2 Days in Charleston: 2-Day Itinerary

Itineraries › 2 Days in Charleston

2 Days In Charleston: a 2-day plan with 8 stops, with hours, costs and closed days from each operator's page and the date we read it. No drive times, because no official page gives them.

Days2plan, then adjust
Stops8each with a source
Free0as the operator states
Indoors2for a rainy slot

Trip Kit

Plan It With Your People

Pick a start date, then send the plan to your group chat, put every day in your calendar, or open each day as a route in Google Maps.

Start date

Day 1 Downtown on footWhite Point Garden (The Battery) Rainbow Row (view from the street) Nathaniel Russell House Museum Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon Charleston City MarketRoute
Day 2 The harbor and an oakFort Sumter (ferry from Liberty Square or Patriots Point) Fort Sumter (ferry from Liberty Square or Patriots Point) Angel Oak ParkRoute

Whole Trip on One Map

Day 1 Downtown on Foot

Walk the historic peninsula from the Battery north to the Market.

White Point Garden (The Battery)
Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau describes White Point Garden, at The Battery, as a park that played a role in Charleston's defense during the Civil War, with cannons and mortars still on display, and views of Charleston Harbor. source
Read
October 26, 2026
Rainbow Row (View From The Street)
Charleston CVB: thirteen homes stretch from 79 to 107 East Bay Street; in 1932 homeowner Dorothy Porcher Legge had the idea of repainting her house in a new color, and the row followed. The houses are private homes; visitors view them from the sidewalk. source
Where
79-107 East Bay Street, Charleston
Read
October 26, 2026
Nathaniel Russell House Museum
Indoors
Historic Charleston Foundation house museum at 51 Meeting Street with a free-flying three-story staircase; offers staff-led tours and a self-paced audio tour. source
Hours
Monday 1-4 pm; Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-4 pm. Staff-led tours start on the hour, last staff-led tour 3:00 pm; last admission 4 pm.
Time
Self-paced audio tour 'lasts approximately 45 minutes' (page)
Closed
Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day ('select major holidays')
Where
51 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC
Read
October 26, 2026
Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
Indoors
Built in 1771 as a commercial exchange and custom house; now a non-profit historic site focused on the American Revolution and colonial Charleston. The NPS Charleston travel page says many significant events of the American Revolution and early Federal period occurred at the Exchange and Provost Building. source
Hours
Monday-Saturday 9 AM-5 PM; Sunday 11 AM-5 PM (footer of page prints Sunday as '11PM', apparently a typo)
Cost
Adults $16; children 6-12 $12 (page footer says 7-12); children 0-6 free (footer says under 6). Tickets can be bought on site.
Kids
School group programs on colonial and Revolutionary-era Charleston are listed; children's prices above.
Closed
None listed on page
Where
122 East Bay Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Read
October 26, 2026
Charleston City Market
Public market with a Great Hall and open-air sheds; the page calls it one of America's oldest public markets. source
Hours
Day Market: banner says 'Open daily 9:30-5:00 pm', sidebar says '9:30-5:30 pm' (the two disagree on the page). Night Market: 'Fri & Saturday Night 6:30-10:30 pm'.
Cost
Page states no admission fee or cost.
Closed
Open every day except December 25
Where
188 Meeting Street, Charleston, SC 29401 (office address)
Read
October 26, 2026

Day 2 The Harbor and an Oak

The Fort Sumter ferry needs a booked departure; Angel Oak is a short drive from downtown.

