Charleston City Market

Charleston City Market

Charleston City Market
4
Points of Interest & LandmarksFlea & Street Markets
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
6:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Sunday
Closed
About
Established in the 1790s, this historic landmark is one of the oldest public markets in the U.S. There’s everything from handmade crafts, trinkets, and jewelry to the nation’s most prized souvenir—the woven sweetgrass basket. Certain weekend nights even have a special night market that runs until late. Enjoy live entertainment, embrace Charleston’s Southern charm, and soak in the lively atmosphere. It’s a fantastic way to support the local artisans and their work, too. Visit the market as a stop along a Charleston city tour and remember to have cash handy for payments. – Tripadvisor
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Mary S
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Check Out the Charleston City Market
    My husband and I enjoyed walking through the market area. There were many quality shops to browse in (I bought a good bit as it turns out)! We also had interesting discussions with the sales staff and even other customers. This area is definitely touristy but the merchandise is overall good quality.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written February 21, 2024
  • lithlith
    931 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    City Market
    The City Market has great shopping and people watching. It's worth a walk through while you're in Charleston. There are many points of entry along the market and it's much longer than you might think from first view on the outside as it actually stretches several blocks.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written February 21, 2024
  • 368courtneya
    Manotick, Canada40 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice day trip
    A very nice way to spend a few hours. The cobblestone roads, briefly Southern homes, port walkway surrounding the market were very touristic but nice. We would go back. Items available for purchase were only local to that location as we can see. Jewelry, baked goods and sweet grass items were available for purchase. It was great for people watching. Hotels were in the pricey side but if you are planning a day trip it was worth it in our opinion. Restaurants were a mix of touristic but there were also seafood restaurants by the pier that had wait times to seating. I’d say reservations would be required in warmer summer days.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written February 29, 2024
  • Wills Wanderers
    Salem, Oregon590 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Always a delight
    What a fun morning strolling through dozens and dozens of unique stalls by local artists. A highlight was seeing Mr. Elijea Dumas, who we bought a grass basket from over 30 years ago. He is still gracious and friendly. Great gifts and souvenirs.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written March 5, 2024
  • socalukgirl
    Diamond Bar, California212 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nothing special
    It was ok, not a big deal. I've been to markets all over the US and this one was average nothing special. It was raining the day we went so we appreciated the shelter. I bought a magnet. You can find all different souvenirs here, however the better ones are in the shops outside the market on either side of it. The quality of the Christmas ornaments were better out of the market.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written April 7, 2024
  • Sara T
    Ellicott City, Maryland994 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A visit to Charleston should include a visit to the market
    This was a nice way to spend an hour and since is under cover, you can go in any weather! The sweet grass baskets are unique to Charleston and worth seeing - all baskets aren't the same, be careful! There were a varied number of artisans, but not all unique to SC. I'm glad we went but I don't really need to go again.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written April 8, 2024
  • Alli
    18 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Charleston City Market
    Half of the market it indoor with air conditioning snd the other half is not. A lot of the same thing offered in the booths but it was something to do. The lemonade stand is awesome! There a multiple restaurants around the market along with carriage rides.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written May 26, 2024
  • LindsayNjoe429
    654 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Check it out!
    We stayed in Charleston for a couple hours passing through on our road trip. After some good grub, we walked through the market and it had lots of shopping options. Both sides filled with any kind of shopping you would want or need. It’s definitely worth the walk through and they have bathroom along the way.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written June 2, 2024
  • THINGS2LIVE4
    Rocky River, Ohio2,749 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Food, Drinks, Unique local goods
    A unique mix of food, drinks, and local products close to cruise port, 5 minute walk. There are ample free public restrooms. The horse drawn carriages are in this part of the city.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written June 14, 2024
  • MPTNestR
    The Woodlands, Texas126 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Must do!
    I really enjoyed this. I try to pick up a souvenir or two everywhere I visit and always want it to be locally made. I'm lucky if I find even one. If I do it's usually art. Here I found handmade items, local art, locally made soaps, lotions, hand painted ornaments and magnets. Don't skip the night market, it's different vendors and I found more stuff there too.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written June 16, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles8,242 reviews
Excellent
3,339
Very good
2,857
Average
1,677
Poor
272
Terrible
97

vjwallen
Kingsport, TN103 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
Only a few off us ate here, since others ate at different restaurants. At first I did not think that I would find anything that I wanted to eat. Then I went back around the front and noticed chicken salad croissant. I love chicken salad croissants, so this is what I ordered. The clerk told me to check back in seven minutes. I came back early, and my chicken salad croissant was ready. It had even been toasted. The reason that I did not give a higher rating is that a side should have been offered with it. One of my friends did share her fries with me, so that helped. I also did some shopping the next day; however, I did not buy anything. I had heard about the sweet baskets and wanted to check them out. Someone said that they were very expensive. I checked one and the price was unbelieveable. City Market is a nice place for browsing but if you want to save money, I recommend that you shop somewhere else.
Written November 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kevin W
138 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Couples
Looked up the city market before heading to Charleston. We knew we wanted to see the market for its history and it's location. There are still a few vendors selling local craft, you just need to find them in the very long line of shops. Local artists can still be found here. We wanted to buy a couple of sweetgrass baskets but even the small ones were priced around $100. We walked down Meeting Street near The Battery and saw sweetgrass baskets being made and were able to get them for much less. So for the reviews that say things can cost a little more at the City Market, I agree; but for those that say there are no more local vendors to purchase hand-made craft, I disagree.
Written June 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

