Plan A Great Weekend In Greenville, SC With Our Itinerary

As Asheville locals, Greenville, South Carolina is our second home for the city’s popular festivals, mainstream concerts, doctor’s appointments, and great downtown area. This is how we would spend one weekend in Greenville, SC to experience its foodie scene, culture, and the great outdoors.

Pin

This post may contain affiliate links that earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. If you love these free guides, support Uncorked Asheville with a small tip.

Day 1: Arriving In Greenville

Asheville to Greenville is only one hour and twenty minutes by car. Originating from the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), expect a 20-minute drive into Downtown Greenville. This Greenville itinerary will include options with and without a car.

Check-In (Where To Stay)

We don’t love leaving overnight bags in any vehicle, especially in larger cities. For safety, we try to check in immediately or leave our luggage at the hotel. With one weekend in Greenville, we also highly recommend staying downtown for its convenience and to fully enjoy the walkable part of the city.

A few centrally-located, Downtown Greenville hotels we recommend include:

• The Grand Bohemian Lodge ($$$ – $$$$) for a romantic weekend getaway or special occasion on Falls Park on the Reedy; it’s gorgeous and a great treat; enjoy drinks by the fireplace or falls at night
• The Westin Poinsett ($$$) for historic charm and theater-goers, located on Main Street
• Hampton Inn & Suites Greenville-Downtown-Riverplace ($$) for the best value within walking distance of Downtown Greenville
• Home2 Suites by Hilton Greenville Downtown ($$) for concerts at the Bon Secours at a great price with valet parking and kitchenettes
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Greenville Downtown (an IHG Hotel) ($$) for concerts with room upgrades and bottled water for rewards members; on-site shop, and friendly staff (bathrooms are just slightly dated)

Celebratory Drinks (Best Places To Grab A Drink)

Living up to our namesake, we always get to know a city by its beverages: coffee, local craft beer, and hand-crafted cocktails. However, we appreciate more low-key places versus happening nightlife spots.

Pin

Pin

Pin

Pin

From rooftop bars to breweries, these are a few memorable places for drinks in Greenville:

• Up on the Roof – Spy Greenville from above with sprawling rooftop views, boozy drinks that come in cute bottles, and both a graze and full restaurant menu with sliders, seafood, and veggie sharables.
• Liability Brewing Co – As a half-Celiac household, Liability’s gluten-reduced beers work for us; we love the murals and vibes of this local craft brewery. You will need transportation here, though, as it is not walkable from Downtown. Yee-Haw Brewing Company is another option for a walkable Downtown brewery along with much newer New Realm (with food!) in Greenville’s West End.
• Lobby Bar at the Grand Bohemian Lodge (or Spirit & Bower downstairs) – We usually avoid hotel bars, but this one is special. At the Grand Bohemian, grab drinks overlooking Falls Park on the Reedy. Tip: head here when non-guests have left to avoid the crowds.
• Coffee Underground – We cannot resist a good coffee shop. Coffee Underground boasts an underground theater and a coffee cafe. It’s a hipster cultural hotspot with later evening hours.
• Foxcroft Wine Co. – It is hard to pick just one wine flight here, and we highly recommend the tapas. Discover new wines from across the globe; we’ve brought our favorites home from their vast wine shop.

We are slowly working our way through Greenville’s bars and breweries, and our readers also love Better Than… cough, cough. It’s a dessert restaurant with hilariously fitting and provocative names.

Dinner Downtown (Top Restaurants)

For Downtown Greenville dining, we highly recommend making advanced dinner reservations where accepted, especially for fancier restaurants. If you aren’t snacking at one of the above bars – Up on the Roof is great for dinner – our top casual choice is Nose Dive.

Pin

Pin

Nose Dive is a cozy Main Street restaurant with indoor and seasonal outdoor seating. Expect casual bites, great drinks, and a restaurant that caters to food intolerances and allergies. I always crave their hummus plate and order a burger, poke bowl special, or fish and chips. Tom loves a GF burger and tender BBQ chicken.

A few more Greenville restaurants to consider include Roost (even though it’s attached to a hotel, we eat here a lot for quality and service), Tupelo Honey (it’s a franchise also in Asheville, but they are popular and good), Grill Marks (a jumping burger joint), and Sassafras Southern Bistro (Southern fare). Sushi Murasaki and SushiGo have fresh sushi rolls. Our readers love Pomegranate On Main, The Trappe Door, and Soby’s.

