I really enjoyed this tour. It was easy to book online and find the meeting spot at the visitor's center. The guide was kind, knowledgeable and funny. I love that he used pictures and signs to demonstrate some of the people and information that he was talking about. The bus was clean and comfortable. I learned a lot on this tour and would recommend. read more

Gullah Tours - Bus - Tours Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

This tour wasn't what I thought it would be. I thought we would be going around to various Gullah sites, getting off periodically, and snapping photos. But guide Alphonso Brown had other plans. And that's okay. The two hour tour is totally on the bus. There is no getting off and you're driving around town. It's not all Gullah based. You learn more about Black/African American history overall. But Alphonso is the real gem/lesson here. Alphonso speaks Gullah and he will teach you some too. And even when he is speaking "normally," or in "English," he still has a dialect that is musical and enthralling. For all those complaining about having to work so hard to follow him--get over it! It's LITERALLY the BEST part of this tour! You toddle around town in an air conditioned bus, listening to history, fun stories, and seeing a ton of Charleston architecture (including numbers Philip Simmons gates). Alphonso will tell you where to go, where not to go, what to do, what not to do. He does not mince words. I asked about renowned hero Robert Smalls and he told me Robert Smalls was no hero! He also said George Washington had children (and I've been taught the opposite of that my whole life, so I'm off go down rabbit holes). I loved listening to Mr. Brown's lyrical dialect. Learning about his culture. Learning about Charleston. It was like having a chauffeur take you around to parts of town you wouldn't have thought about visiting. He was fun, energetic. And yes, I bought his book at the gift shop (all bus tours leave from the visitors center), and I had him sign it! This is a unique experience you won't get anywhere else. Thank you to the amazing Alphonso Brown. read more

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What an amazing experience! Mr. Brown was incredibly energetic, knowledgeable and fun to spend two hours with. This tour shared some interesting facts about some of the rich historical black background of Charleston SC. He also educated us on Gullah language. If you are in Charleston and want to take a tour off the beaten path, this is the one! read more

Gullah Tours - Tours Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Mr. Brown is a nice person and he showed me a lot of places. I had to go back and take pictures of them which made the day really long. I had a hard time understanding him, I don't like that the stops didn't allow for exiting the bus for pics. There was a group of students on the bus and I think he missed an opportunity to plant a seed to help them learn history. They didn't understand him so their chaperone tried to relay the message and he got mad because they wouldn't ask him their questions. They were falling asleep and the battle made it hard for me to stay focused. I think I would pick a different tour next time. He also made a statement that wasn't true. Heinz didn't get their ketchup recipe from a woman in Charleston. read more

Amazing tour of Charleston! Full of historic information and lots of laughs . You won't regret this tour.. read more

This tour is given by world renowned Alphonso Brown. Mr. Brown, who owns and conducts Gullah Tours, is a licensed tour guide for the city of Charleston. He is the author of A Gullah to Guide Charleston, a best-selling book from The History Press. He teaches classes on the Gullah language and Charleston's black history. If you believe Charleston's retreat to a good era. This does not have a tour for you. The true history and meaning of slavery is the Gullah culture, a relic that still exists in the city. For those who are interested in the remnants of the past; this is a trip for you. For those with an open mind and an interest in history, this is for you. And when you leave, you won't see Charleston in the same way. Brown is very fluent on his tour an didn't miss a beat. Funny, witty and full of all content knowledge. He is a walking history book of Charleston. My favorite part of the tour was visiting the Philip Simmons house, which remains to this day, and the workshop where all the magic happens. He had a good relationship with Mr. Simmons! Alfonso lets you hear and feel the passion of Charleston. read more

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This is not really a Gullah tour. It is a drive-by tour of well-known sites in Charleston, with a continuous narrative by Mr. Brown. Aside from introducing us to some Gullah words at the beginning, there was little if any connection to Gullah culture. Sitting at the back of the bus, I found it very difficult to understand the narrative, as Mr. Brown speaks very rapidly. I would not recommend this for learning about Gullah culture, there is some history of Charleston included, but I feel that other tours would give more extensive history of the city. read more

The experience was one we will never forget. While I have not verified or refuted the history, their art of storytelling, engagement, and service was above and beyond. The tour guide Godfrey was amazing! read more

Fun. Educating. Memorable. An experience. What a laid back have fun slap your knee experience this was. I would certainly recommend it.

