10 Things to Do in Charleston in Winter

When traveling to Charleston at this time of year, it's important to research what you can see and do in Charleston during the winter. Although there are activities that can be done at any time of the year, others are specific to this season, such as the best celebrations and festivals.

If you like to celebrate Christmas and New Year's in style, this is the season you should travel to Charleston. In addition to these famous celebrations, you will find excursions and festivals specially designed for this time of the year. Are you up for getting to know Charleston in winter?

For many people, it's a challenge to get out during the coldest days of winter. However there is a way you can keep warm with a blanket while touring the city. I recommend taking a carriage tour of the city of Charleston and make the most of your time.

On this tour you will feel like you are traveling back to an era of yesteryear. The carriage is pulled by horses that will take you for an hour through Charleston's Historic District. The tour costs approximately $53 and at the end of the tour you can have your picture taken with the horses.

Some of the sites you will see are the old mansions, churches and gardens around the city. You can also see the Old Exchange and Provos Dungeons, a historic building in the United States. After the horse-drawn carriage tour you can stop for a hot drink at the Charleston Market.

If you love food, I invite you to take advantage of Charleston Restaurant Week. This celebration takes place for eleven days in South Carolina in mid-January, so you have plenty of time to sample the food offered by the restaurants. You will find a wide variety of options, since there are casual, elegant, specialized in breakfast or dinner, among other varieties. I recommend you reserve your table in advance to enjoy the food and good prices.

Without a doubt this is one of the events that you should take advantage of when you visit Charleston for 4 days or more, although it is recommended that you look for accommodation in the city in advance. Some hotels have packages and offers for this festival.

In case your travel dates do not coincide with this event and you still want to enjoy the gastronomy of the area, there is nothing better than booking a gastronomic tour of Charleston, where you can taste the typical dishes of the Lowcountry style cuisine.

Practical information

• Location: depends on the restaurant you choose.

• When to go: mid-January.

• Price: Restaurant reservations may vary in price. Dishes can cost from 15 € to 40 €.

• Hours: depends on the restaurant's schedule.

In Charleston you will find multiple activities to celebrate Christmas throughout the month of December. Choose one that you can enjoy with family or friends, in the cold or outdoors, there is an option for everyone:

• At the Festival of Lights at James Island County Park you can watch the entire site light up with more than 2 million lights. You can attend from mid-November through the end of December.
• The Christmas Parade is another highly anticipated event. The parade starts on Meeting Street and ends on Calhoun Street at Meeting Street and throughout the celebration you will see bands, musicians and actors putting on a Christmas show that the whole family will surely enjoy.

Without a doubt these activities should be on your list of things to do in Charleston during December.

On the second Saturday of December each year, the Folly Beach Christmas Parade is held. The event begins at Second Street and West Ashley Avenue, ending at Center Street. Kids and anyone with a sweet tooth will enjoy sampling the candy canes and other treats that the floats give away along the way.

When it's over, you can head to Folly River Park to do some shopping and maybe find that perfect gift you haven't found yet. Or, if you prefer, you can book a Charleston shopping tour where you'll visit Charleston's most stylish boutiques. This activity includes discounts of up to 20% on your purchases and accompanying beverages such as wine, margaritas or champagne - great!

Practical Info

• Location: Folly Beach, Second Street to West Ashley Avenue, South Carolina.

• When to go: Second Saturday in December.

• Price: free admission, you only pay for what you consume.

• Hours: 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

If you're in Charleston on New Year's Eve, you'll find fun and eye-catching options to ring in the new year. There are plenty of plans for you to enjoy with your family, friends or significant other:

• At Night Heron Park you can watch fireworks in the night sky. The event features food and family activities, so it's a good plan for activities to do with kids. It usually starts at 5 pm and ends at 8 pm.

• Charleston Wonderland 's New Year's Eve party starts at 8 pm and ends at 1 am. You'll welcome the new year dancing and sipping your favorite cocktails. You can also enjoy singers and artists who liven up the night with their music. To participate you must purchase a ticket in advance.

• The Yorktown Countdown takes place at Patriot's Point, located very close to downtown Charleston. You will celebrate the new year aboard the USS Yorktown, the famous warship. In addition, you can watch the fireworks and the immensity of the night and enjoy the bar, live music and other entertainment from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Festivals are a great way to enjoy winter in Charleston. They are usually events that are held in enclosed locations so you can stay warm.

For example, the Charleston Comedy Festival is held in mid-January for one weekend. This event features all kinds of comedians with different techniques and shows and you can enjoy sketches, stand ups or improv shows. To find out the date of the event and where it will be held, I recommend you visit the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau website.

