South Carolina Cruise from Charleston to Fernandina Beach — 9 Days

Charleston SC, USA

Charleston rewards visitors who look beyond its handsome waterfront. Founded in 1670, the city pairs preserved Georgian streets with a working harbor and a complex history. Visit Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began, then walk the Battery or browse the historic City Market. Allow time for the food: Lowcountry cooking brings shrimp, oysters, and rice to the table. The old district is compact and best explored on foot.

• Land Tour (Land Tour)
• Coastal Cruising (Coastal Cruising)

Beaufort NC, USA

Beaufort, South Carolina, sits on Port Royal Island, where broad porches face tidal creeks and live oaks trail Spanish moss. Its compact historic district is best explored on foot, with Federal and Greek Revival houses lining quiet streets. At the waterfront, watch shrimp boats cross the Beaufort River. Make time for Penn Center on nearby St. Helena Island, an important site in African American history.

Hilton Head Island SC, USA

Savannah GA, USA

Savannah rewards those who explore on foot. Its historic district places leafy squares, Federal and Greek Revival homes, and live-oak avenues within easy reach. Along the river, former cotton warehouses now hold restaurants, shops, and hotels. Look beyond the handsome façades for a city shaped by commerce, conflict, and coastal foodways. Allow time for shrimp and grits, then linger beneath the moss-draped oaks.

Coastal Cruising (Coastal Cruising)

Jekyll Island GA, USA

Jekyll Island pairs Atlantic beaches with a rare glimpse of America’s Gilded Age. Once a private retreat for wealthy industrialists, the island’s National Historic Landmark District preserves their elegant cottages. Cycle shaded paths beneath live oaks, then visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center to learn about local wildlife and conservation. Broad beaches invite a long walk, with salt air and open horizons.

St Simons Island GA, USA

St. Simons Island pairs broad beaches with moss-draped live oaks and a vivid sense of Georgia’s coastal past. Climb the 1872 lighthouse, then explore its maritime museum and the nearby waterfront. At Pier Village, independent shops and seafood restaurants sit near the fishing pier. Fort Frederica preserves the remains of an 18th-century British settlement, central to the island’s colonial story.

Amelia Island Florida, USA

Fernandina Beach sits on Amelia Island, Florida’s northeastern edge, with broad Atlantic beaches just beyond town. Centre Street’s Victorian storefronts recall a port shaped by Spanish, British and American rule. At Fort Clinch, brick ramparts and coastal trails bring the island’s military past into clear view. Shrimp boats and a compact, walkable downtown give this coastal stop its distinctive character.