Summer and spring are the best seasons for a horse-drawn carriage tour around Charleston, South Carolina. Each year, Charleston attracts tourists from all over the world in hundreds of thousands. Horse tours are among the most exciting ways to explore the beautiful and bustling city of Charleston. Carriage tours enable you to experience the diversity and fullness of the city while taking in the sights slowly and breathing the fresh city air. You may also occasionally catch a whiff of Charleston’s finest confectionaries from the many bakeries across the city.
If you’re about to embark on your first carriage tour of Charleston, there are a few things you might want to keep in mind. This piece will highlight some important stuff you should know to prepare you better for this iconic experience and make it worthwhile.
1. You Should Book the Tour Early
With the hundreds of thousands of tourists flocking Charleston each year, there is likely to be a long list of tourists willing to go on horse tours. Even though there are plenty of carriage tour companies in Charleston, it doesn’t hurt to do your booking early. If you do not book your tour early, don’t fret. You’ll still have an enjoyable experience that is worth the wait.
You’ll also have a much nicer experience when you take the tour in the early morning hours. Early morning tours have a much nicer experience with cool temperatures and an environment free of the usual city hassle. During spring and summer, temperatures could skyrocket to up to 125 degrees, which is very hot, even for the horses. The city can also become very humid, which creates this clammy atmosphere that isn’t great for horse tours.
Please note that the city stops all horse carriage tours when temperatures are too high for the safety of the horses.
2. The City Determines the Tour Route
While the carriage tour companies tailor the tour experience for your ultimate enjoyment, comfort, and pleasure, the city has the final say on which tour routes to use. Despite Charleston being a green, thriving metropolis, it is still a city with lots of traffic. To avoid any traffic disruption, Charleston is divided into four different historical zones. The route your carriage tour takes depends on a randomly drawn bingo ball. Each section, nonetheless, is equally fascinating, beautiful and exciting as the others.
3. Different Experiences with the Same Tour
When it comes to horse carriage tours in Charleston, no two tours on the same route are ever the same. Tour guides are the highlight of these horse tours, and they’re great at what they do. These patriotic fellows are smart, knowledgeable, bubbly and extremely funny. They also don’t have a particular handbook they follow during the tours but go with the flow. The stories they make up during the tour will have you rolling on the carriage floor with laughter. Because of the different tour guides, your overall carriage tour experience is likely to be very different from the next man’s, but enjoyable all the same.
Book a Horse Carriage Tour Today
Once you’re acquainted with these three points, you’re now ready for your first tour of Charleston on a horse carriage. Remember to bring your friends and family for a more pleasurable experience and don’t forget to tip the tour guide.
