Historical Tours
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 98% of travelers
98% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$35
per adult
Gray Line Beaufort
Gray Line Beaufort
5
Cultural ToursGhost & Vampire ToursHistorical & Heritage ToursWalking ToursBus Tours
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Here at the Beaufort Gray Line, our tours are lead by certified guides dressed in period costume. Let them transport you back in time by foot or in our air conditioned vans to enjoy the history, folktales and Hollywood film sites of the Carolina Sea Islands of the Beaufort Lowcountry. Come catch the Spirit with us!
Tours and Tickets by Gray Line Beaufort
Historical Tours
3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 92% of travelers
92% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$49
per adult
Food & Drink
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$55
per adult
Historical Tours
2–3 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$63
per adult
Historical Tours
1–2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$29
per adult
Travelers talk about
(22 reviews)
(8 reviews)
(9 reviews)
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
412 reviews
Excellent
375
Very good
24
Average
7
Poor
4
Terrible
3
Pam H
Bath, NC4 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
We took the Gullah tour, and it was a delight. Lily Harris was our guide and we spent the morning leaving about her life, traditions, and culture of the area. We made several stops visiting the Penn Center, Chapel of Ease, and a Praise house which added so much to learning about the culture enslaved people. An unexpected bonus was meeting the only person on St. Helena Island who continues to make Sweetgrass baskets. Tour was well worth the price!
Written December 21, 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.
Carrie R
Bee Spring, KY97 contributions
Jun 2014 • Couples
My husband and I visited Savannah, Georgia for a 20th anniversary getaway and decided to take a day trip down to Beaufort. Let me say, it was well worth our tiime, as the city is beautiful with many gorgeous historic homes that sit right on the water. We scheduled a historic walking tour of the area with The Spirit of Old Beaufort for the morning, but the owner called to say that, because of the heat, she would not be able to do the walking tour. She instead offered us a van tour. We are not fans of "riding" tours normally, since we like to see things "up close," so we decided to take a walking tour with another guide in town who was recommended to us by the Visitor's Center Staff in the morning (he did a wonderful job!) and keep our reservation with Spirit of Old Beaufort for a ghost van tour in the evening.
When we had called to schedule our tours a few weeks earlier, the owner, Evelynne, had been kind enough to open up the van tour just for us, and, as it turned out, we were the only people on the tour. We were a bit surprised to see our guide, Ashley, since we were expecting Evelynne, but we were not disappointed in the least. Ashley was bright and bubbly and very knowledgeable concerning the area. She took us to a few locations in town and then drove us out to the islands, even taking us on an amazing tour of an old fort that ended with a gorgeous sunset story on a beautiful private beach. We were happy to discover that this was not just a "riding" tour, but rather a "ride and stop" tour where we were able to get off and walk at the stops with the advantage of covering more ground but still being able to see things "up close." Ashley was a great story-teller and explained a lot about the gullah people and their historic beliefs in the supernatural, as well as the practices of "working roots" that are still alive and well in the area today. Ashley was so personable and in no rush to end our tour, even though she spent nearly an extra hour of her own time with us. It was an unexpected highlight of our trip, and we highly recommend Spirit of Old Beaufort and Ashley as well.
When we had called to schedule our tours a few weeks earlier, the owner, Evelynne, had been kind enough to open up the van tour just for us, and, as it turned out, we were the only people on the tour. We were a bit surprised to see our guide, Ashley, since we were expecting Evelynne, but we were not disappointed in the least. Ashley was bright and bubbly and very knowledgeable concerning the area. She took us to a few locations in town and then drove us out to the islands, even taking us on an amazing tour of an old fort that ended with a gorgeous sunset story on a beautiful private beach. We were happy to discover that this was not just a "riding" tour, but rather a "ride and stop" tour where we were able to get off and walk at the stops with the advantage of covering more ground but still being able to see things "up close." Ashley was a great story-teller and explained a lot about the gullah people and their historic beliefs in the supernatural, as well as the practices of "working roots" that are still alive and well in the area today. Ashley was so personable and in no rush to end our tour, even though she spent nearly an extra hour of her own time with us. It was an unexpected highlight of our trip, and we highly recommend Spirit of Old Beaufort and Ashley as well.
