The holiday season is a spectacular time of year to head to the beach or gift an upcoming trip to your family. To get a head-start on your wish list, the following itineraries provide lots of ideas for trips that will make everyone smile brighter and create lasting memories this holiday season.
Myrtle Beach Holiday Fun
- Marvel at the 55+ Christmas trees at Ripley’s Aquarium Festival of Trees while you enjoy amazing exhibits-including their new Penguin Playhouse
- Shop till you drop at the area’s two Tanger Outlets, the Gay Dolphin, beach stores, malls, boutique shops, Barefoot Landing, Broadway at the Beach and more
- See exciting holiday shows at a live theaters including Carolina Opry’s Christmas Show of the South, the South’s Grandest Christmas Show at Alabama Theatre, the Christmas show at Pirate’s Voyage, and GTS Theatre
- Find a tree lighting or a community Christmas parade and other holiday events
- Wander through the lights and sights in the stunning Brookgreen Gardens holiday display, Nights of a Thousand Candles
- Lodging recommendation: North Beach Resort, which offers luxury accommodations, beach houses and numerous amenities
Family-Friendly Pirate Adventure
- Catch a swashbuckling live show at Pirates Voyage, which includes hearty pirate fare
- Try your hand at mini golf at Captain Hook’s Adventure Golf, complete with a spooky skull cave and a daring Tinker Bell rescue
- Go fishing, walk/bike the trails, or do a scavenger hunt at Myrtle Beach State Park
- Get a crow’s nest view of Myrtle Beach from the SkyWheel
- Lodging recommendation: Pirateland Family Camping Resort, which offers both camping sites and cabin-style lodging, as well as an onsite waterpark, mini golf course and more
Relaxing Girlfriends Trip Fit for a Mermaid
- Take a private eco-kayak tour with Black River Outdoors, where you’ll float along the inlet and learn about the area’s wildlife
- Sample vino – including local favorite, Muscadine – at Duplin Winery in North Myrtle Beach
- Shop and find a great restaurant at The Market Common, with retail options from Anthropologie and Pottery Barn to Chico’s and Orvis (and more)
- Take a yoga class at Shanti Yoga Studio, known for its 1-hour Vinyasa classes for all skill levels
- Lodging recommendation: Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes, with stunning ocean views and onsite Hibiscus Spa
Romance When You ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’ With the Beach
- Peruse the massive outdoor sculpture space and marvel at the live oaks at Brookgreen Gardens
- Catch a live show at one of the area’s many entertainment theatres, from The Carolina Opry and Alabama Theatre to GTS Theatre.
- Book a couples’ massage at one of the area’s beachfront hotel spas, like the Awakening Spa inside Anderson Ocean Club and Spa
- Bond over a round of golf at one of the area’s 100+ courses, including World Tour Golf Club, where you can play replica courses from around the globe
- Lodging recommendation: Marina Inn at Grande Dunes, offering luxury accommodations along the intracoastal waterway
Homeschooling is Hard (families)
- Get a real-life history lesson at LW Paul Living History Farm, which replicates what 1950s rural life would have looked like in South Carolina
- Learn about sea life firsthand at Ripley’s Aquarium, where you can swim with stingrays or interact with penguins at the newly opened Ripley’s Penguin Playhouse
- Explore the new Nature Center at Huntington Beach State Park and learn more about the park’s amazing birding scene, where more than 300 species have been recorded over the years
- Check out the educational exhibits at EdVenture Children’s Museum located in The Market Common
- Lodging recommendation: Island Vista, which boasts multi-bedroom suites, full kitchens and in-room washers/dryers -- perfect for a family getaway
Zoom Detox (adults/friends)
- Put away the laptop and head outside! Black River Outdoors offers a two-hour, eco-friendly kayak tour where visitors can learn about the salt marsh ecosystem and the plants and creatures who inhabit it. They also offer guided birding trips and half-day kayak fishing trips.
- Take in Myrtle Beach’s 60 miles of coastline by horseback. Inlet Point Plantation offers horseback rides at every level and throughout different scenic views. Ride along the coast at sunset or through wooded plantation trails along the Intracoastal Waterway.
- Leave behind the stress of being an adult in 2020 and live like a kid again on the mini-golf course. Known as the “miniature golf capital of the world,” Myrtle Beach boasts more than 35 mini-golf courses with a variety of themes - from man-eating dinosaurs and lava-spewing volcanoes to high seas adventures aboard pirate ships.
- Lodging recommendation: Litchfield Beach & Golf Resort, a quiet spot along Pawleys Island, surrounded by live oaks and lush marshes
COVID-19 Ruined My Wedding Plans (couples)
- Treat yourselves to a romantic waterfront dinner at Waterscapes where you and your loved one can sip delicious wines and taste fresh, ocean-to-table seafood dishes. Dine inside for a quiet, intimate experience or take in the views on the patio overlooking the Grande Dunes marina.
- Nothing says romance like a stroll through Brookgreen Gardens’ Live Oak trees and wildlife reserves. Boasting the largest collection of American figurative sculptures in the nation, Brookgreen Gardens also offers couples guided tours throughout the garden or boat excursions in the creek to see local wildlife while learning about the area’s rich history.
- Planning a wedding during a pandemic is stressful enough. Unwind with a couples’ massage at one of the area’s beachfront hotel spas, like the Awakening Spa inside Anderson Ocean Club and Spa.
- Lodging recommendation: Indulge in true privacy with a Dunes Realty vacation rental, which offers everything from beachfront homes to secluded condos
Visit the Holiday Getaway Guide for more holiday fun in Myrtle Beach.
