Was great tour, Mary Ellen was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, kind, and very helpful. It rained on us in the middle of the tour and she took great care to time our inside cover during the rain. She even offered to make different arrangements or accommodations because of the rain. She did what most business people Would do in treating their guest properly. That's the difference when you use a small company owned or a large business orientated mind that hires other people To tour you. The price was very fair and reasonable compared to the other companies. I highly recommend. read more

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Someone I work with highly recommended this tour and it was a fantastic experience. Mary Helen made every minute entertaining and educational. She adeptly wove her own personal stories and those of the others in the group into a well-constructed narrative. The city really came to life in a unique and charming way and was a highlight of my visit. Great tour for anyone looking for an authentic perspective from a city native. read more

Love the lady that did our tour, but the tour itself wasn't that great. She knew a lot about the history, which was nice. She walked very fast, leaving some of us behind. Couldn't hear her over all the city noise. No microphone. We didn't see any gardens. Walked thru some alleys. Did not go to the waterfront to the nice area by the fountains. Did not go thru any cemeteries. I was hoping for more. read more

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We had a fabulous tour with Therese! She was knowledgeable, fun, and very friendly and welcoming to each person in the group. We'd highly recommended taking this walking tour, a beautiful way to spend a couple hours walking and touring the city while learning of its history. read more

Excellent tour! We learned so much. Mary Helen was our tour guide. The pace and communication was great. She was very informative. She took time to learn everyone's name and would periodically refer to them - very personalized. She provided water 1/2 way through the tour. We really enjoyed ourselves. Charleston should be honored to have you representing them! Some tips for the tour - if it is hot outside, bring a water bottle and bring or wear mosquito spray. Thank you Two Sisters Tours! read more

Two Sisters Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I fell in love with the city of Charleston and I was not surprised. Anyone who loves history and fine food would. To be enjoyed appropriately, a city like Charleston needs to be experienced on foot. I think n my own walked for miles, admiring the architecture dropping in to see historical houses, cafes, and stores. One of the highlights of my stay was Two Sisters Tours. Two sisters, Mary Helen and Therese, actually conduct these tours. They are true locals, their family having been in Charleston since 1793. The sisters each took a tour of about 20 people concurrently. These are not just Southern belles. The sister I was with (Mary Helen I think?) was a lawyer until she and her sister decided to share their knowledge full time). Although I took the tour in the summer, in the steaming heat, the time flew by. We walked around the streets of Charleston and Mary Helen entertained us with the Charleston's rich history and personal anecdotes. Highly recommend and would do again! read more

Outstanding experience- MaryHelen was so enjoyable. Loved every minute of the tour. She memorized 20 peoples names and where we are from- and included us throughout the tour. Approx two hour tour... lots of great information, history and knowledge shared throughout. You really can't miss with these ladies. read more

Our guide Therese, provided our family group of 18, a fabulous tour of Charleston. She shared her knowledge of the city's history with integrity and with humor. What a joy to be part of her tour. Thank you, Therese. read more

This is a unique tour that brings more than the dates and events of Charleston's past as the guides are life long Charleston residents with family lineage that dates back over a century. This adds a personal perspective,even a bit of historical gossip and insights, that are brought up at random moments of the tour. Plus these sisters know so many different people that during the tour you'll be stopped by one of their neighbors, former clients or friend's child back home for a visit, all with the courtesy of a brief introduction. This has some advantage , for during our tour, a family friend invited the tour into their beautiful house to see the antiques and hear the family history. If you want a tour lead by community members who care about their city take this one. read more

I was in Charleston for less than 48 hours just before New Year's. Tourists and locals alike could join a tour and benefit from Mary Helen's lifelong enthusiasm for her hometown. She's an engaging storyteller who capably discusses Charleston past and present. The tour is very well-designed, and I felt like I saw a lot of the city. However, Mary Helen made 2 comments that left a stain on the tour for me. I don't want to misquote her, but I know that she said something very close to "we beat ourselves up now, but slavery was just the way it was back then." Wrong is wrong, even if it was the way of the South. I do not appreciate comments excusing the enslavement of human beings. I feel I should make that known to others considering the tour. read more

