Reviews of Fort Sumter Tours (Travel Agency)

C. L. Hunter

Great, fun, historical tour...

Sara Killough

Great experience. Loved it!

Tom Riggins

This is just a review of the company that takes you to Fort Sumter. I've written a separate review of the fort itself. If you've ever taken the ferry to Alcatraz this is very much the same type of trip. You get to view the harbor and gain some insight on the way out and back. The boat holds 400 we were told and if you feel that it will be a full boat then be prepared because we had about half that many and it was pretty crowded. I would have preferred more historical information during the ride, but there is still plenty to learn.

J R DeBaun

It was a nice boat trip and enjoyed the history of the Fort

sara hatch

We did the fort sumter sunset cruise which was great! On the half hour ferry ride over, our park ranger guide told some of the history behind the fort. When you get to fort sumter, you can either follow along a guided tour or go explore on your own. On the ride back, they have a nice snack for the passengers. All in all..a good time!

GrandPa G

An absolute must-see. The history is amazing. In some areas you can still see the mortar holes on the outside. The boat ride out and back was very calm and smooth It's simple go! Go! Go! And make sure that you go to the top level. You can see the entire Battlefield.

Marcus Smith

Good historical monument

Lee DeWoskin

Worth the time and expense.

OLIVIA CAMRON

Fort Sumpter is a national monument that is FREE. The price you pay is $22. just for the boat ride, short boat ride . They don't really do anything as far as being a tour guide. It's literally just a ride . The employees, 3 of them seem unfriendly, starting with the one who answered the phone. They serve a pathetic concession on the boat, CASH ONLY. I was very thirsty and only had a card, of course. Some one bought me a soda. It came in a tiny cup for $2.25, no refills. I will go back to fort Sumpter but not on this boat.

carlaann12 .

Very informative

Michael DeLuca

Well done tours

Ian Newell

It was a great website

Rob B.

Great trip on the ferry to the fort

Arielle Stratton

Very nice boat ride and the fort is very cool to explore

Sean Gorman

Great fun, but wish there was a more structured tour

Pyungmok Kim

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Andrew Massie

Just amazing!! We thoroughly enjoyed the 2 hours to our own Fort Sumter!

John Goodson

It was awe inspiring, thought-provoking, and overall amazing experience. Very much worth the trip.

Wendell Nealon

Excellent trip and a great view of the fort.

Donnie Smith

Friendly, polite staff. Clean boats.

Chris Johnson

It was well worth the $25. If it had been a little warmer it would have been even more enjoyable since the haul out there is more than 15 minutes. Another thing - stay off the cannons and bricks because the Captain won't be afraid to call you out in front of everyone (btw, it wasn't me he yelled at

Mr R

A great time

Greg F

Really need some more time to get the best experience. But was still worth it

Alex Szebrak

For those that can appreciate American history definitely a place worth visiting. Not great for little ones. But as an adult it's worth a shot. 30 min ride there - could be faster. 1h spent on the island. Not alot to see other than historic informative placards old ruins and cannons. Great little gift shop. First boat ride in the morning has the honor of helping unfold the American flag while its raised up on the flag pole.

Mark Wilkins

Great historical tour.

James McQueen

Very educational tour. I highly recommend it for anyone in the area.

Richard Jones

Friendly captain. Nice boat.

Thomas Malooly

This was amazing. The boat ride out was great. The knowledge of the docents was really appreciated. They have the original flag that flew over the fort on the fateful day. Also enjoyed the museum on the second floor. Be sure to check out the reconstructed Ft. Sumter exhibit of what the fort originally looked like in 1861. I highly recommend you take this tour.

Barbara Curley

Nice ride on the ferry and had fun wondering around the fort. Had enough time to see everything and get back on the ferry during the allotted time.

Tony vickery

Very informative little pricey though

Ronald Schwabel

Very informative. Nice boat ride out to the fort.

