Charleston Tours
Fort Sumter Admission and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry
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Fort Sumter Admission and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry

By Fort Sumter Tours
Recommended by 90% of travelers
90% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 0-100, max of 385 per group
Duration: 2h 15m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More


  • Admission to historic Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina
  • Round-Trip Ferry Transportation from Liberty Square or Patriots Point (30-minutes each way)
  • 1-hour Self-Guided Tour to explore Fort Sumter and its well-preserved ruins
  • Experience the opening battle of the American Civil War with a National Park Ranger
  • Access to the Fort Sumter Museum, Bookstore, and Souvenir Shop
  • Entry/Admission - Fort Sumter National Monument
  • Guaranteed to skip the lines
What's not included
  • Food & Beverages (available for purchase)
  • Gratuities


Start:Multiple meeting point options.
  • Option 1
    Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center, 340 Concord St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
    Downtown Charleston (must select option at checkout) Liberty Square’s Fort Sumter Visitors Center, 340 Concord St. Charleston, SC 29401
  • Option 2
    40 Patriots Point Rd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464, USA
    Mt. Pleasant (must select option at checkout) Patriots Point, 40 Patriots Point Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Stroller accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Near public transportation
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 77337P1

    • Most travelers can participate
    • The ferries are equipped with an elevator/lift and handicapped accessible restrooms. The Liberty Square boarding ramp can accommodate electric & manual wheelchairs and scooters except in extreme tide situations. Although the restrooms on Fort Sumter are accessible only by climbing a flight of stairs, the ferry remains at the Fort so that restrooms on the boat are available during your visit.
    • There is currently no Elevator Service at Fort Sumter – the museum, restrooms, bookstore and top level of Fort Sumter are only accessible by climbing stairs.
    • Please note the Fort Sumter Tour is a boat excursion dependent on changing weather and tide conditions, Fort Sumter Tours cannot and does not guarantee accessibility. Ramps used to access the ferry can vary based on tides and adverse conditions.
    • Tours run rain or shine. Only the Captain has the final say as to whether he feels it needs to be canceled due to weather. That decision is made at the time of departure and throughout the duration of the tour.
    • 3:45 tour departing from Patriots Point is a 3 hour tour in total time.
    • Charleston County has now dropped into a medium risk level for Covid-19, therefore masks are not required, but optional.
    • 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 385 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: 77337P1

