FIRST DAY’S TOUR

Food is a key reason to visit Charleston, especially its ‘Lowcountry cooking,’ a sub-set of Southern cuisine, influenced by the coast – think pimento cheese or shrimp and grits. Start at Millers All Day (millersallday.com), which serves up Lowcountry breakfasts with a twist; try one of their legendary biscuit sandwiches.

A carriage tour of the city’s historic neighbourhoods will give you time to digest while admiring the myriad architectural styles

– from Colonial to Georgian to the classic Charleston single house. Palmetto Carriage

Works (palmettocarriage.com) offers both private and public tours.

Next, head to King Street for a stroll through downtown and some shopping opportunities: nearby Charleston City Market (thecharlestoncitymarket.com) has been running since 1807 and sells many local South

Carolina goods; don’t miss the Gullah artisans who create handmade sweetgrass baskets.

The Gullah are descendants of enslaved Africans who were brought to the USA through Charleston and lived in the Sea Islands that dot the coast. Learn about their journey at the Old Slave Mart Museum (oldslavemartmuseum.com). In 2022, the International African American Museum (africanamericancharleston.com) is set to open, giving even more insight into the city’s African American history.

End the day at Husk (huskrestaurant.com). Set in a Queen Anne-style house, this upscale restaurant is credited with kick-starting New South cuisine with dishes like cornmeal fried catfish with squash, fennel and green tomatoes. For a nightcap try the Vintage Lounge (vintagechs.com), one of the state’s most beautiful bars, serving equally beautiful cocktails. Or, for a livelier time, visit Uptown Social (uptownsocialchs.com) on King Street for live music, dancing and late-night eats.