Best Of Myrtle Beach: Five Day, Family-Friendly Spring Break Itinerary
I’m often asked if Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a good choice for spring break travelers. The answer is yes! Our area is a very popular spring break destination for families with school-aged children. While a few college-aged groups celebrating ‘first week’ may head our way, our spring break crowd typically has adult supervision.
The spring break time frame in Myrtle Beach spans around 4-6 weeks, beginning in March, before the Easter holiday and continuing for well after and through late April, as school districts’ holidays vary county by county and let out at different times.
For those currently planning their spring break holidays, I’ve put together a sample five-day itinerary to get you started:
Downtown Myrtle Beach
You’ve just arrived, so I recommend spending as much time at the beach as possible that first day.
Some may find March or early April a little too soon for ocean swimming, but the beaches will be warm enough for a lot of lounging and downtime in the sand. Most of our larger, family-friendly resorts have indoor or heated swimming options and great waterparks and pools for when the weather is warmer.
For your first evening, I suggest checking out downtown Myrtle Beach. The 1.2-mile oceanfront boardwalk is a great place for a pre-dinner stroll, and Boardwalk-area restaurants like RipTydz, Pier 14 or Wicked Tuna at Second Avenue Pier are all great for a ‘first night of vacation’ meal. If you're feeling adventurous, check out the Arts + Innovation district, an area just back from the boardwalk that's being revitalized with many new restaurants.
After dinner, you can take a ride on the SkyWheel, and pick up the week’s first souvenir at the historic Gay Dolphin gift shop. After so much excitement, your group is sure to sleep well.
Broadway at The Beach
Start your second day of family vacation off right with a big breakfast. We have so many great breakfast options here in the Myrtle Beach area!
I'd suggest trying one of our family-owned restaurants. Johnny D’s Waffles and Bakery is a fan favorite at my house (the red velvet waffle, specifically), while the oceanfront Sea Captain’s House is a popular choice for many families who return to Myrtle Beach year after year.
After breakfast, enjoy some more time on the beach and take a big nap because Broadway at the Beach is on the schedule for tonight. It’s easy to fill up an afternoon and evening quickly at this award-winning spot, full of restaurants, shopping, live entertainment, attractions, and nightlife.
Depending on the ages of your children, some attractions you might want to check out include Broadway Grand Prix, Wonderworks, Ripley’s Aquarium, Hollywood Wax Museum, and The Pavillion Park. It really is easy to spend a whole day at places like the Broadway Grand Prix and Wonderworks in particular.
It should be easy to please your crowd with dinner as there are so many options. While all are kid-friendly for the most part, Dave & Busters, The Hangout and The Grumpy Monk have all been good choices with my crew in the past.
Before you head to Broadway, make sure to check them out online and map out exactly what spots you want to visit. It’s a large place, but their website is helpful in planning.
The Market Common Area
If your family is like mine, then you might be needing a break from the sun by day three of your vacation. Be it sunburns or cloudy weather, a shopping adventure can be a nice change of pace.
The Market Common is a perfect option here — it's scenic, there's great shopping, plenty to do and it's home to a number of fantastic restaurants.
I suggest activities like the multi-acre Savannah’s Playground, an amazing playplace that's one of the area's best. There's also EdVenture Children's Museum, 810 Bowling & Billards and fun outdoor spaces like Splinter City Disc Golf Course and Warbird Park, a historic homage to the area's Air Force Base history.
While the kids play, this mom enjoys shopping at the area's boutiques, browsing the selections at Barnes & Noble bookstore and checking out local art at Seacoast Art Gallery. My husband, on the other hand, won't miss an opportunity to stop through Tidal Creek Brewhouse, a great local brewery with an awesome beer garden perfect for kicking back in the spring weather and letting the kids run free.
A great option for evening fun is heading out to the ballpark.
We love going to games at the TicketReturn.com Field to see the Myrtle Beach Pelicans play. The atmosphere is the epitome of family-friendly, with plenty of games and activities for little ones, and they have a ton of great promotions for families like giving kids a chance to run the bases after some games (check schedule for full list of promo nights).
Murrells Inlet
By this point of your spring break vacation, a day trip might be a good idea. It’s easy to head about 20 minutes south to Murrells Inlet, a historic fishing village that's become a vibrant part of the Grand Strand.
Exploring the seafood capital of South Carolina isn’t such a bad way to pass the time and finding a waterfront lunch spot, like Drunken Jack's, is easy along the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk.
While you're there, consider trying Seakart Adventure a unique water experience that launches from the Marswalk area. A seakart is a mix of a boat and jet ski, which makes it more stable and fun for all ages. It's a great way to see the scenic salt marsh and check out some of the area's sealife along the way.
After lunch, don't miss the chance to head a little further south to renowned Brookgreen Gardens, one of our favorite places to visit any time of year. The gardens are home to the largest outdoor collection of American figurative sculpture in the world and offer a variety of educational programs throughout the year. Their Lowcountry Zoo area is a favorite spot for my two boys, and you could easily spend a while day here exploring … So much to see! So little time!
After a very full day adventuring, we are big fans of keeping dinner casual at a spot like River City Cafe and then calling it a night.
Barefoot Landing
OMG, we're already on the last day of spring break vacation? How is that even possible?!
For your last day in Myrtle Beach, don't forget to head back out to the beach for at least part of the day. Soak in those last hours of sunshine and sand as a family and maybe eat lunch poolside at your resort.
After a full day of oceanside fun, spending the afternoon and evening at Barefoot Landing to round out a perfect final day. Located along the Intracoastal Waterway in North Myrtle Beach, Barefoot Landing is a huge entertainment complex that offers tons of shopping, dining and activity options.
Spend time browsing the shops, stroll along the waterway or have a family photo taken with the animals at Alligator Adventures. Kids will love a ride on their stunning carousel or playing on the playground at the back in the Dockside Village area is another great pre-dinner stop.
Speaking of dinner, LuLu's North Myrtle Beach and Crooked Hammock Brewery are two kid-friendly options we love. But there are so many great restaurants at Barefoot Landing, it’s hard to choose. Greg Norman's Austrailian Grille, Big Chill Island House and House of Blues are also great.
After dinner, you can continue exploring the area as it’s a pretty fun spot for nightlife as well. You can find music at House of Blues nightly and deeper into spring Barefoot Landing will also begin hosting live music and entertainment.
But if you’re like our crew then it’s time to pack up and start dreaming of the next family vacation.
As a lifelong South Carolinian and nearly lifelong Grand Strand resident, Nora Battle knows there is lots to love about the Myrtle Beach area. She is a full-time stay-at-home mom to two boys, ages 3 and 6 months, and a part time travel contributor for Visit Myrtle Beach. She’s passionate about all things Myrtle Beach, and knowledgeable about what makes the destination such a smart choice for families. Nora especially enjoys dining out, bargain hunting, and spending time outdoors adventuring with her children, husband (also a Grand Strand native) and her two dogs.