Prices & schedules checked October 18, 2026
Charleston sells carriage rides, ghost walks, harbor cruises, the Fort Sumter ferry and half-day plantation trips, often for the same few hours of your visit. We compare them side by side — price, length, where they leave from and who they suit — using the live Viator listings and the operators’ and organizers’ own pages, then say plainly which one fits which kind of trip.
Top tour picks
| If you want… | Our pick | Price on Viator (as listed Oct 2026) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| The one historic sight | Fort Sumter ferry + fort visit | From $45.58 | About 2 hours (ferry + fort) |
| A first look at downtown | Old South horse & carriage tour | From $50 | 1 hour |
| A budget walking tour | Best Highlights walking tour | From $25 | 2 hours |
| Charleston from the water | Carolina Belle harbor cruise (day or sunset) | From $44.50 | 90 minutes |
| A ghost tour | Pleasing Terrors walking ghost tour | From $29 | 90 minutes |
| A plantation without driving | Magnolia half-day tour from the Visitor Center | From $75.45 | 5 hours |
We may earn a commission when you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. Details
Start here
Holiday Festival of Lights
James Island County Park’s drive-through lights: dates, tickets, the no-car option and where to stay.
Charleston ghost tours
Walking, carriage, jail, dungeon, graveyard or a ghost cruise — which one suits you?
Fort Sumter & harbor cruises
How the only ferry to the fort works, harbor cruises, and Patriots Point, the Hunley and Fort Moultrie.
Plantation tours
Which site to pick, how to get there with or without a car, and what each one shows.
One day in Charleston
Carriage ride, Fort Sumter, a harbor sunset and a ghost walk — plus where to stay.
Downtown, Mount Pleasant or the beach?
What each area suits, with hotel and rental searches for each.
Getting there & getting around
Nearest airports, whether you need a car, and transfers.
How we pick
- Facts from the source. Prices, durations and departure points come from the live Viator listings and operators’ and organizers’ official pages. Each guide lists its sources and the date we checked.
- No fake reviews. We don’t invent first-person stories or star ratings. Where a booking site shows traveler reviews, we point you to them.
- Book direct when it’s better. The Fort Sumter ferry, for example, is sold by the park’s concessioner with a more flexible refund window than the resale listing. We say so, with a plain link that earns us nothing.