mini bus tour charleston sc

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Minibus & Driving Tours Of Charleston

The City of Charleston doesn’t allow sightseeing trolley tours downtown, but several narrated minibus tours are offered as an alternative way to get an overview of Charleston’s history and major sights.

These tours are a popular activity with visitors to Charleston, and there will usually be dozens of departures daily, available at a time to suit you. Many tours begin right at the Visitors Center, with tickets available for purchase whenever you wish to take your tour.

A minibus tour is best taken at the beginning of your stay. Once you have acquired a better sense of the city and its history, you can explore by yourself, or take a more detailed tour of some other aspect of Charleston’s past, such as its African-American history, ghost and pirate history, or the city’s architecture.

Exclusively Charleston

From $125 per hour for 2 people Private car or walking tour of Charleston's key sights and history.

From $125 per hour for 2 people. Plantation admission fees are not included. Private car tour of one or several Charleston area plantations. Tours are available to Middleton Place, Drayton Hall, Boone Hall Plantation, and the Charleston Tea Garden and Angel Oak.

From $125 per hour for 2 people Private car tour visiting Charleston's downtown and peninsular Civil War and other military history sights.

From $125 per hour for 2 people. Additional admission fees may apply. Private car tour exploring the arts, crafts and culture of the Gullah people, also visiting Boone Hall Plantation.

Old Walled City Walking Tours

From $170 Customizable private tour of Charleston, up to a full day in length.

Adults $80, children $50 Private car tour of Charleston's history.

Sites and Insights Tours

$20 per person Bus tour of downtown Charleston's Black history sites.

$25 per person Bus tour of peninsular Charleston's Black history sites.

$40 per person Bus tour of Black history sites in peninsular Charleston and James and Johns Islands.

$40 per person Bus tour of Black history sites on James and Johns Islands.

$25 per person Bus tour of Charleston's historic Black and White houses of worship.

Gullah Tours

$25 per person, or $625 for a private tour or step-on guide Bus tour exploring Charleston's Black history sites and the language and culture of the Gullah people.

Charleston in a Nutshell

Adults from $98, children $22.50 Private car tour of Charleston's sights and history.

Adults from $98, children $22.50 Private tour of Charleston's sights and history.

Introductory History Tours

Charleston Bus Tour, 1hr30 With Charms of Charleston Tours. Available Monday-Saturday, morning or afternoon. Adults $20, children (12 and under) $12. Call 843-614-7167 for reservations. More details – Also available in combination with admission to the Aiken-Rhett House. Adults $29, children (12 and under) $16. – Also available in combination with admission to the Charleston Museum and the Aiken-Rhett House. Adults $38, children (12 and under) $24.

Historical City Tour, 1hr30 With Southern Accent Tours. Two tour departures daily, free hotel pickup available. Adults $28, children (4-12) $18. Call 843-509-9613 for reservations. More details

“See it All” City Tour (25 max) 1hr30 With Adventure Sightseeing. Multiple departures daily. Adults $23, children (4-11) $14, young children (0-3) free – included admission to the Powder Magazine. Call 843-762-0088 for reservations or book online. More details – Also available in combination with a Charleston Belle boat tour, offered through Charleston Harbor Tours. Adults $40, children (4-11) $30, young children (0-3) free. – Also available in combination with admission to the Joseph Manigault House. Adults $31, children (4-11) $18, young children (0-3) free.

Historic City Tour, 1hr30 With Gray Line of Charleston. Daily tours departing every 30 minutes. Adults $23, children (4-11) $14. Hotel pick-up available. Call 843-722-4444 for reservations or book online. More details – Also available in the following combinations: with a Fort Sumter tour; a narrated harbor cruise (provided by Spirit Line Cruises); a downtown historic house museum or the Charleston Museum; or with a visit to the South Carolina Aquarium, Magnolia Plantation or Boone Hall Plantation.

Daily Bus Tour, 1hr30 With Pineapple Tour Group. Tours available daily, morning or afternoon. Adults $30, seniors (65+)/veterans $25, children (12 and under) $18. Call 877-553-1670 for reservations or book online. More details

Historic Charleston Driving Tour, 2hrs With Crafted Charleston Tours. $85 per person, advance reservations required. Call 843-804-9933 for reservations or book online. More details

Other Driving Tours

(Seasonal) Festival of Lights Tour, 3hrs With Adventure Sightseeing. Evening bus tour of the annual Festival of Lights on James Island. Available mid November through December, daily. Adults $24, children (4-11) $14, young children (0-3) free. Call 843-762-0088 for reservations or book online. More details

© Melanie K Jones 2024

Charleston Bus Tours

See the best of the city on our bus tours, charleston sc.

