A woman wearing sunglasses and casual clothes stands on a cobblestone street holding a leash attached to a small black and white dog sitting beside her. Trees and buildings line the street in the background.

My Solo Trip to Charleston SC: 10 Best Things to Do Alone in the Holy City

ByNatalie Rushing

I spent a few days in Charleston, SC, during my solo road trip from Asheville, NC, to the Florida Keys and fell in love with its charm. I walked with my dog along the cobblestone streets, met friendly people, and saw iconic, historic sights (including some realllly old buildings).

Charleston is a great solo destination, and it’s supposedly one of the most romantic U.S. cities, if you’re into that. I can’t comment on the romance since it was just me and Elgie, but the good news is, you don’t need a partner to fall in love with Charleston. Instead, what I can comment on are the best things do alone so you can plan your perfect solo trip to Charleston SC!

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A woman wearing sunglasses smiles in front of a large pineapple-shaped fountain with water cascading down, palm trees, and a blue sky in the background.
A woman in black and white clothing leans on a railing, gazing at the water under a clear blue sky. Palm trees and people sitting on benches are visible in the background, with sunlight shining from the right.

Explore Charleston Waterfront Park

.No trip to Charleston is complete without coming here. Home to the famous pineapple fountain, this park has gorgeous views of Charleston Harbor. Take a picture with the fountain and look out over the peaceful water.

A small, historic two-story building with American flags, people entering, and a faded sign on the corner of a street with crosswalk lines. Blue recycling bins sit outside, and a street sign reads “Exchange.”.

Check out America’s Oldest Liquor Store

120 E Bay St.

The Tavern at Rainbow Row has been around since 1686 and even has a trap door from the Prohibition era. Pretty cool!

Cars are parked and driving on a city street lined with palm trees and pastel-colored buildings, including pink, blue, and green facades, on a sunny day.

See The Beautiful Houses on Rainbow Row

‘Similar to the Painted Ladies in San Francisco, this row of colorful houses is even more beautiful in person. Get your camera ready and snap some photos!

DannyBoy7783 at English Wikipedia, GFDL http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html, via Wikimedia Commons

See the Largest Live Oak Tree East of the Mississippi River

3688 Angel Oak Road

The Angel Oak tree is estimated to be 300-400 years old and is enormous! You’re not allowed to set up blankets too close to the tree, but it’s part of a park, where you could picnic with a view.

Mollz03, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Check out City market

188 Meeting St

If you’re not used to the whole dining solo thing, this is the perfect spot to try it. There are plenty of food options as well as local vendors selling their unique products–a great place to find a one-of-a-kind souvenir!

Btcsc, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Go Shopping on King Street

This is the main thoroughfare through Charleston and is ideal for window shopping (and regular shopping), eating, and enjoying the day.

Go to the Beach

The most popular beach near Charleston is Folly Beach, so if you’re craving a good ol’ beach day, this is the spot. There’s even a cool lighthouse to see!

A metal sculpture of a person sitting in a boat is elevated on poles near a waterfront, with bushes and a second abstract sculpture visible in the background under a clear blue sky.

Venture up to North Charleston to See Unique Sculptures

1001 Everglades Avenue

North Charleston Riverfront Park has an annual sculpture competition, inviting artists nationwide to compete. At this cool park, you can see the winners’ work!

Take a Tour

I try to take at least one tour everywhere I go–it’s a great intro to exploring a new city without feeling overwhelmed, and it can also be a good way to meet new people. Plus, you can really learn a lot about a place that way.

Here’s a good ol’ walking tour. My favorite kind of tour–get to know Charleston with a knowledgeable tour guide and get some exercise while you’re at it.

Into ghosts? Try a haunted tour.

See Charleston’s sights from the water with this booze cruise— would be fantastic to do at sunset!

Learn How to Carolina Shag

No, that’s not something dirty–that’s a type of dance that’s popular in South Carolina. Also, the Charleston originated in well…Charleston! Who would have thought…

Where to stay in Charleston SC Solo

It depends on what you’re looking for. I wanted a quieter experience with easy nature access for my dog, so I stayed in North Charleston. But if you want to take in all you can, you’ll want to be in the middle of it all downtown.

Map of where to stay solo in Charleston:

What to Do in Charleston for One Day

If you’re only in Charleston for one day, here’s what I would do:
-Walk up King Street
-Take pictures of Rainbow Row
-Check out City Market
-Check out the pineapple fountain at Charleston Waterfront Park

These attractions are all located near each other, so you can explore without needing to worry about transportation.

How to Get ARound in Charleston

It depends on where you stay and what you want to do. If you stay centrally, or you’re mainly interested in the downtown attractions, you’re fine without a car and could walk or Uber everywhere. However, if you want to explore further out of town, such as plantations, the beach, and the Angel Oak tree, you’ll need a car.

FAQ: Solo Trip to Charleston SC

Is Charleston Safe for Solo Female Travelers?

Yes, Charleston is very safe. You’ll see lots of tourists, and the people are friendly. I never found myself in an “off” feeling part of town at all.

Is Charleston dog-friendly?

Yes! I took Elgie everywhere I went. Many of the attractions that make Charleston famous are outdoors, and City Market allows leashed dogs. You can take your best friend pretty much everywhere you go.

Why is Charleston called the Holy City?

There are a few different viewpoints on this, but the most widely accepted one is that there are so many churches. Don’t let that scare you off, though.

Day Trips from Charleston

Myrtle Beach. I also stopped at Myrtle for a few days on my road trip–totally different vibe from Charleston but also fun for solo travel! It’s about 2 hours away from Charleston, so if you wanted to see it, you could do so in a day or over a weekend.

Savannah, GA. Also about 2 hours away is Savannah, GA. Spend a day or weekend at America’s most haunted city!

Final Thoughts on Going to Charleston Solo

I’ll never say no to a good cobblestone street, and Charleston has plenty, plus all the old-world charm you could want. If you love historic cities where your dog’s welcome everywhere you go, you’ll fall for Charleston just like I did.

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A woman enjoys a solo trip to Charleston, SC, posing on a cobblestone street and snapping a selfie by a fountain. Text reads: A Guide to Solo Travel in Charleston, SC and outsiderodyssey.com.

Have you been to Charleston? What did you think? Let me know in the comments.

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