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Charleston Horse & Carriage Historic Sightseeing Tour

Recommended by 92% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Charleston, USA
Popular pick
Booked 10+ times last week!
  • 1 hour (approx.)
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.7
·
· Diana_M ·
Apr 2026
Ricky delivered an awesome, valuable, historically accurate tour of the picturesque streets of downtown Charleston. We loved his character and humor! Highly recommend this carriage tour company. It did not go unnoticed how kind they were to their horses and respect for the tourism industry of Charleston.
· Inessa_M ·
Mar 2026
Always fun on these carriage rides. Each time I learn new facts Will definitely be going again. Everyone should try.

Overview

Travel back to Colonial times aboard a horse-drawn carriage and discover more than 300 years of history on this guided, 1-hour tour of Charleston. See the many mansions, churches and gardens of yesteryear on this narrated tour around historic Charleston. Enjoy the romantic clip-clop sound as this educational adventure winds through the streets and learn about this ‘Holy City’ and its rich history and role in Civil War times.
  • Experience the romance of a horse-drawn carriage tour
  • Learn about Charleston’s storied past from the tour guide
  • See one of the most historic buildings in America
  • Fun for the entire family

What's Included

  • 1-Hour Historic Horse & Carriage Ride of Charleston
  • Professional guide
  • See beautiful gardens and parks, stately mansions, and historic churches
  • Learn about the people and events that shaped the history of this "Holy City"
  • Opportunity to engage with the horses up close ahead of or after tour
  • Photo opportunities with the horses
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • 45 Pinckney St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA

    Directions: Please check in with an attendant at the desk inside our barn at 45 Pinckney Street. Dates: Tours depart approximately every 20 to 30 minutes from 9:30 am to 5pm during daylight savings (the last carriage will depart at 4pm during non-daylight savings time)

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours

  • 01/01/2026 - 12/31/2026

    Monday - Sunday : 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM

Ticket Redemption Point

45 Pinckney St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA

Itinerary

1

Charleston City Market

5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

2

Battery & White Point Gardens

10 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

3

Rainbow Row

5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

4

Nathaniel Russell House

5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

5

St. Philip's Church

5 minutesAdmission Ticket Free

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Please note: Routes are chosen prior to departure on the date of travel. This is determined by a City of Charleston Tourism official and is out of the control of the local operator.
  • Please note: Tours depart approximately every 30 minutes starting at 9:30am on a first come first served basis, you will be assigned a specific departure time when you check in for your tour on the day of travel.
  • Please note: The last tour will depart at 4pm during non-daylight savings time (Nov through March) and 5pm during daylight savings time (March through Nov).
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travelers

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)

Reviews

4.7
based on 487 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Intellectual experience

Jackie_k, Apr 2026
Guide was very humorous answered all questions respectfully. He was instructive and knowledgeable about the history of the area and the homes.

Charleston tour ride

Christelle_R, Apr 2026
It was alright! It is a lottery of where the carriage is allowed to go, so you might see what you were hoping for or not at all. Carriage are packed to the fullest amount of people, so you are on for a tight 1 hour ride, and hard to see anything around you. Then, if you have a good tour guide, will be the second lottery of the day!

Jennifer was an excellent...

Lisa_B, Apr 2026
Jennifer was an excellent guide. Very knowledgeable and friendly. I appreciated her candor with the group.

A+ Tour

Diana_M, Apr 2026
Ricky delivered an awesome, valuable, historically accurate tour of the picturesque streets of downtown Charleston. We loved his character and humor! Highly recommend this carriage tour company. It did not go unnoticed how kind they were to their horses and respect for the tourism industry of Charleston.

Great experience!!!!

Vicki_C, Mar 2026
Learn about the history and see the city. It was fun to lawn that our horse came from our hometown!!

Always fun on these...

Inessa_M, Mar 2026
Always fun on these carriage rides. Each time I learn new facts Will definitely be going again. Everyone should try.

Need sound equipment

Margaret_J, Mar 2026
Very difficult to hear person speaking about sites. A microphone/speaker system is needed. Narrator was well versed in sites/history.

Beautiful day in Charleston

Denise_R, Mar 2026
Wonderful relaxing ride around historic Charleston with just the right amount of history charm architecture and stories.

Family fun on a beautiful day

elaine_a, Mar 2026
Enjoyed our Jennifer and Chico. Very informative and friendly!!!! Would definitely do again!!! Beautiful day for a carriage ride

Our guide was very...

