Charleston History Tour: Explore 100+ Landmarks

Step back in time and explore the rich history of Charleston on this engaging bus tour. Visit iconic landmarks, learn about the city’s role in American history, and upgrade to include a visit to a historic plantation home or the Charleston Museum.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Gray Line of Charleston - Enjoy a guided tour of Charleston by mini-coach and learn about the city’s significant history. With your professional guide, explore the former city walls; visit the famous Battery Waterfront district; and stop at Charleston’s picturesque Battery Sea Wall for closer views of Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter and…
What's Included
  • 90-minute narrated historic mini-coach tour
  • Professional driver/guide
  • View over 100 points of interest
  • See Rainbow Row, Old Exchange Building, and Whitepoint Gardens
  • Optional museum upgrades available
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Embark on this informative tour of Charleston’s history, where your guide will bring to life the enchanting allure of one of the nation’s oldest cities. Discover Charleston’s essential part in the narrative of the U.S., visiting over 100 landmarks including Rainbow Row, Colonial Lake, the Old Exchange Building, and Whitepoint Gardens. You also have the…

Location
375 Meeting St
Meeting Street
Tour departs from Charleston Visitor's Center
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(1403 Ratings)
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Karenharner
Jul 19, 2026
Great experience - 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.
Review provided by Viator
A3dennert
Jul 2, 2026
Fabulous tour guide - Our tour guide (12pm tour on July 1st) was hilarious. She made the tour very enjoyable. She made the tour. 5 stars for her.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Viviena97
Jul 2, 2026
Welcome to Charleston - A great way to be introduced to a new place
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jsc8878sq
Jun 29, 2026
Best experience!! - I had such a great experience with Gray Line Tours!! They were accommodating, communicative, and hospitable! I ended up being the ONLY one signed up for the Magnolia Plantation Tour yesterday and normally they don’t take just one person. However, the bus driver, Scott, decided he’d still take me. He was amazing!!! He gave me so much history and info before even getting to the plantation. He gave me pointers and thoughts on how to make the most of my time too. Southern hospitality at its finest!! He also gave me a dinner recommendation for my final night which turned into one of the best dining experiences of my time in Charleston!! Scott - THANK YOU for making my day and being so generous with your time! You went above and beyond and I’m so thankful!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Pamdavis268
Jun 26, 2026
Awesome Tour of Charleston - What a great tour of beautiful Charleston! John C. was our tour guide and he was fantastic…personable, friendly and full of great history info, all the while professionally navigating the challenging traffic on some roads. It was fun and we felt like we got to know so much about this gorgeous city!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nick_r
Jun 25, 2026
Nice. Very knowledgeable... - Nice. Very knowledgeable of the history and of the area. Suggested other places to see and how to get there
Review provided by Viator
Lindawntzl
Jul 21, 2026
Entertaining - Fun guide, interesting information
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Setrena_w
Jul 16, 2026
More Information!!!!!!! - 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!
Review provided by Viator
Teresa_k
Jul 1, 2026
Charleston history tour - 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.
Review provided by Viator
Shari_m
Jul 21, 2026
Not what I expected. - 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.
Review provided by Viator
From $33
up to 9 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).