Fort Sumter Admission and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry | 2 hours 15 minutes

2446 Reviews | Charleston
Likely To Sell Out
Select Date and Travelers
You can select up to 15 travelers in total.
Senior (62-100) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Adult (12-61) Minimum: 1, Maximum: 15
2
Child (4-11) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Infant (0-3) Minimum: 0, Maximum: 15
0
Free Cancellation For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Departing Patriots Point
2 Adults x $40.00
$80.00
Approx Total
$80.00
Patriots Point: This Fort Sumter Tour departs from Patriots Point, 40 Patriots Point Road, Mt. Pleasant
Starting point:
40 Patriots Point Rd, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464, USA
Departing Liberty Square
2 Adults x $40.00
$80.00
Approx Total
$80.00
Liberty Square: This Fort Sumter Tour departs from Liberty Square, 340 Concord St., downtown Charleston
Starting point:
Fort Sumter Visitor Center, 340 Concord St, Charleston, SC 29401, USA

Inclusions / Exclusions

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

Overview

Visit historic Fort Sumter with the only operator in Charleston providing Admission to Fort Sumer National Monument and Round-Trip Ferry Transportation from Liberty Square or Patriots Point. Cruise by top Charleston sites from your ferry such as Rainbow Row and Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. For those departing from Patriots Point, experience views of the USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier from up-close. Explore the grounds of Fort Sumter and stand where America’s deadliest war began at Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park. The first shots were fired here, igniting a conflict that saw more than 700,000 casualties. Experience the opening battle of the American Civil War and explore its origins with a National Park Ranger who will greet you upon arrival. Your approximate 1-hour visit to Fort Sumter allows ample time to explore well-preserved fort ruins and browse Museum Store souvenirs. Then enjoy the beautiful views of the city as you ride the ferry back to Charleston.

Itinerary

  • Fort Sumter National Monument

    Visit historic Fort Sumter National Monument located in Charleston, SC with the only operator in the city offering Admission to Fort Sumter plus Round-Trip Ferry Service. Experience a relaxing 30minute Narrated Harbor Cruise to historic Fort Sumter, where America’s deadliest war began. You will learn about the events which led to the outbreak of America’s most bloody war. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by a National Park Service Ranger, who will provide further details about Fort Sumter and its pivotal role in the American Civil War. On the fort you will find a very informative museum (360 Video of Museum) with many historic artifacts and a souvenir shop. After your roughly one hour visit, you will enjoy a scenic cruise back to your departure point.

    1 hour

  • Fort Sumter Visitor Education Center

    Ferries depart from the Fort Sumter Visitor's Center in downtown Charleston for those who select the Liberty Square departure option during checkout.

  • Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge (Pass By)

    Enjoy scenic views of top Charleston sites during your cruise to Fort Sumter, including Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

  • Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum (Pass By)

    For those departing from Patriots Point, experience views of the historic USS Yorktown Aircraft Carrier from up-close.

  • Fort Moultrie (Pass By)

    Fort Moultrie is a series of forts along Sullivan's Island. Enjoy views of the fort as you cruise by or while on Fort Sumter.

  • Battery & White Point Gardens (Pass By)

    Enjoy scenic views of Charleston such as Battery homes during your cruise to Fort Sumter.

Sample Menu

Additional Info

  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • 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.
  • 3:45 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.

Free Cancellation

June 18100% refund
June 19No refund

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 canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews

4.6

2446 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
  • 5 stars
    1738
  • 4 stars
    483
  • 3 stars
    147
  • 2 stars
    30
  • 1 star
    48

Reviews by TravelOne travelers

Showing 1-5 of 1738 reviews with 5 stars

A must for history buffs

Published on Jan, 2025

If you like history, you'll get a lot of insight from this tour. On the ferry and on the island, there's a lot of commentary and the views are amazing.

Great history lesson

Published on Jan, 2025

The ferry ride was great and a lot of history was shared. The park rangers were a wealth of information and were very proactive in sharing everything they knew. We took the last ferry of the day and were able to participate in the lowering and folding of the flag. Purchased tickets through TripAdvisor and everything went smoothly.

Great tour!!

Published on Jan, 2025

We love history and the park rangers did an excellent job of telling the history of Fort Sumter. We could have spent more time there. We were the first group out there that day so we were able to participate in the raising of the flag. Very cool!

More history....

Published on Jan, 2025

An historic site more than worth the trip! Rangers and volunteers extremely knowledgeable and pleasant. Ferry ride lovely, birds and bottle-nose dolphins.

Great experience! Keep an eye of your time.

Published on Jan, 2025

Even though I believe the visit would have been better without the rain and cold windy weather, the experience was amazing. Highly recommend for anyone on the fence. The whole experience is around 2 hours. 30 min ferry ride there + 1 hour time to explore + 30 min ferry ride back. We took our time making our rounds, and had to rush through the last bit when we noticed we only had around 15 minutes left. Keep that in mind for those that may underestimate how long it takes to see and read everything. That doesn't mean you have to skip through everything, but be mindful of the time. Also, there are no bathrooms on Fort Sumter, so make sure you go before you start exploring. Otherwise, you need to head back to the ferry to take care of business (which will take more time out of your exploring at the fort)

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