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

Recommended by 97% of travellers
Badge of Excellence
Charleston, USA
Popular pick
Booked 5+ times last week!
  • 2 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travellers loved this

4.9
·
· demont414 ·
May 2026
Susan was great and very knowledgeable about city history We saw some beautiful homes and gardens I recommend this tour!!
· Sandy_S ·
May 2026
Excellent tour. Guide very knowledgeable and helpful. Great way to get oriented to sights and history.

Overview

Experience the charm and beauty of Charleston on a morning or afternoon walking tour. With an entertaining guide, take a leisurely stroll through the city’s Historic District, passing antebellum mansions, hidden gardens, historic churches and graveyards, as well as famous sites like Fort Sumter, Rainbow Row, and the Waterfront Battery. Along the way, learn about Charleston’s rich history and contemporary culture.
  • Guided walking tour of Charleston’s historic sites
  • Stroll through the historic district, including views of opulent mansions, outdoor spaces and city landmarks
  • Choice of morning or afternoon tour
  • Insightful commentary from a fun local guide

What's Included

  • All taxes, fees and handling charges
  • Rainbow Row
  • Historic Waterfront Battery
  • Antebellum Mansions
  • A visual tour of Fort Sumter
  • Hidden Gardens & Courtyards
  • Historic Churches & Graveyards
  • The Revolutionary and Civil War
  • Admission to the Powder Magazine Museum is included with tour purchase
  • Gratuities
  • Transportation

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 115 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA

    Please arrive at 115 Meeting St, the Mills House Hotel. You will meet your guide outside near the courtyard gates. Please look for your Bulldog Tours guide.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

1

Rainbow Row

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

2

Charleston Waterfront Park

Admission Ticket Free

Charleston City Market (Pass By)

Fort Sumter National Monument (Pass By)

3

The Powder Magazine

Admission Ticket Included

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • The pace of our walking tour is leisurely
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Please arrive 15 minutes before the start of the tour.
  • Pushchair accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travellers can participate
  • Operates in all weather conditions, dress appropriately
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveller's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveller's review)

Reviews

4.9
based on 707 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Excellent tour. Guide...

Sandy_S, May 2026
Excellent tour. Guide very knowledgeable and helpful. Great way to get oriented to sights and history.

Response from Host, May 2026

Thanks for joining us, Sandy!

Beautiful Tour

demont414, May 2026
Susan was great and very knowledgeable about city history We saw some beautiful homes and gardens I recommend this tour!!

Response from Host, May 2026

We appreciate your recommendation!

This was a fantastic way...

Kelly_B, Apr 2026
This was a fantastic way to get your bearings in Charleston. As a local Charlestonian, our tour guide Keith was amazing at providing insight into both city history and modern culture. I appreciated that this tour didn't have one single focus; Rather, we discussed architecture and real estate, religious history, naval influence, cuisine and cocktails, Southern Charm, and of course sights to know. Taking the tour with Keith made me feel a part of the city rather than just a passerby. I will absolutely be booking with them again in the future. Thank you again "Uncle Keith"!

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thanks for joining us, Kelly! We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Great historical...

James_R, Apr 2026
Great historical perspective on a beautiful City. The guide, James, was very knowledgeable and clearly enthusiastic about his home.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you, James!

Walking tour

Amy_L, Apr 2026
Very informative. Love to hear the stories of the town that would would not otherwise know. Clara was a great guide.

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thanks for the 5-star review and kind words about Clara!

Excellent informative...

Siew_T, Mar 2026
Excellent informative tour. Our tour guide Ann was wonderful , accommodating and knowledgeable of Charleston’s history

Response from Host, Apr 2026

Thank you for joining us!

A fun way to get acquainted with historic Charleston

Colette_D, Dec 2025
You will be standing and walking for 2 hours. The guide was very knowledgeable and informative about Charleston. It is a worthwhile tour. I am so glad we did it.

Response from Host, Dec 2025

Thank you for joining us!

Keith did an excellent...

Tracy_L, Oct 2025
Keith did an excellent job sharing the history of Charleston. This tour was very interesting and we enjoyed walking through the historic district.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thank you for joining us, Tracy!

Charleston Old Town Walking Experience

Thomas_M, Oct 2025
Graham was by far the most articulate and intelligent on the 3 wars that transcended in South Carolina. Very knowledgeable and explained it very well

Response from Host, Nov 2025

We are so glad to hear you had a great experience on Graham's tour.

Interesting tour

Mike_B, Oct 2025
Very informative. Gordon was entertaining and knowledgeable about Charleston history. Would recommend it to other visitors.

Response from Host, Oct 2025

Thank you for the review, Mike!

Great Walking Tour for History and Culture!

Shannon_M, Sept 2025
Excellent walking tour [be sure to wear comfortable shoes]! Our guide was very informative and we covered a nice size area. Guide paused in areas of shade and had a spot or two to rest your feet/back, lol! If you are looking to take in some history and culture, this is a great tour!

Response from Host, Sept 2025

We appreciate you sharing your experience!

Excellent Tour!

Vlada_T, Jul 2025
Great tour, super knowledgeable, very engaging guide! The tour mostly includes walking in the formerly "walled" part of Charleston. We walked along the waterfront, East Bay and Battery Street for a part of the tour. Interesting, engaging, informative!

