When you visit downtown Greenville, SC, you may be amazed at how much there is to do there! If you’re going to be taking a short trip to Greenville, check out this list of the best things to do in Greenville SC.
Have you ever thought about visiting Greenville, SC? If not, no worries! I heard many amazing things about the city over the past few years, but honestly, it was not until somewhat recently that it became a “must-see” for me. Greenville SC is 100% a must-see. The city of 70,000 which is tucked into the Appalachian foothills doesn’t seem like an obvious destination choice to some. However, it has many charms making it worth your time in more ways than one, and this city takes full advantage of them!
We recently had the chance to visit and experience this city on a weekend getaway, and what a trip it was! Avery, myself, and Ian all had a blast and we all like different things when we travel – Avery loves sleeping and seeing animals, I love eating and finding unique coffee shops, Ian loves beer, air conditioning, and copious amounts of food, and we all love seeing the “real” city by getting active and exploring. Plus, we couldn’t help but admire the beautiful homes in Greenville, adding to the city’s charm.
I’m so excited to share this with you, so let’s dive in!
Things To Do in Greenville, SC
Three days – actually, two and a half days – is not a lot of time to experience a new area and really take it in, but I think that we covered a lot of ground in the amount of time that we had. Here are some of our favorites things to do in Greenville:
Greenville Zoo
The zoo was our first stop after checking into the hotel and I’m so glad we went. Avery loved every second – especially the giraffes! The Greenville zoo is on the smaller side, but that is one thing we loved about it. It made it feel more personable and approachable. The animals also seemed SO close to us, which we loved! The Greenville zoo is doing an amazing job right now with social distancing and they recommend masks.
The Swamp Rabbit Trail
This was awesome, and possibly my favorite part of the entire trip. We took the trail north from Greenville to Travelers Rest and made some stops along the way to grab coffee, snacks, and more.
The Swamp Rabbit Cafe & Grocery is a must, as it’s packed with fresh, local foods, some amazing cinnamon rolls, coffee, trail snacks, and nearly anything else you can think of. We ended up hitting this spot again on our way out of town to stock up on amazing fresh, local, organic produce, and other favorites – like Sweet’s elderberry syrup and a local raw cream. SO GOOD!
Pro tip: When you bike the Swamp Rabbit Trail, grab bikes from Reedy Rides. They even had a baby seat for Avery, so it made it really convenient.
Travelers Rest
Once you get to Travelers Rest, there is a brewery we tried called Swamp Rabbit Brewery that Ian really enjoyed.
Falls Park on the Reedy
Inarguably the most picturesque green space in town! This park showcases the spectacular 345-food curved suspension Liberty Bridge, which offers unobstructed views of the Reedy River waterfalls. This bridge (and the experience) are one-of-a-kind in the US. There is a cute little coffee shop/ice cream stop right at the top of the park called Spill The Beans that we picked up coffee from one morning. My friend said that their ice cream is KILLER, but we didn’t get a chance to try a scoop. Next time, for sure!
The Essential Market
The Greenville essential market (aka. the farmers market) was fantastic! Tons of local, organic produce, fresh bread, and more. They have 40 vendors each Saturday and the safety measures are great. Social distancing promoted, masks required, etc.
The Upcountry History Museum
The Upcountry History Museum offers a Clifford The Big Red Dog exhibit and it was a HUGE hit with Avery. She was smiling, laughing, playing with a kitchen, etc. Highly recommend with young kids!
Where to Eat in Downtown Greenville, SC
We ate so much good food on our trip! Let me tell you, the food scene there is hopping!
Southern Pressed Juicery
We love juice, smoothies, acai bowls, etc. and so when we found Southern Pressed Juicery, we were in heaven – especially Avery! We went twice and probably could have gone many more times during our trip. Next time, I will definitely try a superfood latte, too! They have a storefront and a booth at the farmers market! Highly recommend.
