🏖️ Destination Guide · Myrtle Beach, SC
Myrtle Beach, SC Travel Guide
Everything for a Grand Strand trip, split into three real guides instead of one giant scroll: where to stay, what to do, and where to eat — covering Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Windy Hill, and Cherry Grove.
📍 8 Areas Covered
✅ Verified, Not Guessed
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📍 North Myrtle Beach
📍 Windy Hill
📍 Cherry Grove
📍 Surfside Beach
📍 Market Common
📍 Grande Dunes
📍 Murrells Inlet
The Grand Strand isn’t one neighborhood — the Boardwalk area, the Golden Mile, Market Common, Grande Dunes, and North Myrtle Beach’s Windy Hill, Cherry Grove, and Ocean Drive sections all have a different feel. This guide is built by area, not just by name, so you can match the right hotel, activity, and restaurant to where you’re actually staying.
🐾 Where to Stay
63 verified hotels — dog-friendly, family/waterpark, more oceanfront resorts, luxury, budget, Murrells Inlet, Surfside Beach, and North Myrtle Beach — no prices, just the facts.
🎭 Things to Do
64 attractions across 14 categories — dinner shows, mini golf, go-karts, big-ticket entertainment like Topgolf, water parks, boat tours, helicopter tours, state parks, and the SkyWheel — sorted, with deal links where verified.
🍴 Where to Eat
67 restaurants — the full Murrells Inlet MarshWalk lineup, a BBQ lineup, Surfside Beach picks, and Myrtle Beach favorites.
Know the Area Before You Book
- Myrtle Beach (downtown/Boardwalk): The Boardwalk, SkyWheel, Family Kingdom, and the biggest concentration of dog-friendly hotels.
- Broadway at the Beach: WonderWorks, Ripley’s, escape rooms, and magic shows all in one walkable complex.
- Golden Mile: North Myrtle Beach-adjacent stretch with several of the biggest waterpark resorts (Dunes Village, Caravelle).
- Grande Dunes / Market Common: Quieter, more residential-feeling areas with resort-style suites and walkable dining.
- North Myrtle Beach — Windy Hill / Restaurant Row: The live-music theater district (Alabama Theatre, Carolina Opry) plus a cluster of family restaurants.
- North Myrtle Beach — Cherry Grove / Ocean Drive: Quieter, more residential beach area with fewer high-rises — good if you want distance from the downtown crowds.
- Surfside Beach: Just south of Myrtle Beach proper, home to Crabby Mike’s and a slower pace.
- Murrells Inlet: Home to the MarshWalk restaurant strip, Brookgreen Gardens, and Huntington Beach State Park — worth a full day on its own.
📅 2026 Theme Weeks
The Grand Strand’s calendar runs on a steady series of festivals, sports weeks, and motorcycle rallies. Worth knowing the weeks if you’d rather avoid the crowds, or want to time a trip around one on purpose.
❄️ Winter Focus Weeks (January – February)
- Restaurant Week South Carolina (Jan 8–18, 2026): A statewide culinary week featuring exclusive multi-course menus at Myrtle Beach’s dining spots.
- Grand Strand Boat and Sportsman Expo (Jan 9–11, 2026): Marine exhibitions and outdoor gear at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
🌸 Spring Theme Weeks (March – May)
- Can-Am Days Festival (March 13–22, 2026): A 65-year tradition welcoming Canadian snowbirds with discounts, local concerts, and receptions.
- Spring Break Peak Weeks (Mid-March – Mid-April): Consecutive weeks dominated by family travel and college students, anchored around Easter week.
- Myrtle Beach Food Truck & Music Festival (April 10–12, 2026): Local and national street food vendors at the former Myrtle Square Mall grounds.
- Taste of The Market Common (April 18, 2026): An outdoor tasting event spotlighting the Market Common retail district’s restaurants.
- ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic (May 7–10, 2026): A PGA Tour professional golf tournament played on the Grand Strand.
