Cultural Tours
120–135 minutes
Free cancellation
Not sure? You can cancel this reservation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.
from
$29
per adult
Charleston Footprints Walking Tours
Charleston Footprints Walking Tours
Charleston Footprints Walking Tours
4.9
City ToursHistorical & Heritage ToursWalking ToursSightseeing ToursPrivate 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
Enchanting historic Charleston comes alive on entertaining and informative walking tours with 7th-generation Charleston native Alfred Ray and his cohort of trained and certified professional guides. Discover stunning architecture, glorious gardens, Civil and Revolutionary War sites, cobblestone streets, wrought iron gates, legendary graveyards, and the local flavor of the fabled “Holy City” that no one knows better than Al , who has charmed tour guests for more than 40 years with his unparalleled knowledge of South Carolina's history, culture, plants and animals, as well as colorful insights, locations and anecdotes that only a lifelong Charleston native would know. Group walking tours are 2 hours and begin at 10 AM and 2:30 pm from 108 Meeting Street.
Tours and Tickets by Charleston Footprints Walking Tours
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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.
4.9
2,595 reviews
Excellent
2,474
Very good
94
Average
15
Poor
4
Terrible
8
Bill
Half Moon Bay, CA2 contributions
May 2021 • Couples
Last week my wife, MJ, and I made our first trip to Charleston. Wanting to see the city’s historical sights and architecture close-up, we opted for a walking tour. With so many to choose from, we turned to local residents for their recommendations. In this way we found Michael and were not disappointed. His historical knowledge mixed with personal stories of growing up Charleston made our two hours with him both informative and enjoyable. He has a wonderful sense of humor, delivered information in a light hearted, easy-to-follow manner, and welcomed any questions we had. We highly recommend Michael to anyone who seeks a Charlestonian’s account of this beautiful city.
Written May 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.
Thank you MJ and Bill, I really enjoyed having you on the tour and I appreciate your kind words. Please come back and join me again.
Written May 15, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
5Good_Travellers
Huntingtown, Maryland45 contributions
Oct 2022 • Friends
Al was the best guide bringing a wealth of wisdom mixed with a friendly personality. Al started on time and moved at a casual pace stopping every few minutes to recite a historical fact or point out an architectural interest. It was so well rounded it left the group with few questions. I would do it again!
Written October 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.
requedieu
Paris, France196 contributions
Apr 2021
Michael Trouche is a top shelf delight. His animated outgoing personality combined with his seamless client interactions make these tours informative, interesting and intriguing whilst he provides a rare multigenerational perspective on "The Holy City." As a native born, he knows the whos, the whats and the wheres of those <> a visitor is unlikely to encounter.
Michael's tour was an investment of this tourist's limited time to be very impressed. Well done, Michael.
Michael's tour was an investment of this tourist's limited time to be very impressed. Well done, Michael.
Written May 5, 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.
Thank you for your kind review and I hope that you will join me again
Written May 15, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jeff D
Richmond, VA11 contributions
Apr 2021
We only had a short stay, so we thought a walking tour would give us a good flavor of the city. We're so glad we decided to book Michael's tour. He was absolutely wonderful! Michael is a seventh generation son of the city, and his passion and love for his hometown made this experience such a pleasure. I felt as if we had backstage passes to his hometown. He even showed us the house where he grew up. We absolutely got all the historical facts, but we felt as if Michael were talking to us from his own living room, sharing stories and insights only a native son could tell. I would suggest booking this tour as your first activity in Charleston as it will give context to anything you choose to do with the remainder of your stay.
Written April 9, 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.
Andrea G
1 contribution
Apr 2021
Touring downtown Charleston with Michael Trouche on his Footprints walking tour is a delight. With great aplomb, Michael incorporates revolutionary war history, antebellum Charleston history, humorous anecdotes, and architectural gems. Additionally, as a seventh generation resident of the city, he is able to add many personal insights.
This two hour tour provides a fabulous overview for tourists, as well as for those of us who actually live here. My husband is a native Charlestonian, and we have greatly enjoyed participating in two of the Footprints tours while out of town guests were visiting. Needless to say, our friends were enchanted.
Andrea G., April 2021
This two hour tour provides a fabulous overview for tourists, as well as for those of us who actually live here. My husband is a native Charlestonian, and we have greatly enjoyed participating in two of the Footprints tours while out of town guests were visiting. Needless to say, our friends were enchanted.
Andrea G., April 2021
Written May 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.
Thank you Andrea and Arthur for joining me again, you are very gracious to add this review, and I welcome you to join me again.