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I can not even say how amazing Mary Helen was on our tour today ! She is beautiful , extremely entertaining and sooooo knowledgeable. We enjoyed every second of her read more

our tour was very nice with Mary Helen! they're locals & know everything about Charleston!! it was over 2 hours long, we had plenty of time to take in everything & learn so much. read more

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Some friends of ours used Two Sisters a couple years ago and raved about them. They lived up to the hype! I doubt any other tour guide is as knowledgeable about Charleston- or loves it as much. Therese seemed to know every person we passed, calling out 'he-ey girl!' in her beautiful Southern drawl. She welcomed questions and always knew the answers, providing back stories to many people and places that you won't find in history books. Loved every second! read more

9-14-2021 was our wedding anniversary- We had never been to Charleston. We knew we loved Savannah, but after 2 days had not picked up the vibe of Charleston. Local residents said to take the two sisters tour. So Day 3 , 9-14-2021 - we found ourselves at 80 Broad St. ... Mary Helen delighted us with trivia and facts. We went thru hidden walkways and alleys. We loved the history. what is A single house? Highly recommend this tour. Smiles from Orlando! Tim and Mary read more

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Our group of four joined Mary Helen as our guide on the Two Sisters walking tour. The tour was 2+ hours, and gave a great behind the scenes look at historical Charleston. Mary Helen was very knowledgable, humorous and spunky. Easy to book - cash payment on the day of the tour. Highly recommend! read more

So glad we started our Charleston visit with Mary Helen. She brings a wealth of knowledge to her tours along with an obvious love of the people and this city. You get doused with both. We appreciated how she wove the strands of history together. Definitely helped us decide what else we wanted to explore. Please note: this historic downtown tour would be very difficult for those with certain mobility issues. read more

Just completed our tour with Mary Helen. She was absolutely fantastic. Charleston is clearly her town and her passion for the city comes through. She talks from personal experience and shares her stories of what it was like to grow up here in the city she truly loves. Mary Helen works hard to make it a personal experience and pulls from the people on the tour to relate the history of Charleston to the homes of the people on the tour. A highly recommended tour for anyone who is interested in learning more about Charleston. read more

Amazing job! This is a must if you're going to Charleston, Mary does a great job of teaching you about the city. She is also extremely friendly and energetic! read more

Mary Helen - she is a pistol! She committed every person's name on the 20 person tour to memory. It was a great tour, it took about 35 mins longer than the 2 hour time frame. She has both historical knowledge and personal knowledge of growing up in town. So many local people walking the streets gave her a friendly "hello" (Formerly she was an attorney in town and gave that up to run this tour with her sister) Highly recommend. read more

Mary Helen is AMAZING. We booked a Two Sisters Tour of the historic district of Charleston. We all met on a blazing hot day in June. The tour started by meeting in a park and Mary Helen was quickly was able to remember everyone's name (very impressive). Mary Helen is a native of Charleston and loves having everyone in town visiting. It was cool to get the have the tour led by a native, because we got a perspective of how things had changed over the years form someone who had experienced the change. We zig-zagged around the historical district of Charleston and learned about the Churches, Government buildings and the amazing houses (with even more amazing planter boxes!!). There were great details about buildings and churches and "architecturally unique" things in the historical district of Charleston. I would definitely recommend this walking tour if you are in the area and want to learn something. read more

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Most pleasurable tour I've done in a long while. Don't even look at other tours, this is the one! So fun, really a good time and the best way to learn about the city. read more

Mary Helen was fantastic! Her family goes back 7 generations in Charleston which gives her a unique and personal perspective. She captured our attention right at the start by blending interesting historic facts with her gift of storytelling. Wear comfortable shoes; Mary Helen takes you down some charming cobblestone streets, into some private gardens and through some pathways that show you glimpses of historic features you could never see on your own. Thank you Mary Helen, this tour was a highlight of my trip! read more

