Charleston Self-Guided Walking Tour

Welcome to the Walking Tour of Charleston

This self-guided walking tour of Charleston, SC, offers a taste of the authentic antebellum American South. Explore historic districts packed with lovely shops and beautiful architecture as you learn about the city’s founding, its growth into a major metropolis, and how the Revolutionary War and Civil War changed it forever. This tour offers a comprehensive view of this fascinating city and its past.

About the Tour

Your Walking Tour of Charleston 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 visit 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 that 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.

Starting Point: 152 Market St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA