13 Best Charleston Ghost Tours For a Scary-Good Time

Charleston, South Carolina has earned its haunted reputation with centuries of chilling tales, and the best way to uncover them is on a ghost tour. On these highly-rated Charleston ghost tours, you get to step inside Charleston’s Old City Jail where prisoners’ spirits are said to linger and wander past the Dock Street Theatre where ghostly actors still take the stage.

I’m a huge fan of ghost tours, so I turn every trip to Charleston into a paranormal investigation. And Charleston has a wide variety of ghost tours from eerie carriage rides through cobblestone streets to after-dark cemetery walks, and even a spine-tingling haunted jail tour.

I’ve rounded up my favorite ghost tours in Charleston, each one offering a different way to explore the city’s dark secrets and restless spirits. So if you’re brave enough, take a haunted tour of Charleston that will scare you silly.

Top Charleston Ghost Tours

1. Ghosts of Charleston Night-Time Walking Tour with Unitarian Church Graveyard

Tour length: 1 hour or 1.5 hours | Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

This Ghosts of Charleston Night-Time Walking Tour is one of the best walking ghost tours in Charleston because it gets you special after-hours access to the renowned Unitarian Church Graveyard.

If you’re only interested in visiting the graveyard at night, then you can do the short 1-hour tour. But if you have the time, then I highly recommend booking the 90-minute extended tour that covers both the graveyard and the historic district.

I recommend booking early as this is a popular tour that books up fast! The tour guides are amazing storytellers, and you’ll learn a lot about the restless souls and unexplained phenomena that haunt Charleston. It’s no wonder this tour is one of the top evening activities in Charleston.

Whether you choose the 1-hour or the 1.5-hour tour, this walking tour comes with exclusive access to the Unitarian Church Graveyard at night, led by a professional licensed tour guide.

Best for: Cemetery enthusiasts (like myself!)

2. Haunted Evening Horse & Carriage Tour of Charleston

Tour length: 40 minutes | Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

For a ghost tour with a twist, this Haunted Evening Horse & Carriage Tour of Charleston is a great choice that blends the charm of a horse-drawn carriage ride with eerie tales from the city’s haunted history.

The best part about this Charleston carriage ghost tour? You can simply sit back and enjoy the ride — no walking required! As the carriage winds its way through Charleston’s narrow side streets and cobblestone alleys, you’ll listen to chilling stories about the Mills House, the Circular Congregational Graveyard, and the Provost Dungeon.

I love this tour because it’s a convenient way to experience Charleston’s spookiest legends, and it covers more ground than a walking tour. Plus, it’s wheelchair accessible!

This 40 minute carriage ride is led by a certified guide who will tell you all kinds of spooky stories.

Best for: Travelers who want a non-walking tour, a classic Charleston experience, and ghost stories, all rolled into one.

3. Charleston Old City Jail Haunted Tour

Tour length: 45 minutes | Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

You can tour the city’s most haunted building on this Charleston Old City Jail Haunted Tour. This night-time tour gives you exclusive, after-dark access to the Old City Jail where thousands of criminals, pirates, and shifty characters were imprisoned and executed.

I was so intrigued by the Old Jail when I learned about it on my bachelorette trip to Charleston that it was the first thing Kevin and I booked when we came back for our week-long vacation.

The tour takes you into prisoner cells, lets you walk the darkened hallways, and shows you where criminals died. You’ll also learn about life in 19th century Charleston and some of the jail’s most notorious residents, like murderers Lavinia and John Fisher. Paranormal activity is high here, so brace yourself for a possible ghost encounter!

This 45 minute walking tour includes admission to the Old City Jail plus a professional guide to give you behind-the-scenes look at the prison.

Best for: Those who want to learn unique Charleston history with their ghost stories.

4. Charleston Haunted Booze and Boos Ghost Walking Tour

Tour length: 2.5 hours | Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

For those 21 and older, this Charleston Haunted Booze and Boos Ghost Walking Tour is the perfect way to explore the city’s haunted past while enjoying a drink at historic local bars.

This haunted pub crawl takes you to some of Charleston’s most storied locations, including the Powder Magazine, Charleston City Market, and Washington Square. Grab a drink and sip as you listen to spine-tingling tales of ghosts and eerie encounters.

I think this tour is so much fun! The guides really love what they do, and they’re full of history, local tips, and even drink recommendations; they know just how to make sure everyone on the tour has a good time.

This 2.5 hour walking tour includes a costumed guide, a commemorative cooler or cup to take home with you, and an intimate small-group setting for a more personalized experience.

