Charleston Driving History Tour
Pick your date
Highlighted days have spots open. Grey days are sold out or not running.
September 2026
Loading live availability
Who is going?
Adults
Age 13 and over
Children
Age 12 and under
Select a highlighted day to see live departure times and the exact price for your group.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Same price on Viator, Outty earns a commission.
Traveler rating
5.0/5
Based on 1 traveler reviews. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Quick answer
Is Charleston Driving History Tour worth booking?
Charleston Driving History Tour is a 2-hour experience in Charleston, United States, from $125 per person. It scores 50 out of 100 on the Outty Ranking, which we label “Worth a Look”, based on a 5/5 rating across 1 reviews. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Same-day spots are currently showing.
- Outty Ranking
- 50 / 100
- Rating
- 5/5 (1)
- Duration
- 2 hours
- From
- $125 per person
You’re coming to Charleston and you want the best experience possible. You’re staying at a great hotel, you’ve made reservations at some of Charleston’s finest restraunts and you want to learn about this wonderful beauti
What you get
About this experience
You’re coming to Charleston and you want the best experience possible. You’re staying at a great hotel, you’ve made reservations at some of Charleston’s finest restraunts and you want to learn about this wonderful beautiful city, it’s rich history and you want to know what it’s like living here today. Historic Charleston Tours is a boutique tour guide company that specializes in small group and private tours. All of our guides are licensed by the city (no longer required in Charleston), but more importantly all of our guides live in the Old and Historic District. They can offer you interesting and amusing insights as to what it’s like living in this truly fascinating, historic neighborhood. Virtually no other tour guide company in Charleston can make such a claim. And if you have trouble walking or it's too hot we will drive you. Your choice. See why so many of Charleston’s finest hotels choose Historic Charleston Tours for their guests.
What's included
Included
- In-vehicle air conditioning
What you'll see and do
This is a private driving tour for the more sophisticated traveler. You will of course learn about Charleston’s colorful history but you will also hear about what it’s like living in this unique and fascinating city today. The tour begins at White Point Gardens, the very southern tip of the penninsula and where the settlers landed in 1680. There you will see the Lather Stevens home, at 17,000 sq. ft. the second largest home in Charleston. It was at a meeting in the ballroom of this home in 1920 where the preservation movement in this country was born. Then to the William Gibbes - built in 1772. Cornelia Roebling (designer of the Brooklyn Bridge and featured in the tv series The Gilded Age) purchased this house in 1928. When she came here she had her world famous landscape architect, Loutrel Briggs, design her garden. As a result, Briggs eventually designed more than 100 gardens here in Charleston.
30 minutes here
As we drive along E. Battery Street we will be on the waterfront and we will see more of Charleston’s largest homes. We will see 5 E. Battery. One of the most beautiful homes in Charleston. Scott Bessent, our current Sec. of the Treasury just completed a 5 and a half year restoration to this home and sold it for $18 million. We will then step onto the high battery where you will learn about the Civil War and the Revolutionary War. I will talk about the Battle of Battery Wagner, featured in the movie Glory and Revolutionary War Battle of Sullivan’s Island. As we drive further you will see the Edmonston Alston House, a museum house today and featured in the tv series Outer Banks, the Carolina Yaughtless Club, the Charleston Club and Rainbow Row. As we drive along E. Battery Street you will see more of Charleston’s largest homes and hear interesting and amusing stories about social life here in Charleston today.
40 minutes here
Once on Meeting Street we will pass by St. Michael’s Church. If the doors are open we will go in. It’s one of Charleston’s most beautiful churches and George Washington prayed in this church if 1791. Two signors of the Constitution - John Rutledge and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney are both buried in the graveyard. We will see South Carolina Society Hall, built in 1804 and the current home of Charleston’s Cotillion. Then to the Nathanial Russell House, one of Charleston’s most beautiful museum houses. We will step in to the gardens of this house, one of Charleston’s finest gardens. On to the Williams Mansion. At 24,000 sq. ft. Charleston’s largest private residence, built after the Civil War in the Italianate style. George Williams was a wealthy merchant before the Civil War and a blockade runner during the war. Martha Mitchell, author of Gone with The Wind visited this home as a young women and we think she may have gotten the inspiration of her book when she was here.
30 minutes here
We will conclude our tour on Tradd Street where we will be in what was Charleston’s original walled city. We will see some of Charleston’s oldest homes. Some built in the early 1700’s. Lined with Crape Mertyle trees and carefully manicured window boxes, Tradd Street is one of Charleston’s most charming streets and a site for the movie The Patriot. We will see the neighborhood “Catfish Row” subject of the play “Porgy and Bess” and talk about a middle class black neighborhood in Charleston before the Civil War.
20 minutes here
Where it starts and ends
Hotel pickup
Pickup is included for all travelers. Pickup begins about 10 minutes before departure.
