10 Most Luxurious Things to Do in Charleston, SC
Charleston knows how to do luxury.
The city combines historic mansions, world-class hotels, private yachts, fine dining, spas, art, designer shopping and old-school Southern hospitality in a compact historic district.
If money is not the primary concern, some of the most luxurious things to do in Charleston include staying in a premier hotel suite, chartering a private yacht through Charleston Harbor, booking an elaborate spa day, dining at one of the city's finest restaurants, taking a private carriage ride, shopping King Street and arranging a private art experience.
Here are 10 of the best luxury experiences in Charleston, South Carolina.
1. Stay in One of Charleston's Best Hotel Suites
For the full Charleston luxury experience, start with the hotel.
Two of downtown's best-known luxury properties are The Charleston Place and Hotel Bennett.
The Charleston Place sits in the heart of the historic district and offers suites, a rooftop retreat and an elevated Club experience that includes a private lounge and personalized service.
Hotel Bennett overlooks Marion Square on King Street. Its Presidential Suite includes a large wraparound terrace with views toward the Ravenel Bridge, Charleston's rivers and the city skyline.
If you're going to splurge on a Charleston vacation, the hotel is one of the places where spending more can genuinely change the experience.
Luxury level: $$$$
Best for: Couples, anniversaries, honeymoons and special occasions
2. Charter a Private Yacht Through Charleston Harbor
There are harbor cruises.
And then there is having the boat to yourself.
Private yacht charters allow you to cruise Charleston Harbor without sharing the experience with a large sightseeing group.
Depending on the boat and operator, a charter can include views of the Charleston peninsula, Ravenel Bridge, Fort Sumter and the surrounding waterways.
Some experiences become extremely elaborate. Hotel Bennett currently promotes charters aboard a 90-foot motor yacht that can be customized with options including a private chef, bartenders, musicians, water sports and even a masseuse.
Another Charleston operator currently offers private charters aboard a 75-foot Sunseeker for groups of up to 12 passengers.
This may be the ultimate Charleston splurge.
Luxury level: $$$$$
Best for: Proposals, anniversaries, birthdays and groups
Spend the Day in Luxury. Spend the Night With Charleston's Ghosts.
When the champagne is finished and the sun disappears behind Charleston Harbor, explore another side of the city.
Ghost Tour Charleston takes visitors through the historic streets after dark to discover Charleston's ghost stories, legends and darker history.
Book your evening at GhostTourCharleston.com.
3. Have an All-Out Spa Day
Charleston has several luxury hotel spas where it is very easy to lose an afternoon.
The Spa at The Charleston Place offers massages, facials, body treatments and other wellness experiences in the historic district.
Hotel Bennett also operates a full-service downtown spa offering massages, facials and body treatments.
For a different atmosphere, The Dewberry Spa uses cypress-covered interiors and offers high-end skincare and signature treatments inside one of Charleston's most distinctive luxury hotels.
Book the long treatment.
You're on vacation.
Luxury level: $$$
Best for: Couples, relaxation and recovering from several days of walking Charleston
4. Have a Serious Fine-Dining Night
Charleston has become one of America's great food cities, and a luxury trip deserves at least one evening where dinner is the event rather than something squeezed between attractions.
Charleston Grill at The Charleston Place combines contemporary Southern cuisine, an extensive wine program and nightly live music.
Halls Chophouse is another Charleston institution for travelers looking for an extravagant steakhouse evening and currently offers specialty experiences involving authentic Japanese Wagyu.
The move here isn't necessarily ordering the most expensive item on the menu.
Take your time. Order cocktails. Ask about wine. Get dessert.
Charleston rewards people who refuse to rush dinner.
Luxury level: $$$$
Best for: Date nights and celebrations
5. Take a Private Horse-Drawn Carriage Through Historic Charleston
A carriage ride is already one of Charleston's classic experiences.
A private carriage changes it completely.
Instead of joining a larger group, you can reserve the carriage for your own party and experience the historic district in a quieter, more personal setting.
Palmetto Carriage Works currently offers private Charleston carriage tours for groups of up to eight passengers, including both daytime and evening options.
There is something appropriately decadent about traveling through streets lined with eighteenth- and nineteenth-century homes in a private horse-drawn carriage.
For couples, it is also one of Charleston's most romantic splurges.
Luxury level: $$$
Best for: Couples, families and private groups
6. Shop King Street Without Looking at the Price Tags
King Street is where a Charleston vacation can become expensive remarkably quickly.
Charleston's official tourism organization describes downtown King Street as a major shopping destination for designer fashion, jewelry, eyewear, boutiques and other upscale retailers.
The street also has a longstanding antiques district, while The Shops at Charleston Place bring additional luxury retailers into the center of downtown.
If you are looking for something more Charleston-specific than a designer item available anywhere in the world, look for fine jewelry, antiques, art and locally made pieces.
Those are the purchases that will still remind you of the trip years later.
Luxury level: As high as you want it to be
Best for: Fashion, jewelry, antiques and dangerous credit-card decisions
7. Book a Private Art Experience at the Gibbes Museum
The Gibbes Museum of Art is Charleston's primary art museum and connects the city's history with centuries of American art.
For visitors who want something beyond ordinary admission, the museum offers more personalized group experiences.