The best way to see Charleston is on a climate-controlled, air-conditioned bus tour through this historic city! See Charleston’s stunning architecture, beautiful flowers and gardens, and Southern charm. Our tours visit Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, USS Yorktown, Boone Hall Plantation, and more. Browse and book a tour online below.

• most popular!
• Clock 1.5 Hours
• Users All Ages

See It All Charleston City Bus Tour

Our professional and knowledgeable guides share 350 years of Charleston history with you while you cruise through the city’s historic district in cool, air-conditioned comfort.

• Holiday Special!
• Clock 3 Hours

Festival of Lights Charleston

Join Adventure Sightseeing for a magnificent time at the Charleston Festival of Lights! There are over 700 displays and 2 million lights.

• bestseller!
• Clock 4.5 Hours
• Users Ages 4+

Magnolia Plantation Tour

Get the true Lowcountry experience on this guided tour of one of America’s first tourist attractions and America’s first public gardens.

Boone Hall Plantation Tour

Take a trip through history as you explore one of America’s oldest working, living plantations: Boone Hall Plantation.

• Clock 5 Hours
• Users Ages 12+

Tea Garden and Winery Tour

Explore Angel Oak, Charleston Tea Garden, and Deepwater Vineyard! A tasting is included and usually includes 6-7 wines, cheese, and crackers.

• Clock 4 Hours

USS Yorktown Tour at Patriot’s Point Tour

Let us transport you in our climate controlled mini bus from downtown Charleston across the water to the Patriot’s Point!

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Charleston Motorized Tours

A guide to Charleston Motorized Tours. Climb aboard a comfortable climate-controlled minibus and take a ride back in time.  Learn about Charleston's vibrant history and see civil war sites, antebellum mansions, Rainbow Row and the famous Battery and White Point Gardens. 

For those wanting to tour Charleston without doing a lot of walking, then a minibus tour is a great alternative. These minibuses are spacious, comfortable, and climate controlled, while getting you up close to some of the most popular attractions in Charleston. 

Many minibus companies offer combo tours, including the historic city tour, along with being dropped off and picked up at other nearby attractions including Patriots Point, The Charleston Museum, The Charleston Aquarium and all local plantations. Some tour companies also offer discounts for booking online in advance.

Charleston Motorized History Tours

Pineapple Tour Group (877) 553-1670

Sit back in air-conditioned comfort and watch 300 years of history pass by your window. The guide will escort you through the streets of the Holy City, where you will see churches, antebellum mansions, and various other historic points of interest. Tours start at $35. 

Gullah Tours (843) 763-7551

Gullah, the language spoken by the first black inhabitants of the Lowcountry, still thrives today around Charleston. Explore the stories, history, and places relevant to the contributions made by Black Charlestonians. Learn about the Gullah language and customs associated with it. Tours start at $25. 

Adventure Sightseeing Tours (843) 762-0088

Experience true Southern hospitality while enjoying a 90 minute narrated tour of Charleston in a comfortable, climate controlled bus. Tours start at $29 and you can also purchase combo tickets for other attractions.

Gray Line of Charleston (843) 722-4444

Take a guided tour of historic Charleston in a climate controlled mini bus with over 100 points of interest. See beautiful antebellum mansions, lush gardens and beautiful parks. Tours start at $31, and you can also purchase combo tickets.

Gullah Geechee Tours (843) 478-0000

Gullah people are the blood descendants of the slaves brought to the Lowcountry regions of South Carolina and Georgia. Sit back and relax in a climate controlled bus while learning about the ancient Gullah culture. Tours are $49.95

Sites and Insights Tours of Charleston (843) 552-9995

Take a 1, 2 or 2 ½ hour tour of Charleston narrated from a black perspective. Charleston tours are given by licensed tour guides who are knowledgeable of the Gullah culture. Tours start at $35. 

Charms of Charleston (843) 804-2427

Journey back in time and see over one hundred locations in historic Charleston. You will learn about secession and about the first shots of the Civil War fired in Charleston Harbor.  Then learn about how Charleston was rebuilt after the Civil War. T ours start at $24. 