Sling Adventures

This is the only boat tour that allows you to reach Fort Sumter. The trip is 30 min each way and you get an hour at the fort to look around. There is an intro by volunteers and a short pa announcement on key sights along the way. More people than seats on board so some may need to stand. Tickets are $22 and run 9:30, 12:30, 2:30 (4:30 tour only in summer).

James Sherman

Great

Jim Randazzo

We went over on a Friday afternoon as part of a dinner cruise package. It was the last tour of the day, and on Fridays they usually have a special historian there to add to the history lessons. They also had a special flag lowering ceremony where they get volunteers to join in with the folding of that beautiful gigantic flag. I highly recommend going.

Isaac Alfieri

Of great historical significance

Jorge Cantu

Booking online make easier getting your spot. The process is on the tour is Ok nothing espectacular for me but a good option for when you are visiting Charleston

SweetCC

Fun and educational. I would have loved more of a "tour" of the actual fortbut otherwise great.

SK

I took the 12 noon trip to Ft Sumter from Charleston. The cost was about $25 for 1 adult. The boat ride is on a large 3 story flatboat. It does not rock so don't worry about sea sickness. 2 floors have air conditioning. The top floor is open air. The trip goes fast across the water. You shove off and you can wander freely about the boat. Soda, chips, hot dogs, Skittles, water, etc are sold on the boat so don't worry about packing a lunch. The park rangers share some history along the way and there is a brief intro as you enter the fort. You have about 1 hour to wander it then back on the boat. This trip goes by fast, great for kids, adults, dates. I saw every type of traveler and we all enjoyed it. They even sell sun screen on the boat. There are nice restrooms on the boat, too. The boat remains open when you're at Fort Sumter so if you're bored you can go sit back in the boat in the air conditioning. There is cell service the whole time, even in the fort. I have TMobile but I saw everyone in their phones texting so assume everyone has service.

Shelly Quick

Very disappointed in this monument , 1 it's not free for veterans are seniors. Because you have to take the boat. 2 they dont give you enough to time to see it or read through the musume, not very hands on st all.

Bill HOWELL

Very interesting and historical

Jon Beasley

Take the first boat in the morning to experience the flag ceremony.

Kathy Peterson

We took the sunset trip and had a great time. We got to help with the flag lowering ceremony which was way cool. On the way back to town we had a great meal with pulled pork and smoked chicken and lots of sides. Highly recommend.

Shawn Hughes

Very good tour of fort Sumter. Good to hear person speak about Fort before exploring. Just would like a little more time to go through museum to read it all

Caiden Faircloth

The place shows all kinds of history

Nick Hennet

Awesome tour of the history of Charleston.

Myrtle Vaughn

A nice way to spend a day. I recommend bringing sunscreen and a hat as there is not a lot of shade. It can get windy out there so if not during summer time do bring a jacket or coat. It's a nice place to walk around and get a sense of military history in the area.

GM Terry Taylor

Good company! Departed and arrived on time. We did both cruises in the same day and everything was punctual! Good quality information on tour, both the boat and the fort. Would recommend doing once!

Kim Wiebe

Very disappointed with the amount of time we were given at the actual fort. An hour total on the boat cruise, which was nice, but after a 15 minute introduction briefing talk with a staff guide there to begin with, we had a total of 45 minutes to take in the entire fort. My family was from Canada, and our US war history is very limited. There was not enough time to take in and read all the plaques, let alone read the abundant history shown in the museum. I had to take pictures of everything and now need to go read up on everything on the internet to find out what everything means. With that much reading that can be done in order to appreciate what that place actually is, more time should be allotted for the actual time at the fort. Know your history before you go, because you won't learn it there!

Jeannie Prince

Very impressive and educational

Shaun Lucas

Great knowledge and a great experience

Ashley Whitten

My friends and I visited the Tea Plantation yesterday, and the experience was awesome! The tour was informative, and the gift shop was adorable. We had a stressful medical situation happen and Karen and the other staff helped tremendously. I would recommend this must-see to everyone!

Sally Kilpatrick

Great way to get in some history and views of the harbor. Parking garage for aquarium is handy. Very friendly staff

Wilson Rodriguez

Awesome visit!