There were 20 people in the tour. It was very hard to hear the guide. The info she provided was rather dry and mostly superficial - what I'd read in my guide book. She seemed to spend more time trying to remember our names vs enlightening us. Her recommendation on how to further explore the life of enslaved humans was a bust- the house she recommended had very little history. We did not have correct change to pay and it was hard to get our $10 change back - she asked in a loud voice in front of everyone whether we wanted a little something back. Then she couldn't find change even though we saw $10s and $5s in her wad. I recommend another guide group. This one was not interesting at all. Unless you're interested in hearing all about real estate prices. read more

We've been coming to Charleston for 25+ years and are a family of history buffs. We've been on many tours of Charleston and this was the ideal balance of social history and local insight presented with energy, humor and intelligence. This was no memorized spiel but, rather, a story of religion, architecture, history, race and sense of place. Bravo, Two Sisters read more

Educational & entertaining! Therese was an amazing tour guide & the fact that she was born & raised in Charleston & knew many Of the people we saw on our tour made it very personal. I would do the same tour again -- my 24-year-old daughter, SIL & 20-year-old niece loved the experience, too. read more

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Outstanding! I'm not usually a "tour guy" but I'm glad my wife arranged for it. This was our 3rd visit to the city but we had just poked around on our own the first two times. The tour really added a lot to our knowledge of this beautiful historical city. Mary Helen was great, knew all of our names as well as just about everyone we encountered over the course of 2 1/2 hours. There was even a little singing and dancing. Everyone on tour was very nice and many had very insightful questions about what we had seen. We ended in the afternoon, just in time for happy hour! read more

Mary was an amazing tour guide, went out of her way to learn names and where everyone was visiting from (impressive!), and genuinely shared her passion and knowledge for her hometown. She seemed to enjoy giving the tour as much as those paying for it, and took her time to engage with everyone throughout the 2+ hours. Highly recommend this tour service! read more

This was my wife and I's first time in Charleston. What better way to "see" the town than a walking tour. But which one, there are so many. Spoke to friends and neighbors (We live in Myrtle Beach so only a medium drive) and all recommended Two Sisters. The 5 star listing in Yelp just sealed the deal. Anyway we toured with Mary Helen this past Monday morning and it was fantastic. It was so much fun and we learned a lot. It was fast paced and we covered a lot of ground so be prepared. They gave us a bottle of water half way through which was a nice touch. We will be going back with the kids and grandchildren and will be doing this agian. Cannot wait :-) read more

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I couldn't have imagined my first trip to Charleston without Mary Helen's brilliant introduction to the rich history and culture of this great city! Mary Helen is certainly a one of a kind tour guide. Trained as a lawyer, she brings together the most interesting facts of war, slave trade, piracy, Southern society and the hard work of the people to revive Charleston from devastation after the Civil War. Thanks for making each one of us on the tour smarter than we were yesterday and for your warm hospitality! read more

The sisters are brilliant retired lawyers and sixth generation Charleston residents. Mary Helen knew every name in the first five minutes of the tour. She told us right off the bat, "I walk fast, I talk fast. You get two hours of tours in two." She knows everyone, everyone. You'll hear her say hello to many folks on the tour. Including Lori, or another of the sweet grass weavers she knows. Excellent tour. Go. read more

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This was by far the best walking tour I've ever taken. We were in Charleston last week, and had Therese for our guide. She was funny, engaging, energetic, and very informative! The two hours flew by, and I was sad when it was over! Since she has lived in Charleston her whole life, she also threw in some food and shopping recommendations while giving a lot of historical context to the city. Finally, Therese took two seconds to memorize everyone's name, where they were from, and other facts about them. She would then use those tidbits to tell stories you could relate to. I would definitely book the Two Sisters when you visit Charleston! read more

We had guests from out of town that had expressed interest in learning some of the Charleston history; we had previously received more than a couple recommendations for Two Sisters Walking Tour so we decided to take them there. The four of us were part of a group of approximately twenty. Our tour started in the park outside of city hall on Broad Street. Our guide, Mary Helen was amazing, she quickly remembered not only all our names but also where each of us are from. Throughout the tour she mentioned everyone by name completely from memory. Mary Helen mentioned that she's a seventh generation Charlestonian (a beenya) while most if not all of us are comeyas... For those not familiar, Beenya means "been here" and Comeya means "come hear". Natives are considered Beenyas. Being the seventh generation, Mary Helen is most certainly a beenya. She is the nicest tour guide you'll meet and knows quite a bit about the history of Charleston. The tour was a little over two hours where Mary Helen tells you a lot about the city as well as the various architecture styles and what drove the changes over the years. Anyone interested in that would truly enjoy this trip. read more

