Columbia Travel Guide

Travel in Columbia

Destinations Near Columbia

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Sailboat at sunset on Lake Murray near Columbia, South Carolina
Lake Murray at sunset (courtesy, Columbia CVB)
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Columbia Travel Tips

  • Discover more than 2,000 lions, tigers, lemurs, and other wild animals in simulated natural habitats at the 170-acre Riverbanks Zoo and Garden near downtown.
  • From the Civil War to the Civil Rights Era, head back into Palmetto State history at the South Carolina State Museum. Located in a 19th-century textile mill, the museum also features art, natural history, and science exhibits.
  • Enjoy canoeing, kayaking, bird-watching, and hiking through the old-growth forest at Congaree National Park, about 20 miles outside the city.
  • Find time to explore Five Points, one of Columbia's more colorful neighborhoods, featuring a variety of restaurants, shops, and galleries.
  • Plan a Columbia visit between fall and spring. Summers can be brutally hot and humid.

Columbia Travel Guide

Columbia, unlike many of America's older cities, has the orderly look of a planned community, with streets laid out like an almost-unbroken checkerboard and wide boulevards, giving it a graceful beauty. The city was created in 1786 as a compromise capital, located just 3 miles from the exact geographical center of the state, to satisfy both Low Country and Upstate factions. George Washington paid a visit to Columbia in 1791, just a year after the first General Assembly convened in the brand-new city. Read More

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Hotels

from: $80

Clarion Hotel Downtown

1615 Gervais Street
Columbia, SC 29201 Map

Distance: 0.5 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

Expert Rated & Recommended
from: $145

Claussens Inn

2003 Greene St
Columbia, SC 29205 Map

Distance: 0.9 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 2 class stars

Expert Rated & Recommended
from: $99

The Whitney Hotel

700 Woodrow Street
Columbia, SC 29205 Map

Distance: 1.7 mi.
(from destination center)

Hotel Class: 3 class stars

Expert Rated & Recommended
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Attractions

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden

expert favorite attraction
500 Wildlife Pkwy
Columbia, South Carolina

Distance: 2.3 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

Named one of the 10 great zoos in America, Riverbanks Zoo is known for its worldwide... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended
5_0

University of South Carolina

Gregg, Pendleton, and Main Sts
911 Sumter St
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Distance: 0.3 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

The scenic 218-acre campus is covered with buildings dating from the early 1800s. The campus is... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended
4_0

Columbia Museum of Art

expert favorite attraction
Corner of Main and Hampton Sts
1515 Main St
Columbia, South Carolina 29201

Distance: 0.3 mi. (from destination center)

Description:

The museum's plaza has four quadrants: one containing an amphitheater, another a dining... Read More

Expert Rated & Recommended
4_0
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Airports

Major Airports near Columbia

Distance (mi.)
Charlotte Douglas Airport 84.3 map
Greensboro Piedmont Triad International Airport 158.4 map
Raleigh/Durham Airport 180.9 map

Other Smaller Airports near Columbia

Distance (mi.)
Columbia Metropolitan Airport 5.9 map
Augusta Bush Field 69.3 map
Charleston AFB Municipal Airport 95.4 map

Flight Deals to Columbia

Originating From
Baltimore (BWI) to Charlotte (CLT) $104
Orlando (ORL) to Charlotte (CLT) $143
New York City (NYC) to Charlotte (CLT) $144
Philadelphia (PHL) to Charlotte (CLT) $157
Buffalo (BUF) to Charlotte (CLT) $158

Trip Ideas

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Columbia Vacation Rentals

check rates
from: $301

Plantation Home with Poolhouse Cottage

Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 5
Sleeps: 12
Amenities: Swimming Pool
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from: $712

Gorgeous Home on the Beachwalk

Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 6
Sleeps: 12
check rates
from: $524

New Luxurious 5 Bedroom Home

Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 5
Sleeps: 10
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