Fort Sumter Access and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry

Recommended by 90% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Charleston, USA

Very popular!

10+ bookings in the past 6 hours.

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

Why travelers loved this

4.6

· Jesse_W ·

Jul 2026

Get a national parks passport book! You’ll want to grab your free stamps! Definitely bring your own huge water bottle! It was a very nice trip! The rangers were very informative & has a lot of really cool history! You can also plan to hit Morris lighthouse beforehand and even the USS Yorktown while your in town I highly recommend this trip if your into history & site seeing!

· Ginger_M ·

Jul 2026

Ferry was great, captain and volunteer shared great history lesson about Ft Sumpter. The Fort, view of surrounding islands, and museum were great. It was just he right amount of time for the tour. Really happy the ferry and museum had AC, and water available.

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Overview

Visit the site where the first shots of 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 a round-trip, narrated ferry ride from Charleston. Enjoy time to explore the historic fort and museum, watch a battle reenactment, and browse for souvenirs 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

Access 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 points

Select a meeting point

Type to search

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Fort Sumter National Monument

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Fort Moultrie (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not 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 restrooms on Fort Sumter are unavailable; 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, 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

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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)

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Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Mary_S

What an AWESOME experience! It was a beautiful & peaceful ferry ride! We enjoyed the views of the bridge & the city, the bay, and the boats going by. The ferry ride did get pretty windy and chilly so I recommend bringing a jacket, but I was okay without one despite that I am typically always cold. We learned so much during the trip; on the ferry ride as we passed certain locations they had facts play over the speakers, and while we were at the fort the Park Ranger gave a very informative speech (about 10 to 15 minutes) about the history of the fort and all that happened there. Throughout the fort there are signs that teach you quite a bit too about each area. We appreciated being in a place with such rich history! The Fort is so well taken care of and has incredible views. The Park Rangers are very knowledgeable and friendly, and the ferry staff was great, as well. We wished would have had longer to explore the Fort; you are given an hour (We still got to see pretty much the whole Fort and enjoy the experience. It would have been even better to have an hour & a half to 2 hours because there is so much to see, read & learn, as well as to to just take in the views & what all happened there.). It was an Unforgettable and Great experience! We absolutely recommend it!!!

Reviews

4.6

based on 3,846 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

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Viactor never again. Their fault not operator.

Donna_F, Aug 2026

Victor sent me an email saying our reservation was missing info about 2 days prior to event. Said I needed to select our pick up point. Then in my app it showed me the address to be picked up. We were an hour early. No boat came. Contacted Viactor they said that boat didn't pick up at that point at 10:45. I apparently had picked another pick up area over 6 months ago. Viactor wouldn't take any responsibility for sending me an email saying there was missing info. Over an hour on a call and they wouldn't even give us a credit. It was Viators fault not the boat operator or us. Ruined my husband's birthday. Day was all messed up so we decided to not go to our carriage ride so it didn't remind us of victory. Never again.

Fun spotting dolphins on...

Kathleen_V, Aug 2026

Fun spotting dolphins on the way. The Rangers were very informative and eager to share their knowledge.

A great day on the ferry and the fort!

Marilyn_W, Aug 2026

The crew at the landing and on the ferry was very helpful and very friendly. Their comments on the way out and back were fun and entertaining. I walk with a cane and have some difficulty navigating stairs…they made sure that I did do safely. The fort itself was very exciting for me and my spouse because we are both history buffs. My only disappointment was that the lifts designed to help people to the top were not working and I could not get to the top of the stairs to see it all. What I could do was a lot of fun but it would have been great to see the view from the top.

Great excursion!

Mary_G, Aug 2026

The ferry ride was very informative and pleasant. The fort was amazing to see. The booking process was not the best as I booked 1045am from Port Liberty and all my emails said that. Upon arrival we were told that departure was from a different location and we had to wait an hour and 15 mins for the next one. The park employee said it happens a lot with the Viator bookings. At 100 degrees out, that was frustrating. Turned out to be a great time but be sure to compare actual tickets to your emails and confirmation.

Well run service

Luigi_C, Aug 2026

All went as advertised. Paid parking is conveniently located at the nearest public street, both street and loot parking. Your guide was knowledgeable and informative. Ferry had a cash bar, but this was not advertised so I had no idea it was there.

Another day at the Fort!

Tina_C, Aug 2026

Excellent service to the Ft. Unfortunately the handicap services were broken down at the Fort which was no one’s fault but the sea water.

History for Today

Stephanie_F, Aug 2026

This was an very informative 2 hour tour. It takes about 30 minutes by boat to get to Ft. Sumter and points of interest were shared on the ride. The Park Rangers were very friendly and gave a 5 minute intro to the Fort along with points of interest. We then explored on our own. There is a museum and gift shop. It's amazing standing on the ground where history happened. The Rangers reminded us that it's hot and to stay hydrated.

Loved the history lesson

Penny_C, Aug 2026

We enjoyed the ferry ride and appreciated the history lesson! What a blessing that the crowd got to help fold the flag until the next day! It was a great way to beat the heat!

History lesson

Marla_R, Aug 2026

Great history lesson. Go on the early ferry to help raise the flag when you get there. Ask questions to learn more

Nice.little excursion

Mandy_M, Aug 2026

This was a great little addition to our recent trip to Charleston. It is perfectly timed, comfortable, and informative. As someone who is not a history person, I was engaged learning about the events of the Civil War surrounding Fort Sumter.

