Adventure Tours
2 hours
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
Recommended by 96% of travelers
96% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
from
$103
per adult
Speed Boat Adventures
Speed Boat Adventures
5
Boat ToursWater SportsBoat RentalsSelf-Guided Tours & RentalsSpeed Boats Tours
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Full view
About
Take the wheel and become the captain! Fully narrated tour for 13 miles through the world famous Charleston Harbor. You will have a once in a lifetime view of the Battery, USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier, Arthur Ravenel Jr Bridge, the downtown Charleston skyline, Waterfront Park, South Carolina Aquarium, the cruise ship terminal and all the wildlife that call Charleston Harbor home. Meetup Details 56 Ashley Point Drive (Ripley Light Marina) *Free Parking There is no physical structure or building to enter. Please do not go into the little white house with this address. Arrive 30min prior to your tour. Meet at dock meeting point 15min prior to tour. MEETUP POINT- As you turn into the marina, keep driving until you see a large, oval, maroon sign on the left that says “California Dreaming”. Park there. At the sign, there is an entrance path to the docks. Walk along this path, turn right at the end and walk down the ramp. Your guide will meet you a
Charleston, South Carolina
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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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
5.0
430 reviews
Excellent
395
Very good
19
Average
8
Poor
3
Terrible
5
Celesta
2 contributions
Sep 2020
Guys, this company is amazing and so pleasant to work with. The tour itself is amazing and Graham, our guide, put us right at ease. We had a 9am tour so the water wasn’t too busy with other boats and the weather was perfect. Definitely wear sunscreen!!
Written September 5, 2020
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.
adventureseeker737
1 contribution
Oct 2020 • Family
The speedboats were a great option for me to take my 2 kids on and still exciting enough for me. I am so tired of paying big bucks for them to do something where I just stand by and watch so this was the perfect solution. They really loved it and were extremely excited. It was really need to see the USS Yorktown from the water after the kids had already been atop the ship. Even though they were only 5 and 7 I hope they remember it for a long time. Thank you for a great adventure, our guide was fantastic and made us feel safe. Bring Sunglasses!!!
Written October 24, 2020
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.
Hey now!
Thanks so much for coming on the tour and for your awesome review. I am so happy you and the kiddos had such a blast.
Come on back to see us again and I will y’all somewhere else, there is so much yet to explore.
Written October 25, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BrookeLocklear
Pembroke, NC1 contribution
Sep 2020
We had a great guide who was very helpful and thorough. The experience is definitely one I would recommend for people who like water sports. The only critique I have is that we were unable to go out on the harbor because of the weather. It was too windy and it was even rough down the river. Because of this, we were unable to go full speed the whole time. Other than that, it was great. I would suggest checking the weather before planning your trip.
Written September 15, 2020
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.
Hi Brooke,
Thank you for coming on the tour and for your review.
As you may or may not know, there is a hurricane not too far from us. The wind from the hurricane can create some dangerous waves. While it is always our intention to take everyone to the harbor, your safety is our #1 concern.
I had tried to take the group before you into the harbor and I deemed the waves too big for our little boats.
It is impossible for me to control the weather and the wind conditions.
Very sorry that the weather made the experience less that perfect. Hopefully you can come back when it's a bit calmer out there.
Thanks again
Written September 16, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Perfect2Illusion
1 contribution
Sep 2021
Graham is an extremely rude tour guide , gives no proper instructions, got yelled at he kept swearing under his breath. Then he lost me and I was stranded in the middle of nowhere and the motor stopped working. Sent him my pin , he came after 30 minutes, made me drag my boat through the mud and I have cuts and bruises on my legs- I can send a photo, too. A nice gentleman came in and showed the tour guide and me to the river. Then I found out I lost my rental keys as I had to be out of the boat to drag it a bunch of times. This situation could have been avoided if the walk-in talkies worked, we were given a gps or at least a map to navigate or if he let me be in his boat when we started as this was my first time on a boat. Driving a car is not the same as speedboating - Graham should have a little grey matter to comprehend this!
