Charleston Harbor Live Narrated History Day or Sunset Boat Cruise
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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 3,206 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Wayne_S, Aug 2026
It was a great experience with a helpful and fun crew.
The boat has some years behind it but it did great. Highly recommend this trip.
Kathy_D, Aug 2026
It was a great harbor cruise. Helpful and kind staff, smooth cruise boat, and the rain even stopped for us. It was a very informative cruise that we thoroughly enjoyed.
Hannah_W, Aug 2026
Nice calm boat cruise with informative tour guide explaining some interesting facts on the city of Charleston! Also had a bar with various drinks and snacks which we enjoyed. We would recommend for all ages. It was a great way to unwind in the evening and we also got to see some dolphins too! 5 stars!
kathy_c, Aug 2026
Great family fun. Easy to find and lots of fun
The crew is very knowledgeable and great personality.
Jaylin_H, Aug 2026
Great experience, friendly workers, and very interesting information about Charleston! I would recommend this for everyone, family and friends.
Donna_A, Aug 2026
Fantastic excursion cruise! The staff was professional and courteous, and the music played throughout the cruise added to the fun and relaxing experience. I would definitely do it again.
Brittney_S, Jul 2026
Highly recommend! Jackson was an allstar knowledgeable Captain, and Emory was so friendly and answered our questions. It was one of the highlights of our trip! The music was also awesome! Jackson dis a great job with that too!
Mindy_W, Jul 2026
We had a very Knowledgeable captain so we learned a lot. We stayed mainly in the air conditioned cabin, but I did go to the deck for some pics.
William_O, Jul 2026
Very Knowledgeable, staff very friendly and weather cooperated!!! Scenery was beautiful and tour showed key points of interest.
JMichael_R, Jul 2026
The Charleston Harbor History Cruise is an informative and relaxing event. Being on a boat in the harbor is therapeutic.
Sarah_M, Jul 2026
The tour was fun and informative. The staff is excellent and highly recommend the sunset cruise in July.
Travis_C, Jul 2026
Wonderful sunset cruise down Charleston’s harbor. Captain Travis and crew were knowledgeable and friendly. I would definitely recommend this as a “must-do” when you are in Charleston!
lawandaweaver, Jul 2026
Smooth ride. Good narrative of the sites. Air conditioned inside (it was so hot out). Can buy drinks and ice cream aboard.
Tony_W, Jul 2026
This is a must do harbor tour. It gives a water prospective of a wonderful town. Takes about 1 1/2 hours. You can sneak a 🍺 and enjoy the commentary pointing out the many sites of historical Charleston.
Marcus_G, Jul 2026
We had a company meeting, decided to do the tour it’s a team building an event. It was great staff great tour was great..
Judith_D, Jul 2026
Narration was great. Boat is old, chairs old and used. Bathroom disgusting and air conditioning poor or not operable. Sad that tour is informative but could use a makeover on boat.
Bobbe_G, Jul 2026
The tour was informative and interesting. Also, the tour guide was very entertaining and knowledgeable. However, the tour boat was outdated and had a pungent order that at times made me nauseous. Holistically, the historical sights were enlightening and aesthetic
Ed_W, Jul 2026
The evening cruise was a great end to our day in Charleston. Learned a lot about the harbor area and the close up look at Fr Sumter was a highlight.
Scott_S, Jul 2026
This tour is well worth it. Cruising the harbor and seeing the sights with the breeze at your face was amazing. Our sunset was fantastic and seeing Charleston from the water was a great view. The captain’s narrative was very informative.
Make sure you make room in your itinerary for this tour on your visit.,
Louis_S, Jul 2026
It was a nice trip inspite of the heat. I have two points. First, I wish the captain would’ve talked less about his family background. Second and, and more important, in the vernacular of my kids, the audio system sucked. We could barely hear most of what the captain was saying so that we really didn’t know what we were looking at that audio system has to be significantly upgraded. People were moving their chairs to be closer to the speaker to no avail in order to hear what the captain was saying.
Robin_D, Jul 2026
The captain was so charming and funny. He made the trip very enjoyable. Despite the Charleston heat, we were comfortable both above and below desk. The boat was smooth and the weather cooperated. It was most enjoyable!
Brandy_J, Jul 2026
The cruise was really nice and relaxing. The operator is very knowledgeable of the area and gives a lot of history about the different sites you see along the way. My niece got to see some dolphins, her favorite part of the trip. Thanks for making it memorable.
Thomas_S, Jul 2026
The ride was comfortable. It was narrated which provided both local information and poor attempts at humor. Overall it was a reasonable experience for the price.
Kathy_C, Jul 2026
We had a lovely time on this cruise. All of the crew were friendly and the Captain did a great job with his narration.
Kevin_B, Jul 2026
Appreciated the option for outside seating and air-conditioned seating. Tour guide was very informative, fun and entertaining.
Marcie_R, Jul 2026
A little overpriced for what it is but it was ok. Would not do it again or recommend unless you have no other options. It was very crowded too with standing room only on upper deck.
vera_c, Jul 2026
Nice 90 minute excursion to see Charleston from the sea. Cruise was on-time and captain / narrator was informative/ fun.
Kathy_W, Jun 2026
It was a beautiful day and the cruise was amazing! Saw a lot of different sites. Happy we did this tour.
Todd_H, Jun 2026
This is a great informative tour! We also saw dolphins!! Highly recommend! The crew are very engaging and knowledgeable! Great way to spend an afternoon
Nancy_B, Jun 2026
It was very informative. Staff were pleasant. But air conditioning inside was poor. Don’t go on a hot day
From $44.50
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Charleston Harbor Live Narrated History Day or Sunset Boat Cruise
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1 hour 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
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