Historic Charleston Guided Sightseeing Walking Tour
Recommended by 98% of travelers
Charleston, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
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.
- Take a walking tour of Charleston, South Carolina
- Visit many of the city’s historic points of interest
- Benefit from the expertise of your professional guide
- Numerous departure times make it easy to schedule
What's Included
- 2-Hour Sightseeing Walking Tour of Historic Charleston
- Professional & Licensed Local Guide
- Stroll through the quaint and charming streets of the historic district
- Learn about the history and events that shaped Charleston
- Explore notable sites in the French Quarter
- Several popular points of interest including Rainbow Row
- Explore the residential area "South of Broad"
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 80 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
Please arrive 15 minutes prior to tour start time. All tours begin on time. Because there are multiple tour guides leaving from this location, please contact us directly if there are members of your group booked under a different name that you need to be together with.
End point
- South of Broad, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
The end location will vary depending on the guide and route taken, but they will always walk you back to the start if requested.
Itinerary
Make your way to the starting point at Charleston City Hall to meet your guide and group. City Hall is one of the pillars of the “Four Corners of Law.” You’ll also view the Courthouse, the Post Office, and St. Michael’s Church, where George Washington is known to have worshipped.
Afterwards, head to the French Quarter to explore landmarks such as the Dock Street Theatre, the first theater in America, St. Philips Church, the Slave Mart Museum, the Powder Magazine, the French Huguenot Church, and the Pink House.
Pass by Rainbow Row, the series of 13 colorful houses along the waterfront. Then head to “South of Broad,” including Battery & White Point Gardens, with views over to Fort Sumter.
Afterwards, head to the French Quarter to explore landmarks such as the Dock Street Theatre, the first theater in America, St. Philips Church, the Slave Mart Museum, the Powder Magazine, the French Huguenot Church, and the Pink House.
Pass by Rainbow Row, the series of 13 colorful houses along the waterfront. Then head to “South of Broad,” including Battery & White Point Gardens, with views over to Fort Sumter.
1
Charleston City Hall
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
2
French Quarter
45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Rainbow Row
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
4
Battery & White Point Gardens
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Comfortable walking shoes and a water bottle are strongly advised
- This tour operates in all weather conditions. Please check the forecast prior to the tour.
- Please contact us directly if members of your group are booked under a different name so that we can assign you all to the same tour guide.
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to tour start time as all tours begin promptly
- Water is not provided and there are very few places to purchase water along the tour, so please bring a water bottle especially during the summer months
- Please use the restroom prior to the tour as there are no public restrooms along the tour route
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 20 travelers
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Frequently Asked Questions (2)
Q:Is there parking available near the departure point for the 2-Hour Historic Charleston Guided Sightseeing Walking Tour?
A:There are several “pay as you go” parking garages and open-air lots scattered throughout the downtown area. If you are joining us for the Charleston History Tour, we recommend the parking garage at 85 Queen Street.
Feb 2021
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.9
based on 6,637 reviews
David_N, May 2026
This guided walking tour was outstanding. Our guide, Dennis, was exceptional. It was obvious that not only was he knowledgeable about the history of Charleston but he is proud to call it his home and share it with others.
wendy_w, May 2026
Great opportunity to learn about the history of the city while enjoying a walk and the beautiful architecture
Diane_B, May 2026
Dennis was very knowledgeable with a great sense of humor. He held our interest the entire time. We learned so much about the history of Charleston.
Laurie_B, May 2026
Al was wonderful! I messed up my scheduling time and he welcomed us into his group. He was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions
Ryan_D, May 2026
Mark was an amazing tour guide!!! Great guy, great storytelling, very knowledgeable, and very passionate about the history of Charleston!
Katarina_T, May 2026
-very detailed tour
-a lot of standing but the walking was not over the top
-a lot of room for questions
-perfect amount of time overall
-many photo opportunities
Jeanine_M, May 2026
This two hour walking tour is not to be missed in Charleston. Our guide Amy was very informative. You can tell she loves her job speaking with tourist and giving them the history of Charleston. Amy made this experience one to remember.
Jeff_G, May 2026
We have used Charleston Historic Tours in the past and the tour guides have always done an excellent job
Mary_F, May 2026
The tour was interesting. Our guide, Mark, was knowledgeable and entertaining. I would highly recommend this activity.
Beth_B, May 2026
Our experience was outstanding. Ben Edwards , our guide, was knowledgeable, engaging, and brought the history of Charleston to life.
Susan_B, May 2026
Great tour - loved learning about the history and architecture- Ben out tour guide made it fun and interesting!!!
Tracy_C, May 2026
Get a big ol dose of Trump-loving politics on what should be a history tour of Charleston. Ruined the tour for six of us.