Written June 21, 2014
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.
marilyn-walter
Lithonia, GA1 contribution
Jun 2013 • Couples
This was our first trip to Beaufort South Carolina and we were both totally enchanted by its beauty and its history. We decided to go on a tour of Beaufort and nearby St. Helena's Island to the Penn Center and Coffin Point Plantation. We could not have asked for a better guide. Our guide, Kelly McGowan who is a "beneah" was extremely interesting and knowledgable. Not only is Kelly very knowledgable about all aspects of Beaufort and its history but it was very apparent how much she enjoys introducing others to its history. We both thoroughly enjoyed both of our tours and our time with Kelly.
Written June 9, 2013
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.
MeiMei B
Columbia, SC3 contributions
Jul 2014 • Family
My family and I traveled to Beaufort ready to experience a new adventure. The Spirit of Beaufort Gullah tour did not disappoint! The van was Clean, Cool, and Comfortable. As we glided through the planned course, our tour guide presented historical facts, asked questions, sang, and laughed: she totally engaged us all! By the time the excursion was over, all of the participants bonded and felt like family! The historical sites and Penn Center Museum were very informative, no book can give you that knowledge ( you must witness it)! The beautiful natural landmarks and plantations made us feel as if we were present in the 1800's- present day. I recommend this tour to all visitors of Beaufort, S.C!
Written July 15, 2014
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.
erni1221
Marietta, GA11 contributions
This tour was nothing short of excellent. Our tour guide, Dean, was so very well versed about the history of Beaufort and made things come alive for us throughout.
We saw many absolutely beautiful homes and were told stories about those people who lived in them or what they were used for during the War Between The States (i.e. Union hospitals). When in Beaufort make sure you include this tour in your itinerary!
We saw many absolutely beautiful homes and were told stories about those people who lived in them or what they were used for during the War Between The States (i.e. Union hospitals). When in Beaufort make sure you include this tour in your itinerary!
Written September 1, 2018
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.
bobdaRaleigh
Raleigh37 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
On February 28th my wife and I spent a quite informative afternoon with Dana our tour guide. This was Dana’s first tour after an extensive training program. She was enthusiastic and very personable. We were amazed about her knowledge of Beaufort. Her telling of the story of Robert Smalls a slave during the civil war was the highlight of our tour along with all the beautiful antebellum homes in Beaufort. We highly recommend the historic walking tour, and if your fortunate enough to get Dana as your tour guide you will have a wonderful afternoon.
Written March 1, 2018
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.
Thank you for letting us know how your tour went with Dana. Please come back soon and thanks for catching the spirit with us again.
Written March 9, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ed M
Taylors, SC2 contributions
Feb 2014 • Couples
Local tours can be like brushing away a layer of beach sand, hoping something marvelous appears. Usually it's ordinary, too often disappointing, but during a long overdue, impromptu weekend in Beaufort, S.C., we met Evelene Stevenson of The Spirit of Old Beaufort, which may be an apt description for the owner and chief guide.
During a three-hour van ride, we reviewed the circumstances that led to the settlement of Beaufort and its role as the heart of South Carolina Lowcountry plantation life, the barrier islands' influence on commerce, the impact and ramifications of slavery and the influence the area played on American history during and after the Revolutionary War and the 19th century "unpleasantness."
We visited the site of plantation that emerged as one of the wealthiest on Saint Helena Island including a stop at a slave cemetery where it's believed bodies are stacked three deep because of the size of the plot and we backed out the gate to keep the spirits from leaving on our shoulders. We took pictures at the gate to the "big house" and along the avenue of oaks, visited a reconstructed "praise house" where we sang spirituals and listened to Gullah dialogue.
We drove through Hunting Island state park with its magnificent lush undergrowth that served as backdrops for a number of feature films, walked a bridge over a thick, emerald swamp hoping for a glance of an gator -- just a glance -- but not luck. We ambled to the beach on a cool, clear day and looked back at the light house which requires sturdy knees to negotiate the 188 steps.
We drove through Penn Center School which was created to educate slaves and slave children after the Union invaded the islands within a year after the start of the war, and visited the remains of a church built in 1740 that used oyster shells in its construction.
Through it all Evelene maintained a steady stream of storylines and anecdotes and songs, of quips and quotes she accumulated in 20 years of sponging up the region's history, frequently speaking in vernacular, almost slipping into character. It was evident she loves sharing what she has learned, and it was hard to leave because there were still so many questions, but it was clear Evelene was the Spirit of Beaufort -- old and new.
