The Coastal Discovery Museum should be your first stop for all things Hilton Head. This is place to go to gain a better understanding of the Lowcountry’s cultural heritage and history, its ecology, and its residents, both past and present.
Every year over two million visitors flock here to enjoy the warm sunshine and more than 12 miles of beaches that encircle Hilton Head. Beachcombing is a natural activity for all ages. Have fun searching for crabs, shells, sand dollars, starfish, driftwood, and other treasures.
Hilton Head dolphins are as friendly as the people here. They show up in all the populated places – the Atlantic beaches, the sounds, and the creeks. Their graceful, silvery bodies never fail to catch attention as they arc through the waters or pop up to grin at you with their smiling faces.
A “must do” for visitors to Hilton Head Island is a boat cruise to Savannah. Skip the hassles of driving and arrive at Savannah’s River Street in style.
Winged, feathered, scaled or furred, Hilton Head’s natural inhabitants are all impressive and enjoyable to observe, but require the utmost respect as you come upon their terrain.
If you want to see one of the Hilton Head’s most intriguing inhabitants, the American alligator, you probably need to go only as far as the nearest fresh water or brackish lagoon.
In the Lowcountry, “photo ops” can be found at every turn. Join a guided photographic tour along Hilton Head’s waterways or the Savannah River.
Both the amateur and the avid birdwatcher quickly recognize Hilton Head as a prime place for birding. Birding is so popular and such an essential part of the Lowcountry experience that most guided ecotours include bird watching as part of their excursions.
Hilton Head Island’s distinctive scenery, combined with its mysterious light, makes sunset viewing an enduring Lowcountry pastime. Any place on the western side of the Island will give you a good sunset.
The Lowcountry’s estuarial ecosystem has led to the preservation of three national wildlife refuges that are open for exploration: Pinckney Island, ACE Basin, and the Savannah Wildlife Refuges.
Hilton Head Island’s Sea Pines Forest Preserve is a dedicated wildlife habitat. Guided walking tours, family wagon rides, alligator boat tours, and trail rides on horseback all explore the nature and history of this tranquil enclave.
Take a guided family wagon tour through the Hilton Head Island’s Sea Pines Forest Preserve. Sit back, relax, and let the storyteller take you along a memorable journey. You’ll learn about the Island’s history.
The giant bronze statue of Neptune, Shelter Cove Harbour’s most famous landmark, furnishes an ideal family photo, but it is not the only thing that draws people to Shelter Cove Harbour.
Before there was Sea Pines, there was Palmetto Bay Marina, opened in 1959. The marina’s free-spirited Key West ambiance makes it a popular all-day destination. Water activities, restaurants, and shops will keep folks of all ages and interests busy from morning to night.
Located at in the Sea Pines Resort, South Beach Marina Village is modeled after a New England-style fishing village. It is a great place to congregate, people watch, and spend the day – shopping, dining, and plenty of things to do.
Hilton Head Island’s Harbour Town Yacht Basin is “must do” – a great place for the whole family to spend a whole day. It is the center of activity within The Sea Pines Resort.
In the midst of over 200 wonderful restaurants on Hilton Head Island, there is one unique dining experience offering the ultimate in beauty and romance – a sunset dinner cruise.
The Stars and Stripes is an original 12-meter America’s Cup boat skippered by Dennis Conner. Offers a 90-minute afternoon sail and a two-hour sunset sail.
Set sail and venture out on the pristine waters that surround beautiful Hilton Head Island. Slicing through the sparkling water aboard a sail boat, with the warm sun shining above and the fresh wind blowing through your hair, invigorates the senses and relaxes the mind.
Feeling a little crabby? An easy and relaxing Hilton Head family activity, perhaps easier than fishing, is an outing to go crabbing. If you would like to learn more about crabbing, there are a number of companies in the area who can show you the ropes.
For a tranquil experience on the water, take a sail on a sailing catamaran. You’ll feel totally relaxed as you take in the serene Hilton Head Island waters.
