Very knowledgeable, very professional, Al knows his stuff! Dates, times, places, people etc. We were the only ones on the early tour today and he even went a bit long on time. He changes his tour up by the season as well. 10/10 would recommend. Will book again. read more

See all

They didn't show up. We were there 20 minutes early, stayed 20 minutes late, called them. No replies.

Al was great! Congenial, extremely knowledgeable and humorous, too. He grew up in Charleston so was able to give us a "then and now" view of the city. Also, he customized our tour to our interests. Very enjoyable! read more

Al was a fantastic guide -knowledgeable and humorous. He tailored the tour to the participants, and kept us well engaged...before sending us off with recommendations for the rest of our day. read more

Our tour guide Alfred Ray was Knowledgeable, engagingly articulate, down to earth, and made it interesting. Great job read more

Informative, interesting walk around Charleston's historic area with a guide who grew up in Charleston, so was very familiar with the area. Strong focus on American history. read more

Did the private walking architecture tour with Al, and what a wonderful experience it was. As a native of Charleston, he was quite knowledgeable, and many of the other tour guides we passed greeted him by name. He described not only the highlights of the different architecture styles throughout Charleston's history, but told us of the people who designed and managed the construction. He also pointed out how and why certain styles were more prominent in some areas due to the many disasters in the city. He led us into multiple churches and theaters as well to discuss interior features and furnishings. An incredible way to explore the city, and highly recommended. read more

Highly recommend this tour! Eric was our guide and was excellent! He was very knowledgeable and fun too. It was easy to book and they were so friendly. read more

Eric did a great job - really knows his history and made it interesting. We learned a few things and we've been on Charleston tours before. We highly recommend Charleston Footprints. read more

What a great way to get to know history of Charleston and get oriented in the downtown! Michael was great. Great pace, kept everyone interested and focused with occasional anecdote for a good laugh! We got to stroll through the landmarks and also a bit off the beaten path through the historic residential villas. Michael is a 7th generation Charlestonian and the historic district used to be his very own playground when he was growing up, so he was a great guide and a narrator to the city's history and beauty! Highly recommended! read more

Charleston Footprints - Michael starting the tour - Historical Tours Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

See all

You know those whimsical-seeming horse-drawn carriage tours? Just forget about them! Charleston is a city that needs to be explored on foot. It is impossible to appreciate the picturesque alleys and exquisite architecture without seeing them up close. And the best walking tour to take you on that journey is Charleston Footprints, a one-man operation run by Michael Trouche, Charleston native and tour guide extraordinaire. Booking a tour was a breeze. I submitted a reservation request and Michael replied to confirm literally within five minutes. The meeting spot is the Charleston Historic Foundation's gift shop, which conveniently has a restroom so you can do your thing before heading out. Michael was stationed just inside the entrance to greet everyone and get us squared away. Once he had all of us neatly corralled, we promptly left to begin our adventure. Charleston has no shortage of captivating history to absorb, so make sure you're ready to be a star student! No matter which direction we walked in or street we turned down, Michael seamlessly continued with the epic history lesson. Given the sizable area we covered, it was remarkable how quickly and effortlessly he would tap into his wealth of knowledge. Every landmark both big and small had a story to tell, and Michael was more than eager to relay them with the utmost enthusiasm. Walking tours have become my new favorite way to learn about a vacation destination. Why do tedious online research when you can have a rich and engaging experience instead? It was enlightening to see Charleston and all of its wonders through the eyes of a local. So if you want to seriously enhance your trip to Chucktown, be sure to fit in a tour with Charleston Footprints! read more

This was our very first tour in Charleston and it was a total snooze fest! The guide was painful to listen to. Kept asking the group why we were so quiet and she's been noticing her groups being quiet lately, well it was absolutely something we couldn't sit through so we left half way in and did our own thing touring the city with Google maps. What a waste. I booked because of all the wonderful 5 star reviews so I'm wishing we had Michael and that experience everyone else is raving about. So sad to waste money on this and the luck of getting a poor guide who had no sense of humor and spoke so softly no one could hear. Not sure how she was a 20 year career guide without anyone else speaking up. read more

Wife and I attended a walking tour. He knew every question we asked. He was most informative, told history of Charleston in good detail and with some humor. Would definitely do this again -- it was worth the money ($20/person) read more

Immediately left tour after guide made racially insensitive comment. We were only about 1/4 of way thru tour and could not support continued participation. Would not recommend this company. read more

