Charleston's Historic Residential Horse and Carriage Tour
4.7
Charleston's Historic Residential Horse and Carriage Tour
By Charleston Carriage Works
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About
See the historic city of Charleston from a historic transportation method—by horse-drawn carriage. You’ll pass by old homes, see decorative ironwork, and learn the history behind city attractions. With a historic Charleston carriage tour departing every 30 minutes, it’s easy to fit this guided tour into your sightseeing itinerary. Plus, meeting at the stables gives you more time to interact with the horses, too.
Free cancellation • Full refund if cancelled up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time).
Reserve now & pay later • Secure your spot while staying flexible.
Lowest price guarantee • Find a lower price online? Get the difference refunded!
Ages 0-99, max of 10 per group
Duration: 1h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Highlights
- See Charleston just like people did more than 300 years ago—by carriage
- Learn history as your guide tells stories about the city’s past
- Numerous departures daily make it easy to fit in your schedule
- Small group size offers a more personal and enjoyable experience
- City-Licensed Professional Tour Guide
- 1-hour carriage tour of Charleston's Historic District
What's not included- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- For this carriage tour, meet in Charleston's historic district at 20 Anson Street, in the stable opposite Market Street, and get ready to experience the streets the same way as those of the past did—by horse-drawn carriage. Carriages leave for this guided tour every 30 minutes, and you’ll want to check in 15 minutes before your scheduled departure time to turn in your voucher. There is a horse stable at the start of the tour, which you can explore before or after your tour. Enjoy the views of the historic city from your carriage as your guide, licensed by the city, points out important landmarks and attractions and tells stories from the past. You’ll travel through Charleston’s historic district and cover two to three miles (3.2 to 4.8 kilometers) of its scenic streets. Your Charleston historical tour ends back where it started—at 20 Anson Street.
- Start:
- 20 Anson St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 7445P1- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Subject to weather. If canceled due to bad weather, you can choose an alternative time or full refund
- Carriages can accommodate up to 16 passengers.
- Children 2 years and under are free but must sit on the lap of a parent or guardian. You always have the option of purchasing a seat for your child.
- Please check-in 15-minutes prior to your scheduled tour time. Failure to do so may result in your reservation being delayed to a later time.
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 10 travelers
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 7445P1
From
$50.00
per adult
Select date and travelers
Similar experiences
Itinerary
- 20 Anson St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
- 1For centuries Charleston has been a hub of culture, class, charm, and national history. The British settled here in 1670 and quickly established her as one of the most important cities in America. As years passed, Charleston thrived and evolved all while keeping her unique personality. A beautiful harbor as rich in history as it is rich in breathtaking vistas. Centuries old homes kept in pristine condition by their proud residents. Cobblestone streets. One-of-a-kind shops and vendors. Charleston has it all. And we'd love to introduce her to you with a Carriage Tour experience that is classic and unique as she. Each of our tours is an hour long and covers 2-3 miles of Charleston’s residential Historic District. They are narrated by some of Charleston’s best city-licensed tour guides who are happy to share their local insight with you. Tours load and depart about every 30 minutes from our stable at 20 Anson Street.
