We were delighted with Eric Lager's small group walking tour of historic Charleston. - His knowledge of Charleston's people, history, and architecture is encyclopedic. - No worry of getting a disinterested sup-contracted guide -- Eric IS the guide. - He is a an experienced and polished tour guide who knows how to keep his group engaged and energized. - He is easy to communicate with ahead of time, and very open to answering questions and giving recommendations. - The price is a bargain.
Charleston historical walking tour with a Professor of History at The Citadel





Description
Unlike many tour companies in town that allow up to 20 people in each group, my Charleston tour is guaranteed to have no more than 12. The most unique aspect of my tour is the high level of historical professionalism that I deliver to my guests. Earning a Ph.D. in history meant spending thousands of hours reading and researching primary sources in the South Carolina archives. I use the knowledge that I have obtained from that hard work and pass it off to you on the tour. Because I limit the number of guests to 12 and offer a tour that is 45 minutes longer than most in town, you will receive a degree of exclusivity and historical depth that is far greater than what is offered by the larger tour companies in Charleston.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The historic Mills House Hotel played an important role in the early part of the American Civil War.
Learn about the first theatre built in North America and the infamous characters associated with it's history.
One of the oldest buildings in Charleston, circa 1712
Historic square in Charleston with multiple monuments.
Learn about the evolution of this beautiful building that once served as a meat market and bank before becoming City Hall
Learn about what was once the old South Carolina statehouse.
Learn about the fascinating history of Charleston's oldest church edifice, completed in 1761.
See where George Washington stayed while visiting Charleston in 1791.
See the last public building built by the British in North America and where the Constitution was ratified in 1788.
Learn about the rich history of French Huguenot's in Charleston and the first church built in the Gothic Revival style.
Take in the beauty and charm of the French Quarter in Charleston.
Learn about the building where the seeds of disunion were sown and hear about America's connection to Greek Revival architecture.
See where the first shots of the Civil War were fired! We do not go out to the fort, we take a look at it from the Battery on Charleston Harbor.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(1,493)
This was the highlight of our trip. Our guide was so very knowledgeable and enjoyable to travel around Charleston with. He did a fantastic job of keeping us in the shade while checking out all the historical sites. I loved the extra pictures he carried with him to share more accurate picture of what Charleston was like.
If you want a walking tour that goes way beyond a generic tourist script, book the Charleston History Walk immediately. Our guide, Eric Lager, is phenomenal. As a Ph.D. historian and professor, his knowledge is unmatched, and his transitions between historical subjects were seamless and incredibly easy to follow. Our group was tiny—just 3 people. Eric was so generous with his time that he even extended the tour to over 3 hours, but he thoughtfully planned the route so we could find shade and sit on ledges along the way. This made the walk physically comfortable and not exhausting at all. We often book private tours that sometimes come with a high cost; this time we did not, and yet Eric easily ranks among the top four guides we have ever had anywhere. We highly recommend him—he made our entire trip to Charleston, and we are a little smarter now!
Absolutely wonderful walking tour, informative in so many aspects of the history of Charleston, fascinating, engaging presentation!
Eric was fantastic!! He took us to great locations and shared an impressive amount of information. He is both entertaining and incredibly smart. I would definitely do his tour again.
The Charleston History Walk with Eric was nothing short of amazing! My husband is a history buff, so it was a treat to learn the history of Charleston from someone with a PhD in History, rather than just an employee reading from a script. We appreciated that Eric also planned the route around shade and provided a short water break. All in all, highly recommend. We'd do another tour with Eric in a heart beat.
Eric did an amazing job with the tour - very knowledgeable! It was a hot day but most of the tour was in the shade so very nice!
Wow, Professor Lager knows Charleston by heart, literally and figuratively! We booked a private tour and even at the three hour mark we were left captivated for more. Prof. Lager made the tour fun and his navigation through the city and some buildings kept us in the shade which helped to manage the heat. As we were walking, we passed other tour groups and could not help but notice that we seemed to be enjoying our time more so than many people in the other groups. The information flowed such that themes/neighborhoods/people transitioned seamlessly or built upon each other so as to increase the effectiveness of knowledge retention, which was significant. Prof. Lager was courteous in a way that would likely appeal to tourists of all levels of knowledge from those with no previous background of Charleston to those with quite a bit of understanding. If you are looking for a tour of Charleston, look no further… Prof Lager’s tour is it!
The best tour one could possibly imagine in Charleston. Eric is as knowledgeable as it gets, and can go as deep as you like on any topic related to Charleston history. Your appreciation for this amazing city with grow in proportion to the huge download of knowledge you’ll receive from Eric. Don’t miss it.
Eric was exceptional, a great communicator, knowledgeable, interesting. Anyone who visits Charleston should definitely take this tour. We saw a great portion of the historic district which gave us a good introduction to the city. Eric definitely met our expectations.








