Fantastic tour in Charleston! After someone suggesting that we look into historical tours, we noticed that several companies were telling the history from only the white/confederate perspectives. Mr. Al has deep roots in the Charleston area, and provided an indepth history of the area that provided the more accurate account of how enslaved people built the city and the historical events that occurred. Mr. Al is not only a wealth of knowledge, he is welcoming, kind, and has a great voice! Get ready for a great tour and solid entertainment. read more

The tour was engaging,, enlightening, entertaining and soulful. Mr. Miller shared his vocal talents with us as well. So much history was shared. A must for anyone visiting Charleston is the Gullah, Geechee, Porgy and Bess tour with Mr. Al Miller. The Felder's read more

Yesterday, by chance, our family of 5 took a tour with Mr. Al. We couldn't have been more pleased with our experience. He is extremely knowledgeable of the Gullah/Geechee culture, Charleston landmarks, African American History and beyond. He kept the group engaged with stories and interesting facts along the way. When someone has a gift and a passion, it shows. Mr. Al definitely does and we are thankful he shared his gift with our family. Thanks for a wonderful tour. read more

Sites and Insights Tours - Historical Tours Near Me

Al Miller is definitely an expert in his field.He is a wonderful storyteller and historian. A must take tour when in Charleston. read more

Sites and Insights Tours - Al Miller~owner - Historical Tours Near Me

This was a great way to spend an afternoon in Charleston. Al is not only entertaining (he sings) but he is really knowledgeable about Charleston. You'll also walk away with a deep appreciation for Charleston's Gullah, Geechee & Black history. Thank you Al for a delightfully informative afternoon. You're one of Charleston's greatest treasures! Tom & Barbara San Diego. CA read more

Rick Steves advises us to "find that guy or gal who's the local tour guide, doesn't work for a big company, just loves his/her own area and is a natural teacher." Add to that, a natural entertainer and you have Al Miller. Detail: Did you know that Blacks living right along the beautiful SC coastline outside of Charleston had to drive 50 miles to an Atlantic beach where they were allowed to swim? And all this delivered with wonder, respect and a bit of song. Let's give a big three-beat clap! read more

I took the 2.5-hour tour and left wanting more, even though we ended up getting 3 hours. Al Miller is truly an expert tour guide: easy to understand, friendly, knowledgeable, and engaging. He expertly connected history to the present by demonstrating how one impacted the other and sharing relevant personal stories. We had lots of opportunities to get out of the bus to walk around landmarks and take photos, which broke up the experience well. The bus was spacious, comfy, and clean, and small enough to make the experience feel intimate. I really appreciated the focus on Black history: stories that probably don't come up on other tours, as well as Black perspectives on stories that do, but are likely told from a White perspective by other guides. read more

This was my first visit to Charleston, and everyone who'd visited previously raved about this historic city on the water! Well they were correct and it was steamy HOT during my visit last wk. One of the first suggestions to me was to take a Gullah style tour and so,........ I did! I highly recommend taking a tour or as many as you can to get some rich history. I really enjoyed learning the information concerning past slavery, plantation owners, the Geechee way of speaking, the types of foods associated with Gullah, the style of housing for black communities in terms of property and land, etc..... I also toured a few black historic cemeteries and schools. This particular tour was slated the Porgy & Bess tour and there is some rich history involved within these stories. The host/guide is very knowledgeable of Charleston and the gullah/geechee past. He is very enlightening and entertaining, answering questions along this tour.....Please take a moment and view some of my photos and when in Charleston, stop and gather some culture....there is much to learn and share..... read more

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My husband I really enjoyed learning g about the black history in Charleston. Al is very knowledgeable and loves to share his passion and experience. Love it! Take a tour with him! read more

Wow. This was one of the best tours I've been on in a long time. Al Miller really brought the tour to life. He spoke almost nonstop and shared so much historical information about the city, culture and people. We picked the 2.5 hour tour and hit James and John island. I can't recount all of what Al shared with us, however I highly recommend booking time for this tour and know you will have a wonderful experience. Thank you Al read more

Absolutely fabulous! Delightfully informative with great humor. Thorough including exquisite singing with soul. Truly gave us a great understanding of the area and culture and history. I am grateful to have been a participant on Al Miller's journey throughout Charleston! read more

Al Miller was great. We had a group of 13 and were so dysfunctional. We had Uber issues and people who got sick. But Al came back and did a tour for us after he finished the tour we missed. He thaught us about Gullah culture spoke in Gullah and sang to us. Can't say enough about how awesome this tour was. read more

Mr Miller is informative and entertaining. A "must do" tour while in Charleston.

Mr.Miller was an amazing tour guide. He is very charismatic, knowledgeable, accommodating and professional. The tour bus was very comfortable as well. read more

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Informative. Expensive though, $67 per person . I didn't have time for all of the tours at Boone Hall, which is very large. So I switched to Lyft, for my other plantation tours, so I could leave when I wanted. Only $28 I think? , at the gate!!! read more

Worth every penny! Al Miller's City/Island Tour was excellent. This was our second time in Charleston and we learned so much about the city and its history. Mr. Miller was knowledgeable and entertaining. read more

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The tour was excellent! Owner and operator, Mr. Miller was friendly and informative on the subject of Gullah culture. Not only was it entertaining but it was educational as well. I would recommend that others attend more than once as there are several different tours provided. We lucked out, there was a group of college students doing a research paper on the subject Charleston history. Bring your questions and your cameras. There is plenty to see you on this two hour tour! read more

