Southern Charm

Day 1 – Welcome to Charleston!

Optional transfers from our departure points will have us at LAX this morning for a flight to Charleston, South Carolina. Those guests making their own flight arrangements can request the group’s flight schedule to coordinate a flight arrival time that would allow them to be included on the complimentary transfer to the hotel. Welcome to Charleston, known as the “Grand Dame of the South.” Regarded as one of America’s most beautiful cities – Charleston is where southern breezes and cobblestone streets pave the way to stately Antebellum homes and southern hospitality. We’ll enjoy a three-night stay in an upscale hotel within the Charleston Historic District.

Day 2 – Charleston, Fort Sumter

Following an included breakfast, we’ll enjoy a horse-drawn carriage tour through the Charleston Historic District, known for beautiful homes and churches – many of which pre-date the Revolutionary War. Your carriage driver will make the stories of the “Holy City” come alive with captivating commentary. Enjoy time at leisure exploring the Historic District’s unique shops, museums, restaurants and the bustling City Market, one of the country’s oldest public markets and the central hub for Gullah sweetgrass basketry – an intricate handicraft of African origin. This afternoon we’ll enjoy a Charleston Harbor cruise and dock at Fort Sumter National Historical Park. Disembark and walk the grounds where in 1861 a single shot caused a chain reaction of social and political events, exploding into the American Civil War. We return to Charleston and enjoy an included dinner at a locals’ favorite this evening. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 3 – Charleston Plantations

Following an included breakfast, we’ll visit Middleton Place, situated along the Ashley River and an enduring, vibrant and essential part of the American experience. On a guided walking tour through America’s oldest and most important landscaped gardens we’ll learn more about the land, the flora, and stories of the people who designed, created and maintained these gardens. This National Historic Landmark connects to the very fabric of our nation’s complex history focusing on the contributions of the Middleton family as well as the enslaved Africans and African Americans who lived and worked here. Enjoy time at leisure to enjoy lunch on your own and exploration of the 65 acres of formal gardens and the Plantation Stableyards featuring exhibits, displays, artisans and historic animal breeds focused on 17th and 18th century plantation life. This afternoon we continue to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, a 17th century estate with one of the largest collections of azaleas in the country! We’ll join a naturalist guide on a narrated tram tour through the plantation’s wetlands, forests and marshes in search of alligators, turtles, egrets, and herons in their native habitats. Enjoy time at leisure to explore America’s oldest public gardens and the plantation house. Enjoy the balance of the evening at leisure. (Breakfast)

Day 4 – Welcome to Jekyll Island

Following an included breakfast, we’ll travel south along South Carolina’s scenic coastal route to Beaufort known as the “Queen of the Carolina Sea Islands.” We’ll join a local guide for a driving tour of Beaufort and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island. Enjoy time at leisure for lunch on your own and browsing in the charming Beaufort Historic District filled with gorgeous antebellum homes, churches and unique shops. This afternoon we’ll continue south to Jekyll Island, one of Georgia’s Golden Isles and home to miles of wide, barrier island beaches and dune-lined woodlands. In 1887 with the opening of the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, Jekyll Island became an exclusive “escape” for the wealthiest Easterners who could enjoy scenic and secluded winters here amid unspoiled natural beauty and live oak trees draped in Spanish moss. Enjoy a memorable included dinner and overnight stay at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, featuring unmatched Victorian charm – from the leaded art glass windows and ornate woodwork to a lofty tower and encircling verandas. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 5 – Jekyll Island, Savannah

Following an included breakfast, we’ll enjoy a guided trolley tour of the Jekyll Island Historic District. Step back in time and learn about Jekyll Island’s rich history as the story of each historic building within Jekyll Island’s “Millionaire’s Row” unfolds. We’ll continue to Savannah, a charming Southern city where period architecture, trendy boutiques and haunted stories are all set under a veil of Spanish moss. Enjoy time at leisure at City Market, an open-air market filled with restaurants, galleries and shops. This afternoon we’ll visit the famed Forsyth Park fountain and enjoy a docent-guided tour of the Mercer-Williams House, the Italianate mansion from the book and film Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. This spooky yet majestic house is shrouded in mysteries and a vessel for a thousand ghost stories! This evening we’ll begin a two-night stay at an upscale hotel in the heart of the Savannah Historic District – designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966, it is one of the largest historic landmarks in the country. (Breakfast)

Day 6 – Savannah

Following an included breakfast, we’ll be joined by a local guide and travel to Tybee Island to see the Tybee Island Lighthouse – one of seven surviving colonial era lighthouse towers, it is the oldest and tallest lighthouse in Georgia. We return to Savannah for a driving tour of the Savannah Historic District showcasing her historic squares, magnificent architecture and live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Enjoy time at leisure this afternoon exploring River Street, where former cotton warehouses were converted into antique shops, distinctive boutiques, spectacular galleries, and fabulous restaurants. This evening we’ll enjoy an included dinner at a locals’ favorite. (Breakfast, Dinner)

Day 7 – Journey Home

After an included breakfast, we’ll travel north to Atlanta for a scheduled, nonstop flight to Los Angeles. Those guests making their own flight arrangements can request the group’s flight schedule to coordinate a flight departure time that would allow them to be included on the complimentary transfer to the airport. Back in Los Angeles, those guests with pre-arranged transfers will be returned to their respective drop-off points. (Breakfast)

While we make every effort to operate our tours as outlined in the itinerary, we ask for your patience, understanding and flexibility and to retain a sense of adventure while traveling with us. Situations may arise that necessitate changes to the itinerary. Should we need to adjust the itinerary either prior to or while on tour, these changes will be communicated to you and only done when absolutely necessary.