Pack your trip with the best activities Charleston offers.
Charleston trip planning just became easier! The South Carolina Aquarium has partnered with some of Charleston’s top attractions and activities, connecting you with culture, history, wildlife and more. Check out our guide of things to do in the Holy City below!
Absolutely Charleston
Belmond Charleston Place
Located at the heart of downtown Charleston, in the historic district and within walking distance of the South Carolina Aquarium, Belmond Charleston Place is the perfect base for a city adventure. We effortlessly blend gentility and old-world charm with a leading-edge spa and innovative cuisine.
Boone Hall Plantation
Spanning 738 acres, Boone Hall Plantation is one of America’s oldest working, living plantations and has been continuously growing and producing crops for over three centuries. As you tour each site on the plantation, knowledgeable experts will help you understand the history and daily activities of those who lived there.
Bulldog Tours
Bulldog Tours offers the very best history, culinary, and ghost walking tours in town. From Charleston’s enchanting graveyards and cobblestone streets to its hidden gardens of antebellum mansions, Bulldog Tours helps you experience all the charm the city has to offer. Options include the Ghost and Graveyard Tour, the Ghost and Dungeon Tour, The Haunted Jail Tour, and the Dark Side of Charleston Tour.
Charleston Convention and Group Services
Let this destination management company create a picture-perfect experience for your group by designing a program based on your specific needs and interests. Relax, enjoy our beautiful city, and leave the planning to CCGS! Services include step-on guide services, customized itineraries, full packages lodging, transportation, events and more.
Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina
Charleston Harbor Resort & Marina is a world-class destination offering elegant accommodations, an expansive list of amenities and activities, and a prime waterfront location. You are invited to experience true southern hospitality where they focus on creating a unique and memorable guest experience enveloped by charm and gracious service. And all connected to the Aquarium via the Charleston Water Taxi!
Charleston Harbor Tours
Charleston Harbor Tours offers an excellent comprehensive harbor tour of Charleston Harbor covering over 75 points of interest in smooth sailing comfort aboard The Carolina Belle. An experienced Captain narrates your 90-minute tour. See and learn about Charleston’s wonderful historical and cultural landmarks, from the Morris Island Lighthouse to Sullivan’s Island and everything along the way.
Charleston Water Taxi
The water taxi links Mount Pleasant (Patriots Point or Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina) and historic downtown Charleston (Waterfront Park or Aquarium Wharf). Relax and enjoy views of the Ravenel Bridge, while dolphins and pelicans feed alongside the boat. The water taxi runs on a continuous loop around Charleston Harbor between Patriots Point and downtown Charleston.
Classic Carriage Works
The first carriage tours in Charleston came out of the Old Brick Barn on Guignard Street more than 60 years ago, and the best ones still do. Classic Carriage Works, LLC puts customers’ satisfaction first and treats its employees and horses with care and respect. Classic Carriage Works focuses on quality over quantity, and they take pride in having excellent guides and barn staff and the best looking horses in the city.
Coastal Expeditions
Coastal Expeditions is a dedicated group of naturalists who use kayaks and boats to introduce you to beautiful places! Coastal Expedition’s tours are personal and tailored to the needs and wants of each group for an experience you won’t forget. Explore the Lowcountry at one of four locations: Shem Creek, Isle of Palms, Folly Beach or Cape Romain!
Francis Marion Hotel
The historic Francis Marion Hotel, named for the Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion, the “Swamp Fox,” has a long tradition of gracious service, elegant accommodations. The Francis Marion Hotel, with its central downtown location, is an easy walk to the antebellum homes, magnificent gardens, boutiques, and world-class restaurants, and of course, the South Carolina Aquarium.
Fort Sumter Tours
Join a fascinating boat tour to the historic Fort Sumter National Monument, set at the mouth of the beautiful Charleston harbor. With a backdrop of Charleston’s stately waterfront homes and Rainbow Row, the fully narrated cruise departs from Aquarium Wharf, at the South Carolina Aquarium.
Gray Line of Charleston
Enjoy a 90-minute historic city tour by bus, led by a licensed tour guide. View over 100 points of interest, including the High Battery and White Point Gardens as well as waterfront views of Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter and Patriots Point. With war stories, ghost tales and pirate lore, you’ll experience over 300 years of vibrant Charleston history.
Middleton Place
Called “the most important and most interesting garden in America” by the Garden Club of America, Middleton Place is home to America’s oldest landscaped gardens. Centuries-old camellias bloom in the winter months and azaleas blaze on the hillside above the Rice Mill Pond in the spring. In summer, kalmia, magnolias, crepe myrtles and roses accent a landscape magnificent throughout the year.
The Mills House
Immerse yourself in a world of southern elegance, comfort, and leisure at The Mills House Wyndham Grand Hotel. Rested off the beaten path, our historic downtown Charleston hotel offers guests serenity in a vibrant city. Our history of hospitality dates back to 1853 and includes world-class accommodations, dining, event spaces, and amenities.
On Purpose Adventures
The South Carolina Aquarium’s app-based scavenger hunt, designed by On Purpose Adventures, allows groups and teams to actively explore the exhibits looking for educational information on displays to unlock tasks of additional trivia, photos and videos. Scavenger hunts can be tailored to your group size and needs.
Patriots Point
Patriots Point is where history comes alive! Explore the WWII aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, discover 28 historic aircrafts, the three-acre Vietnam Experience, Medal of Honor Museum and so much more. Patriots Point is situated on the Charleston Harbor directly across from the Aquarium.
SpiritLine Cruises
Showcasing the beauty of Charleston, S.C. from its fabulous waterways since 1961! With over 50 years of experience operating passenger vessels in Charleston Harbor, SpiritLine Cruises provide the ideal experience on the water. Choose from a Charleston Dinner Cruise or a Charleston Harbor Tour with live narration by a licensed tour guide.
Wild Dunes Resort
Wild Dunes Resort offers a variety of accommodations, each with unique views and easy access to South Carolina beaches that will inspire a vacation all your own. Whether it’s just you and the kids or your whole family tree, Wild Dunes Resort is ideal for family vacations – from award-winning golf and tennis to delicious on-site dining and family-style dinners delivered right to your door. And with great conservation initiatives, Wild dunes makes a perfect partner to the South Carolina Aquarium.