Fort Sumter Admission and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry

Recommended by 90% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Charleston, USA

In high demand!

5+ bookings in the last hour!

2 hours 15 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.6

· Joseph_S ·

May 2026

The timing of the experience was perfect. An hour at Fort Sumpter was just enough. The ferry ride was pleasant and the boat had bathrooms and snacks. The park rangers were extremely helpful and friendly. We especially liked the presentation in the fort. Wonderful experience!!

· Pat_I ·

Apr 2026

The ferry left on time and we were seated comfortable for the ride to the fort. The park ranger did such a great job telling us all about the history of the forts. Walking around the fort was very enjoyable And reading all the strategically positioned information plaques was great: we even got to witness the raiding of the flag. Highly recommend!

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Overview

Visit the site where 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 round-trip ferry transport. Take in views of Rainbow Row and the Battery as you cruise through Charleston Harbor. Then, enjoy time to explore the historic fort and museum, before the return ferry ride.

Relax with prearranged admission and transportation
Catch the ferry at Liberty Square or Patriots Point for a scenic cruise
Learn historical insights from the National Park Ranger who greets you
Follow your own lead with a self-guided tour of the fort

What's Included

Admission to historic Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina
Round-Trip Ferry Transportation from Liberty Square or Patriots Point (30-minutes each way)
1-hour Self-Guided Tour to explore Fort Sumter and its well-preserved ruins
Experience the opening battle of the American Civil War with a National Park Ranger
Access to the Fort Sumter Museum, Bookstore, and Souvenir Shop

Food & Beverages
Parking

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Fort Sumter National Monument
South Carolina 29412, USA
Tour requires a ferry boat to and from the island. Please select ferry departure location at checkout.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Fort Sumter National Monument

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center

Admission Ticket Free

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Pass By)

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum (Pass By)

Fort Moultrie (Pass By)

Battery & White Point Gardens (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travelers can participate
Arrive at least 30 minutes prior to departure time

Boarding begins 15 minutes prior to departure time
Accepted payment methods include all major credit and debit cards only
The ferries are equipped with an elevator/lift and handicapped accessible restrooms. The Liberty Square boarding ramp can accommodate electric & manual wheelchairs and scooters except in extreme tide situations. Although the restrooms on Fort Sumter are accessible only by climbing a flight of stairs, the ferry remains at the Fort so that restrooms on the boat are available during your visit.
There is currently no Elevator Service at Fort Sumter – the museum, restrooms, bookstore and top level of Fort Sumter are only accessible by climbing stairs.
The Fort Sumter Tour is a boat excursion dependent on changing weather and tide conditions, Fort Sumter Tours cannot and does not guarantee accessibility. Ramps used to access the ferry can vary based on tides and adverse conditions.
Tours run rain or shine. Only the Captain has the final say as to whether he feels it needs to be canceled due to weather. That decision is made at the time of departure and throughout the duration of the tour.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 385 travelers

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Patty_W

Highly recommend visiting Patriots Point. Wonderful exhibits and great learning experience. Thank you to our brave veterans and the volunteers who are there to answer questions and make everything come to life. God Bless the USA !!!

Reviews

4.6

based on 3,650 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Interesting and...

Birdie_D, May 2026

Interesting and informative tour. The rangers were friendly and very well versed. We all thoroughly enjoyed this event.

Fort Sumter

Mary_V, May 2026

The museum had a lot of information to read & see, I was not expecting. You are able to walk on top & over look the bay.

Experience was awesome

Lisa_L, May 2026

Knowledge of the guides, and knowing that we stepped part of history. I would highly recommend this tour

Our first time to the...

Vicki_W, May 2026

Our first time to the Fort Sumpter. The tour was great. The ferry ride and the Fort was well worth it.

Eric was great. Having a...

Kim_W, May 2026

Eric was great. Having a PhD, he is obviously very knowledgeable, but he also shows a lot of excitement for learning even more history. He started his tour by having each of us introduce ourselves and tell where we were from, breaking the ice.

Informative and interesting

James_P, May 2026

The story tellers/rangers were very informative and passionate about their work. Nice to see I would recommend

Very informative tour

Susan_P, May 2026

Great information provided by the Rangers as well as the volunteer on the ferry. Would have liked to have a little more time to tour the fort. Make sure you arrive in plenty of time before the ferry departs. They keep assault very tight schedule.

Meeting point link incorrect!!! Sumter is not to be missed!

Lisa_D, May 2026

Meeting point GPS link takes you to the wrong place. We missed our ferry time because of this. Viator was able to reschedule our tours for the day. Pretty decent service recovery. If we did not have flexibility in our schedule that day it would’ve been a disaster.

