
You could easily spend a week here just relaxing on the beach, and many South Carolina locals do exactly that.
My husband's family keeps up the tradition, and it's been fun watching all of the siblings--and now their kids--gather together for a week each year to splash in the waves.
There aren’t any hotels on the island, but you can book an Edisto Island vacation rental here.
Edisto Island’s home rentals are much more affordable than those elsewhere along the South Carolina coast!
Beaufort, South Carolina
This small coastal town was the setting for the 1983 movie "The Big Chill," but its charm and warmth are far more important that its past flirtation with the big-screen.
Wander the side streets and admire the stately old homes, browse the shops on the main street, or take a horse-and-buggy history tour.
If you're into architecture--or just love older homes--you will adore Beaufort.
Your Beaufort Day Trip Itinerary
There are so many cute towns in South Carolina, but Beaufort, Bluffton and McClellanville are my favorites in the Lowcountry.
The drive time from Charleston to Beaufort is about an hour and a half.
For most of that, you’ll be coming down South Carolina’s Highway 17, which is a gorgeous rural road.
>> GET THE FULL SOUTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY 17 ROAD TRIP ITINERARY HERE! <<
Once you arrive in this adorable riverside town, you’ll want to acquaint yourself with the most popular area of Beaufort, Bay Street.
The entirety of Bay Street has beautiful water views, but the shops and restaurants are mostly around the intersection of Bay Street with Woods Memorial Bridge.
Next, I suggest taking a guided tour of Beaufort as this is the best way to get under the surface of the town’s history and legacy.
I recommend the Beaufort local history and film sites tour, which lasts about an hour. You’ll love seeing filming locations from popular movies like Forrest Gump and The Big Chill, while kids will love being chauffeured around in an 8 person golf cart!
After your tour is over, you’ll be hungry.
Head to Plums on Bay Street, which overlooks the Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park and the Broad River.
Ask for a table outside so your kids are run around in the grassy park while you wait for the food!
I love the blue cheese and caramelized onion burger.
After lunch, take older kids and teens to the Pat Conroy Literary Center on Bladen Street where they can learn about this famous Lowcountry author through the small, but well-done exhibits.
Younger kids will enjoy dolphin watching in the Broad River: linger in Chambers Waterfront Park for the best chance of seeing them!
Before you leave, don’t forget to pick up a sweet treat at the local chocolatier, The Chocolate Tree, on Carteret Avenue.
How to expand your day trip to Beaufort
If you have time to linger in Beaufort, drive out to the nearby Hunting Island State Park, where South Carolina's unspoiled beauty is the focus.
Here, your family can hike, walk on the driftwood beach, go geocaching, fish, or camp.
Driftwood beach at Hunting Island State Park
You could also visit St. Helena’s Island to learn more about the Gullah-Geechee culture that is still alive and well in this part of the South Carolina Lowcounty.
My favorite place to stay in Beaufort is the City Loft Hotel, which is conveniently located on Carteret Street and about a block from Bay Street.
This hotel is laidback and funky, which makes it perfect for a quick family trip.
Yemassee, South Carolina
Old Sheldon Church Ruins
While the Shrimp Festival is the highlight of the social calendar here, Yemassee is still worth a visit even when the festival isn't in full swing.
From Charleston to Yemassee is about an hour and 15 minutes drive time.
Your Yemassee Day Trip Itinerary
You’ll want to pack a picnic for this day out as you’ll be exploring some of the outdoor beauty of the rural South Carolina Lowcountry!
First, make the trip out to the Old Sheldon Church as it can get quite busy in summer afternoons.
Old Sheldon Church is a ruin of an antebellum church which is rumored to be haunted, and it is stunning! It’s also free to visitors.
Park in the lot across the street, which is well marked.
Note: due to the church’s delicate nature, visitors are no longer allowed to get close to the ruins as pictured in our 2013 visit (above). The property is still well worth your time even with the new fence.
There's a lot of discussion over what exactly happened to the church to get it into the shape that it's in currently.
Some say that Sherman burned it down, while other accounts point to your run-of-the-mill accident sometime after the war.
(source)
Next, head to the Carolina Cider Company on Highway 17 to grab a pecan pie for your picnic lunch.
PIN ME!
They come in small and large sizes. (Get the large. You don’t be disappointed!)
Your next stop is a bit further south on Highway 17, Frampton Plantation.
This free property houses a visitors center, small gift shop, and house museum that shows what life would’ve been like here both before and after the Civil War.
You can have your picnic here before moving onto our final stop of the day.
Head back north on 17 to Yemassee, where you’ll want to go to the trailhead for the Upper Combahee East Gate Trail.
This easy, flat hike is only 0.4 miles long and is part of the ACE Basin National Wildlife Reserve.
How to Expand Your Yemassee Day Trip
If you luck up and are in the area on the one weekend every two years when the property is open, run (don’t walk!) to the Auldbrass Plantation house tour.
Auldbrass was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright as a modern interpretation of Southern architecture, and the tour is likely to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this house.
If you have another day or two to spare, you can add an overnight stay in Beaufort (above) to your Yemassee Day Trip.
I highly recommend the other locations on my spooky ruins near Charleston post.
These could easily take an entire day trip themselves if you wanted to see all of them!
NOTE: Yemassee proper doesn’t have any hotels, but I suggest the Hampton Inn and Suites at Point South right next to Frampton Plantation if you’d like an overnight stay near everything in the itinerary.
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
With dozens of shopping centers, year-round entertainment and more restaurants that you could try in a decade, Myrtle Beach is Charleston's younger and wilder cousin.
