Charleston Plantation Tours: Which One, and How to Get There
Prices & schedules checked October 18, 2026
The four plantation sites most visitors book are outside downtown: Boone Hall in Mount Pleasant (1235 Long Point Rd, which Boone Hall puts 8 miles from downtown), and Magnolia (3550 Ashley River Rd), Drayton Hall (3380 Ashley River Rd) and Middleton Place along the Ashley River. Boone Hall and Middleton Place, for example, both build part of the visit around the enslaved people who lived and worked there. Below, we stick to what each site and listing says it offers, so you can choose the visit that fits.
At a glance
| Site | Ticket only | Tour from downtown (as listed Oct 2026) | Known for (per the site or listing) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boone Hall (Mount Pleasant) | Viator from $36.50; Boone Hall’s site lists $30 for adults | From $82, 4 hr 30 min | Avenue of oaks; Black History in America exhibit in former slave cabins; live Gullah culture presentation |
| Magnolia (Ashley River) | Not compared here | From $75.45 (5 hr) or $96.30 (4 hr 30 min) | 66 acres of gardens, Audubon Swamp Garden, house tour |
| Drayton Hall (Ashley River) | Viator from $35, with a 1-hour guided tour | Not compared here | Early-1700s house; 18th-century African American cemetery |
| Middleton Place (Ashley River) | Not compared here | From $125 plus admission ($47 per the listing), 3 hr | America’s oldest landscaped gardens; programs on the enslaved community |
Our take
- No car: the easiest choices are the half-day tours to Magnolia or Boone Hall that leave from the Charleston Visitor Center (375 Meeting St). Their listings include admission; check the details before you book.
- Most focus on the people enslaved there: Boone Hall’s all-access ticket includes its Black History in America exhibit in nine original cabins and a live Gullah culture presentation. Middleton Place describes daily programs and guided tours about the enslaved Africans and African Americans who lived and worked there.
- Architecture: Drayton Hall calls itself “the earliest and finest example of Palladian architecture in the United States”. The Viator listing puts the visit at 1–2 hours, with free parking.
- Gardens: Magnolia (66 acres of gardens and the Audubon Swamp Garden boardwalk) or Middleton Place (65 acres of historic gardens).
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Self-drive · Mount Pleasant
Boone Hall Plantation all-access admission
- Price From $36.50 on Viator (as listed Oct 2026). Boone Hall’s own site lists $30 for adults and $12 for children 6–12.
- Includes Entry down the Avenue of Oaks, a guided tour of the first floor of the house, the Black History in America exhibit and a live Gullah culture presentation
- History Founded in 1681; the live oaks of the avenue were planted in 1743 (Boone Hall)
- Notes Transportation not included; not valid for special events; grounds are grass or compacted sand
- Cancellation Free up to 24 hours ahead (Viator listing)
From downtown
Boone Hall admission & tour with transportation from Charleston
- Price From $82 on Viator (as listed Oct 2026); gate fees included
- Length 4 hours 30 minutes; morning or afternoon; small group of up to 15
- Departs 375 Meeting St (Charleston Visitor Center)
- Notes Not wheelchair accessible; drinks and snacks for sale at the plantation
- Supplier Adventure Sightseeing
From downtown
Magnolia Plantation half-day tour with transportation
- Price From $75.45 on Viator (as listed Oct 2026)
- Length 5 hours; 9:30 a.m. listing start
- Includes Round-trip transfer, entry to the 66-acre gardens, a guided house tour, then a choice of the nature train or the Ashley River boat trip
- Departs Charleston Visitor Center, 375 Meeting St — look for the Old Town Trolley Tours bus; arrive 20 minutes early
- Supplier Historic Tours of America
From downtown
Magnolia Plantation admission & tour with transportation
- Price From $96.30 on Viator (as listed Oct 2026)
- Length 4 hours 30 minutes; 10:00 a.m. listing start
- Includes Admission, a 45-minute narrated nature tram through the Audubon Swamp Garden and a 30-minute house tour
- Notes Not recommended for children under 3; not wheelchair accessible
- Supplier Adventure Sightseeing
Self-drive · 1–2 hrs
Drayton Hall admission with interpreter-guided tour
- Price From $35 on Viator (as listed Oct 2026)
- Includes Admission, a 1-hour interpreter-led tour and an orientation video; free time on the grounds, including an 18th-century African American cemetery
- Notes Getting there is up to you; free parking. The listing marks it not wheelchair accessible: exhibits, garden and trails are, but unpaved paths can be difficult, and the guided house tour has limits
- Supplier Drayton Hall Preservation Trust
Small group
Middleton Place 3-hour guided tour with hotel pickup
- Price From $125 on Viator (as listed Oct 2026). Admission isn’t included; the listing gives it as $47 per person.
- Length 3 hours; 9:30 a.m. pickup at your hotel entrance, with a brief drive through the historic district on the way
- About the site A National Historic Landmark on the Ashley River with America’s oldest landscaped gardens, once home to Arthur Middleton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence (Middleton Place)
- Supplier Historic Charleston Tours
The GetYourGuide Boone Hall, Magnolia, Drayton Hall and Middleton Place listings redirected to a search page with our partner link on Oct 18, 2026, so we link Viator and the sites’ own pages only.
Short on days? A plantation half-day can replace Fort Sumter in our one-day plan. Staying in Mount Pleasant puts you nearest Boone Hall: see where to stay.
Sources
- Boone Hall Plantation & Gardens — official site (1681 founding, 1743 oaks, adult/child prices, Gullah presentation, 1235 Long Point Rd, 8 miles from downtown)
- Drayton Hall — official site (“earliest and finest example of Palladian architecture in the United States”; 3380 Ashley River Road)
- Magnolia Plantation and Gardens — official site (3550 Ashley River Road)
- Middleton Place — official site (National Historic Landmark, oldest landscaped gardens, 65 acres, programs on the enslaved community)
- Viator — Boone Hall Plantation All-Access Admission Ticket (price, inclusions)
- Viator — Boone Hall Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston (price, 4.5 hours, up to 15)
- Viator — Magnolia Plantation Day Tour with Transportation (price, 5 hours, 9:30 a.m., 66 acres)
- Viator — Magnolia Plantation Admission & Tour with Transportation from Charleston (price, tram and house tour)
- Viator — Drayton Hall Admission Ticket with Interpreter-Guided Tour (price, 1-hour tour, cemetery)
- Viator — Middleton Plantation 3-hour guided tour with hotel pickup (price, $47 admission not included)