Fort sumpter tour

Carmen_G, May 2026

Great experience…glad we went…the ferry boat tour guide was an amazing storyteller and I wish my history teachers would’ve been like him! Highly recommend

Ranger talk was...

Joseph_D, May 2026

Ranger talk was excellent. The flag raising ceremony was very nice. They do this for the first tour each day.

Viator Let Me Down

David_Z, May 2026

Viator let me down on this one. I went to the national park service thinking that's where i should go to get the ferry over to ft sumter. There was NO address as to where to go to for the ferry on my ticket pkg. I was told by ranger i was probably suppose to go to Patriots Point for my ferry. Didnt have enough time to go over there so we paid for this other ferry thru the Park Service. That means i paid twice for the ferry over to Ft Sumter. Once for Patriots Point which i guess is where i was suppose to go and then paid again for the ferry ride thru the park service. Why? Because that was the only one i saw available. I didnt realize that there was more than one ferry service available. It would have been nice if Viator had warned me about this and given me the exact address that i needed to go to for this ferry service. If they had i wouldn't have had to pay $172 for the ferry service to Ft Sumter!! Be forewarned about all this cause i certainly didnt know about all this!!!

Fort Sumpter Trip

Ronald_B, May 2026

Small but interesting fort. Boat trip was windy but fun. The staff at the fort were friendly and very knowledgeable.

Good experience

Susan_M, May 2026

Tour length was just right. Sumpter self guided info was sufficient for time at fort. Lovely viewsbod the bay and city from the boat.

Fun tour and a great time.

Morris_L, May 2026

It was a Great time taking the tour and the presentation was great. It was time well spent. I would recommend this to anyone visiting Charleston SC.

Park volunteer on board...

Lisa_D, May 2026

Park volunteer on board ferry and at the fort was very knowledgeable! Worth visiting. Lots of history !

We had a great time! The...

Cathy_I, May 2026

We had a great time! The ranger narration was both funny and interesting. My son got to help with the flag raising! We will definitely recommend this tour!

Well organized and...

LORIMER_E, May 2026

Well organized and informative experience. The ferry ride includes amazing views of Charleston Harbor and historical perspectives from a tour guide. At the fort, we were given a comprehensive overview of the fort and its history by National Park ranger.

Fort location is...

Scott_W, May 2026

Fort location is extremely rocky and uneven. Just watch your step and take your time. Boat ride enjoyable.

Take the first tour of the day and enjoy the flag raising program!

Kay_W, May 2026

We enjoyed the ferry ride and fort tour very much. The ferry took about 30 min and the ranger provided commentary during the ride. The harbour is beautiful and the dolphins entertained us along the way. Fort Sumter was so interesting and there was a small museum and gift shop. We were on the first tour of the day and my husband was able to participate in the daily raising of the American flag. The program led by the ranger was very moving and she did a good job despite being new and young. The ride and fort tour combined takes about 2 hrs which was great for us. We would definitely recommend.

well organized, Park...

Alfred_S, May 2026

well organized, Park Service Rangers are helpful in explaining areas of the fort. Be surprised how small Fort Sumter is. Prepare for visit by reading short history of event happened here.

good experience

Ed_T, May 2026

nice tour and on-site guide provided a great historical commentary. Ferry ride was short and pleasant

The timing of the...

Joseph_S, May 2026

If you are into history,...

Richard_B, May 2026

If you are into history, this tour is for you. Bob, the park volunteer was superb. Very knowledgeable. Made the presentation very lite and informative.

Windy but wonderful

Joyce_A, May 2026

Great experience but no need to book through victor same experience and tickets bail be thru fort Sumter site and national parks site

Good experience - rangers...

Tina_H, May 2026

Good experience - rangers are very knowledgeable. Site is well maintained with ample information kiosks to tell the story

Dont Book with Viator

Linda_Z, May 2026

Visiting Fort Sumpter was amazing. Dont book through Viator. They sent the wrong info on the address for boarding the ferry. Good thing the company that actually runs the tours is honest.

A well spent afternoon

Linda_M, May 2026

The volunteer aboard the ferry was full of great stories and history about Ft Sumpter which made the ride very entertaining and gave us things to look for in our self guided exploration of the fort itself. The museum seemed to be more pictures and reading plaques where I prefer more to see more artifacts. All in all a well spent 2 hours. Wear good walking shoes for the uneven grounds.

Fort Sumter Experience

Wendy_M, May 2026

Easy to book. Good instructions on where to access tour The tour itself was very interesting and we enjoyed our time on both the ferry and at the fort. We didn’t get the $4 Sr discount with Viator that was offered at the building.

Ok only

Angelia_G, May 2026

It was OK. Too long if you don’t do the museum. Not good directions getting off boat. Not enough guidance on the grounds . Park ranger on boat was great. One at the fort seemed to talk to individuals and not group .