Charleston is rapidly rising as one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States, and with no wonder. The city is one of the oldest in the country, and it’s home to both beautiful beaches and remarkable historic sits. Charleston has also become known in recent years for its amazing food scene, and it has a bustling nightlife to match its daytime scenes, making it the perfect place for both families and single people to visit. Of course, one of the main reasons why people like to visit Charleston is its culture. Long known as one of the most hospitable places in the world, Charleston is full of residents that pride themselves on being as welcome as possible, offering politeness and guidance to tourists. At the same time, the city isn’t yet quite so popular that it’s become overwhelmed with visitors. Therefore, you get the best of both worlds; a lot to see without a lot of crowding.
With that being said, there’s still a lot to see and plenty of things to do in Charleston, and you may not feel like you have quite the time to see everything you want to see. This is one reason why horse drawn carriage tours have become so popular. In fact, horse carriage rides are among one of the more popular and classic past-times in the city. You’ll see plenty of iconic photos of tourists going on carriage rides throughout Charleston. Some of these are shared among several people, but in recent years private horse tours have become more popular. There are often different themes to choose from as well, with some companies specializing in food tours, other trading in historic tours, and some offering the ever-popular ghost tours. With that being said, let’s look into some of the sights you must see while choosing between horse carriage rides in Charleston, South Carolina.
1. The Battery
The battery is without a doubt one of the most iconic sights of Charleston, and most horse carriage rides capitalize on it. Essentially, the battery is a paved, public walkway in one of the city’s most historic section. It’s lined with beautiful old homes, and features old cannons, plaques marking locations of historic significance, and amazing ocean views. Riding along the battery, you’ll be able to see Fort Sumter, which is where the first shots of the Civil War were fired.
2. Rainbow Row
While most of the homes and buildings in downtown Charleston are historic and beautiful, owed in part thanks to its strict building guidelines, Rainbow Row is particularly noteworthy. These historic houses are brightly colored, and stand out in the city. For that matter, they’ve been the subjects of a number of paintings throughout the years, as well as magazine spreads. You’ll be able to get some excellent photos if you pass by the houses via horse carriage rides.
3. The Historic Charleston Market
Many carriage tours make a point to stop by the historic Charleston market. The market is home to a number of different vendors, some of which have been in the city for many years and have become famous. While in Charleston, you’ll, of course, want to pick up a souvenir or two, and the market is the best place to do that. You can look at different clothes, as well as jewelry, artwork, and classic art forms of the city. Among those are the baskets woven of reeds and wicker, often made by women in the city and based on Gullah traditions. You can also pick up snacks at the market, including the ever-popular Southern treat, boiled peanuts.
As previously mentioned, there are many reasons to visit Charleston. It’s no wonder it was at the top of Travel and Leisure’s “World’s Best Cities” list in 2016. There are just as many reasons to consider going on a horse drawn carriage tour while in the city. This provides you with an easy way to travel with your group, while seeing something beautiful. Not only that; but by taking a horse-drawn carriage ride, you’ll be able to experience the historic Charleston much like somebody would have in centuries past.
