Tours/Charleston/Charleston Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour: Explore Historic Charleston

Charleston Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour: Explore Historic Charleston

Name: Charleston Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour: Explore Historic Charleston
Brand: Palmetto Carriage Works
Price: 49.95 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (3796 reviews)

4.8(3,796)Charleston1 hour

VIATOR4.8(1,048)TRIPADVISOR4.8(2,748)

Charleston Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour: Explore Historic Charleston

+17 photos

Description

Charleston's oldest carriage company invites you aboard for the tour that started it all. Since 1972, Palmetto Carriage Works has explored the streets of this historic city with licensed guides who bring real local knowledge, wit, and humor to every ride. Discover stunning houses, lush gardens, grand mansions, charming churches, and picturesque parks while learning about Charleston's rich history, unique architecture, and vibrant flora. It's an exciting, dynamic experience — a seamless blend of 19th-century conveyance and 21st-century Charleston charm. With multiple departures throughout the day and open-air carriages built for great photos, don't miss your chance to explore the "Holy City" this way.

Tour Options

Daytime Carriage Tour

Itinerary

15 min

Meet your certified tour guide at Palmetto Carriage Works (AKA the Big Red Barn), the starting point for your horse-drawn carriage tour. Enjoy a brief 15-minute orientation and look at our barn before embarking on your journey through historic Charleston.

Pass by

Our Big Red Barn is conveniently located just off the Charleston City Market. Here, you’ll meet your certified tour guide before departing on your hour-long horse-drawn carriage ride. Your carriage will pass through the city gate at the market, where your guide will assign a unique tour route. Experience approximately 30 blocks of the historic district, showcasing stunning architecture, beautiful churches, gardens, and more. The tour concludes back at the Big Red Barn.

Pass by

As you enjoy your carriage ride, you’ll pass by the renowned St. Philip’s Church, the oldest congregation in the U.S. south of Virginia. Located just off the market on Church Street, this beautiful landmark is a must-see on your Charleston carriage tour.

Pass by

Your route also includes a pass by the iconic U.S. Custom House in Charleston, S.C. Construction began in 1852 but was halted due to South Carolina's potential secession from the Union. The building was finally completed in 1879, adding to Charleston's rich history.

Highlights

Multiple departures available throughout the day
Perfect family-friendly experience
Horse-drawn, hour-long carriage tour of historic Charleston
Big Red Barn facility for animal interactions and easy boarding
Licensed Tour Guide

What's included

Included

Multiple departures available throughout the day

Perfect family-friendly experience

Horse-drawn, hour-long carriage tour of historic Charleston

Big Red Barn facility for animal interactions and easy boarding

Licensed Tour Guide

Not included

Gratuities

Traveller Ratings

4.8

3,796 reviews

3,339

278

107

Important Information

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

Reviews(3,796)

Inspire769315

September 7, 2026

Nice way to spend a few hours

We had a wonderful experience. Our guide Robyn was very knowledgeable and had such a great personality. Deuce, our handsome blue roan Percheron, was a rockstar who was eager to do his job! It was also so good to hear the top notch care the entire herd receives. Kudos to Palmetto Carriage Works and the City of Charleston. Would definitely tour again and recommend to others!

Operator response

Thank you for getting to know Palmetto Carriage Works and how we care for the horses in our herd. We’re so happy to hear that you enjoyed your carriage tour with Robyn and Deuce! We really appreciate you recommending us so highly!

valentinabY4873DP

September 6, 2026

10/10 Would Recommend

It was great. We had Bronson and Marley. Fantastic experience would do again.

Operator response

Thanks for recommending us so highly, Valentina! We hope to welcome you back to our Big Red Barn sometime soon!

francescabI113JM

September 6, 2026

Best tour in Charleston!

Bronson gave us a great tour, lots of history and humor!

Operator response

Thank you for the wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you had a fun tour with Bronson. Thanks for riding with us!

Cory_B

September 6, 2026

Zone 2 Tour

Great info, knowledgeable and friendly guide Jim, and great horse O’Malley. Loved seeing the old homes and architecture

Operator response

Thank you for taking the time to share your positive feedback, Cory. Jim has been giving carriage tours with us for over 25 years now, and we are very lucky to have him on our team. Thanks for riding with us!

Johanna_P

September 6, 2026

Highly recommend !!!

Josh and Mr. Beast were our tour guides. We had the best experience! Josh was very knowledgeable and friendly. We learned alot of interesting things about Charleston.

Operator response

Thank you for the fantastic review, Johanna! We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed your carriage tour with Josh and Mr. Beast. Thanks for riding with us!

RobynF_A

September 4, 2026

We were impressed with...

We were impressed with the excellent care given to the horses. The ride was very enjoyable and we learned a lot about the history of Charleston that we would not have heard else. Must do experience.

Operator response

Thanks for the great review, Robyn! It was a pleasure having you join us on tour, and we hope to welcome you back to our Big Red Barn on your next visit to Charleston!

bethv701

September 3, 2026

Best Tour In Charleston

We were scheduled to tour at 4 pm but needed to change our time to 2:30. They were so accommodating. We enjoyed our tour so much. Our guide, Bronson, was amazing. He really seemed to love his job. He added humor to all of the history we learned about Charleston. He even taught us how the horses are cared for. Bronson was very knowledgeable. He took our picture with the horse when the tour ended. Our horse Buster was very accommodating as well. We experienced many things during our trip but this was our favorite. We can't wait to return and take this tour again. Highly recommend!!!

1 people found this helpful

Operator response

Thank you for taking the time to write such a thoughtful review, Beth. We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your tour with Bronson and Buster. It was a pleasure having you join us on tour!

susansH9287EW

September 2, 2026

Wonderful carriage tour through history.

Shea was charming and very instructive with great understanding of history of the area and homes. Commander was a calm and beautiful horse and Shea handled him deftly.

1 people found this helpful

Operator response

Thank you for making us a part of your Charleston visit, Susan! It was a pleasure having you join us on tour!

joseph_B

August 31, 2026

Fun and informative

Our guide was very friendly and very informative throughout the tour. We learned a lot about Charleston that we never knew so a lot of great buildings and views.

Operator response

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great review, Joseph! We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed your carriage tour and learned some new facts. Thanks for joining us on tour!

cheryleK4800SV

August 30, 2026

Looney and Bezos in Charleston.

It was amazing and very enjoyable. I learned a lot. Looney was very knowledgeable.

1 people found this helpful

Operator response

Thank you for taking the time to write such a nice review! We are so happy to hear that you enjoyed your tour with Looney. Thanks for riding with us!

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4.8(3,796)