Fort Sumter Tickets & Charleston Harbor Cruises

Prices & schedules checked October 18, 2026

Fort Sumter sits on an island in Charleston Harbor, so the only way in is by boat. The National Park Service says Fort Sumter “requires ferry tickets be purchased from a third party concessioner”: Fort Sumter Tours, which says it provides the only commercial boat transportation to the fort. If you just want a scenic ride, the harbor cruises below pass the fort without stopping.

Fort Sumter: how the ferry works

• Two departure points: Liberty Square in downtown Charleston (340 Concord St) and Patriots Point in Mount Pleasant (40 Patriots Point Rd).
• Timing: about 30 minutes each way, and about an hour at the fort, where National Park Service rangers greet you. The operator asks you to arrive 30 minutes early and says boats depart promptly.
• Departures listed on Oct 18, 2026: Liberty Square 9:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.; Patriots Point 10:45 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Schedules can change, so check your date.
• Prices (operator, as listed Oct 2026): adults $45.58, children 4–11 $27.56, 3 and under free. Prices include a 6% online booking fee. A national parks pass doesn’t cover the ferry.
• Refunds: the operator refunds 100% if you cancel at least 2 hours before departure. The Viator listing below allows free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
• Good to know: the operator says the restrooms at the fort are currently out of service, but the boat has restrooms and stays docked during your visit. Cards only, no cash. No food on the fort grounds, and no pets.
• Accessibility: the Liberty Square ramp takes wheelchairs and scooters except in extreme tides; Patriots Point can’t accommodate them. The operator notes that the mobility lifts at the fort are currently out of order, though the ground-level parade ground remains wheelchair accessible, and recommends calling on the day of your visit (843-722-2628).

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Same adult price on both when we checked ($45.58). Book direct for the later (2-hour) refund cutoff; book on Viator if you want everything on one account.

More military history: Patriots Point, the Hunley and Fort Moultrie

The NPS calls Fort Sumter the place “where the American Civil War began”, but it isn’t Charleston’s only military site. Three more are worth a half day each:

• Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum (40 Patriots Point Rd, Mount Pleasant — also a Fort Sumter ferry departure point). Open daily 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. General admission covers self-guided visits to the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, the destroyer USS Laffey, the Vietnam Experience exhibit and the Medal of Honor Museum: adults (13–61) $28, seniors (65+) $25, children 6–12 $23; children 5 and under and active-duty military with ID free. Tickets are non-refundable, not date-specific and valid for a year; parking is extra. Patriots Point has announced a Veterans Day event aboard the Yorktown on Wednesday, November 11, 2026.
• H.L. Hunley submarine. Friends of the Hunley says it became the world’s first successful combat submarine in 1864, vanished, was located in 1995 and raised in 2000. It is being conserved at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, 1250 Supply Street, North Charleston. Friends of the Hunley lists public hours on Saturdays 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Sundays 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. The Charleston Museum opened an exhibit, “Textiles from the Deep: Findings from the H.L. Hunley Submarine”, on October 3, 2026.
• Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island is part of the same national park as Fort Sumter. The NPS lists a $10 site fee per adult; the grounds are open daily 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (check in at the visitor center first). Park sites close on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

After dark, Bulldog Tours runs a USS Yorktown ghost tour with after-hours access aboard the carrier (operator prices from $39 for adults and $29 for children 4–12; narrow stairs and ladders, so not suitable for wheelchairs or strollers; full refund up to 24 hours ahead).

Harbor cruises side by side

Our take

• Most history for the money: the Carolina Belle cruise is fully narrated, has the lowest from-price and offers morning, afternoon and sunset departures. It’s also the easiest to board here (a flat pier and a 30-foot ramp, per the listing).
• Under sail: the Schooner Pride is a classic tall ship. You can bring snacks but not your own drinks, and it isn’t wheelchair accessible.
• Sunset: pick the Carolina Belle’s sunset departure or the 2-hour catamaran sunset cruise.
• Nature, not skyline: the Morris Island eco cruise runs through tidal creeks to the island, with free time to photograph the Morris Island Lighthouse and look for shells.
• Dinner on the water: SpiritLine’s 2.5-hour cruise includes a four-course dinner and live music; bar drinks are extra.

Every cruise above showed free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead on Viator. The GetYourGuide versions of these cruises redirected to a search page with our partner link on Oct 18, 2026, so we don’t link them.

Fitting the fort into a day? See our one-day itinerary. Prefer a spooky cruise? It’s in the ghost tour guide.

Sources

• National Park Service — Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie fees (Fort Sumter ferry tickets via concessioner)
• Fort Sumter Tours — Fort Sumter Tour & Boat Cruise (departure points and times, prices, refunds, restrooms, accessibility)
• Viator — Fort Sumter Access and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry (price, inclusions, cancellation)
• Viator — Charleston Harbor Live Narrated History Day or Sunset Boat Cruise (price, 90 min, Carolina Belle)
• Viator — Charleston Harbor Tour & Dolphin Watch Cruise (price, 90 min, SpiritLine)
• Viator — Afternoon Schooner Sightseeing Dolphin Cruise on Charleston Harbor (price, Aquarium Wharf, rules)
• Viator — Charleston Harbor Sunset Cruise (price, 2 hours, 45-foot catamaran)
• Viator — Charleston Eco Boat Cruise with stop at Morris Island Lighthouse (price, 2.5 hours, Bowens Island)
• Viator — Charleston Harbor Luxury Dinner Cruise with Live Music (price, 2.5 hours, 7 p.m.)
• Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum — Plan my visit (hours, admission, ships, Veterans Day)
• Friends of the Hunley — hours and location (Warren Lasch Conservation Center)
• National Park Service — Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie hours (Fort Moultrie grounds, closures)
• Bulldog Tours — USS Yorktown Ghost Tour (prices, access, cancellation)