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Charleston Historical Walking Tour
5.0
1,347 Ratings
Charleston
Experience an exclusive small-group walking tour of Charleston with a Ph.D. historian. Discover the city’s rich history and enjoy a personalized, in-depth exploration unlike any other tour in town.
Experience an exclusive small-group walking tour of Charleston with a Ph.D. historian. Discover the city’s rich history and enjoy a personalized, in-depth exploration unlike any other tour in town.
Duration:
3 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton - The historic Mills House Hotel was significant during the early stages of the American Civil War.
- Dock Street Theater - Discover the first theater constructed in North America and the notorious figures linked to its history.
- Pink House Gallery - One of Charleston’s oldest structures,…
- Mills House Charleston, Curio Collection by Hilton - The historic Mills House Hotel was significant during the early stages of the American Civil War.
- Dock Street Theater - Discover the first theater constructed in North America and the notorious figures linked to its history.
- Pink House Gallery - One of Charleston’s oldest structures, dating back to 1712.
- Washington Square - A historic square in Charleston featuring several monuments.
- Charleston City Hall - Explore the transformation of this stunning building, which served as a meat market and bank before becoming City Hall.
- Charleston County Courthouse - Learn about the building that was once the old South Carolina statehouse.
- St. Michael’s Church - Discover the intriguing history of Charleston’s oldest church building, completed in 1761.
- Heyward-Washington House - Visit the place where George Washington stayed during his 1791 visit to Charleston.
- Old Exchange & Provost Dungeon - View the last public building constructed by the British in North America, where the Constitution was ratified in 1788.
- French Huguenot Church - Explore the rich history of the French Huguenots in Charleston and the first church built in the Gothic Revival style.
- French Quarter - Enjoy the beauty and charm of Charleston’s French Quarter.
- Hibernian Hall - Learn about the building where the seeds of disunion were planted and hear about America’s connection to Greek Revival architecture.
- Fort Sumter National Monument - Witness where the first shots of the Civil War were fired! Although we do not visit the fort, we view it from the Battery on Charleston Harbor.
What's Included
- All Fees and Taxes
- All Fees and Taxes
What's Not Included
- Bottled water
- Private transportation
- Bottled water
- Private transportation
Additional Information
In contrast to many local tour companies that accommodate up to 20 participants per group, this Charleston tour ensures a maximum of 12 guests. The standout feature of this tour is the exceptional level of historical expertise provided to guests. With a Ph.D. in history, the operator has dedicated countless hours to studying and researching primary…
In contrast to many local tour companies that accommodate up to 20 participants per group, this Charleston tour ensures a maximum of 12 guests. The standout feature of this tour is the exceptional level of historical expertise provided to guests. With a Ph.D. in history, the operator has dedicated countless hours to studying and researching primary sources in the South Carolina archives. This extensive knowledge is shared with guests during the tour. By limiting the group size to 12 and extending the tour duration by 45 minutes compared to most others in town, guests enjoy a unique level of exclusivity and historical insight that surpasses what larger tour companies in Charleston offer.
Location
108 Meeting St
Meeting Street
This building has four small white Ionic Greek columns in front. It is now a graphic design center for the city of Charleston and not open to the public. We will meet on the sidewalk in front of the building. It is directly across the street from Hibernian Hall and the pink Mills House Hotel.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
5.0
(1347 Ratings)
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Expat4ever1991
Jan 19, 2026
Great learning experience. - Dr. Eric Lager, being a historian, provided a concise account of the history of Charleston combining it with other events in the history during that time. He also pointed out the architecture of the various buildings which was a good addition. He had a some great pictures to add to his talk. Wish we had more time to visit the buildings.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rhigley0126
Jan 17, 2026
An Absolute MUST in Charleston! - This was the most informative, engaging and entertaining tour my wife and I have ever participated in, and we make sure to book similar tours whenever we travel. Dr. Lager’s passion for the history of this region is apparent from start to finish - I feel like he could easily fill full-day tours with countless entertaining stories and informative anecdotes about Charleston, but he has condensed his knowledge down into a more concise package that felt perfect from a timing perspective. We truly enjoyed every minute of our time spent with Eric and are so glad we decided to spend our Saturday morning learning about the rich history of this amazing city. Thank you again for such a great experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brianop
Jan 16, 2026
A great way to get a feel for Charleston! - I took part in Eric Lager, PhD’s first scheduled tour of the new year, on the afternoon of Tuesday, Jan 6. It was a very well-spent three-hour tour of Charleston! Eric’s love for his adopted city is evident, and as a historian, Eric can make interesting connections among facts and events that might not seem evident at first. He normally limits his tour groups to 12 persons, and we were only 7 of us on the tour, so there was lots of personal interaction between Eric and all those who were on the tour. If you do one tour during your time in Charleston, this is the one to sign up for!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
955dwightf
Jan 14, 2026
A grand tour! - The tour guide was quite knowledgeable and we received a good education on the history of Charleston. There were many interesting sights!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jeff_b
Jan 12, 2026
Eric is an excellent tour guide. - Eric is an excellent tour guide. He was exceptionally knowledgeable about the history of Charleston making the information so interesting. I would definitely recommend him.
Review provided by Viator
Cliffmch
Jan 9, 2026
Amazing tour led by a true historian! - Wow! What an amazing tour by a guide who truly knows their Charleston history! Our small group of six provided plenty of opportunity for questions and conversation as we toured the beautiful city. We’ve visited Charleston many times over the last 30 years and have taken several tours. Eric’s was by far the most informative and enjoyable! Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kathryn_c
Jan 9, 2026
Great tour to get sense... - Great tour to get sense of Charleston through the years
Annoying that Viator sets minimum length ….. there
Review provided by Viator
Nadwal
Dec 24, 2025
Great tour for history buffs - Our walking tour with Eric was a highlight of our trip. He is very well versed in Charleston history, enthusiastic, and packs huge amount of interesting information into the three-hour tour. For history buffs, this is you tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
875carenp
Dec 20, 2025
Excellent history tour - Eric was fantastic. This is an awesome tour for anyone who is interested in history. We lived in Charleston and learned so much
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_t
Dec 20, 2025
Excellent and informative tour of Charleston - Eric is an excellent tour guide for his adopted city of Charleston. Like the tour says, he is a bona fide history professor at the Citadel, and it shows! We had a very detailed and extensive tour which gave context and depth to a broad survey of the city’s history. We covered a lot of ground and I left the tour knowing a lot more about a really interesting place. That’s a thumbs up from me!
Review provided by Viator