Private Horse & Carriage Tour Charleston: Historic City Market

Fifty minutes through Charleston's historic streets in a private carriage

A private horse and carriage tour of Charleston accommodates up to 4 guests in a vis-à-vis carriage, departing from and returning to the Historic City Market with a professional driver and guide. The route is determined by a City of Charleston Tourism official on the day of travel. Service animals are welcome, and infants may sit on an adult's lap.

Step-by-step itinerary

Private horse and carriage tour

• Begin near Historic City Market
• Enjoy private carriage ride
• End near Historic City Market

The experience

Your tour begins near the Historic City Market in downtown Charleston. You'll ride in a private vis-à-vis carriage, the kind with facing bench seats, which means up to four of you can see the streets and squares together without splitting up between vehicles. A professional driver and guide leads the route, and because it's private, the pace and stops are yours alone, not shared with other groups.

The route itself changes based on what a City of Charleston Tourism official determines on the day you travel, so you won't know the exact streets ahead of time. That means the tour adapts to conditions and events in the city, but it also means you can't lock in a specific itinerary in advance. The whole experience runs 50 minutes, long enough to move through several neighborhoods without the tour feeling rushed or stretched thin.

You'll return to the Historic City Market where you started. The tour does not include hotel pickup or dropoff, so you'll need to get yourself to the market to meet the carriage. If you're staying nearby or have a car, that's straightforward. If you're relying on rideshare or walking, check the distance from your hotel first.

What’s included

• Professional driver and guide in English.
• local taxes.
• private vis-à-vis carriage for 1–4 people.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day7 departure times: the first at 09:30, the last at 17:00

Book up to12h before

GroupPrivate

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.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Carolina Polo and Carriage Company

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see Charleston from a carriage without coordinating pickups or sharing the ride with other groups. The private format means the stops and pace stay yours, and a professional guide handles the route while you focus on the city itself.

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Top questions

Can I bring my service animal on the carriage tour?

Service animals are allowed on the private horse and carriage tour, so your service dog can ride with you in the carriage.

What happens if I have an infant? Do they need their own seat?

Infants are not required to have a separate seat. They can sit on an adult's lap during the 50-minute tour.

Where does the tour start and end?

The tour begins and ends at the Historic City Market in downtown Charleston. Hotel pickup and dropoff are not included, so you'll need to arrange your own transport to the market.

How many people can fit in one private carriage?

One private carriage accommodates 1 to 4 people, and you reserve one carriage per booking at checkout regardless of group size.

Will I know the route ahead of time?

The route is chosen on the day of travel by a City of Charleston Tourism official and is out of the operator's control, so the specific streets and stops cannot be guaranteed in advance.