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Charleston’s Old South Carriage Historic Horse & Carriage Tour
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Charleston’s Old South Carriage Historic Horse & Carriage Tour

By Old South Carriage Company
Recommended by 95% of travellers
95% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
About
Follow the history of the South Carolina port city of Charleston, which dates back more than 300 years, on a horse-drawn carriage tour. Save time by seeing the main highlights of the city’s past, including those from the Civil War era, from a comfortable perch as you travel across 30 blocks of the historic district.
from
$83.96
per adult
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation

Ages 4-99, max of 16 per group
Duration: 1h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More

Highlights
  • Learn about 300 years of Charleston history in just one hour
  • Cover 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) while resting your feet on a carriage ride 
  • Multiple departure times offered to fit your busy sightseeing schedule 
  • Children three and under are free when they sit on a parent's lap

  • 1-Hour Horse & Carriage Sightseeing Tour of Charleston
  • Belgian or Percheron Draft Horse
  • Certified Driver/Guide
  • See Charleston highlights such as historically significant homes, churches and gardens
  • Hear stories of the city’s role in our nation's history from your certified guide
  • Entry/Admission - Old South Carriage Company
What's not included
  • Gratuities

For this tour of South Carolina’s oldest city, arrive at the Old South Carriage Company at 14 Anson Street about 15 minutes before your scheduled tour time to check in. Climb into a carriage led by a horse and guide. The horse pulling your carriage is the same kind of draft horse that worked American farms in the 1800s, adding to the authenticity. During the tour, your carriage whisks through 30 blocks of the city’s historic area, about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers). Pass by antebellum mansions, old churches, and historical homes, such as the former residence of South Carolina governor William Aiken Jr. Your guide revisits more than 300 years of history, and you’ll learn about the city’s founding and its role in the Civil War. Cover the historical district without getting tired from walking or having to arrange transportation. Your tour ends back at Old South Carriage Company.

Start:
  • 14 Anson St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
    Departure Point: Old South Carriage Address: 14 Anson St. Charleston, SC 29401 Dates: Daily - MUST check-in 15-minutes
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Wheelchair accessible
    • Stroller accessible
    • Service animals allowed
    • Near public transportation
    • Infants must sit on laps
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6656RIDE

    • Please note: you MUST check-in 15-minutes prior to your scheduled tour time. Failure to do so may result in your reservation being cancelled with out refund.
    • Carriage can transport up to 16 passengers per departure.
    • Children 3 years and under are free provided that they sit on the lap of a parent or guardian. If you want your child to have a seat, you must purchase a child seat.
    • Most travellers can participate
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 16 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    The tour operator has provided the following answers to customers’ questions.
    Where does the Charleston’s Old South Carriage Historic Horse & Carriage Tour depart from?
    Carriages board and depart from our stable at 14 Anson Street (one block north of the City Market). Our stable provides protection from the elements while you wait.
    Answered Apr 2021
    Is parking available for the Charleston’s Old South Carriage Historic Horse & Carriage Tour?
    There are multiple parking garages and lots near the City Market. You can also park at the Visitor’s Center and ride the free Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) to the Market.
    Answered Apr 2021
    How early should I arrive for the Charleston’s Old South Carriage Historic Horse & Carriage Tour?
    You MUST check in 15-minutes prior to your scheduled tour time. Failure to do so may result in your reservation being canceled without a refund.
    Answered Apr 2021
    Can I bring my young child with me on the Charleston’s Old South Carriage Historic Horse & Carriage Tour?
    Yes, children 3 years and under are free provided that they sit on the lap of a parent or guardian. If you want your child to have a seat, you must purchase a child seat.
    Answered Apr 2021

