We visit Florida and California throughout the year to see family, so when it came to planning a spring break vacation that fit our vibes, I found myself starting from scratch. I stumbled on Seabrook Island completely by accident — just scrolling Airbnb one night looking for beach houses — and we have since fallen in love with this special little island. We liked it so much (and its proximity to Charleston - one of my favorite cities) we booked it two spring breaks in a row. And yes, I would absolutely do it again - with some caveats!

📆 A note on timing

This year we went in early April, and while it was magical, I'll be honest: the Atlantic wind can be quite chilly, and the outdoor pools at Seabrook are unheated which was not ideal for our 3 and 6 year old. We managed to make the best of it but If you want guaranteed pool weather, aim for late April through May (I was told summer is very hot and muggy) or fall — September and October where air and pools are warm, and crowds are down. So will we be back? Yes! But we likely won’t return for spring break unless it’s late April.

✈ Getting there

The flight from Chicago is under two hours, which makes this ideal for traveling with little ones and why it’s one of my favorite family destinations from Chicago. We took a 9AM flight out of O’Hare, flew into Charleston airport (CHS) and were there eating lunch by 12:30.

🚗 You will need a rental car. I always book Enterprise, even if they're a tiny bit more expensive. The lines are consistently shorter than Budget/Alamo, etc. and it’s always rough to start a trip with a long rental car line when everyone just wants to get the vacation rolling.

We flew into Charleston (CHS) and drove straight into the city (this was our 3rd visit so it felt pretty familiar) with a quick lunch stop in North Charleston on the way. Two good options on your way downtown: Edmunds Oast, a casual outdoor eatery, and Pelato right next door.

We stayed at Hotel Emeline, which I love for families because they offer one and two-bedroom suites so you don’t feel so cramped in a single hotel room. The location is unbeatable — walking distance to Broad Street, King Street (great shopping) the Charleston City Market and the waterfront with the Pineapple Fountain. We did an impromptu carriage tour with Old South Carriage Company and it was a genuinely fun way to see the city with kids and learn a little history.

Charleston is a small city and you can cover a lot in a day or two with kids including the Charleston Aquarium (we have been twice - it’s great!) their kids museum or take one of the many historical tours (the ghost tours are very popular!)

Charleston has an incredible restaurant scene but we went back to our favorites - Basic Kitchen — we love the healthy menu and great kids options— followed by ice cream at Off Track Ice Cream.

🥐 Important note about restaurants: Dinner reservations are crucial for Charleston area restaurants especially in summer or peak season. I am normally a “let’s wing it” and see what it’s like when we get there type of traveler, but restaurants in Charleston can be tough to walk in (and not ideal to be waiting an hour+ with kids) and I got burned on this last year— so fight your inner Type B (like me) and book the res and wing the rest of the day! I referenced this guide to have a few locked in for us.

Day 2 started with brunch at Frannie and the Fox (at the hotel) then we made the easy 45-minute drive to Seabrook Island. It's about 24 miles from downtown Charleston — not a bad drive at all and you wind through gorgeous lowcountry scenery the whole way.

Important things to know before you book:

There are no hotels on Seabrook Island. It's entirely vacation rentals — from one-bedroom condos to large beautiful homes. My biggest tip: book directly with a rental company instead of through Airbnb. We used Sandpiper Vacation Rentals and saved almost $700 on the same property. They were communicative and easy to work with.

A Big Weekend follower also reached out after our first trip to share her Seabrook rental — and it is gorgeous. Check out her listing here.

Before you book, make sure your rental includes beach chairs and a beach wagon. And check whether your property comes with an amenity access card — you need one to access the Seabrook Island Club pools, fitness center, and other amenities. Some properties include it in the rental price; others don’t so to get one will be an additional $50 a day. The “card” is now an app on your phone so make sure you have that downloaded and ready (and your vehicle permit) before getting there.

We arrived before check-in and headed straight to the pool, then unpacked and restocked at Freshfields Village — a nearby outdoor shopping center that serves both Seabrook and Kiawah Island. There's a Harris Teeter grocery store, and after a long travel day we grabbed frozen pizzas and called it a night.

If you'd rather go out, Freshfields has a few family- friendly dining options —La Tela Pizzeria, Cantina 76, Fuji Sushi Bar & Grill but some are closed Sundays and Mondays, so check ahead.

Day 3 was a little overcast so we headed to Freshfields Village for a shopping morning. You could easily spend a full morning or afternoon here — there are lots of great breakfast and lunch spots and stores like Monkees boutique, Lilly Pulitzer, Love Shack Fancy, Lululemon, Blue Mercury, Spartina 449, and a handful of cute boutiques and book stores.

