Carriage Tours are a popular option in Charleston; especially for tired feet. There are a few different companies who offer carriage tours but they all offer similar options and understanding exactly what to know before taking a Charleston Carriage tour is important.
Two of Tours by Foot tour guides led Carriage tours for decades before moving over to walking tours so I have some insider information to share with you.
What Will You See on a Charleston Carriage Ride
In order to avoid overcrowding in certain areas, the City of Charleston randomly awards one of four routes to each carriage operating in the historic district.
This is important to note: There is no guarantee what you will see on your tour as the route is decided after you boarded and started the tour. Even the guide and company do not know!
This means that each tour's route is selected by City officials, rather than the individual companies. What distinguishes one company is the quality of their guides and the types of tours they offer.
Some routes might highlight areas like the Historic Market, Rainbow Row, or The Battery, while others focus on churches, gardens, and hidden gems.
With the randomized tour routes; you cannot know what sites you will see so please do not plan on taking a carriage ride down the Battery - maybe you'll be lucky, but its not a guarantee.
The last time I took a carriage tour with out of town guests, there was a family on my ride that had taken a tour the the day before with the same company and same guide. Luckily they got a different route the second go around but we discovered that the guide had a lot of the same jokes and stories for both routes.
How much is a Charleston Carriage Ride and What is the Best Company?
Carriage Rides average around $45-50 per adult. Children are only slightly less expensive.
If you're hoping for a discount, you can take a free carriage ride on some of the tourist discount passes offered in the city. I used the TourPass for one of my rides on Palmetto Carraige Works.
You can purchase tickets to a carriage tour easily online in advance. There are daytime and haunted night options available from a variety of companies.
In my experience, all the Charleston Tour companies offer a quality tour.
Palmetto Carriage Works is the oldest carriage ride company. Perhaps the most well-known of all the carriage trip companies is Old South Carriage Company. All of Carolina Polo & Carriage’s public tours begin in the Historic City Market. Though Classic Carriage Works is one of the smallest carriage trip companies, they are especially highly reputed as each average more than 10 years of experience.
Every company offers 1 hour guided carriage ride and averages 4.5 out of 5 stars. As routes are decided by the city and not the company, what you see does not depend on the company you use.
Pay Attention to Weather
Charleston enjoys a mild climate, but summer can get quite hot and humid. Carriage tours often run rain or shine, so prepare accordingly.
While the carriages do have roofs, they are open side which means sun and rain can reach you. The cover does not provide much in the way of protection from the elements.
If you are fortunate enough to get a Battery route, it will be windy! I've taken this route dozens of times and no matter how lovely the weather, the Battery is always windy.
Timing is Key
Carriage tours typically run from morning through late afternoon, though some companies offer night tours as well. I suggest booking your tour early in your trip to help you get oriented and learn about must-see spots you might want to revisit later.
Carriage Rides are NOT hop on hop off and as they operate on the city streets, you will not be able to stop at most locations and you will only see them in passing.
This means you'll only hear a few select bits of information about any one site.
Keep in mind that tours typically last about one hour, so plan ahead if you have other activities lined up. No matter which company you use, routes all end where they start which makes planning your day easy.
You will be asked to arrive early to check in - I usually arrive 15 minutes early to the stable so I can see the horses and use the facilities. While the tour is only an hour, there are no bathroom breaks!
Be Respectful of the Horses
Horse-drawn carriage tours have faced criticism over animal welfare concerns, but licensed Charleston operators adhere to strict guidelines to ensure the well-being of their horses. Horses get regular rest breaks, have access to water, and are only scheduled to work in specific weather conditions.
You can show respect, too. Avoid distracting the horses with loud noise or sudden movement, and follow the guide’s instructions when boarding or disembarking.
The Best Place to Sit on a Carriage Ride
Where ever you get assigned! You will be called by name and told where to board - most of this has to do with the various group sizes of individual parties.
Since you don't know which route you get, jostling for left versus right side doesn't really matter.
Some guests prefer to sit in the front row but you share that space with the guide which can be rather awkward due to small space and the fact that they are standing and you're sitting.
Having taken so carriage rides so many times, I've sat in every possible seat and they all have pros and cons so I wouldn't stress too much. Especially considering you don't always get to choose.
What is better? A Carriage Ride or a Walking Tour?
Why not take both? I will always say a walking tour is better than any other type of tour - it allows flexibility, customization, time to ask questions and get answers and ability to get into places vehicles cannot like interior of historic churches or small alleyways.
However, I love taking friends and family on a carriage ride when they first arrive to Charlston.
The quality can be hit or miss depending on the tour guide. I've heard guides give some pretty inaccurate information and tell some bad jokes; but I've also had great guides who have amazing wit and timing.
As mentioned above, you can never know in advance what you're going to see so I don't suggest taking a carriage ride to "see this house/church/site."
What a carriage ride does offer is a brief overview that covers a lot of ground and helps get a lay of the land of downtown historic Charleston and low country culture.
Take one of our guided small group walking tours and then hop on a carriage ride during the hottest part of the day to rest your feet for an hour.
