Visit historic Fort Sumter in Charleston, the site of the battle which signified the start of the American Civil War. This tour is provided by the only operator within the city that includes both round trip ferry service in addition to entry into Fort Sumter. Enjoy a scenic 30-minute cruise each way along Charleston Harbor from two convenient departure locations, Liberty Square and Patriots Point. On the way, view top Charleston sites such as Rainbow Row and the Battery from your ferry. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by National Park Rangers who will relay stories of America's deadliest war before your 1-hour self-guided tour of Fort Sumter National Monument. Make sure to leave time for a stop at the museum and souvenir shop before making your way back to Charleston or Mt. Pleasant.

Fort Sumter National Monument Admission Ticket with Round Trip Ferry Service
Ferry departure from two convenient locations, Liberty Square and Patriots Point
30-minute scenic ferry ride each way along Charleston Harbor
1-Hour Self Guided Tour of Fort Sumter and its ruins
Hear stories of the American Civil War from Fort Sumter's National Park Rangers
Access to the Museum, Bookstore, and Souvenir Shop

What's Included

Admission to historic Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina
Round-Trip Ferry Transportation from Liberty Square or Patriots Point (30-minutes each way)
1-hour Self-Guided Tour to explore Fort Sumter and its well-preserved ruins
Experience the opening battle of the American Civil War with a National Park Ranger
Access to the Fort Sumter Museum, Bookstore, and Souvenir Shop

Food & Beverages (available for purchase)
Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

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End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Fort Sumter National Monument

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center

Admission Ticket Free

Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Pass By)

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum (Pass By)

Fort Moultrie (Pass By)

Battery & White Point Gardens (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Most travellers can participate
The ferries are equipped with an elevator/lift and handicapped accessible restrooms. The Liberty Square boarding ramp can accommodate electric & manual wheelchairs and scooters except in extreme tide situations. Although the restrooms on Fort Sumter are accessible only by climbing a flight of stairs, the ferry remains at the Fort so that restrooms on the boat are available during your visit.

There is currently no Elevator Service at Fort Sumter – the museum, restrooms, bookstore and top level of Fort Sumter are only accessible by climbing stairs.
Please note the Fort Sumter Tour is a boat excursion dependent on changing weather and tide conditions, Fort Sumter Tours cannot and does not guarantee accessibility. Ramps used to access the ferry can vary based on tides and adverse conditions.
Tours run rain or shine. Only the Captain has the final say as to whether he feels it needs to be canceled due to weather. That decision is made at the time of departure and throughout the duration of the tour.
3:30 tour departing from Patriots Point is a 3 hour tour in total time
Charleston County has now dropped into a medium risk level for Covid-19, therefore masks are not required, but optional.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 385 travellers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.

Traveller Photos

Featured review

Mary_S

What an AWESOME experience! It was a beautiful & peaceful ferry ride! We enjoyed the views of the bridge & the city, the bay, and the boats going by. The ferry ride did get pretty windy and chilly so I recommend bringing a jacket, but I was okay without one despite that I am typically always cold. We learned so much during the trip; on the ferry ride as we passed certain locations they had facts play over the speakers, and while we were at the fort the Park Ranger gave a very informative speech (about 10 to 15 minutes) about the history of the fort and all that happened there. Throughout the fort there are signs that teach you quite a bit too about each area. We appreciated being in a place with such rich history! The Fort is so well taken care of and has incredible views. The Park Rangers are very knowledgeable and friendly, and the ferry staff was great, as well. We wished would have had longer to explore the Fort; you are given an hour (We still got to see pretty much the whole Fort and enjoy the experience. It would have been even better to have an hour & a half to 2 hours because there is so much to see, read & learn, as well as to to just take in the views & what all happened there.). It was an Unforgettable and Great experience! We absolutely recommend it!!!

Reviews

4.5

1,118 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travellers.

Showing 1-10 of 1,118 reviews

Great part of American History

Daryl_S, Sept 2023

It was a great visit to an important part of American history. Enjoyed learning what really happened

Tour of Fort Sumter

Darlene_S, Sept 2023

Booking the trip was a bit confusing when I did not understand that there were two loading locations. Once I got that straight, everything went smoothly. The ferry ride was interesting as the ranger told some of the history of the fort and its surroundings. The tour of the fort was self-guided, but there were rangers in various locations to answer questions and give additional information. It was a very interesting and quite pleasant tour. All of the park personnel were courteous and professional.