- Myrtle Beach Bike Week Spring Rally (May 8–17, 2026): The primary 10-day motorcycle rally across the Grand Strand.
- Market Common Fashion Week (May 10–16, 2026): A local boutique fashion showcase with a finale runway show at Valor Park.
- Military Appreciation Days & Atlantic Beach Bikefest (Memorial Day Weekend, May 22–25, 2026): The city’s official Military Appreciation program (parade, picnic, JROTC competition, remembrance ceremony) runs the same week as the Atlantic Beach Bikefest motorcycle rally, one of the largest African American motorcycle rallies in the country.
☀️ Summer Peak Weeks (June – August)
- Senior Week / Beach Week (Late May – Mid-June): A high-school graduation week tradition at local resorts and clubs.
- Muzika! The Grand Strand Music Festival (June, select dates): A series of classical, Broadway, and choral concerts at venues around the Grand Strand.
- Carolina Country Music Fest (June 4–7, 2026): A country music festival taking over the oceanfront boardwalk with 40+ national artists.
- Peak Summer High Season (Mid-June – Mid-August): Weeks centered around family beach tourism, nightly boardwalk activity, and July 4th fireworks over the ocean.
🍁 Fall Focus Weeks (September – October)
- Myrtle Beach Waves of Praise Gospel Fest (Sept 3–5, 2026): A coastal gospel music and arts festival.
- SOS Fall Migration (Sept 18–27, 2026): The Society of Stranders’ fall gathering, filling oceanfront clubs with historic shag dancing.
- Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival & Bike Week Fall Rally (Sept 25 – Oct 4, 2026): A fine arts festival at Huntington Beach State Park that kicks off the autumn motorcycle rally.
- Little River ShrimpFest (Oct 10–11, 2026): A waterfront seafood festival in Little River drawing large regional crowds.
🎄 Holiday Theme Weeks (November – December)
- Mythical & Medieval Fest (Nov 7–8 & Nov 14–15, 2026): Two weekends of historical reenactments and costumed arts.
- Winter Wonderland at The Beach (Late November – early January): A holiday lights display at the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Broadway at the Beach.
- Dickens Christmas Show & Festivals (Nov 12–15, 2026): A Victorian-era holiday marketplace and shopping festival at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center.
Dates shown are for 2026 and shift slightly each year.
What’s the difference between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach?
They’re two separate cities along the same stretch of coast. Myrtle Beach is the larger, more built-up downtown/Boardwalk area; North Myrtle Beach is a separate municipality to the north that includes Windy Hill, Ocean Drive, Cherry Grove, and Crescent Beach.
Where is Windy Hill?
Windy Hill is a section of North Myrtle Beach, roughly between Restaurant Row and Barefoot Landing — home to the Alabama Theatre and several of the area’s live-music venues.
Where is Cherry Grove?
Cherry Grove is the northernmost section of North Myrtle Beach, known for a quieter, more residential beach feel and its fishing pier.
Should I stay in Myrtle Beach or North Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach puts you closer to the Boardwalk, Broadway at the Beach, and the widest hotel selection. North Myrtle Beach (especially Cherry Grove) is quieter and more residential, with its own restaurant and entertainment cluster around Windy Hill.
Can I bring my dog to Myrtle Beach?
Yes — several hotels across Myrtle Beach, Market Common, and Cherry Grove have genuinely dog-friendly policies. See our hotels guide for verified pet fees and weight limits.
How does NME build its destination guides?
We verify hotels, restaurants, and attractions directly against their own official sites and policy pages rather than relying on a single aggregator list, and we flag anything we couldn’t independently confirm. Read more on our methodology page.
Know Something We Should Add?
If there’s a hotel, attraction, or restaurant across Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, or the surrounding areas we’re missing anywhere in this guide, email us and we’ll take a look.
Ready to plan the trip?
Start with where you’ll stay, then work outward to what to do and where to eat.
