Top Charleston Historical Tours

Visit the site where the first shots of the American Civil War began without the hassle of arranging transportation or waiting in line for tickets. This Fort Sumter package includes admission skip-the-line tickets as well as a round-trip, narrated ferry ride from Charleston. Enjoy time to explore the historic fort and museum, watch a battle reenactment, and browse for souvenirs before the return ferry ride.

Travel back in time to discover one of America’s most historic cities—Charleston, South Carolina—on this guided walking tour. Visit points of interest including Charleston City Hall; the Dock Street Theatre, America’s first theatre; the Old Exchange Building, South Carolina's most historic building; White Point Garden, in the heart of Charleston’s historic district with a spectacular view of Fort Sumter, and many more.

Your guide brings history to life during this Charleston walking tour of the city's historical downtown. See notable buildings including the Nathaniel Russell House, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, and the Old Slave Mart Museum. As you walk over the flat and easy terrain with your guide, discover the history that occurred right under your feet and around every corner from Rainbow Row to the Battery.

Boone Hall Plantation has had a long and fascinating history since its founding near Charleston in 1681. Learn about the estate and its place in South Carolina history by visiting the plantation with an all-access admission ticket. Nine original cabins where enslaved people lived, coupled with the Black History in America exhibit, demonstrate what life was like for many people at the plantation.

Without a guided walking tour, you might miss some of the eclectic history and hidden nooks and crannies around Charleston that make this city such a gem. This walking tour takes you through the French Quarter and South of Broad neighborhoods to top sights such as the Rainbow Row, the Old Slave Mart Museum, and the Old Exchange, all while your guide shares stories from Charleston history and lore.

Embark on a horse-drawn carriage tour through the heart of historic Charleston, one of the most charming cities in the US. Ride along cobblestone streets and take in the antebellum architecture, historic landmarks, and lush gardens. Your knowledgeable guide shares fascinating stories about Charleston’s rich history and Southern culture. This is a charming introduction to this part of Charleston.

Travel back in time to discover one of America’s most historic cities—Charleston, South Carolina—on this guided small-group walking tour. Explore some of the city’s most enchanting alleys and hidden passages. Visit the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, a colonial building with a 300-year history; Rainbow Row, the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States; plus historic Philadelphia Alley, and many more.

Charleston's landmarks stretch from the Battery at the southern tip up to Hampton Park in the north, and walking between them can eat up most of a day. This minibus tour covers the same ground in one loop, with a guide talking you through the pastel houses of Rainbow Row, the live oaks of White Point Gardens, and the Citadel's riverside campus along the way.

Magnolia Plantation sits well outside Charleston, which puts it out of reach without a car. This half-day tour includes round-trip transfers from the Charleston Visitor Center, and a guide who walks you through the plantation house on arrival. Choose either the nature train ride through the gardens or the boat trip along the Ashley River to finish.

The USS Yorktown is the WWII aircraft carrier in Charleston Harbor, and this group ghost tour takes you on board after the museum has closed and the crowds have disappeared. Hear the stories behind the sightings reported on board, from maritime superstitions to sailors who went missing, alongside the history of a ship commissioned in 1943 and crewed by more than 3,000 men who lived, fought, and died onboard.

Bring your appetite for this tasty walking tour of downtown Charleston. You’ll spend a few hours of mouthwatering fun touring the culinary side of the Holy City, learning about the history of the city as you dine at four local restaurants. Explore the French Quarter and the Market while tasting traditional and contemporary Lowcountry cuisine.

Travel back in time to discover one of America’s most historic cities — Charleston, South Carolina — on this guided walking tour. Visit points of interest in the historic district, including the French Quarter and "South of Broad." Admire landmarks, including Rainbow Row and White Point Garden, and learn about the city's history from your licensed guide.

Learn about the history and heritage of Charleston during a small-group walking tour. Meet your guide for a city stroll that includes popular attractions such as the French Huguenot Church, the Dock Street Theater, and Waterfront Park. Hear stories about local architecture, historic figures, and cultural landmarks during this guided tour.

Pickup and drop-off from downtown Charleston, South Carolina make it easy to tour Magnolia Plantation, one of the oldest plantations in the South. This 4-in-1 tour includes a narrated drive out to the plantation, a walking tour of the garden, tram tour through the property, and tour of the house itself, providing incredible value.

