By: Katie
Jan 2025
The Ultimate 4-Day Girls Trip
Charleston, SC
It’s pretty obvious why Charleston is my first blog post. Not only was this in my top 3 trips of 2024, but the whole town is covered in PINK. I would confidently rank it my number 1 girls trip destination so far - we had SO much fun! I hope you enjoy this 4-day itinerary as much as we did.
DAY 1
Shannon, Shem Creek, and Saltwater Cowboys
Our first day in Charleston started with a Delta Airlines flight (I flew in from Vermont). The airport was clean, easy to navigate, and busy! While waiting for our luggage, we got to meet our FAVE influencer and podcaster Shannon Ford Middleton (@probablyshannon) . She was such a joy to meet in person and really helped us kick start our girls trip to her hometown.
We left the airport and headed to our hotel, the Hyatt House Charleston / Historic District. This hotel was seriously perfect! The staff greeted us warmly, and we were very happy to get some A/C in the sweltering South Carolina heat. The hotel let us check in early, gave us complimentary water bottles (every day), and held our luggage while we waited for a room. The hotel is right on the famous King Street, but it’s on the very end of the overnight closure boundaries, and has it’s own internal parking lot and driveway - making it easy for your Uber or Lyft to get you home when needed. However, you may not need that ride because this hotel is walking distance to almost everything! We shared a double queen room for the four of us.
Once we were settled in, my girlfriends and I hopped in a car and went to Shem Creek Marina (photo - we saw dolphins swimming RIGHT THERE!). We grabbed some drinks and lunch at Sunsets Waterfront where we sat on the rooftop porch at the bar, and really enjoyed our time catching up. After lunch, we headed over to Saltwater Cowboys where they had an afternoon DJ playing (shoutout DJ Cabana Vibez!) and a High Noon promotion day! After a long day, we headed back to the hotel to freshen up and relax before dinner.
Our dinner reservation for our first night was at Renzo. This adorable restaurant is small but mighty and has the BEST pizza and cocktails. It’s a bit off the beaten path (we took a ride share from our hotel) but it’s worth it. Just make sure you have a reservation! My friends and I shared some charred cauliflower and one of their famous pizzas. We really enjoyed our experience.
Our night ended with a short bar crawl down King Street. We started at Republic (as seen on Southern Charm) ended up at Ink Charleston for awhile and then got some “street meat” - as my friend calls it - from the food trucks before heading back to the Hyatt House.
Day 2
Coffee, Carafe, Colors, and Captain Cocktail
Since I woke up pretty early, I started day 2 with the free breakfast at the hotel. This breakfast buffet was huge and I was able to eat a quick snack before our late morning brunch reservation. Next, my friend and I took a short walk to Island Provisions Coffee. The historic houses are so beautiful and provided some gorgeous sight-seeing for our walk. Island Provisions was SO GOOD and located inside one of those historic houses. Their menu was fabulous and I wish I could go back and try everything! I settled for an iced latte that day, and it did not disappoint.
After coffee, we changed into some cute outfits and walked to a late brunch at Poogan’s Porch. They have brunch EVERY DAY from 9am to 3pm. We started out with some waters and a carafe of mimosas to share between the four of us. I’ll always remember this as the place I was introduced to the south’s famous fried green tomatoes - and man, were they delicious! All of our meals were incredible, and I would definitely eat here again next time we go.
Poogan’s Porch was a fabulous starting point for a full day of King Street Shopping. We really took “shop til we drop” literally this day. I honestly dream about this shopping day… King Street is just full of color, happiness, and all of the best shopping you could imagine.
Some honorable mentions (and places I made purchases!) are:
Now - I need to give an extra special mention to DFTI Boutique. They had the most beautiful clothing (everything under $100!!!!) and I bought two dresses that fit incredibly well and are so flattering. For a midsize girl (size range 8-14), it’s not always easy to find new places you can buy high-quality, beautiful, AND flattering clothes. Thank you DFTI for having real sizes and giving me the best experience. Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped at Target on King Street to grab snacks and drinks for our sunset boat tour.
One thing you’ll learn about me, if there’s dolphins and a sunset boat tour - I’ll be there. We booked same-day with Captain Cocktail Cruises. Their sunset cruise is BYOB and you can also bring snacks! This boat held about 15-20 people and they took us on a sunset history tour of the Charleston Harbor including an up-close view of the USS Yorktown and the famous Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. We danced, we sang, we laughed, and we learned a lot. We had so much fun with the Captain Cocktail crew and I would definitely book this again!
