Cruise from Charleston SCCharleston Tea Garden Tour: Angel Oak, Tea and Wine in 5.5 Hours
A Charleston Tea Garden tour is a simple way to reach Wadmalaw Island without a car. Snap! Picture Perfect Tours & Transport runs this 5.5-hour small group trip from the Charleston Visitor Center in a Mercedes Sprinter van, capped at 10 participants. The stops are Angel Tree Park for the 500-year-old angel oak, the Charleston Tea Garden for a trolley ride and factory tour, and Deep Water Vineyard for a wine tasting. Fresh brewed tea, local Charleston snacks and bottled water are in the $149 per person price. Lunch and tips are not. This listing sits inside a wider guide to cruises from Charleston SC and the day trips that fill the days around them. See all cruises from Charleston side by side.
About This Tour
Snap! Picture Perfect Tours & Transport runs a 5.5-hour trip from downtown Charleston out to Wadmalaw Island and back. The Mercedes Sprinter van carries at most 10 guests, so the group stays small. Three stops fill the day: about 15 minutes at Angel Tree Park, about 1.5 hours at the Charleston Tea Garden with a trolley ride and factory tour, and about 75 minutes at Deep Water Vineyard for a wine tasting.
The price is $149 per person and covers the van, all three stops, all-you-can-drink fresh brewed tea, local Charleston snacks, bottled water and the tasting. Lunch and tips are extra. Wine is for guests over 21 only, and anyone who skips the tasting can message the operator for other options. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure.
$149 per person, booked through GetYourGuide. Reserve now and pay later is offered.
5.5 hours total. Time on site is about 15 minutes at Angel Tree Park, about 1.5 hours at the Charleston Tea Garden and about 75 minutes at Deep Water Vineyard.
The Snap! Mercedes Sprinter van meets you at the Charleston Visitor Center in the bus shed behind and through the center, listed as 375 Meeting St, Charleston. The Visitor Center garage at 63 Mary Street charges from $1 for 0-30 minutes up to $18 for 8-9 hours, with a $7 flat rate after 3 pm and $5 flat after 5 pm.
No boat. A Mercedes Sprinter van with a live English-speaking guide, limited to 10 participants.
Included: van transport, Angel Tree Park, the trolley ride and factory tour at the tea garden, all-you-can-drink fresh brewed tea, the Deep Water Vineyard wine tasting, local Charleston snacks and bottled water. Paid extra: lunch and tips.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times are not fixed in the listing, so check the calendar for the departure on your date. Reserve now and pay later keeps the booking flexible.
Quick answer Price, duration and what is included
The Charleston Tea Garden tour from Snap! Picture Perfect Tours & Transport costs $149 per person and lasts 5.5 hours, with a van group capped at 10.
Key takeaways
- Everything between downtown and the vineyard is included: the van, three stops, tea, snacks, water and the wine tasting. See what the price covers.
- Wine is 21 plus only, the van is not wheelchair accessible and pregnant women are asked not to book. Check who should look elsewhere.
- The tea garden factory tour is free on site if you have a car, so the tour buys you transport and the tasting rather than entry itself.
- This is a land day trip. If you want the water instead, the cruises from Charleston starts at $17 for an all-day water taxi pass.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $149 ticket bundles transport, all three site visits and most of what you eat and drink. The line-by-line split below comes from the operator listing and the operators own included list.
Included in the $149
The listing is unusually complete on inclusions. You get the Mercedes Sprinter van from 375 Meeting St and back, the visit to Angel Tree Park, the trolley ride and factory tour at the Charleston Tea Garden, all-you-can-drink fresh brewed tea while you are there, the wine tasting at Deep Water Vineyard, local Charleston snacks and bottled water. A live English-speaking guide rides with you.
A mobile ticket is issued immediately, so nothing needs printing.
- Transportation in a Mercedes Sprinter van
- Visit to Angel Tree Park
- Trolley ride and factory tour at the Charleston Tea Garden
- All-you-can-drink fresh brewed tea
- Wine tasting at Deep Water Vineyard (21 plus only)
- Local Charleston snacks
- Bottled water
Not Included
Lunch is not in the price, so plan to eat before the 5.5 hours start or after they end. Tips are not included either. Neither is anything you buy at the tea garden gift shop or the vineyard gift shop, both of which get shopping time in the itinerary.
Parking at the Visitor Center garage is your own cost, and the rates run from $1 for the first half hour to $18 for 8-9 hours, with a $7 flat rate after 3 pm and $5 after 5 pm.
What the Sites Cost on Their Own
For scale, the tea garden factory tour is free on site and the trolley tour is listed from $16 for adults and $8.50 for children 4 to 11, a figure from a search snippet that the garden's own page does not show. A Deep Water Vineyard tasting is $15 per person with a souvenir glass, and Angel Oak is free with free but limited parking. The tour price therefore buys the van, the driver, the guide and the logistics more than the entries themselves.
