How To Spend 24 Hours In Charlotte North Carolina

A tailored 24-hour itinerary could be created for whatever you’re seeking, whether it is art, history, craft beer, or a number of other interests that make Charlotte a great place to live and work or just visit. However, we’ve put together a guide for spending 24 hours in Charlotte to get the best flavor for what the Queen City is all about.

Uptown Exploring

Start in downtown Charlotte’s queenly named “Uptown” neighborhood—the center of it all. Here in the city’s center, you’ll find lots of shops, including an overhead mall connected by skywalks. Also, 7th Street Public Market is worth a stop with its collection of local and international gourmet foods and products, plus some made-to-order pizzas and more. More than one Charlotte startup foodie business has launched here, so maybe you’ll discover the next big taste.

NoDa Art March

Rooftop Drinks

Choose from three downtown rooftop spots to kick off your evening. Visit Uptown’s City Lights Rooftop (Charlotte’s largest rooftop bar) or the Whiskey Warehouse, known for its photo-worthy sunset views against the skyline. Or head to the top of Hyatt Place hotel where you can also order food at Chef Rocco Whalen’s Fahrenheit, the only rooftop restaurant in the Queen City.

South End Brewery Crawl

Now that you’ve fueled up for an evening out, time to enjoy the city’s craft beverage scene. It’s a pretty big deal here, and the South End neighborhood provides the best walkable district to imbibe in either craft beer or craft cider. It’s home to the city’s two cideries as well as six breweries. While you’re out and about, grab dinner from one of the food truck’s camped outside the breweries, or hit Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives alum 300 East for lamb ragout or Price’s Chicken Coop for the city’s best chicken.

End the Night on a High Note

In a city of Charlotte’s size—it ranks as the 16th largest in America—it’s no surprise that the Queen City has a venue for every type of atmosphere and style of music. For the big touring acts, go to the indoor Spectrum Center, which shares the space with the city’s NBA team, the Charlotte Hornets, or the outdoor PNC Music Pavilion, which has a huge lawn seat section. For a gritty rock vibe, head to The Milestone Club, which has hosted the likes of R.E.M. and Nirvana. Want to chill out? The Evening Muse and Hattie’s Tap and Tavern are your best bets.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.