I cannot imagine a more knowledgeable, attentive, and funny tour guide than Michael. We had people of all sorts of ages in our group of about 15 people, and everyone loved him. A walking tour of Charleston is the best way to get up close and personal with this wonderful city. Bring your sunscreen and hat!! read more

Charleston Footprints - Thank you, Michael, for an outstanding tour! - Historical Tours Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Brilliant!!! If you love history and architecture... You will love spending time on this walking tour with Michael. 7th generation Charlestonian...I thoroughly enjoyed learning the history of the city. Michael is a walking encyclopedia of Charleston. He has such great energy and interesting stories of his childhood in this beautiful town. He also has a personal way to connecting each person's hometown to the history of the city. I definitely recommend this tour. read more

This is my second time in Charleston and my second walking tour. This one was by far the best. A little architecture, a lot of history, a lot of unknown facts, and he took us to places off the beaten path. Highly recommend this tour. You will learn a lot! read more

We had a great experience on this walking tour! Our guide, Erik was awesome and we learned a lot!! Would recommend!!

Our day started with the walking tour with Michael Trouche. I loved the Historic Charleston Foundation gift shop and bought a darling vase that I can't wait to get home and use. Yet, another reminder of our trip that will make my heart smile. Micheal was very informative of the history of the city and we learned a lot. It gave us a good sense of the area and it's history. read more

I'm guessing the experience really depends on if you get a good guide. Many of the reviews raved about a guy named Michael, but we got a guide named Eric. It was unfortunately a huge let down. He seem slow and lethargic, my husband I and I thought he might have been high. We started late, didn't walk very much and stood most of the time. After 30 minutes he decided to take a 20 minute bathroom break where we were all waiting around. My husband and I left shortly after that and just walked around on our own. If you book with this company make sure you are getting a reputable guide. read more

Hands down - the best guided tour we have ever been on - anywhere! Michael is gregarious, articulate, funny, and incredibly knowledgeable. He is a 7th generation Charlestonian, and has family roots in the area - having grown up in the historic neighborhood where the tour is focused. Group size was about 15 people, and he was easily able to project his voice so it could always be heard, as well as answer many questions. I'm that guy who usually asks more questions than anyone else on tours, but this time I didn't need to. He seemed to anticipate and spell out the details that some of us were wondering about as we walked. Highly recommended. read more

Michael has that breezy walk with head held high, like he owns this town. We're privileged that he shares it with us. He's knowledgeable, pleasant, funny, and full of local anecdotes, as well as conversant with the fascinating history. Don't miss this tour!!!! read more

Checked Yelp for walking tours which led us to Michael. As a born and raised local he led a great tour that keep us engaged and interested in what he had in store at each stop. A great paced tour that left us with a great appreciation of Charleston and her history. read more

Michael did an amazing job. You get the feeling that he knows the history of every brick and person in the city. The tour was entertaining, very informational (I loved the historical aspect), and just a great way to see the old part of the city! My wife and I went on the tour our first day in the city, and it was a great way to see a lot of the city and have an idea of where we wanted to spend the rest of our long weekend. All in all, I HIGHLY recommend! read more

See all

My husband and I, both history and architecture nerds, were recently in Charleston for a quick trip - under 24 hours until we we were on to our next destination. With this in mind, we tried to be as efficient in our touristing as possible, and sought advice from our hotel's concierge (a man worth his own review). We were directed to this Charleston Footprints walking tour of the historic district, and were glad we were. Michael is clearly a confident master of his material, and smoothly and animatedly provided a survey of Charleston history and architecture, peppered with personal anecdotes from the city of his childhood. Our group consisted of about 15 people, from babies to retirees, and he kept everyone entertained throughout while quickly taking us through landmarks and pointing out small architectural details. My only complaint with the tour as it is is that it moves *too* fast. The only photos we have from our two-hour walk are quick ones I took with my iPhone, as we were in and out and past stops so quickly that my husband didn't have much of a chance to pull out his 'real' camera. And my only other negative, insofar as it is a negative, is to be aware of what you want out of such a tour. It is nearly perfect for what it is, but for the two of us (I'm a librarian/archivist in a local history collection, and we are both avid students of history and architecture), we would have preferred a slower tour with a great deal more detail and opportunity for questions and personalization. We might have been better off spending more money for a private tour during our visit, and may well do that on a future return trip. For us, Michael's tour was an excellent survey that piqued our interest and whetted our appetites for more. For others, this is a solid A+. read more

