Charleston Harbor Tours

My son and I recently went out on the "Carolina Belle" for a historic tour of Charleston Harbor. We both enjoyed this excursion very much as there was so much to see! The narrator was very informative as we are newcomers and know nothing about this area. The price was totally reasonable. We had our pictures taken on the dock prior to sailing, so when we got back they were pinned up for us to see if we wanted them! The picture was beautiful, so I bought it. I would recommend this tour for everyone of all ages. However, there are no railings on the dock, so little ones must be watched extremely carefully. That is the only negative thing that I noticed..everything else was wonderful!

What a great combination tour this was !! Affordable, historic, entertaining and very good plantation and harbour tour operators / narrators. Boone Hall Plantation: We got there at 2pm and left at 5:30pm. In that time frame we took the tram ride (which had Michael as the guide and he was awesome. He was very knowledgeable about the historical aspects of Boone Hall, insightful with his own interpretations as well as comical, injecting some humor now and again), toured the mansion with another female guide, who's name slips my mind, walked the grounds including the slaves quarters as well as listed to Mr. Murray's 1 man show. My wife and kids, 16 and 14, enjoyed the experience and learned a lot. Harbor Tour: Our 11:30am tour began on time and lasted 1.5 hours. It was a nice presentation and very scenic. We were taken to the mouth of the harbor a few hundred feet from Fort Sumter, (check out the FREE Fort Sumter Museum, about 1 football field away from the Harbor Tour ticket office) the Destroyers and USS Yorktown air craft carrier, up to and under the Charleston Harbor Bridge and saw 4 dolphins along the way.

Very informative along with an enjoyable tour. The cost was also very economical. Thank You!

The music was excellent, the barbecue was good and plentiful, and the weather was superb. There was a very good cross section of ages among the passengers from the young to the not-so-young(like me). A great time.

This is an excellent overview of the important places in and immediately around Charleston.

Buying a package deal is the best way of getting your moneys worth. We would do it again if we get the chance.

Location and parking were convenient, tour was relaxing and very informative, enjoyed being on the water but it was a little cool and windy for being on deck. Having the enclosed area was welcomed. Good narration from our captain. Would recommend to others and give a 4 out of 5 stars rating.

My experience was in early Nov., so no big crowds. The harbor tour was very nice, and appeared to hit all the highlights. Informative commentary throughout. At the plantation one is left to explore at one's leisure. There are designated times for guided tours/talks. Tip: if you take the plantation tram around the grounds, line up at least 15 min. prior to stated time. There is limited seating, and it's first come, first served. The tram leaves when all seats are filled, not necessarily at the stated time. Again, the commentary was very knowledgeable and fun. If you're looking for the picturesque tunnel of oaks, they are here, and also at Magnolia Plantation. Overall, very much worth the time and dollars.

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The boat cruise was quite relaxing and we had a beautiful day for it. Without a doubt, this crew was the friendliest guys I've run into in this situation. We make a point to take local cruises wherever we vacation. Bermuda, Tampa, SW Florida, and Toronto have exceptional cruises. It just seemed that with all the history in and around Charleston, land "cruises" seem to be more appropriate to really cover the story. Just going by Ft. Sumter and the other forts do not give you the feeling of their importance. Same with the ships at Patriot's Point.

The harbor ride was nice. I recommend, for your benefit, that during slow times, you only run the tour 50% of the scheduled times or less. I sure it was expensive to take the tour boat out with less then 20 people. People are understanding and you can't stay in business without making money. The boat was practically empty.

The cruise was very organized and really laid back. The food was AMAZING! The views were FANTASTIC! A really good time.

It was great to take the harbor tour. The buildings, the breeze, the sky and the birds following the ship... Oh, I saw dolphins, too! All of them are awesome! You will love it. You can also go to the aquarium before or after the tour. Even just walking around feels good.

captain--tour guide-- made slavery seem proper--the civil war the north's fault--definitely rewrote history--do not send children on this brain washing tour.

I enjoyed the Harbor tour. It was my first time visiting Charleston. The captain was very pleasant and provided interesting facts and pointed out items of interest. I was disappointed that the boat had been oversold and it was very over crowded. There were several large family reunions on board and sections had been reserved for them. I was traveling alone and arrived very early, but got the last seat outside on the deck. Being over crowded on a very hot humid day is not a good combination.