Tommy Dew’s Walking Tour

Tommy’s breadth and depth of knowledge of the history of Charleston is both amazing and impressive! You’ll learn about everything form the geology to the histories, religions, politics, architecture and more. You’ll learn more than you’d imagine you would.

I can’t imagine a better walking tour than the one Tommy gives. He is knowledgable without being a cheesy or uninterested tour guide. We learned a lot on the tour and it set us up for a great week in Charleston.

We did the 830 AM tour on a Saturday morning, and we had a great time. Since it was in July, I wanted to take my family as early as possible to beat the heat, and also hoped it wouldn’t rain. It was a great time to take the tour, and he is a fabulous guide. He has lived in the area for many years, and as a very experienced and intelligent guide, he gives a great perspective.
It started near the main market, and ended near what used to be called Oyster Point. Along the way, he made the history of the city visible in my mind with his vivid descriptions and colorful illustrations. Having studied the history of the area, he made excellent points about what lead up to the various critical moments in history from the perspective of those who made and influenced the decisions.
I only wish I had made the tour on my first day. Also, I recommend using the tour as a starting point for a walk through the very historic town — he really gives a great outline and you could spend days with all the little museums along the way.

Tommy is a phenomenon: engaging, smart, and funny. My wife and I took his tour on our 25^th wedding anniversary holiday — and he emphatically told our group that the civil war was all about state’s rights (!) — and the confederate flag is simply a historical symbolic representation of Southern heritage.
Tommy says that slavery had nothing to do w/​the civil war. Tommy is terrific but his understanding of American «history» is misguided and is wrong.

We did the 10am tour with Tommy on 3÷16÷2015. Absolutely enjoyable, informative, and entertaining tour. We were a party of 2 but there were 19 people in the entire group. Tommy was able to keep the group moving, engage with everyone, and be clearly heard and understood. The tour was full of history and perspective from social, economic, political, religious, and cultural considerations. One of the most impressive things were 2 churches and the Dock Street Theater happened to be open and Tommy ushered us inside of each, rolling with the opportunity of the day, without missing a beat. We never felt rushed and actually went over 2 hours on the total tour. Questions were always answered and we even had some friendly «debate» from perspectives of a very diverse group from all over the country. Tommy has been in Charleston since the mid-1980’s and has personal experience from riding out Hugo. I can’t imagine a better history tour. I recommend you do Tommy’s tour on your first day in Charleston as it will give you perspective and knowledge on everything you see in the area.

My wife and I took Tommy’s tour on the recommendation of the concierge at the Vendue and he did not disappoint. As a history major in college and attorney I found Tommy to have a profound grasp of social, economic, and geographic foundations behind both Charleston and the south’s development. Tommy provides many northerners with a very different perspective on southern history and society than most have probably been exposed to. The history books are written by the victors and the impact of the civil war on the southern economy and social fabric is a woven into the tour effectively by Tommy. As a northerner who is married to a southerner and live in the south I highly recommend Tommy Dew’s tour to any visiting Charleston.

I just took this tour this afternoon at 2 o’clock. We were a group of perhaps 15 people and he was just terrific. His passion for this place and the detail of his store of historical knowledge is truly impressive. I especially appreciated his telling of Civil War history. It included economics, sociology, national politics and a world view that was something I had not Heard before. His responses to my many questions were always more interesting than I expected. He’s an authentic southern gentleman with a strong foundation in history & great communication skills. I took a carriage tour later and the young man giving us his historical narration was not even close to Tommy’s grasp of history. Don’t even think about it. Book her tour with this gentleman and you will certainly be satisfied.

Tom Dew provides the most informative tour around. If you want to know about Charleston and how it ties into the war, how and why Charleston has evolved into the city it is, then this is the tour for you. This tour is at a leisurely pace and he takes time to answer all of the questions. This should be a «must take» tour for everyone.

Tommy Dew’s walking tour is a must «dew» when visiting Charleston. His knowledge of Charleston’s history is vast and incredibly informative. My husband and I were visiting from the West coast and although we were History majors, Tommy’s informative southern perspective to the American Revolution and Civil War was an eye opener; in a good way. I told him he absolutely should be a college professor. Take the tour… what a bargain compared to a semester of college!

Tommy Dew for a walking tour of historic Charleston that was a delight despite overcast skies. His charming and informative stories and southern history tales brought 1700 – 1800’s Charleston alive. He covered key highlights and connected with the small group of clients on tour. Given we are from Chicago area he nick named us his friends from the Land of Lincoln, although he informed us Lincoln as president was not liked in the south and worked to move us the appreciate the confederates. Highly recommended for a walking tour, it lasted about 2+ hrs.

One of the most interesting and satisfying walking tours I’ve ever been a part of. Tommy Dew helped me see Charleston through the lens of its illustrious and controversial history. After the tour, I truly felt that I was visiting one of the greatest (and underrated) American cities; a living museum with a vibrancy that continues today.

Great, informative, and fascinating tour. Tommy is extremely knowledgable and a compelling guide. I would consider this tour a «must do» for visitors to Charleston. Call to reserve your spot ahead of time.