Is it a sign that I've hit peak middle age when attending a guided walking tour is the highlight of…read morea vacation? Was the rest of our trip so underwhelming that our excursion with Lowcountry Walking Tours exceeded all other expectations? Perhaps we just lucked out with the optimal factors to catapult our urban trek to a noteworthy high. I can't point my finger at any particular indicator that the rest of our Charleston trip was subpar, so I'm concluding that our tour was truly outstanding. First off, the late-January weather was flawless; it was perfect for spending a few sun-drenched mid-morning hours strolling around Charleston's French Quarter. Second, Captain Jim kept us entertained with enchanting history lessons, snappy quips, and fascinating details we would have undoubtedly overlooked as unwitting tourists. Finally, we'd opted for the Hidden Alleyways and Passages tour and it did exactly what it says on the tin. We wandered down tucked-away paths that I never would have thought were accessible to the public (let alone take me anywhere desirable). If you're visiting Charleston and looking for an affordable way to learn about the city and obtain a deeper appreciation for its rich history, I unhesitatingly recommend Lowcountry Walking Tours.

Wonderful and knowledgeable tour guide! The tour was interesting and informative! Highly recommend!read more

The tour was lovely with unexpected pleasures. Laura, our host and guide, grew up in Charleston and…read morewas educated at the College of Charleston. She knows the history, the architecture and the stories of Charleston. She also delights with tidbits from other sources that provide another lens through which to consider the history and charm of the South, its people and Charleston. Through stories and sources, Laura places Charleston in the broader global happenings of the time. After the private homes and gardens, the morning ends with an 18th century luncheon -- the table and menu transporting its guests to another time. It is an unusual and enjoyable experience. Martha P

This is absolutely not worth $150. Maybe $50. Do not waste your money. The tour was…read moreunprofessionally managed. I reserved in April for June. I confirmed the day before, when I reminded her and asked for payment acceptance (she only accepts check or cash). When we showed up, she stated that she wasn't expecting my group of four, but I showed her our text exchanges, she apologized and said that she thought that she was exchanging with the other couple of ladies that were scheduled, but she had enough for us. Her van was dirty and one side of the van did not open at all, so we had to crawl through van to get in (the average age of both parties was 60 years old). The tour was only supposed to last a couple of hours, but it lasted over four hours. I expected to see beautiful homes and gardens, but she constantly rambled about her family and constantly name-dropped people that we had no clue of, because we are not from Charleston. The owner of one of the three houses that we visited, either didn't want us there or wasn't expecting us, for she rushed us out, because she had an "appointment" in ten minutes and she wasn't a very pleasant host. I felt uncomfortable there because of the vibes from her. I was surprised that the tour guide didn't make a better effort at cleaning her bathroom, knowing that she was having guests. We were only served one type of tea during teatime and a couple of our tea cups were chipped. This tour is a great concept but is poorly executed. Only one garden that she showed us, out of the three or four, was worth visiting. Oh, I forgot to mention, she told us that a family was not home, but if we hurry up and are quiet, we can go onto their property to see their garden, and then she left to get the van. Needless to say, that one of us went onto their property (because we would've been trespassing).

Great little bus tour of Charleston! My wife and I were visiting, and quite frankly it was too hot…read moreand too humid to walk around. So, we opted for an air conditioned bus tour which gave us the historic highlights and a great overview of the various neighborhoods. The tour guide was very knowledgeable, and we enjoyed her friendliness and helpful bits and pieces of information. There were points of interest that we later came back to on foot, so the bus tour gave us some good information to help narrow down what we might be interested in.

As a native Charlestonian, I was looking forward to a girls-group excursion - a local field trip of…read moresorts. Little did I know that I would learn so much about the city that I have lived in my entire life! Our tour guide, Kim, was welcoming, knowledgeable, and humorous. On every street I learned something new. The tour bus is comfy, clean, and air-conditioned (a must in the Lowcountry). I need to go on the tour again so my brain can retain some of my new-found historical facts. Thank you, Charms of Charleston, for a memorable day.

Did this our first night in Charleston and had a blast. Not only was Jo a fantastic tour guide,…read morebut our entire group was just a nice bunch of people from all over the United States and all had interesting stories themselves to share. It was great getting to know Charleston history, Jo, and our super fun group members for the night while having a few cocktails. We highly recommend!

WARNING-Inappropriate physical contact- This is a 0 star review for the Charleston Haunted Booze…read moreand Boos Ghost Walking Tour. During this tour, the tour guide Jo, without consent, aggressively slapped my buttocks. I was extremely shocked at this behavior. I have sent two emails to the company and have filed a complaint with Nightly Spirits but have not received a resolution to date. This review is to warn others to NOT use this company.

I casually came across this tour a few months ago, and reached out to some friends to see if anyone…read morewould come along. We had a very small group - as we went at 11am on a Friday. However, it was so much fun! It was just us and Emmaline, our tour guide. Emmaline was such a kind, sweet and fun young lady. Glad we had her. She took us to several shops along King Street, and wow did we shop;) I cannot recommend this tour enough!!!

