Quick Facts: Port of Beaufort, SC | USA | Port of Beaufort Municipal Marina | Dock (small vessels) / tender from larger ships anchored offshore | ~1 mile to downtown | Eastern Time (ET), UTC−5/−4
Beaufort (pronounced BYOO-fort — locals will correct you) is one of the best-kept secrets on the East Coast cruise circuit, sitting on Port Royal Sound between Hilton Head and Charleston. If your ship calls here, prioritize getting ashore early: the historic downtown is compact and walkable, but the real magic — antebellum mansions, tidal marshes, Gullah culture — takes longer to absorb than most cruisers expect.
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Port & Terminal Information
The Port of Beaufort Municipal Marina handles smaller cruise ships; larger vessels anchor offshore and tender passengers in. Check your ship’s daily program the night before — tender operations add 20–40 minutes to your ashore time each way, so factor that in ruthlessly. You can check the general terminal location on Google Maps.
Terminal facilities are modest: there’s a small welcome area with local tourist brochures, restrooms, and usually a greeting from the Beaufort County tourism team on cruise days. There are no ATMs at the terminal itself — pull cash before you arrive or head straight to downtown Bay Street, where you’ll find bank branches within a 10-minute walk. No luggage storage or Wi-Fi at the pier; free Wi-Fi is available at most cafés downtown.
The waterfront park and downtown Beaufort are roughly 0.8–1 mile from the marina, easily walkable along the scenic Bay Street corridor.
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Getting to the City
- On Foot — Downtown is genuinely walkable from the marina. The Bay Street waterfront strip, Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park, and most historic district attractions are all within a 10–15 minute flat walk along the river. This is the default option and it works perfectly.
- Taxi / Rideshare — