Escape to Kiawah!

With over 300 years of history, art and culture, the city of Charleston, which is just a short drive from Kiawah Island, brings even more opportunities for those visiting the area. You can see historical landmarks, 18th century homes and plantations, museums, the Maritime Center, historic Fort Sumter and the City Market.  You can take a guided walking tour, a guided horse-drawn carriage tour, or just explore on your own, using the free trams.

The city’s Waterfront Park is a popular destination for residents and tourists alike.  It is located right along Charleston’s historic harbor entry, and combines spacious lawns with spectacular fountains, intimate “garden rooms,” walking paths, picnic tables, wooden swings and a long pier.

Cypress Gardens is a 3,000-acre estate featuring flower gardens, a swamp garden and more. You can rent flat- bottom boats and explore the cypress swamp.

Visit Charles Towne Landing, the site where the original English settlement in the US was established in 1670, and the Charleston Museum, billed as America’s first museum. Patriot’s Point is the world's largest naval and maritime museum and Fort Moultrie was the scene of the first decisive American victory of the Revolution, and a mainstay of shore defense until 1947.

In Charleston, you can take a scenic boat tour to Fort Sumter, the man-made island fortress where the Civil War began. Grand plantations and expansive gardens offer visitors a fascinating glimpse into life during the antebellum era, and historic tours of the Charleston area are offered daily.  

Drayton Hall, circa 1742, is the oldest and finest example of Georgian-Palladio architecture and the sole survivor of the 1865 rampage by Union troops who burned nearly every other plantation along the Ashley River. Today it is owned by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Irvin House Vineyards is Charleston’s only vineyard and winery. Sample the five varieties of Muscatine wines, tour the grounds, and bring your own picnic for a relaxing afternoon. Specially led winery tours are every Saturday at 2 p.m in the summer.

On your way back to the island, stop by and see The Angel Oak Tree.  Considered the oldest living thing east of the Mississippi, it is believed to be over 1400 years old. Access is off Bohicket Road and Maybank Highway near their intersection.

Angel Oak and grandma

You can spend your days in the city and enjoy shopping, historical tours, Broadway productions, concerts of all types, sporting events, opera and ballet. Then return to the island at night for a quiet peaceful dinner and a stroll on the beach.

Kiawah Island and the whole Charleston area make a perfect choice for a family vacation because there is sure to be something here to make everyone happy!

 Click here and here for a current list of activities.

The following is a list of other special events in the Charleston area throughout the year:

January - The Annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

March/April - Festival of Houses and Gardens - Explore the interiors and gardens of some of the finest homes in America. Festival tours feature the interiors and gardens of approximately 150 historic private houses in 10 colonial and antebellum neighborhoods during the peak of the city's blooming season.

April - Flowertown Festival - This nationally acclaimed festival is South Carolina's largest arts & crafts festival. This family-oriented 3-day event is held each spring, set against the backdrop of blooming azaleas in Azalea Park, in the charming and historic town of Summerville, South Carolina, just minutes from Charleston.

May- North Charleston Arts Festival, usually held the first two weeks in May. The City of North Charleston is host to this annual nine-day arts festival featuring a parade, a two-day main event, concerts, theatre and a glamorous Grand Finale and Gala.

June - Spoleto Festival USA.  Each year since 1979, the Spoleto Festival hosts artists from the Charleston area, with dozens of events presented throughout the city.

September - The Annual Fall Candlelight Tours of Homes and Gardens. These are self-paced, self-guided walking tours with volunteer guides stationed in each house or garden. All tours are in historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

September – Scottish Games and Festival. Held in Mount Pleasant on the third Saturday in September, at the Boone Hall Plantation.

Mid-November–January – The Holiday Festival of Lights on James Island. A spectacular drive through James Island Park with every mile filled with breathtaking holiday light displays.