Kimber_S, May 2026
Good tour. Less walking than others we’ve done and more standing. I’d prefer the headphones so it wasn’t necessary to bunch up as much to hear. Ben was a goofball but in a mostly good way.
Seema_B, May 2026
Charleston absolutely came alive on this tour. Our guide, Al, was incredibly funny, deeply knowledgeable, and had a way of weaving together history, architecture, and local stories that kept the entire group engaged from start to finish. I learned so much about the craftsmanship, hidden details, and historical significance behind the city’s stunning buildings that I would have completely missed on my own. The pacing was perfect, and Al struck a great balance between entertaining storytelling and genuinely insightful commentary. You could tell he was passionate about Charleston and proud of its history. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting the city, especially if you appreciate architecture, history, and a guide with real personality.
Florence_B, May 2026
Our guide, Al was great. Great knowledge of the history of Charleston. Small group was a plus. Thank you
Kathleen_S, May 2026
David was so informative and entertaining at the same time. We all enjoyed his tour. He provided personal stories that really added to the experience.
Susan_S, May 2026
Great morning tour through the heart of historic Charleston! Learned a lot in a short time. The walking was pleasant and not too strenuous. The morning time frame worked well as the weather was beautiful. Our tour guide Duggar was very knowledgeable and entertaining. I think everyone thoroughly enjoyed it!
Gary_S, May 2026
Al was very informative.He knew everything that was asked of him about Charleston.He answered all of our questions
Sara_M, May 2026
My husband and I loved this walking tour and our tour guide Al. We learned a lot! Al was very knowledgable and cool! Highly recommend.
Kathleen_R, May 2026
Great tour. The tour guide was funny and knowlegeable - AL.
Enjoyed learning about the city. I would tell friends aobut the experience.
susan_m, May 2026
Extremely interesting Charleston history..religion, settlers, architecture. Loved the whole experience and learned so much..
Stephen_R, May 2026
The Charleston tour was very interesting, and well organized. Our guide was knowledgeable and proud of his expertise. Unfortunately, curiosity was muzzled. One of the first questions asked by a fellow tourist was met with, "don't get ahead of the tour, wait, and you'll find out". Needless to say, there was barely another question asked by anyone else from that point on. Furthermore, later in the tour, our guide asked if anyone knew what the name of the tree he pointed to was ... and when someone said "Palm tree" he scoffed at the answer, exclaiming "No. It's a Palmetto tree!" We took the tour to learn about the history of this beautiful city, but the experience was more akin to being treated like a bad student in elementary school.
annieritapark, May 2026
An absolutely completely knowledgeable and very fun guy! Also, everybody was completely accommodating, and I found the experience very interesting! The tour guide stuck to the predicted duration as well, and I liked that the tour ended at the same place where it started, which made coordinating transportation easier for me. I would totally recommend this to anybody, especially someone who loves architecture!
Jolynn_L, May 2026
It was great way to see and learn about Charleston. David our guide was born and raised there, so he was very knowledgeable of the area and had some good stories to share.
Ally_K, May 2026
Great tour! Evans was a good guide and knowledgeable about the history and flora of the area! He had great stories and adapted well to the weather.
Tina_C, May 2026
I would skip this one. We had a tour guide who basically talked about himself and his family ties to Charleston for 2 hours. The first 15 minutes was explaining his resume and validating he knows history and how he met his wife. I’ve been on quite a few walking tours and this was a lot less walking and alot more standing in 1 spot for 20 minutes then walking to a couple of spots. As he was explaining how roads got their names and how expensive the homes were, I noticed how much he spoke down to everyone and then asked the exact same question literally at every cross street and then telling everyone how no one on the tour could afford to live in downtown Charleston because if we could, we would likely not be on this tour. I could definitely tell he wasn’t operating from a memorized script which is good and it’s unfortunate that the entire tour was about his grandfather, his wife and his childhood because he definitely knew Charleston history…. It just wasn’t about the history…. It was about him…. Too bad though. You can definitely tell the city has such rich history.
Darlene_B, May 2026
This is a great introduction to Charleston. Our tour guide, Evans, highlighted stories that were not as well known. Packs in a lot during the two hours.
Thomas_C, May 2026
Brendon very knowledgeable giving a very realistic history and really wears the pride of Savanna on his sleeve.
Barbara_B, Apr 2026
It was one of the best and most informative talks on the are that I could have expected in such a short time. What brought it alive was our guide Paul's passion for the history and it's people.
John_D, Apr 2026
Our guide,Al, was friendly, knowledgeable & provided us with a lot of information about Charleston. It’s clearly evident that he loves the city !! I highly recommend this tour as it’s a wonderful way to see beautiful Charleston.
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