Ellen_H, Mar 2026
Our guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. My elderly mother and I had a great time. We would definitely recommend this

Great time

Nancy_K, Mar 2026
We had a great guide, Daniel, who was very considerate (went to get blankets because of the cold. Very informative. Love the architecture!

Girl’s Trip

Nancy_D, Mar 2026
Wonderful guide, Caroline and very well behaved horse, named Picasso. Lovely March weather and the horse looked well cared for.

Charleston Carrage Tour

Ralph_D, Mar 2026
Excellent and tour guide Richard did a great job (as did Chico our horse)!! Educational and Fun - Highly Recommend it!!

Our tour guide was...

Nancy_H, Feb 2026
Our tour guide was exceptional! She was very knowledgeable about everything that we were seeing and was able to answer every question we asked. She was very outgoing and interacted with us and everyone we encountered along the way. We would definitely give her two thumbs up for providing us with an excellent experience!! We will be talking about this tour for a long time!

Great Experience

Rodney_H, Jan 2026
It was an amazing experience on the carriage. The history of Charleston was great and everything we hoped it would be.

Great Tour

MaryKay_P, Dec 2025
A worthwhile hour tour and history lesson. My husband and I were impressed with our tour guide and her experience with horses. A real live”horse whisperer” ! She also has a through knowledge of Charleston’s history and current life. Our only regret was not having any cash on us for a well deserved tip.

Great way to Tour

NancyBonelli_R, Nov 2025
Caroline was very engaging n personal The trip Was great n covered everything I hoped Perfect day in Charleston

What a great tour! Our...

bianca_m, Nov 2025
What a great tour! Our tour guide was funny, informative and was able to answer all our questions and really made the tour a highlight of our trip. It was one of the best tours we've done in fact. He also asked abour our stay and gave us some excellent recommendations for restaurants and places to visit. We followed these and his recommendations were spot on! Would definitely do the tour again next time we are back in Charleston.

Couldn’t hear

Julie_B, Nov 2025
The driver/tour operator didn’t speak very loudly and didn’t use a microphone. Because of the noise of the carriage, the horses clopping, the other cars, the construction noise, airplanes and church bells, it was nearly impossible to hear him.

Historical downtown Charleston

Stacey_S, Nov 2025
This particular carriage company does not operate past 5pm - this app does not indicate a close time. We showed up a little past closing time and Caroline informed us that we would have to come back the next day as the tickets would be honored. Inconvenient, however the tour of the historic downtown area was great. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable! He also explained how the horses were very spoiled and well taken care of.

The guide was very well...

Regina_W, Oct 2025
The guide was very well informed and gave an interesting talk as we traveled. Everyone involved in the experience was friendly and helpful.

Amazing Carriage Ride

Roy_L, Oct 2025
Sit up front to get better experience, Caroline and Amigo (The Horse), were amazing. She was very entertaining and knowledgeable.

The Best Way to start your Charleston adventure!

Mark_F, Oct 2025
Awesome! The ride was fun, informative, and a great way to become acquainted with the city. The best way to see the area for the first time. Can't wait to come back.

The ride was so exciting...

Tanya_S, Sep 2025
The ride was so exciting and the Tour Guide gave so much information on Charleston’s beautiful city.

Charleston by carriage ride

Karen_B, Sep 2025
It was a pleasant relaxing carriage ride with a very knowledgeable driver. It was a family run business which I like to support.

Great!

Hannah_B, Aug 2025
The tour was informative and fun, it was a great time! And got to see tons of the gorgeous architecture!

You have to see it all for yourself. Love it here!

Setedra_W, Aug 2025
This was our first time visiting Charleston,SC, it’s beautiful here we would come back. I think fall would be better for the ones that don’t like heat. The food is great, the people was very nice. Every activity we did was great, however some was a little pricey. Some was affordable.

Excellent, informative...

Michael_G, Aug 2025
Excellent, informative tour. Ricky, our guide, was very knowledgeable and Ironsides, the horse, was a pro.

Guides discussion was...

Dianne_E, Aug 2025
Guides discussion was full of great information. You stay on board the buggy the entire time. It was interactive.

A ride with Iron aside

PATRICIA_R, Aug 2025
The guide was knowledgeable and funny. The horse was so smart. I have a pic l wish l could add. The only draw was that the carriage itself should have been unkept better.

From $45.00

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 18 days in advance.

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