Robert Case

The boat tour was nice and was everything we expected.

Pooka Small

Nice crew working aboard this boat.

Warren Jones

The tour heading to Fort Sumter was over run with rude tourist fighting for seats on the top deck of the ferry. Spiritline should practice better crowd control. Otherwise, there's air conditioning available on the lower deck which tended to be less crowed and ultimately more enjoyable. There's also a snack bar which accepts credit cards aboard the vessel. Once you arrive at Fort Sumter you're over given a hour to tour the island. Which really isn't enough time if you want a in-depth look at everything there's to discover. If there were another option to get onto the island I'd recommend them over Spiritline, but only because of the unruly tourist. If you don't mind the crowds, you'll enjoy yourself.

Tomas Frödin

Nice and interesting. Makes we want to know more about the civil war. 1 hour was almost too short time to go through everything. The boat ride is not the fastest but you get information about their defence och Charleston so it is quite nice too. While we were at the Fort the afternoon thunderstorm went over Charleston. We took the 2.30 tour.

Emily Johnson

Definitely a must do in the area!!

Michael Rae

The tour was a lot of fun. I enjoyed the views from the boat as we rode out. I was glad to hear a fairly unbiased telling of the events leading up to the start of the war. Notes for next time: 1. Bring a coat. 2. Get to the boat early to prevent standing room only situations. 3. Avoid getting the obligatory picture taken at the dock, so they can come attempt to sell it to you during the ride back.

Benson Flanagan

Waited for ten years to go. Went with my eldest daughter, her husband and my two oldest grandsons. It was worth the wait for them to be able to appreciate the history of Fort Sumpter.

Carl Bonura

Very interesting historical perspective

Brian Cavanaugh

Great trip, extremely well organized, the rangers were full of awesome knowledge!

james gillum

Worth the trip just for the history.

Kim Kendrick

Lots of fascinating information! Great tour guides on the boat, and a ranger on the island of you want to listen. Has bathrooms the whole time, and air conditioned museum on the island of you get too hot. If you play Pokemon Go they have lots of creatures there and Pikachu

Ken Hasty

One of the best historical sights to visit in South Carolina! Everytime I take my children there they learn something new! Great place to take relatives visiting from out of town too!

Hal Fisher

PUT BACK UP THE CONFEDERATE FLAG, IT BELONGS THERE!!! IT'S HERITAGE !!!

Michael Borcher

Great experience.

Mike Boozer

Great history for all to explore. Even the kids had fun!

Nick Rascol

The tour was ok, was not informed about the seating. Way too many folks and not enough seats. On our way back my pregnant wife and i waited in line for water and snacks then was told that the bar is closed. I was furious! They could atleast asked us what we wanted. Water would have been nice!. I wouldnt go again

Carbo Kuo

(Translated by Google) The boat to Fort Sumter here, the trip about two hours more, it is worth to go. (Original) 去薩姆特堡壘的船在這裏，行程大概兩個小時多一點，值得去。

Ken Wilson

Boat ride and Fort were good. There is no large vehicle parking at Liberty Square and they do not bother to tell you. We had to cancel our tickets there and go out to Patriot Point which has a large surface parking area. Be nice if they noted this fact in the brochure. I am sure we are not the only tourist that visit with a large tow vehicle.

Alishia Rhoda

If you want to see where the first shots were fired. Check out Fort Sumter SC. The history here...if these walls could talk...100% a must see if you are in the area.

Patrick Ward

Nice ride and informative!

Keith Richter

Great place if you love history. Ferry ride is great

Pat Idel

Fun place to visit will come again

Chuck Cameron

Enjoyable boat ride, good tour guides.

Jim Small

Boat ride nice. little cheezy but worth it

Samantha McIntosh

We had a phenomenal experience on this boat tour! The staff was very friendly, the boat was kid/stroller friendly and we enjoyed the information and presentation at Fort Sumter. It was the perfect amount of time to take it all in and explore. The BBQ dinner on our way back to dock was wonderful! I highly recommend this activity while in Charleston, SC!

