Top Things to Do in Charleston — 2026

For most visitors it's a horse-drawn carriage tour of the historic district — the signature Charleston experience and the biggest thing to do here, an unhurried loop through the cobblestone streets, churches, and the waterfront. Close behind are a ghost or Old City Jail tour after dark, 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.

A horse-drawn carriage tour is the classic slow way to see Charleston's historic district — a narrated loop through the cobblestone streets, past the church steeples, the City Market, Rainbow Row, and the Battery, at the pace the city was laid out for. Most run about an hour and seat a small group. Routes are assigned by lottery, so no two tours cover exactly the same streets, and it's a multi-operator field, so compare the route and reviews. In the warm months, book a morning or evening ride to avoid the midday heat.

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.

They're small-group, 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. Some are history-first ghost walks; others are jail or dungeon tours built around the old prison. It's a multi-operator field, so compare whether a tour includes the jail interior and read recent reviews before booking. They run year-round and are busiest around Halloween.

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. Summer tours cluster in the mornings and evenings to beat the heat, and ghost, history, and food tours run year-round. Book spring weekends well ahead.