Oh, My, what a delightful morning on our Two Sisters Tour of historic Charleston. Sister, Mary Helen, took us on an educational journey through Charleston from its founding days to today. She has a wealth of personal experiences that she eagerly shared with us. I highly recommend this great tour. read more

Two Sisters Tours - #TravelingSisterhood2020 with Mary Helen ofTwo Sisters Tours - Historical Tours Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

My family and I really enjoyed our tour of Charleston! Therese was not only knowledgeable but very friendly! She learned everyone's names quickly! She and her family are Charleston natives and they really know all there is to know about the city. She showed us some wonderful places and taught us a lot of interesting information. She made it personalized and catered to the group as well. As we were walking she literally saw so many people she knew, showing how respected and well know she and her family is to the town of Charleston. I highly recommend this tour! We really enjoyed our walk with Therese :) read more

Booked this tour during a trip with my own sisters. Therese was wonderful tour guide - she remembered our names and where we were from, and incorporated that into the tour. She was enthusiastic and very knowledgeable about her city. We appreciated her advice on what else to see in and around the city. Highly recommend going on a tour with these sisters! read more

My friend Katherine (TN) and I (MO) have visited Charleston, SC every year for the past five years and love it so much. One of our favorite things to do is to take a different walking tour each time. In May 2017 we chose Two Sisters and were delighted to meet Mary Helen. She is a 7th generation Charlestonian, and a kind, fun, southern lady. She immediately memorized everyone's names/states, referring to them regularly throughout the tour. She even took the extra time to wait and bring up to speed a group of three that was running late. Mary Helen's tour covered many of the major landmarks and events (architecture, wars, natural disasters, rebuilding) but also gave a fun "insiders" perspective. You can tell that she is not simply quoting a script but referencing a ton of personal experience, information, and relationships that are a part of her. A special treat during our particular tour was - when I asked - showing us the home and neighborhood where she grew up. This added time to our tour, but everyone was more than happy for the additional information/experience! Thank you, Mary Helen :) By the end of the tour, you will feel like you are simply taking in the city with a local friend. I highly recommend it! It will be a highlight of your time in Charleston. read more

Loved loved loved this tour! Mary Helen was super informative and so enthusiastic. It was so cool to learn about Charleston from someone whose family has been a part of the city for so long. It was an excellent 2 and 1/2 hours and I would highly recommend!!!! read more

Therese is fabulous!! She is a fountain of historical knowledge, has great tips on how to best spend your time in Charleston (mine was limited so that was helpful) In terms of food, drinks and activities. It was very interesting and entertaining! I now see Charleston through new eyes! Thank you Therese! read more

Mary Helen (one of the two sisters) & Kelley lead our tour and it was wonderful! Logistically, Mary Helen knows her way around the city impeccably, times indoor visits for just the right amount of time and she will take care of what you need (e.g., suggesting a bathroom location) when walking. What I found most enjoyable was that she explained the history in an easy-to-follow way, without throwing too much detail and too many facts. I walked away learning what Charleston was like during its different periods and also developed an appreciation of how the city rebuilt itself after every unfortunate incident - either weather or war. Highly recommended tour to those who love to learn, by walking, seeing, touching and listening! read more

We had a great 2 hour walking tour with Therese on a brisk Saturday morning in February. She was friendly, funny, fun, and knowledgeable (and a 7th generation Charlestonian with a lot of city pride). The tour dealt with Charleston's slave holding past and ill-gotten gains with a decent level of acknowledgement. I loved seeing all the charming downtown architecture, learning some Gullah terms, and getting a sense of the city's history which goes back to pre-Revolutionary days. I'd recommend this tour (but get a receipt for your cash payment or make sure she marks it down - there was a snafu at the end where she said we hadn't paid even though we had paid before the tour - never nice to be one of the only POC in the group and be accused of cheating!). read more