Overview
Myrtle Beach is a major tourist destination and the central focus of the Grand Strand coast of South Carolina. It is widely known for its wide beaches, numerous golf courses, seafood restaurants, and outlet-style shopping, as well as one of the highest concentrations of miniature golf courses you'll find anywhere. A popular spring break destination, Myrtle Beach is heavily developed and crowded, in contrast to other Southern beaches, such as the Outer Banks in North Carolina, and attracts a lot of tourists from other Southern states or "Snowbirds" from the North, who may own a condominium or timeshare along the coast.
2 sights · 12 things to do · 10 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 16 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Myrtle Beach
Family Kingdom Amusement Park
Myrtle Waves Water Park
Myrtle Beach State Park
One of the few underdeveloped natural areas to be found along the Grand Strand. Boasts a mile of beachfront and includes a large campground, a fishing pier and nature trails that lead through a maritime forest. There is …
The Carolina Opry
Regular music and dance shows.
Hollywood Wax Museum
The Hollywood Wax Museum is the only wax museum in the country devoted entirely to celebrity figures. Get close to some of the most famous people in show business and step right into the spotlight with icons of the silve…
Broadway at the Beach
A huge cluster of bars, nightlife, shops, a movie theater, an aquarium, and even a zip line. It's crowded, although worth a visit.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–May, Oct–Nov. Summer highs reach about 90°F; winter lows dip to about 36°F. Very hot (Jul) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Sep and Aug. (climate data from nearby Wilmington)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- MYR Myrtle Beach International Airport, Myrtle Beach — 4 mi away (major hub). Directions
- FLO Florence Regional Airport, Florence — 58 mi away. Directions
Myrtle Beach sits at the intersection of US 17, which runs along the coast of the Carolinas, and US 501, which travels inland. From Interstate 95 South, take US 501 south for 66 miles (106 km).
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Typical meal: about $22 per person at listed restaurants.
Options are grouped as Budget, Mid-range, Splurge in the Sleep guide ↓.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Broadway at the Beach, The Pavilion Park, Ripley's Aquarium of Myrtle Beach
- Lunch Extreme Pizza Myrtle Beach
- Afternoon Legends In Concert, Hollywood Wax Museum
- Dinner Soho Cafe
- Evening Atlas Tap House
Day 2
- Morning Island Adventure Watersports
- Lunch Athen's Pizza
- Afternoon Myrtle Beach State Park
- Dinner 8th Ave Tiki Bar & Grill
Day 3
- Morning The Carolina Opry
- Lunch Blueberry's Grill Myrtle Beach
- Afternoon Dunes Golf and Beach Club
- Dinner Fiesta Mexicana
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By plane
Go Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR)
Most guests arriving from either the west coast or overseas fly into a major hub, such as Atlanta or Charlotte before connecting to their final destination in Myrtle Beach. The busiest routes to MYR are from Atlanta (Delta) and Charlotte (American), with several flights each day. American Airlines and United Airlines each have one daily flight from their hubs in Dallas and Newark respectively. There are summer seasonal flights from Toronto on Porter Airlines. Taxi from the airport to the resort area costs about $15.
Go Grand Strand Regional Airport
Serves the area and is used mostly by private or chartered flights.
By car
Myrtle Beach sits at the intersection of US 17, which runs along the coast of the Carolinas, and US 501, which travels inland. From Interstate 95 South, take US 501 south for 66 miles (106 km).
By train
There is no direct rail service to Myrtle Beach. The closest passenger stations are in Dillon, North Charleston, Florence and Kingstree, which are served by Amtrak's Silver Service and Palmetto trains.
Florence, SC is the closest station but it is about 70 miles (110 km) away from Myrtle Beach, so the best option is to arrange a limousine, or a shuttle or bus service for the final hour or two ride to the beach.
Get around
By car
One aspect of Myrtle Beach that is less-than hospitable are its roads. A tourist may find the style of driving in Myrtle Beach to be aggressive, reckless and hard to manage. Myrtle Beach has one of the highest accident rates in the state, due in part to its impatient drivers and oddly-placed roads.