Sporadic Travels

Excellent tour with park rangers! The fort is kept in immaculate condition. The park rangers bring history to life with their stories. The placards located around the island discuss in depth history, culture, land and sea geography, state and federal military, weaponry and various other important topics. The boat ride is also enjoyable with indoor and outdoor seating, lavatories and a convenient snack bar. Narration is provided as well as safety instructions. The price was fair and I would go again in the future!

Dendy Brooks

Very informative!

Dale Weidner

A taste of history. Would have liked more ranger narative on the boat and the fort

Margery Oliveira

Very nice! I wish there had been a ramp from the upper deck to the lower because we had the stroller with and we boarded the boat on the upper deck and exited the boat on the lower deck so we were required to carry the stroller down the steps, but other than that, the ride was very, very enjoyable and beautiful!

Rayna Rains

Thank you for opening!

Viewing Photo

The boat ride was more interesting than the fort tour

Michelle D.

super nice. we missed our initial trip and they were kind enough to allow us to rebook on the next tour.

Ashley Riley Sousa

The fort was great but WHY is the snack bar on the boat closed like 15 min into the trip back???

Maggie Schwarting

Some things we appreciated about the boat tour. It was a great opportunity to see Charleston from a different view point. The water (and snacks) available for purchase en route to Fort Sumter was definitely appreciated. The staff was friendly and helpful. We would’ve like to stay longer at the fort, though.

Carl

Knowledgable staff!

Krista Bloomquist

Great

Nathan Chapman

They shouldn't sell more tickets than there are seats on the boat. Making elderly stand for half hour during cruise is not cool or safe.

Cary Duke

Fort Sumter. You've heard about it. You've read about it. Now you should experience it. The bonus is a nice ferry ride in Charleston harbor. Our day was beautiful if not slightly chilly. We had a great view of the harbor and the wharf. We even saw one of cruise ships launch. I would highly recommend selecting a seat so you can view the side of the harbor you want to see. The fort experience itself is really interesting. Looking over the walls and imagining what it must have been like for the soldiers stationed there. The tour guides from the National Park Service do a great job explaining the history of the fort. There is no food or drink on the island so be prepared for that. You are able to buy snacks on the ferry. Highly recommend this tour.

Vance Shutes

The explanatory signs all around the fort give you a really good feel for what the fort used to be like, and how it was attacked. Very well done.

Ashish Patel

The Fort Sumter was a good experience but the ferry is slow as turtle. I just don't understand why. It doesn't make sense at all as the goal of the ferry suppose to transport people back and forth. Not giving more than two stars just because of the ferry.

Aaron Schulz

Was not informed that they book (a lot) more people than the number of seats on the ship that takes you to the fort (30 minute trip one way). It didn’t help that it was 100 degrees out and people wanted to be able to sit after walking around in that heat for the entire day. We had at least 50 people standing/packed onto this ship including someone near us with a broken foot. This occurrence should be clearly stated when booking so people know what to expect when they board. The fort grounds were nice and the rangers were nice. This is also the only way to see the fort ruins unfortunately so we sucked it up. Also they only give you an hour at the fort, including the time it takes you to get off the boat which as I explained earlier, there were a lot of people so this took a while. There is a museum with enough information that would take you over an hour to read it all. Multiple plaques around the fort as well. We had to skim read everything just to walk the entire grounds and get back to the boat in time. We didn’t have time to read anything in the museum at all.

Dave Hazelton

History and stuff.

Darren Embro

Amazing tour, the boat is clean and the guides tell you all about the sights of the harbor. I saw several dolphins on the way to Fort Sumter.

Kelly Jo Wheeler

We loved the tour. My husband is a history nut so we had the best time exploring! Anyone who visits Charleston needs to take this tour!

Jeff Nixon

Great tour and I was able to get tickets on short notice. If you are in the area, I recommend it.

Jackson Vincelette

This is a great activity because you get to see the fort and get a pleasant harbor ride. The remnants of the fort aren’t as complete as I hoped, but it’s still a great piece of history to see in the city. There aren’t a copious amount of barriers, so exploring the fort is fun and easy.