    From
    $39.22
    per adult
    Select date and travelers

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    Itinerary
    • 1
    • 2
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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Fort Sumter Tours
      1,805
      United States
      Joined in October 2015
    • 670ThomasR
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      My best Civil War tour.
      An amazing tour. The history on the trip out, and back was amazing. Loved this tour. I have visited many battle fields, but to see where the Civil War started was an amazing and that was something I have been waiting to see. Brought tears to my eyes seeing how these people acted as gentlemen, and how it became the bitter, nasty battles it became. Reminds me of today.
      Written September 23, 2024
    • alanaP9537GG
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great for History Buffs
      My review mirrors most of the other 5 star reviews for Fort Sumter. The ferry ride is full of information both ways; the park rangers were very helpful in answering questions and sharing history of the fort. The time there is about right as it doesn't take long to see the fort itself. I would have enjoyed more time at the museum. The gift shop is tiny and crowded and poorly air conditioned. Biggest negative is no public restrooms which is a shame. There has to be restrooms on the island for the park staff and employees. I realize it would add costs but sure it could be made up with marginal increases in ticket costs.
      Written August 23, 2024
    • jch0
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      5 Star Trip.
      Wonderful sail for 30 mins to Fort Sumter. High winds and the crossing was very calm and no real noticeable movement in the boat. Fort Sumter is fine. Not what it used to be but and excellent museum and good shop. The highlight of the trip was the National Park Rep. His knowledge of the history of the area was impressive.His delivery of the history was engaging, informative and fascinating and he made us feel like we were there!
      Written June 21, 2024
    • lindarY6386DJ
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great Tour Guide on the board for Fort Sumter
      Fort Sumter tour was great. The boat ride over to the fort and back was even better. Our 'guide' was Jim Morgan who sure knew his history and told a great story. Made the trip worth while.
      Written April 19, 2024
    • Jonathan S
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Beautiful boat trip, interesting tour!
      Took first ferry from Patriots Point, loads of available parking and a great ferry ride. Park rangers were knowledgeable and helped tell the fort's story. The fingerprints pressed into the brick was an interesting link back to its origin.
      Written November 8, 2023
    • joanna k
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Charleston trip
      Great Tour. Very informative, weather was great this time of year. Great place to visit and enjoy the sights in downtown Charleston
      Written October 30, 2023
    • 969stevenl
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fort Sumter=Charleston
      Must see in Charleston. Great tour led by National Park Service rangers. First tour includes flag raising of 33 star flag. Boat ride is very calm.
      Written October 21, 2023
    • Anne W
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fort Sumter
      Pleasant boat ride out to the Fort. We had to wait for the other boat to depart so we only had 45 minutes to see the Fort. There’s so much history to explore and it simply wasn’t enough time.
      Written October 20, 2023
    • Culture197075
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent understanding of the beginning of America’s bloodiest war.
      Wonderful ferry ride to the fort. The Rangers at the fort were, as usual in any National Park, excellent, informative and committed to our education of the site and the associated history. Great to see so many young people participate in the Flag folding ceremony.
      Written September 26, 2023
    • F9676ZScharlieb
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      Very Nice, but
      Nice boat ride to the Fort and back. The volunteer gave some great information about the Fort and Charleston. Need more than a hour at the Fort. Unable to see a tenth of what is offered at the Fort. Need 2-3 hours to take in what the Fort offers.
      Written September 16, 2023
    • I4695TJdougw
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great trip
      Walking around the inside of fort . The ranger answering personnel questions. Boat trip to fort was very educational
      Written May 14, 2023
    • CoolnoniJ
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Worth the trip!
      Very easy to make on-line reservations. Park ranger Gary Alexander was fabulous. He is a great story teller, providing historical information infused with humor. Everyone there enjoyed his presentation.
      Written May 4, 2023
    • barefootinblueheaven
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Enlightening and educational experience regarding the start of the Civil War!
      Really enjoyed both the museum (it was not here the last time we had visited!) and the flag raising ceremony! The young man who did the ceremony was excellent! He did a great job explaining the history of the fort, the start of the war, the key players, the history of the area and the succeeding times, and he did a wonderful job with the children who took part in the ceremony! We thoroughly enjoyed our visit!
      Written May 1, 2023
    • rcM7495JE
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      100% American History
      The 1st Tour of the day and Ranger #1 gave us an Excellent Informative and Entertaining orientation. Well Done. Punctuality is a must. Read up on Ft Sumter before your tour as we did and it's worth it.
      Written April 25, 2023
    • Nancy J
      0 contributions
      2.0 of 5 bubbles
      Poor
      The narrative on the boat to the island was below minimal. No background information on what we were about to experience. We only had 45 minutes at the Fort because we initially left the dock 15 minutes late.
      Written April 22, 2023
    See all 1,805 reviews
    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.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    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

    4.5
    4.5 of 5 bubbles1,133 reviews
    Excellent
    783
    Very good
    246
    Average
    69
    Poor
    15
    Terrible
    20

    jennld_10
    Roosevelt, NJ9 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2021
    I wouldn't recommend doing this in the summer if it's hot. The boat was packed to capacity, no air conditioning, all of the seats upstairs were already taken so we were stuck downstairs. There was no air at all and I get sea sick really easily so not a good combination. Also the boat had to idle for quite a bit while we waited for the tour ahead of us to board an get out of there and rocking on the water and hot was not a good combo for me. It was a bit hard to hear, but there was a guide on the boat who I thought did a really good job with giving the history of the fort as we cruised out there. I didn't feel like you got nearly enough time at the fort, the boat ride was longer than the time at the fort. The fort isn't big but if you wanted to go through the museum with the crowd of people you didn't have enough time. At least the museum was air conditioned, but we had to line up to re-board the boat early to make sure this time we could get an upstairs seat to help with my sea sickness and make sure we could get some air. We did at least see some dolphins as we left the fort.
    Written July 19, 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.

    Melanie Allen
    Washington DC, DC23 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jun 2021 • Couples
    The trip to Fort Sumter was just as expected. The boat ride was smooth, there was plenty of seating and space for everyone, and the NPS guide on the boat and volunteer had a lot of great info.
    The island itself was very hot with little shade which was to be expected but there is air conditioning inside the museum if you need a break. People started heading back to the boat before the one hour was up to get better seats so if you want to sit up top or at the front of the boat you can go back early if you finish on the fort early
    Written June 30, 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.