We are the only experience in Charleston led by a full-blooded Gullah Geechee Indian historian, Chief Godfrey Gullah JacK BlacK. While others stick to a sanitized script, we provide the raw, unfiltered, unscripted truth of America’s #1 slave-trading concentration camp. We reveal the ancient secrets of the people who built the Holy City’s economy. Your journey dives deep into the lives of enslaved builders, wealthy Black landowners, and resilient people. You will hear the Gullah Hebrew language and stand on the very ground where history was made. This is more than a tour—it's an eye-opening confrontation with the past. We offer a nuanced, deeply personal perspective you won't find anywhere else. From Indians to Negroes to Black, we trace the bloodline and the survival of a culture that still breathes today. Once you see the real Charleston through your eyes, you can never unsee it.

Magnolia Plantation has been in Drayton family hands since 1676, and its Romantic-style gardens are among the oldest in America still open to visitors. This small-group full-day trip covers three guided experiences at the site: a tour of the historic house, a nature train ride through the gardens and cypress swamps, and the Slavery to Freedom tour, which follows the lives of the people enslaved there.

As one of America’s oldest cities, Charleston is considered one of its most haunted. During this hair-raising walking tour, visit the city’s famous paranormal hotspots including Poogan’s Porch, one of America’s top 10 haunted restaurants, and St Philip’s Church graveyard, the location of a famous haunting. From stories of pirates, gangsters and serial killers to tragic lovers, you choose the narrative to suit your interests during this unique ghost tour.

While others offer scripted stories, we offer the raw, unfiltered truth. What sets us apart is simple: we are the only tour in Charleston led by a full-blooded Gullah Geechee historian, Chief Godfrey Gullah Jack. This isn’t a rehearsed performance—it’s a living history. Your "Truth Offensive" takes you where conventional tours won’t go. We dive deep into the real lives of African American craftsmen, landowners, and the enslaved people who built this city. You won’t just hear dates; you’ll experience the Gullah language and culture firsthand from the people who carry its legacy. We provide the most accurate, nuanced account of Charleston’s history, moving past the polished versions to reveal the strength and redemption of your ancestors. Choosing us means choosing authenticity over gloss. You aren't just a tourist; you’re a witness to a story that has been waiting to be told. Join us for an educational, soul-stirring experience that will change how you see Charleston forever.

Hear all about Charleston, South Carolina and its storied past with a Ph.D historian for a guide on this walking tour. Walk the city streets as part of a small group, seeing popular local attractions like the French Quarter, St. Michael’s Church, Dock Street Theater, Fort Sumter National Monument, and lots more.

Travel back to Colonial times aboard a horse-drawn carriage and discover more than 300 years of history on this guided, 1-hour tour of Charleston. See the many mansions, churches and gardens of yesteryear on this narrated tour around historic Charleston. Enjoy the romantic clip-clop sound as this educational adventure winds through the streets and learn about this ‘Holy City’ and its rich history and role in Civil War times.

See the highlights of Charleston in comfort on this guided tour on a climate-controlled minibus. Learn more from your guide’s narration as you ride past must-see Charleston sights such as the Battery, the Citadel, Old City Market, and Hampton Park. Also enjoy spectacular views of Fort Sumter, Castle Pinckney, and the Sullivan Island Lighthouse from a distance. The express tour provides an ideal overview for first-time visitors to Charleston.

Charleston's historic district packs centuries of American history into a few walkable blocks, and this historian-lead tour covers the landmarks worth your time. Walk from Washington Square to Rainbow Row and The Battery, then through the French Quarter's cobblestone lanes past St. Philip's Church and the Dock Street Theatre. Hear how the Revolution and the Civil War shaped the city around you.

See the Charleston Harbor by boat with a leisurely sightseeing tour along the Cooper River to Fort Sumter National Monument. Leave the guidebook at home, because this fully-narrated tour focuses on Charleston, South Carolina's history from Civil War sites to antebellum houses and landmarks, passes under Cooper River bridges, and explores a waterfront that’s home to bottlenose dolphins and pelicans.