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 6656RIDE

    Reserve your spot

    Similar experiences

    Itinerary
    • You'll start at
      14 Anson St
      14 Anson St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
      Departure Point: Old South Carriage Address: 14 Anson St. Charleston, SC 29401 Dates: Daily - MUST check-in 15-minutes
      See address & details
    • 1
      Old South Carriage Company
      Stop: 15 minutes - Admission included
      Our stable is where your tour experience will begin and end. After checking in you can say hi to our draft horses, watch an educational video, purchases a bottle of water, or use our restroom. As you board your carriage via our inclined ramp / easy loading platform, your certified tour guide will greet you.
      Read more
      Pass by
      Charleston City Market
    • You'll return to the starting point
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Old South Carriage Company
      10,886
      Charleston, United States
      Joined in August 2008
    • 230faithh
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Haunted carriage tour was good for all ages
      Our tour guides and Cash, our horse, were perfect hosts as they led us around the city streets of Charleston. The stories they shared were interesting, and told in a fun and engaging way. The stories were told in a way that all ages could enjoy…and not be scared. We took the 6pm slot, which was light enough and allowed us to see a popular area of the city, as well.
      Written 15 March 2024
    • R5652MRjw
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fun Carriage ride
      Such a great evening. Didn’t know it was a haunted ride but it was fun. Garrett was a fun driver and Mac, the horse did a good job
      Written 13 March 2024
    • RobinF42
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fun with Ghosts!
      Fun, fun, fun! Savannah was our human guide and Mac was our horse host. We did the evening ghost ride and it was nice to travel around listening to ghost stories while the sun was going down. Savannah was delightful, she was warm, funny, and informative about the haunting. Mac was the perfect horse and should be horse employee of the month.
      Written 13 March 2024
    • Trixie_827
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent &Informative
      My husband and I went on the Haunted carriage ride last night. Our tour guides, Morgan & Ronald the horse were fantastic! It was a fun, informative evening and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Charleston.
      Written 6 March 2024
    • FellowTraveler783695
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Moose
      Throughly enjoyed it. Our guide was very nice and knowledgeable. Our favorite part was Moose the gentle giant horse who led the way.
      Written 23 February 2024
    • zoetS1070AO
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
      We had a great private tour for our team in town for work. The guide was very knowledgeable and passionate. The office team were also very accommodating in adjusting the pick-up location. THANK YOU!
      Written 22 February 2024
    • maxineb687
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A memorible day
      It was amazing. I went with my daughter. I love the history. I loved everything including our horse Harley. Must do again.
      Written 4 February 2024
    • staceysR2424MN
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      A spokey time
      We had a great time. Hearing stores of the screaming lady will stay with me and THE HAT MAN my goodness that was scary. Such beautiful horses also
      Written 28 January 2024
    • kendrabZ2126UO
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      So much fun
      We loved the haunted carriage ride, the guide was wonderful with great information to share. We highly recommend when visiting Charleston!
      Written 23 January 2024
    • StormOtto
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Must Do for Charleston history
      Just a must do. We had Don as our tour guide with Jason, our draft horse. Excellent personalities for them both! So informative and the carriage is comfy. We just enjoy doing this each time we’ve come to Charleston’s and I believe this is the the best company to tour with, we’ve never had a bum guide or adventure!
