Fort Sumter Admission and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry
Recommended by 90% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Charleston, USA
- 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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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 point
- Fort Sumter National MonumentSouth Carolina 29412, USA
Tour requires a ferry boat to and from the island. Please select ferry departure location at checkout.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
1
Fort Sumter National Monument
1 hour • Admission Ticket Included
2
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
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
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 3,636 reviews
David_Z, May 2026
Viator let me down on this one. I went to the national park service thinking that's where i should go to get the ferry over to ft sumter. There was NO address as to where to go to for the ferry on my ticket pkg. I was told by ranger i was probably suppose to go to Patriots Point for my ferry. Didnt have enough time to go over there so we paid for this other ferry thru the Park Service. That means i paid twice for the ferry over to Ft Sumter. Once for Patriots Point which i guess is where i was suppose to go and then paid again for the ferry ride thru the park service. Why? Because that was the only one i saw available. I didnt realize that there was more than one ferry service available. It would have been nice if Viator had warned me about this and given me the exact address that i needed to go to for this ferry service. If they had i wouldn't have had to pay $172 for the ferry service to Ft Sumter!! Be forewarned about all this cause i certainly didnt know about all this!!!
Ronald_B, May 2026
Small but interesting fort. Boat trip was windy but fun. The staff at the fort were friendly and very knowledgeable.
Susan_M, May 2026
Tour length was just right. Sumpter self guided info was sufficient for time at fort. Lovely viewsbod the bay and city from the boat.
Morris_L, May 2026
It was a Great time taking the tour and the presentation was great.
It was time well spent. I would recommend this to anyone visiting Charleston SC.
Lisa_D, May 2026
Park volunteer on board ferry and at the fort was very knowledgeable! Worth visiting. Lots of history !
Cathy_I, May 2026
We had a great time! The ranger narration was both funny and interesting. My son got to help with the flag raising! We will definitely recommend this tour!
LORIMER_E, May 2026
Well organized and informative experience. The ferry ride includes amazing views of Charleston Harbor and historical perspectives from a tour guide. At the fort, we were given a comprehensive overview of the fort and its history by National Park ranger.
Scott_W, May 2026
Fort location is extremely rocky and uneven. Just watch your step and take your time. Boat ride enjoyable.
Kay_W, May 2026
We enjoyed the ferry ride and fort tour very much. The ferry took about 30 min and the ranger provided commentary during the ride. The harbour is beautiful and the dolphins entertained us along the way. Fort Sumter was so interesting and there was a small museum and gift shop. We were on the first tour of the day and my husband was able to participate in the daily raising of the American flag. The program led by the ranger was very moving and she did a good job despite being new and young. The ride and fort tour combined takes about 2 hrs which was great for us. We would definitely recommend.
Alfred_S, May 2026
well organized, Park Service Rangers are helpful in explaining areas of the fort. Be surprised how small Fort Sumter is. Prepare for visit by reading short history of event happened here.
Ed_T, May 2026
nice tour and on-site guide provided a great historical commentary. Ferry ride was short and pleasant
Joseph_S, May 2026
The timing of the experience was perfect. An hour at Fort Sumpter was just enough. The ferry ride was pleasant and the boat had bathrooms and snacks. The park rangers were extremely helpful and friendly. We especially liked the presentation in the fort. Wonderful experience!!
Richard_B, May 2026
If you are into history, this tour is for you. Bob, the park volunteer was superb. Very knowledgeable. Made the presentation very lite and informative.
Joyce_A, May 2026
Great experience but no need to book through victor same experience and tickets bail be thru fort Sumter site and national parks site
Tina_H, May 2026
Good experience - rangers are very knowledgeable. Site is well maintained with ample information kiosks to tell the story
Linda_Z, May 2026
Visiting Fort Sumpter was amazing. Dont book through Viator. They sent the wrong info on the address for boarding the ferry. Good thing the company that actually runs the tours is honest.
Linda_M, May 2026
The volunteer aboard the ferry was full of great stories and history about Ft Sumpter which made the ride very entertaining and gave us things to look for in our self guided exploration of the fort itself. The museum seemed to be more pictures and reading plaques where I prefer more to see more artifacts. All in all a well spent 2 hours. Wear good walking shoes for the uneven grounds.
Wendy_M, May 2026
Easy to book.
Good instructions on where to access tour
The tour itself was very interesting and we enjoyed our time on both the ferry and at the fort.
We didn’t get the $4 Sr discount with Viator that was offered at the building.
Angelia_G, May 2026
It was OK. Too long if you don’t do the museum. Not good directions getting off boat. Not enough guidance on the grounds . Park ranger on boat was great. One at the fort seemed to talk to individuals and not group .
Lisa_C, May 2026
Jim the volunteer guide was fantastic-so knowledgeable and fun to listen to. We learned a lot! Would highly recommend.
Kimber_S, May 2026
Viator is just a ticket agent on this one. You go right to the ferry with your Viator ticket. Wasn’t that clear in the instructions.
Park staff and volunteers were excellent. Fun boat ride.
Pat_K, May 2026
Educational and enjoyable. Had a beautiful day to explore the Fort. Ferry was clean and pleasant. Would recommend.
MaryKay_W, May 2026
It was perfect. We were on the first boat over to the Fort. The park rangers were very knowledgeable
Janice_D, May 2026
The volunteer guide on the boat made the journey each way go quickly, giving us a lot of background in an interesting manner. There are a couple of flights of stairs and some uneven ground at the Fort, but if that's not an issue then an hour is just about the right amount of time to soak up the atmosphere and spend some time in the museum.
Murlyn_B, May 2026
Definitely wear tennis shoes. Take lots of photos and possibly take the first boat to see the raising of the flag!
Kevin_Z, May 2026
Great ferry ride and self-guided tour of Fort Sumter. There is an incredible amount of history that makes the hour go by quickly.
Patricia_H, May 2026
This trip out to Fort Sumter is worth it! Not only do you get to live part of history but the view of the city from the water is great.
Kathy_H, May 2026
Nice half hour boat cruise out to Fort Sumter with narration by a park ranger! The boat has a refreshment center and bathrooms aboard! You spend approximately one hour doing a self guided tour of the site but there are rangers on site to answer questions. Interesting piece of history to visit. Half hour trip back and make sure to visit the Fort Sumter information center at the boat landing either before or after your trip out to the Fort!
Angie_H, May 2026
Arrived and told tour was canceled; viator charged our credit card the day before and 4 days later still working on getting a refund.
David_G, May 2026
Enjoyable trip thru the harbor and learned a lot about the Fort and it’s history , guide was very knowledgeable and friendly
From $43.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Fort Sumter Admission and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry
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2 hours 15 minutes
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