Don’t miss out on taking a cruise on Hilton Head’s only trimaran, berthed at the Harbour Town Yacht Basin in the Sea Pines Resort.
How about an extreme day. Experience the thrill of speeding behind a powerboat on nothing more than a pair of water skis or a bouncy rubber tube.
For an action-packed outing on the water, take a banana boat ride.
Kayaking is a Hilton Head “must do.” It is one of the best ways to enjoy the natural gifts the Lowcountry has to offer.
For an exhilarating guided water tour with plenty of photo opportunities, be sure to consider the thrill of riding in a hard bottom inflatable zodiac-type raft.
Hilton Head Island has become the fly fishing mecca for the Palmetto state. Whether backcountry, inshore or offshore, most all South Atlantic game fish can be successfully targeted depending on the time of year.
Arrive home with the ultimate fish story – “I caught JAWS!” Perhaps this is why shark fishing is one of the most popular excursions for both family fun and serious sports fishermen alike.
Shrimping has always played a large role in the life of the people on Hilton Head Island and throughout the Lowcountry. Learn the secrets of catching fresh shrimp during shrimping season, which runs from June 1 to late December or early January.
Ditch the car and take a boat to a restaurant. Enjoy a relaxing scenic cruise and dine on true Lowcountry cuisine in Savannah and on Daufuskie Island .
The Gullah culture has woven its way into the fabric of the Lowcountry. Hilton Head Island offers visitors the chance to learn more about this unique and complex culture through guided historical tours.
Thanks to the ingenious masonry methods used by 18th century Lowcountry builders, you can walk the ruins of a grand antebellum tabby mansion. The Stoney-Baynard Ruins tells the colorful story of Hilton Head Island and of the Stoney and Baynard families.
For a quick history lesson, be sure to drive or bike by any one of the area’s historic churches. Most of these churches served as places of worship for abandoned or freed slaves during and after the Civil War, and are still open every Sunday for services.
For the perfect day trip, you don’t have to look any farther than over the bridge from Hilton Head Island to find the quaint, historical town of Bluffton. It features a thriving art district, historical tours of antebellum homes and churches, and great antique shops.
Built around 1840 as a summer residence for plantation owner John James Cole, the Heyward House was one of 15 houses and two churches to escape demolition by Union troops during the Civil War. It is open for tours Monday through Friday.
When you first pull up in front of Rose Hill Mansion, you can’t help but experience a rush of vivid images of pre-Civil War plantation life.
A visit to the Lowcountry is not complete until you’ve experienced the “haints” of the South: Boo Hags and root doctors; Voodoo and grave robbers; pirates and Civil War soldiers. This is the stuff of Lowcountry legends, creepy tales, and goose bumps, both on land and at sea.
When the tourist season swings into high gear, the night skies of Hilton Head sizzle with fireworks. Running from mid-June through to mid-August, beginning around 9:00 p.m. (weather permitting, of course), Shelter Cove Marina hosts a pyrotechnic display visible all along Broad Creek.
Whether it’s Blackbeard or Jack Sparrow, pirates always seem to excite and fascinate us. Now your youngsters have a chance to experience what it must have been like to be a pirate along the South Carolina coast with Pirates of Hilton Head, which offers pirate sails daily during the summer.
Just a short distance across the water from Hilton Head Island is Daufuskie Island, a century removed from the upscale stores, vacation villas, and power yachts of Hilton Head’s busiest tourist destination.
If you are curious about Daufuskie Island but want more flexibility than a guided tour, design your own day trip. Visiting Daufuskie can be a completely impromptu adventure, requiring nothing more than a few dollars, lots of curiosity, and time to spend.
A narrated open-air trolley tour of the Historic District is a popular way to get a comprehensive introduction to Savannah’s significant history that began almost 300 years ago.
The history, scenery and ambiance of Georgia’s First City attract filmmakers from around the world. Savannah has been the location for over 87 movies. There are over 110 movie locations in the Historic District alone.
Savannah is regarded as an international destination offering world-class art galleries, fine antique shops, and high-end boutiques. The Historic District has managed to preserve Savannah’s old world southern charm while blending in contemporary shopping.
