As a local, we LOVE LOVE LOVE the Daniel Island Ferry. It's one of Charleston's best kept secrets…read morein my opinion. The captain and staff are incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and go out of their way to help you in any way they can. When I first heard of the DI Ferry, I imagined a barge-like boat going 2mph carrying 50 cars on it. Wrong. Mega wrong. It's a private chartered boat that takes you to/from/around Charleston. Every single time we take the DI Ferry, we see dolphins. Every. Single. Time. It's so beautiful and relaxing to be on the water and really makes me miss my boating days. Also, for those who enjoy spirits, there is a nice bar on board as you're serenaded with beachy country and reggae music. 10/10 would recommend! You can't find a better (or less expensive) way to see Charleston as only a local could.

Best way to get to the island - thanks to Colby for great customer service!…read moreBook early if you're there during a big event!

Awesome service. Friendly, informative and punctual. Happened to have a pod of dolphins around the…read morearea and captain stopped so we could all take videos/ pics. It was great.

This is a great way to get around Charleston and explore different areas and for 17$ it is a great…read moredeal to ride around the harbor just to cool off on a hot and muggy day. The "taxi" goes up close to the USS Yorktown at Patriots point. Below is info from the water taxi Co. Departing hourly from four locations: Waterfront Park, Maritime Center, Patriots Point (USS Yorktown) and Charleston Harbor Resort. Kids $15. One way fare: $13. Click here to purchase tickets online. I paid the 17$ unlimited all day hop on hop off rate.

We had an absolute blast and did a kayak tour - unless you're a practiced kayaker and know your way…read morearound, I would highly suggest it. Worth the extra cost! Graham and Jacob were so patient and knowledgeable. We even got to see dolphins!! If you're thinking you want to go, do it. You won't regret it.

We had such a beautiful day on the water today!! We did a special trip focusing on fossils on the…read moreisland. My first hunt ... found creature bones, shark teeth, turtle shells... all very very old. It was delightful on such a gorgeous day!! The two guides, Jackie and paleontologist Mike were wonderful guides.

We had a wonderful experience with this tour company. Our ticket was purchased online so we were…read moredirected to stand in the loading line. They had blown a generator in the usual boat so we were using a back up, but all people fit comfortably and on and off boarding went very smooth. We sat on the open air deck on the way there and inside on the way back. There were several rangers, volunteers, and crew members to educate, guide, and keep you safe on your journey to and from Ft Sumter. A huge shout out to Victor who we chatted with prior to sailing and had many great tips for us. The staff were entertaining but also very knowledgeable about the history of the area so learning was fun. You only get one hour at the fort and they kindly gather everyone at the end of that hour. I thought an hour was about right.

Husband and I bought tickets online and boarded by the Yorktown naval ship. It was a pleasant…read moreferry ride to Ft Sumter and the National Park staff was knowledgeable and energetic. I felt more aware of the Civil War history and the role of Charleston in the conflict. I would definitely recommend this tour for history buffs! The ferry has outdoor seating on top and indoors with restrooms, drinks, and snacks on bottom.

When I found out you can paddleboard and see dolphins at Shem Creek, I absolutely had to go check…read moreit out. The rentals were reasonably priced from $35-55 for paddleboards and kayaks and are good up to 3 hr use at a time. The staff members got us ready in no time and gave us instructions and quick refresher on how to use the equipment and we were off. We were warned not to step in the mud at the creek as it is sticky, and if you or your pet get stuck in it, it will be difficult to get out. The oyster shells around could also cut you so do not touch or step on it. We were instructed to use our oar to push off the mud and oysters if we got too close. As my husband and I paddled towards the harbor, many boats were coming up and down the creek. It was Memorial Day weekend after all. I was worried this would scare away the dolphins. However, my husband did see two dolphins. I, on the other hand, happened to miss BOTH sightings. I did end up seeing pods of dolphins at the waterfront downtown later that night so I did not feel too upset about it. My husband and I had a great time at Shem Creek and highly recommend using Coastal Expeditions. The prices are fair, their staff were very nice, and they are dog friendly. We had our dog with us and saw a good amount of people kayaking with their dogs as well. There are bathrooms onsite and they are very clean. The onsite bathroom also has a shower, if you want to rinse off after kayaking/paddleboarding. We didn't have trouble with parking however I can see how it could be problematic when it gets more crowded in the later summer months.

Ten out of ten experience with Emma and Caroline here! It was SO simple and quick to book a paddle…read moreboard excursion the day before, and everything went to smoothly. These girls also definitely know what they're doing! The paddle boards are clean and in good shape and you get such a good amount of time out on the water for a good price. Couldn't recommend this place more!