That is worth something on Wadmalaw Island, but a driver in your own party changes the maths.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van and guide | Yes | Round trip from 375 Meeting St, max 10 guests |
| Angel Tree Park | Yes | About 15 minutes, tree is free to see anyway |
| Tea garden factory tour | Yes | Free on site, starts every 15 minutes |
| Tea garden trolley ride | Yes | Listed from $16 adults, $8.50 children 4-11 if bought alone (snippet figure) |
| All-you-can-drink tea | Yes | Fresh brewed, at the garden |
| Deep Water Vineyard tasting | Yes | 21 plus only, $15 with souvenir glass if bought alone |
| Snacks and bottled water | Yes | Local Charleston snacks |
| Lunch | No | Eat before or after |
| Tips | No | Not included |
| Parking at the Visitor Center garage | No | From $1 for 0-30 minutes up to $18 for 8-9 hours |
Two Honest Notes
One reviewer found the wine tasting a bit rushed, so treat the 75 minutes at the vineyard as tight rather than leisurely. And with a driver at the wheel, nobody in your group has to skip the tasting to drive.
Sources: Charleston Tea Garden, Deep Water Vineyard
Tea plants growing in a field at the Charleston Tea Garden on Wadmalaw Island. Photo: Bruce Toten, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives no fixed departure clock time, so check the calendar when you book. What it does fix is the order of the three stops and how long each lasts.
Before Boarding
Aim to arrive at the Charleston Visitor Center a little early. The Snap! Mercedes Sprinter van meets you in the bus shed behind and through the center, at 375 Meeting St. The Visitor Center itself is open daily 8:30 am to 5 pm if you need restrooms or orientation before the van leaves.
Bring a driver's license, which the listing asks you to carry.
Stop One, Angel Tree Park
The first stop is 15 minutes at Angel Tree Park. The angel oak is listed as 65 feet high with a circumference of 25.5 feet and around 500 years old, described in the listing as one of the oldest organisms east of the Mississippi. Fifteen minutes is a photo stop and a short walk, not a sit-down visit.
Stop Two, the Charleston Tea Garden
The longest block, about 1.5 hours, is at the Charleston Tea Garden, where hundreds of thousands of tea bushes stretch to the horizon. You ride the trolley, which stops at the greenhouse, then take the factory tour and drink as much fresh brewed tea as you want while you stroll the grounds. There is shopping time at the gift shop.
Stop Three, Deep Water Vineyard
The last stop is about 75 minutes at Deep Water Vineyard, which grows and bottles its wine on site. The tasting is for guests over 21. The property also has walking trails, animals, a garden, a pond and a gift shop, and the listing notes scenic views on the drive between stops.
The 75 minutes include the tasting itself, which one reviewer found rushed.
Back at the Starting Point
The van returns you to the pickup point at 375 Meeting St. The listing does not state a return time. The whole trip runs 5.5 hours.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing is blunt about exclusions. If any of these apply to you, a different Charleston day plan will serve you better.
Pregnant Women and Wheelchair Users
The listing says the trip is not suitable for pregnant women or wheelchair users. The listing mentions no lift or ramp for the van. If you need step-free boarding, the Fort Sumter ferry and fort entry is listed as wheelchair accessible and costs $43 for the ferry and fort together.
Under 21s Who Wanted the Wine
Wine is only for guests over 21. Guests who do not want the tasting can message the operator and other options are available, so the trip is not automatically wrong for a mixed-age group, but the headline tasting disappears. Tea and snacks still apply to everyone.
Anyone Wanting a Long, Unhurried Visit
Fifteen minutes at the angel oak is a look, not a linger, and 75 minutes at the vineyard includes a tasting plus trails plus gift shop. If you would rather spend the time at one plantation instead, the Magnolia Plantation tour with coach transport covers one property in 4.5 hours for $96.30.
Travellers Without Lunch Plans
Lunch is not included and the mid-tour stops are shopping, not dining. Eat a real breakfast and plan your meal for after the return. If food is the point of your day, the dinner cruise on the harbor includes a 4-course meal for $120.
The welcome sign at the Charleston Tea Garden stands among live oaks. Photo: Seasider53, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Could You See It Without This Cruise?
Honest answer: yes, if you have a car, and the sites themselves cost almost nothing. The tour is mainly selling the driving.
The DIY Version
Angel Oak is free, open 9 to 5 Monday to Saturday and 1 to 5 on Sunday, with free but limited parking at 3688 Angel Oak Road. The Charleston Tea Garden factory tour is free and starts every 15 minutes from the gift shop, and the garden is open Monday to Saturday 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday noon to 4 pm. The trolley tour, which the van tour includes, costs $16 for adults and $8.50 for children 4 to 11 if you book it yourself.
A Deep Water Vineyard tasting is $15 per person with a souvenir glass, and the vineyard charges no entrance fee during normal hours.
| Stop | On your own | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Angel Oak | Free, free limited parking | Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5 |
| Charleston Tea Garden factory tour | Free, every 15 minutes | Mon-Sat 10-4, Sun 12-4 |
| Charleston Tea Garden trolley | From $16 adults, $8.50 children 4-11 | Same as garden hours |
| Deep Water Vineyard tasting | $15 per person with souvenir glass | Tue-Sat 10-5, last tasting about 4 pm |
What the DIY Day Cannot Give You
The three stops are spread across Johns Island and Wadmalaw Island, so a car is the practical way to link them, which is the gap this tour fills. There is also the wine question: if you drive yourself, the driver has to skip the tasting. The van removes that issue.