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- prindy520 contributionsInteresting rideFun carriage experience learning about all the local ghost stories but felt this was a little expensive for only 45 minutes. Our horse was being naughty/spooked but Chloe did a great job getting him calmed down. Maybe he was listening to her stories too closely?!?Written November 16, 2024
- MarkC90620 contributionsCarriage Ride with Local GuideVery factual and entertaining guide/driver. Great up close and easy way to see Charleston. We got details about top sights as well as off the beaten path history along with some haunted tails (with historical monuments).Written May 11, 2024
- Hopjim0 contributionsNot a very exciting or interesting rideTo set expectations, I view all the carriage companies in Charleston (we went with Carriage Works) to be about the same. We had a good guide but compared to carriage rides in Savannah or similar southern towns, there is just not that much to see, other than old homes, in Charleston. If you have 45-60 minutes to kill, not a bad way to do so, but not a very exciting or interesting ride.Written August 4, 2023
- hemihaw0 contributionsChoose Another Carriage Company!The guide was awful! He was so sarcastic and condescending! He pretty much yelled the entire time! I would not recommend!Written April 19, 2023
- Sammye F0 contributionsBest Deal in Charleston!!We took our first carriage tour in Charleston in about 2016. We have since moved to the Charleston area and have enjoyed the ride four more times. Whenever we have out-of-town guests, we always book a ride! You never know which "tour" you are going to get. After everyone is aboard, the driver goes to a little stand and is assigned an area of Charleston to tour. ALL the carriage companies go to this stand. It's what keeps all the carriages spread out over the area and dnot bunching up into a huge traffic jam. All the ca rriage drivers know the area well and usually through in interesting stories and annecdotes to make the tour memorable. Two rides back we were so taken with our driver CAROL that we have started requesting her. Yesterday, unfortunately, she wasn't working so we were assigned MADISON. Golly, she was great too! Our guests grumbled a bit about the price - $50 each. But, when we returned they said, "It was more than worth every single penny!!" Definitely, the best tourist attraction in Charleston!!Written January 26, 2023
- CLHyman0 contributionsFun for all agesWe had a great tour through the Battery and Rainbow Road. Our tour guide, Matt, was very knowledgeable, with lots of historical background and personal anecdotes. Our kids (8-17) and our in-laws (70’s) all enjoyed it as well, interesting for all ages! Definitely recommend.Written January 15, 2023
- U2483UZnancyj0 contributionsYou’ve got to take this carriage rideWe arrived as first timers in Charleston mid afternoon and thought a carriage ride would be a good intro. We were greeted courteously with smiles. Eric was our driver and he was fantastic (don’t forget tipping). To keep all carriage rides from running over you the city assigns you an area and ours was #3. Every building we saw had a story. A few days later we walked by and as it was not too busy at the moment we were able to visit Deuce in his stall. What an unforgettable experience.Written December 10, 2022
- MarieNVNC0 contributionsBack Again & AgainEvery time I come to Charleston I look forward to taking a tour. I love that they use the single large draft horse! Most of their guides are born & raised in Charleston and know their STUFF!!Written September 26, 2022
- Sightseer216695314690 contributionsGhost tourGhost tour with Shannan was excellent! She was very knowledgeable and very entertaining. We will definitely return one day for this great experience!Written April 18, 2022
- Wendy P0 contributionsGreat Tour of CharlestonWe had a really great tour and a lovely time. We got to see a lot of the historic part of the city and our tour guide Eric was great. The horse was very well cared for and very sweet.Written December 9, 2021
- Jekela0 contributionsGreat Start to our Trip!Perfect way to spend our first morning in town. I lived everything about this tour. 1 hour was the perfect amount of time to get a quick overview of the city. The carriage ride was a fun way to see and experience the history of the city. Our tour guide, Eric, was super knowledgeable, funny and attentive. This was one of my favorite activities of the trip!Written May 23, 2021
- kellymF8896PG0 contributionsGreat TourApologies for not remembering our guides name, but he was fantastic. He mentioned doing these tours for 20+ years and it was very evident from his knowledge of the area. My husband and I both wished we could have continued for another hour or more just to hear all of the fascinating stories.Written April 6, 2021
- Cindy B0 contributionsPassionate guide; fine horseOur guide, Scott, was entertaining, witty and clearly loves what he does. It was fascinating to see the relationship between him and Buster, the horse. We learned a great deal about historic Charleston from our experience. Highly recommend.Written March 23, 2021
- katrinam8630 contributionsFun and informativeScott and Roy were great. We did this on a whim and had fun, learned a lot about downtown Charleston and see a lot of the area that we would have missed otherwise. Scott is really passionate about his town and the history. We will do it again when we are in town.Written March 1, 2021
- Msstephiep0 contributionsOne hour tourEnjoyed the tour with Al and Gary. Liked being able to have a carriage all to ourselves for a reasonable price.Written February 13, 2021
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.7
599 reviews
Excellent
511
Very good
54
Average
14
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10
Kendall M
Columbiana, OH135 contributions
I have always wanted to do a carriage tour so we chose this company on a whim and it was great! It was $40 a person, which was about what all the other companies charged. Our guide (I can’t remember her name) was a history professor who taught in Charleston and she was great! Very fun and very knowledgeable about the city and it’s history. We had a lot of laughs and even my husband really enjoyed himself (he usually finds history to be boring). The hour went by very quickly and we saw lots of interesting things. We would definitely book another tour if we go back to Charleston!
