Pastel-painted houses, cobbled streets, cannon on the waterfront and some of the best Southern cooking anywhere, with beaches close by. Here's what Charleston is like, when to go and how long to stay.
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Temperatures are the average daytime high in °C.
March to May and October to November are best, warm and dry with blooming gardens in spring. Summer is hot and humid with afternoon storms, though the beaches are at their best. Hurricane season runs from June to November, peaking in September. Winters are mild and quiet.
A row of pastel Georgian houses near the waterfront, the city's most photographed street.
Take a boat to the island fort where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.
Old plantation gardens with azaleas and live oaks, and tours on the lives of the people enslaved there.
A waterfront promenade of grand mansions and old cannon.
Shrimp and grits, she-crab soup and fried green tomatoes.
A relaxed surf beach 20 minutes from the centre.
Climb aboard a huge aircraft carrier, popular with children.
Three or four days covers the old town, a garden and a beach. Add Savannah, about 2 hours away, for a week.
Spring and autumn, around 21 to 29°C. Summer is very humid, and hurricane season peaks in September.
Fly into Charleston airport, about 20 minutes from downtown, connecting through a US hub such as Atlanta, Charlotte or New York. A few direct flights arrive from Europe in season.
Hotels in the historic district are pricey, especially in spring. Staying in Mount Pleasant or North Charleston and driving in saves money.
Folly Beach for surf and a laid-back vibe, Isle of Palms for families, and Sullivan's Island for quieter sand.
Put Charleston on standby with everyone's other ideas. You each spread your points in secret, get one veto, and the draw picks where you go.