Excellence Luxury Villas · South Carolina
Luxury Villa Rentals in South Carolina
Villas with pools on Hilton Head and around Charleston, among salt marsh, live oaks and long Atlantic beaches
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Live oaks, tidal creeks and a city of church spires
Spanish moss hanging from the live oaks, tidal creeks turning gold at dusk, a bowl of shrimp and grits at a corner table: the South Carolina Lowcountry works on the senses before it does anything else. This stretch of the Atlantic coast holds Charleston, founded in 1670 and one of the best-preserved old cities in America, and a chain of sea islands running south towards Georgia, with wide beaches, salt marsh and some of the finest golf in the country.
Our South Carolina collection numbers 160+ villas, most of them on Hilton Head Island or around Charleston and Johns Island. They range from family houses in Palmetto Dunes to large villas on Hilton Head's creeks and homes close to Kiawah and Seabrook. Many have private pools, and some have tennis courts and sea views.
Here is how the coast divides, and when to come.
South Carolina at a glance
- Villas
- 160+ on Hilton Head, Johns Island and around Charleston, with up to 8 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £4,000 to £9,700 a week, from around £3,000
- Best areas
- Hilton Head Island, historic Charleston, and Johns Island near Kiawah and Seabrook
- Best time
- March to May and October for warmth without the heat; June to September for the beach
- Getting there
- Charleston International for Charleston and Johns Island; Savannah/Hilton Head International for Hilton Head
Browse all 160+ villas in South Carolina
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
Villa Cramoisi Talahi Johns Island: Luxury 1-Bedroom Villa with Pool & Seaview – Johns Island1 bedrooms
Villa Palmetto Charleston: Luxury 6-Bedroom Villa with Pool & Seaview – Charleston6 bedrooms
House Angel Oak Johns Island: Luxury 7-Bedroom House with Beachfront Views – Johns Island7 bedrooms
Manor Palmetto Johns Island: Luxury Villa with Seaview & Pool & 1 Bedroom – Johns Island1 bedroomsWhere to stay in South Carolina
Hilton Head for beaches, bicycles and golf, Charleston for history, architecture and restaurants, and Johns Island for quiet marshland close to Kiawah and Seabrook.
Bicycles, beaches and a striped lighthouse
Hilton Head is a shoe-shaped island with around twelve miles of Atlantic beach, where the sand is firm enough at low tide to cycle on. A long network of paths makes the bicycle the natural way to get about. Much of the island is divided into gated communities, still called plantations locally, such as Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes and Port Royal, and strict planning has kept buildings low and tucked among the pines.
The red and white lighthouse at Harbour Town looks over Calibogue Sound and the final green of Harbour Town Golf Links, where the RBC Heritage is played each April. Dolphins feed in Broad Creek and the sound, and Bluffton, across the bridge, has an old town that is worth an afternoon.
Browse villas on Hilton Head
Pastel houses, piazzas and the Holy City
Charleston's old town shows what a city looks like when it is well kept: the pastel houses of Rainbow Row on East Bay Street, the grand houses of the Battery facing the harbour, cobbled lanes, and the church spires that earned it the name the Holy City. Look out for the narrow single houses, built side-on to the street with long piazzas to catch the breeze.
Boats leave the waterfront for Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired in April 1861. Along the Ashley River, Middleton Place, Magnolia and Drayton Hall show the gardens and houses of the plantation era, and now tell more of the story of the enslaved people who built them. Gullah Geechee culture, with its own language, cooking and sweetgrass baskets, still runs through Lowcountry life.
Browse villas in Charleston
Marsh, an ancient oak and the Ocean Course
Johns Island, across the Stono River from Charleston, is green and rural, with farm stands, tidal marsh and the Angel Oak, a live oak thought to be several centuries old whose limbs sprawl across a whole clearing. Beyond it lie Kiawah and Seabrook, two quiet barrier islands of long beaches and maritime forest.
Kiawah's Ocean Course hosted the Ryder Cup in 1991 and the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2021. Bohicket Marina, by Seabrook, is where fishing charters and dolphin cruises set out. Downtown Charleston is within an hour by car, so dinner in the city is an easy evening out.
