French Quarter Historic Charleston Walk

Overview

This historical overview of Charleston's French Quarter highlights the Holy City's finest points of interest. Bring a camera to capture the beauty, and enjoy a breathtaking walk through colonial and early American architecture. Your native Charleston guide will show you unique landmarks with intriguing narratives of how these structures originated. The tour includes visits through cobblestone alleys and passages to admire the spectacular historic fabric of the district. The tour also includes an easy stroll along Charleston's majestic harbor with its castle and forts that shaped much of America's maritime and military history

City: Charleston

Tue 25 Feb

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $30.00

Make a reservation

Tue 25 Feb

Starting at $30.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Historic look at the French Quarter

Professional Guide

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
If you would like your own private tour for your family and group for any reason, contact us directly at 803/669/3003 or through our website to block off the tour time for you. We also can accommodate special time requests with enough advanced notice.

What To Expect

Joe Riley Waterfront Park

Walk through the historic Vendue Range of markets on low water land owned by the Prioleau family who arrived in Charles Town in 1687 as an escape from Catholic religious persecution in Pons, France. See the majestic harbor's Castle Pinckney, Fort Sumter, and beautiful marshy islands that create the passage to the Atlantic Ocean.

Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon

One of the top three most historic buildings in the U.S., according to the National Historic Registry. Guide explains in detail all of the unique attributes that make this building one of America's true historic gems.

Rainbow Row

Colorful waterfront bay buildings constructed along wharves with Dutch influence (Amsterdam) during the Age of Lord Proprietors and original walled city.

Pink House Gallery

Known to be the oldest private building remaining in the French Quarter (1694-1712). The handmade, asymmetrical house set on the longest cobblestone street is built of Bermuda stone and resembles a charming man-sized dollhouse.

Charleston City Hall

Gabrielle Manigault (French Huguenot architect) designed one of the finest examples of Adamesque architecture in 1800 as a development of the Civic Square of the original Grand Modell plan of the walled city.

Old Slave Mart Museum

One of the last vestiges of a barracoon (slave jail) which is a converted German fire station made into a gallery for the sales of the enslaved. 80 percent of what census term as African-Americans living in North America have ancestral roots in Charleston, South Carolina as a result of the 12 million people imported through the Atlantic slave trade.

St. Michael's Church

The oldest remaining in-tact church building left in the Holy City was built in 1752.

South Carolina Historical Society Museum

First Fireproof Building in America built by Robert Mills who also designed the Washington Monument in D.C. (probably wishes the monument has been built as earthquake proof).

The Powder Magazine

Oldest public building (1713) in the original walled city was used as a northern fortification during the age of Lords Proprietors.

French Huguenot Church

Gothic Revival French protestant church is the centerpiece of the French Quarter. This active church is the oldest and most famous in the U.S. Twenty-three of forty-five U.S. Presidents have French Huguenot ancestry!

Dock Street Theater

National historic landmark is known as the first building to hold theatrical performances in the U.S. First show was in 1735, a black comedy depicting the social and sexual exploits of two recruiting officers in Ireland.

Circular Congregational Church

First official "Meeting House" built on the corner of the original walled city in a Romaneque Revival Style. Three significant churches were created from the original congregation (Unitarian, First Scots, and United Church). Churchyard is home to the oldest tombstones on the peninsula.

Philadelphia Alley

Iconic alley way holds many historic attributes and lore.

Show 10 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (91)

laurenwZ6122XC

Mar 2021

We are so glad we did this tour! Our guide Jordy was funny, personable, knowledgeable, and engaging. He knew an amazing amount of information. The tour included a variety of destinations within the French quarter. He also offered recommendations for other museums, restaurants, and sights to visit during our stay. -Lauren and Matt, Indianapolis

Response from Host

Mar 2021

Lauren and Matt, thank you for joining the French Quarter Historic Charleston Walk! It was the most perfect weather and light for a historic highlight tour through the oldest cobblestone alleys and streets of old Charleston. Hope you make the trek from Indiana again soon the next time your schedule opens up for a trip to the South. Enjoy Spring!

patriciagE3912EO

Mar 2021

Our guide was wonderful. The walk was easy with a midway stop. So much information. Highly recommend this tour.

Response from Host

Mar 2021

Patricia, thank you for joining the French Quarter Historic Charleston Walk. It's great to hear that you enjoyed it-- a wonderful win-win for all of us. Hope to see you again in the Holy City!

JenniferinCT

Jan 2021

My husband, two teenage daughters (16 & 14) and I really enjoyed our tour of the French Quarter with Geordie. It was our first time visiting Charleston, and we took his tour the first day we were there. I’m so glad we did, because we spent the rest of our trip with an understanding of where we were, the significance of particular buildings, and the history surrounding us. We had Geordie and his knowledge all to ourselves for our tour, which was awesome, because we could ask a million questions and he could answer them! A Charleston native, he knows everything there is to know about the area, and he shares his knowledge in an engaging way. He’s a natural storyteller. By the end of the tour, which lasted an hour longer than planned, we felt like we were old friends. For the rest of our stay in Charleston, our daughters pointed things out - “Remember when Geordie had us stand on this pedestal and told us the story about Blackbeard? Oh here’s the graveyard Geordie showed us,” We took to calling him “Uncle Geordie.” He’s friendly, laid back (it is the South!) and he also recommended some other sites for us to visit, which we wouldn’t have known about. We were only there for a few days and wanted to take his nighttime ghost tour, but there wasn’t time. I’ll bet that’s amazing as well. Take this tour, you’ll be so glad you did. Geordie or one of his equally knowledgeable partners will bring Charleston to life for you, and it will become even more than just beautiful architecture, stunning gardens and incredible food. It was the best investment of time and money that we made on our visit, because afterwards the streets and houses and churches made sense to us, we could feel the stories surrounding them as we walked. Wear comfortable walking shoes! What an amazing, historical place — we loved it!

Response from Host

Jan 2021

Jennifer, thank you for joining the French Quarter Walk with your family. It is wonderful to hear that the tour held your daughters' interest enough to reminisce about the enchanting stories of the Holy City. Thank you as well for taking the time to post such a detailed, thoughtful review. Hope you can visit Charleston again in the not too distant future!