Beaufort SC has 2 of the best things to do in the US, Tripadvisor says. Here’s what they are.

Sarah Claire McDonald

Looking for something new to do?

Head on over to Beaufort where two local tours have caught national attention from Tripadvisor.

Chris Barr, Chief of Interpretation/Public Information Officer with the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, stands outside the former home of Elizabeth Smalls Bampfield, Robert Smalls daughter on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023 during a tour in Beaufort’s historic district. Drew Martin/dmartin@islandpacket.com
Chris Barr, Chief of Interpretation/Public Information Officer with the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, stands outside the former home of Elizabeth Smalls Bampfield, Robert Smalls daughter on Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023 during a tour in Beaufort’s historic district. Drew Martin/dmartin@islandpacket.com

If you’re also looking for activities to try around the Lowcountry, several Charleston tours also made the list.

Each year, Tripadvisor releases its ‘Traveler’s Choice’ Award for several different categories that pertain to restaurants, activities and destination locales around the country.

The popular travel site’s “Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best winners” are all selected based on reviews and ratings collected over the past 12 months through Tripadvisor. So, if you contributed to any of these ratings, your opinions were considered during the process.

One of the featured homes in the Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens in Beaufort is the Paul Hamilton House, also known as The Oaks. Col. Paul Hamilton and his wife built the “Beaufort Style” house with Italianate influences in 1856. Historic Beaufort Foundation
One of the featured homes in the Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens in Beaufort is the Paul Hamilton House, also known as The Oaks. Col. Paul Hamilton and his wife built the “Beaufort Style” house with Italianate influences in 1856. Historic Beaufort Foundation

In Beaufort, one of the tours selected was ranked 7th out of 10 chosen activities nationwide in the “pop culture” category.

The History and Movie Tour of Beaufort by Golf Cart in Beaufort was recommended for guests to “discover Beaufort’s historic district without the hassle of navigating a tour that highlights the town’s Hollywood past. In addition to telling little–known stories about the town’s 300–year history, your guide brings you to landmarks often missed by visitors, from unmarked Forrest Gump film locations to the cemetery used in The Great Santini,” according to Tripadvisor.

The “Forrest Gump” cast and crew shoots on location near Beaufort. Dale Dye, military adviser to the blockbuster film, standing fourth from left, suggested Hunting Island as a good place to film Vietnam scenes. Beaufort International Film Festival
The “Forrest Gump” cast and crew shoots on location near Beaufort. Dale Dye, military adviser to the blockbuster film, standing fourth from left, suggested Hunting Island as a good place to film Vietnam scenes. Beaufort International Film Festival

The hour-long golf cart tour is available daily every week at 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.

It has 244 reviews on the popular travel site as well as a 97% recommendation rate by travelers.

This tour also won Trip Advisor’s “Certificate of Excellence” in 2018, according to the tour’s website.

The 10 “Best of the Best Things to Do-Pop Culture Tours” from TripAdvisor include:

  1. Full-Day Iconic Sights of LA, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Beaches and More, Los Angeles, California

  2. Field of Dreams Movie Site Guided Home Tour in Dyersville, Dyersville, Iowa

  3. Movie Locations Segway Tour of Savannah, Savannah, Georgia

  4. Private Stranger Things “The Upside Down” Film Locations Tour in Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia

  5. Walking Dead Walking Tour on Private Filming Backlot, Senoia, Georgia

  6. Breaking Bad RV Tours, Albuquerque, New Mexico

  7. History and Movie Tour of Beaufort by Golf Cart, Beaufort, South Carolina

  8. Superheroes in New York Walking Tour, New York City, New York

  9. Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

  10. Kualoa Ranch - Hollywood Movie Sites Tour, Oahu, Hawaii

Next, the Walking Tour in Beaufort was named 24th out of the 25 “Best of the Best Things to Do- Cultural & Historical Tours” in the U.S. according to Tripadvisor.

The tour is recommended by an impressive 100% of travelers and has garnered 148 reviews.

The 2-hour-and 15-minute to 3-hour walking tour gives guests the opportunity to “discover the charming southern city of Beaufort on a walking tour through the historic district. Join a small group and explore the antebellum streets while listening to your guide regale you with the city’s 500-year history. Learn about Native Americans, pirates, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and more as you visit monuments, churches, and statues,” as detailed by Tripadvisor.

The tour, by Janet’s Walking History Tour, takes guests through the fascinating history of the local area.

It has also won a “Certificate of Excellence” from Tripadvisor.

The Cultural and Historical Tours ranked among the 25 best in the nation, according to the popular travel site, include:

  1. Pearl Harbor City Tour, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii

  2. History and Hauntings of Salem Guided Walking Tour, Salem, Massachusetts

  3. New Orleans Garden District Walking Tour Including Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans, Louisiana

  4. Luxurious River Cruise on the Brazos River in Waco, Waco, Texas

  5. Historic Charleston Guided Sightseeing Walking Tour, Charleston, South Carolina

  6. The Revolutionary Story Walking Tour in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts

  7. Hoover Dam Walk-On-Top Tour with Seven Magic Mountains, Las Vegas, Nevada

  8. Bonaventure Cemetery Walking Tour with Transportation, Savannah, Georgia

  9. Guided Tampa Tour in a Deluxe Street Legal Golf Cart, Tampa, Florida

  10. Key West Historic Homes and Island History - Small Group Walking Tour, Key West, Florida Keys, Florida

  11. Walking History Tour of St. Augustine’s Historic District, St. Augustine, Florida

  12. Charleston Chicora 2 Hours Walking Tour, Charleston, South Carolina

  13. Private Missions and More - Half-day City Tour, San Antonio, Texas

  14. Monument Valley Backcountry Tour, Monument Valley, Utah

  15. St. Petersburg Jungle Prada Site History Tour, St. Petersburg, Florida

  16. Ultimate Queen City Underground Tour, Cincinnati, Ohio

  17. Central Park Walking Tour, New York City, New York

  18. Martin Luther King Jr. History Walking Tour,Atlanta, Georgia

  19. 9/11 Memorial & Ground Zero Private Tour Plus Optional 9/11 Museum Entry, New York City, New York

  20. Hidden Brewery Caverns Tour in Cincinnati with Beer Tasting, Cincinnati, Ohio

  21. 2-Hour Chicago Lakefront and Museum Campus Segway Tour, Chicago, Illinois

  22. Chicago Walking Tour: A Walk Through Time, Chicago, Illinois

  23. Smithsonian Museum of American History Exclusive Guided Tour, Washington DC, District of Columbia

  24. Walking Tour in Beaufort, Beaufort, South Carolina

  25. Essential Pittsburgh Experience - The One Tour to Take, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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