Fort Sumter Admission and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry

Recommended by 91% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Charleston, USA

In high demand!

10+ bookings in the last hour!

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

Why travelers loved this

4.6

· Debra_K ·

Jan 2026

Super easy to navigate. Plenty of parking, though that cost is not in the admission price. Ferry ride was lovely, snacks, drinks, and bathrooms available on the boat. Great Natl Park Guides at Ft Sumter with an informative talk and available to answer any questions. Very important US history, make the trip to see this!

· Bob_P ·

Mar 2026

Great experience- very informative. National Park Service rangers were approachable and knowledgeable. It was interesting seeing Charleston Harbor and learning about the impotence of Fort Sumter. The NPS brochure was also very good.

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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 points

Select a meeting point

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

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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)

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 3,454 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Very informative. It was...

Ellen_G, Mar 2026

Very informative. It was a beautiful day and the ferry ride was smooth and very timely. It left at noon as stated . One hour at Ft Sumpter with a short introduction

Not enough time

Suzanne_K, Mar 2026

It takes 30” each way to get to the fort, then there is a 20” talk you can listen to. By the time you go thru the museum, it is time to leave. Definitely not enough time to see all of it! You’re better off just reading about it.

A historic military site

Sasha_L, Mar 2026

I had a great time at Fort Sumter and learned a lot about the important role it played in the Civil War. The ranger talk was very informative. I got to help them take down the flag for the evening. It felt very special to participate as a veteran.

Great History!

KarenSue_W, Mar 2026

The ferry ride is nice. Go on top for fresh air or stay below to stay out of the weather. Really loved the Fort. The Rangers were friendly and very informative. The one thing we were disappointed in was the length of stay at the Fort. It needs to be longer than an hour or the choice to take a different ferry back if you wanted to absorb more information at the Fort.

Cancelled Excursion

Kristopher_C, Mar 2026

If your excursion gets cancelled for weather, they do an excellent job of working with the operators to refunding your money.

Fort Sumter

Bob_P, Mar 2026

Good and bad.

DENA_W, Mar 2026

There are two ferry pickup locations, make sure you know which one you are leaving from. The staff at the visitor's center were super. They got our tickets switched to the different ferry and the rest of the excursion was great!

A must see for Charleston

Kelley_M, Mar 2026

Enjoyable tour of Fort Sumter. Note that it IS Self-guided. There are one or two park rangers there who can answer some questions, but they aren't there to guide you . Be sure to safe time for the little museum that is on the second level. Take an extra layer of clothes for warmth - it's very windy on top of the fort. We went to the first tour of the morning, and the park ranger let people help raise the flag over the fort, which was especially nice for the kids.

Fort Sumter tour

Virginia_H, Mar 2026

Really Easy to book a tour and quick to email your tickets. Will use again for future tours due to the easy experience of booking tours

Ferry was well organized and on time. Visit to Fort was educational and very sad. Glad to see our history being protecte

Julie_R, Mar 2026

Anyone who visits Ft. Sumpter should take time to visit the Hunley submarine, as well! We enjoyed the ferry ride to the fort and the tour around the battle station.

Missed the ferry by 1...

Stephani_K, Mar 2026

Missed the ferry by 1 minute. Booked for noon .. at the very bottom of the reminder it said to be there for checkin at 1145. Unfortunately missed the ferry. They offered to rebook to 2:45, but would have interferred with other plans. The museum on shore was very informative. Views from shore were beautiful.

The explanation of where...

Jane_E, Mar 2026

The explanation of where and how to find the loading dock was very easy. The voluntary national park tour guide was very engaging, as were the park attendants. Great experience!

Anniversary getaway

Brian_F, Mar 2026

We enjoyed today cruise and tour from the park ranger. If anyone wants a historic trip in the past this is it.

Take part in important American History

Cynthia_K, Mar 2026

Easy to get to, very knowledgeable guides and rangers. We learned so much on this trip and got to take part in the removal of the flag at the end of the day. Must do experience in Charleston!

Great Tour, Informative

Shannon_H, Mar 2026

The water trip on the Ferry can get cold in the spring....but the ride is beautiful. Just the right amount of time on the Island to tour and look around. Historians were very knowledgeable

Follow the rangers around...

Jeni_J, Mar 2026

Follow the rangers around to hear the unique and interesting stories. They provided a little more depth to the tour.

First Sumter an enjoyable ferry ride to the Fort

John_S, Mar 2026

Very pleasant ferry ride (recommend the to deck on a nice day) to the Fort. The guides are very helpful in explaining the dilemmas faced by the occupants of the Fort during the constant bombardment. The displays explain the effort towards excavating the rubble to create the park.

Fort Sumter - learn early American history

Bambi_W, Mar 2026

This National Park is a must do when you visit Charleston and helps American's understand why forts were added (War of 1812), the first shot of Civil War, and what happens at the end of the Civil War.

Very good and...

William_B, Mar 2026

Very good and informative! The ferry ride overview was helpful and gave us good background to understand the history.

Russell is the BEST!

Karol_C, Mar 2026

There is no parking at the Visitor's Center. The closest ramp is about a block away and is heavily used. Allow time to find a parking spot. That said the Visitor Center is very well done and the tour to Ft. Sumter is great, especially if you happen to have Russell as your tour guide on the ferry! Great guy, very knowledgeable and knows a lot of back ground information.

A quick review

Richard_M, Mar 2026

a little ... dry. But everything was well-organized and on-time. The narrator on the ferry was good.

The ferry ride is great...

Rebecca_F, Mar 2026

The ferry ride is great and informative. Lots of history and points of interest. The crew was professional and respectful. We did not have enough time at the fort - an hour is too short. Possibly reduce the number of tours and increase the time in the fort to 1 1/2 hours.

Enjoyable boat ride to the Fort.

alesia_s, Mar 2026

Enjoyable boat ride to the Fort. We saw so many dolphins on the way to it. Fort itself was an interesting site to visit. I would recommend this tour.

History Lesson

Joyce_G, Mar 2026

Educational and interesting. A safe family activity. Beautiful sites. The park rangers were professional, friendly, and knowledgeable.

Great experience. Amazing...

charissa_t, Mar 2026

Great experience. Amazing to see. The flag raising experience was so patriotic. The park rangers had so much knowledge to share

Informative, interesting....

Christine_B, Mar 2026

Informative, interesting. Boat ride nice but cold in shade upper level. Museum has artifacts and explanations of the Fort.

Highly recommend visiting...

Patty_W, Mar 2026

Ft Sumter history in depth

Donna_B, Mar 2026

There is a museum at the fort and a forest ranger who elaborates on what really happened there. Really helps your understanding

Fort sumpter tour

Brenda_S, Mar 2026

The experience was fabulous! This is a good tour for a History buffs!! Very informative!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very educational

Jody_F, Mar 2026

The park rangers were so knowledgeable and willing to answer any questions. The handicap lifts were out of order so if you can’t go up 2 flights you will miss quite a bit. Check before you go.