When the sun came out we headed back to the pool and that evening we drove about 20 minutes to Johns Island for dinner at Wild Olive — fantastic Italian and seafood with cozy interior, family friendly, and worth the drive off the island.

Day 4 was our first real beach day and Seabrook has multiple beach access points around the island depending on where you're staying. You can drive your rental car, rent a golf cart or low speed vehicle for the week, or bike — there are boardwalks all over the island leading to beautiful, uncrowded beaches. Pro Tip: Make sure your rental includes a beach wagon and chairs so you're not scrambling when you arrive.

That evening we drove over to Kiawah Island, which is the island right next door and has its own distinct vibe — world-class golf, the stunning Sanctuary Hotel (worth popping in for the lobby bar and ice cream even if you're not staying), a beach, and a really popular shady playground called Night Heron Park.

Dinner was at the Ryder Cup Bar on Kiawah — if you have a golfer in the family they will love it. It’s casual, family friendly and has a kids' menu, with a beautiful veranda and sweeping views of the 18th hole with the ocean in the background.

Day 5 we woke up to bikes waiting at the door from Seaside Cycles — they drop them right at your rental. We did a morning family bike ride then grabbed lunch at Harvest in Freshfields — smoothies, salads, grain bowls, all really good.

The weather turned chilly with high winds off the Atlantic, so we pivoted to the Lake House on Seabrook for an indoor heated pool afternoon — a great backup option for rainy or less-than-perfect weather days (and why the Amenity cards are crucial!)

That evening my mom stayed with our kids (why we love bringing Grandma along!) and my husband and I drove to Johns Island for dinner at The Royal Tern — a cute upscale seafood and steakhouse. If soft shell crab is on the menu, get it. The night felt young so we drove the extra 20 min back into Charleston for mocktails at Camellias, the champagne bar at Hotel Bennett (another great option for staying in Charleston with a rooftop pool) and then were back to Seabrook island by 10:00 PM, which is why I love this spot so much - being able to pop into Charleston for a day or even dinner makes it feel like you aren’t stuck in resort mode.

Day 6 started with a morning family bike ride to the Seabrook Island Equestrian Center. Our kids aren’t old enough for the horseback riding yet, but you can book beach rides and pony rides here — it's on our list for next time.

Then we drove about 10 minutes to The Goatery at Kiawah River — a working farm where you get a tour and get to play with baby goats. Book in advance, it's by appointment only and $20 per person. My kids were completely obsessed! Also, do not skip the farm stand at the entrance. They sell produce from the farm and homemade gelato that is genuinely incredible.

Down the road from The Goatery is the Dunlin Hotel, which is high on my personal list to return to. The restaurant Linnette's would be perfect for brunch paired with a farm visit — it was closed for a private event during our trip, but I'm already planning to make it happen next time.

Day 7 the weather finally delivered. We grabbed coffee and bagels at Java Java in Freshfields — get there before 10am or the line gets long — and spent the whole day at the Seabrook Island Club between the pool and the beach.

Last dinner, as tradition now dictates, was at Salty Dog Cafe. Live music, big outdoor space on the water, very family friendly, and if you're there on a Tuesday, they do tie-dye shirts for a fun kids activity.

We returned to the rental to pack up and head home for a 9 AM flight back to Chicago, and thanks to a very easy travel day (and CHS being a small and easy airport to navigate) were home the next day to Chicago by noon already planning our next trip back to this special island!

While we managed to fit a lot into one week, there's still so much we didn't get to — and honestly that's part of why we keep coming back. As our kids get older, the activities will evolve too, which makes Seabrook the kind of place that grows with your family. Here's what's already on our list for next time:

Kiawah Sailing — I had a private sailboat tour booked but we couldn’t go because of high winds so this is at the top of my list to try next year. They offer sailing and dolphin tours right out of Bohicket Marina.

Golf, tennis + pickleball for kids — Seabrook has two golf courses (Ocean Winds and Crooked Oaks) with junior lessons and group clinics, plus tennis lessons and pickleball — all popular with families.

Dolphin strand feeding at Cap'n Sam's Inlet — Seabrook has a resident dolphin pod that feeds from the shoreline at the northern tip of the island — one of only a handful of places in the US where you can witness this.

Paddleboarding with Water Dog Paddle Co. — Guided dolphin paddles and kayak tours out of Bohicket Marina.

If you have been to Seabrook/Kiawah and have more tips would love to hear them! Shoot me a DM on Instagram, or if you take this trip be sure to tag me!

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