Sightseeing & Tours in and near Charleston, SC

For a city surrounded on three sides by rivers, inlets, and bays, you’d think the Charleston tours scene would stop at the water’s edge. Sometimes, however, they keep rolling right into the surf. In addition to the amphibious Duck Tours, which start on land and end up in the harbor, the area offers a variety of sightseeing opportunities off the pier. Cruises with Adventure Harbor Tours and Charleston Harbor Tours also take you beyond where the streets finish, exploring the nearby marshes and giving you a look at dolphins, herons, and osprey. If you really don’t want to get your feet wet, though, you can stick with landlubbing adventures including tours of the nearby Charleston plantations, such as Magnolia Plantation, which showcases a 19th Century home, rice fields, and a swamp garden.