From the cemeteries to bordellos to haunted mansions, Savannah has a reputation for having more than its fair share of ghosts and goose bumps, many of which have a basis in historical fact.
Always proud of its heritage and beauty, Savannah has a long track record of historic preservation. Visitors to Savannah may tour some of these magnificent historic homes.
Savannah was founded as a Church of England settlement, but many other beliefs soon followed. There are many historic churches. Here are a few significant colonial congregations.
There are a number of interesting nightlife tours in Savannah, including walking and van tours that specialize in brewpub crawls and martini barhopping.
As long as you’re visiting Georgia’s First City, why not tour her in a style in harmony with her history – a horse drawn carriage.
Not everything in Savannah’s Historic District has come to us from the 17th or 18th century. Visit the Telfair Museum and the Jepson Center for an artistic taste of Savannah.
The city of Charleston is one of this country’s most popular destinations, having received “Condé Nast Traveler’s” Award as “Top U.S. City.” Visitors can choose from a number of guided tours year around.
Tour some of the south’s most iconic plantations: Boone Hall, Drayton Hall, Hampton Plantation State Historic Site, Magnolia Plantation, and Middleton Plantation.
Daufuskie Island ferry service; dolphin tours; guided nature & history tours of Daufuskie Island; fireworks cruises; and golf cart rentals.
The Crabber J II is great fun for the whole family. Learn about sport crabbing and the Atlantic Blue Claw Crab. You’ll teach you how to catch carb as you glide through the salt marshes of Broad Creek.
Drayton Hall, built between 1738 and 1742, is a National Historic Landmark. It is the oldest preserved plantation house that is open to the public.
Dolphin watching and nature tours aboard the six passenger 27-foot Flying Circus. Sunset and fireworks cruises available. Sailing lessons also available.
Learn what life was like on Hilton Head Island before the bridge to the mainland was built in 1956. Guided tours of the Hilton Head Island Gullah Museum, located in a restored 1930s cabin, are available by appointment only.
Dolphin and nature cruises aboard the “Holiday” and crabbing aboard the “Crabber J II.”
Offering trail rides, small animal farm, pony rides, and seasonal carriage rides; full-service equestrian center providing boarding, lessons, and summer riding camp.
Offering Lowcountry nature, sightseeing, fishing, and water sports adventuring led by experienced and personable captains.
Guided photography tours of the South Carolina’s Lowcountry with award-winning nature photographer Eric Horan.
Located in Savannah, offering historic trolley tours, on/off trolley tours, ghost tours, and Land & Sea Tours.
Offers a wide variety of outdoor programs including: guided kayak rentals and tours, boat-based dolphin tours, charter fishing, boat charters and rentals, tours of historic Daufuskie Island, stand-up paddleboarding, and team & leadership programs.
Offers rentals of waverunners/jet skis, boats, and kayaks, also offers guided kayak tours; operator of the Dolphin Seafari for guided nature and dolphin tours, cruises to dinner on Daufuskie Island, and daily shuttle service to Daufuskie Island.
Dolphin watching and nature tours aboard sailing catamarans, the “Flying Circus” and the “Pau Hana”; sunset and fireworks cruises available. Sailing lessons also available.
Offers pirate sails daily aboard the “Black Dagger” during the summer for youngsters (best suited to the ages of three to ten).
Tour a genuine Lowcountry cotton plantation house located in Bluffton, SC.
Riverboat excursions along the Savannah River, including a variety of sightseeing, dining, and entertainment cruises.
Owned and operated by Vagabond Cruises, The Stars and Stripes is an original 12-meter America’s Cup boat. This grand and celebrated sailboat is the historical America’s Cup winning vessel designed and skippered by the famous Captain Dennis Conner.
Sightseeing, dinner, dolphin, nature, and historical cruises on Hilton Head Island aboard the “Vagabond,” the “Spirit of Harbour Town,” and the “Stars and Stripes.”
To learn of things to do in California and Oregon, try 101things.com