Written September 14, 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.
Kenn B
Lancaster, NY31 contributions
Feb 2021 • Couples
We had so much fun! These boats are quick! Graham took the lead and all boats had walkie-talkies in them. We stopped at several points throughout the bay and listened to him explain about the different forts. Great time! You will not be disappointed!!!
Written February 21, 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.
TriciaWelch
1 contribution
Jun 2021
Really enjoyed the boat ride and the scenery was great. I don't like being yelled at by the tour guide. It was my first time driving a boat and I was told not to accelerate until the tour guide told me to. I ended up falling behind the rest of the group. Then the tour guide came my way and yelled at me in a scolding tone. He asked me if I wanted him to take me back, which was insulting and demeaning. He treated me like a criminal. I don't remember his name but my tour was on June 27 at 11-1pm.
Written August 23, 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.
DonnShaver
1 contribution
Apr 2022
Our guide went above and beyond to make the day special! We were running a few minutes behind due to a late train and he waited for us at the docks in time to give us a brief rundown of how to operate the boat. The boats are small, fast, and fun. The tour was altered a little bit due to the waves that day and that was a good call. We took an alternate route, got to open up the boat and just had a blast. I love boats and this was a relatively cheap way to get out on the water and enjoy one for a few hours. Would 100% recommend!
Written April 15, 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.
CountryGal803
1 contribution
Sep 2021 • Family
Definitely not worth the money. The boats are extremely small, the owner is arrogant and his instructions/briefing is discussed in five minutes or less. There is only one guide which is the owner and make sure to take a notebook to write down his instructions. Lol. We were left behind and couldn’t see anyone in site. Radioed the guide/owner several times but didn’t receive a response. So My partner and I figured out how to turn around the boat, headed back to the pier within 30 minutes of the tour. Luckily, there were some nice people who helped us dock and get off the “toddler size” boat. Even the “nice people” cracked a few jokes about the boat’s size. None of the equipment was disinfected (had my own disinfectant wipes) and don’t expect to see all of the landmarks listed on the website. He’s going to claim the water is “rough” or the time has run out. Oh and once you’ve booked, there’s a possibility your reservation time might be changed. Consider another company because this one, “ain’t it” and by far the worst I’ve ever experienced.
Written September 6, 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.
Jennifer M
2 contributions
Jul 2021 • Family
Highly recommend this experience, even if you've never driven a speedboat. I had never done anything like this but Graham our tour guide is so knowledgeable and made sure we felt safe and comfortable. It surely was so much fun!
Written July 10, 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.
Anaisia M
Edisto Island, SC1 contribution
Jul 2020
The Speedboat ride was awesome. You are provided with a life jacket and given instructions on what to do ensuring you’re safety. I recommend wearing a secure hat because mine flew off, lol. Overall, I had a great time. Book your appointment now. You’ll be glad you did.
Written August 4, 2020
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.
Charles F
Houston, Texas
Why is an extremely rude tour guide allowed to be our guide? Walkie talikies dont function and Graham is an a-hole who cares two pence about your safety
Written September 14, 2021
I want to know too!! I had a horrible experience a few weeks ago. Walkie talkies didn’t work, we were given the slowest boat and he left us. Me and my partner had to figure our way back to the pier.
Written September 14, 2021
How is there a guide if the boats are so small and the customers drive the boats?
Written August 1, 2018
Hi Theresa!
The tour guide is in his own boat and leads you about 13 miles around the bay. Each boat has a speaker so you can hear the live narration.
We hope to see you soon!
Written August 1, 2018
What is the minimum age to drive / ride the boats ?
Written January 31, 2018
Charles F
Houston, Texas
I dont recall you checking anyone's license. Wait, you work on assumptions ,and where was your face mask and hand sanitizers, not to mention bad walkie talkies and toddler sized rundown boats.
Written September 12, 2021
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