Not what I expected. My family and I took the tour. Before we left three people got on the small Bus with smelly food and eat it on the bus. I had a difficult time understanding the driver and missed most of what he was saying. I also thought when the tour stopped we would exit the bus for a better/closer view. I didn't enjoy the experience. read more

Our whole family went on this tour and enjoyed every minute of it. Mr. Brown is part historian, part, linguist, part tour guide, part comedian, part driver, and of course he's a published author! If you want to hear some very deep cuts about Black history in Charleston, this is your tour. We bought his book and would highly recommend the tour as a unique experience for people who REALLY want the true history of a place. read more

Alphonso and Gullah Tours is an exceptional experience! This 2 hour tour is worth every penny and then some! We learned so much about Charleston, Gullah (language) and even Historical details about past (slavery to civil war), how it influences the present and whats coming in the future. Alphonso seems to know everyone we drove by and knew everything about even real estate costs and city government. The best part was visiting Phillip Simmons home, and getting to meet his family and how they are continuing the legacy. (And if you don't know who that is...you will - Simmons spent 78 years as a blacksmith, focusing on decorative iron work.) Don't believe the hype of other tours, this is the only one you need. Cant wait to come back to Charleston to explore more with Gullah Tours. And Hope Alphonso adds other experiences and tour themes to the options, so we can keep learning from him. Alphonso said, " Don' git los' now!" (Come back soon) And We wont git los', we Will be back soon! read more

The absolute BEST Gullah Tour in Charleston! Mr. Brown was an excellent guide. His gullah accent is very heavy so you have to pay attention Would take it again for sure! read more

The Gullah tour was the only organized tour we did while visiting Charleston. Easy to locate them near the visitor center. Mr Brown was waiting for us outside his mini bus. It was cool that he was fluent in speaking the Gullah language and familiar with the history of the land. His engaging personality really made the tour. He was in fact like living history. We drove past many great landmarks which helped us in getting the layout of the land. His tour was mainly focused on the black roots of Charleston. He would point out many houses or structures and give us background story on it. He ended the tour by going to Philip Simmons's (famous iron gate maker) humble house and seeing his museum. I do wish he spent more time talking about Gullah culture and the black experience living in Charleston. I felt the focus was a lot on the gates of each house, like an architectural tour where you go see the maker at the end. read more

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Mr. Alphonso Brown is a cherished soul and does not get the recognition he deserves. He did an excellent job communicating the truth while expressing a sense of humor with the tour guests. Tons of information - he's a wealth of knowledge to cherish. Highly recommend this authentic tour. read more

This tour with Alphonso was absolutely delightful. He started our trip off to Charleston with an informative dialogue of the Gullah people and their early influence on the city. He also showed us highlights of history around town with a fun & knowledgeable commentary. His van is clean, comfortable, and has a video screen which shows people and buildings during the drive. I would highly recommend this tour for anyone wanting good historical info on Charleston. Thank you Alphonso! read more

Loved this tour. I learned so much and the tour guide was hilarious. He taught us some Gullah and showed us parts of Charleston I know I wouldn't have seen on my own. Highly recommend! read more

I always research an area before I travel there. When I looked into Charleston, I saw a history of racism that wasn't being told. Most of the tours offered seemed "homogenized" to polish up the stories often omitting the truth. I wanted the real history of this town told honestly by someone who knows it dearly. Gullah Tours does that well! His stories are sometimes cheerful and sometimes bleak but always from the heart. He stops along the way to tell you intimate details of "accepted" truths and then he'd tell you the real story. He sprinkled in a little "Gullah" along the way and explained what each term meant-making it relatable. His tributes to Philip Simmons share a story of true artistry of an immensely talented artist and now national treasure. We walked through his workshop and saw where he forged masterpieces of ironworks seen all over Charleston. This city really should invest in saving and restoring his property because his legacy needs to be preserved and shared. Along the way, we saw the good, the bad and a lot of ugly often "scrubbed up" or omitted-but not on this tour. Thank you for sharing your history, your stories, your town and mostly yourself. It was a truly enjoyable and educational afternoon. read more

Mr. Brown was a joy. I learned a ton I didn't know, particularly about iron works in the city. I highly recommend.