We wanted to experience a harbor cruise while in Charleston. I checked Yelp and found Charleston…read moreHarbor Tours which had good reviews. So I booked our tickets online. I was pleasantly surprised to find free street parking. We boarded the boat and headed out in the harbor. It was a beautiful night on the water and bonus, we got to see the sun set. They played a little music but mostly the captain gave us history of the harbor. We saw some old military ships and a couple of forts and went under the suspension bridge. They sell snacks, alcohol, soda and ice cream. I ordered a Pepsi and a chocolate chip ice cream cookie. And bonus, there is a bathroom on board. The staff was friendly. I would take another cruise with Charleston Harbor Tours.

The sunset cruise was beautiful and the staff were all very nice and helpful. I do feel like the…read morecruise was overbooked, and it was hard to move around or even find a bit of railing to lean against and not be in someone's way. This is a management problem, not a crew problem, unless the crew owns the boat. It was also hard to hear the narration once the crowd of people started talking. What I could hear was well-presented and interesting.

Amazing tour of Charleston! Full of historic information and lots of laughs …read more You won't regret this tour..

I really enjoyed this tour. It was easy to book online and find the meeting spot at the visitor's…read morecenter. The guide was kind, knowledgeable and funny. I love that he used pictures and signs to demonstrate some of the people and information that he was talking about. The bus was clean and comfortable. I learned a lot on this tour and would recommend.

I wonderful way to see Charleston from the water and have a good meal. The food was ok. They serve…read morea three course meal. It included a cup of crab soup, a salad, and a choice of three entrees. Short rib, salmon, or chicken with a side of green beans and mashed potatoes. I opted for the short ribs. They were ok, just needed a little more gravy because they were a tab bit dry. The best park was the view from the boat as the sun set. There was also some live music. Very entertaining. There was also a full service bar. Staff was super friendly and very accommodating.

If there were a 3.5 that's where we'd land. The service was great…read more The food was mediocre. She crab soup might've been the highlight, and that was pretty thick and salty. The salad was not great. Salmon overcooked - but we assumed it would be. Chicken dry and although it said Parmesan crusted, it really wasn't. Short ribs were also dry but probably the best entrée out of the three. Crème brûlée cheesecake was for dessert and that was mediocre as well. The cruise started at seven and sunset was shortly thereafter, so the majority of our time was spent in the dark on the water. It really should've started about an hour or so earlier so everyone could enjoy the scenery. Overall, a fine experience and we really didn't go thinking we'd have amazing food so weren't disappointed.

The IOP marina is and has been a staple of the island forever…read more Need to drop a boat? IOP Marina Need a quick bite? IOP Marina Need some gas before running out? IOP Marina. Need a dock to watch the sunset? You got it, IOP Marina. Tommy and the gang have been keeping it real on the island for as long as any islander can remember. Thank you guys, and keep it up!

When you must insist on some discount when they do not have power…read more.... Poorly managed marina. Arrived as a transient for two days over Christmas. to no electricity - ok we have a generator so that's fine but that also means no perimeter security gates, no Wifi, no lights on piers. Not clean. Animal waste on grass (blame the dog owners but can't site maintenance also help?) hubby says mens bathhouse smells of dead animal and is so filthy he can't use. Layout of marina provides no sight lines from dock office to transient slips, thus no security. Nickel and dime you to on everything- washer, dryer, parking, meters are on the water so soon they will charge for that as well etc. Loud ongoing construction. Slips on the ICW so a passing fishing skiffs and the local ferry rocks and rolls you- all day, all night. Worst marina along entire Intracoastal Waterway. IMHO

When deciding on what night to enjoy a boat rides opted for Weds as the extra ticket cost seemed…read morejustified to cover the cost of a few adult beverages. Sadly, they were unprepared and my friend and I could only enjoy 1 beverage because they ran out within 35 minutes of pulling away from the dock and 15 of this minutes were spent under cover due to heavy rain. Perhaps in the future you allocate 3 tickets per person and you bring in enough seltzer and beer to accommodate for that. Not like it cannot be used the next night

Last night's Margarita Monday sunset sail was so fun! Though tickets are usually $35, ladies get…read more$15 off for this sail, which is 2 hours and includes complimentary bottled water, sodas, snacks (chips&salsa, mini taco things, cookies), and margaritas! They also have a cash bar for beer and wine. The staff (only 2 of them) were fun and upbeat. Of course when you're on a catamaran with 20-100 people and only one person is serving margaritas from a beverage cooler, it's gonna be slow-going, but after the initial line weans down its easy to get a drink (until it runs out...which it did less than halfway through the trip)! Because of that, the captain took $2 of the price of Pinot Grigio...nice, but not the same as complimentary margaritas. The best part was climbing up top with my girl friends to sit near the sails! The different view and having to duck when they jived the sails made it more unique. Though it was raining in other parts of Charleston all day, we got lucky with nice, cool weather (though light cloud coverage did block the sunset a bit). We definitely want to come back in the future! The Palmetto Breeze takes off from Red's on Shem Creek at 6:30 (when the dolphins are OUT). It's probably best to buy your tickets online before the day of the event, but we were able to snag some spaces/pay the captain on the dock. Oh, and don't forget to take a picture behind the captains wheel and blow the conch shell.