📍 OVERALL TAKE (OPEN WITH THIS)
Charleston is beautiful—but if you’re traveling with kids, you need to plan it differently.
Here’s exactly what we did (and what I’d do again vs skip) as a mom of 3.
🏨 WHERE WE STAYED
We stayed at a Marriott in North Charleston.
✔️ Hotel itself was very nice, clean, and comfortable for a family
❗️ Location—not my favorite (safety-wise and about 30 minutes from downtown)
👉 If I did it again: I’d stay closer to downtown to save time and make things easier with kids.
📅 DAY 1 — DOWNTOWN CHARLESTON (WALKABLE BUT SLOW FOR KIDS)
📍 Spots we visited:
- Battery Park
- Pineapple Fountain
- French Quarter
- Rainbow Row
🧠 Honest take:
Everything is walkable and very pretty…
but it’s mostly sightseeing.
👉 For kids:
- My youngest enjoyed the fountain (because she could play)
- The rest felt like “just walking around”
🍽️ WHERE WE ATE
🍖 Poogan’s Smokehouse
Great Southern food, casual vibe, family-friendly
🥤 Tinto y Crema
Stopped here for milkshakes—fun treat for the kids
📅 DAY 2 — THE BEST DAY (DON’T SKIP THIS)
Cypress Gardens
This was the highlight of the trip.
✔️ Interactive
✔️ Peaceful
✔️ Kids actually engaged
Pro tip:
Book the boat ride EARLY once you get there, scan the QR code at the gift shop. we waited 3 hours for this because we did not know. Now you know!
Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry
This saved the day—perfect for younger kids who need to move and play
NIGHT RESET
We ended the day at the hotel pool—simple, but honestly what kids look forward to
FINAL VERDICT (THIS IS YOUR AUTHORITY MOMENT)
If you’re going to Charleston with kids:
Don’t plan your trip around just the aesthetic spots.
Mix in interactive activities like Cypress Gardens and the Children’s Museum—
that’s what actually made the trip enjoyable for my kids.
Save this if you’re planning a family trip.
Simply,
Christianne