      Written 21 January 2024
    • ashleysL9364DJ
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      MBA Graduation Trip with BFF
      Interesting historical information. Tour covered popular areas around historic Charleston. David was an excellent guide and very entertaining!
      Written 19 January 2024
    • abigalen
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Ghostly fun!
      We thoroughly enjoyed this tour. Our guide, Morgan was a terrific storyteller and made the ride fun. At some other tours we have done, the guides seem to be just rotely reciting dry facts, but she seemed to be into the stories too and made them very vivid and entertaining. The tour was also accompanied by photos available through a QR code so that at various locations you could view pictures on your phone. We especially appreciated the blankets provided since it was a bit chilly. The horse, Griffin seemed to know the route well and was very attuned to waiting for passing cars that suddenly tried to pass us. We all had a chance to take photos with him at the end of the ride. I have some physical difficulties and was worried I might have trouble getting in and out of the carriage, but there is a ramp and a raised staircase so getting in and out was easy for me.
      Written 16 January 2024
    • nycglobaltraveler
      0 contributions
      3.0 of 5 bubbles
      A Big Hit and also a Big Miss…averaging 3 stars…
      Our family did the regular one hour tour during the day and loved it! They have a very well run operation from beginning to end. Our day guide (Josh?) was engaging and informative. It was a full hour tour chock full of info and entertainment. It was based on this positive experience that we booked the Haunted Carriage tour for the evening a few days later. Unfortunately, the ghost tour was a total bust and disappointment. There were two issues, on the confirmation, it was listed as a 45 minute tour, but to it ended back at their stables in exactly 30 minutes. The premise of a ghost tour is to tell scary stories with a fair amount of good story telling skill, but our guide was completely monotone throughout and was just going through the motions. I won’t mention her name, but she shares the same name with a prominent banker of the Gilded Age that created U.S. Steel. I’ll be generous and give her the benefit of the doubt that she was just having an off day. However, she was completely robotic in her delivery of information. I understand having to do this day in and day out can be repetitive and monotonous, but at least pretend to do a decent job telling a ghost story. Basically, lie to me and pretend to like what you do, but please don’t make me feel bored in on a ghost tour. Also, we sat in the back row and could not hear her well because instead of stopping and turning toward the passengers to tell the stories, she was basically driving and talking and the same time. This is probably the reason why got back to the stables so quickly. The ghost tour cost MORE than the regular tour and we got LESS value. Suffice it to say, I highly recommend the day tour, but you can skip the haunted ghost tour.
      Written 3 January 2024
    • WeTravelCapitols
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Seeing Charleston with Old South with "Rowdy"
      Rowdy for Equine Employee of the Month! He and his colleague, Michael Hicks, gave an informative and fun tour of the city. We learned so much about the history, architecture, and culture of the beautiful area and were inspired to do more after our hour. Mike, specifically, was a wealth of knowledge and humorous at just the right times. He also pivoted well to our teenagers' many questions and had reputable answers! We were well cared for with blankets on the chilly morning and there was definite pride in operation. We highly recommend!
      Written 1 January 2024
    • Expedition802448
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great customer service
      Although we didn’t enjoy the hunted tour, the manager made it right and for that, we changed our review. Great customer service
      Written 31 December 2023
    See all 10 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members 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.