Fort Sumter (Ferry From Liberty Square or Patriots Point)
NPS: Fort Sumter is in the middle of Charleston Harbor and reachable only by ferry; Fort Sumter Tours provides the only NPS-authorized access. Private boats are not permitted at the fort. The Fort Sumter Visitor Center at Liberty Square is open to all, with free exhibits. source
Hours
Fort Sumter Visitor Center (340 Concord St): daily 9:00 am-4:30 pm. Ferry departures: Liberty Square Feb 27-Nov 30 and Dec 26-31 at 9:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:45 p.m. (Jan 2-Feb 26 and Dec 1-24: 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m.). Patriots Point Feb 27-Nov 30 and Dec 26-31 at 10:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m. (Jan 2-Feb 26 and Dec 1-24: 12:30 p.m.). Schedule 'subject to change and cancellation at anytime' (NPS).
Cost
Standard ferry price not shown on the fortsumtertours.com page. Combo tours listed: USS Yorktown & Fort Sumter $71.00; Charleston Strolls & Fort Sumter $78.00; Gray Line City Tour & Fort Sumter $71.00; Boone Hall Plantation & Fort Sumter $67.00. Ferry is not covered by the America the Beautiful pass (NPS). Visitor center building and exhibits are free.
Time
Total tour about 2 1/4 hours with roughly 60 minutes at the fort (fortsumtertours.com)
Dogs
Pets are not permitted at Fort Sumter or aboard Fort Sumter Tours vessels; leashed pets allowed on Liberty Square grounds and walking paths, not inside the visitor center building (NPS).
Closed
NPS park sites closed New Year's, Thanksgiving and Christmas Days; no tours Thanksgiving, December 25, January 1 (ferry operator)
Where
Fort Sumter Visitor Center, 340 Concord Street, Charleston, SC 29401; Patriots Point departures: 40 Patriots Pt. Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Read
October 26, 2026
Fort Sumter (Ferry From Liberty Square or Patriots Point)
NPS: Fort Sumter is in the middle of Charleston Harbor and reachable only by ferry; Fort Sumter Tours provides the only NPS-authorized access. Private boats are not permitted at the fort. The Fort Sumter Visitor Center at Liberty Square is open to all, with free exhibits. source
Hours
Fort Sumter Visitor Center (340 Concord St): daily 9:00 am-4:30 pm. Ferry departures: Liberty Square Feb 27-Nov 30 and Dec 26-31 at 9:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:45 p.m. (Jan 2-Feb 26 and Dec 1-24: 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m.). Patriots Point Feb 27-Nov 30 and Dec 26-31 at 10:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m. (Jan 2-Feb 26 and Dec 1-24: 12:30 p.m.). Schedule 'subject to change and cancellation at anytime' (NPS).
Cost
Standard ferry price not shown on the fortsumtertours.com page. Combo tours listed: USS Yorktown & Fort Sumter $71.00; Charleston Strolls & Fort Sumter $78.00; Gray Line City Tour & Fort Sumter $71.00; Boone Hall Plantation & Fort Sumter $67.00. Ferry is not covered by the America the Beautiful pass (NPS). Visitor center building and exhibits are free.
Time
Total tour about 2 1/4 hours with roughly 60 minutes at the fort (fortsumtertours.com)
Dogs
Pets are not permitted at Fort Sumter or aboard Fort Sumter Tours vessels; leashed pets allowed on Liberty Square grounds and walking paths, not inside the visitor center building (NPS).
Closed
NPS park sites closed New Year's, Thanksgiving and Christmas Days; no tours Thanksgiving, December 25, January 1 (ferry operator)
Where
Fort Sumter Visitor Center, 340 Concord Street, Charleston, SC 29401; Patriots Point departures: 40 Patriots Pt. Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Read
October 26, 2026
Angel Oak Park
City of Charleston: park on Johns Island with a live oak estimated at 300-400 years old, 65 feet high, trunk circumference 25.5 feet, shade area 17,000 square feet. The city acquired the park in 1991. Park also has a gift shop and picnic area. source
Cost
No admission charge (city page)
Read
October 26, 2026

More Stops If You Have Time

International African American Museum
Museum on Charleston's waterfront; admission includes the Center for Family History and the Special Exhibitions Gallery. source
Hours
Tuesday-Saturday 10am-5pm; Sunday 12pm-5pm (Sunday time marked 'effective July 2026'); last entry 4pm; timed-entry tickets.
Cost
Non-SC residents: adults (17+) $22.50, youth (6-16) $10.50, seniors (62+) $14.50, military with ID $14.50, under 6 free. SC residents (with SC ID): adults $15.50, youth $7.50, seniors $9.50, military $9.50, under 6 free. SNAP/EBT card holders (Museums for All, four guests per card, bought at the Visitor Services Desk): $2.50 each, under 6 free.
Kids
Under 6 free; youth 6-16 have a reduced price.
Closed
Closed Monday, Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Where
14 Wharfside Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Read
November 3, 2026

FAQ

Is two days enough for Charleston?

It is enough for the Historic District on foot and one harbor trip. The 3-day and 4-day plans add houses, gardens and plantations.

Are the hours current?

Each stop shows the date we read the operator’s page. Hours and prices change by season, so use the source link before you go.

What We Could Not Confirm

Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.

Driving and walking times between stops: we give none, because no official page states them. Each day links a route button for current directions.
Hours and prices change by season. Each stop shows the date we read it and links its source; confirm before you go.
Fort Sumter ticket prices and departure times: see our Fort Sumter page, which reads the operator's own page.

Sources

Read on October 26, 2026. Stops dated October 26, 2026 were read on that day; stops dated November 3, 2026 were read this session. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “2 Days in Charleston”, itssouthcarolina.com/itineraries/2-days-in-charleston/ (updated 2026-11-03). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.