Charleston TourPass
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The City Market is a famous Charleston landmark and a favorite of visitors. Encompassing four city blocks from Meeting to East Bay Streets, the City Market houses is known for Sweetgrass baskets, tremendous restaurants, bars, local vendors selling everything from jewelery to novelty items and is where the immensely popular carriage tours depart from.
Market Hall Painstakingly restored, this Roman Revival building soars as majestically above Charleston’s tourism trade as it once did over the beef market that occupied the block behind it. While most of the building is brick covered with rouge-tinted stucco (colored in some areas with pigmented lime wash), it also has brownstone details and bronze ornaments in the frieze depicting the skulls of rams and oxen, the use of which to indicate proximity to a meat market has precedence in Roman architecture.
During the Civil War, the upper floor was used as a venue for balls to support the Confederate cause and is today leased by the Daughters of the Confederacy where a museum is housed. The legendary Palmetto Guard was honored here before going to war, and the veterans gathered here annually to remember their fallen comrades through 1917, when the last two survivors met.
City Market Where the City Market now stands was originally a tidal creek that ran just north of the walled Colonial city of Charles Towne. The creek was filled in and the land donated to the city for the placement of an open-air food market, a purpose the present buildings served from 1804 until the early 20th century. Victorian era photographs show basket-toting women in the streets at the Beef Market, dodging turkey buzzards (euphemistically referred to in contemporary accounts as “Charleston eagles”), which kept the area clean.
Among the vendors who now occupy the Market are ladies demonstrating the originally African craft of sweetgrass basketry, the most visible vestige of Gullah culture. The word “Gullah” likely originated from the word “Angola”, which in the early 18th-century referred to the region generally south of the Congo River from which most slaves were brought. By mid-century, Planters were showing a distinct preference for Slaves from the coastal areas above the Congo, where rice was a major crop and methods from those areas were being employed in the Lowcountry rice industry. Baskets like these were used for winnowing – tossing the pounded grains through the air to let the breeze carry away the chaff – and virtually identical baskets found in Senegal Africa were used there for the same purpose.
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We got the 4 day pass and spent 1 full week in Charelston. We scheduled 4 featured tours for each night/day and filled in the rest of the time with the amazing standard tours. It made our stay a great time. I recommend this pass.
We live in Jacksonville and regularly in St. Augustine for day trips or long weekends. Tour Pass was fantastic to use during a recent long weekend visit. We booked the two-day pass to take advantage of our favorite attractions with the added benefit of trying some new things we had not visited in the MANY trips to the Old City. Unfortunately, a hurricane forced the closure of many attractions in the middle of the day on Day 2 but an email to Tour Pass was quickly responded to and offered a great solution. We loved the opportunity to revisit some attractions we had seen before and were excited to experience some for the first time. We could squeeze in quite a few in the one and a half days . We were looking forward to using Tour Pass on our next visit to Savannah!
The tour pass was awesome! We had so much to do and it was very easy and convenient to use. Definitely worth purchasing. You really end up saving money. I wish they would have more than three days max. I would definitely purchase more days. It was a wonderful trip!
Tour guide was very knowledgeable! Pass was a great savings and allowed us to do a lot more things.
Tour Pass was very convenient. Places had my name when I arrived. Didn't have to buy tickets
Just showed my passed and I was in. Got alot for the money. I bought 3 day pass. Used it those 3 days in Charleston.
Me and my besties took advantage of the one day pass! Wow did we get our money’s worth! We didn’t get to do everything, but out of the stops we did visit, really worth the price!! I def recommend! Probs would do it again too!! Ha! Loved it, and such a great time visiting St. Auggie! ;)
While my spouse was attending a 2 Day conference in Savannah, I was able to explore this beautiful city on my own and it started with Tour Pass! For my first day in Savannah, I chose to purchase a Hop On/Hop Off 1 Day pass and that allowed me a way to familiarize myself with the city so that I could find my way on foot the following day with ease. I couldn't recommend Tour Pass more! From the very first stop, every person I interacted with that worked for the Trolley tour, I felt comfortable and was thoroughly entertained by all of the stories and sights. Southern hospitality is very real and genuine in Savannah, and I was welcomed to the city, given a narrated historical tour throughout the time I spent on the trolley and felt that I could easily navigate this tour on my own when I got off at each stop. There were three people I'd like to mention that were superior in their customer service and they were Bunny (Trolley Stand Customer Service), Tony ( a Trolley Driver) and Cat (Ticket collector). Thank you for helping a tourist felt welcomed and safe, too!
My family recently visited Charleston and the Tour Pass was the way to go! We chose the Carriage Ride, an absolute must! The Walking Ghost Tour was creepy for sure, but very entertaining and Fort Sumter was pretty cool also. We loved taking advantage of the Standard Features as well, enjoying free donuts and dole whip and the Fun Park was a highlight of the trip as well. The merchants were very friendly and happy to honor our pass. I wouldn’t go to Charleston again without taking advantage of the TourPass. 10 out 10!
Purchased the TourPass online in advance of our trip. We selected a two day pass which included 3 premium selections and as many standard selections we could fit in.
Slick, slick, slick! The premium tours tell you how many spots are available which made it easy to know if you have time to choose or pick right away. Once selected you just go at the appointed time and tell the provider you are using tourpass. Your name is on their list! Worked flawlessly!
The Standard tours is just as simple. You go, tell them you have tourpass, you click a button, the provider gives you a code which you type in and click submitt. That's it! Enjoy!
This system works great and is a savings. Makes scheduling your vist EZPZ!
If you're on the fence, buy it!
We toured Savannah February 24-March 2 and the Tour Pass was a worthwhile expenditure! We saved a bundle and visited many sites and venues that we probably wouldn’t have with the pass.
We really enjoyed using tour pass! We did the carriage ride through Charleston and then the Harbor Cruise. So fun and great value too!
Our favorite driver was Richard. He was very personable and able to make the group chuckle at his jokes. He answered questions and maneuvered the streets like a true pro.
The tour pass made it exceptionally easy to book and attend the many tours Savannah has to offer
2 Day Tour Pass is the best option for you to see everything and the Museums.
I would suggest you read about how to use the App and call the 800 # number for help. I called the 800 # for help and they are very helpful with all the information I needed.
We rode the Old Town Trolley for 2 days and BYOB Boat Ride from Vilano Beach and several museums.
I will be using Tour Pass again.
I visit St Augustine every year.
Thanks to Tour Pass I had a great time.
While Tourpass couldn't control the weather in Savannah Memorial weekend we managed to do just a few things and your app was super easy and user friendly! Will highly recommend to everyone!
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Pass purchases can be refunded (minus 3% credit card processing fees) if requested within thirty-days of purchase date (for unused passes). Optional Trip Insurance can be purchased for a nominal fee at checkout which extends the refund period up to one-year from purchase date. Conditions apply. View full refund policy by clicking button below.