Window into American History: A Self-guided Charleston Audio Tour

Duration1h - 1h 30m

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesEnglish

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Charleston is often called a living museum, and this 60-minute walking tour brings its architectural history to life. Starting at the 1841 Greek Revival Market Hall, you’ll stroll Meeting Street to admire landmarks like the Circular Congregational Church and the Fireproof Building, while learning how Charleston’s built environment reflects English, French, and Barbadian influences.

You’ll also discover how earthquakes, preservation, and adaptive reuse shaped the city’s landscape, ending the tour back near the Market.

Highlights include:

• Explore the “Four Corners of Law” with its diverse architectural styles
• Examine Charleston’s iconic single house design with breezy side piazzas
• Discover Rainbow Row’s colorful past and pastel façades
• Learn about the 1886 earthquake’s impact on architecture
• Identify French and English ironwork patterns
• See South Carolina’s oldest public building, built to withstand explosions
• Understand how adaptive reuse keeps historic Charleston alive

What's included

Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
App for Android and iOS
Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start

Smartphone and headphones
Personal expenses for attractions not included during the tour
Food and drink
Transportation

What to expect

Circular Congregational Church
Pass by

Pass by and learn how this triapsal church came to be after 4 rebuilds and houses the city's oldest graveyard. Admission fees are not included in this tour.
Pass by

The Irish Charity in Charleston, walk by this historic building that suffered extensive damage during the 1886 earthquake.
Charleston City Hall
Pass by

Pass by this beautiful Adams style building, constructed in 1801 and designed by Gabriel Manigault.
St. Michael's Church
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Stroll past the superstar church building, built in 1752 and is Charleston's oldest religious structure.
Pass by

Catch a glimpse of this Italianate style house, one of the most beautiful and well maintained homes in the city of Charleston.
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Walk by and learn what makes this awe-inspiring home holds the record for the most expensive home sold in Charleston.
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Pass by this regency style home with an exceptional cast iron balcony serving as a museum today. The house has a lot of its original furnishings and has been in the hands of the Alston family since 1842.
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Traverse along and hear why this Georgian style home's front posts are actually boat ties and other interesting design quirks.
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Pass by what is considered the first example of the single house concept in the city of Charleston and hear about the links to Barbados.
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With it's Civil War roots, walk along this street, comprising of 13 buildings, and discover what inspired the bright colours and it's name "Rainbow Row".

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

The tour starting point is Charleston City Market Hall at the intersection of Meeting St and Market St. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

End point

The tour starting point is Charleston City Market Hall at the intersection of Meeting St and Market St. Before arrival, please install the mobile app and use the code provided on your confirmation ticket. Detailed starting point instructions are available after downloading.

Additional information

Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The total tour time includes walking the route and passing by the attractions

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.