South Carolina · Guided Tours
Charleston Tours & Things to Do — 2026
Historic elegance meets coastal beauty
Expert-Curated Selection · Only the Highest-Rated Experiences · By the Award-Winning USA Guided Tours Team
Charleston Carriage & Horse-Drawn Tours
A horse-drawn carriage tour is the signature way to see Charleston's historic district: an unhurried, narrated hour with a licensed guide, at the pace the district was built for. Carriage routes run in city-set zones, mostly assigned by lottery at a checkpoint by the City Market, so the streets you see depend on the zone you draw. The district holds the pastel houses of Rainbow Row, the Four Corners of Law and Waterfront Park, among much else; which of them a carriage reaches comes down to the draw, so we don't promise any of them from a seat. We list three carriage tours from two operators; compare their reviews before you book. The city stops carriages in the heat: once four readings fifteen minutes apart reach 95°F, or a heat index of 110°F, the companies stop working their animals until it falls back below those marks. Our advice in the warm months: book a morning departure. Not sure a carriage is the right call? Our guide to the best Charleston carriage tours, and when to walk instead compares the three rides here with the walking tours, the bus, and the free walk.
Charleston: Historical Downtown Tour by Horse-drawn Carriage
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Curated July 2026
Photo: Rosemary Media / Unsplash
Charleston Ghost, Haunted & Old City Jail Tours
Charleston is one of the most-toured haunted cities in the country, and the after-dark walks work the oldest quarters — the historic district, the churchyards, and above all the Old City Jail, a candidate for the most haunted building in America and the dark heart of the city's ghost lore. These are history-first ghost walks that trace those sites and the stories attached to them. We list three ghost walks from three operators; the guide makes the tour, so compare the route and recent reviews before you book. They run year-round and peak around Halloween.
Charleston Boat, Harbor & Dolphin Tours
Charleston Harbor is the heart of the city's waterfront, and getting on the water is one of the best things to do here — a harbor cruise lays out the peninsula skyline, the Battery, the church steeples, and the forts, while dolphin tours run the tidal creeks where bottlenose dolphins follow the boats. Sunset sails are the classic evening option, while kayak trips and fishing charters along the marshes and the coast are arranged directly with the local outfitters. Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began, sits in the harbor and is reached only by the official ferry, which sells its own tickets — a harbor cruise passes it, and you book the fort landing separately. Mornings bring the calmest water; the dolphin season runs strongest spring through fall.
Charleston: Daytime or Sunset Historic Harbor Cruise
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Curated July 2026
Photo: Emmy Gaddy / Unsplash
Charleston Walking & History Tours
Charleston's historic district is one of the best-preserved in the country, and a guided walking tour is the way into it on foot — the cobblestone streets and hidden alleys, the churches that name the "Holy City," the Charleston single houses turned side-on to the street, the City Market, and the waterfront at the Battery. History and architecture tours trace how the city was built and how it grew, and they cover ground a carriage can't reach. We list three walks from three operators; the guide makes the tour, so compare the focus and the reviews before booking. Mornings are the most comfortable on foot in the warm months.
Charleston: Old Walled City Historical Walking Tour
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Curated July 2026
Photo: Leo Heisenberg / Unsplash
Charleston Historic Home & Mansion Tours
Charleston's grand 18th- and 19th-century houses are preserved as museums, and their interiors are among the finest in the country — the period rooms, the furnishings, and the architecture of the Charleston single house, built one room wide and turned to catch the harbor breeze. The great homes of the historic district — among them the Nathaniel Russell House, the Aiken-Rhett House, the Heyward-Washington House, and the Edmondston-Alston House — are single-site museums that admit visitors directly, and several are also passed on the history and architecture walking tours. They're a quieter, indoor complement to the carriage and walking tours; the houses are booked through the museums themselves.
No tour here has met our standards yet.
Charleston Food & Culinary Tours
Charleston is one of the great food cities in the South, and a guided culinary tour is the fastest way across its Lowcountry table — shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, oysters, barbecue, and the Gullah Geechee cooking that shaped it all. Tours pace the tastings on foot through the historic district and the City Market, stopping at the restaurants and the makers, with the history of the food tied to the history of the city and the coast. The guides connect the dishes to the people and the traditions behind them. Book weekends ahead, and come hungry.
Charleston Bus, Bike & Sightseeing Tours
For the days you'd rather ride than walk, a city bus or sightseeing tour links the historic district, the City Market, and the waterfront with the history narrated between stops. Charleston's flat, compact peninsula also makes it one of the best cities in the South for a bike tour — an easy way to cover the district and the Battery at your own pace. And beyond downtown, the Lowcountry's tidal creeks and cypress swamps are the province of the eco and marsh outfitters out that way. Compare the route and the reviews on the bus and bike tours — the bike tours are the most active, budget-friendly way to see the peninsula.
Charleston's Plantations & the History of Slavery
The plantations outside Charleston — Boone Hall, Magnolia, Middleton Place, and McLeod — were sites of slavery. Their houses, fields, and gardens were built and worked by enslaved people, and their lives and labor are the center of this history. Several of these sites now tell that story directly, from the preserved cabins where enslaved people lived to exhibits on slavery, emancipation, and the Gullah Geechee culture that endured. Where we feature them, we point to the guided history programs the sites and their own historians lead, and defer to how they choose to tell it.