Before you book
- Cancellation
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
- Ticket
- Mobile Only
- Runs on
- Every day
- Group size
- Up to 4 travelers per booking
- Operated by
- Historic Charleston Tours
Know before you go
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Photos
Traveler reviews
1 verified traveler reviews for Charleston Driving History Tour. Ratings and reviews provided by Viator and Tripadvisor.
Local resident tour guide, passionate about his city
We did what I would call a combined driving tour of Charleston and the Civil War tour. It was just my husband and I, with Mike. "Hop in my car," he said. It was fun. He is definitely a local, and can tell you the local stories about the residents (personalities included) now, as well as the history of the houses and families that date back through the centuries. Entertaining and informative way to spend an afternoon.
Response from the operator: Thank you Shelly. It was a pleasure.
via Tripadvisor
Good to know
- Duration
- 2 hours
- Free cancellation
- Up to 24h before
- Minimum age to book
- All ages
- Availability
- Bookable today
- Runs on
- Every day
- Hotel pickup
- Included for all travelers
- Booked in 30 days
- 0
- Verdict
- Worth a Look
Why this scores 50
The Outty Ranking is a weighted composite. Here is how this experience performed on each component.
Charleston Driving History Tour: questions travelers ask
Practical detail on this experience, plus the wider planning questions for Charleston.
How much does Charleston Driving History Tour cost?
+
Prices start at $125 per person. The final price depends on the date, the time slot and the number of travelers, and peak weekends in Charleston usually price higher than midweek mornings. Live pricing and remaining availability are confirmed on the booking screen before you pay.
How long does Charleston Driving History Tour take?
+
Plan for about 2 hours from start to finish, not counting travel to the meeting point. Most travelers leave another 30 minutes on either side so the rest of the day in Charleston is not rushed.
Is Charleston Driving History Tour worth it?
+
It holds an Outty Ranking of 50 out of 100, which we label "Worth a Look". That score blends traveler sentiment (5/5 across 1 reviews), the depth of that review evidence, recent booking momentum, value for money against comparable last minute in Charleston, and how flexible the cancellation terms are.
Can I cancel or reschedule Charleston Driving History Tour?
+
Yes. Cancel free up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Inside that window the booking is non-refundable, and no-shows are not refunded.
Is Charleston Driving History Tour suitable for kids and families?
+
Yes, all ages are welcome. Families should still weigh the 2-hour running time, and strollers are easier on the earlier, quieter departures.
How far in advance should I book Charleston Driving History Tour?
+
Around 0 people booked this in the last 30 days, so popular slots go early. Two to three weeks ahead is comfortable in shoulder season, while summer weekends and holidays in Charleston can sell out a month out. Same-day spots do open up when other travelers cancel, so it is worth checking if you are already in town.
What should I bring or wear?
+
Bring photo ID, your booking confirmation on your phone, a refillable water bottle and comfortable shoes. Dress for the weather in Charleston and add a light layer if any part of the 2-hour experience runs outdoors or after sunset.
Where does Charleston Driving History Tour start and how do I get there?
+
The exact meeting point and directions are on your voucher once you book, and they sit in central Charleston within reach of public transport. Arrive 15 minutes early: late arrivals are treated as no-shows by most operators.
What are the best things to do in Charleston?
+
Charleston's best experiences are small: house museum tours with an architectural historian, Gullah heritage walks, harbour sails at sunset and Lowcountry food crawls through the market district. Plantation day trips vary enormously in how honestly they handle the history, and our ranking factors that in directly. On Outty we rank every Charleston experience on the same 0 to 100 scale, and alongside this one the highest scorers right now include Historic Charleston Guided Sightseeing Walking Tour, Charleston historical walking tour with a Professor of History at The Citadel, Charleston Eco Boat Cruise with stop at Morris Island Lighthouse. The city page groups everything into most popular, highest reviewed, last minute and family-friendly so you can build a day around what actually delivers.
When is the best time to visit Charleston?
+
March to May and September to November, the two mild shoulder windows. Booking patterns follow the same curve: prices and queues climb in peak weeks, while shoulder season gives you better availability on the top-ranked experiences and more room to change plans.
How many days do you need in Charleston?
+
Three full days covers the headline sights without sprinting. A workable rhythm is one anchor experience each morning, such as this one, an unhurried afternoon in a single neighborhood, then a food or nightlife booking in the evening. Five days lets you add a day trip outside the city.
Do I book through Outty or through the operator?
+
Outty ranks and explains the experiences, then hands you to Viator to complete the booking with the operator directly. The price is the same as booking on Viator yourself, and Outty earns an affiliate commission on the referral, which is how the rankings stay free to read.
Ready to lock in your spot?
Pick a date, choose your group, and see the exact price for Charleston Driving History Tour.
Pick your date