Michael Trouche obviously loves Charleston, and after the comprehensive 2-hour walking tour we recently went on with him, I am a fan too. Part of learning about a city is certainly hearing about its history and architecture, but to really get to know a city, it takes something more. Charleston Footprints delivered well on places, dates and names, but Michael's enthusiasm and delight in his city are what made it less of a tour and more of a shared journey. It felt simply like a group of friends getting to know the Holy City and her people. Tour companies in cities like Charleston are everywhere, and if you get a bad one, it can spoil the memories in the making. Michael Trouche and Charleston Footprints will ensure that the memories you make of Charleston will be good ones, and you'll feel as though you've just been reacquainted with an old friend. read more

Charleston Footprints was the best part of our one day trip to Charleston. Michael guided us through streets and alleys, showing us parts of Charleston that only a true (7th generation) resident could make interesting and informative, with funny anecdotal stories of his growing up in this town. The tour, although fast paced, was did not feel rushed, and lasted over two hours. It is definitely the walking tour to take. read more

Michael was very knowledgeable, super interesting walk and it did not feel touristy. Thanks again! read more

Michael was great! Very energetic, knowledgeable, and has an impeccable memory. He knew all 15 or so of our names once we introduced ourselves. VERY IMPRESSED! read more

When we visited Charleston we had a couple of tours from different companies. Michael's tour was the best one!!!! He grew up in Charleston and knew the most out of all the tours we did! He spent more than 2 hours telling us facts and uncommon facts about Charleston! We walked a decent amount and he somehow remembered every person's name who was touring with us! He knew my name just from a small introduction! He's personable, funny smart and worth every cent! Amazing tour we had a great time! read more

This was my first walking tour basically anywhere. Michael was fantastic- organized, knowledgeable and energetic. This was also my first time to Charleston, and this tour was the last thing on my schedule while visiting this amazing city. Michael has what seems to be an endless wealth of knowledge about Charleston, architecture and the symbolism behind many of the landmarks. He also has what appears to be impromptu knowledge of botany and entomology. I imagine each tour Michael gives is different every time. A walking tour in Charleston in the middle of July is not for the faint of heart- make sure to bring water and an umbrella for the sudden rainstorms. Wear appropriate shoes and breathable clothes. read more

Michael came recommended and met our expectations. He and his family are long time locals. With that comes a great deal of local history and an investment in the history of Charleston. The tour has a fair amount of walking with a few rest stops over the 2 hour tour. Charleston is a city with a wonderful history past, present and future. My wife and I would recommend the tour. read more

Michael's tour amazing from the start. First of all, he's brilliant and humble about that. He blends History and Today into a tangible experience. I have taken many tours around the world and I have to give this 5 stars and tell you THIS IS THE TOUR for you to pick. My Mom, 83 and myself, 56, were both entertained and able to keep up and felt engaged the entire tour. Not a boring moment. DO THIS read more

Fabulous waking your. Michael is knowledgeable and interesting. Learned a lot about Charleston in a very relaxed-paced entertaining tour.

Could not have asked for a better tour of Charleston! Michael is very entertaining and kept the atmosphere fun. Not only could we get close to all the sites but we were able to go inside a couple of the buildings. There was a great mixture of the famous people, architecture, plants and culture of Charleston. The tour had a lot of walking and uneven terrain/steps as one might expect, so it might not be suitable for people with physical limitations. Highly recommend this tour! read more

Michael's tour was entertaining, educational and very enjoyable. The two hours flew by. Wealth of knowledge from an insider's point view

My family and I joined Michael for an approximately 2-hour long walking tour of Charleston and we all enjoyed the experience very much. We saw historical buildings, gravesites and locales and also learned all manner of interesting facts pertaining to local architecture and history. Michael's knowledge of Charleston and local history is vast (to say the least), and, perhaps as importantly, he is a seasoned guide who offers an engaging and entertaining presentation that holds your interest. Highly recommended! read more

Excellent walking tour with a very knowledgable guide. Michael was friendly, informative, and kept things entertaining with some of his anecdotes. This tour definitely did not disappoint! read more

A great tour guide who shares his lifelong knowledge of Charleston history. We did the tour 2 1/2 years ago when we visited Charleston for the first time. Returning again with our adult children, we were eager to do it again. Once we got started, I immediately remembered Michael's energy, storytelling ability, and knowledge. Michael shared many, many interesting stories, including growing up in Charleston, and describing how it has changed over the years. Packed with information every step of the way, it is fast-paced and covers a great deal. Thanks Michael for a great tour. read more

This guy is fantastic. If you come to Charleston, block out a morning and take this two hour tour. You will go in residential back alleys and get 'hello Michael' from all of the residents. His is a fantastic guide that will not only go into the history but also the botany of the region. read more