Tourism News
5 Great Day Trips from Myrtle Beach

If you drive north from Myrtle Beach, pass North Myrtle Beach, and go over the North Carolina/South Carolina state line, then you’ll end up in the Calabash area. Calabash is only about a half hour away from Myrtle Beach and is known for its delicious fried seafood, fun shops, and beautiful coastal location. Calabash is a great stop for those who are on their way to Sunset Beach.

Sunset Beach is 10 minutes north of Calabash and is a great place for a beach day. This beach is less crowded due to the absence of high-rise hotels. There are many beautiful beach homes that line the coast; most of which are available as vacation rentals. Spend the day basking on the beach, visit a local restaurant serving up fresh seafood, or go fishing on the Sunset Beach Fishing Pier. No matter what you do in Sunset Beach, you’ll definitely appreciate the beauty of the area.

If you don’t mind a short 2.5 hour drive to Charleston, then we recommend taking a day trip (or a 2 day trip) to this historical city. There are many things to see and do in Charleston, such as visiting historical landmarks, shopping, visiting the aquarium, horse and buggy tours, dining, and much more.

Historical landmarks in Charleston include the City Market, Fort Sumter, the Hunley Submarine, house museums, Fort Moultrie, Morris Island Lighthouse, The Powder Magazine, and much more. 

The City Market is an especially popular spot, as it is located in the middle of the city and features tons of vendors selling an assortment of goods. You can always find people weaving and selling sweetgrass baskets, which are important to the culture of the Gullah people who came out of the Charleston area.

Charleston is home to the College of Charleston, so the city is full of arts and entertainment. Visit theaters, see live music, check out art galleries, and much more. The amount of things to do in Charleston is seemingly endless!

Of course, one main reason people go to visit Charleston is to eat! The city boasts tons of award-winning restaurants offering a variety of cuisines. Bring your appetite because you’ll want to stop by every restaurant in town!

Don’t feel like driving too far from Myrtle Beach? No problem! Conway is roughly 30 minutes away from Myrtle Beach and is a historic city worth visiting. Visit downtown Conway and shop in boutiques, visit a historic theatre, learn about the area at the Horry County Museum, and dine at restaurants serving up food that will make your mouth water.

Visitors will enjoy strolling along the Conway Riverwalk as well as visiting the Riverfront Park and the Conway Marina. You can also take a riverboat tour, rent a pontoon boat, or go out on a kayak or paddleboard with your friends and family.  It’s quite easy to spend the whole day exploring Conway before heading back to your Myrtle Beach resort.

Head south on Highway 17 and you’ll find yourself in the fishing county of Georgetown. Downtown Georgetown is home to a popular harborwalk which boasts restaurants that serve fresh caught seafood. Downtown Georgetown is also home to several historic museums and even a boat museum! There are also a few historic plantations near Georgetown that are open for tours. Those who love being by the water and history will definitely love to take a day trip to this destination.

On the way to or on the way back from Georgetown, travelers can stop in Pawleys Island, where they will find the Pawleys Island Hammock Shops as well as a small beautiful island with beach homes and lots of history. In fact, Pawleys Island used to be a vacation spot for plantation owners who wanted to escape from the heat and mosquitoes in Charleston during the summer months.

Another place to stop on the way to or from Georgetown is the Murrells Inlet area. Visitors will love Huntington Beach State Park, the gorgeous sculpture gardens of Brookgreen Gardens, and the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk. The Murrells Inlet MarshWalk is a great place for dining as well as grabbing a nice cold beverage. And, if you go in the evening, you will most likely catch a live band or two.

Approximately 1.5 hours north of Myrtle Beach is a city called Wilmington, North Carolina, and it is definitely worth daytrip while you’re in town. This arsty port city is home to an aquarium at Fort Fisher, a battleship museum, boardwalks, malls, and much more.

One of the most popular attractions in Wilmington is the riverwalk, which is home to breweries, stores, tattoo shops, restaurants, museums, and theaters. There is something for everyone at this pretty waterfront attraction, including a Museum of the Bizarre, and the Cape Fear Serpentarium, which families will love.

The fun doesn’t end there, though! There are seriously so many things to do in Wilmington. Hop on a guided tour, go scube diving, visit botanical gardens, see live music, go fishing, go on a haunted pub crawl, treat yourself to an eco-tour; the list goes on and on!