Charleston Motorized Photography Tours

Charleston Photography Tours (843) 872-3011

Keith and Tiffany Briley are professional photographers with a passion for the Lowcountry. They have scouted out the most beautiful and unique landscapes, along with hidden gems off the beaten path. Tours start at $249. 

Charleston Motorized Pub Tours

Charleston Brews Cruise (843) 860-9847

Charleston is quickly becoming a popular destination for craft beer lovers. Experience a behind-the-scenes tour of Charleston’s thriving beer scene with an exclusive tour of local craft breweries, all while enjoying samples of unique Lowcountry brews. Tours start at $60. 

Crafted Travel (843) 804-9933

Enjoy the best of Charleston as you tour distilleries and drink craft beer while being chauffeured around. The tour starts with a Charleston Distillery Tour, followed by two different Brewery Tours, and finishes with Lowcountry BBQ. Tours start at $145 a person.

Additional Charleston Tours

Boat Tours 

Carriage Tours

Walking Tours

• Charleston Tours

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Why Choose Us

Why choose gray line of charleston.

Gray Line offers great tours in more than 150 destinations on six continents. One of the oldest and largest sightseeing companies in the world, Gray Line is an international association of operators with more than 100 years of experience in the tourism industry. Gray Line Tours is truly dedicated to serving as the local expert in every city in which they operate to inform and entertain visitors.

A trusted name in travel, Gray Line of Charleston provides informative, entertaining mini-bus day-trip tours of Charleston’s famous historic district daily to visitors from across the USA and around the globe. Just click to learn more about reserving an Historic Charleston, SC Gray Line of Charleston Tour.

All Gray Line of Charleston tour vehicles are climate controlled. The comfortable 20 to 25-passenger mini-buses are specially designed to traverse downtown Charleston’s narrow historic streets. Accessing cobblestone streets and alleyways provides close-up views of some of the city’s most significant details that large-scale buses often miss.

Gray Line of Charleston’s fleet is carefully maintained and regularly updated for passenger comfort and safety.

Same-day tickets may be available from the Gray Line Dispatcher in the Charleston Visitor Center Bus Shed located at 375 Meeting Street where the bus tours depart and conclude. Advance reservations are suggested for these popular tours. Simply call 843-722-4444 or email [email protected] , 24-hours in advance to ensure availability and to accommodate any special needs. Private tours and mini-buses for special events are available. Downtown parking is easy in the Charleston Visitors Center parking lot or the nearby Republic Parking Garage.

Started in 1960s by the Rentiers family and still a locally-owned, family-run business, Gray Line of Charleston partners with SpiritLine Cruises and Fort Sumter Tours ~ Charleston’s Premiere Cruise Fleet, enabling specials and discounts for visitors seeking combination tours. For a ‘land and sea’ comprehensive perspective into the port city of historic Charleston, SC’s rich past… just click to go to the Gray Line of Charleston combo tours page and learn more.

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Charleston, SC

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2024 Hurricane Awareness Tour - Charleston, SC

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Hurricane experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will visit five U.S. East Coast locations, flying aboard a USAF Reserve WC-130J hurricane hunter aircraft and a NOAA WP-3D Orion aircraft, to raise awareness of the impacts from tropical cyclones threats and the danger of being caught without a personal hurricane plan. The 2024 Hurricane Awareness Tour is scheduled to stop in Charleston, South Carolina.

Event Information

What:  2024 Hurricane Awareness Tour

Where:  Charleston International Airport

When: Thursday, May 9, 2024

Things To Do:  

• Tour Hurricane Hunter aircraft
• Meet the pilots & flight crew
• Speak with hurricane forecasters
• Meet with local National Weather Service meteorologists
• Walk through exhibits from various agencies & organizations
• Learn about weather safety & preparedness

Directions & Parking

Click the icons on the map to display the event details at the Charleston International Airport.

Participants

List of Booths and Displays:

• Charleston County Mobile Command Center
• Dorchester County Mobile Command Center
• FLASH (Federal Alliance for Safe Homes)
• Joint Base Charleston Fire Truck
• National Weather Service Charleston
• South Carolina Emergency Management Division

Hurricane Information and Safety

2024 National Hurricane Preparedness Week is May 5-11, 2024

Be ready for hurricane season. Take action TODAY to be better prepared for when the worst happens. Understand your risk from hurricanes, and begin pre-season preparations now. Make sure you understand how to interpret forecasts and alerts, and know what to do before, during, and after a storm.

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Charleston, SC is just one stop on the 2024 Hurricane Awareness Tour!

Check out the other locations below:

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