The 14 Historical Tours in Charleston That Earn Their Price

1.Charleston’s Old South Carriage Historic Horse & Carriage Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10,023 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $50Our pick

Ride through 30 blocks of Charleston with a certified guide, Belgian or Percheron horses, historic homes, gardens, churches, and Civil War stories.

“Fun activity to do while in Charleston. We were staying with a friend. So we booked it for three of us. Great little travel around town. Great knowledge of the driver. Great pictures and learned some fun history. Recommend!”

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2.Historic Charleston Guided Sightseeing Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6,216 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $30Best value

Explore Charleston’s French Quarter, Rainbow Row, and Battery on a two-hour guided walk packed with history, stories, and practical tips.

“Duggar gave an excellent tour, and even provides a list of recommended restaurants. He is a highly knowledgeable and personable guy, and we would definitely recommend booking him for a tour.”

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3.Charleston Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour: Explore Historic Charleston

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3,561 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $49

Ride Charleston’s historic streets by horse-drawn carriage, hear colorful stories, and see grand homes, churches, and gardens with a certified guide.

“Great tour! Guide was perfect, knowledgeable, ans very personable. We love rhe way they care for the horses! Thank you”

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4.Charleston Harbor History Day-Time or Sunset Boat Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,788 reviews · from $44

Cruise Charleston Harbor to Fort Sumter aboard the Carolina Belle for Civil War history, city views, bridges, dolphins, and sunset scenery.

“The knowledge of captain in narrating the shoreline. Great experience. Would recommend to others visiting Charleston”

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5.Hidden Alleyways and Historic Sites Small-Group Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,335 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $34

Explore Charleston’s hidden alleys, Rainbow Row, and historic sites on a lively two-hour small-group walking tour for $34.

“Great time, this tour hits hidden spots we would have never found on our own, but also hits the big stuff too. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all things Charleston. The tour did go over 20 minutes or so and it was nippy outside so keep in mind depending on time of year.”

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6.Daytime or Sunset Historic Harbor Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,352 reviews · 1h 30m · from $49

Cruise Charleston Harbor aboard a 1920s-style steamer, with live history, Fort Sumter views, dolphins, and sunset scenery for $49.

“Awesome, learned a lot about historical facts during this time”

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7.Charleston historical walking tour with a Professor of History at The Citadel

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,284 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $40

Explore Charleston’s French Quarter, churches, civic buildings, and Civil War sites with Citadel history professor Eric Lager in a small group.

“This is absolutely the tour you want. Top of all the walking tours we have taken over the last 15 years (actually tops out with “Best Ever Taken”.). Excellent storytelling and deep knowledge beyond what was officially in the tour itinerary, which allowed for thorough answers of tangential questions our group asked. I would take his classes if had an opportunity to do so. Excellent presentation skills to keep you enthralled. Three hours flew by and if it would have been longer it would still have left us wanting more (as it did). Small group size ensured we were never too far away to hear what was being presented. Outstanding…”

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8.Historical Downtown Tour by Horse-drawn Carriage

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,009 reviews · 1 hour · from $50

See Charleston’s historic homes, harbor, Rainbow Row, and Battery on a one-hour horse-drawn carriage tour with live local storytelling.

“Our guide Donald was really good. He was hilarious but also had a ton of information. We even had people who had taken his tour yell out to us “Donald is the best!””

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9.Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 948 reviews · 4 hours (approx.)

Explore Charleston’s food history with Chef Forrest Parker on a 90-minute walk, cooking demonstration, three-course lunch, wine pairings, and recipes.

“Chef Forrest is great! He knows his history but he especially knows how the town’s history shapes its cuisines. I highly recommend this tour, if for nothing else the food you will enjoy!”

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10.Historic City Highlights Guided Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 719 reviews · 1h 30m · from $35

See Charleston’s Battery, Rainbow Row, churches, markets, and 100 landmarks on a comfortable 90-minute guided bus tour.

“Alan has a wealth of information to share, so interesting, from architecture to war time details, loved the tour thank you!!! Air conditioned bus was great!”

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11.Old Walled City Historical Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 705 reviews · 2 hours · from $30

Walk Charleston’s old streets with a local guide, seeing churches, colonial homes, pirate-era sites, disasters, and the city’s complex past.

“Al was a wonderful tour guide. You could see he is very enthusiastic about the history of Charleston. He was very knowledgeable as well as entertaining.”

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12.Historic Charleston Walking Tour: Rainbow Row, Churches, and More

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 691 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $40

Walk Charleston’s historic streets past Rainbow Row, churches, mansions, and the Battery, with a local guide and Powder Magazine entry.

“This was the perfect way for us to get a sense of Charleston. Two hours of easy walking through historic neighborhoods wit an expert and personable guide. A beautiful way to spend our first afternoon.”

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13.Charleston’s Historic Residential Horse and Carriage Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 668 reviews · from $50

Review of Charleston’s one-hour horse and carriage tour, with historic homes, expert guides, small groups, route tips, price, and booking advice.

“Excellent ride through streets. Seeing beautiful architecture and gardens. Horses are well cared for.”

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14.Charleston Horse & Carriage Historic Sightseeing Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 460 reviews · 1 hour (approx.) · from $45

Ride through Charleston’s historic district by horse-drawn carriage, with local stories, grand homes, churches, gardens, and flexible city routes.

“Awesome! The ride was fun, informative, and a great way to become acquainted with the city. The best way to see the area for the first time. Can't wait to come back.”

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