15 Charleston History Tours to Book First

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

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

Set out from 14 Anson Street for a one-hour narrated carriage ride through Charleston’s historic district. A Belgian or Percheron draft horse pulls your carriage while a certified guide shares stories of mansions, churches, gardens, slavery, war, and city life. The exact route is assigned by lottery.

“The guide was wonderful !! Very knowledgeable and great personality ! Love the horse she was 12 years old and beautiful !!”

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2.Historic Charleston Guided Sightseeing Walking Tour

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

Start at Charleston City Hall and walk with a licensed local guide through the French Quarter, past Dock Street Theatre, Rainbow Row, and the Battery. Guides such as Evans Byrd, Al, Dennis, and Duggar are known for clear storytelling, architecture, and practical city tips. Expect flat streets, no public restroom stops, and all-weather operation.

“I thoroughly enjoyed this walking tour with our tour guide , Evans. He was highly knowledgeable, insightful, and inspirational, as he shared his stories connected with each point of interest. I now have a much greater and deeper understanding of American history and Charleston’s place in it. I highly recommend this tour.”

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

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

Board the 80-foot Carolina Belle at Charleston Maritime Center for a 90-minute narrated cruise along the Cooper River. You’ll see Fort Sumter, USS Yorktown, Fort Moultrie, the Battery, Waterfront Park, and the Ravenel Bridge, with morning, afternoon, and sunset departures.

“Fantastic! This is the third time taking this cruise. Beautiful to see the city from the water and hear the history.”

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

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

Walk Charleston’s South of Broad and French Quarter districts with a licensed local guide. See Rainbow Row, Philadelphia Alley, St. Philip’s Church, and four to six lesser-known lanes. Guides such as Dennis, Duggar, Evans, Al, and Mark bring local stories and personal insight. Buildings are viewed from outside.

“Duggar was a terrific guide. We really enjoyed his perspective and engaging story telling. We learned a lot, and saw a beautiful part of the city.”

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5.Charleston: Daytime or Sunset Historic Harbor Cruise

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

Cruise Charleston Harbor for 90 minutes aboard a 1920s Bay-Steamer replica. Your English-speaking captain, such as Captain Ron, Lance, or Matt, points out Fort Sumter, The Battery, the Ravenel Bridge, and more than 75 sights. Choose daytime or sunset, with indoor seats and an onboard snack and drink bar.

“Great overview of the city for those who are new to Charleston.”

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

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

Walk Charleston for about three hours with Dr. Eric Lager, a Ph.D. historian and Citadel professor. In a group capped at 12, you’ll connect colonial politics, architecture, religion, slavery, and the Civil War while seeing the French Quarter, St. Michael’s Church, the Old Exchange, and Fort Sumter from the Battery.

“Amazing tour (even in the rain) - Dr. Eric was incredibly knowledgeable, relatable, funny, and made the history of the city of Charleston come alive with an in-depth tour of the historic area (walled city). The small group size (12 or less) makes for an intimate tour, and he had the time while walking to speak with each person individually to discuss where they came from and his relation to that part of the country. Highly recommended for those looking to take a tour that is beyond the kitschy touristy fare offered around the town.”

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7.Charleston: Historical Downtown Tour by Horse-drawn Carriage

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

Ride through historic downtown Charleston for one hour with Old South Carriage Co. A licensed guide such as Carol, Mike, or Donald shares stories about the harbor, Rainbow Row, King Street, and the Battery while your horse carries you through the city.

“Awesome experience!! The city is beautiful and our guide was super and had a very great personality and her name was Kristine or Kristina? with Old South Carriage Co. Cliff was the horse that we had pulling our carriage and he was great too. Everyone at the facility was very polite. I learned a lot about the history of Charleston and the old homes were gorgeous!! So glad my husband and I did this and will highly recommend Old South Carriage Co. to others who plan to visit Charleston.”

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

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

Chef Forrest Parker leads a 90-minute Charleston history walk from the Pineapple Fountain to a cozy bistro, linking landmarks and Lowcountry food traditions. Then watch him cook three recipes, enjoy a wine-paired lunch, and take the recipes home. Groups are limited to 11.