If you must drive, plan ahead - if you are going a short distance (under five miles), then take one of the main roads that runs adjacent to the beach. If you are going a longer distance, try to take one of the interstate roads that branches further out - these are generally clear of traffic, and thus are much more bearable than the city roads.
There are several car rental companies located in Myrtle Beach, including Alamo Rent-a-Car, National Car Rental, Avis Rent-a-Car, and Budget Car Rental.
By bus
Coast RTA is the bus system for the Myrtle Beach area. Routes run along major thoroughfares and to and from neighboring towns. Service hours are quite limited. Schedules are available at all Myrtle Beach Area Conventions and Visitors Bureau offices. Fares are $1.50 adults, $1.25 students, $0.75 children.
Another alternative for those without cars are charter buses. Coach buses are cost-effective for large groups of people who want to relax and enjoy personal service, and travel locally as well as out of state. Reservations for charter buses are best made a few weeks in advance and prices are determined by the location of the destination.
By taxi
There are several private cab services in the area which can run up to $50 for a trip across the Grand Strand. The rate is $2.80 a mile $1 for extra passenger, rates are set by the City of Myrtle Beach.
Serving all of the Myrtle Beach area is Yellow Cab Taxi, +1 843 420-1200. The North Strand is served by Absolute Taxi, +1 843 333-3333.
See
- The namesake of Myrtle Beach is, of course, the beach. During the high season the beach can be crowded and parking scarce. Staying at a beachfront hotel or within walking distance can make for a more pleasant visit. For those on a budget, however, don't fret - the beach is still public, although you may have to fight for a spot during the day. Never underestimate the beauty of the shoreline at sunrise, when the sands are basically abandoned, the temperature modest, and the seashells from the night before have yet to be picked.
Do
- ,
Do Myrtle Beach State Park
One of the few underdeveloped natural areas to be found along the Grand Strand. Boasts a mile of beachfront and includes a large campground, a fishing pier and nature trails that lead through a maritime forest. There is a nature center with exhibits on local marine, bird, and plant life. There is Wi-Fi availability for park guests at the campground store and pier, pets are allowed in most outdoor areas year round, and there are tours and programs for visitors.
Do Myrtle Beach Pelicans
BB&T Coastal Field, at the intersection of 21st Avenue North & Robert Grissom Parkway, directly across from Broadway at the Beach. An Advanced-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. There have been a few Major League Baseball players who have worn the Pelicans' uniform since the team began play in 1999.
- Throughout the year, there are tons of festivals and events, celebrations, and special events like parades. Festivals of note include the Sun Fun Festival, the Beach Boogie & BBQ Festival, and the Canadian-American Days Festival.
Do Hollywood Wax Museum
The Hollywood Wax Museum is the only wax museum in the country devoted entirely to celebrity figures. Get close to some of the most famous people in show business and step right into the spotlight with icons of the silver screen, recreated so faithfully that you'd swear they are alive. The Hollywood Wax Museum houses tons of uncanny replicas, from Hollywood stars to television personalities to characters from your favorite movies.
Golf
One of the main reasons many people come to Myrtle Beach is the many golf courses in the area, of which there are so many that Myrtle Beach can rightfully be (and has been) called the golf capital of the world. Most of the courses in Myrtle Beach are available to be played as part of a package deal with other courses, lodging, and meals. It is usually much less expensive to play, eat and stay in Myrtle Beach if you take advantage of this option.
Myrtle Beach is not only known for its world-class golf courses, but also for its numerous miniature golf courses. There are over 60 miniature golf courses in Myrtle Beach and many of them feature the latest designs and technology in the mini-golf industry.
Do Mount Atlanticus
This is a 36-hole miniature golf course that is the best minigolf this city can buy. With two courses, a mountain with waterfalls, streams, and a Tyrannosaurus Rex that tries tirelessly to disrupt the golfer’s concentration, bizarre wall art (including a mural in which God looks suspiciously like Kurt Russell, complete with shades), and strange Ewok-like huts, this place is a must-play. If you make a hole in one at the 19th, you get your polaroid on the wall and a lifetime free pass.