    From Michigan
    1 contribution
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Apr 2021 • Solo
    In the past 13 months, this was the first national park at which the staff do not enforce masks. I was shocked at the number of people on the ferry not wearing a mask… most disappointing, Nationsl park staff just wss as lord by, said Hi to full families not masked in the interior cabin of the ferry, then moved on. Clearly, wearing masks indoors is neither a priority nor enforced by Fort Sumter National Park staff.

    If you value the importance of masks, skip Fort Sumter in 2021. It’s clearly not a priority for NOS ferry staff

    As for the fort, the presenter was excellent and it is a national, historic sites everyone should see. However, only an hour at the fort just isn’t enough time.
    Written April 8, 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.

    ParisLover
    Coquitlam, Canada18 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The boat ride was very crowded and hectic getting on and off the boat. The docent’s flag stories took too much of our visit time so I would recommend skipping that and going directly to the museum interpretive center or exploring the fort. The interpretive visuals and information were outstanding so don’t miss those!
    Written October 27, 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.

    jason b
    2 contributions
    1.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sep 2022 • Family
    Bathrooms, fountains, and elevators out of order at Liberty Square. They'll sell you $3 bottle water, if their machine will take your card.
    They didn't warn me that concessions on the ferry are cash only either.
    You don't get long enough there to really read the plaques, let alone help your kids with a Junior Ranger booklet.
    I boat up there fairly frequently and you used to be able to access it for free, which would be great.
    Just another thing ruined by govt, imo.
    Written September 27, 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.

    Allie
    Birmingham, AL13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jul 2021 • Family
    Very good experience for learning some history. My family of 3 enjoyed it. The ferry boat was well-maintained and offered the option of open air (yet covered) seating on the upper deck. Seating was also available in the enclosed cabin on the main level. It was somewhat air conditioned, and the restroom was better than expected and handicapped accessible. The park rangers who led the tour were friendly and knowledgeable. During the 30 min ferry ride to the island, one of the rangers presented a lot of facts about Ft Sumter. Once there, the tour of the fort was self-guided, and there is a small museum and gift shop. About an hour is provided for the self-guided portion before boarding the ferry to return.
    Written August 1, 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.

    Karen123WV
    Elkins, WV325 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oct 2021
    We very much enjoyed our tour. The ferry trip is 30 minutes and then you have an hour at the fort (which is plenty of time). Make sure to listen to the initial talk by a ranger and then be sure to ask questions of the other park rangers on the property. I found the museum at the fort as well as the introductory displays at the ferry building to be very informative and interesting.
    Written October 16, 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.

    U5460WEtracyh
    Pittsfield, MA18 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2023 • Couples
    Very good tour but, you have to take the ferry out to the island which, leaves you only 1 hour to read and view everything in the museum. Outside there are markers and lots of artifacts to view.
    If you take the 9:30am first ferry of the day they raise the flag and have a small ceremony.
    Only, downside is that you are left with a very short time to see everything.
    Written April 7, 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.

    Regina L
    Los Angeles, CA159 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2021
    I was in Charleston for less than 2 days, so I had limited time for tours. I took the 2:30 pm-4:45 pm tour, which is the last tour of the day. Factoring in the ferry ride, I had very limited time on the island. I wish I could have spent another 60-90 minutes on the island because after watching the afternoon ranger-led flag ceremony, I was only able to see about 20% of the museum on the island before it was time to return to the ferry. The rangers and volunteers on the ferry and on the island were all very enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and friendly. However, the ranger at the museum on the mainland was not very friendly. The ferry sells snacks, drinks, and beer. The ferry is pretty large and has multiple levels. On the return ferry trip, one of the rangers told stories over the sound system, but it was really hard to hear him due to loud ferry noise. I tried to find the ranger in hopes that I would be able to hear better if I was on the same floor as he was, but I couldn't find him on the 2 floors I checked. He must have been on the top level or the bottom level. I wish he would have told us over the intercom system which part of the ferry he was speaking from. I hope to return to Fort Sumter, and I'll try to book an earlier tour so I can stay longer and see the whole museum.
    Written February 1, 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.

    Carmen B
    Buffalo, NY352 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    May 2021 • Couples
    Fort Sumter was first on our list when we decided to visit Charleston. This site is hugely important and it was great to finally see it in person. The fort has literally taken a beating, so don’t expect to be dazzled by an architectural display, but be prepared to examine solemn ruins. The staff does a nice job explaining the monumental events that transpired here and watching the flag raised over the fort was exciting. The ferry trip was enjoyable and informative as well. We were glad to finally cross this one off our list.
    Written May 31, 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.

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    Fort Sumter Admission and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry provided by Fort Sumter Tours

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