Charleston regularly tops the list of best cities in the United States to visit thanks to its impressive food scene and Southern Charm. There are plenty of reasons to visit, from food to friendly locals. And the best part is three days in Charleston is enough to see the whole city, making it perfect for a long weekend.

My friend and I chose Charleston for the start of our annual birthday trip, before ending the week in Savannah. Since international travel still isn’t an option due to Covid, we weren’t able to continue our streak of European destinations. (Last year we celebrated in Portugal, Belgium before that, and Scotland before that.)

The South would be warm in February (at least compared to Chicago), and full of good food. But turns out there were more reasons to visit Charleston than that.

5 Reasons to Visit Charleston

It’s small enough you won’t need a car (but you might want one).

I was surprised to discover how small Charleston is compared to its big reputation. The population barely hits 135,000 people, and while the city itself is mid-sized, the touristy area is quite compact. We were able to walk to most destinations, which doubled as sightseeing because the whole city is so pretty.

But there were a few times our rental car came in handy, especially when we drove to some plantations that were far away. During our visit in February, Ubers and Lyft drivers weren’t as ubiquitous as I’m used to in Chicago, so we also resorted to driving to dinner one night when rideshares weren’t available. But I bet in peak tourist times it’s easier to get around without a rental car.

A beautiful house in the Historic District.

The city is full of iconic architecture.

Founded as Charles Town in 1670, Charleston is full of historic architecture, some predating the Civil War and even Revolutionary War. It boasts more than 2,800 historic buildings covering several different architectural styles.

The Historic District (essentially the entire peninsula south of Calhoun Street) is covered with colorful houses. The pastel-painted houses are a nod to Caribbean architecture, where many residents owned plantations.

While the houses look similar to New Orleans’ French Colonial Style, they are categorically distinct. (The Spruce breaks down the differences here.) It’s worth just wandering around the area admiring the mansions, or take a guided architecture tour.

The food in Charleston is amazing.

One of the reasons Charleston tops travel magazines’ best city lists is its food scene. For such a small city, it’s full of top notch restaurants run by famous chefs. Not to mention it has a culinary style all its own: Lowcountry cuisine.

The Lowcountry includes the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia. Not surprisingly, Lowcountry Cuisine is similar to Southern Cuisine, but with a heavier emphasis on seafood (especially fish, crab, shrimp, and oysters) and rice.

And, since it’s in the heart of the South, barbecue is a staple. Here the specialty is pork, especially whole hog barbecue, with a vinegar-based mustard sauce (known as “Carolina Gold”).

For great food in Charleston don’t miss whole hog barbecue at Rodney Scott’s Barbecue, fried chicken at Husk, and oysters at Leon’s. Or take a guided culinary tour to learn about Lowcountry cuisine. (More on what to eat in Charleston coming up.)

The Old Sheldon Church Ruins, about an hour outside of Charleston.

It’s surrounded by great day trip destinations.

As beautiful as Charleston is, it’s small enough to see and do everything in just a few short days. (We spent three days in Charleston and it was perfect!) Plus it’s surrounded by great destinations perfect for a day trip from Charleston.

Day trips include everything from partial-day detours visiting multiple plantations to full-day trips to Savannah or Hilton Head Island. There are plenty of guided tours available or you can go the DIY route by renting a car. (More on day trips from Charleston coming up.)

Tasting and touring High Wire Distillery.

There’s lots of whiskey in Charleston.

To my surprise, there’s no shortage of whiskey in Charleston. Since it’s the South, the emphasis was understandably on bourbon. Husk has a whiskey list with more than 120 options. Grace & Grit might have even more than that, but it’s a little out of the way. Proof has a dozen different whiskey-based cocktails, and Bar Mash features $5 whiskeys during happy hour.

If you need a scotch fix (like I did), stop in Vom Fass. The specialty store sells dozens of single cask whiskies in various sized bottles. Most were single malt scotch, but they have Irish and American whiskey too. (Plus gin and tequila, if that’s your thing.) I picked up a beautiful 13 year old Longmorn single cask that was delicious!

Definitely don’t miss High Wire Distilling Co. The distillery makes gin, bourbon, and rye using locally grown heirloom grains, with an emphasis on terroir. And owner Scott Blackwell formerly ran a bakery, so he brings a culinary approach to distilling. (Read more on High Wire Distillery here.)

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After spending three days in Charleston it was obvious why it’s considered one of the best tourist destinations in the United States. Stay tuned for more on Charleston, plus the rest of our birthday celebration in Savannah.

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