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    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles4,871 reviews
    Excellent
    4,300
    Very good
    336
    Average
    120
    Poor
    72
    Terrible
    43

    Cyclonegup
    Michigan236 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    After reading many of the preceding reviews, I guess I’m a bit of a contrarian. We were excited about seeing historic Charleston from a horse drawn carriage. Obviously, we knew we wouldn’t be able to see the entire area in a one hour tour, but hoped to see the highlights. Upon boarding the carriage our guide informed us that we would be taking one randomly assigned tour route from 25 possibles! Apparently, the city wants to control carriage traffic. Understandable. But don’t slice and dice the historic district cutting out some highlights from some tours. The logical answer is to offer fewer, longer tours. As it is, $35 per person for one hour of a partial city tour is too much.
    Written 17 March 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.

    Betty M
    Hopatcong, NJ1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    My husband and I took his mom on the 1 hour historic carriage ride on Aug 13th for her birthday. John was our tour guide, and Rowdy was the big beautiful Belgian horse pulling our carriage. Everything about our experience was excellent, beginning with the convenient (non-affiliated) parking right across the street from the stable. Upon entering the stable, our party was easily checked in. There was a small area with a TV monitor playing a professional video about the tour and the horses. We had acces to a restroom, and water was available. On one side of the front of the stable were the carriages, neatly lined up. On the other side, there were stalls with the horses being prepared for their day's work. It was fun to watch them being outfitted with their gear then brought over and hitched up to their carriages. The grooms, as well as the rest of the staff, were professional and obviously had respect for the animals they work with. After Rowdy was hitched up by the groom, and before we were invited to enter the carriage, John inspected all the tack and connections to the carriage. I appreciated his care for safety. Parties were then invited to walk up a ramp and easily walk onto the carriage. I later saw that carriages from other companies had to be accessed from a ladder on the street. At Old South, the horse is quite secure in the barn with a bar and a bucket of water in front of him. The ramp allowed very easy and safe access, even to the patrons with mobility issues. Once aboard, our tour began. It was clear from the very beginning that horse and rider had an easy and relaxed rapport. John started out by telling us a bit of Rowdy's history before transitioning to the history of the area. John was very nice, funny and very knowledgeable. He happily answered everyone's questions along the way too. We all really enjoyed the tour and would go again. As an animal lover, Old South impressed me with their obvious love and care for their horses. These animals were the right breeds for the job (Belgians and Percherons), unlike some other companies that were not using draft horses to pull carriages loaded up with several rows of 3 to 4 good sized people each. Plus, Old South's horses are back at their barn after a tour while other companies horses and carriages were waiting on the street and soliciting business from passersby. All in all, Old South takes excellent care of their hard working horses, employs excellent tour guides, and I highly recommend them.
    Written 14 August 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.
    Hi Betty, thank you very much for your kind words! We appreciate you and your family joining us on a Carriage Tour, and for taking the time to see how we implement our safety measures and the love and care that goes toward our horses. We have the best staff, both equine and human! Thank you again for joining us, we very much so look forward to seeing y'all again soon in Charleston.
    Written 15 August 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Josh T
    Athens, PA120 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2020 • Couples
    My girlfriend and I recently did this tour of Charleston and enjoyed it. We got to see all the main points of interest and the guide did a great job explaining the history of the city. They are located next to a market place so we enjoyed checking that out after the tour. They had some great local vendors with handcrafted items. The only drawback was we sat in the back of the carriage and had difficulty hearing the guide at times. This is an open carriage tour so you get to hear all the sounds of the city too such as commercial trucks, construction, etc. A voice amplifier might not be a bad idea. They don’t offer parking either so you’ll have to find a metered spot for $2 an hour or there was a small parking lot down the block for $10 a day. Parking wasn’t hard to find when we visited but it may be during busier times of the year. Overall, this was a good trip and I would recommend it to anyone.
    Written 1 January 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.
    So sorry that you occasionally had a hard time hearing, unfortunately the City will not allow us to use amplification devices. So glad to hear that you still had a good time!
    Written 4 January 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    ALMALIKA A
    31 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jan 2020
    My friend and I did this tour with Rivers (our driver) and Jordan, the gorgeous horse. This was one of several tours we did in Charleston and while all of the guides are great, Rivers was our favorite. Rivers is highly entertaining. He is hilarious and extremely knowledgeable about Charleston and combines humor and history in the perfect way to really keep the customers engaged. We were laughing the entire hour and it flew by quickly. We were fortunate to go to a part of the city we had not previously seen on our own or on any walking tour we did. (We passed by the old city jail during our tour with Rivers and Jordan and Rivers told us that tours of the jail were available so immediately after our carriage ride we went to book a tour of the jail.) Note, the city tells the drivers which area to tour as they depart the meeting point so the route changes and you won't know until your tour which area of the city you'll see. Rivers put his history degree and love of Charleston to excellent use and gave us the best and most entertaining history tour of Charleston we did. Doing the tour in a horse-drawn carriage is so very appropriate while listening to the history of Charleston's horse-drawn carriage era. I absolutely recommend doing this tour with Rivers and Jordan. You won't regret it.
    Written 20 January 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.