During a three-hour van ride, we reviewed the circumstances that led to the settlement of Beaufort and its role as the heart of South Carolina Lowcountry plantation life, the barrier islands' influence on commerce, the impact and ramifications of slavery and the influence the area played on American history during and after the Revolutionary War and the 19th century "unpleasantness."
We visited the site of plantation that emerged as one of the wealthiest on Saint Helena Island including a stop at a slave cemetery where it's believed bodies are stacked three deep because of the size of the plot and we backed out the gate to keep the spirits from leaving on our shoulders. We took pictures at the gate to the "big house" and along the avenue of oaks, visited a reconstructed "praise house" where we sang spirituals and listened to Gullah dialogue.
We drove through Hunting Island state park with its magnificent lush undergrowth that served as backdrops for a number of feature films, walked a bridge over a thick, emerald swamp hoping for a glance of an gator -- just a glance -- but not luck. We ambled to the beach on a cool, clear day and looked back at the light house which requires sturdy knees to negotiate the 188 steps.
We drove through Penn Center School which was created to educate slaves and slave children after the Union invaded the islands within a year after the start of the war, and visited the remains of a church built in 1740 that used oyster shells in its construction.
Through it all Evelene maintained a steady stream of storylines and anecdotes and songs, of quips and quotes she accumulated in 20 years of sponging up the region's history, frequently speaking in vernacular, almost slipping into character. It was evident she loves sharing what she has learned, and it was hard to leave because there were still so many questions, but it was clear Evelene was the Spirit of Beaufort -- old and new.
Written February 16, 2014
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.
Gray G
Norfolk, VA233 contributions
We took the 2:00 pm historic walking tour. There are two different routes that this tour takes...the east route and the west route. Our tour guide was a young, local who took us on the eastern route. He was both personable and knowledgable and spent over 2 hours giving us local history related to the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, Idian Wars, and even the history of film in the area. He took us right up to different houses and was even able to take us onto the property of some homes. He could answer any question and we left feeling like we knew so much about the town. We were very lucky that there was no one else on the tour! Would highly suggest to anyone new to the area and looking for background
Info on this historical town! The stop at The Chocolate tree for a complimentary chocolate was a special treat. Would love to try one of their other tours in the future.
Info on this historical town! The stop at The Chocolate tree for a complimentary chocolate was a special treat. Would love to try one of their other tours in the future.
Written July 19, 2012
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.
WireWrapGems2
Tucson, AZ777 contributions
Jan 2016 • Friends
We learned a lot about the history of the area in general and especially the rich and unique history of the people who call it home. The Gulla history was brought to life through the stories, the places we visited and the praise hymns sang by Ashley. The stops gave ample opportunity to walk around and to take pictures. Our tour had only 3 people; so, it was like a private tour.
We visited the Coffin Plantation area and Avenue of Oaks, the Penn School grounds and the Coffin Point Praise house. The interpretation of the songs gave us a better understanding of their meaning and of the lives of those who sang them. Thank you Ashley!
We visited the Coffin Plantation area and Avenue of Oaks, the Penn School grounds and the Coffin Point Praise house. The interpretation of the songs gave us a better understanding of their meaning and of the lives of those who sang them. Thank you Ashley!
Written January 22, 2016
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.
Stan Miller
Fayetteville, NC554 contributions
Oct 2014 • Solo
After the many problems with the Beaufort Chamber of Commerce, plus businesses not knowing where the Information Center was located, then having been given wrong directions, booking this tour was pure heaven. Ms. Evelene Stevenson actually ran the 4pm tour with me the only one on the tour. This truly was one of the best tours that I've ever had. Ms. Stevenson has terrific knowledge of the history and what took place in Beaufort during the Civil War. Ms. Stevenson is a true Southern Bell who made my tour extremely enjoyable, fun and gave outstanding information about the Civil War. Looking forward to taking her other trips. Highly Recommend.
Written October 14, 2014
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.
sherld2016
Fort Wayne12 contributions
Would like to go on the Ghost and Vanpire tour and also if you have a Dolphin one
Heather@KellyTours
Beaufort, SC
Sadly, we do not have any of those in Beaufort.
Gray Line Beaufort - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Gray Line Beaufort Information
Excellent Reviews | 152 |
|---|---|
Very Good Reviews | 14 |
Gray Line Beaufort Photos | 59 |