Combo: Charleston Harbor Tour & Carriage Ride

This tour was a good start for an overview of the Charleston Harbor. The ride was somewhat relaxing but there was a lot of narration. Bascially you just ride around the priemeter of the Harbor and then return to the starting point.

My husband and I enjoyed the carriage ride and harbor tour. Our carriage driver, Terry was very informative and entertaining. We were amazed that she could talk, manage the mules and maneuver through traffic at the same time. I saw my first dolphins while on the harbor tour. We had only a short stay in Charleston and these two tours were a great way to get a feel for the city in a short amount of time. The city of Charleston is lovely.

This is worth the reasonable cost-the boat ride was great- a leisurely, seated hour and a half-you can feel the motion until the boat pulls away then it gets really smooth-so don't panic if you feel bobbing when you first board-this will change. Always sit on the right side of the boat- this is where all the sights are passed- the tour takes you under the Ravenel Bridge too-great photo opportunities. There is an onboard bathroom and a snack bar with drinks, beverages and snack food. The captain narrates nicely and can be easily heard with onboard speakers. We saw dolphins 3 different times too.The best option is to buy a combo ticket for the boat tour AND the carriage tour- you save money that way and you do NOT have to do both tours the same day.The carriage tour is great because you get inside information and history about the town and the buildings you pass-here's a hint-standing on the loading platform and trying to be "first" in line for the CARRIAGE ride doesn't work because they call your names and seat you where THEY want you-not in the order of your appearance like the boat where it's first come first serve for boat seating, so relax at the carriage barn and get your photos, pet the horses and other animals on site and use the restroom before your boarding time comes. If you have a child or someone who wants the best view, seat them on an end or as close to the right side of the carriage as you can-again,as with the boat, most (but not all)sights are on the right side of the carriage so hopefully you will end up being seated there and if you are fortunate enough to draw the number #1 for your route (there are 4 route numbers and they are drawn randomly) #1 is the most requested route number, sees the most sought after sights, like Rainbow Row, Battery Park,The Mansions on the Waterfront Boardwalk, Provost Dungeon site, Calhoun Mansion (go back and walk the Calhoun Mansion GARDENS-which are beautiful and you do not need to purchase a house ticket to see them-"FREE" is a word that is very hard to find in Charleston!!)

The Charleston harbor tour was very enjoyable; the captain/tour operator was knowledgeable and entertaining. The carriage ride was, as always, entertaining. It's interesting how every tour guide gives different points of interest about the area so, after a few rides, you get lots of little bits of interesting facts.

Boat tour was somewhat boring unless you like military history. Views of Ravenel bridge were good for picture taking. Carriage tour is interesting, but seating is crowded - 4 to each bench seat. The tour guide makes the trip. Our guide had a speech impediment which was somewhat disconcerting, but good anyway. I thought we'd cover more ground than we did.

Enjoyed both tours very much. Weather was gorgeous.

We very much recommend the combo tour. It was a great way to see a great deal of Charleston for those who have very little time in the area.

A fantastic activity and an excellent way to gain information about Charleston. The reservation process was simple and there was plenty of parking.

The harbor ride was informative, relaxing and interesting. The narrative provided by the captain was entertaining and easy to hear all over the ship. The carriage ride was also informative. The driver asked where we were from and when he found out I was from Ohio, he used that as the brunt of quite a few anti-northern comments which I'm sure he meant as jokes. By the end of the ride, the humor had worn thin and I wanted to tell him ..."You lost the war, get over it." But I didn't. I must say thought that his comments spoiled much of my enjoyment of the ride.

To be able to see an historic city from two perspectives painted a much more complete picture than either one could individually. Both tours followed a planned route, I am sure were traveled 100s of times before. In spite of this, both tour guides where still very interesting and informative. Of the two, the carriage ride was more fun. The reason (I believe) was because the group was much smaller and the guide spoke directly to us and could interact with us. On the harbor tour, the guide spoke through a PA system, although I understand why. We had perfect weather for both tours, which made them easier to enjoy. A day that is warm and sunny with low humidity and calm winds (what we had) is ideal. Check the weather forecast before you book. Booking both tours at the same time saves you a few dollars per ticket. We did the harbor tour first. The tour company provided a voucher for the carriage tour. This permitted us plenty of time to take a nice leisurely lunch break in between in a restaurant within walking distance of both tours. The carriage tour office is located in an historic part of town with narrow streets and little obvious available parking to a non-local. A bonus with the carriage tour included free parking (in a private lot) with enough time afterward to do some shopping. My family has vacationed in North Myrtle Beach for the past 20 years. Every year we talked about seeing Charleston. Now that we finally have, I am so sorry we waited so long. It is a beautiful city full of very nice people. We had a wonderful time.