Steve Amundson

Love the history my home holds. It's a great place to visit.

Sam Lancaster

During our visit, we were able to see Fort Sumter. I knew the history of the fort and the war that took place in South Carolina. Visiting the Fort put a whole new perspective on history. When you read about it in book or online its a subject. When your standing in the Fort walls and looking at the battle scars history becomes real. You can imagine the drama back when they constructed this fort as well as defending and making Charleston safe. Why did I use the word drama. You will have to visit this site and listen to the tour guide as she describes life around, in Charleston and on the Fort itself. The boat tours were very nice and very well kept, The staff were friendly and willing to help. The boat ride was about 30 mins to the Fort. It was nice to get out on the water and see Charleston from a different view. This is tour is well worth the money spent.

Jon Fassett

Incredible history! Setting it in person does so much more than any book has. Anthony and James did a great job worth a very fun, interesting and meaningful talk. Only negative was it was to short and ended to quick.

Loreal Andrews

I went there several times and enjoyed it.

Brooke Sansbury

Cool little museum to walk through. Us teachers brought stuff back to share with our students.

David Badain

I expected a 30 minute introduction talk followed by an opportunity to explore. There was no real introduction.

philip cipoletta

Must go if you're a history buff you must see go on the last tour and attend the lowering of the flag you can participate in the lowering.

Matt Bickford

The highlight of our weekend trip to Charleston!

Chris Graue

We did the Fort Sumter tour this past Tuesday. Unfortunately, the ferry boat experienced a mechanical problem and we were not able to dock at the Fort. The crew handled the problem very professionally and gave us a full refund by crediting our credit card. It was not happy we couldn't do the tour of the island, but the crew handled the situation very well. It was a nice boat ride though.

Rich Basher

Took the noon ferry to the Fort hoping the weather would be better. It can get chilly if not prepared for the weather. Can sit downstairs if cold but views are not as good. Staff was friendly and experienced. There is a snack bar available once the ferry gets underway.

Esteban Lopez

The staff were really friendly and knowledgeable, we had a chance to help put up the US flag. Great experience, the family really enjoyed it. The fort is really small, not much to see. However, there is so much history and the information from the rangers made the trip worth it.

Brenda Corbitt

First time to visit the area. Ft Sumter Tour was very enjoyable. Park Service guides shared a wealth of information.

Penni Sauer

The 1/2 boat ride over (and back) was pleasant and informative. The fort itself was very informative.

Minda Moore

Great history expedition. Good for all ages.

Aenon E Mouse

Amazing get there early!!!

Christina Sanson

Was a nice trip wish we had more time to look around Only givev u a hour

Chester Thomas

Great place to vist had a great time only thing needed is a little more time at the fort is you like to read all the placards

Ted Malinowski

Very professional & educational. The park rangers were friendly & informative. If you have kids, make sure they do the junior ranger program. Lots of fun.

David Fix

Great place to take boat ride to,

Lydia Potter

Amazing tour and a beautiful ride.

Scott Christensen

Great service, boat ride.

Montague Bakasy

Great experience. Highly recommended. Ferrys and Cannons! Lol. You can't beat it. Very historical. Great tour!

R Colbert

Fun. Love history

Eric C.

Its a very nice boat ride through Charleston Harbor to Fort Sumter.

Jo(e) Ziegler

Interesting and nice boat ride.

Brian Fatka

Not bad. Could have stood a little longer at the fort if you wanted to read everything. Otherwise, time was fine. Whole thing was a but lackluster, though, compared to what we expected / hoped for.

Heath Mauldin

The ferry was meh...you can't come to Charlestown without seeing fort Sumter and you can't see the free fort without an overpriced ferry ride. I mean the staff weren't jerks and the boat ride was pleasant enough, but it was just meh for the price. But that's expected from a monopoly service to get to the fantastic Fort Sumter.