The Lazy Goat
When you go to downtown Greenville, SC, I highly recommend checking out The Lazy Goat. I asked (on my IG stories) for dinner recommendations and quite a few of you mentioned The Lazy Goat. It serves Mediterranean-inspired small and large plates in a primo riverside spot along the Reedy River (which flows through the center of town). The food (and the view) was nothing short of fantastic! They were so kind and even made Avery her own little plate of food.
Food recommendations: fried goat cheese (amazing!), brussels sprouts, dipping trio, agnolotti (took me right back to Italy!), the trout, chocolate torte, and the creme brulee (holy moly – this was good!).
Gather GVL
If you are a local Atlantan, you have probably been to Krog Street and/or Ponce City Market (probably both). Well, Gather GVL is sort of like those, but all outdoors. This outdoor food hall was AMAZING and it was the perfect spot for lunch – especially since Avery was really fussy that afternoon. This is actually Greenville’s first food hall and includes 13 concepts: everything from plant-based smoothies to doughnuts, and more! We tried HenDough Chicken, KO Burger, Mercado Catina, and The Lob Father and they were all SO good. I honestly cannot even think of a way to describe them all other than “SO GOOD.” If you visit Greenville, SC, Gather GVL is a must-visit. Do not leave Greenville without visiting it!
Up On The Roof
This restaurant, located on the roof of the Embassy Suites Riverplace, offers panoramic views of downtown Greenville, SC and beyond. Up On The Roof offers a delicious small plates menu as well as some amazing craft beers and artisan wines. Nothing beats the combination of that food and the views! We LOVED Up On The Roof and highly recommend it.
Food recommendations: humpty dumpties (SO good), charcuterie board, crab cakes, tuna tataki, souffle, panna cotta.
Methodical Coffee
Methodical Coffee was amazing and I highly recommend! I got a matcha latte (iced because it was hot) and Ian got something that I can’t remember (sorry!!). Really, really good. Another coffee spot that we wanted to try, but did not get to was Due South Station. It was supposed to be along the Swamp Rabbit Trail (I think?), but we couldn’t find it (user error, probably) and didn’t try too hard since we just had Methodical Coffee.
Pour Taproom
This is a fun spot to try local beers! Dog and baby friendly, too 🙂
Poppington’s Popcorn
Okay – I am OBSESSED with Poppington’s popcorn! Egg-free, non-GMO, and gluten-free popcorn. They ship around the holidays, too. SO GOOD.
Smoke on The Water
SO many of you recommended smoke on the water and we tried it out just before heading back to Atlanta. It was good, but honestly, I don’t think it compared to Up on the Roof or The Lazy Goat. Everyone was SO nice though, and the food WAS good!
Willy Taco – Feed & Seed
Okay, Willy Taco is SO good! Great tacos, award-winning margs, and an open patio for COVID dining. Really great spot close to the zoo!
Where To Stay In Greenville, SC
We stayed at the Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown Greenville downtown and it was perfect! The hotel was utilizing EXTRA safety precautions and the hotel was so convenient to everything. Other than the zoo, we walked everywhere. Even with the free breakfast — they had it to-go style, with baggies for safety. I was really, really impressed. Also, hand sanitizer was EVERYWHERE and they were disinfecting rooms thoroughly. It was recently renovated, so it’s not like a traditional Hampton Inn, too. Highly recommend if you are looking for a hotel in Greenville, SC that is convenient, safe, and comfortable!
Safety Measures Being Taken in Greenville
I know that safety is at the forefront of many people’s minds these days. In fact, that may cause some people not to travel at all (sad!). I was really impressed with the safety measures that Greenville was taking to help ensure the safety of locals, business owners, and travelers.
Lots of protective measures right now, so travelers can rest easy if they are concerned about COVID. The tourism business REALLY needs your support right now, so please – if you are considering travel, go for it. Be safe, but go for it. There are plenty of spots to eat outside, or social distance within a restaurant, so you CAN travel safely.
I hope that this guide helps you plan your own short stay in this beautiful city. Trust me, even if downtown Greenville, SC is out of your way, it’s worth the visit!
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