Where Charleston is all about history and architecture, Myrtle Beach thrives on its rough-and-ready-for-anything reputation--and that draws millions each year who are looking for sandy beaches, tons of shopping, and an anything goes attitude.
My dad grew up in this area and we return frequently to visit the family farm there.
It's been a crazy experience watching the Myrtle Beach area grow over the last 3 decades from a fairly quiet beach town into the vacation destination it is today!
Myrtle Beach is an hour and a half drive from downtown Charleston via Highway 17 North.
Itinerary for your day trip from Charleston to Myrtle Beach
Your kids will want to head straight to the kitschy Ocean Drive area, which has unique shops and multiple family-friendly attractions.
Try the SkyWheel, a massive, enclosed Ferris wheel, for the best views of the Grand Strand.
Next, make your way to the Family Kingdom Amusement Park where your family can experience classic rides like a wooden roller coaster, swings, water slides, and a free fall.
Your kids will want to stay all day here!
On the way home, stop for dinner at the DinoLand Cafe on Highway 17 (South Kings Highway) for kid-favorites in a highly themed location.
How to Expand your Myrtle Beach Day Trip
If you want to extend your time between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, I've got a great line up of highlights for more to do in both Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach in my South Carolina Highway 17 road trip post!
I’d also recommend stops at Huntington Beach State Park and Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, which is just south of Myrtle Beach.
There are many hotels in downtown Myrtle Beach near Ocean Drive, but I recommend Sandy Beach Resort. It has kitchenettes, great ocean views and an onsite lazy river!
Congaree National Park, South Carolina
My husband and I are both South Carolina natives, but neither of us had been to Congaree National Park until a few years ago!
It ended up being a great day trip from Charleston, clocking in at about 1 hour and 45 minutes drive time.
Your Congaree National Park Itinerary
South Carolina’s only National Park, Congaree is known for its massive hardwood trees and swamp ecosystem, one of the largest preserved swaths of this kind in America.
Your best bet for a successful day here is to pack a picnic as there aren’t many restaurants close by.
You’ll probably want to stretch your legs after being in the car for nearly 2 hours, so I’d suggest having a quick snack and heading over to the Visitors Center.
Here, you can grab a map, chat with a ranger, and use the restrooms.
Have your kids grab a Junior Ranger booklet so they can work on it throughout the day.
For first time visitors, I suggest taking the Boardwalk Loop Trail.
It is just over 2.5 miles long, and most of it is on wooden boardwalk. We loved looking at the cypress trees, birds, and animals along the way.
When you return to the Visitors Center, have your picnic and explore the center a bit more.
Kids can finish up their Junior Ranger program to get their badges!
>> Explore a complete 2 Day Congaree National Park itinerary here. <<
Expand your Congaree National Park visit
If you choose to camp inside the park, you will be ready for more hiking on day 2.
The park also has an extensive canoe and kayaking trail if you have your own craft, and there are multiple areas for fishing.
If you have even more time, Columbia SC is less than half an hour from Congaree. There, you can visit EdVenture, the SC State Museum, and Riverbanks Zoo.
Savannah, Georgia
Forsyth Park, Savannah, GA
While this trip can be done in a day, it will be a long day, so plan for a really early start!
From Charleston to Savannah is right at 2 hours drive time.
Savannah has been called Charleston's "sister city" because of the historic backgrounds and distinct charm of both cities.
It’s one of our favorite locations since it is perfect for learning at every turn!
Savannah is really walkable, but bring a stroller for little ones.
>> If it's your family’s first time in the city, check out my first timer’s guide on things to do in Savannah with kids for hotel suggestions, kid friendly restaurants and more! <<
Your Savannah Day Trip Itinerary
My kids are obsessed with all things transportation, so our last few day trips to Savannah have started at Georgia State Railroad Museum.
It is such a fun place as visitors can explore vintage train cars, see the huge model train set-up in one of the outbuildings, walk along actual railroad tracks, and ride on an actual train.
Once you pry your kids away, head towards Ellis Square for lunch at Goose Feathers Cafe.
We are all obsessed with breakfast food, so the huge all-day breakfast menu here is sure to please.
After lunch, let your kids run through the fountains in Ellis Square.
Older kids and history/literary/film buffs have to take a tour of the Mercer House, featured in the book and film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
Little kids and their families should push on to Forsyth Park for the great playground, free restrooms, the famous Savannah fountain, and wide grassy areas.
Playground at Forsyth Park
River cruise on Savannah River
Wind down the day with a late afternoon riverboat tour on the massive Georgia Queen.
Before you head home, grab a souvenir on River Street!
How to Expand your Savannah Trip
If you’re staying overnight, a haunted trolley tour is so much fun!
We recommend this haunted trolley tour as they’ve been consistently great with all of the tours we’ve done with them (regular history tour, haunted tour, and Christmas tour!).
The view from our most recent stay at the DeSoto Savannah
A quick visit to nearby Tybee Island is another great add-on if you’re staying another day in Savannah.
Our favorite location for overnight stays in Savannah is the DeSoto Hotel. We’ve been guests multiple times over the last decade, and it hasn’t disappointed us yet.
Located halfway between River Street and Forsyth Park, it is incredibly convenient to everything in the Savannah historic district.
Ask for a room with a balcony for great views of the Savannah River bridge!
We've done all of these day trips from Charleston SC multiple times, and it's hard to pick a favorite since they all offer something different!
That basically means that you can't go wrong whichever way you choose to head out of the Holy City.
And, when you get back to Charleston, I have even more things to do in Charleston SC!
Which of these day trips from Charleston would you like to do the most?