    Luv2travel
    Kitchener, Canada556 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2020
    This would have been a more enjoyable experience for me if I hadn't had a cold and could have been more attentive. The three people who were with me enjoyed it better. I don't remember our guide's name and probably wouldn't share it anyway, but she was a bit rude and sarcastic. First of all, when she asked us to share where we were from, she skipped our row and came back to us because I called out our location out of turn (I hadn't heard that part because - you know, not hearing well at the mo). Secondly, she would comment/complain about other drivers who weren't living up to her expectations regarding sharing the road, etc. Those kinds of thoughts should probably be kept to herself to provide a more uplifting and positive experience. Our horse, whose name I also forget (sorry), was a bit faster than others, so we did get to see a bit more on our tour. We also covered a lot more ground and learned more than we'd have been able to do on foot on our own. I thought the price ($30 each) was fairly reasonable, even though when you figure in the currency exchange it boosts the price up.
    Written 29 March 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.

    Vic S
    Greenville, SC431 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jun 2020
    Had my brother in law in town, and a carriage ride touring the houses/various downtown areas of Charleston is a must. Old South does it right, and you get to watch the operation up close. You board (very well done) in the actual stables, so the kiddos will love being this close to the horses. But gotta keep little toes/little tykes under control as you are in working stables. Carol was our guide and the actual route you take is decided by lottery on the main street once loaded and beginning tour. The route we went on had lots of residential areas but not many churches or battery area.
    Carol did nice job of weaving older war history and famous structures with the aspects of modern Charleston living.. Thirty dollars a head, takes 45-1hr, and a great way to get an overview of the downtown historic district.
    Written 30 June 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! Thanks for sharing your experience! We appreciate you taking the time to join us on a lovely carriage ride through Historic Downtown Charleston. We are proud of this city and believe the best way to experience it is by horse and carriage. Thanks again for joining us and we look forward to seeing you again soon!
    Written 4 July 2020
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Kosmo
    San Diego, CA9 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Jun 2021
    I was underwhelmed by the experience. The website does say that the City of Charleston assigns the routes to the carriages once the tour has begun. However, despite what the tour guide and web site say, not all routes are created equal. Ours was a very plain route that did not go south of Broad Street or anywhere near the water. So it really comes down to a matter of luck. I would probably recommend a walking tour to ensure you get to see the major sites and hear their stories.

    I also felt our guide was lacking. He covered very little of the actual history of Charleston and mostly just chit chatted with the first row. Maybe he was bored with the route and didn't want to talk about things we were not going to see. While walking around the city, I heard several other guides going into far greater detail about the city as they passed us in their carriages.

    All this being said, I felt it was a very professionally run organization and that the animals were well taken care of. If you want to just ride in a horse drawn carriage, then this tour will suffice. if you want to learn a lot about Charleston, then you might be rolling the dice.
    Written 27 June 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.

    Amanda S
    1 contribution
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oct 2020 • Couples
    Roe and Jake were great! Very hospitable, pleasant and informative. We really enjoyed the tour of Charleston. Roe had the right touch of humor and pleasantries with the information she provided. She really interacted and was interested in the guests.

    Unfortunately, we sat in the back row and it was hard at times to hear. I would highly recommend the guides wear a microphone or guests should sit up front.
    Written 22 October 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.

    Elise M
    Round Lake Beach, IL98 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Dec 2019
    The Old South Tours are where it's at! For an extremely reasonable cost (and I tipped our guide) we had an hour tour of various parts of Charleston including churches, homes, businesses and all the descriptions of them. Our guide, Carol, drove our 12 person carriage with Jack as our workhorse. Carol was funny and informative, and answered questions when they came up.

    I would take this tour again in the hopes of going a different route as there are several that the carriages take.

    The best part is the stable location... less than a block from the Charleston Market and at least 10 restaurants. There is a paid parking lot across the street from the stable as well as limited on street free parking. Do it!
    Written 5 January 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.

    Joe P
    Kingston, Canada200 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Feb 2020
    We had some time heading from Myrtle Beach to Jacksonville, so decided to stop in Charleston. Could only choose one thing to do and were glad we did. Guide was informative, so we learned lots we didn’t know about Charleston and saw some interesting homes and buildings. One thing to be aware of is that parking in the area is limited and expensive.
    Written 7 March 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.

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    Charleston’s Old South Carriage Historic Horse & Carriage Tour provided by Old South Carriage Company