“Awesome experience, really cool to have the chef cooking and preparing the dishes in front of us and really explaining how we can make the items ourselves. The shrimp and grits was a real treat, I couldn't recommend this highly enough to anyone that loves food and a good time!!!”

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9.Charleston: Historic City Highlights Guided Bus Tour

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

Ride through Charleston with a local English-speaking guide and see more than 100 historic sights in 90 minutes. You’ll pass The Battery, Rainbow Row, Four Corners of Law, churches, markets, and old neighborhoods from a cool, clean shuttle. Guides such as Alan, John, Bonnie, and Valerie bring strong local stories and humor.

“The guide was very knowledgeable about Charleston history, its neighborhoods and the governmental zoning and codes necessary to maintain the architectural character of the city. It was well worth the time and money.”

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10.Charleston: Old Walled City Historical Walking Tour

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

Spend two hours walking Charleston’s old walled city with a professional English-speaking guide. You’ll see churches, colonial homes, Rainbow Row, the Old Exchange, and Waterfront Park while hearing stories from guides such as Al, Bruce, and Eric, including Charleston’s fires, epidemics, piracy, and earthquake.

“Bruce was a fantastic guide with vast knowledge and insights about Charleston.”

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

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

Walk Charleston’s historic district with a local guide such as Gordon, Diane, or Eric. Expect Rainbow Row, antebellum homes, churches, graveyards, hidden courtyards, Waterfront Battery views, Fort Sumter from afar, and included entry to the Powder Magazine Museum.

“Eric knew so much about the history of Charleston. He was very personable, funny and interesting. He answered any and all questions we had. When we go back we will definitely take this tour again with Eric.”

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12.Charleston’s Historic Residential Horse and Carriage Tour

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

Meet the horses at 20 Anson Street, then ride two to three miles through Charleston’s Historic District in a custom carriage. A city-licensed guide supplies the stories, while departures every 30 minutes make this one-hour tour easy to fit into your day.

“The tour guide was very entertaining. And I thought being in the carriage I better enjoyed the pace of the tour. The pickup went well. There was a minor wait but that was because they were wrangling the horses.”

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13.Charleston Horse & Carriage Historic Sightseeing Tour

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

Spend about an hour riding from Charleston City Market through the historic district with a professional guide and a well-cared-for horse. Routes vary by city assignment, but may include The Battery, Rainbow Row, Nathaniel Russell House, and St. Philip’s Church. Guides such as Caroline, Daniel, and Ricky have earned praise for lively storytelling.

“Tour company is very well organized, timely, friendly, and the horses seemed to be very well cared for. Our tour guide (which is simply luck of the draw) was very funny, easy going, knew a lot about a lot. But he was also very scattered at times, drifted off on too many tangents, chased the sparkly things. All in all it was enjoyable but wished there had been more rhyme and reason to the tour information.”

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14.Charleston’s Best Highlights: History, Culture & Architecture

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 422 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Join licensed guides Brian or Fin for a roughly two-hour walk through Charleston’s historic center. You’ll see Rainbow Row, the Old Slave Mart, Dock Street Theater, St. Michael’s, and the Battery, with stories about the Revolution, slavery, architecture, and the Civil War.

“Brian was enthusiastic and knew his subject well. We learnt a lot about the history of Charleston. The tour lasted longer than the two hours. Recommended”

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15.Charleston History Tour /

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 388 reviews · 2 hours (approx.)

Meet at 80 Broad Street for a two-hour Charleston walk capped at 10 people. You’ll see Dock Street Theater, St. Michael’s Church, Rainbow Row, the Battery, and French Huguenot Church, while learning about Charleston’s founding, architecture, military past, and Gullah culture. Joyce is one guide praised for her warm, personal style.

“Excellent tour! Our guide, Joyce, was very knowledgeable and interesting- she covered history and development of the city, military related facts, architectural points, and cultural highlights. She was enthusiastic and pleasant; and it was like strolling through the streets of Charleston with a friend showing us the sights! We actually ended up being the only two people on the tour; so it was eventually a private tour.”

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