Gray Line Charleston City Sightseeing Bus Tour
Badge of Excellence
Charleston, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Enjoy a time-saving way to explore one of the country’s most historic cities on this sightseeing bus tour of Charleston, South Carolina. Visit Rainbow Row, the longest stretch of Georgian row houses in the United States; the Old Exchange Building; White Point Garden, in the heart of the city's historic district; and more. You can also upgrade to include admission to the Joseph Manigault House or the Charleston Museum.
- Check off more than 100 of Charleston's top sights, all in one tour
- Travel in comfort and ease aboard a climate-controlled minibus
- Learn about the city’s wealth of history from your guide’s narration
- Upgrade options include the Joseph Manigault House or Charleston Museum
What's Included
- 90-minute Narrated Historic Mini-Coach Tour of Charleston
- Professional Driver/Guide
- See over 100 Points of Interest including Rainbow Row, Old Exchange Building and Whitepoint Gardens
- Optional upgrade to include Admission to Joseph Manigault House
- Optional upgrade to include Admission to Charleston Museum
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- 375 Meeting St, Charleston, SC 29403, USA
Tour departs from Charleston Visitor's Center
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
This guided bus tour of Charleston, South Carolina departs directly from the Charleston Visitor Center.
Begin with a look at the city’s former walls—and a stop at the Battery, a landmark defensive sea wall and promenade. Take in views of Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean; Fort Sumter, which is noted for two battles of the Civil War; and Patriots Point, home of the USS Yorktown, a World War II aircraft carrier.
Learn about Charleston’s pivotal role in American history as you continue, from the American Revolution to the Civil War and beyond. Pass by Rainbow Row, the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States; historic Colonial Lake; the Old Exchange Building, South Carolina's most historic building; and White Point Garden, at the end of the Battery in the heart of Charleston’s historic district.
Also, see St. Phillips Episcopal Church, a National Historic Landmark; Historic Charleston City Market, a 200-year-old city market; plus more than 100 other points of interest.
Once the tour ends at the original departure point, you can extend the experience by upgrading to include a visit to the Joseph Manigault House—a historic house museum—or the Charleston Museum.
Begin with a look at the city’s former walls—and a stop at the Battery, a landmark defensive sea wall and promenade. Take in views of Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean; Fort Sumter, which is noted for two battles of the Civil War; and Patriots Point, home of the USS Yorktown, a World War II aircraft carrier.
Learn about Charleston’s pivotal role in American history as you continue, from the American Revolution to the Civil War and beyond. Pass by Rainbow Row, the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States; historic Colonial Lake; the Old Exchange Building, South Carolina's most historic building; and White Point Garden, at the end of the Battery in the heart of Charleston’s historic district.
Also, see St. Phillips Episcopal Church, a National Historic Landmark; Historic Charleston City Market, a 200-year-old city market; plus more than 100 other points of interest.
Once the tour ends at the original departure point, you can extend the experience by upgrading to include a visit to the Joseph Manigault House—a historic house museum—or the Charleston Museum.
1
Gray Line of Charleston
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included
2
Joseph Manigault House
Admission Ticket Included
3
The Charleston Museum
Admission Ticket Included
St. Philip's Church (Pass By)
Charleston City Market (Pass By)
Four Corners of Law (Pass By)
Rainbow Row (Pass By)
Battery & White Point Gardens (Pass By)
Colonial Lake (Pass By)
Aiken-Rhett House (Pass By)
Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.5
based on 1,404 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Angela_L, Aug 2026
Very informative and enjoyable tour of Charleston along with interesting historic info about the houses and founders of Charleston. The driver was funny and engaging.
nnuuggee, Aug 2026
Outstanding tour,very interesting , informative in a very entertaining way
Laughed and learned the whole time
Alan_T, Aug 2026
John was an excellent tour guide an knowledgeable. He made the tour fun. For a good experience, Viator
Lisa_T, Aug 2026
Very informative. I learned a lot. I hated history in school but have learned to love it. The old homes were beautiful.
Charlie_C, Aug 2026
The bus air conditioner was great as well as our driver/guide. Very knowledgeable and funny. Great tour
Sharon_M, Aug 2026
John was engaging and certainly knew his Charleston history! Took us to the most important parts of the city and gave us a good overview.
Joanne_C, Aug 2026
Very informative. Driver had lots of info at his fingertips and was able to deliver dates and facts while maneuvering that bus through some tight spaces.
Andrea_W, Aug 2026
Went with my husband and two teens for a quick and informative tour of Charleston via (well air conditioned) bus tour of all the main sights. While we didn’t stop to get off, our tour guide pulled off for a quick photo from the bus. Hit all the highlights, recommendations for later stops. Definitely beat the heat and saw the city. Worth your 90 minutes!
Lisa_S, Aug 2026
This is a very nice and relaxing tour of the city. A carriage ride would have been a great way to view the city but we opted for a vehicle with air-conditioning which was very convenient for summer.
Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, very friendly, and per my husband had great driving skills!
Hope_G, Jul 2026
The host was boring and was not all that friendly. I would chop it up to it being the end of the day and he was tired
Tammy_C, Jul 2026
Your guide was great. I like that the tour was not scripted.. The tour guy was very knowledgeable and let us ask as many questions as we wanted.
Eva_J, Jul 2026
Great tour of city! Our tour guide was a super drive and a had a treasure trove of information for us! Absolutely worth it on your first visit to Charleston .
Michael_M, Jul 2026
Tour guide was very informative about the history of Charleston. Saw a lot of nice older homes and heard stories about battles and pirates. Had a great time!
Katie_L, Jul 2026
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. Hope the other tour guides are just as good.
Shari_M, Jul 2026
Our tour guide was very good but the tour itself was not what I thought it would be. Our first impression was the bus we got on at the start of the tour was cramped and had minimal AC and it was HOT out. The tour guide said she was not given a great bus that day and was not concerned that we were all sweltering for the 40 minute drive to the plantation. The plantation and what we toured was small and unimpressive. There were no beautiful gardens to speak of. No florals, just greenery. The tram ride through the property had a very stern driver who kept telling people to pay attention. There was not much to see except trees and swamp and was so incredibly buggy with mosquitos that we came away with so many bites. It was very unpleasant. The house is not what we expected. Not grand and beautiful and it was small and plain. The tour guide there, Brian, was knowledgeable and the house was filled with original items from the past and that part was interesting. Plus it was the only place on the property that had AC and it was a relief to get out of the heat. We then boarded the bus we took to the plantation for the drive back with bad AC after spending 5 hours out in the extreme heat and that was not acceptable. All in all, not sure I would recommend this tour. I was not impressed with the content.
KarenHarner, Jul 2026
Our guide was very informative never stopped talking about the area and still drove very safely. He pointed out a lot of interesting. Architect and buildings knew a lot of information.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review, we are so glad you had a great experience!
Setrena_W, Jul 2026
It was ok! Could been more information about the history of Charleston and land marks! He was a really nice man! But, think the person who doing the tour needs to be from Charleston!
Response from Host, Jul 2026
We value your suggestion regarding more historical information and will continue working to provide engaging and informative Charleston experiences for our guests. We hope to welcome you back again soon!
Teresa_K, Jul 2026
We felt cheated. The driver was knowledgeable and nice but talked fast and added commentary about construction, road issues etc. Plus a strong gasoline smell occurred in the bus and he cut trip short to get it checked out.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your
experience did not meet expectations. Guest comfort and safety are extremely important to us. We apologize that the trip had to be shortened and that this affected your impression of the tour.
Nick_R, Jun 2026
Nice. Very knowledgeable of the history and of the area. Suggested other places to see and how to get there
Carol_H, Jun 2026
Complete History tour of Charleston. The guide is informative and entertaining. We highly recommend it.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for your positive review, Carol!
Gemma_F, Jun 2026
Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history and how drive down the narrow streets! Comfortable ride in an air conditioned bus vs being in the heat!
Amy_R, Jun 2026
Very informative and friendly driver / guide. It is a great activity to do at the beginning of your vacation so you can get an overview of what you want to come back to.
Response from Host, Jul 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, Amy!
Deborah_K, Jun 2026
The tour was cancelled without notification to me
Went with Adventure. Please credit my account asap.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Deborah, we would love the opportunity to discuss further as we attempted to reach you at the number provided on file. Your reservation has been fully refunded, and we look forward to your response.
Gregory_C, Jun 2026
Met expectations given the short timeframe...driver was efficient and courteous. We would recommend it.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your positive feedback, Gregory!
Tracy_J, Jun 2026
It would have been nice if they had spent more time focusing on the historical section of the city. I found the tour boring to be honest.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear that your experience did not meet expectations.
April_P, Jun 2026
Great tour, very informative driver for 1st time traveling to Charleston. A/C bus and comfortable setting. Learned a lot about the history.
Tammy_A, Jun 2026
Would highly recommend- our tour guide was great! He was very knowledgeable and very entertaining.Will definitely do it again!
David_K, Jun 2026
We enjoyed our city tour and our guide was very knowledgeable. He really covered a lot about the area in the 90 minute tour. Don't remember his first name but we were on the 10am tour. Charleston is a beautiful city and it even more beautiful from air conditioned van. (Hot day)
Rachel_R, Jun 2026
Our guide John was fabulous and had such great historical information about Charleston. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to see the sites and learn a little bit about this awesome city!
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for your wonderful review, Rachel!
Susan_C, Jun 2026
The driver can tailor it a bit for the passengers. No two tours are exactly alike.
The driver can tailor the tour a bit according to hos audience. No The driver can tailor the experience to his audience's taste. No two tours are exactly alike.
From $32.86
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Gray Line Charleston City Sightseeing Bus Tour
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