After our cruise, we obviously had to go back to Saltwater Cowboys. Day 2 was a little more chill (it was a Sunday) so we enjoyed the patio on the water and had some late night snacks.
Day 3
Bodega, Beach, Blu, Bourbon 'N Bubbles, Bennett, and Bangkok Lounge!
I got up early on day 3, so I started with breakfast at the hotel again, then went on a stroll to Bodega to get coffee. This place is everything you want it to be and more, and my cereal milk cold brew was insanely good. From there, I ventured over to the Charleston Visitors Center and learned a few things about the history of this beautiful town! By that time, my friends were awake so I headed back to the hotel to meet them.
We took a ride share to Folly Beach for a beach day! We started out at Blu Beach Bar and Grill and enjoyed a delicious brunch. After refueling, we took a couple steps from Blu and rented some beach chairs with umbrellas for a long, overdue beach day. For this midwest girl, a beach day is always a must. From there, we grabbed some afternoon energy at Center Street Coffee and picked up some souvenirs at the various local surf shops.
After a long day in the sun (with our sunscreen and shade of course!), we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the evening. This girl group LOVES us some espresso martinis - and Bourbon N Bubbles had the perfect ones right outside our hotel. While we enjoyed the luxurious atmosphere and some delicious drinks, we happened to be in the background of filming an episode of Southern Hospitality! They were filming at the bar right next to us - so cool! From there, we headed to our dinner reservation at Church and Union. This restaurant is located in an old church and is a MUST on your next trip to Charleston. Not only was the food delicious, but the atmosphere was one of a kind. Every detail was tied into the theme and we really enjoyed our time.
After dinner, we decided to walk around the area a bit. We stumbled upon some Charleston Pedicabs - and we said “why not”. This was so fun! They blasted music and the wind in our hair was a welcome refreshment in the humid June heat. We took the pedicabs to the beautiful Hotel Bennett to experience the famous Camellias pink champagne bar. As you can guess, I was OBSESSED with this place - it was completely covered in glitter, gold and PINK. We arrived right before closing, but the bartender was the sweetest and let us enjoy some champagne - and even took our picture :)
Now, the next part is one of the most unexpected and fondest memories of this trip. While walking the streets of Charleston, we heard some loud, fun, millennial-friendly music happening upstairs. We look up and discover a hidden gem - Bangkok Lounge Karaoke bar. We ended up spending hours at this bar singing karaoke, laughing til we cry, and feeling like we were back in college (shoutout to Lawrence, KS). Thank you Bangkok lounge for the most unexpected and fun experience.
Day 4
Last day, Long walk, and Lounge
The last day… always so bittersweet when you’re ready to go home but so sad to leave a good trip with your girls. Since all of us had later afternoon flights, we spent the morning taking a LONG walk. We started at our hotel, walked a little over a mile to the Charleston City Market. This market is a must-see when you visit Charleston - it has all the local shopping and food your heart could need, and provides a great opportunity to support local! After we shopped awhile, we walked to the famous pineapple fountain (less than half a mile from the end of the market) and continued walking along the Harbour where we explored Rainbow Row, High Battery Park, and all of the beautiful historic sites along the way. By the time we reached High Battery Park, it was time to get our bags and head to the airport.
I had some extra time at the airport before flying home on my absolute favorite airline - Southwest Airlines - so I explored the Priority Pass lounge included with my Chase Sapphire Reserve card. The lounge at the Charleston airport was incredible - stocked with a full bar and snack bar, lounge chairs with plenty of outlets, and a great birds-eye view of the airport.
before I jet off...
In true Katie fashion, I always wait until the last minute to prepare for my trips. This is where amazon comes in handy always. My favorite travel items are linked here. Besides ordering last minute outfits and goodies on amazon - I never leave for a trip without fresh hair by my girl Kaitlin or a Recreating Rays (RR) spray tan.
I've been an RR customer for 13+ years. If you're in KC, I highly recommend checking out their Olathe and Lee's Summit locations, and if you're not in KC, I recommend ordering their at-home tanning supplies. You won't find better, I promise - and no, I am not paid to say that.
See you on the next trip!
©Copyright. All rights reserved
We need your consent to load the translations
We use a third-party service to translate the website content that may collect data about your activity. Please review the details in the privacy policy and accept the service to view the translations.