Written July 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
HarleyRules8
Saratoga, CA42 contributions
We had a terrific tour around historic Charleston today with Jeff as our guide and Rodney for our horse. Jeff is a high school history teacher and was born & raised in Charleston. He gave us an amazing understanding of the history of this beautiful city as he expertly helped Rodney steer us through the historic areas. We stopped and he explained so many important homes and other buildings to us and we truly felt like we got the info. from someone who really understood it rather than someone reading from a script they were given. Jeff brought enthusiasm to his job and had a great sense of humor too. We highly recommend Charleston Carriage Works and, if you can, ask for Jeff & Rodney to be your carriage tandem!
Written March 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debra J
South Dakota189 contributions
Jun 2024 • Family
This was a really great introduction to Charleston. We had a "guide in training" along, he spoke while another guide actually "drove". His presentation wasn't as polished as it no doubt will be in another month, but he conveyed a lot of information! I suspect this was a bonus, as he seemed quite determined not to leave anything out.
Two caveats: Although we booked in advance with Charleston Carriage Works, and "checked in" at that location, we were sent down the street to Palmetto Carriage Works for the actual tour. Additionally, although the information here on Trip Advisor states there would be a max of 10 participants in the tour (something that distinguished this listing from the others I looked at) there were actually 16. Nevertheless the ride was comfortable and we were able to hear what the guide said without difficulty
Two caveats: Although we booked in advance with Charleston Carriage Works, and "checked in" at that location, we were sent down the street to Palmetto Carriage Works for the actual tour. Additionally, although the information here on Trip Advisor states there would be a max of 10 participants in the tour (something that distinguished this listing from the others I looked at) there were actually 16. Nevertheless the ride was comfortable and we were able to hear what the guide said without difficulty
Written June 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Amy S
35 contributions
What a great experience!
There are many carriage companies but this was my favorite! They truly care for the horses. You can tell by how they talk to and care for them. Also, the barn and tackle are well maintained which is a sign of good care.
Our horse, Trevor, was such a ham and a real gentle giant (18 hands). Whenever we would came to a stop he would turn and look back at us as if to say, “come on, let’s go!”
The carriage driver was very informative and so funny. I learned so much about Charleston history. So much more than I had expected.
This is definitely worth the $50 charge. It is truly fun for the whole family.
There are many carriage companies but this was my favorite! They truly care for the horses. You can tell by how they talk to and care for them. Also, the barn and tackle are well maintained which is a sign of good care.
Our horse, Trevor, was such a ham and a real gentle giant (18 hands). Whenever we would came to a stop he would turn and look back at us as if to say, “come on, let’s go!”
The carriage driver was very informative and so funny. I learned so much about Charleston history. So much more than I had expected.
This is definitely worth the $50 charge. It is truly fun for the whole family.
Written July 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Curious Traveler
Boise, ID5 contributions
Guide Matt and draft horse Rocky took us through residential route (lottery system to control traffic flow has something like 4-5 routes, determined at beginning of tour by city).
Matt shared a general and thorough history of the area, how architecture was influenced by Barbados and the development of the Charleston Single House with slave quarters behind. This was useful for our own understanding of these complex social dynamics as we walked city on our own afterwards.
This was my mom's favorite tour of all we did on a 4-night trip to Charleston!
Matt shared a general and thorough history of the area, how architecture was influenced by Barbados and the development of the Charleston Single House with slave quarters behind. This was useful for our own understanding of these complex social dynamics as we walked city on our own afterwards.
This was my mom's favorite tour of all we did on a 4-night trip to Charleston!
Written October 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AKG
6 contributions
I have been visiting Charleston frequently since the 70’s and periodically take a carriage tour. I usually take Palmetto carriage tours but this time decided to try Charleston Carriage works. Our driver was Matt. I was so disappointed that he threw other tour operators under the bus and proceeded to tell us he wasn’t going to tell us a bunch of bull**** about the history of Charleston. He did not mention anything about the fabulous architecture, earthquake bolts installed after the earthquake of 1886, stories of the original owners, the significance of the pineapple, etc. Both my friend and I said at the end of the tour what a buzz kill Matt was. He said the cobblestone streets were “added” in the 1980’s for effect but that is patently untrue. I won’t be taking another carriage ride with Charleston Carriage works again.
Written June 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lara L
1 contribution
May 2022
My friend and I were there for the day and she really wanted to do a horse carriage ride. I’m really glad we did! Our driver/tour guide was Matt and we were pulled by a beautiful stock horse name Blue Deuce. I wasn’t sure what to expect but I have to say the history and cultural influences shared by Matt about the area was wonderfully done! I learned so much and had no idea the multi cultural influences. I think most people understand much of this city was built by slaves but few understand the art and craftsmanship they brought with them. Now I would like to read more about it! So thank you Matt and Charleston Carriage Works for sharing your beautiful city! I highly recommend them, not as a “touristy” thing but a way to understand the city of Charleston.
Written May 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hilary C
6 contributions
Apr 2023
We arrived in Charleston hours before we could get into our lodging and were traveling with our dog so we had no other option than to bring him. We chose Charleston Carriage Works because they are dog friendly. The experience was great. Our guide was very informative and our horse, Trevor, was full of personality. It was a great introduction to the city.
Written April 13, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bliming
Saint Louis, MO280 contributions
Jul 2021
We usually don't spend money on guided tours (preferring to do our own homework). but we thought Charleston was the perfect city for a splurge, and we were glad we did. The tour guide was interesting and gave us information on not only the historic past, but also some current cultural information. Buy the time we were done, it was easy to walk around the city having an idea of where we were going and what to go back to look for. Nice job.
Written July 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah
3 contributions
Aug 2021 • Family
We really enjoyed our tour & would recommend to others! Our horse was Don and I believe our tour guide was Kristen, she is an adjunct history professor at College of Charleston, and she was both fun and informative. We are a family of four, including two teenagers, and my husband recently had ankle surgery so we wanted to see the city but knew we would not be able to do it on foot. This was perfect way to experience the gorgeous city of Charleston, to learn about the history here, and to fall in love with all of the incredible architecture and gardens throughout the city. Definitely worth experiencing, worth the money and way better than going out on our own.
Written August 7, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
🥳 🎉 🥳 Keep Life Simple 🥳🎉🥳
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
It started raining 🌧️. Halfway through our your. We got a little wet.
Written May 29, 2023
We are planning a trip to Charleston the third week in September (2021).... I have been trying to book on your website but the September dates are not pulling up. Are you open in September? Many thanks.
Written July 9, 2021
A Tripadvisor member
Does the tour the battery
Written July 9, 2019
. The tour guides are given a numbered ball and this gives them the route they shall take to eliminate congestion in the streets. Suggest you walk the battery after the horse tour and bring plenty of water to stay hydrated. The tour will point out many areas of interest that you can come back and tour more closely. Enjoy!!!
Written July 10, 2019
Do you have an evening Christmas Tour during the Christmas Season say 12/28-12/30
Written November 2, 2018
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.