Response from Host, Jul 2025

Thanks for joining us! Glad to hear you had an excellent experience.

Great Tour!

Charlene_N, Jun 2025
We had Gordon for our tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and we found the tour very interesting and fun. He was very accommodating as we had a stroller, we never felt like a burden. Tour leaves strictly on time, arrive early or you will be left behind!!

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Thanks for sharing your experience. We are glad to hear you had a great time!

Eric, a great tour guide

Julie_W, May 2025
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.

Response from Host, Jun 2025

Eric is the best! We are glad to hear you agree. (:

Diane is a terrific Tour Guide

Lisa_W, Apr 2025
Our tour guide, Diane, was amazing! She was a wealth of information and very amusing She shared many wonderful stories that really brought historic Charleston to life. We can highly recommend this tour!

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thank you for the 5-star recommendation. Lisa!

Gordon was our...

Kathleen_A, Apr 2025
Gordon was our knowledgeable tour guide for beautiful historical downtown Charleston. A two hour tour filled with loads of information fit for answers to Jeopardy questions. Gordon set a really good pace, allowed time for Q and A plus allowing time for photos. Gordon was a really amazing tour guide! Thanks!

Response from Host, Apr 2025

Thank you for sharing your experience!

A wonderful walking tour....

Ellen_R, Apr 2025
A wonderful walking tour. Linda was a great tour guide and extremely knowledgeable. Highly recommend.

Response from Host, Apr 2025

We appreciate your recommendation, Ellen!

It is awesome. Tour...

Theresa_R, Jan 2025
It is awesome. Tour guide very knowledgeable and entertaining. We learned so much about Charleston..

Response from Host, Feb 2025

We appreciate the 5-star review!

Excellent tour!

Ken_l, Dec 2024
Nelson, our tour guide, was very informative with many historical tidbits that brought historical life to the tour. Great job! Would highly recommend if you are interested in history.

Response from Host, Jan 2025

Thank you for the recommendation, Ken!

Lovely historical walk through town

Nicole_B, Dec 2024
Loved learning about the history of Charleston while seeing old homes and exploring the neighborhoods. So much to take in and our guide David was great. Very knowledgeable!

Response from Host, Jan 2025

We are so happy to hear you were able to learn something new with David!

Great Historical Tour

Victoria_P, Nov 2024
This was a really great experience for us. It was informative but not boring. She was funny and entertaining and we loved the little details about the homes, buildings she pointed out and interesting stories. I would recommend this tour, especially if the other guides are only half as good.

Response from Host, Dec 2024

Victoria, we appreciate the 5-star review!

A great way to learn about Charleston

Russell_W, Nov 2024
David was an excellent tour guide. Very knowledgeable and respectful of the difficult past that defines Charleston. We highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host, Dec 2024

We appreciate the recommendation, Russell!

Charleston walking culinary tour

Brian_K, Oct 2024
Tour hostess, Charley, was entertaining and knowledgeable. Food selection was nicely varied. Pace was perfect. An enjoyable experience!

Response from Host, Oct 2024

We are so glad to hear you had an enjoyable experience.

Great intro to Charleston and Charleston history.

Thomas_H, Sept 2024
My tour guide Lisa was extremely knowledgeable - and made the tour super interesting. She never missed a beat even when it started raining. It gave me a good layout of the city - and allowed me to impress my coworkers with what I had learned. Would highly recommend.

Response from Host, Sept 2024

We are thrilled to hear you had a great time with Lisa. We appreciate your 5-star review.

Fun tour with Graham

RIsa_D, Jun 2024
Seeing the rainbow row and listening to history behind Charleston. Seeing the original wall. I recommend this tour, however it was very hot. The Spring or Fall would have been a better time to visit.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

We appreciate you sharing your experience with us!

Walking Tour

Ronald_R, Jun 2024
Jon Battem is a very knowledgeable guide and answered all our questions. We highly recommend him and the tour.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Thank you for the recommendation, Ronald!

Informative and enjoyable!

Tracey_B, May 2024
Tour guide was very knowledgeable and patient with questions. Enjoyed the variety of topics shared throughout the tour. The Tour Guide was aware of the heat and stopped us in shaded spots whenever possible. She was also very mindful of getting everyone back to the end spot on time in case of lunch/other plans.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

We are glad to hear you had a great time!

Lacie, our travel guide...

Raquel_H, May 2024
Lacie, our travel guide is very knowledgeable about Charleston history. She definitely gave us a very educational tour which made our travel unforgettable and memorable. I highly recommend it.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

We are so glad Lacie was able to share her love of Charleston with you! Thank you for joining us!

Historical accounts of...

Anne_A, May 2024
Historical accounts of Charleston were very interesting. Tour guide was very thorough. She also took into account the heat and try to stop in the shade while she talked. Great tour of Historical Charleston.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

We are thrilled to hear you had a great time!

Great History Tour!

Patricia_Y, May 2024
Our guide Gordon Perry was fantastic! Very knowledgable, easy to hear and understand. I would highly recommend any rope tour with Gordon.

Response from Host, Aug 2024

Patricia, we appreciate the 5-star review! We will be sure to pass along your kind words to Gordon.

From US$40.50

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 16 days in advance.

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