We visited Charleston this weekend for a bachelorette party and had stumbled across this suggestion…read moresomewhere online. The concept is great; get a guided tour of the best little shops on King Street while sipping champagne...perfect right? Well, it started out pretty great w kickoff at The Restoration...gorgeous building w cute little boutiques filled w all kinds of local goodies. We were offered two cups of champagne (yes, little plastic cups) and then we began the rest of our tour. Next on the route was Kendra Scott, which was disappointing because this is not a Charleston specific shop but it was still nice to browse. Unfortunately the drink on this spot was a 1/3 cup of Truly, berry flavored. Not great. Then we moved onto Savannah Bee which again isn't local to Charleston but it was AWESOME. Best stop on the tour, the girl working was fantastic and sampling the mead was so much fun. Next we went to a little boutique whose name I don't recall and while it was very specific to Charleston, it was not our style. There, we were offered bottles of water. Last on the stop was a place called V2V and we got bad vibes from the owner, even being told we couldn't hang out long because the owner gets overwhelmed w the people on the tours. There we were offered a 1/3 cup of wine. All in all, I felt like it was not a great deal for the money ($45). The advertisements made it seem like we would have a lot of drinks on the route and I definitely don't feel like we got $45 of drinks or historical information, especially when we collectively tipped about $75...not worth $500ish, for sure l. Would definitely recommend just buying your own drinks and wandering around downtown to all the shops that draw your eye!

Excellent tour! Martha is an anthropologist and is very friendly and interesting to talk to. She…read morewas open to questions and we greatly enjoyed our tour. I actually grew up in Charleston and have taken various other tours over the years but Martha told me many interesting things that I had never heard. I feel like I understand the city I grew up in and really our country's history a bit better too after just a two hour tour. Martha gives good perspective and connects things together in a way that gives you a much better understanding. Instead of just telling you what something is, she explains why it's that way. Like why is there stucco over brick here, both environmentally and culturally? I'm very glad I chose this tour and would definitely recommend her to anyone.

This 2 hour walking tour will give you a true understanding of the history of Charleston. Martha…read moredoes an amazing job pointing out all the highlights, facts, and history of the city. She can trace her roots back to the 1600's, so she is a true expert of Charleston. My wife and I are avid walkers and enjoyed the 1.5 mile walk through the city. Even if you aren't in good shape, this walking tour is fairly easy. Just wear comfortable walking shoes. We highly recommend Martha and Charleston Perspective Walking Tour!!

Cute little museum featuring some of the history of South Carolina…read more Interesting actual historical pieces and some fun interactive exhibits as well. We were here for the historical dinner and so our museum tour was self guided and we probably missed a lot.

The informative museum is located on Washington Square in downtown. Plan to spend about 30 to 45…read moreminutes here and maybe even longer depending on how fast and how much you choose to read. There is also an informative video. The museum is fairly small and very easy to navigate and it features several galleries that focus on different periods of South Carolina history. There is a predominant focus on Charleston history as well. There is a Gift Shop that features South Carolina and Charleston themed products . If the museum inspires you, you also have the option to become a member of the South Carolina historical Society. It's inexpensive and it gives you unlimited access to the museum and other historical sites.

Review #2 of my Charleston vacation 20-plus Review Challenge:…read more I find the Gray Line City Tour a fun way to become acquainted with a city. On our leading full day in Charleston, we partook in the Gray Line City Tour. From the Transit Shed behind the Charleston Visitor Center we boarded the vehicle for the approximately 90 minute ride. It was a 25-passenger air conditioned shuttle bus. It was a contrast from the double-decker Gray Line bus on the Nashville City tour. The adult ticket price was $33. Alan was our Tour Guide. With the credentials of a City of Charleston certified Tour Guide he was very resourceful and enthusiastic about the City's history. Within the 90-minute tour, I came out learning a lot about the City of Charleston while taking in the sights. The tour covered several points of interest from the Charleston Visitor Center at the north to the Battery at the tip of the peninsula. The points of interest included narration and views of: The Nathaniel Russel House Colonial Lake Rainbow Row Four Corners of Law The former Arsenal The Battery Water vista toward Fort Sumter Market Street and City Market The French Quarter Charleston Museum Antebellum houses Marion Square On account of the fact that the tour was not full, Alan directed us to sit in the middle seats to get the best view. From my experience sitting near the right side window; I would like to share that this is the side of the minibus where you will see the view of Charleston Harbor spread towards Fort Sumter and the Atlantic Ocean, the Nathaniel Russell House, Charleston Museum, Marion Square, and numerous points of interest.* One thing I would like to add is that we saw very little of King Street and none of the Ashley River. There was only one stop. At the Battery, Alan asked if anyone wanted to step outside to take pictures. I was the only one that left the vehicle to take in the glorious waterscape stretched to Fort Sumter and the Atlantic Ocean. I am glad that I did because I never got the chance to return to the scenic southernmost tip of Charleston. When we returned to the Charleston Visitor Center, I had a newfound knowledge and familiarity about Charleston. That justifies my "Four Stars" rating for the Gray Line Charleston City Tour. - - - - - - - - - *Please note that it is possible for a Tour Guide to switch things up.

We took the historical tour with Gray Line, and our driver Valerie was a total vibe! A little wild…read more(which I loved--my husband maybe not so much), full of knowledge, and you could feel how much she loved sharing it. And let me tell you -- Valerie drove like a boss! Tight turns, narrow streets, no problem. She handled that bus like it was nothing. No way would I drive my own car down here! If you get Valerie, you're in for a treat. She makes history come alive and keeps you smiling the whole way. Who's the special tip... if you need to talk on the bus while she's sharing whisper! Hahahaha