Fun

Connor_F, Aug 2026

This was an excellent tour. The boat ride out was beautiful and the ranger speaking was very knowledgeable regarding the history of the Fort. There was plenty of time to explore the small island and find out all about the history. Since we were the first tour group there, we were able to participate in the flag raising, which was nice.

Tour was great and very...

Keith_A, Aug 2026

Tour was great and very informative. I would recommend going to first tour when they raise the flag.

Boring wouldn’t bother, watching paint dry would be more thrilling

Megan_B, Aug 2026

From all the tours across the world this would have to rank at the bottom, the ferry and its staff were lifeless except for the ranger and his knowledge of the island. The ferry is filled with plastic chairs and folding tables and parts of the boat looking worse for wear. Now to the Fort… !!! yep that’s about it. Nothing to say was just as exciting as the ferry ride. Wasted precious time on visiting nothing really

See history

Brenda_W, Aug 2026

Amazing chance at viewing history up close and learn more about Ft. Sumter and the people that fought there.

Ft Sumpter

Clay_S, Aug 2026

The boat ride was nice and Ft Sumpter is interesting and beautiful, but getting there is a headache. Parking is a pain because you cannot pay for more than 2 hours at one time. So you have to enter all your info twice (the trip lasts just over 2 hours). There’s very little signage pointing you in the right direction once you’ve parked. You have to ask multiple employees where to go since there’s other attractions there as well. I witnessed several people get in the wrong line, and after waiting for more than 15+ minutes, they had to leave that line and join another one. Fortunately all the employees were nice and courteous. Charleston harbor is really cool so the 30 minute boat ride is entertaining. Ft Sumpter is humbling and beautiful, but you only get about 60 minutes before it’s time to get back on the boat. There’s so much to see and explore there; it would take half a day to be able to take it all in. I get that they must be quick and efficient because of the very high volume of visitors they need to usher through, but there is no way you can experience everything in an hour. So if they ever get all the logistics figured out, it would be an amazing trip.

Awesome family morning excursion

Mandie_H, Aug 2026

This experience was awesome. It was our nephew's first national Park experience and he enjoyed all the history. The ranger who gave the history on the boat ride and in spots at the fort was wonderful and answered questions and pointed out interesting things. I highly recommend going in the morning so you can see the flag ceremony, and in the summer it's better than midday heat. Don't miss the gift shop and extra museum content before or after in the building where the ferry loads! Bonus, we saw several pods of dolphins on the way there and back! Would come again in a heartbeat.

Fort Sumter

Donna_M, Jul 2026

Visiting Fort Sumter was very interesting. The park narrator was very knowledgeable and informative. We had a great time. We paid for parking then found we were at the wrong meet place. My reservation said the Fort Sumter Memorial, which is where we went, but were told that for my reservation time I should have been at the Pointe something. 15 minutes away and $20 additional parking. We were able to change the reservation, but has the wait an additional 2 hours.

Fort Sumter tour

Deborah_C, Jul 2026

Be prepared with water to take with you and sun screen, maybe a hat or small umbrella. The park rangers were great!

Summer at Sumter was a hit

Jaroline_M, Jul 2026

Ferry ride was informative and created many great picture taking opportunities. Fort Sumter was well marked for safety and the museum and gift shop was good.

Loved it!

MATHEW_T, Jul 2026

Nothing much more to say other than amazing. The rangers where awesome, the boat staff where awesome. Overall enjoyed the experience.

The morning cruise was...

Diane_E, Jul 2026

The morning cruise was great to get out before the heat. Also, when you are the first group to go, you get to help put out the American flag in the flag raising ceremony which was neat. Boat ride was very nice and the speaker seemed to be very knowledgeable about the fort and the history. I would highly recommend this tour for any age.

Fort Sumter tour

Jerome_A, Jul 2026

Awesome historical tour. Try to get the 0930 tour, to witness and/or participate in the flag raising.

We were the first tour,...

tmurillo28, Jul 2026

We were the first tour, loved how they incorporate people to help raise the flag at the Summit. Good experience!

Very informative experience

Gary_B, Jul 2026

Easy to purchase tickets, find location and board ferry. Parking was easy to access but WAY TOO EXPENSIVE !!

Great fun and...

Richard_F, Jul 2026

Great fun and educational. Boat ride over was smooth sailing, crew was helpful. Was a hot day and they had a/c

Great experience! Will...

Amy_M, Jul 2026

Great experience! Will take another tour the next time in Charleston! Everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable about the fort and Charleston area.

Great tour and educational.

Wendi_S, Jul 2026

Very educational to hear about the Fort and the history of it. Learned some new information I had forgotten.

Fort Sumter-Excellent

Deborah_R, Jul 2026

The pickup location is right next to the aquarium. There is a Fort Sumter museum/information center upstairs. I recommend watching the video before you go if you take the self guided tour. Bring a water bottle and sunscreen.

Very nice!

Toni_G, Jul 2026

Lots of good historical information. Several areas were unsafe to venture close to, so you couldn’t really explore the whole fort. I recommend going on the last tour of the day, if you would like to help lower and fold the American Flag.

Fort Sumter

Kenneth_S, Jul 2026

Great tour and guide . but making us walk an extra twenty minutes around the Yorktown on the summer heat was terrible Problem would be solved by moving the admission to the Yorktown to the gangplank of the boat itself.