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)

SFlask

Jan 2021

Not only did the tour take you through the most beautiful parts of the city, but they shared so much knowledge and history of Charleston. They were able to answer all questions that came up during the walk, and even made sure to include everything possible to make it memorable. This is a MUST when visiting, or for locals who want to learn more about Charleston.

Response from Host

Jan 2021

Stephanie, we appreciate your feedback and presence on the French Quarter Walk. We love OHIO! Hope that you can make the trek back in the future to the Holy City with your family and friends. Happy New Year!

Eric_O

Jan 2021

We had a great time on our tour of Historic Charleston! Jordy is a very knowledgeable tour guide and gave us a lot of detail about the history. We can definitely recommend that you choose him as your tour guide the next time you are in Charleston!

Response from Host

Jan 2021

Dear Olsons, thank you for joining the French Quarter Walk. It was a pleasure to guide y'all through America's most enchanting and well-preserved historic district. Happy New Year!

Fair-and-Practical

Jan 2021

It turns out, it was just the two of us and Geordie in our group, and we couldn't have gotten luckier! Geordie was a great tour guide, giving us multiple insights and stories to all the behind the scenes in Charleston. He was extremely passionate about his work, and knowledgeable across many levels and topics related to the past and current history of Charleston. I would recommend experiencing one of his tours. We enjoyed this one so much, we booked his Ghost Tour two days later.

Response from Host

Jan 2021

Thank you for joining the French Quarter Walk. We hope that you were able to soak in some of the finer points of the tour such as the 17th and 18th-century churches, buildings, and national landmarks in the French Quarter to reflect on your Charleston experience. Stay safe, and enjoy the New Year!