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Rainbow RowGarden & park tours

Our most recommended Rainbow Row Garden & park tours

Charleston: Historical Downtown Tour by Horse-drawn Carriage

1. Charleston: Historical Downtown Tour by Horse-drawn Carriage

Ride in a traditional horse-drawn carriage through historic downtown Charleston on a guided tour. Listen to live commentary about the city as you pass by the Charleston Harbor, Rainbow Row, King Street, White Point Gardens, and Charleston Battery. Begin the tour at the activity provider's stables. Board a beautiful custom-built carriage and depart from the barn. Ride toward the city gate, located in the Old City Market. Learn about the city's rich history from a professional guide while traveling aboard a unique vehicle. Gaze at vibrant neighborhoods and elegant buildings from your seat. Experience the highlights of the historic downtown area, such as Charleston Harbor, Rainbow Row, 4 Corners of Law, King Street, White Point Gardens, and the Charleston Battery. Take in informative and entertaining commentary from your guide, before arriving back at the stables.

Charleston: Magnolia Plantation & Historic City Tour

2. Charleston: Magnolia Plantation & Historic City Tour

Begin your half-day tour by boarding a climate-controlled coach in Charleston. Meet your professional guide and ride to Magnolia Plantation, dating from 1676 and the time of the British colony. Witness a slice of living history at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens and get an amazing perspective on Charleston's past and present. The Magnolia Plantation and its world-famous gardens have been owned by the Drayton family for 12 generations. Enjoy your visit to one of America's first tourist attractions and first public gardens, which have been open to the public since 1870. Take a guided walk through America's last large-scale Romantic garden, and experience history on a 45-minute narrated nature tram ride through the Audobon swamp gardens. Step out among the Romantic gardens and Spanish moss to see wildlife such as alligators, egrets, herons, and turtles on the nearly 600-acre plantation. Cap it all off with a 30-minute tour of the Magnolia Plantation Home before boarding your bus back to Charleston. Back in the Holy City, your deluxe, climate-controlled shuttle will take you for a 1.5-hour tour of the city’s historical highlights. Accompanied by a knowledgeable, local guide, visit over 100 of Charleston’s most iconic sights of the past and present whilst listening to amazing tales and anecdotes about the city. On your tour, travel through some of the most historic parts of the city and visit Charleston’s historic homes, The Battery Sea Wall, the Four Corners of Law, and Rainbow Row to name but a few. Other highlights of the tour include a number of historic churches, old markets, and picturesque neighborhoods.

Charleston: Self-Guided Highlights Walking Audio Tour

3. Charleston: Self-Guided Highlights Walking Audio Tour

Start by downloading the Action Tour Guide app, which will function as your personal tour guide, audio tour, and map all in one. Once downloaded, your tour begins at the intersection of Market Street and King Street. From there, you’ll stroll through historic Charleston and hear about its founding. At the historic Circular Congregational Church, you’ll get the story of a patriot who recruited hundreds to fight against the British during the Revolution. Then it’s on to Hibernian Hall, site of the chaotic 1860 Democratic National Convention. After that, you’ll come to the famous Four Corners of Law, home to some of the city’s most storied institutions. Next, pass a collection of beautifully preserved historic homes while you learn about Charleston’s role in the American Revolution. At the gorgeous White Point Garden, you’ll find out why South Carolina decided to secede from the Union at the outset of the Civil War. Plus, get a look at Fort Sumter across the water and hear about the battle that kicked off the war! Then, you’ll stop by another pair of historic homes, the Palmer Home and the Edmondston-Alston House, before learning about the Great Charleston Fire and the Union attack on Charleston’s harbor. Stop by the picture-perfect Longitude Lane next, before continuing on to Rainbow Row, a series of pastel-painted historic homes. Then pay a visit to the Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon, which the British once used to house American prisoners of war. Later, you’ll see a couple of sites where enslaved people were once bought and sold, and where you’ll hear about an attempted rebellion which predated the Civil War by a few decades. Finally, you’ll reach the Charleston Historic City Market, where you can find just about any kind of food or souvenir you might be looking for. Your tour concludes here.

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What people are saying about Rainbow Row

It was a great experience. The drive was a little longer than expected cause we didn’t get back in time to do historic tour but that was ok because we had overbooked tours so we saw it anyway. The garden and home are beautiful but we needed bug spray for the mosquitoes. The tour guides were very good. Enjoyed it all.

When planning the first, second, third, or twentith trip to Charleston, be sure to begin with a carriage ride. The information is different and just as informative with each driver. It is well worth the money to get information on newly discovered history and other areas of the city outside of the french quarters.

I had a great experience. the guide was awesome and his knowledge and wit were amazing. so glad to learn of the care for the horses. everyone i came in contact with were so nice. will reccomend to friends if they go to charleston to be sure and take the tour.

A must do to see Charleston historic district. Open air, in a delightful carriage. Learning history while seeing iconic architecture. A perfect experience for all ages.

We had very interesting and entertaining guides. This is a wonderful tour....very relaxing and informative. And the bus was very comfortable.