Plan myrtle beach vacation
Myrtle Beach is a town in South Carolina that’s home to 2 million people and offers a wide range of activities. It’s known for its beautiful beaches, and it’s also home to the first public golf course in the U.S. designed by Donald Ross. The city has long been popular with tourists from all over America, but it’s also the location of many businesses that cater to families traveling with children.
Myrtle Beach is also known for its natural beauty. It’s surrounded by water with the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Intracoastal Waterway on the other side. It has three famous beaches: The Grand Strand, North Myrtle Beach, and South Myrtle Beach.
The best way to enjoy Myrtle Beach is to stay in a rental property. There are thousands of vacation rentals available, and you can find the perfect place for you and your family.
The best part about renting an apartment or house is that you don’t have to worry about packing up your stuff, driving all the way back home, or dealing with long lines at the airport. You can just relax and enjoy your vacation!
Another great benefit of renting a home is that it’s easy to find out exactly what it will cost before you book it online. Once you know how much money you have left over after paying for your rental, you can plan out exactly how much fun everyone will have this summer!
Tips to plan a myrtle beach vacation
1. Choose your Myrtle Beach resort
You will want to choose a Myrtle Beach resort that meets all needs that your family could have while on vacation. Important questions to consider include:
Where should I vacation in Myrtle Beach? The north, central, and south sections of Myrtle Beach all offer different atmospheres and proximity to different area attractions.
If you need help deciding which section is right for you, check out our guide to north, south, and central Myrtle Beach.
What size unit are you looking for? Accommodation styles and sizes range from small efficiencies to spacious multiple bedroom condos. Other options include whether you want a full kitchen, private bedrooms, or an ocean view.
The following room types are some of our favorite options:
- One Bedroom Units
- Two Bedroom Units
- Three Bedroom Units
- Four Bedroom Units
What is your budget? Many things can affect the rate of rooms; the time of year you want to visit, the size of the unit, and whether the room is oceanfront are just a few variables to consider.
If you are on a budget, consider staying in a smaller unit. Or consider coming before or after the prime vacation season. The weather will still be ideal for beach-goers during this time of year.
Let us help you decide which time of the year is best for you to visit: The Best Time to Go to Myrtle Beach
Are amenities important? Different hotels and resorts offer different amenities—some are great for families while others are more suited for couples or adults.
Here are our favorite Myrtle Beach resorts based on vacation:
- Myrtle Beach Resorts for Toddlers
- Myrtle Beach Resorts for Teens
- Myrtle Beach Resorts for Families
- Myrtle Beach Resorts for Couples
- Myrtle Beach Resorts for a Girls’ Trip
Check out our amenities comparison guide and room type comparison guide to narrow down your choices.
2. Pick your travel dates
If your dates are flexible, start off by searching various dates and checking out the latest Myrtle Beach Resorts deals. If you aren’t flexible, that’s ok too! Just search the dates you want to stay and you will get the best rate. Be sure to book as far ahead of time as you can, because rooms in Myrtle Beach fill up fast, especially during the summer and near holidays. Plus, booking early can also help save you money!
The weather is another factor to consider when picking your travel dates. Like we said previously, summer isn’t the only time of the year where you can enjoy beach weather in Myrtle Beach. Spring and fall offer plenty of beach days, too. There are also plenty of options for snowbirds in Myrtle Beach, thanks to great low rates on winter rentals.
3. Plan activities and things to do
Once you have your accommodations selected, then you can start planning the details. Do you want to spend most of your time on the beach? Do you want to visit a lot of attractions or see a lot of shows? Check out our Myrtle Beach Area Guide to narrow down what attractions and shows your family wants to visit.
Sometimes you can even add tickets to these during the checkout process when you book your room. Also, check out our Myrtle Beach discounts page to see where Vacation Myrtle Beach Resorts guests can get exclusive deals and discounts!
4. Start saving
Make an effort to put some money away between when you book and when you depart. Though budgets are great, things may come up. You don’t want to miss out on special souvenirs, an extra meal or two at one of Myrtle Beach’s many fabulous restaurants, or that one attraction that the kids just can’t resist. Be sure to have a realistic budget in mind and a little cushion as well.
