3 Days in Charleston: 3-Day Itinerary

Itineraries › 3 Days in Charleston

3 Days in Charleston: a 3-day plan with 12 stops, each with hours, costs and closed days copied from the operator's page. 1 list free entry and 3 are indoors. We give no drive times we cannot source; each day links a map route.

Days3plan, then adjust
Stops12each with a source
Free1as the operator states
Indoors3for 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 Houses and the harborAiken-Rhett House Museum Fort Sumter (ferry from Liberty Square or Patriots Point) Patriots Point Naval & Maritime MuseumRoute
Day 3 Gardens, an oak and the beachMagnolia Plantation and Gardens Angel Oak Park Charleston Tea Garden Folly Beach County ParkRoute

Day 1 Downtown on Foot

Start at the southern tip of the peninsula and walk north.

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
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
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.
Cost
Tickets sold on arrival or online; a combo ticket with Aiken-Rhett House is offered. Ticket prices were not readable on the page (see unverified).
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
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
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)

Day 2 Houses and The Harbor

The ferry to Fort Sumter needs a booked departure.

Aiken-Rhett House Museum
Indoors
Historic Charleston Foundation house museum kept in an 'as-found' state, including the original quarters for the enslaved people, kitchen, laundry and carriage block; self-guided audio tour. source
Hours
Monday 1-4 pm; Tuesday-Sunday 10 am-4 pm; last admission 4 pm
Cost
Special tour $25 per person (purchase at the door, includes admission), run through Nov. 2026. Regular ticket prices not readable on page.
Time
Self-paced audio tour 'lasts approximately 45 minutes' (page)
Closed
'Select major holidays' (list not on this page)
Where
Closest public garage per the page: Charleston Area Visitors Center, 63 Mary Street (house address not on page)
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
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum
Naval and maritime museum; admission page says visitors can come for 'a few hours' or spend 'the whole day'. source
Hours
Museum daily 10 AM-5 PM; ticket window closes 4 PM
Cost
Online/advance: adults (13-61) $28; children (6-12) $23; seniors (65+) $25. Free at ticket window: children 5 and under; active-duty military with ID. Admission does not include parking. Scavenger Hunt extra $3.00.
Kids
Children 5 and under free; scavenger hunt listed; some tours have age minimums (Admiral's Tour ages 12 and up).
Closed
None listed; page says open daily
Where
40 Patriots Point Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464

Day 3 Gardens, an Oak and The Beach

These sit outside downtown; plan to drive.

Magnolia Plantation and Gardens
Plantation and gardens on Ashley River Road (Route 61). Listed tours include Nature Train Tour, Magnolia House Tour, Discovery Tour, From Slavery to Freedom Tour and Wildlife Boat Tour; daily tour availability subject to change. source
Hours
Magnolia House Tour 9:30am to 3pm, 'tour availability is limited'; general garden hours not on the page
Closed
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Where
3550 Ashley River Road (Route 61), Charleston, SC 29414
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)
Charleston Tea Garden
Free
Operator describes itself as a working tea garden with a free factory tour (walk the gallery above the production floor) and a paid trolley tour through the tea field. source
Hours
Monday-Saturday 10am to 4pm; Sunday 12pm to 4pm
Cost
Factory tour free; Trolley Tour is 'the only tour we charge for'. Trolley ticket price not clearly shown on pages.
Kids
Operator calls it a family-friendly activity in photo captions; no age rules found.
Dogs
Leashed dogs welcome outdoors; except service dogs, no dogs inside the gift shop, factory tour or trolley tour.
Closed
New Years Day, Easter Sunday, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day
Folly Beach County Park
One of three Charleston County Parks beach parks (with Kiawah Beachwalker Park and Isle of Palms County Park). Lot has 225 parking spots; digital signs show whether the lot is open or full. Do not swim within 200 feet of the Folly Beach Pier (rip currents). source
Cost
Parking fee not stated on the page.
Dogs
Dogs and other pets must always be leashed within county beach parks; each municipality has its own beach-dog ordinance; pets not permitted on the Folly Beach Pier.

Good to Know

Downtown Charleston parking (City garages and meters). City of Charleston 'Where to Park' page lists city garages and lots open to daily, transient and visitor parkers. source
DASH free transit (CARTA). CARTA's DASH page calls DASH 'a quick, convenient, and free way to explore Charleston's historic peninsula'. Routes: Orange Line (Route 210) College of Charleston/Aquarium; Green Line (Route 211) Meeting Street/King Street; Purple Line (Route 213) Lockwood Drive/Calhoun Street. source

FAQ

How many days do I need?

This plan is built for 3 days. Stops are listed in a sensible order, not a promise that every one fits.

Are the hours current?

Hours and prices are copied from each operator’s page on October 26, 2026 and change by season. 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.

an unofficial summary reported IAAM Tue-Sun 10-5 but that was not read on the page.
McLeod Plantation Historic Site (ccprc.com): official page URL not found (several 404s); hours, tour price, tour length not read, stop omitted.
Broadway at the Beach and Barefoot Landing: official sites did not return readable content (Broadway page blank, barefootlanding.com did not load); hours, parking and prices not read. Stops omitted.
Battle of Camden date (August 1780): not stated on any official page; The Liberty Trail pages are run by American Battlefield Trust / SC Battleground Trust partners (nonprofits), not the operator; historiccamden.org (the operator) hours and ticket subpages were not readable, so Camden hours and prices are marked as per Liberty Trail and should be re-checked. Walnut Grove (Liberty Trail page) day-by-day hours and price labels were stripped in the fetch.
Historic Charleston Foundation ticket prices for Nathaniel Russell and Aiken-Rhett: not readable (ticketing widget). Aiken-Rhett street address not on page.
Magnolia Plantation general hours and ticket prices: hours/prices sit on a ticketing site; not read. Fort Sumter standard ferry price: not shown on fortsumtertours.com fetch (only combo prices).
Angel Oak Park hours, Folly Beach County Park hours and parking fee, Charleston Tea Garden trolley price and street address, White Point Garden hours, Rainbow Row (residential street, no visitor hours): not found on official pages read.
Stumphouse Park: stumphousepark.com (City of Walhalla) says dawn to dusk, Discover South Carolina says 10 a.m.-5 p.m. except Christmas; conflict not resolved. Street address not found. Issaqueena Falls 200-foot drop figure is from Discover South Carolina article only.
Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center opening hours and street address: not on text. Rice Museum admission price and address: not on page. Kaminski House closed days (Sunday inferred only from hours list).
Gullah Celebration dates are from the organizer header (Feb 1-28, 2027); Penn Center Heritage Days Nov 12-14, 2026 from organizer page. Penn Center street address '16 Penn Center Circle' came from an NPS release in an unofficial summary, not from a page – treat as unconfirmed.
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk current total length: city page says it 'initially' stretched 1.2 miles; later extension length not read on a page. SkyWheel hours and ride length: not on page. Murrells Inlet MarshWalk: no hours/length from an official page. Cherry Grove Pier street address: not read.

Sources

Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “3 Days in Charleston”, itssouthcarolina.com/itineraries/3-days-in-charleston/ (updated 2026-10-26). 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.