Browse villas on Johns Island
Shrimp and grits, oyster roasts and a long spring
Lowcountry cooking is a large part of the pleasure here: shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, and a Lowcountry boil of shrimp, sausage, corn and potatoes tipped out onto a newspaper-covered table. In the cooler months there are oyster roasts. Charleston has one of the best restaurant scenes in the American South, so the popular tables are worth booking well ahead.
Spring brings azaleas and warm days, and from late May into June Spoleto Festival USA fills Charleston with music, theatre and dance. Summer is hot and humid and is the season for the beach. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November. October is often the best month of all. Our concierge can arrange restaurant tables, boat trips, tee times and transfers.
Ask our conciergeFeatured villas in South Carolina
Villa Zephyros Jarvis Creek Hilton Head: Luxury 8-Bedroom Villa with Ocean Views & Pool – Hilton Head8 bedrooms · sleeps 20From £16,926 a week
Villa Levante Helmsman Johns Island: Luxury 5-Bedroom Beachfront House with Tennis Court – Johns Island5 bedrooms · sleeps 10From £16,289 a week
Villa Fohn Shem Creek South Carolina: Luxury 6-Bedroom Villa with Private Pool & Tennis Court – Charleston6 bedrooms · sleeps 14From £14,728 a week
Villa Levante Kiawah Johns Island: 5-Bedroom Luxury Villa with Infinity Pool & Sea Views – Johns Island5 bedrooms · sleeps 12From £14,707 a week
Villa Safira Jarvis Hilton Head: Spacious 8-Bedroom Villa with Pool & Seaview – Hilton Head8 bedrooms · sleeps 24From £14,357 a week
House Palmetto Dunes: Luxury 6-Bedroom Villa with Pool & Beach Access – Hilton Head6 bedrooms · sleeps 18From £14,014 a week
Villa Fohn Bohicket Johns Island: Luxury 5-Bedroom House with Pool & Seaview – Johns Island5 bedrooms · sleeps 10From £13,881 a week
Villa Vermeil Bohicket Johns Island: Spacious 6-Bedroom House with Seaview – Johns Island6 bedrooms · sleeps 14From £13,818 a weekWhy book your South Carolina villa with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
South Carolina's villas are spread between a historic city, a resort island and quiet sea islands a couple of hours apart, and we know which suit beach days, golf or evenings at Charleston's restaurants. With 160+ properties in South Carolina, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Tee times on Hilton Head and Kiawah, Fort Sumter and dolphin boat trips, restaurant tables in Charleston, bicycle and car hire, and airport transfers. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to stay in South Carolina for a villa holiday?
Hilton Head is best for beaches, cycling and golf, with villas spread across communities such as Palmetto Dunes and Sea Pines. Charleston suits those who want history, architecture and restaurants, and Johns Island is quieter, close to the beaches and golf of Kiawah and Seabrook.
When is the best time to visit South Carolina?
Spring, from March to May, and autumn, especially October, are warm without the heavy heat of high summer. June to September is the beach season, but it is hot and humid, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November.
Can you visit Charleston from a villa on Hilton Head?
Yes, as a long day out. Charleston is around two hours from Hilton Head by road, so many guests either split their stay or choose a villa on Johns Island, which is within an hour of the city.
Can you arrange a private chef at a villa in South Carolina?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury villa in South Carolina cost?
Across our 160+ villas in South Carolina, weekly rates typically range from £4,000 to £9,700, with the most affordable from around £3,000 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
How do I get to Charleston and Hilton Head from the UK?
Most travellers from the UK connect through a US hub. Charleston International Airport serves Charleston and Johns Island. Hilton Head has its own small airport, and Savannah/Hilton Head International is around 45 minutes from the island. Our concierge can arrange transfers.
Are there villas in South Carolina for large groups?
Yes. Our South Carolina collection includes properties with up to 8 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
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Find your villa in South Carolina
160+ villas on Hilton Head, Johns Island and around Charleston, booked direct with our concierge on hand