marsha c
4 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Friends
The market was a typical city street market, in this case filled with hundreds of indigenous woven baskets. There was also a lot of low to mid -range priced jewelry, souvenirs, pottery and various artwork. Depends on what you are looking for. I found the market very touristy and contained nothing of interest to me.
Written November 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sanju_222323
New Jersey17,804 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Friends
One of the nation’s oldest public markets, Charleston City Market, is both a cultural and a culinary hub. Open during the day year-round, with weekly Night Markets, Charleston City Market is constantly bustling.

It is a great glimpse into life in the Old South. It has been a shopping hub since the 1800s. The market buzzes with residents and visitors alike, perusing stalls loaded with toys, clothes, art, leather goods, and regional souvenirs.

If you want to buy souvenirs to take home, head to the Charleston City Market. It is a great place to purchase goodies and soak up local culture. There is a noticeable African American influence reflected in the different food and product vendors
.
Do not forget to pick up a sweetgrass basket, a quintessential souvenir from the South. Gullah artisans have been weaving these baskets for more than 300 years now!

Built-in 1841 in the Greek Revival style, the red sandstone building with green ironwork trim, along with its sheds, are among the more than 100 sites in the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Written January 27, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Melanie T
New York City, NY6,997 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 • Friends
This could have been very cool. The idea is that the market spans across about six city blocks (some indoor, some out) with vendors selling local items/crafts. The reality is that many of the vendors sell the same mass manufactured Charleston-themed items. Would also be nice if there were food vendors but there’s just a bakery at the end and some stalls selling sweets, but that’s about it.

My friends and I came by on a Saturday at around 10:30 am, which is when we thought it opened (apparently it's 9:30) and it was already pretty packed at that time. I bought a cute little Charleston pineapple ornament for $15, which I thought was really unique - until I saw the same one at various souvenir shops on the outskirts of the market for $10. I guess they need to pay their rent somehow since the market is such a prime spot. My advice would be to walk through early, see if there is anything you like, and head to the shops not within the market. You'll likely find it there for cheaper.
Written August 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Richard & Kathy
Chapin, SC24 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
Delightful in Evening! I’ve went to the market in daytime in September and it’s a total different experience. During the summer at night we had exceptionally higher end merchants vs when we went in September. I don’t know if the summer months draw better vendors or it was just the luck of the draw on the day we went. I’d of given my first visit three stars and this one four. I can’t say it’s a five star adventure due to difficulty parking, that alone gets very frustrating. I’d recommend if you are in town to hit this place in the evening when it’s cool.
Written June 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sue B
10 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2024 • Couples
This market has a big variety of crafters and artisans and a few food and drink stalls. The prices are not different from the city shops. Charleston is hot and always humid and the market only has air conditioning in the first building.
Written October 7, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MyriamLDR
Illinois257 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021
My husband and I ended up walking through this about four or five times, including one of the night markets on a Friday night. We found the prices to be a little high, but there were a few good deals to be had. One of the art vendors was selling framed art and prints at a steep discount to drum up business after COVID so we bought a few things.

A few things to note:

There are different vendors from day to day. If you've been one day it might be worth to go the next day as well just to see what's new.

The night market is drastically reduced (maybe 2 out of the 5 buildings).

We had local kids "gifting" us flowers made from palm leaves. As soon as you grab the flower they hit you with a "would you like to make a donation". They are RELENTLESS. Either get a flower and make sure they see it in your hand every time you walk through or just be prepared to say "no thank you" or "I've already got one, thanks". One kid in particular started cursing up a storm as soon as I refused. (Also, one of the vendors sells them in the market itself for $3).

The market asks that you wear a mask unless you are fully vaccinated. Did not see many people wearing masks.

There are public restrooms available in the market in case you're out and about looking for one.
Written June 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TDHSNJ
New Jersey684 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
If it is your first time in Charleston, as it was for us, you may enjoy the City Market as there are a variety of local artisans selling there crafts or a multitude of vendors selling similar stuff so bargain shopping may be of benefit. There are a lot of photos and pictures of areas in and around Charleston. It's a great place to spend an hour or two to pass the time away while you wait for a restaurant reservation or tour to start.
Written March 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Botzworth
Florence, SC221 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022
Whenever family or friends want to go to Charleston we always have to end up at the City Market. If you are into cheap jewelry , t shirts and so so artwork it is the place to go. Otherwise avoid it. There is very little variety and soon most to the stuff looks like it was delivered from the same truck.

While parking and traffic are an issue anywhere in Charleston the area are the market is especially bad.
Written February 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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CHARLESTON CITY MARKET (2025) - All You MUST Know Before You Go (with Reviews)

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