History on display

GeeksOnTour, Sept 2023

The rangers were very informative and friendly. It was a very smooth ride to the island. We saw dolphins on the ride. The fort is so interesting. We love history and this is the real deal.

Great site to see!

Beth_H, Sept 2023

Loved the ferry ride and the talk from the Rangers. Being at the historical Fort of where the Civil War started was incredible.

Not a civil war buff, so...

Julie_W, Sept 2023

Not a civil war buff, so some of the historical stuff was lost on me. The flag lowering ceremony was pretty cool. Nice boat ride.

Well worth it

James_M, Sept 2023

Well organized and great information. Self tour with park rangers around to answer questions. Worth the money for the historic experience.

Ft. Sumter historic site

Louis_B, Sept 2023

Enjoyable ferry ride to a historic location. Informative presentations on the boat and at the fort and an impressive reconstruction of the fort. Don’t miss the museum!

Really enjoyed this Fort...

Stacy_M, Sept 2023

Really enjoyed this Fort but we didn’t have enough time to tour it. Way too short on the island. Needed another hour.

Very informative and...

Carol_F, Sept 2023

Very informative and interesting experience! The tour guide was very knowledgeable, and the ferry ride was enjoyable.

Excellent!

bobbika, Sept 2023

Great tour. The ferry ride up and back was nice. Sitting upstairs was very windy and cool so bring a sweater or jacket. The fort was very interesting to see. The guide explained the history for about the first 15 minutes and then you were able to wonder around on your own and explore. Well worth the money.

Pleasant boat ride to self-guided tour.

Big_H, Sept 2023

Pleasant boat ride to self guided tour. Fort in effect was harbor defense and site of death for many men on both sides of Civil War. Pleasant Park Rangers

Great experience

Clair_B, Sept 2023

A wonderful experience delving into a bit of American history, with informative guides from the Park Service. We’ll worth the time and money invested.

Enjoyable trip

Jill_J, Sept 2023

We enjoyed the ferry ride over to Fort Sumter. The visit to the fort was nice. My husband also participated in taking down the flag for the evening. The park ranger was very knowledgeable. However, we were disappointed that the Fort Sumter museum was closed and would be for 2 days. Wished we were informed of its closing prior to making the day’s reservations.

Excellent experience. The book by Bostick is really great follow up after trip on island.

Norman_S, Sept 2023

Slave fingerprints in bricks, history of island, a bit longer time on island would be desirable, the ranger was great

Great History Lesson

Lynne_A, Sept 2023

Beautiful ferry trip with lots of history provided. Very interesting. So happy we did this. Highly recommend.

A Deeply Worded Tour of Fort Sumter

Orabelle_W, Sept 2023

I thought that the ride on the ferry was the best part of the tour. The information provided was quite lenghty. I would not recommend the tour.

Too little time at the Fort to take in all the information.

Paul_R, Sept 2023

The history explained and the actual equipment still on site. Seeing battle damage from 150 years ago.

Just Awful

Ann_B, Sept 2023

There was a terrible storm with thunder and lightning. The tour company wouldn’t let us cancel or reschedule. When we got to the fort the rain was torrential and the thunderstorm caused the entire upper deck of the fort to be closed. 80% of the fort is outside. When I returned I called to ask for a voucher for another visit or a refund the company said that because we booked through Viator there is nothing they could do. I don’t agree and feel ripped off by the tour company, not Viator.

Great experience even though it rained.

Brenda_H, Sept 2023

The guide/ Ranger was so knowledgeable and interesting! We loved it! It rained getting to the island but still a great experience ❤️

Beautiful rainy day at the Fort

Anna_D, Sept 2023

The view from the observation deck is breathtaking and the fort itself is haunting. However, the vendor on the boat was oddly racist considering the venue, refusing to put change in my hand. It amused me. The history leading to the War was dodgy as well, claiming the entire West would have chosen Slavery as if "Bloody Kansas" wasn't a thing. Charleston boosterism can rival South Korean agitpop but the site itself is amazing.

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