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City Market, Charleston

City Market, Charleston: Our most recommended tours and activities

Charleston: Historical Downtown Tour by Horse-drawn Carriage

1. Charleston: Historical Downtown Tour by Horse-drawn Carriage

Ride in a traditional horse-drawn carriage through historic downtown Charleston on a guided tour. Listen to live commentary about the city as you pass by the Charleston Harbor, Rainbow Row, King Street, White Point Gardens, and Charleston Battery. Begin the tour at the activity provider's stables. Board a beautiful custom-built carriage and depart from the barn. Ride toward the city gate, located in the Old City Market. Learn about the city's rich history from a professional guide while traveling aboard a unique vehicle. Gaze at vibrant neighborhoods and elegant buildings from your seat. Experience the highlights of the historic downtown area, such as Charleston Harbor, Rainbow Row, 4 Corners of Law, King Street, White Point Gardens, and the Charleston Battery. Take in informative and entertaining commentary from your guide, before arriving back at the stables.

Charleston: Historic City Highlights Guided Bus Tour

2. Charleston: Historic City Highlights Guided Bus Tour

The bus tour departs from Charleston Visitor’s Center where you’ll hop on board a deluxe, climate-controlled shuttle for a 90-minute tour of the city’s historical highlights. Accompanied by a knowledgeable, local guide, pass by 100 of Charleston’s most iconic sights of the past and present whilst listening to amazing tales and anecdotes about the city. On your tour, travel through some of the city’s most historic parts. Visit Charleston’s Historic Homes, The Battery Sea Wall, the Four Corners of Law, and Rainbow Row to name but a few. Other highlights of the tour include several historic churches, old markets, and picturesque neighborhoods.

Charleston: Haunted Carriage Evening Tour

3. Charleston: Haunted Carriage Evening Tour

Listen to spine-tingling tales of prisoners, rogues, and pirates that make up the history of Charleston. Cover over 300 years of history from the comfort of your carriage. Mysterious alleys and cobblestones await as your expert guide leads you through Historic Charleston on a 40-minute Haunted Carriage Tour. Start the tour at Old South Carriage Company's stables where the tour explores the 15 block core that comprises Historic Charleston. Along the way you will see Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, Circular Congregational Church and Graveyard, Charleston City Market, and St. Michael's Episcopal Church. All tour guides of this activity are members of the Palmetto Guild, which indicates that they have successfully passed a comprehensive examination of the history of Charleston.

Charleston: 1-Hour Carriage Tour of the Historic District

4. Charleston: 1-Hour Carriage Tour of the Historic District

Explore Charleston's historic district on a horse or mule-drawn carriage tour. Listen to your guide tell you local stories and anecdotes as you go past iconic landmarks, buildings, churches, and more. Begin your tour at the Big Red Barn in downtown Charleston and meet your local driver/guide. Then, settle into a carriage drawn by either horses or mules for your guided tour. Follow a route that takes in some of the historic downtown district’s most elegant mansions and gardens, learning about the architecture of each place as you drive along. Catch the scent of jasmine flowers from deep, shady porches, and pass by rows of bristling palmetto trees. Get an overview of Charleston’s dramatic history, from long-ago pirate raids to plantations, Revolutionary battles, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. The city was founded in 1670, and Charleston's historic buildings have been meticulously preserved and restored. Conclude your tour with drop-off at the Big Red Barn.

Charleston: Magnolia Plantation & Historic City Tour

5. Charleston: Magnolia Plantation & Historic City Tour

Begin your half-day tour by boarding a climate-controlled coach in Charleston. Meet your professional guide and ride to Magnolia Plantation, dating from 1676 and the time of the British colony. Witness a slice of living history at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and get an amazing perspective on Charleston's past and present. The Magnolia Plantation and its world-famous gardens have been owned by the Drayton family for 12 generations. Enjoy your visit to one of America's first tourist attractions and first public gardens, which have been open to the public since 1870. Take a guided walk through America's last large-scale Romantic garden, and experience history on a 45-minute narrated nature tram ride through the Audobon swamp gardens. Step out among the Romantic gardens and Spanish moss to see wildlife such as alligators, egrets, herons, and turtles on the nearly 600-acre plantation. Cap it all off with a 30-minute tour of the Magnolia Plantation Home before boarding your bus back to Charleston. Back in the Holy City, your deluxe, climate-controlled shuttle will take you for a 1.5-hour tour of the city’s historical highlights. Accompanied by a knowledgeable, local guide, visit over 100 of Charleston’s most iconic sights of the past and present whilst listening to amazing tales and anecdotes about the city. On your tour, travel through some of the most historic parts of the city and visit Charleston’s historic homes, The Battery Sea Wall, the Four Corners of Law, and Rainbow Row to name but a few. Other highlights of the tour include a number of historic churches, old markets, and picturesque neighborhoods.

