Hilton Head Island Bachelorette Party Guide

Best plan

a big rental house, a boat day, a night out

Book first

the house and a private boat

Nightlife

laid back, mostly near Coligny and Sea Pines

Getting around

bikes by day, a ride service at night

Hilton Head suits a relaxed bachelorette party more than a wild one. The Hilton Head bachelorette ideas that work best are a big rental house near the beach, a private boat cruise or sandbar trip, a long beach day, and a dinner and a few bars in the evening. Book the house and the boat first: both fill up months ahead in spring and summer, and most bachelorette groups come for a Friday-to-Sunday weekend.

Boat Days and Sandbars

A private boat is the highlight of most Hilton Head bachelorette weekends. Charter captains run cruises built for bachelorette groups, with time to swim, look for dolphins and stop on a sandbar at low tide. For a cheaper night, the adults-only BYOB sunset dolphin cruise sells by the seat, and a pontoon rental lets the group drive itself on the calm creeks behind the island. You can book all of these at the top of this page.

Where to Stay for a Bachelorette Party

Most groups rent one large house so everyone is under the same roof. Houses that sleep 10 to 20 are spread across the island, many with a private pool and a short walk to the beach. Sea Pines, Palmetto Dunes and the Forest Beach area near Coligny are the most popular choices: Coligny and Sea Pines put the most restaurants and bars within a bike ride. Check the house rules before you book, since many rentals limit parties and the number of cars.

Beach Days

Coligny Beach is the liveliest beach, with restrooms, showers and food a short walk away. Alcohol is not allowed on Hilton Head’s beaches, and an open container counts, so save the champagne for the boat or the pool. Rent beach chairs and umbrellas for the weekend, and bikes: the island has miles of flat paths, and the hard sand at low tide is good riding too.

Evenings Out

Nights on Hilton Head are low-key: waterfront dinners, rooftop bars, live music on patios and a handful of late bars. Around Coligny, the short walk of bars on Greenwood Drive locals call the Bar-muda Triangle is the busiest stretch after dark. Most groups add one special night in, too: a private chef can cook a dinner at the house, and the island’s spas book group appointments for the morning after. A cocktail class at the Hilton Head Distillery is an easy group activity on a rainy afternoon.

Hilton Head Bachelor Party

For a bachelor party, the island’s draws are golf and fishing. Dozens of courses are on and near Hilton Head, so a group can play a different one each day. Offshore and inshore fishing charters leave every morning from the island’s marinas, and a private boat charter works for a bachelor group just as it does for a bachelorette one. End the day at a sports bar or one of the late bars near Coligny.

Bachelorette Party Budget Tips

• Split one big house. A large rental shared by the whole group usually costs less per person than hotel rooms, and it gives you a kitchen and a pool.

• Go in spring or fall. Rentals cost less outside summer, and the weather in April, May, September and October is warm enough for the beach and the boat.

• Skip the busiest weeks. Heritage golf week in April and the Fourth of July push prices up and fill the boats.

• Cook one dinner at the house. Groceries are not taxed in South Carolina, so a night in costs far less than a restaurant for 12.

• Ride bikes. A weekend bike rental for each person costs less than a few rides across the island.