The Gullah Geechee Culture of the Lowcountry
The Gullah Geechee people — descendants of enslaved West and Central Africans who preserved their language, foodways, and craft along the Lowcountry coast — are central to Charleston's living culture. Gullah and African American heritage tours honor that history and its endurance, led in a spirit of respect.
Things to Do in Charleston
Charleston is one of the best-preserved historic cities in the country — a walkable peninsula of cobblestone streets, church steeples, and a working harbor. Beyond the horse-drawn carriage tours that lead here, there are ghost and Old City Jail tours, harbor cruises and dolphin trips, historic homes, and a Lowcountry food scene among the best in the South. Here is how to make the most of a trip.
The Historic District & the Holy City
Charleston's peninsula is one of the best-preserved historic districts in the country — cobblestone streets, the pastel houses of Rainbow Row, the City Market, and the church steeples that give the "Holy City" its skyline. A horse-drawn carriage is the signature way to see the district at an unhurried pace; walking and history tours cover the details and the alleys on foot, and the great house-museums — the Nathaniel Russell and Aiken-Rhett houses among them — open their interiors to visitors directly.
Charleston Harbor & the Water
The harbor is central to the visit: cruises lay out the skyline, the Battery, and the forts; dolphin tours run the tidal creeks; and sunset sails end the day on the water. Kayak trips and fishing charters along the marshes and coast are arranged with the local outfitters. Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began, sits in the harbor and is reached by the official ferry, which sells its own tickets — most harbor cruises pass it.
Lowcountry Food
Charleston is a serious food city, and a guided culinary tour is the way across its Lowcountry table — shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, oysters, and the Gullah Geechee cooking that shaped it. Tours pace the tastings through the historic district and the City Market, tying the food to the history of the city and the coast.
Best Time to Visit
Spring (March–May) is the sweet spot — mild, the gardens in bloom, and comfortable for carriage, walking, and harbor tours, though it's the busiest season. Fall is the second window, cooler and quieter after the summer heat and humidity; in the hot months, a morning start is the comfortable choice for daytime tours outdoors. Ghost, history, and food tours run year-round. Spring weekends book up first.
Charleston Travel Guides
- Planning your days in Charleston? 2 Days in Charleston: A Route Through the Historic District and Beyond
- Prefer to explore on foot? How to Walk Charleston's Historic District: A Self-Guided Route
- Weighing your options in Charleston? The Best Charleston Carriage Tours, and When to Walk Instead
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best tour to do in Charleston?
For most visitors it's a horse-drawn carriage tour of the historic district — the signature Charleston experience, an unhurried narrated hour at the pace the district was built for. Close behind are a ghost tour after dark — many work the streets around the Old City Jail, the city's most haunted landmark — a harbor cruise or dolphin tour on the water, and a Lowcountry food tour through the City Market. A walking or history tour covers the district on foot, reaching the alleys and details a carriage can't.
What is a Charleston carriage tour like?
A horse-drawn carriage tour is the classic slow way to see Charleston's historic district — a narrated ride with a licensed guide, at the pace the city was laid out for, and the carriage tours we list run an hour. Carriage routes run in city-set zones, mostly assigned by lottery at a checkpoint by the City Market, so the streets you see depend on the zone you draw. The district holds Rainbow Row, the Four Corners of Law and Waterfront Park, among much else, but which of them a carriage reaches comes down to the draw. We list three carriage tours from two operators, so compare their reviews before you book. The city stops carriages in the heat: once four readings fifteen minutes apart reach 95°F, or a heat index of 110°F, the companies stop working their animals until it falls back below those marks. Our advice in the warm months: book a morning departure.
Can you visit Fort Sumter from Charleston?
Yes, but not through us: Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began, is a National Park Service site in the harbor reached only by the official concessioner ferry, which sells its own tickets directly. We point you to the ferry rather than reselling it. What we can do is get you on the water — a Charleston harbor cruise passes Fort Sumter and lays out the skyline and the Battery, and you book the fort landing itself separately from the ferry operator.
What are Charleston ghost tours like?
They're on-foot and story-driven, working the oldest quarters after dark — the historic district, the churchyards, and the Old City Jail, long considered one of the most haunted buildings in the country and the anchor of the city's darker tours. These are history-first ghost walks. We list three ghost walks from three operators, so compare the route and read recent reviews before booking. They run year-round and are busiest around Halloween.
When is the best time to visit Charleston?
Spring (March–May) is the sweet spot — mild weather, gardens in bloom, and comfortable conditions for carriage, walking, and harbor tours, though it's the busiest and priciest season. Fall is the second-best window, cooler and quieter once the summer heat and humidity ease. In summer the city stops carriages in the worst heat, so book a morning carriage ride; ghost, history, and food tours run year-round, with the ghost walks after dark. Book spring weekends well ahead.
Curated by Darko Marsalek · Updated
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