Best for: Those 21+ who are ready for a party.

5. Narrated Haunted Ghost Cruise of Charleston Harbor

Tour length: 1.5 hours | Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

Climb aboard and sail the harbor while listening to tales of pirate attacks, naval battles, and more onboard this Narrated Haunted Ghost Cruise of Charleston Harbor.

One of Charleston’s most unique ghost tours, this haunted harbor cruise reaches spooky sites that you can’t get to on foot. You’ll sail the harbor on a 45-foot catamaran for a scary good time.

This is one of my favorite Charleston ghost tours because not many places offer a haunted cruise! Plus, there’s a bar onboard the boat and you get incredible views from the harbor.

This 1.5 hour cruise is a fun alternative to a traditional ghost tour and reaches haunted locations you won’t get on any regular tour.

Best for: Travelers who have already seen all the haunted sights on land.

6. Charleston Paranormal Investigation: YOU are the Ghost Hunter

Tour length: 2.5 hours | Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

If you’ve ever dreamed of becoming a paranormal investigator, then this Charleston Paranormal Investigation is for you! This unique tour lets you be a real ghost hunter.

On this tour, you get to use a thermal imaging camera and other ghost hunting equipment to investigate and record hauntings around Charleston. Don’t worry, your guide will teach you how to use each device properly, and after the tour, you’ll receive access to all the data recorded during your investigation.

I love that this isn’t your average haunted Charleston tour. It’s so much fun being able to use all the equipment and see the data and recordings yourself.

This 2 to 2.5 hour walking tour and paranormal investigation is a family-friendly Charleston ghost tour that’s great for all ages. After the tour, you’ll get access to all the media collected from your investigation.

Best for: Fans of Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures.

7. Charleston Ghost & Dungeon Night-Time Walking Tour with Entry to Provost Dungeon

Tour length: 1.5 hours | Rating: 4 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

Explore the dark corners of the city, and then get exclusive nighttime access to the Provost Dungeon on this Charleston Ghost & Dungeon Night-Time Walking Tour.

The tour starts by exploring the haunted places in the historic district’s dark alleys and graveyards, with tales of ghosts, voodoo, and superstition. At the end, you get to visit the Provost Dungeon, a pre-Revolutionary dungeon with a chilling history.

I love that you get to visit the Provost Dungeon after-hours on this tour; it’s a very different vibe than visiting during the day. The tour isn’t overly scary, and there’s a lot of history included as well.

This 1.5 hour walking tour includes a tour of the historic district plus exclusive entry to Provost Dungeon after hours for an experience you won’t find anywhere else.

Best for: History-lovers.

8. Real Hauntings of Charleston Small Group Ghost Tour

Tour length: 1.5 hours | Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

If you want a haunted Charleston ghost tour without the crowd, then I recommend this Real Hauntings of Charleston Small Group Ghost Tour that’s limited to about 12 people per tour.

This ghost tour passes by haunted graveyards, churches, alleyways, hotels, restaurants, and bars, and gives you the gruesome real stories of murders, pirates, soldiers, executions, duels, and more.

I love how intimate this ghost tour is; a lot of other tours in Charleston can get crowded fast, so keeping this tour to a limited number of people helps keep the spooky factor up and lets you hear the stories better.

This 1.5 hour walking tour covers about 1 mile of Charleston’s haunted streets.

Best for: Travelers who want to avoid the crowds.

9. Original Driving Ghost Tour of Charleston

Tour length: 1 hours | Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

If you want an alternative to a walking tour, then I recommend this Driving Ghost Tour of Charleston.

On this tour, you get to travel comfortably aboard a climate-controlled van driven by a professional driver. Meanwhile, an expert storyteller will enthrall you with haunting tales of Charleston’s past. Yes, you get both a driver and a tour guide, so your guide isn’t distracted from the road by telling stories, and you can have a worry-free ride!

I love this tour as an alternative to the standard walking ghost tour. You still get all the same great ghost stories, but you also get a smaller group and a more comfortable experience.

This 1-hour driving tour comes with transport in an air-conditioned van, a drive, and a tour guide.

Best for: Those who want a ghost tour without all the walking.

10. Pleasing Terrors Night-Time Walking Ghost Tour

Tour length: 1.5 hours | Rating: 5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

If you’ve ever listed to the popular Pleasing Terrors Podcast then you’ll love this Pleasing Terrors Night-Time Walking Ghost Tour led by host Mike Brown.