Charleston: 90-Minute Ghost and Dungeon Walking Tour

6. Charleston: 90-Minute Ghost and Dungeon Walking Tour

Test your nerve and explore the dark edges of Charleston's haunted historic district, deeply steeped in South Carolina's low country superstition on a guided walking tour. Venture through Charleston's haunted historic district, one of the oldest places in America, and learn about its terrifying history. Continue along the eerie back alleys and churches to find out why Charleston is known as "The Holy City." Visit the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon to learn about its harrowing past, confining enslaved people, American revolutionaries, and British soldiers.

Charleston: Historical Walking Tour

7. Charleston: Historical Walking Tour

An exciting walking tour of the only English walled city in North America - Charleston! Once the leading seaport of the thirteen colonies and later the United States, historical Charleston is waiting to be discovered. On this 2-hour walking tour, you will learn about the intriguing history of Charleston from veteran guide Al Ray. See pre-and-post colonial homes, storefronts, churches and public buildings while Ray recounts the rich tales and legends of Charleston's proud and turbulent past. Learn the meanings of the ancient symbols on the tombstones, the city's history of rapid growth and rampant piracy, and the rise of the rice planters. Listen to your charismatic guide describe the numerous disasters, such as seven major fires, numerous hurricanes, epidemics, sieges and bombardments, plus a major earthquake, that have struck the city over its long and colourful history.

Charleston: Historic City Tour and Harbor Cruise

8. Charleston: Historic City Tour and Harbor Cruise

Discover 300 years of Charleston history from land and sea with passionate licensed tour guides. Experience a 90-minute narrated tour of Charleston in a climate-controlled luxury coach and then head to the water for another perspective of the city from Charleston Harbor. Learn fascinating historical facts about Charleston while you cruise the gentle waves of her harbor. Knowledgeable and entertaining tour guides are licensed by the City of Charleston and are eager to share their knowledge with all guests aboard the cruise. Don't forget your camera as you will see all that the Holy City has to offer: Charleston's Historic Homes and Churches, the Old Market, Rainbow Row, Fort Sumter, USS Yorktown, and incredible views from Charleston Harbor.

Charleston: 3-Hour Secret Food Tour

9. Charleston: 3-Hour Secret Food Tour

On this secret food tour, you'll get to sample grits, fried oysters, fried green tomatoes and so much more. Charlestonians are extremely passionate about their local food, city, and its history. You'll get to learn all about the best southern foods and the unique culture behind them. By booking this tour, you'll get to try delicious food all around the beautiful historic district of Charleston. Plus, you'll also be able to discover the best shops and restaurants, and learn many other great local tips to make your experience truly memorable.

Charleston: Small Group Guided Night Ghost Tour

10. Charleston: Small Group Guided Night Ghost Tour

Enjoy this nightly ghost tour in Charleston, SC. The tour is an 80-minute walk through Charleston's Old and Historic District, mixing ghost stories and history along the way! Explore Charleston with this professionally-guided walking ghost tours. Start in Charleston's charming Market area and enjoy the walk. The walking distance is approximately 4 blocks . All of our guides are licensed by the City of Charleston and have a minimum of 10 years experience giving tours in the city. This tour has been featured on the History Channel/Discovery Channel/Ghost adventures. And the Travel Channel. "Frommer's Travel Guide" ranked this tour the #3 in the nation. On your journey you will be taken to 80% of the City's haunted locations. Including two haunted houses. The oldest graveyard(1681). And the most haunted graveyard. This stroll is a very light activity with frequent locations to stop and rest. At some of the locations we actually sit down. We pride ourselves as only hiring guides with 10+ years of experience. If you want to delve into the City's haunted history and see some of the City's oldest buildings and churches then we are a perfect match for you. Our guides have a passion for telling great ghost stories. Passion is the corner stone of our company motto. Boring and dull are words that don't exist in our vocabulary.

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What people are saying about City Market, Charleston

Overall rating

4.7 / 5

based on 2,108 reviews

It was a beautiful day for a walk. Eric, our guide, was very personable and very knowledgeable. We learned so many new things about Charleston that we didn't know. Very enlightening, very surprising.

Bus driver/Tour guide was very knowledgeable. Provided a very through rendering of Charleston history.

It was a fantastic experience. Our guide was fun and very knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend!

It was interesting learning about Charleston r history and ghost activity.

We loved our guide and everything ran on time. We will definitely be back.