Michael Schearer

Knowledge tour guide volunteers

Justin Williams

My parents came down for the weekend and I booked this cruise not knowing what to expect with the mixed reviews. I have lived here for 3 years and been to Fort Sumter several times so I've been on many similar cruises. First of all it seemed there was an odd definition of what to wear. I read nice casual as atleast khakis and a button up shirt. Obviously everyone else didn't get this message as there were plenty of tshirts and pants. There were also those wearing some very revealing dinner attired so be aware of that. We were wearing a sort of business casual and that seemed to be the most common. There are two different types of seats, the private for 2 and a table for four. Since there were 4 in our party I didn't pay extra for the seats and I'm glad I didn't. From some of the other reviews I thought there might be a table of 16 or something. I didn't see any tables larger than 4 unless there was a party and they were all together. All of those that booked to "for two" option paid $25 extra and got to sit next to the window. It was nice but I dont think it would have been worth the extra dollars. The table was nicely set and we were seated and our waiter introduced himself and took our drink orders. Water and tea were included but any other drinks are extra so keep that in mind. By the time we departed we had some bread to start with and our orders had been taken. Starting off during the day you get some very nice scenery on your way out to Sumter, but it gets dark quickly. It was a nice time for conversation. The soup came next and while it was ok, I felt it was a little bit spicy for my taste. The salad was ok but maybe a little light on sauce but it was good. For our entree I ordered shrimp and grits, my wife ordered the chicken, my mother the tenderloin and my dad the chicken. Everyone enjoyed their meals. I felt it was presented well and tasted very nice. While you may find better meals on the shore, you certainly would have to get a good one as it was very good. We all rated our meals around 3.5 stars out of 5. Not the absoulte best but very good. After dinner we went out on the deck and enjoyed the sites. While watching some of the barges be loaded may not be beautiful, its certainly fascinating and part of Charleston and we enjoyed it. All in all for $50 it was an absoultely wonderful 3 hour trip. Good food, company, and service. It was relaxing with the band playing and watching the views. My complaints might have been focused more so on some of the other guests rather than anything the crew did or did not do. I was please and everyone else was in my party. I would recommend this to my friends, and I'd be willing to go again just with Mary and I.

Clint Miller

HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you pre-purchase tickets the day before. We tried going on a Thursday at noon and had to settle for next day (Friday) at 10:30. A really nice experience overall. They serve snacks (including beer) on the boat for the 40 minute ride to and from the Fort. My kids (11-18) enjoyed it.

Craig Bennett II

$18 a head and 10 degrees colder on the island.

robert brous

Ferry was about 30 minutes one direction. For those who love history it is a great short trip. Not a lot to do on the island. First trip of the day we got to raise the flag which was a fantastic experience for kids.

Don Komac

An interesting and important part of our country's history. A beautiful boat ride in Charleston harbor

Sharon Lucas

Enjoyable trip if you're a history buff.

Eric Krueger

Sunset Cruise is totally worth it

Emery Lapinski

Pretty good. Could have been cheaper.

Tom Hufford

Highly recommended...especially for history buffs. Proud moment to take a part in lowering of the Flag.

Donald Conkel

Wonderfull, nice ocean trip to fort.

Harry Michelson

The tour was great. It costs money, however. Keep in mind that the fort is on an island of its own.

Shaleen Bhatnagar

Very informative, my 9 year old throughly enjoyed the boat ride, narration and the fort tour.

darrellyn stitt

Amazing. We're so used to industry one cant imagine the ingenious minds and aptitude of these men in the 19th century. Visit this place and let your mind wonder and wander.

Shannon Hignutt

Not long enough in the fort.

valkryeval .

Wonderful rangers and volunteers, but I was hoping for the headphone tour like Alcatraz and Graceland have. Those tours really bring it to life and Save the whole having to wait for people to move so you can read a sign issues. I felt there was no way I could have read everything in the amount of time given.

Janice Adcock

The cruise took us to Ft. Sumter for a sunset visit. We observed the lowering of the flag. Upon returning to the ship the crew had a BBQ dinner waiting. Very nicely done.