5. Kick back and relax
Now that you have your trip planned – you can relax! Start counting down the days and let yourself get excited about your upcoming trip. It will truly be a vacation to remember, whether it is your first time in Myrtle Beach or your 30th time!
Myrtle beach vacation spots
1. Hit the Beach
While it might seem obvious, the main attraction in Myrtle beach is the beautiful stretch of white-sand beach along the city’s oceanfront, which extends for a total of 60 miles. Fly a kite, search for shells, toss a Frisbee, or let the kids enjoy the water while parents watch nearby.
Adventurers can enjoy a variety of sports, such as boating, fishing, surfing, para-sailing, windsurfing, or scuba diving. Many people come simply to set up a chair and read a book. A nighttime walk on the beach shows off the lights of the hotels with the background sounds of water breaking on the sands.
The Myrtle Beach Boardwalk is where you will find the bulk of the town’s hotels, family tourist attractions, restaurants, and souvenir shops. Along the 1.4-mile-long promenade, you will also find multiple stages, which feature concerts as well as arcades and other entertainment. Watch for a variety of special events and annual festivals hosted here, including the Myrtle Beach Seafood Festival, the Carolina Country Music Fest, and others.
2. Go Underwater at Ripley’s Aquarium
Ripley’s Aquarium in Myrtle Beach gives families the unique opportunity to explore a giant aquatic habitat from the inside, thanks to the acrylic tunnel that winds through the Dangerous Reef aquarium. From within this tunnel, visitors can get up close to thousands of fish, including sea turtles, stingrays, and giant sharks. The courageous can opt to actually camp overnight inside the tunnel, and those who are extra-brave can try diving with the sharks.
The aquarium also has a variety of habitats that feature aquatic residents of the Indo-Pacific, like the intricately colored clown triggerfish, an Amazon River habitat, and a stingray lagoon. Visitors can learn more about marine life in the interactive Discovery Center and find out how the immense habitats are maintained by visiting the facility’s systems control room. Staff members also present regular shows, including shark, sea dragon, and jellyfish feedings; dive shows; and a mermaid show.
Address: 1110 Celebrity Cir, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Official site: www.ripleyaquariums.com/myrtlebeach/
3. Be Amazed at WonderWorks
WonderWorks Myrtle Beach takes the concept of a science museum to a new level, engaging kids of all ages in learning while having tons of fun. The interactive exhibits are organized by theme into WonderZones, which focus on topics like natural disasters, physical challenges, lights and sound, space exploration, and art. There is also an area dedicated to the youngest visitors, where they can play and learn with activities like a giant Lite-Brite.
Fun activities include the Extreme 360 bikes experience, an indoor glow-in-the-dark ropes course, and a laser tag arena. The whole family will love the immersive experience of the 6D Extreme theater where motion, environmental effects, and a 3-D film create an exciting thrill ride.
Outside the crazy building, the fun continues with a zipline that soars for 1,000 feet above the water and a ropes course with various challenges all suspended 40 feet in the air.
Address: 1313 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Official site: www.wonderworksonline.com/myrtle-beach
4. Catch a Dinner Show at Dolly Parton’s Pirates Voyage
Next door to The Carolina Opry sits Dolly Parton’s “Pirates Voyage,” a dinner show for landlubbers. Guests are seated in front of a watery stage to enjoy a hearty meal while watching acrobatic pirates from the Sapphire and Crimson crews battle for victory. Sea lions, parrots, and other live animals join the pirates for tricks, comedy, and contests. And audience members can also join in on the fun.
Even though you can purchase tickets at the door, it’s a good idea to call ahead to secure the best seats. Also plan to arrive early (but not more than 45 minutes) to get good spots for the pre-show, which is a first-come, first-served general seating show.
Address: 8901 N Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Official site: http://piratesvoyage.com/
5. Take in the View from the SkyWheel
The Myrtle Beach SkyWheel takes guests way up high in its 42, six-person gondolas. The ride offers an expansive view and plenty of photo ops, and the gondolas are climate-controlled for comfort.
