Celebrate in the Lowcountry: A Hilton Head Island Thanksgiving Itinerary

Your Thanksgiving experience on Hilton Head Island starts with finding the perfect home base. For couples or small families, The Inn & Club at Harbour Town offers luxury accommodations—the Southern charm and impeccable service create an atmosphere of refined relaxation. Plus, you’ll have plenty of fun activities to choose from during your stay, including Thanksgiving wagon rides, a scavenger hunt for kids, and Gregg Russell’s Thanksgiving Concert under the Liberty Oak in Harbour Town.

There are plenty of options for larger groups, including vacation rental properties ranging from beachfront villas to spacious homes with private pools. Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort, The Sea Pines Resort, and other trusted rental partners offer properties for extended families to gather together under one roof—full kitchens for those who want to cook, private outdoor spaces for morning coffee, and enough room for everyone to feel at home.

For those seeking full-service resort amenities, properties like Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island and The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa provide oceanfront luxury with multiple dining options, pools, and direct beach access.

Start your day by gathering the family for a serene morning walk along the beach. Hilton Head Island beaches are particularly peaceful on Thanksgiving morning, with soft light spilling across the Atlantic and temperatures still mild enough for comfortable exploring. Bring along buckets and shovels for an impromptu sandcastle-building session or simply enjoy the scenery as you stroll across the shore. Just remember the Hilton Head Island Promise — knock over the castle when playtime is over and leave no trace.

For families with young children, this pre-meal activity serves double duty: it burns off energy and helps build anticipation for the dinner feast. Plus, those spontaneous moments of discovery—a perfect shell, a scurrying sandpiper, the first dolphin sighting of the day—will become the stories you'll tell around the table for years to come.

If you're traveling with golfers, Thanksgiving morning presents a golden opportunity. With 23 championship golf courses on Hilton Head Island, you have plenty of options for an early round before the midday feast.

Consider booking a tee time at one of Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort's acclaimed courses—the Robert Trent Jones Oceanfront Course, the George Fazio Course, or the Arthur Hills Course. Each features the beauty of the Lowcountry while offering its own distinct character and challenge.

No matter where you play, the morning air is crisp, the courses are less crowded, and you'll have truly earned that turkey dinner after 18 holes of championship golf.
 

Let someone else handle the roasting while you savor ocean breezes and Lowcountry flavors. Open since 1977, Alexander's Restaurant at Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort offers a prix fixe menu that showcases Thanksgiving classics like herb-roasted turkey and prime rib alongside Lowcountry staples like shrimp and grits and delicious pecan pie.

You’ll also find special Thanksgiving menus at local restaurants across Hilton Head Island. At  Skull Creek Dockside Waterfront Restaurant, you can dine on traditional turkey, or get adventures and give thanks with a seafood bounty (fried or boiled, your choice!). Links, an American Grill, will offer signature family style sides to go along with its three-course meal, while Posidon’s prix fixe menu features turkey, seafood, classic desserts, and appetizers you’re sure to be thankful for.

For those who prefer cooking in their vacation rental but want a helping hand, you can choose from several prepared meals. Big Jim’s at Palmetto Dunes offers convenient to-go packages that feed 4-6 people, complete with turkey, cranberry sauce, desserts, and all the traditional fixings.

And if you’re just looking for a pie to cap off your meal, stop by Harbour Town Bakery & Café from November 25-27, where they’ll have fresh-baked apple, pumpkin, and pecan pie to choose from. 

After a second helping of turkey and a day of outdoor adventures, treat yourself to a healthy stretch at Stretchlab Hilton Head Island. Their 50-minute personalized assisted stretch session will have you up and moving again after a little post-meal sedentary time. If you’re more interested in restorative pause, The Indigo Spa at Hilton Head Health offers a comprehensive wellness experience with treatments designed around the restorative properties of natural ingredients. Book a massage or facial and feel the holiday stress melt away.

For something unique, Pure Salt Studios offers halotherapy—dry salt therapy sessions in rooms enriched with Himalayan salt. The therapeutic benefits for respiratory health and skin vitality make this an experience unlike most traditional spa services. For couples, Heavenly Spa by Westin provides side-by-side treatments that make relaxation a shared journey.

Thanksgiving on Hilton Head Island isn't about escaping the holiday—it's about enhancing it. Here, gratitude comes easily when you're surrounded by natural beauty, free from kitchen stress, and focused on what matters: quality time with the people you love. The Lowcountry's gentle pace encourages connection. Beach walks invite conversation. Shared adventures create bonds. And every sunset serves as a reminder to pause and appreciate the moment.

This year, give yourself and your loved ones the gift of a truly unique Thanksgiving—one that trades hustle for simplicity, adventure, and joy. America's Favorite Island® is waiting to help you create holiday memories that will last long after the last piece of pumpkin pie has been served.

Start planning your escape to Hilton Head Island today. From pristine beaches to championship golf, exceptional dining to endless adventures—everything you need for an extraordinary holiday awaits.