The Southern Charm + Southern Hospitality Guide to Charleston, SC
Charleston, South Carolina
Recommended Stay: 2–3 nights
Best Area to Stay: Downtown Charleston / Upper King Street
Best For: Girls’ trips • Couples weekends • Bravo fans • Food + nightlife
If you are like us, you’ve spent years watching Southern Charm dinner parties implode and the staff of Southern Hospitality somehow create an entire season of drama inside one King Street nightclub, Charleston hits a little differently.
We’re mixing recognizable Bravo spots with some of the best parts of a Charleston weekend: King Street shopping, great food, cocktails, historic streets and plenty of places you’ll immediately recognize from the shows.
BEFORE YOU GO | WHERE TO STAY
For this trip, we have a few neighborhoods depending on the vibe. A huge portion of this itinerary is concentrated around Upper King, which means you can walk between restaurants, shopping and several of the Bravo spots instead of constantly calling an Uber.
Upper King Street — Best if nightlife is the priority.
Historic District — Prettier and a little quieter while still being walkable.
Cannonborough/Elliotborough — Great for boutique hotels and rentals while keeping you close to King Street.
The Weekend List Tip: If this is a girls’ weekend stay closer to Upper King. You will appreciate that decision at 1 a.m.!
FRIDAY
CHECK IN + YOUR FIRST TASTE OF BRAVO
Drop your bags, change for dinner and head toward King Street. You could easily spend an entire weekend eating and drinking your way down this one street, and conveniently for us, it also happens to be at the center of the Charleston Bravo universe.
King Street is packed with boutiques, national retailers, restaurants, coffee shops and bars, and it appears constantly throughout both Southern Charm and Southern Hospitality.
STOP AT SEWING DOWN SOUTH
A Bravo weekend needs a Craig Conover stop.
Make time for Sewing Down South, Craig’s home and lifestyle brand. Browse the pillows, home goods and Charleston-themed products before continuing down King Street.
DINNER | BY THE WAY
Head to By The Way, the restaurant and bar from Craig Conover, Austen Kroll and Uptown Hospitality Group.
The concept is an elevated neighborhood tavern with classic American food, cocktails and a seriously good-looking interior.
The Weekend List Pick: Make a reservation, order one of their signature martinis and settle in. Friday night is just getting started!
THE SOUTHERN HOSPITALITY BAR CRAWL
STOP 1 | REPUBLIC GARDEN & LOUNGE
Republic Garden & Lounge is the main workplace and filming location featured Southern Hospitality. There’s an outdoor garden, indoor lounge, DJs and VIP tables. Go earlier if you want to actually look around and have a cocktail. Go later if you want the full nightclub experience.
Good to Know: Republic has a smart-casual dress code, so check the current requirements before heading out.
STOP 2 | BOURBON N’ BUBBLES
Next, walk over to Bourbon N’ Bubbles at 570 King Street.
Another Leva Bonaparte spot familiar to Bravo viewers, Bourbon N’ Bubbles is more polished cocktail lounge than nightclub: champagne, bourbon, cocktails and an elevated food menu.
STOP 3 | LAMAR’S SPORTING CLUB
Finish at Lamar’s Sporting Club, which shares the 570 King Street address with Bourbon N’ Bubbles.
Lamar’s is darker, louder and built for late night with a great cocktail menu and an exclusive lounge feel. Enjoy the rest of your evening here, we have a full day ahead of us tomorrow!
SATURDAY | THE SOUTHERN CHARM DAY
Start slowly. Grab coffee and breakfast downtown before heading toward the historic district.
SEE PATRICIA’S ICONIC CHARLESTON HOME
One of the most recognizable homes from Southern Charm is the historic Isaac Jenkins Mikell House, long associated with Patricia Altschul and now owned by her son Whitney Sudler-Smith.
The 1850s home has appeared throughout the series from parties and martinis to countless conversations on Patricia’s famous piazza.
It is also a historically significant Charleston property listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
IMPORTANT
This is a private residence, not a tourist attraction.
If you happen to pass the property while exploring the historic district, admire the architecture from the public street and keep moving. Don’t approach the home, enter the property or disturb the residents.
EXPLORE THE CHARLESTON YOU SEE ON SOUTHERN CHARM
Rather than racing from house to house, spend this part of the morning walking through the historic district & grab another coffee or lunch. We’ve added a map below with our recommended stops!
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
SHOP KING STREET
Head back toward King Street for shopping. This is also a good opportunity to hit Sewing Down South if you didn’t make it Friday.
Take your time here. One of the things we love about this itinerary is that it isn’t a scavenger hunt. You’re seeing Bravo locations while still having an actual Charleston weekend.
Stop for coffee or a cocktail, wander into the boutiques and give yourself time to head back to the hotel before dinner.
SATURDAY NIGHT
OPTION 1 | GO FULL BRAVO
Choose another restaurant or bar you’ve recognized from Southern Charm, then head back toward King Street afterward.
OPTION 2 | GO FULL CHARLESTON
Pick one of the city’s standout restaurants for dinner and let the Bravo portion of the night happen afterward.
Our pick: Option 2.
Halls Chophouse is an iconic King Street steakhouse that you will have on your Charleston list forever.
Expect classic steakhouse favorites, seafood, great cocktails, and the kind of old-school Charleston hospitality that makes dinner feel like an event. Reservations are highly recommended—especially on weekends.
AFTER DINNER
This is where we loosen the itinerary.
King Street and the surrounding downtown nightlife district are where cast members have filmed, worked and socialized throughout the shows.
That does not mean you’re guaranteed to run into Craig, Austen, Shep, Leva or anyone else.
But if your goal is to spend the night in the same part of Charleston that regularly appears on the shows, you’re already in the right place.
And if you didn’t make it Friday, this is your second chance for: Republic Garden & Lounge, Bourbon N’ Bubbles, Lamar’s, or By The Way.
SUNDAY
BRUNCH + ONE LAST WALK
No alarms necessary. This is Charleston. Find brunch downtown, order coffee and something substantial, and give yourself one last wander before heading home.
If you skipped anything on King Street Saturday, this is the time to circle back.
For a slower Sunday, walk toward Waterfront Park or through the historic district one more time.
The Weekend List Tip: Second Sunday is (you guessed it) the second Sunday of every month. This is a monthly pedestrian event where a portion of King Street closes to vehicle traffic for shopping, dining, and strolling!
HAVE A THIRD DAY?
If you’re staying three nights, add one of Charleston’s beach towns instead of packing another day with Bravo stops.
SHEM CREEK
Shem Creek has appeared throughout the Southern Charm world and gives us a perfect Sunday: waterfront restaurants, boats, boardwalks, dolphins if you’re lucky, and drinks overlooking the creek.
SULLIVAN’S ISLAND
About 20 minutes from downtown and perfect for a beach walk, lunch and a slower afternoon.
ISLE OF PALMS
Another easy coastal addition if you want to turn the trip into more of a Charleston + beach weekend.
It gives you a completely different side of Charleston after two days downtown.
Thanks for coming along! Whether you follow the whole itinerary or just steal a stop or two, we hope this makes planning your next weekend away a little easier. Save this guide for later, share it with your travel partner, and check back for more places worth adding to your list.
See you need weekend!
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