Written May 15, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
cconklin2017
Kerrville, TX3 contributions
Dec 2020
Michael is a seventh-generation Charlestonian that is genuinely passionate about passing on his knowledge of the history and culture of Charleston. He knew the name of all 16 people in our group before we took our first steps and he remembered them for the next two hours. He didn't mind answering questions and was flexible, like he wasn't working from a rehearsed script. I would recommend this tour highly and suggest you arrange it at the forefront of your time in Charleston because it will illuminate the remainder of your experience.
Written January 4, 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.
Eileen V
1 contribution
Nov 2022 • Couples
Eric gave an exceptional walking tour of Charleston. He is clearly an expert on the history of the city and he brought to life the people, politics, lifestyle and architecture of the city. Well worth the time and money. Highly recommended.
Written November 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.
YOURHELPERMONKEY
Port Townsend, WA4 contributions
Nov 2020
Michael is FANTASTIC! Entertaining, rich with personal history and stories that are endless if you ask for them. He's able to navigate many questions at once and watch over all speeds of humans. His overall kindness was charming to my Mother and I loved that he showed us where he grew up and what he and his friends did for fun. The history..well, wow, the history is so overwhelming , right? Yet Michael paced it so well I was able to walk through it from then to now without feeling lost or bored. If I ever go back I will take that tour again. Thank you.
Written November 14, 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.
Bennett Muraskin
1 contribution
Mar 2020
Michael literally grew up in the neighborhood where the tour is focused and is full of inside information and personal anecdotes which he imparts with zest and clarity. He knows all there is to know and then some about the city, its people, architecture,, culture etc.. He even speaks French!
Remarkably, Michael quickly memorized the names of those on the tour, making it a more intimate experience.
There are many tours available, but only this one leaves from the Charleston Historical Foundation building, which tells you a lot
Spending two hours with Michael was the highlight of our stay in Charleston..
Remarkably, Michael quickly memorized the names of those on the tour, making it a more intimate experience.
There are many tours available, but only this one leaves from the Charleston Historical Foundation building, which tells you a lot
Spending two hours with Michael was the highlight of our stay in Charleston..
Written March 11, 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.
DrCarraway
128 contributions
May 2021
Our favorite Charleston activity, and a great beginning to our trip! Our family of four visited Charleston for the first time in May, 2021. Michael provided an excellent and entertaining introduction to the city. He spoke loudly enough for us all to hear him. The walking pace was such that most persons should be able to easily keep up. Michael referred to all members of our group of 20 by first names and knew the locations where we lived. He involved us all in the tour and did not dwell or give undue attention to any one person or family. He included many different points of interest - historical, literary, civic, architectural, and so on. There should be something of interest for everyone. He begins the tour at a gift shop with restrooms and ends a block away from the same location. He includes the Battery, Rainbow Row, many historical churches and buildings. We highly recommend Michael Trouche and Charleston Footprints!
Written June 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.
Was curious, wondering why there are no recent reviews of this Walking Tour ? Looking for 2022 recent experiences
Written February 23, 2022
I’m not sure if you can bring a dog. Our group did not have one. I don’t see why not. I would send them a message and ask. They were very quick to respond.
Written June 30, 2019
Can someone in a wheelchair do this tour
Written June 24, 2018
I'm very sorry, but considering steps without ramps and difficult, tight cobblestone alleys, a wheelchair is not suitable for this tour. I would recommend, especially in this heat and humidity, the for someone in a wheelchair to be more comfortable to perhaps a bus tour...
Written June 24, 2018
Hello,
Is this tour stroller friendly?
Written June 16, 2018
Actually, a stroller can be a burden, as we go through some areas where it will have to be carried up and down steps and over some very bumpy cobblestones. I have found the a carrying harness such as the Baby Bjorn works far better.
Written June 16, 2018
How do you register or sign up for a walking tour?
Written April 28, 2018
Yes, you can call the 843-478-4718 number, but the best is the link to the Charleston Footprints website, and a booking tab that shows dates and times available.
Michael Trouche
Written April 29, 2018
What is the name of the store where the walking tour meets?
Written March 6, 2018
We begint the tour at The Shops of the Historic Charleston Foundation at 108 Meeting Street.
Written April 23, 2018
Hi, is there a tour at about 11:00 a.m. Today. We are four tourists fron a cruise.
Olaf
Written October 10, 2017
Parking is expensive in Charleston but there is a lot a few blocks away for about $20 a day.
Written April 25, 2017
darlenet23
Ticonderoga, New York
what time is michael's tour on monday april l0th and how is paid for in advance
Written April 7, 2017
darlenet23
Ticonderoga, New York
i would like to schedule a tour with michael for monday- april l0 at l0:30
Written April 7, 2017
Showing results 1-10 of 30
*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.