Mike is an amazing storyteller who has unparalleled knowledge of the most fascinating and terrifying stories lurking in Charleston’s dark corners. On the tour, you get to visit locations like Poogan’s Porch, the Charleston Library Society, Philadelphia Alley, and St. Michael’s Church.

My favorite part of this tour is Mike’s storytelling abilities. Mike definitely knows his stuff, and it’s no wonder his podcast is so popular! Plus, he’s a Charleston native, so you get a little extra local flair.

This 1.5 hour walking tour is led by storyteller Mike Brown of the Pleasing Terrors Podcast and includes a complimentary bottled water during the hot summer months.

Best for: Fans of the Pleasing Terrors Podcast.

11. Ghost & Graveyard Night-Time Guided Walking Tour

Tour length: 1.5 hours | Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

If haunted cemeteries are your thing (I absolutely love them!), then you’ll want to take this Ghost & Graveyard Night-Time Guided Walking Tour that explores the Circular Congregational Church graveyard.

Not only will you see the city’s most eerie sites, but you’ll also get to wander through Charleston’s oldest cemetery, the Circular Congregational Church graveyard, after hours. You’ll hear stories of graveyard hauntings, voodoo, and botched burials where people were buried alive.

As noted above, I love a cemetery tour, so I’m a big fan of this tour that gets you exclusive access to the Circular Congregational Church graveyard.

This 1.5 hour walking tour and cemetery ghost tour gets you exclusive after-hours access to Charleston’s oldest cemetery.

Best for: Cemetery enthusiasts.

12. Bay Street Bastards Pub Crawl

Tour length: 2 hours | Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

This Bay Street Bastards Pub Crawl is a true crime-focused pub crawl that combines history, storytelling, and drinks in an intimate small group of only about 6 people per tour.

While it’s not exactly a ghost tour, I still like to include it because it shares stories you won’t hear on other tours, plus you still get the creep factor.

During the tour, you’ll hit up 4 different bars and pubs where you can grab a drink and listen to tales of Charleston’s most infamous criminals and their unsavory crimes. You’ll hear true crime stories from Charleston’s beginnings all the way up to recent years.

This 2 hour pub crawl walking tour visits 4 locals bars and pubs with an enthusiastic guide who loves sharing about Charleston’s unique true crime stories.

Best for: Fans of true crime.

13. Charleston’s Self-Guided Haunted Ghost Tour – Solo Smart Phone Guided Tour

Tour length: 1 hour | Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars | Check rates & availability

If you’re visiting Charleston on a budget, then I recommend this Self-Guided Haunted Ghost Tour, where you’ll access an audio tour via an app on your phone.

This self-guided tour takes you to some of Charleston’s most haunted places, including the the Dock Street Theater, Pirates Courtyard, Circular Church Graveyard, and more. You can start the tour wherever you’d like and take the tour at your own pace. You can even re-listen to the ghost stories when you get home as you’ll have continued access to the app.

I love this tour as an affordable option, and it’s great for groups too because you only need to purchase it once. It’s really easy to use, plus it has great instructions to get you from haunted location to haunted location.

This 50-minute to 1-hour self-guided audio walking tour comes with an easy-to-use app on your smart phone and includes turn-by-turn instructions.

Ghost Tours in Charleston, SC FAQ

More Charleston Tips

Check out the posts below to continue planning your Charleston vacation:

• 14 Romantic Things to Do in Charleston for Couples
• 50+ Fun Things to Do in Charleston at Night
• 10 Amazing Hotels in Charleston, SC
• 10 Best Tours in Charleston, SC
• 16 Best Restaurants in Charleston, SC
• 11 Best Bars in Charleston, SC
• Your Perfect Charleston Bachelorette Party Itinerary
• 9 Free Things to Do in Charleston, SC
• 37 Best Things to Do in Charleston, SC
• 7 Days in Charleston: Perfect 1 Week Charleston Itinerary
• 14 Tips for Your First Trip to Charleston, SC
• 14 Best Summer Vacation Spots in the South
• The Best Winter Vacations in the South

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Ready to visit Charleston, South Carolina? Plan your trip with these tips.

• Book your flight: Find the cheapest flights using Skyscanner, my favorite flight search engine.
• Find accommodation: You can find top hotels in Charleston using Booking.com or vacation rentals near Charleston using VRBO.
• Get packing: Make sure you’ve packed everything you need with my packing list resources.
• Save on Attractions: Save big on admission to Charleston’s top attractions using the Charleston TourPass.

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Cheers!

Paige

Have you been on any of these amazing Charleston ghost tours? Let me know in the comments!