Charleston Harbor History Day-Time or Sunset Boat Cruise
Charleston, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
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.
- See Charleston from a whole new perspective
- Get unique insights about Charleston’s history from a guide
- Fun for the whole family—feel free to bring the kids
- Choose from multiple cruise times to best suit your schedule
What's Included
- 90-minute Charleston Harbor Sightseeing Cruise from Charleston, South Carolina
- Select from Morning, Afternoon, or Sunset Departure Times
- Enjoy panoramic views from aboard the unique 80-foot Carolina Belle
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 10 Wharfside St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
Departure Point: Charleston Maritime Center Address: 10 Wharfside Street, Charleston, SC 29401
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Begin at the Charleston Maritime Center, which is centrally located in Charleston, South Carolina's French Quarter. Present your tour voucher before boarding the 80-foot sightseeing boat, then set off along the Cooper River.
Listen to stories from the boat captain throughout the tour, as you pass some of Charleston’s historic sites. Get close up views of Fort Sumter, the fortified island where the first shots were fired in the Civil War. Pass the Essex-class USS Yorktown, a ‘fighting lady’ aircraft carrier from the Second World War that earned eleven battle stars in her dramatic military career.
Take in Fort Moultrie and Fort Johnson, a pair of forts that housed Confederate and Union soldiers, and see St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, which survived Revolutionary and Civil War fighting by painting its steeple black. Pass elegant antebellum homes on the Battery, and navigate beneath the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, a modern span that links downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant. Drinks are available for purchase onboard throughout the trip, which concludes with drop-off at the Charleston Maritime Center.
Listen to stories from the boat captain throughout the tour, as you pass some of Charleston’s historic sites. Get close up views of Fort Sumter, the fortified island where the first shots were fired in the Civil War. Pass the Essex-class USS Yorktown, a ‘fighting lady’ aircraft carrier from the Second World War that earned eleven battle stars in her dramatic military career.
Take in Fort Moultrie and Fort Johnson, a pair of forts that housed Confederate and Union soldiers, and see St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, which survived Revolutionary and Civil War fighting by painting its steeple black. Pass elegant antebellum homes on the Battery, and navigate beneath the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, a modern span that links downtown Charleston to Mount Pleasant. Drinks are available for purchase onboard throughout the trip, which concludes with drop-off at the Charleston Maritime Center.
Fort Sumter National Monument (Pass By)
Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Pass By)
Charleston Waterfront Park (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- There is a flat pier out to the boat and the boarding ramp is about 30 feet long. Travelers will board on the top deck and there are stairs to the lower level. Restrooms are located on the top deck.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 185 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.4
based on 3,045 reviews
Geneva_H, Apr 2026
We had a beautiful afternoon in the Charleston harbor. The tour was very informative and the boat captain did a great job!
Saverio_C, Apr 2026
Very informative tour! It lasted for the perfect amount of time. The captain and crew were friendly and helpful.
Amit_T, Apr 2026
Bring warm clothes , wind can pickup over the water
Very relaxing sunset cruise in the bay, great captain provided details on the sites
Erin_G, Apr 2026
The crew was knowledgeable and funny. The weather was beautiful on the night we cruised. The tour is worth it!
Barbara_M, Apr 2026
Difficult to see with so many people standing in front of us blocking the view of those seated in chairs.
But very interesting and informative of Charleston waterfront.
Melissa_C, Apr 2026
Beautiful views and narrated well. The food and beverages for purchase was a nice touch. Totally recommend!
Melanie_C, Apr 2026
It was a wonderful boat ride with the sunset. The crew was great. You get to see and learn about many of the historical landmarks. I highly recommend this excursion.
Caroline_D, Apr 2026
It was a great time! Whole family enjoyed the experience! We all got to see dolphins which was cool and learned some wonderful history!
Veronica_M, Apr 2026
Very informative, much history to learn or correct about Charleston S.C.
Knowledgeable captain, smooth cruise
Denise_M, Mar 2026
Great crew, lots of interesting commentary but don’t get the hope chocolate on board (it was Luke warm & like water)
Frederick_G, Mar 2026
Very informative and friendly staff. Snacks and food was good. Very helpful in taking care of the handicap and anyone that needed help.