Day 2: Full Day In Greenville

There is so much to do with one day in Greenville. These are just a few options, depending on who you are traveling with and your interests.

Outdoors Lovers: Swamp Rabbit Trail

Pin

Pin

I’m in love with the Swamp Rabbit Trail, which keeps growing in length – about 28 miles now. For road bikers and low-key mountain bikers, this is a great way to spend the morning and afternoon in Greenville with nice weather. Whether you rent bikes or bring your own, pass through public parks, food and drink areas, and Greenville landmarks. The trail is family-friendly with restrooms and bike lock spots along the way.

For The Family: Greenville Zoo

Zoos may or may not be for you. While they aren’t necessarily our jam, we have dropped into the Greenville Zoo to see some of their well-cared-for animals like the baby giraffe and orangutans. Meet a very large tortoise, and watch the monkeys. Check their hours, especially in the winter with closures. It’s also a few dollars cheaper if you purchase in advance online.

First-Timers: Falls Park on the Reedy & Downtown

Pin

Pin

If this is your first time visiting Greenville, we suggest staying downtown and enjoying Falls Park on the Reedy. This is a breathtaking and surprising city space filled with falls, a walkable park, and plenty of areas to relax. Of course, you can’t miss Greenville’s biggest attraction, Liberty Bridge, a single-suspension bridge over the falls.

Then, stroll the downtown area or take a popular guided segway tour, dipping into our favorite bookstore, M. Judson Booksellers. Downtown Greenville is filled with boutique shops for clothes and candles, ice cream cafes, and more. For cute dresses, head to Traveling Chic Boutique, my favorite.

For Culture & Fun: Festival, Concert, or Theater

Pin

Pin

Having lived near Hartford, CT (NYC and Boston are right there), Jakarta, Indonesia, and the Tampa/Orlando, Florida areas, I’ve been spoiled with terrific theater and concerts. Greenville is truly a happening city for music and theater lovers. Be sure to see what band (or event) is coming to the Bon Secours. We’ve seen Disturbed, Seether, Staind, and Saint Asonia. Watch an off-Broadway play at the Peace Center. Or, attend a popular festival like Fall for Greenville or Artisphere. We include annual Greenville events on our Asheville/Nearby Areas events calendar.

Day 3: Before You Go

No Greenville weekend itinerary is complete without brunch and a little nearby exploration on your way out. While Greer, SC and Hendersonville/Flat Rock, NC are fairly close, Travelers Rest is a hidden gem. But first, brunch!

Sunday Brunch (Delicious Mid-Morning Restaurants)

Pin

Pin

Whether you are looking for a quick and cheap meal on the run or a nice brunch out, Greenville has quite a few places to grab breakfast and brunch. If you are staying at the Grand Bohemian, try their delicious restaurant overlooking the falls, Between the Trees (our food was delicious!).

Tupelo Honey and Biscuit Head are just as popular in Greenville as Asheville. Bonjour Main, Stax Omega Diner (live waitlist on their website), Roost, Southern Culture Kitchen & Bar, CAMP, and Soby’s are just a few more options. We also highly recommend TopSoil Restaurant in Travelers Rest, which overlooks the Swamp Rabbit Trail and is James Beard-recognized.

Visit Travelers Rest

Travelers Rest is a small city about 20 minutes by car from Greenville. However, you can also access and easily explore the area from the Swamp Rabbit Trail; some establishments have bike racks.

With much smaller vibes, a few of our favorite stops in Travelers Rest include:

• Swamp Rabbit Brewery & Taproom
• As The Page Turns – My personal favorite used and new bookstore; I’ll drive the hour from Asheville to donate our books and shop here
• Farmhouse Tacos – Get the margarita flight!
• TruBroth – The best pho secret around
• TopSoil Restaurant – Weekend brunch and James Beard semi-finalist

Try A Greenville Winery

While we are still working our way through the Greenville wine scene, on the way back to Asheville, there are two wineries less than 10 minutes apart: Eagle Mountain Vineyards and Winery and Kennington Family Winery. Build a wine flight at Kennington, which also has a juice flight for kids and seasonal mimosa flights. Discover all of the great wineries around WNC too.

Before You Go…

While we write from a local standpoint for our Asheville articles, we frequent the happening Upstate. We’d love to know your favorite way to spend a weekend in Greenville, from restaurants to bars and special events. We are always trying new places. Let us know in the comments and subscribe to our newsletter for area updates.