Private tours can be led by docents or curators, while qualifying groups can arrange Director-led tours of the collection or exhibitions. The museum currently requires a minimum group size for these private experiences, so reservations should be arranged in advance.
Instead of wandering through a museum reading labels, you get someone who actually knows the collection helping you understand what you are looking at.
That is luxury of a different kind: access.
Luxury level: $$–$$$
Best for: Art lovers and private groups
Charleston Has Another Side Money Can't Buy
The luxury hotels are beautiful.
The restaurants are exceptional.
But some of Charleston's most memorable experiences are found outside, after dark, on streets that have witnessed more than three centuries of human history.
Join Ghost Tour Charleston for an evening walking tour through the stories, legends and hauntings of historic Charleston.
8. Spend an Afternoon Drinking Champagne Instead of Sightseeing
Not every vacation needs to be productive.
Charleston has plenty of places where the entire activity can simply be sitting somewhere beautiful with a good drink.
The Thoroughbred Club at The Charleston Place offers cocktails, small plates, live music and an afternoon tea experience that can be paired with Champagne.
Hotel Bennett offers rooftop views and a pool area where hotel guests can reserve private cabanas.
The Dewberry offers cocktails downstairs in The Living Room and skyline views from its rooftop Citrus Club.
Schedule nothing afterward.
That is the point.
Luxury level: $$$
Best for: Couples and people who understand vacations
9. Build Your Own Private Charleston Day
If you're traveling with a generous budget, stop treating Charleston like a checklist.
Build a private day instead.
You could arrange a private carriage in the morning, have a long lunch, shop King Street, book a spa treatment, return to the hotel, dress for dinner and finish with an evening experience.
The advantage of spending more isn't merely nicer things.
It's eliminating friction.
No rushing between fifteen attractions. No waiting for everyone else. No eating lunch in twenty minutes because your next reservation starts at 1:30.
Charleston is particularly suited to slow luxury because so much of the historic district is concentrated within a relatively small area.
Leave empty space in the itinerary.
You'll probably enjoy the city more.
10. Finish the Night With a Charleston Ghost Tour
Luxury does not necessarily mean expensive.
Sometimes it means doing something you'll still be talking about after the hotel room, dinner and champagne have been forgotten.
Charleston's historic district becomes a different city after sunset.
Church steeples disappear into the darkness. Alleys empty. Old houses are illuminated by lanterns. Graveyards sit behind iron fences in the middle of one of America's oldest cities.
And behind all of that beauty are centuries of stories involving war, epidemics, fires, crime, tragedy, death and Charleston's long tradition of ghost lore.
That's where Ghost Tour Charleston comes in.
Spend the daytime enjoying the polished Charleston.
Then come meet the other one.
Reserve your evening ghost tour at GhostTourCharleston.com.
The Ultimate Luxury Day in Charleston
If you wanted to create one extravagant Charleston day, it might look something like this:
Wake up in a suite at The Charleston Place or Hotel Bennett.
Have a leisurely breakfast.
Take a private carriage through the historic district.
Shop King Street.
Spend the afternoon at the spa.
Return to the hotel and get ready for dinner.
Have cocktails and an exceptional meal.
Then walk into historic Charleston after dark for a ghost tour.
The next morning?
Private yacht.
That's a Charleston vacation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Luxury Experiences in Charleston
What are the most luxurious things to do in Charleston, SC?
Some of Charleston's best luxury experiences include staying in a premier hotel suite, chartering a private yacht, enjoying a high-end spa day, dining at a fine restaurant, taking a private carriage tour, shopping King Street and arranging a private museum experience.
What is the most extravagant thing to do in Charleston?
A private luxury yacht charter is arguably one of Charleston's most extravagant experiences. Current local options range from private sailing yachts to large motor yachts capable of offering highly customized experiences.
What are the best luxury hotels in downtown Charleston?
The Charleston Place, Hotel Bennett and The Dewberry are three prominent luxury hotels in downtown Charleston, each offering upscale accommodations, dining and additional amenities.
Can you charter a private yacht in Charleston?
Yes. Multiple Charleston companies offer private yacht and sailing charters through Charleston Harbor, ranging from smaller private sailing experiences to large luxury motor yachts.
Can you take a private carriage tour in Charleston?
Yes. Private horse-drawn carriage experiences are available in downtown Charleston, including private daytime and evening rides.
Where is the best luxury shopping in Charleston?
King Street is Charleston's primary downtown shopping corridor and includes boutiques, designer fashion, jewelry, antiques and specialty retailers.
What should couples splurge on in Charleston?
For a memorable couples trip, consider a luxury hotel suite, couples spa treatments, a private carriage ride, an elaborate dinner, a sunset yacht charter and an evening walking tour through historic Charleston.
Experience Charleston After Dark
Charleston can be elegant.
It can be romantic.
It can be extravagant.
But it can also be wonderfully dark.
After the shopping bags have been dropped at the hotel and dinner is finished, walk into historic Charleston with Ghost Tour Charleston and discover the stories hiding behind the beautiful façades.
Centuries of history have produced centuries of legends.
Come hear them where they happened.
Explore Charleston by day. Discover its ghosts by night.
Book at GhostTourCharleston.com.
