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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Sullivan's Island
Half a day to one full day: walk the wide beach, see Fort Moultrie and eat a burger at Poe's Tavern. Not a base — sleep in Charleston or Mount Pleasant.
Sullivan's Island is a quiet, low-commercial beach town 15 minutes from downtown Charleston. Its wide sand is good for walking and biking, but the water has no lifeguards and can be rough. The main draw is Fort Moultrie (Revolutionary and Civil War fort) and the Edgar Allan Poe library in a repurposed battery. Most visitors come for a half-day or a single night.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (crowded, hot, rough surf)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $30–60 excl. bed · Mid $60–120 excl. bed · High $120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Burger at Poe's Tavern | $14–18 |
| Draft beer at Poe's Tavern | $6–8 |
| Coffee at a café | $4–6 |
| Fort Moultrie entry | $10 |
| Parking on the island | Free (street) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CHS · Charleston International Airport
- About 25 min by car; no direct public transport to the island.
Typical fares
- CHS → Sullivan's Island by taxi/rideshare
- about $35–50, 25 min
- Sullivan's Island → downtown Charleston by taxi/rideshare
- about $20–30, 15 min
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car or bike. Free street parking along the beach road. No public transport on the island.
See and do
Known for
- Fort Moultrie
- Wide, uncrowded beach
- Edgar Allan Poe/Sullivan's Island Library
- Poe's Tavern burgers
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston, South Carolina | Car, about 15 min | 15 min |
| Isle of Palms | Car, about 5 min | 5 min |
| Mount Pleasant, South Carolina | Car, about 10 min | 10 min |
| Folly Beach | Car via Charleston, about 30 min | 30 min |
Sleep
- Sullivan's Island
- Very few hotels; most accommodation is vacation rentals. Book well ahead in summer.
- Mount Pleasant
- 15 min drive, more hotels and motels; good fallback.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hellohello |
| Thank you | Thank youthank you |
| How much? | How much?how much |
| Where is the beach? | Where is the beach?where is the beach |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- No lifeguards: the surf can be dangerous, especially near the inlet.
- Dogs often run off-leash on the beach in the morning — check local leash rules.
- Very few shops or restaurants; bring water and snacks if you plan to stay all day.
Very safe town. The main risk is the surf: no lifeguards, strong currents near the inlet. Watch for off-leash dogs on the beach.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Sullivan's Island yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Fort Moultrie
- Wide, uncrowded beach
- Edgar Allan Poe/Sullivan's Island Library
- Poe's Tavern burgers
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Sullivan's Island, revision 5239050 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5239050
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Sullivan's Island
Take me to this address
Take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
Embassies are in Washington, DC. Consulates in Atlanta or Charlotte may serve South Carolina.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/sullivans-island). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.