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This is the BEST tour I have been on in 30 plus years!! Al the owner and tour guide was fantastic. He was well informed about the area and the history and culture of my people - African Americans. The 2 1/2 hour tour took us from downtown Charleston to the Sea Islands. Al Miller is a natural storyteller and historian. Funny, smart and showed a deep love of his beloved South Carolina. We even had a chance to get off and take pictures and get produce from a local farmer on St. James Island. I look forward to doing this tour again with my family. I also look forward to his book. read more

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The most accommodating tour guide who is extremely knowledgeable about the history. Super interactive and a bonus - he also has an amazing singing voice!! Thank you very much! P.S he is a published author! read more

Overall, this was a really good tour. We spent a lot of time looking at various African American, Gullah/Geechee historical points of interest around Charleston. Most info was very high-level, but a lot was covered in a short period of time. Al was a good guide. We are glad we took his tour. FYI, this is a ride-only tour. Don't expect to get out and go in places because that won't happen. You will definitely have to supplement the tour with other tours to get a fuller picture of slavery in Charleston. read more

Best tour I have ever experienced! Al Miller is knowledgeable, interesting and very connected to the Charleston community. This is a tour for anyone interested in learning more about many facets of Charleston's history. Excellent, informative and really fun! read more

We did the 3-1/2 hour city/seas islands tour. Excellent value for money. City segments very comprehensive. Visits to sea islands provided insights into Gullah culture we couldn't have gotten on our own. Al Miller is an engaging guide. Well worth doing. read more

WOW WOW WOW. Never been on any tour that was as informative,exciting, and dynamic as this. " This is the only tour you need to take when visiting Charleston,period. Covers every neighborhood,mansion,church etc plus 2 islands and the "Angel Tree"park area.. Al should be the city historian w/ his vast knowledge of 30 + years in the business. read more

My family and I were visiting South Carolina recently and I asked a colleague of mine, a Charleston natives, for recommendations. She suggested I take this tour and we're so glad she did! Charleston provides a lot of tours but many don't cover the interesting and extensive African American, Gullah Geechee history. It was a 2.5 hour tour of land and sea stopping at many notable, historical spots. It really brings a place to life when you know the history and especially when you have an engaging, informed guide. Take this tour if you want to bring some depth to your Charleston visit. read more

FIVE STARS ALL AROUND FOR OUR EXCELLENT TOUR GUIDE AL MILLER! Al Miller was a superb tour guide. A man that has grown up in the Charleston area and knows the city and surrounding islands area very well. His knowledge and love for the city is apparent and infectious. He was very funny, joyous and courteous. He was in no rush to move out from the tour and laid back. He even let us pay at the end of the tour which was great compared to other tours that demand their money up front and are strict about starting the tour at the scheduled time. His storytelling was fascinating and interesting, not boring at all. I was very happy to catch his tour and learn about the black history of Charleston area considering its a very large part of the history there. Learning about the Gullah and Geechee people and culture was also gratifying for me. Being of Jamaican descent I find it very fascinating how similar Caribbean and Gullah/Geechee accents are. I loved every time Al bursts into song with a show tune or spoke to us in the Gullah dialect. Towards the end he even tried to each us some of it. It was interesting seeing that old slave quarters were attached to the grand houses of Charleston, gentrification going on in the city today, the plantation and slave quarters on James Island, seeing Porgy's grave, and seeing and hearing about countless important historical landmarks in and and around Charleston. I definitely recommend everyone visiting Charleston goes on this tour and I hope the sights and insights tour stay around. I certainly gained a lot of insight seeing the sights of Charleston with Al! read more

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Excellent tour! My two girlfriends and I did the one-hour Black history tour of Charleston. I wish that we had had time to do the longer tour as the time flew by. Still, we covered a ton of ground and it was super-interesting. Mr. Miller is very knowledgeable and able to share what he knows in a really engaging way. Very highly recommended! Not your typical generic tour; very engaging and memorable. read more

It seems like every review for Al Miller is 5 stars. There's a reason -- comprehensive African American history tour took us to some unseen places -- share croppers cottages, prominent African Americans from Charleston's history, exploration of the real Porgy from "Porgy and Bess." But Al also has a great way of entertaining and keeping things lively, singing songs in Gullah style, telling jokes, and interacting with passengers. It was also one of the few tours in Charleston where many of the other tourists were African American, who themselves had interesting perspectives on Charleston and its history. Don't hesitate -- book your tour now! read more

Definitely a must see tour. Al did an outstanding job and was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the City of Charleston and it's surrounding communities. If you enjoy learning about history, culture and tradition sign up today. #AmazingTour read more

My wife and I took the combination tour with Al (2.5 hours long). We absolutely loved the journey. Al did an amazing job explaining the local history, showing us sights we never would have otherwise seen, and exposing us to local culture. If we hadn't taken this tour, we would have missed to so much about Charleston and the surrounding communities. This is a must for all visitors new to town! read more

Best tour! Mr. Miller is extremely knowledgeable about the charleston area. His humorous personality makes this such a enjoyable tour. I have learned so much. I will book this tour again and recommend it highly. Thank you Mr. Miller! read more

Love love love this tour!!!!! Mr. Al is one of the best tour guides I've encountered! The tour gives insight to not only Charleston, but to the heritage of our ancestors. I highly recommend if you want something off of the beaten path. read more

Tour guide had some interesting information but tour was a thinly veiled ad for his real estate business and included too many irrelevant and often sexist anecdotes and not enough history. He would have been annoying at a party but as something we paid $50 for was downright insulting. read more

Our private bus tour with Al was a pleasure and a great education about Charleston and cultural and anthropological history of the South. Lots of pretty houses, parks, and sites. Historical and personal stories. Detailed answers to every question. Highly recommend. read more