Mr. Brown is a very entertaining tour guide. We learned a lot about the city. I would definitely recommend this tour to others. It's much easier than trying to drive around the city on your own and see these individual sights. read more

Great tour for locals and tourists. I took my family on this tour when visiting and they all loved it. For me it was insightful and I learned soooo much. read more

If you do just one tour in Charleston this has to be the one. In all my travels this is by far the best tour we've ever experienced. it was 2 hours but time flew. We saw so much of Charleston and learned the historical significance of everything we saw. Mr. Brown is extremely knowledgeable and knows how to make history entertaining even when some parts of our history are hard to accept. Just exceptional!! read more

Don't miss out on Alphonso Brown's Gullah Tours! In a short time, he manages to both entertain and, more critically, introduce you to the true history of Charleston. read more

Not about the Gullah history but still a very great tour. This tour is the same as other tours in that it covers key points in South Carolina history. What's makes it a Gullah tour is the guide. He's from South Carolina, grew up Gullah and speaks Gullah throughout the tour. He also adds hilarious commentary and provides additional insights and facts from the Black experience in South Carolina. Definitely a must do. read more

The Gullah Tour in Charleston was a delightful experience. Two hours on an air-conditioned bus with the most charming, humorous, and friendly guide imaginable. There was so much information he provided about Charleston that we were on information overload. We love to take "overview" tours of cities we visit, and this was one of the very best. Not only do you learn a little Gullah, but you learn facts about Charleston that some other tours and all the guide books leave out - and you learn it from someone who has his roots here and speaks the language (Gullah) fluently. If you only have time for one tour, this is definitely the one you want to take. read more

Loved this tour and appreciated the raw history of Charleston. This is a definite must even for the locals

If you take only one city tour of Charleston, this should be it. Alphonso is extremely engaging, funny and knowledgeable. The tour is comprehensive-- you'll see all of the "typical" sights, in addition to a great many overlooked by traditional tours. Historical trivia and stories comprised much of the two hour tour, and Alphonso did an excellent job of weaving in information about Charleston's gullah culture as it exists today. I was never bored, and felt like the $18 admission was a bargain. Make sure to make reservations well in advance using the form on the Gullah Tours website. I reserved our spots about two weeks prior, and had to take my third choice date and time because the first two were already booked. read more

Fantastic tour.. Mr Brown is very knowledgeable and engaging. The tour is a great overview of Charleston from an African American born in this areas perspective. My mom, sister and I truly enjoyed everything about this tour. When in Charleston make sure you take this tour. read more

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Mr Alfonso Brown brings the history of Black Charleston alive and I'm grateful that we were able to get on his tour. I know that some people complain that this tour is entirely on a bus, but just bring a notepad and write down where you want to return to. Also, if you are looking for a nice gift for a lady-friend, Mr Brown stops at the Phillip Simmons house where there is great jewelry that can only be found in Charleston. It's also very reasonable priced. read more

This was the best tour I have ever been on. It rocked my world and changed all my assumptions about culture and race in South Carolina. Mr. Brown was hilarious and personable, entertaining and knowledgeable. He literally "wrote the book." If you want hear "real" history, go deeper and take this tour. I really encourage white people to choose this perspective and listen carefully. read more

This tour was great! Mr. Brown gave a fun and thorough tour of Charleston. He had lots of great stories to share, and it was interesting to hear from an African American perspective. He took us to Philip Simmons' home, a famous iron gate-maker. That was a bit strange and I felt like we were intruding. I don't know how his "workshop" still exists, as I'm sure it violates hundred of codes. One of the highlights of our Charleston trip! Throw a kiss to mama! read more

Hello Friends!! This is one of the tours i speak of highly. The tour guid is very informative, Happy, ready to shed some light on the haps of the city. When on tour he asked where I was from (as in what city), I told him Charlotte, NC. Welp, as i found out.. its a very small world. His brother moved from Charleston to Charlotte. Only to open up a Gullah resturant named "The Charleston House" (located on the Plaza). This tour is an On & Off tour, so you get a chance to do some walking site seeing. On the day that I went which is a few years ago, we went to a National Folk Treasurer (Philip Simmons). I got to take pictures with him, that made my day considering my love of photo's. Now years later i can say, "I was in the same air as one of the greatest). Thats cool! I plan to return and refill my passion bucket with all the new and old things to do. read more