When the Free Option Is Enough
If you have rented a car for your Charleston stay anyway, do the three stops yourself over a relaxed full day and spend the money on something else. The day trips from Charleston and 2 days in Charleston pages build the Wadmalaw stops into a fuller itinerary, and the free things to do in Charleston list covers the downtown half of the equation.
Hour by Hour on the Trip
Clock times are not stated in the listing, so phases are used. The durations of each stop come straight from the operator.
-
Before boarding
Meet the van at 375 Meeting St
Head to the bus shed behind and through the Charleston Visitor Center. The Snap! Mercedes Sprinter van waits there. Bring your driver's license and your mobile ticket, which is available immediately after booking.
-
Departure
Leave downtown for Wadmalaw Island
The van sets off for Wadmalaw Island with your live guide. No departure clock time is stated in the listing, so confirm the start time when you book.
-
Stop 1
Angel Tree Park, about 15 minutes
A photo stop, short guided walk and sightseeing break at the 500-year-old angel oak, 65 feet high with a 25.5-foot circumference.
-
Stop 2
Charleston Tea Garden, about 1.5 hours
Trolley ride out past the tea bushes with a stop at the greenhouse, the factory tour, complimentary tea samples on the grounds and time in the gift shop.
-
Stop 3
Deep Water Vineyard, about 75 minutes
Guided visit and wine tasting at the vineyard, which grows, harvests and bottles on site. There are walking trails, animals, a garden, a pond and a gift shop. The tasting is for guests over 21.
-
Return
Back at 375 Meeting St
The van returns you to the pickup point. Scenic views are noted on the drive back. No return clock time is stated, but the trip runs 5.5 hours from departure.
Pros and Cons
A straight read of what this listing does well and where it falls short.
What we genuinely like
- Small group of at most 10, so no coach-crowd herding
- Transport solved: the van, driver and guide cover three rural stops with no car needed
- Trolley ride, factory tour, unlimited fresh tea, snacks, water and the wine tasting are all in the $149
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve now, pay later
- Rated 4.9 from 115 verified GetYourGuide bookings
The honest downsides
- Lunch and tips are extra, and there is no food stop in the itinerary
- One reviewer found the vineyard tasting rushed inside the 75-minute stop
- Not suitable for pregnant women or wheelchair users, and wine is 21 plus only
- No fixed departure time is published, so you must check the calendar
- A party with a car can do all three stops on its own, since the factory tour and Angel Oak are free
Who it's NOT for: Anyone who needs step-free access, is pregnant, is under 21 and wants the wine, or already has a rental car and prefers an unhurried self-drive day.
Questions About This Tour
How much does the Charleston Tea Garden tour cost?
The Wadmalaw trip is $149 per person and includes the van, all three stops, tea, snacks, water and the wine tasting. Lunch and tips are extra. For comparison, the Fort Sumter ferry and fort entry is $43 with the ferry and fort in one ticket.
How long does the tour last?
It runs 5.5 hours in total from 375 Meeting St, with about 15 minutes at Angel Tree Park, about 1.5 hours at the tea garden and about 75 minutes at the vineyard. Shorter water options exist too, like the 1.5-hour harbor history cruise at $47.50.
Do I need a car for the Charleston Tea Garden?
Not on this trip, since the Sprinter van does all the driving from downtown. If you do have a car, the DIY version is cheap because the factory tour and Angel Oak are both free.
Is the wine tasting included for everyone?
The tasting is included in the price but only for guests over 21. Guests who skip it can message the operator for other options.
Is the tour wheelchair accessible?
No, the listing says it is not suitable for wheelchair users, and pregnant women are also asked not to book. The Fort Sumter ferry is listed as wheelchair accessible.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Yes, free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and reserve now, pay later is offered. Compare that with the water taxi all-day pass at $17, where all sales are final.
What else can I pair with this day trip?
The trip returns you to 375 Meeting St. Check your start time before pairing it with an evening dinner cruise or a sunset sail the same day. More combinations are on the day trips from Charleston page.
What Travelers Said
This tour was absolutely fabulous. We learned so much about Charleston and the surrounding islands, including some interesting history. Leeann was informative, interesting, and absolutely hilarious. We had so much fun! The van is immaculate and she offered us beverages and snacks from Charleston during our drive to the tea garden/plantation. This was better than expected, and felt like a hidden gem. The vineyard was so much fun, the highland cows were a hoot! Loved that our tasting was included in the tour. We highly recommend this tour.
The tour was awesome. The Tea garden was very interesting, learned a lot about tea and how it’s grown, processed, and made. Also went on the wine tour and that was nice. We sampled 6 wines and 4 of them I really enjoyed. Bought two bottles for the road. Met some really nice people on the tour..Our tour guide was funny and informative. We really liked her.. Overall I would recommend this tour.
our guide , Leanne Walasek was fantastic!. The days activities were well planned and the group was a good size.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
We may earn a commission if you book through one of our links, at no extra cost to you. Full affiliate disclosure