Jewish Horizons: The Driving Tour

At-A-Glance

Duration - 2 hours

Price - $250 for 1 or 2 people (+$50 for each additional guest, up to 7 total)

Schedule - 9 AM and 3 PM every day

Included in your visit:

  • Local insights into Charleston’s layered history — with a spotlight on Jewish life, legacy, and landmarks woven throughout the tour.

  • Chauffeured driving tour of downtown Charleston with a focus on historic Jewish sites — from homes and synagogues to brothels (yes, really!) and beyond.

  • Bonus scenic drive past Rainbow Row — a guest favorite by popular request

  • Complimentary transportation throughout in a premium SUV, including pickup and drop-off at your downtown Charleston hotel.*

  • Cold bottled water and light refreshments

  • With every tour, you help us give back — a portion of our profits supports Charleston’s local Jewish community

Want to learn more about the sites visited on this tour? See here.

Tour Overview

Your experience begins with hotel pickup and a comfortable ride through Charleston, as your licensed, certified guide introduces the unique and often unexpected role of Jewish life in the city’s story.

As we explore Charleston’s historic streets by car, you’ll discover both iconic landmarks and lesser-known sites connected to its Jewish heritage. Stories of resilience, adaptation, and lasting impact unfold — from the once-thriving Jewish neighborhood known as “Little Jerusalem,” to two of the oldest synagogues in the United States: one, the oldest in continuous use in the U.S. and birthplace of American Reform Judaism; the other, the oldest Orthodox Ashkenazi synagogue in continuous use in the country. You’ll also pass the former home of a Jewish privateer and a brothel once owned by a Jewish woman (yes, really!).

Along the way, we honor the vital contributions of African Americans within Charleston’s Jewish community, while also confronting the complex history of Jewish involvement in both the city’s slave economy and the Civil War.

This isn’t just a tour of buildings — it’s a thoughtful journey through centuries of Jewish experience in Charleston, led with insight, care, and a storyteller’s touch.

As with all our tours, the experience is private, unhurried, and carefully curated — complete with refreshments and engaging narration throughout.

Tour Note:

Tours operate rain or shine, so please dress accordingly. In cases of severe or unsafe weather, we will contact you to reschedule or issue a refund.

Vehicle Note:

This private tour is conducted in a premium SUV with one front passenger seat and two bench-style rows in the back. It’s most comfortable for up to 4 adults, but can accommodate up to 7 guests total (ideal for families with children). Please contact us if you have questions about seating or group size. See our fleet here.

Cancellation Policy:

We understand plans change. Cancellations made at least 24 hours before the tour are fully refundable. Within 24 hours, tours are nonrefundable.

*Not sure if your hotel qualifies for pickup and dropoff? Please reach out with any questions — we're happy to help confirm.

Looking to enhance your experience? Consider adding a visit to the Jewish Heritage Collection at the College of Charleston—home to original documents, photographs, and oral histories that bring Charleston’s Jewish history to life.