The Most Charming 50 Minutes in Beaufort: A Horse-Drawn Carriage Tour

Clip-clop through 300 years of history — antebellum mansions, Spanish moss, and Hollywood film sites, all from the best seat in Beaufort.

Some towns you drive through. Beaufort is a town you ride through — slowly, at four miles an hour, behind a horse that knows every oak on Bay Street by name. A horse-drawn carriage tour is the single most touristy thing you can do in Beaufort, and we mean that as the highest compliment. It's also the best possible introduction to a town that has been quietly stealing scenes for three centuries.

Two companies run narrated tours daily from Bay Street — Southurn Rose Buggy Tours (1002 Bay St) and the Sea Island Carriage Company (930 Bay St). Hop on, settle into the bench, and let a professional guide do the talking while the horse does the walking.

What You'll See

The route winds through the historic district past antebellum and Victorian mansions dripping with Spanish moss — the kind of streets that make you understand why Hollywood keeps showing up. Forrest Gump filmed here (those iconic bench scenes), along with The Big Chill and The Prince of Tides, and your guide will point out exactly where. You'll also get the Civil War history, the Gullah roots, and the stories behind the grand old homes that no plaque could ever tell properly. Fifty minutes, and you'll know Beaufort better than most people who've lived there a year.

Good to Know

Tours run about 50 minutes and start at $15 — an absolute steal for the best storytelling in town. All ages are welcome, and it's genuinely great for kids (horses!) and grandparents (no walking!) alike. It's roughly 25 minutes from the Fripp Island gate, and here's our recommended play: ride in the morning, then walk two blocks to lunch on a waterfront patio. Book ahead on weekends — the carriages fill up when the weather's good.

And yes — the horses are the real stars. Some of them wear sunglasses. You'll see.

Southurn Rose Buggy Tours — 1002 Bay St, Beaufort, SC · (843) 524-2900 · southurnrose.com
Sea Island Carriage Company — 930 Bay St, Beaufort, SC · (843) 476-7789 · seaislandcarriagecompany.com