Buy
Kings Highway, the main road through town, is lined with many discount beachwear stores. Be warned though: the prices they advertise on the signs out front are often flat-out false. As it turns out, there's an awful lot of leeway when it comes to the "Nothing Over $5.99" signs you'll see driving through town.
Shop The Gay Dolphin
Claiming to be the "nation's largest gift shop," the Gay Dolphin is a must see if you're walking along the main strip, if just to gawk at their eclectic collection of gifts, ranging from the typical beach trinkets to statues of ancient Egyptian sarcophagi. In the past, you could access the roof for a great view of the beach, but the roof is no longer open to the public.
Eat
Budget
Eat Burky's Grill
1950s style diner.
Mid-range
Eat Extreme Pizza Myrtle Beach
Brick oven pizza.
Eat Fiesta Mexicana
Standard quality Mexican food with a lively environment.
Eat Blueberry's Grill Myrtle Beach
Grill restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch, as well as brunch cocktails.
Eat Mr. Fish Seafood Market & Grill
A marvelous seafood restaurant that is noted for its shrimp and grits and also makes excellent soups. There's also a sushi bar inside. And if you want to take some seafood home, Mr. Fish also runs a seafood market.
Eat 8th Ave Tiki Bar & Grill
Better than average bar food with Mediterranean influence. Extensive beer list. Available outdoor seating with a view of the beach.
Splurge
Eat Sea Captain's House
Seafood in a 1930s cottage overlooking the beach.
Eat Soho Cafe
Japanese and Mediterranean seafood and steakhouse, with a popular rooftop bar.
Drink
Drink Atlas Tap House
This reformed house is a favorite haunt of local hipsters, surfers, and beer lovers. Great drinks. Fair food. It sits business laden side streets downtown. Easy to miss if you're not looking for it.
Sleep
Budget
Stay Diplomat Motel
Mid-range
Stay Dunes Village Resort
Has a very large indoor water park complex featuring an array of water attractions, including a more than 250-ft-long river ride, adult sized indoor waterslides, a massive swimming pool with water volleyball and basketball, a variety of hot tubs, and a kiddies' pool with games and slides. Oceanfront studios, 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom condominiums.
Stay Grande Cayman Resort
Numerous pools, sauna, exercise equipment, and game room. Two choices for dining as well as Starbucks on site. A wide variety of rooming options are available, including oceanfront rooms, suites and 3-bedroom condominiums. All units are equipped with free high-speed wireless internet access.
Stay Myrtle Beach Resort
A 33-acre (13 hectares), gated complex just south of the city limits offering a variety of condominiums including efficiencies, studios and 1-3 bedrooms. Available views include direct ocean front, ocean view (side of ocean front building) and park view. In addition to the beach, guests can enjoy a water park with lazy river, an ocean front cabana bar, 6 pools (1 beach front, 2 indoors), lighted tennis courts, saunas, jacuzzis and exercise rooms.
Splurge
Go next
Several smaller towns to the north and south (Briarcliffe, Atlantic Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Little River, Surfside Beach, Murrells Inlet, Pawleys Island, and Garden City) in addition to Myrtle Beach make up what is known as the "Grand Strand".
- If you're looking to get away from the crowds of Myrtle Beach, you can't do much better than the undeveloped beaches of Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, a nature lover's paradise with a pristine stretch of shoreline and a large salt marsh home to alligators and many kinds of birds.
Nearby
Surfside Beach
City / town · 8 listings · 9 mi away
Garden City
City / town · 4 listings · 11 mi away
Conway
City / town · 6 listings · 13 mi away
North Myrtle Beach
City / town · 19 listings · 14 mi away
Murrells Inlet
City / town · 2 listings · 15 mi away
Little River
City / town · 16 listings · 18 mi away
Calabash
City / town · 18 listings · 22 mi away
Pawleys Island
City / town · 14 listings · 24 mi away
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