Beach Week in North Myrtle Beach: The Complete Student Guide

Beach Week in North Myrtle Beach is one of the oldest student travel traditions on the East Coast. Every spring and early summer, students from colleges and high schools across the Southeast make the trip to North Myrtle Beach to celebrate the end of the school year — renting beach houses near Ocean Drive, spending days on the sand, and nights out on Main Street.

Unlike spring break, which follows a fixed calendar set by universities, Beach Week is flexible. It runs across a rolling window from late April through June, which means groups can plan around exams, graduation dates, and work schedules. That flexibility — combined with North Myrtle Beach’s walkable Ocean Drive district and the availability of large group rentals — is exactly why students keep coming back year after year.

What Is Beach Week?

Beach Week is a student travel tradition centered on North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It refers to the weeks between the end of the school year and the start of summer — typically late April through June — when student groups rent beach houses for a week and gather in the Ocean Drive area of North Myrtle Beach. It’s not a single event or a sponsored festival. It’s simply the name that has stuck for the window of time when Ocean Drive fills up with graduating seniors, college students finishing exams, and groups marking the end of one chapter before the next one starts.

The tradition goes back decades. Ocean Drive has been a student destination since the 1950s, built around the shag dance scene that originated at clubs like Fat Harold’s on Main Street. That history gives North Myrtle Beach a character that most beach towns don’t have — and it’s why students choose Ocean Drive over other beaches along the Grand Strand.

When Is Beach Week in North Myrtle Beach?

Beach Week doesn’t have a single fixed date. It spans roughly six weeks, from late April through the first week of June, with different groups arriving throughout that window depending on when their school year ends.

May Beach Week — College Students

The largest wave is college students finishing exams in early to mid-May. Most universities wrap up finals between late April and mid-May, and groups typically book the week immediately after their last exam. The Ocean Drive area is at its most active during this window, with clubs like the Spanish Galleon, Fat Harold’s, and Duck’s running nightly events specifically for the student crowd.

Senior Week — High School Graduation (June)

High school seniors from across the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia have been coming to North Myrtle Beach for Senior Week in June for generations. Graduation ceremonies typically fall in late May and early June, and the week after graduation is when most senior groups make the trip. See our dedicated Senior Week in North Myrtle Beach guide for details.

Spring Break — March and April

Some students use the term Beach Week to refer to spring break as well, which falls earlier — typically March through mid-April. Spring break operates on a fixed university calendar rather than the flexible end-of-year window. For everything specific to spring break planning, see our full Spring Break in North Myrtle Beach guide.

Where Beach Week Happens: Ocean Drive

Ocean Drive is the neighborhood in North Myrtle Beach where Beach Week is centered. It runs along Ocean Boulevard and Main Street in the northern part of the city, roughly between 1st Avenue North and the streets surrounding Main Street. Everything students come for — the bars, the beach access, the restaurants, the rental houses — is within this compact area.

The layout matters because most groups don’t need a car during the day or at night. Students staying in Sea Aire properties on 1st Avenue North can walk to the beach in under two minutes, walk to Fat Harold’s or Duck’s on Main Street in under ten minutes, and reach the Spanish Galleon on Ocean Boulevard without leaving the neighborhood. That walkability is one of the main reasons groups prefer Ocean Drive over other parts of the Grand Strand.

What to Do During Beach Week

Days at the Beach

The public beach access points near the Ocean Drive area — along Ocean Boulevard between 1st Avenue North and Main Street — are where most Beach Week students spend their days. The beach here is wide, the crowds are manageable compared to Myrtle Beach proper, and the proximity to rentals means you can walk back to the house for lunch without making an event of it. Beach volleyball, frisbee, and time in the water are the main activities. Chairs and umbrellas are available for rent directly on the beach from vendors who set up during peak season.

Ocean Drive Nightlife

The nightlife on Ocean Drive is what makes Beach Week distinct from a standard beach vacation. The clubs here are within walking distance of each other, which means a night out typically involves moving between two or three venues rather than committing to one spot.

For a full breakdown of every venue on the strip, see our guide to the best bars on Ocean Drive in North Myrtle Beach.

Mini Golf

Hawaiian Rumble at 3210 Highway 17 South is the most well-known mini golf course in North Myrtle Beach — it has hosted national championships and features a full-size erupting volcano on the course. A round runs under $15 per person and takes about 90 minutes, which makes it a solid afternoon activity before dinner. Pirate’s Island Adventure Golf on the same highway is a good alternative for groups that want a different layout.

Barefoot Landing

Barefoot Landing at 4898 Highway 17 South is a waterfront shopping and entertainment complex about ten minutes north of Ocean Drive. It has restaurants, live music at the Alabama Theatre, and the House of Blues, which runs concerts throughout Beach Week season. Worth a half-day trip, especially if the weather isn’t ideal at the beach.

Water Sports

Jet ski rentals, parasailing, and fishing charters are available in the Cherry Grove area of North Myrtle Beach, just north of Ocean Drive. Group rates apply for most operators, and booking in the morning keeps the best afternoon time slots available.

Where to Stay During Beach Week

The right rental makes a significant difference to how Beach Week plays out. Being within walking distance of Ocean Drive means you can come and go freely — back to the house in the afternoon, out early in the morning, walking to the bars at night — without coordinating rides or relying on anyone who wants to leave early.

Sea Aire Rentals has been housing Beach Week groups near Ocean Drive for decades. The properties on 1st Avenue North are some of the closest private rentals to both the beach and the Main Street bar scene. Properties range from smaller houses sleeping 7 to larger properties sleeping up to 40.

Browse all available properties and open dates at walktothebeach.com/properties.

How to Book Beach Week in North Myrtle Beach

The most important thing about booking Beach Week is timing. The best properties near Ocean Drive — particularly the larger houses on 1st Avenue North — fill up for peak May and June weeks well before the end of the calendar year. Groups that wait until March or April to start looking typically find their first-choice properties are already gone.

The process is straightforward: call Sea Aire at (800) 548-4551 or email seaaire@walktothebeach.com to check availability for your dates. Sea Aire handles the reservation paperwork directly, which is simpler than booking through a third-party platform. A responsibility form, grantor form, and guest and vehicle list are required before check-in — all available at walktothebeach.com/forms.

When deciding on group size and property, keep in mind that consolidating into one larger house almost always costs less per person than splitting into two smaller ones — and it keeps the group together for the whole week.

Beach Week Budget Guide

A realistic per-person budget for Beach Week — covering the rental share, food, going out, and a couple of activities — typically falls between $350 and $650 for the week. Larger groups pay less per person on the rental, which is the single biggest variable.

• Stock the kitchen through Boulineau’s Foods Plus at 700 Sea Mountain Highway. It’s a full grocery and deli within easy reach of most Ocean Drive area rentals — the most practical way to handle breakfast and lunch for the week without spending $20 per person per meal at a restaurant.
• Book early and consolidate. One larger house costs less per person than two smaller ones. The Decoy sleeping 20 students is a different financial equation than four separate motel rooms.
• Look for group rates on activities. Most water sports operators in the Cherry Grove area offer group pricing. Mini golf at Hawaiian Rumble is under $15 per person.
• Walk everywhere within Ocean Drive. The layout of the neighborhood means there is almost no reason to drive or order a rideshare during the day or night if you’re staying in the 1st Avenue North or Main Street area.