If you want to take your experience one step further, reserve the VIP option for a longer ride in a gondola with a glass floor and views from every angle; advance tickets are available online. At night, one million LED lights illuminate the wheel, making it an iconic landmark and point of reference for tourists and locals alike.
Address: 1110 N Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Official site: www.myrtlebeachskywheel.com
6. Have a Night Out at Broadway at the Beach
Visitors can find a variety of activities at the family-friendly Broadway at the Beach district, home to attractions such as Old Tyme Portraits, Ripley’s Aquarium, and WonderWorks. Other popular activities include mini-golf, a water park, a wax museum, boat rides, and helicopter tours. The Legends in Concert, a celebrity tribute show, is also based here in a state-of-the-art facility.
The area has dining options with classic fare (burgers, pizza, steak, and seafood). On a warm evening, take a paddleboat ride or an after-dark stroll on the Broadway bridges extending over the Intracoastal Waterway. (Pick the bridge closest to Dragon’s Lair Fantasy Golf for some light-hearted background music.)
Every Tuesday and Friday and some weekend days later in the season, Broadway at the Beach lights off an impressive fireworks display at 10pm.
Address: 1325 Celebrity Circle, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Official site: www.broadwayatthebeach.com
7. Stroll through Brookgreen Gardens
Intricate sculptures decorate the grounds of Brookgreen Gardens, a unique property that merges art and nature in a variety of ways. The 9,127-acre property is home to extensive botanical gardens, which form a natural gallery for the artwork, but is also a history and wildlife preserve.
In addition to miles of paths and quiet resting places, Brookgreen offers excursions on a 48-foot pontoon boat, which floats alongside historic Oaks Plantation rice fields, and other guided tours include more areas of the plantation, including the old rice mill and a Civil War fort.
The remote historic plantation house can also be seen via an interpreter-led tour, which also includes visits to the Alston family cemetery and the remains of the plantation’s slave village.
Address: 1931 Brookgreen Garden Dr, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Official site: www.brookgreen.org
8. Ride the Roller Coaster at Family Kingdom Amusement Park
The Family Kingdom Amusement Park offers rides along with the games of chance right on Myrtle Beach’s seashore. Whether you purchase individual ride tickets, get a wristband for all-day fun, or just want to stroll through the arcades and soak up the festive seaside carnival atmosphere, this is a fun place for families, couples, and everyone else.
The park gets better every year and has recently added four new rides that include a brand-new steel roller coaster called Twist ‘n Shout, the super fun Magic Bikes, and the slightly crazy Jump Around Dune Buggies.
The classic rides remain, with favorites like bumper cars, go-karts, antique cars, a carousel, Ferris wheels, and a kiddie train. Thrill rides include multiple roller coasters, tilt-a-whirl, and a 110-foot free fall Sling Shot.
Cool off at the adjacent Splashes Water Park where you’ll find 18 attractions, some of which include a log flume, speed slides, a 430-foot lazy river, and a variety of water flumes.
Address: 300 Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Official site: www.familykingdomfun.com
9. Learn about Jet Aircraft at Warbird Park
Warbird Park is an educational and free attraction located in the Market Common district of Myrtle Beach at the former Myrtle Beach Air Force Base. Since its privatization in 1993, the base has become a beautiful park, displaying aircraft that was once an active part of operations, and each craft on display is presented with details about its history and significance.
Among aircraft on display, tourists will find an A-10 Warthog Thunderbolt that supported ground troops during Operation Desert Storm, an F-100 jet fighter that saw action between the mid-1950s and early 1970s, and one of the base’s A-7 Corsair tactical fighter jets. The park is also home to the Wall of Service, which contains the names of all service members who served at the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.
Address: Farrow Pkwy, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Official site: www.warbirdpark.com
10. Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Myrtle Beach has seven different Ripley’s attractions in two different locations: Broadway at the Beach and North Ocean Boulevard near Plyer Park. Perfect for a rainy or cool day or just for some pure fun and nonsense, these attractions never fail to provide a good time.
Options include the Super Fun Zone arcade; a 5-D Moving Theater; the spectacular Ripley’s Aquarium; a Haunted Adventure; a Marvelous Mirror Maze; the Smash Dash; and the old standby of oddities, Believe it or Not!
