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 3,119 reviews
Kani_D, Jun 2026
The man that checked us in was awesome and the crew on the boat were very friendly and informative! They made the boat ride very pleasant and wanted everyone onboard to have a great time. There was a boat right in front of the tour boat that the crew had to maneuver around. Pretty tricky, but they made it look simple!
Katie_D, Jun 2026
Great your guide and friendly staff! I will definitely be back when it’s better weather, but this was a lovely change of pace from other tours.
Tracie_P, May 2026
It was absolutely wonderful!!!!! The captains were very knowledgeable of the history, plus, they were very entertaining!
Nancy_W, May 2026
One of the best experiences I have ever had! From start to finish, the cruise was enjoyable, relaxing, and well organized. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and made everyone feel comfortable throughout the trip. The scenery was absolutely beautiful, and being out on the water was such a peaceful experience. The highlight of the cruise was getting to see dolphins in their natural habitat. Watching them swim and play alongside the boat was unforgettable and made the trip even more special. I highly recommend this cruise to anyone looking for a fun, memorable, and unique experience. Five stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rachel_C, May 2026
Very informative with Charleston history and the captain was very entertaining and funny. We truly enjoyed it!
Suzanne_M, May 2026
Beautiful boat ride with a great captain. Nice on board bar with snacks. Great history tour. With good views of the area forts.
William_S, May 2026
We had a great time on Charleston Harbor. My wife forgot sunscreen and got a little red. I would suggest sitting on the right side for better views. Captain Jackson and his crew did a great job.
CHARLES_V, May 2026
The company takes no effort to help you figure nd the dock at the street which is several hundred yards away no sign when you get to where you need to turn right the search by area hidden by a stairway and hedge no sign. We turned the wrong way and ended up talking around the block encountering another couple looking for the waiting area. Poorly run n business
Lisa_W, May 2026
Staff friendly and helpful. Staff was knowledgeable. Light snacks and drinks offered. Captain was entertaining.
Sheli_O, May 2026
The tour was informative. Enjoyed the many sites during the cruise. The staff was very friendly. Definitely worth the visit.
Barbara_S, May 2026
My friends and I throughly enjoyed the cruise. We were not among the first people who boarded, and we're a bit disappointed that we couldn't get seats on the outside deck. We wanted to be outside, so we chose to stand for the cruise-not the most comfortable for 3 seniors. The narration was very good.
Julie_D, May 2026
We arrived in plenty of time for our tour, but not in time to get a seat on the top, open deck. As a result, we couldn’t see a lot of what was being described by the narrator/guide for much of the trip. Or we saw it when the guide had already moved on to other features.. That meant we had to walk around on the lower deck to peer out windows to see what was being discussed and that was quite frustrating. The tour itself was good, but I would not recommend taking it unless you are on the upper deck with full visibility.
Michelle_B, May 2026
We had a beautiful experience including the dolphins and sunset. The crew was exceptional, would definitely recommend!
Debra_J, May 2026
Very informative- great information on history & geography of area. Just know it’s somewhat crowded and indoor space below deck is stuck in 1968. But still worthwhile.
I had sent 3 messages prior to departure with a special request that went ignored.
MEG_B, May 2026
Excellent boat ride! Staff were knowledgeable and helpful. My only regret was that the seats were uncomfortable
Renee_G, May 2026
Very pretty boat ride with informative history narration about the voyage. The sunset by the bridge made for gorgeous photos. The one challenge I found was that there was limited seating in the front, and that's where a lot of the views match the narration. We were there early but didn't realize we needed to be waiting by a certain area to get the best seats. There wasn't a line but moreso a group of people. Downstairs on the boat is enclosed, so if you want to be on the upper deck, you have to really be there early and in the front of the line. They had a very kind staff, mixed drinks for sale on board, and some small snacks (chips, pretzels, popcorn, hot dogs) for sale as well. They also have bathrooms on board but one wasn't flushing the entirety of the trip. Overall it was a nice experience.
Elizabeth_S, May 2026
Great tour! Beautiful views! Learned a lot about the area! Would definitely recommend to all ages! Worth it!
Daniel_B, May 2026
Trip was great, narration was very informative Boat was very clean, and snack bar was great. Crew was courteous.
Eugene_P, May 2026
Had great time the host was very funny especially when he talked about if your hat blows off. But the ride was relaxing and educational
Kathy_P, May 2026
The Captain did a great job of telling us about Charleston, the harbor, and interesting facts about the area. VERY enjoyable evening!!
Angela_H, May 2026
The staff was very nice captain Dan has a really good personality and is very funny. Alot of Charleston history learned on this cruise. Very handicap accessible. Take cash for drinks or snacks they dont take CC. I do feel like prices was a little expensive we paid $11.00 for a slushy lemonade. Other then that a great time.
Jeffrey_R, May 2026
Be sure you don’t sit on top deck in front because speaker is broken and you could barely hear the captain’s commentary thus making the tour very disappointing. From what we could hear the captain was very informative and somewhat entertaining. After cruise I spoke with captain and he said he had reported the broken speaker but the company still has no plan of fixing it. There should be a sign on the speaker stating that it is broken so folks like us could switch seats beforehand.
Sandy_K, May 2026
Low impact and very relaxing, informative tour. The captain who narrated the information was very knowledgeable and entertaining. We highly enjoyed our 90 minutes on the boat. Spotting the dolphins was a plus.
Daniel_B, May 2026
Informative, entertaining and relaxing, all at the same time! We enjoyed learning more about Charleston and the Charleston Harbor area.
Gail_D, May 2026
When I got to the meeting place there was no no one there to direct me to the boat so needless to say I paid $80 for a tour that I didn’t get.
Very disappointed and I will probably never use Viator again and I have used them a lot in the past.
Response from Host, May 2026
Hi Gail, sounds like you might have gone to the wrong location. We do not specifically have someone to meet you and guide you to the boat. We had over 100 guests on your tour time and everyone else made it on the boat without issue. Not to mention, we have phone coverage 7 days a week, so we could have certainly helped you over the phone. The directions are quite clear as where to go on the confirmation and we are the only large tour vessel at our location, so it's pretty easy to locate. We can certainly reschedule to another time since you missed your tour.
Cynthia_I, May 2026
The captain and crew were fantastic! Very good history and anecdotal info. The length of the tour was just right at 1.5 hours. Saw a beautiful sunset. The food and drink offered on board could be improved to earn 5 stars.
lkalhar, May 2026
I loved learning about the history of the harbor and getting to see more of the land that surround it.
BrianPatrick_O, May 2026
We had a great time, it was a beautiful day for a 90 minute cruise of Charleston Harbor on the Carolina Belle. We thought this was the perfect amount of time for comfort and content. Guests should be aware that outdoor seating is on plastic patio chairs. The captain provided a great narration of the Ft. Sumter history, and we spotted some Dolphins cruising along beside us. All in all, everything as described. I do think it's a weather dependent sailing as it's largely outside.
Calvin_T, May 2026
We had a great experience even though it was a cloudy evening. I look forward to booking again in the future.
Angela_C, May 2026
Even if the weather isn’t the best, the crew does its best to make sure you have an enjoyable experience! Captain Jackson and his crew are great!
From $44.50
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Charleston Harbor History Day-Time or Sunset Boat Cruise
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