The Ultimate Guide To Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, a lively beach town on the East Coast of the US!
With several miles of beach access, a multitude of tourist attractions, and many world-class resorts, Myrtle Beach is one of the most popular beach destinations in the southern US and the most popular attraction in the state of South Carolina!
Located in northeastern South Carolina overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, the town of Myrtle Beach features about 60 miles of golden sandy beaches and an amalgam of several tourist attractions, excellent beach resorts, spectacular shows & live performances, and palate enticing culinary experiences! The town’s subtropical climate with hot summers & mild winters and a mix of outdoor and indoor attractions make Myrtle Beach a year-round destination!
The metropolitan city of Myrtle Beach was once home to the Native Indians and then followed by European settlers, who were not very successful in forming a sustainable community as farming was difficult due to the sandy coastal soil. The sparsely populated area and hidden coves along the coastline at Myrtle Beach served as an excellent hiding place for many pirates. However, the Myrtle Beach area was mostly unoccupied until the 1900s, when the actual development and expansion began with a vision to convert the place into a top tourist destination.
Myrtle Beach is much more than just beaches and water sports. The city of Myrtle Beach features numerous outdoor & indoor family-friendly attractions and activities!
Today, Myrtle Beach is one of the most sorted after year-round beach destinations in the southern part of the US! Besides the city’s gorgeous beaches and several beach activities, including swimming, sunbathing, sailing, and surfing, Myrtle Beach features many other tourist attractions, including a SkyWheel, a lively Boardwalk, an award-winning aquarium, a wax museum, amusement parks, shows & live performances, and a multitude of shopping and dining venues!
Here is my ultimate guide to Myrtle Beach, featuring essential trip-planning information, major Myrtle Beach attractions, Myrtle Beach attractions map, and recommendations on hotels and restaurants in Myrtle Beach!
Planning Your Trip To Myrtle Beach
Fly into Myrtle Beach international airport, stay in one of the oceanfront resorts, and tour the city via land, water, and air for a complete Myrtle Beach experience!
Best Time To Visit Myrtle Beach: Myrtle Beach, with hot summers and cold to mild winters, is a year-round destination! However, spring, summer, and fall with warm temperatures are the peak seasons in Myrtle Beach and best if you’re planning to spend most of the time at the beach. Things tend to slow down at Myrtle Beach in the winter, but all attractions remain open, and if you don’t mind slightly cooler weather, visiting in winter is a great way to beat the crowd at Mrytle Beach.
Time Required At Myrtle Beach: With a ton of things to see and do in Myrtle Beach, I recommend spending at least two days in Myrtle Beach, which should give you just enough time to see the city’s major highlights. However, if you have more time, you could spend an entire week and still not run out of things to do in Myrtle Beach.
Getting To Myrtle Beach: The best and most comfortable way to get to Myrtle Beach is by flying into Myrtle Beach International Airport, located right in the heart of the city. Alternatively, you could also take an Amtrak train or a Greyhound bus to Myrtle Beach.
- Flight: If flying to Myrtle Beach, look nowhere else than Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR), Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, just 5 miles from the Celebrity Circle, the central hub of all attractions in Myrtle Beach.
- Train: The Kingstree, Florence, and Dillon Amtrak train stations in South Carolina, all located approximately 70 miles from the city, are the best Amtrak stations to get to Myrtle Beach.
- Bus: Greyhound offers bus services to Myrtle Beach, with the closest Greyhound bus stop located at 511 7th Ave N, in the city of Myrtle Beach.
Parking & Transportation In Myrtle Beach: Most hotels and attractions in Myrtle Beach offer paid parking in private and public parking lots. Though Coast RTA offers several fixed route busses and seasonal Entertainment Shuttle to all major attractions in Myrtle Beach, I recommend renting a car when visiting Myrtle Beach.
Sightseeing Tours In Myrtle Beach: Most attractions in the city are very accessible by car, but if driving is not an option, you could use the seasonal Entertainment Shuttle offered by Costa RTA during the summer months to get to different attraction and the Big Red Bus Tours for a guided tour of the city. However, you can go beyond the land tours and enjoy Myrtle Beach on a helicopter ride or on a cruise offered by several local tour companies – Helicopter Adventures, OceanFront Helicopters, and Express Watersports.
Lodging & Dining In Myrtle Beach: Myrtle Beach has several lodging options ranging from luxury oceanfront resorts to locally owned bread and breakfasts, featuring spectacular ocean vistas and easy access to several attractions. The food scene in Myrtle Beach can also be overwhelming, with several different cuisines and restaurants ranging from fine dining to casual oceanfront dining. I have reviewed the lodging and dining options in Myrtle Beach in detail in the later section of this post.
Things To Do In Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach Attractions Map
The several beaches of Myrtle Beach can be accessed along the Ocean Boulevard, including the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk at Myrtle Beach State Park, Midway Swash Beach, Public Beach, Surfside Beach, and Hurl Rocks Park. Most of the tourist attractions in Myrtle Beach, including many fascinating museums, a large aquarium, several theaters, many eateries, and a couple of theme parks, are all located in Broadway at the Beach, Celebrity Circle.