Comedians from all over the country perform every year. If you're a comedy fan you'll probably recognize some of them as they've appeared on TV shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live. Others even have on Netflix or have appeared on a Comedy Central show or HBO. At the end of the event you might have a chance to take a selfie with your favorite comedian.

January is the ideal month to enjoy good food in Charleston. That's why I recommend going to the Lowcountry Oyster Festival. Some years this event takes place during the first week of February, so I recommend you to be very attentive. There you will have the opportunity to eat oysters of the best quality, accompanied by alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer.

In this festival you will get a space for all tastes. You can sit comfortably and enjoy your dish while listening to live music, or you can participate in a competition. Many visitors take their chances in the raw oyster eating and shucking contest. If you've never tried this dish, I recommend not participating - your health comes first!

Tickets to this event are available online through the Lowcountry Hospitality Association website.

Practical Info

• Location: Boone Hall Plantation. 1235 Long Point Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC.

• When to go: First week of February.

• Price: Festival admission averages $20.

• Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

In addition to enjoying the holiday events that Folly Beach has to offer, in January you can participate in The Taste of Folly, an event held year after year fifteen minutes from downtown Charleston.

During the celebration you can sample food from the trucks, as well as alcoholic beverages or sodas. You can also enjoy the live music at the event, as well as the eating contests. The most famous one is to eat hot dogs as fast as you can.

Along the street where the festival takes place you will also find local art vendors. Games and auctions are also commonplace at this event. It is definitely one of the things you must do if you travel to Charleston in January.

Practical Info

• Location: Folly Beach, South Carolina.

• When to go: mid-January.

• Price: free admission, you only have to pay for what you consume.

• Hours: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Every year in the month of January is the Charleston Half Marathon an event organized by Capstone Races. On race day family members of the competitors and the citizens of Charleston join together to cheer them on.

At different points along the road where the participants will run, bands are placed to liven up the competition. This is a good opportunity to hear live music and meet local bands. There is no entrance fee to watch the race or listen to the music.

Charleston is known for having multiple museums and historic buildings and in each building you can admire the beauty of its architecture. Touring these sites during the winter allows you to stay out of the cold and take advantage of the fact that there are not too many visitors:

• I recommend you start by visiting Nathaniel Russell House, the home of a slave trader and salesman that houses an obscure part of American history. It also has a neoclassical style that many artists and architects will admire.
• If you want to continue your tour of historic sites you can stop by the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon. This building is very important in South Carolina because it is where the first meeting of the General Assembly of this state was held.
• If you prefer to browse the art of Charleston, the best thing to do is to visit the Gibbes Museum of Art.
• I also recommend a stop at the College of Charleston and a visit to the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, where you'll find contemporary art exhibits you're sure to love. These places are ideal to spend a different day and protect you from the cold.

Charleston is an ideal city to visit almost any season of the year. If you travel in winter you should be prepared to experience temperatures ranging from 6 °C to 17 °C. Very few days the temperature drops to -1 °C.

On the other hand, the sky is constantly cloudy during December, January and February. This makes rain more likely during this season of the year. Snow is not very common in Charleston, but it can snow. For this reason it is advisable to take precautions.

Days are generally short, with December 21 being the shortest with only about 10 hours of daylight. It usually gets dark from 6 p.m. or even earlier. For this reason it is recommended to make plans during the day to take advantage of the light and warmth of the sun.

If you are traveling during the winter you should know that you are going to live Christmas here, so you could bring some gifts from your hometown to give to new friends. In addition to this, I recommend you prepare for winter. Although the temperatures are not very aggressive, if you are not used to the cold I am sure it can affect you.

It is essential that you take a coat with waterproof fabric. This will keep you warm and protected from rain and even snow if it catches you by surprise. Light sweaters can be a good option if you are traveling in late February when the temperatures are not so low.

If you are traveling in December it is much better to bring warmer sweaters, as well as comfortable pants. Shoes are important as well. Make sure they allow you to walk comfortably and quietly and that they are waterproof. That way if it rains or snows, you won't get your feet wet.

A good plan can be to spend the afternoon in a coffee shop near the place where you are staying. It should not only be coffee, remember that hot chocolate with marshmallows is a traditional drink in the country.

Another good idea would be to visit the Charleston City Market. Visiting it in December is a different experience since you will be able to get Christmas decorations, souvenirs that you might want to take home and much more. Also, the place is decorated for the holidays so you will surely be able to take good pictures.

Visiting the South Carolina Aquarium is another good idea. This is an enclosed site where you can keep yourself temperate and observe the marine life. The site is also usually decorated with Christmas elements. As well as these there are other sites you can visit without exposing yourself to the cold outside.