Beaufort Horse Drawn Carriage Tour: 55 minutes of history

Three centuries of Beaufort unfold from the carriage seat

A 55-minute narrated horse drawn carriage tour through Old Beaufort's historic district, where a live guide shares the town's role in the American Revolution, Civil War and plantation life while you pass antebellum homes, Victorian cottages and century-old live oak trees draped in Spanish moss. The tour covers all major historical sites including St. Helena's Anglican Church, founded in 1712, and The Point neighborhood. All fees and taxes are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Historical Horse Drawn Carriage Tour

• Hear about St. Helena’s Church history
• See church graveyard and founding fathers
• Ride through Old Beaufort Historic District
• View live oak trees and historic houses
• Learn Beaufort’s 300+ years history
• Pass through Old Point neighborhood

The experience

You board a blue carriage pulled by gentle horses and settle in for a slow meander through the backstreets of Old Beaufort. The guide narrates as you pass the homes and churches that shaped 300 years of American history, from early Colonial settlements through the American Revolution, plantation life, the Civil War and Reconstruction to the present day. The pace is unhurried: you hear the clippity-clop of hooves on pavement and have time to actually look at the architecture instead of rushing past it.

St. Helena's Anglican Church, founded in 1712, is a key stop where the guide explains the church's role in Beaufort's founding and points out the graveyard where soldiers and founding fathers are buried. The tour then winds through The Point neighborhood under the branches of live oak trees draped in Spanish moss, where most of the antebellum and Victorian houses are concentrated. You see century-old cottages, beautiful gardens and the physical layers of the town's past without having to navigate the streets yourself.

The entire tour runs 55 minutes and includes all fees and taxes. Service animals are welcome, and infants can sit on an adult's lap. The guide speaks English and shares not just history but folklore, legends and stories about Hollywood films shot in Beaufort: the kind of local knowledge you would not find on a walking tour or a map.

What’s included

• 55-minute narrated tour in a horse drawn blue carriage.
• live English-speaking guide sharing Beaufort's history, folklore and local stories.
• passage by St. Helena's Anglican Church, The Point neighborhood and all major historical sites in Old Beaufort.
• all fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: the first at 10:40, the last at 14:00

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Child (4 to 12 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupUp to 16

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Southurn Rose Carriage Tours

Is this one for you?You're in Beaufort for an afternoon or a few hours and want to see the historic district without walking. The carriage does the route while you listen and look, so you cover the whole old town and its 300 years of history in under an hour without navigating streets or managing the pace yourself.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 12 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What happens at St. Helena's Anglican Church on this tour?

St. Helena's Anglican Church, founded in 1712, is where the guide explains the church's role in Beaufort's founding and points out the graveyard from the carriage, sharing stories about soldiers and founding fathers buried there.

How long is the horse drawn carriage tour?

The tour lasts 55 minutes and covers all the major historical sites in Old Beaufort at a slow, relaxed pace.

What neighborhoods and streets does the carriage pass through?

The tour meanders through the backstreets of Old Beaufort's historic district and The Point neighborhood, passing under century-old live oak trees draped in Spanish moss and by antebellum and Victorian houses.

What time periods of history does the guide cover?

The guide shares Beaufort's history from early Colonial settlements through the American Revolution, plantation life, the Civil War, Reconstruction and into the 20th century to today.

Are service animals allowed on the carriage?

Yes, service animals are allowed on the tour, and infants can sit on an adult's lap.