Here’re the most popular and must-see beaches and attractions in Myrtle Beach!
Beaches In Myrtle Beach
Beaches In Myrtle Beach
Here’re the most famous beaches and beach access points in Myrtle Beach, popular for swimming, sunbathing, sailing, and surfing –
- Ocean Boulevard: Myrtle Beach State Park, Midway Swash, Public Beach & Hurl Rocks
- South of Myrtle Beach: Surfside Beach & Huntington Beach State Park
Broadway at the Beach
Broadway at the Beach
Broadway at the Beach is the hub for all major tourist attractions in Myrtle Beach! Popular attractions –
- WonderWorks Myrtle Beach
- Hollywood Wax Museum
- Ripley’s Aquarium of Myrtle Beach
- Myrtle Waves Water Park
- Broadway Theater
SkyWheel
SkyWheel
The SkyWheel, an iconic attraction and landmark of Myrtle Beach, is a 187 feet tall Ferris wheel featuring spectacular views of the coastline and the city. The SkyWheel has fully enclosed, temperature-controlled gondolas and is open year-round.
TIGERS
TIGERS Myrtle Beach Safari
TIGERS is a wild encounter tour offered by Myrtle Beach Safari and is one of the most spectacular animal encounter experiences in Myrtle Beach and in the entire US! The three-hour safari tour features a guided tour of a tropical wildlife preserve and interactions with several wild animals, including tiger cubs, monkeys, and elephants.
Brookgreen Gardens
Brookgreen Gardens
Brookgreen Gardens, located just a few miles south of Myrtle Beach in the town of Murrells Inlet, is a nature and wildlife preserve featuring a sculpture garden, a zoo, botanical gardens, and a few historical sites. Brookgreen Gardens is an incredible place and quite different from the mainstream attractions of Myrtle Beach.
Lodging & Dining In Myrtle Beach
I recommend staying in one of the oceanfront resorts in Myrtle Beach for easy access to several attractions and an authentic Myrtle Beach experience!
Hotels In Myrtle Beach: Myrtle Beach being a resort town, there’re numerous lodging options in the city, ranging from luxury resorts to beach condos. You will find hotels in almost all parts of the town, a few featuring elegant golf courses, spas, and a few with beach access. I personally love and recommend the resorts with beach access for an authentic beach vacation! Here’re are my top picks for hotels in Myrtle Beach
- DoubleTree Resort by Hilton: Located right next to the Myrtle Beach State Park, the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton is a luxury oceanfront featuring beach access, a golf course, and great dining options.
- Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort & Spa: Featuring luxurious rooms, excellent spa services, beach access, spectacular ocean vistas, and easy access to all major attractions, the Marriott Myrtle Beach Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes is also a great lodging choice in Myrtle Beach.
- Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort: The Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort in North Myrtle Beach is another excellent oceanfront resort for a perfect beach getaway. The Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort is very popular among families with kids as it features several indoor pools, a Kids’ Splash area, and tennis & pickleball courts.
- Ocean Enclave by Hilton Grand Vacations: Located on Ocean Boulevard, the Ocean Enclave by Hilton Grand Vacations is also a luxury oceanfront hotel featuring elegant suites and rooms with excellent views, dining options, and guest services.
Restaurants In Myrtle Beach: With a myriad of restaurants and locally-owned eateries offering fine dining, seafood, southern comfort food, casual beachside dining, you will find endless dining options in Myrtle Beach. However, here’re a few dining experiences you must not pass when in Myrtle Beach
- Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show: Enjoy a delicious four-course meal while watching Blackbeard, a legendary pirate, leads his crew through a battle on a life-size ship. With special effects, costumes, birds, and excellent food, the Pirates Voyage Dinner & Show is a must-do in Myrtle Beach.
- Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament: Knights, horses, sword-fighting, and delicious food! The Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament is another great dining experience in Myrtle Beach, where you dine while cheering your Knights as they participate in a tournament.
- Polynesian Fire Luau & Fire Show: Luau, a traditional Hawaiian feast accompanied by live performances, is a popular dining experience offered in the Hawaiian islands. However, the Polynesian Fire Luau & Fire Show offers an excellent way to experience Polynesian culture and food in the heart of Myrtle Beach.
- Seafood Buffet In Myrtle Beach: This is another Myrtle Beach experience you must not pass! Colossal buffets with endless varieties of delicious seafood. There’re many such seafood buffets in Myrtle Beach, but here are a few that I love and recommend – Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant, Captain Benjamin’s Calabash Seafood Buffet, and Seafood World Calabash Seafood And Steak Buffet.
I hope you enjoyed reading the post, The Ultimate Guide To Myrtle Beach, and I hope this will help you plan your trip to Myrtle Beach.
Happy feeding your soul!
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