This was the best tour I experienced in the city (by far). For reference, I also checked out the Jailhouse Ghost Tour (yawn, NOT worth the $), Schooner Tour on the Pride (lovely, but too crowded!), Red Barn Carriage Tour (ok, a bit too much architecture), & Exchange Dungeon Tour (I happen to like dungeons, so I enjoyed this $8 tour.) If you're looking to take one that includes both local flavor and information about many aspects of the city, do the Gullah Tour. It's half the price and twice as long as the others. The tour guide was engaging, animated, and quite funny. He delivers the tour of Charleston with a storyteller's flair, using the wrought iron works all over the city as a frame. It's aesthetically effective, and personally engaging, as our tour guide Alphonso was personally acquainted with the artist & national treasure (Philip Simmons--if you don't already know). Ferried along on an air-conditioned bus, you experience the city through the eyes of a native, and learn a bit of the Gullah dialect along the way. The rhythms of Alphonso Brown's speech are easy to listen to, and coax you right on into whatever story he's telling. He pulls over a few times to engaged in slightly longer tales, and stopped once for us to get off and check out Simmons' workshop. As an artist, I was intrigued by this particular moment in the tour, and found it to be both a mess and also decked out in the style of true artisans the world over (show me a tidy studio, and I'll show you an artist who's just put away their cleaning supplies...). Metalwork is a messy business (not sure what was up with the previous yelp reviewer griping about the studio) and it was a treat to step inside the creative space of a man who was dedicated to his craft. My favorite bit, after the humor and rhythm of our guide's tales, was the lesson in Gullah dialect we were so lucky to share in. Alphonso was kind enough to lead us through a few examples of the creole language, which I appreciated historically and linguistically (I'm an English grad student... what can I say). The peppering of Gullah words and phrases, delivered with verve, infused the experience with both humor and confusion, though he was patient in explaining more obscure phrases. The entire bus fell into genuine laughter many times--such is the skill of the guide. You'll learn quite a few things about the city and people, such as where the bodies are buried (literally), and engage in open discussion of the history of the Gullah people within the city of Charleston, enslavement through freedom and relationships up through the modern era. The only aspect of the tour that wasn't so awesome was after we'd disembarked at the visitor center--the guide was disinterested in further engagement/questions, and went a bit standoffish. Maybe he didn't like me taking notes through the tour--not sure. All the same, it was a lovely close to my time in Charleston. Reservations are required, so don't mess around if you're just visiting the city. These tours fill up fast on the weekends. read more

This post is 6 weeks late, but I knew I had to get back to it. What can I say...but this tour was AWESOME from the start to finish....so much history in Charleston and Mr. Alphonso Brown knows and shares it like a real brother. The tour highlights were those items not seen in the sanitized history of Charleston. The gates on the beautiful mansions and their link to the generations of blacksmiths who just now are getting their due. What was a special treat was my teacher role reversed with student learning from Mr. Brown in the treasured local Gullah language. He has so much to share, the tour was extended because we were thirsty for his knowledge. I highly recommend this to any and all visitors to Charleston...this is what will give you a front row to how this city became and is a gem of the SOUTH. Don't miss it. My next visit, will be right back on the van. I'm slowly reading his book....Much LOVE to Mr. Alphonso Brown...the dean of Charleston! Be Blessed. Your friend in DC. read more

You definitely cannot visit Charleston and not take the Gullah tour. Super entertaining and informative tour. It's 2 hours on a 21 person air conditioned bus. Avoid the seats over the wheel wells, if you prefer it cooler then warmer sit nearer the front, and if you need a little extra space for your bottom (like me) then the back bench has a bit more wiggle room. So sit back and enjoy the ride....it's a good one. read more

Just finished this tour and it was amazing! Full of the rich history if Charleston with humor thrown in along the way. I definitely learned a lot. Tour guide was friendly and VERY knowledgeable. Definitely recommend! read more

This is not a knock on the tour guide, Mr. Brown. He was extremely engaging and funny and sweet! This tour is just not what we expected it to be based on the website. You sit in a van for 2+ hours (I'm guessing, we were actually so bored/unhappy with the tour that we hopped off after 45 min - which we felt SOOO terrible about but had too much we wanted to do) and basically pull over every few minutes while he tells you a story about the gate you're looking at or a wall...I thought this would be more about the Gullah culture, history, etc. but instead it was just a regular tour of Charleston as told from a Gullah man's eyes. We had already done a carriage tour and so this felt redundant. We had a very limited time in Charleston and were happy with our decision to leave after 45 minutes. read more

Delightful tour through Charleston. Mr. Brown is entertaining and knowledgeable. We so enjoyed hearing the Gullah language and learning about the culture and history of the city with an emphasis on its black roots. read more

This was a really great tour but the name is deceptive. I thought there would be more about the Gullah culture in and around Charleston. It was essentially a Charleston history tour hosted by a man who spoke Gullah. Definitely recommended. The tour was overbooked so my friend had to sit in a seat in the aisle but was not charged full ticket price. The Cut Rate Drug Store (Hexis, Fixes, and Roots) mentioned in the description has, apparently, closed. Perhaps when that store was still open he talked more about rootwork. read more

Loved it. Alphonso brown gave gullah lesson and is hilarious. Not enough about the gullah culture but a great charleston tour very knowledgeable and entertaining. Should stop more for pictures and questions . Raise price to $25 and add an hour. I bought his book for my daughter. Plan to do it again! read more