Cathy_C, Mar 2026
Get there early enough to get an outside seat if you want to sit outside. Bring a jacket if it’s going to be cool. The boat top deck was crowded and it was hard to hear the narration. It could be heard in the lower deck but that was inside. The staff was nice.
Linda_M, Mar 2026
Well organized, relaxing and informative excursion. The narrator was humorous and knowledgeable. This has been my 4th time and I would do the trip again.
Lisa_Z, Mar 2026
It was very nice. The boat was clean. They had bathrooms available the narration of what we were looking at provided insight and it was just the right amount of tour time.
Jorge_Q, Mar 2026
Everyone was very friendly. No incidents or complaints.
It was nice seeing Charleston from the water.
Nguyen_A, Mar 2026
The Captain gave a great guided history tour of the area. And the crew was very professional. Get in line first to get the best seats!
John_S, Mar 2026
Great views (including the warehouses) and entertaining narration of key sites. The route swings out near Fort Sumpter and then passes under the Ravenel Bridge for a great perspective on the bridge construction.
Karen_T, Mar 2026
Beautiful day on water. Very informative Captain. Wheelchair accessible. Snacks and drinks available for purchase.
Meredith_L, Mar 2026
It’s a really nice tour, but it’s very difficult to find the dock and we almost missed the boat. It’s tucked behind a building and it was an obvious where it was and we went to several other places first it is not well marked and access is restricted on docks so several folks wandered for awhile before finding the correct boat dock .
SandraP_C, Mar 2026
Had a great time. The crew was wonderful and we enjoyed the “travel dialogue” provided by the captain.
“Was a beautiful day at sea!”
Robin_K, Mar 2026
Tour oversold, most everyone standing for 90 minutes. Saw none of the sites listed except a distant view of the Fort. Waste of time. Captain announced that the crew was part of the hospitality industry and worked for tips. Suggested 20 percent. No one served us anything.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
We're sorry to see this review, but we most certainly do cover all of the sites listed and more! Guests are welcome to move about the vessel and there is more than enough seating between the 2 decks of the vessel. Gratuities are certainly a standard part of any tour at any destination, but are never an expectation. We do serve many guests at our snack bar and bar (Belle Cafe), but it sounds like you didn't experience that. Our vessel is certified to carry well over 250 passengers and we actually never sell up to 200 for guests comfort. We'll hope to see you another time.
Julie_R, Mar 2026
This was a beautiful cruise around Charleston Harbor. I learned new things about Charleston. I enjoyed the beautiful day!
Mary_P, Mar 2026
Very good! Beautiful day, informative staff and clean vessel. Worth the $$$ Definitely recommend to anyone visiting…
Cara_C, Dec 2025
Tour didn’t take place and I received no notice. Showed up at the meeting spot and waited around, no one was there. Do not recommend.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
We apologize for your experience! At the time you were reserved, there was a glitch in the Viator/Trip Advisor connection to our software and a time that was not happening at all on our end was available for you to book. Because the connection was broken at the time, we did not get any notifications at all from Viator about your booking, as we would have notified you in advance of the mix-up if we had known. The issue has since been fixed, thanks in part to your review since we figured out what was going on!
Shaune_S, Dec 2025
It was a crisp sunny Christmas week day. The captain was an amazing narrator and the rivers and bay were magical with dolphins!
Leslie_O, Dec 2025
What a nice time around the harbor with an incredible and informative Captain. We learned so much about the area!
Paula_R, Dec 2025
Very informative. Captain was very knowledgeable. The sunset pictures turned out amazing, especially the ones we took while going under the bridge.
Sherry_S, Dec 2025
Great boat tour with lots of information on the area. Seeing dolphins was a great bonus! Crew was great.
Valerie_D, Dec 2025
The captain was great with his stories. The drinks and food were ridiculously expensive. Saw dolphins
Thomas_A, Dec 2025
Very informative 2 h cruise. Lots of info pertaining to the harbour, the city, and the history. Captain and crew did a good job. Easy process to board and disembark. Overall - good value for money and not too long of the deal.
From $44.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Current
Charleston Harbor History Day-Time or Sunset Boat Cruise
3,045
1 hour 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
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$44.00
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