Charleston Harbor Tours

when i booked the 'combo' for my family of six i (foolishly) believed that meant reserved placement for both tours. we were given a time for the harbour tour (which rocked, BTW) but when it finished and we went to go on the carriage tour we were informed they were SOLD OUT for the day. yes, we got a refund and yes, your fine print does indeed say 'first come, first served' - so i guess you're covered legally - but it's still patent BS marketing to sell a 'combo' and only provide half of it.

The cruise would have been terrific I am sure but the boat was full on top and on the first floor the fumes were a little more than strong, but after we got underway and some windows were opened it was much better. The person directing the tour was very informative and funny, no problem there. As for the carriage ride it was very cramped, 6 people on a 3-4 seat bench. (2 large people, myself included, 2 other people and 2 children, I'd say it was rather cramped, would have really enjoyed it a bit better had we had room to actually sit straight rather than with my arms crossed so the 2 ladies with the children would have some room. The tour guide was great she did a great job and again very informative. Overall, without all the fuel fumes and not being able to feel my arms from numbness from time to time, it was an okay tour. Thanks and may each of you have a very blessed New Year and pray you have many more. Thanks for the tour anyway.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Darleen *one of my former students actually worked for Palmetto Carriage years ago his name was J. Glenn, not sure if I should say his name or not, he has turned out to be a pretty smart guy in the Police force. Also the crew on the boat was very friendly and helpful, good crew to go with.........................

The Harbor Tour was a great way for my family to start our visit to Charleston! The Captain was very knowledgeable but kept the tour interesting with some humor and trivia questions. He pointed out some points of interest that helped us plan the rest of our stay. We also saw some dolphins in the river, which was a big hit with the kids! Parking was close by and FREE!!

The tour was just the right length of time and I felt it covered a lot of ground in a good amount of time. The boat was clean and the guides were attentive, knowledgeable, and helpful. I would highly recommend this tour for an overview of the Charleston harbor.

The carriage tour was "sold out" by 2:00 and we were therefore unable to do it. It is deceptive to have people pay for a specific day and then tell them the ticket they purchased for that day is no good!

We all loved the tour. The staff were very nice. I especially loved that the captain pointed out the dolphins riding along with us.

The carriage ride with "BOB" as our driver was very informative. I did not realize that there was that much history in Charleston. If all the other drivers are as knowledgeable as Bob is, everyone taking this tour will be enlightened. I highly recommend the carriage tour. Our captain on the Harbor tour was also very informative. Too bad the boat couldn't get a little closer to the shoreline.

We had a beautiful day for cruising and I am sure the sights were beautiful, but it was hard to see them because of people standing in front of us and at the rail. There were more passengers than seats. The tour guide did a great job, though.

Time constraints prevented us from touring all three venues on the same day. We were allowed to do the plantation tour the following day. Personnel were pleasant and provided a lot of historical information about each venue. We were disappointed that we could not see more than a few rooms at the plantation house. We would have like to have seen the entire house.

The captain of the Harbor Tour and the driver of the carriage were extremely knowledgeable on the history and people involved in the area history and events they were showing us. It was around Thanksgiving and we got lucky with the weather which really enhanced the tours.

The boat ride and the carriage ride were both very enjoyable. Good narration and beautiful weather.

I went with my husband and 2 daughters and we had a blast. I enjoyed listening to the historical information and taking pictures, my husband enjoyed watching the water and looking at Fort Sumter, and the kids liked watching the dolphins pop up and swim around. This tour was very informative and relaxed. We had a great time and would definitely reccommend it to anyone wanting to go. Captain Dave and his first mate were great too. He took a break in the middle of the tour to talk to people around the boat. Overall very fun.

This was a great experience..I highly recommend this trip. My child is 17, she LOVED it! all 3 are well worth the money! For us the best thing is you schedule the boat ride and the carriage ride and plantation tour is when ever you would like to go. I will tell you this we ALL got so sleepy riding the boat.. it was SOO relaxing. ;) Hope everyone else enjoys this as much as we did! THANKS!!

We chose to do the harbor tour first as an overview of Charleston and the surrounding area. It absolutely met and exceeded our expectations, serving our group of seven (ages 2 - 45) perfectly. Beginning with the clerk at the tour office and ending with the captain, his first and second mate, we were all very pleased with our experience and highly recommend this tour. The snack bar and trivia time was an added bonus too.

The harbor tour was ok but I probably wouldn't do it again. The captain was entertaining though. The carriage tour was great and our tour guide was hilarious and I absolutely would do it again. The plantation tour I was very disappointed in. The "butterfly garden" had TWO butterflies in it and about as large as my living room. Very lame. The only let you see 5 rooms downstairs of the mansion and NO PHOTOS are allowed. The grounds need work. I definitely would not go back and it was a waste of $20