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

Mon 24 Feb

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $30.00

Make a reservation

Mon 24 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)

Kaihla-n-Bobby

Nov 2020

This was such an amazing experience. Extremely informative about the historical development of the early colony, pirate history and influence, Charleston culture and society, architecture, government, and a sprinkling of the supernatural as a prelude to the ghost tours. We picked this tour because it covered many of the locations we wanted to visit already- having a guide made the experience so much more enjoyable and educational. Geordie was awesome and we highly recommend the French Quarter walking tour for anyone traveling to Charleston that has a few hours to spare! Totally worth it! -Kaihla and Bobby

Response from Host

Nov 2020

Thank you, Kaihla and Bobby, for joining the French Quarter Walk in your matching yoda attire. It is wonderful to hear that you enjoyed your experience. Hope you can make the trek from Tennessee again to visit the Holy City!

Terri S

Oct 2020

Not exactly sure how I stumbled across this little gem of a tour, but so glad I did! My husband and I were the only ones on the morning tour, and in addition to his vast knowledge of the history of this city, Geordie went out of his way to personalize the walk, even rearranging the route to accommodate our schedule for the rest of the day. Definitely not a cookie-cutter tour! The owner loves his work and goes out of his way to make you feel welcome in Charleston. I highly recommend this one.

Response from Host

Oct 2020

Thank you, Alabama friends, for joining the French Quarter Walk on a quiet Wednesday morning. It was a pleasure guiding you through the Holy City's most historic district and having the inside of the Dock Street Theater and Circular Congregational Churchyard all to ourselves!

Boykinspaniel5913

Oct 2020

While visiting Charleston my boyfriend and I went on the French Quarter tour. Our guide took us on a walk back in time. He was extremely knowledgeable and introduced us to beautiful historic landmarks that have weathered wars, earthquakes, hurricanes, flooding and fires. Even though we did not enter the buildings, his exceptional descriptions made us feel as if we were. He took us to see a number of places including The Old Exchange Building and the Four Corners of Law. We were so impressed with his tour we decided to go on his Supernatural Tour the following night. I highly recommend both of these tours. They were the highlight of our vacation!

Response from Host

Oct 2020

Thank you for visiting Charleston and choosing the French Quarter Walk. We hope y'all will return again to see the remarkable architectural sites and to enjoy the fascinating cultural history.