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)

Destination575898

Jul 2020

Amazing guide! We learned so much and our guide Gordie was very informative and kind. Would recommend taking this tour!

Response from Host

Aug 2020

Thank you for your appreciative post. We are thrilled to read that you enjoyed your French Quarter tour. We wish you and your acquaintances a wonderful wedding in Greenville!

E1249NYdanab

Jul 2020

Geordie Preot Buxton, our guide and owner/operator was amazing! First off I had to reschedule because my child had a meltdown; he was accommodating and took us on a private tour on a day he didn’t even have a tour scheduled. He is a local Charlestonian with a wealth of knowledge and you can tell, he has a lot of love for this city. The tour seemed very authentic coming from someone with French roots, more specifically, French Protestant, and that’s a big deal in Charleston with the Ancestry there. We took the French Quarter Walking Tour which took us to prominent historical Churches, Parks, Cemeteries, and government buildings. We learned about the architecture of buildings, the Native American presence, Pirates, presidents who visited and Charleston’s contribution to the Declaration of Independence, of course the state tree - the Palmetto Tree and it’s significance during the civil war in addition to learning about Fort Sumter and the first shots of the civil war. We saw Rainbow Row, walked original cobblestone and brick streets, and touched the original wall that surrounded the city of Charelston. Overall it was an amazing tour with a great tour guide who you can tell loves what he does and loves his city. We are going back to Charleston and most definitely booking more tours with Geordie.

Response from Host

Jul 2020

Dana, thank you for bringing your three daughters, Violet, Zoey, and Ruby along for a French Quarter Walk. Thank you as well for your detailed review! Come back soon and often.

bevwils5

Jul 2020

My husband and I loved the tour! We learned so much history and the tour guide was so knowledgeable. He let us ask any questions and answered them all. He was very easy to talk you and made all the facts and details easy to follow. We would definitely recommend to anyone interested in Charleston history! We loved it even on a hot summer day!

Response from Host

Jul 2020

Thank you for joining the Historic French Quarter Walk of Charleston! It is great to read that you were able to overcome the Carolina heat to enjoy your tour. We make sure to visit the inside of historic buildings, churches, and theaters in the French Quarter to let our guests get a break on hot days and soak in rich history (as well as air conditioning) when possible. Please come back soon and often to Charleston!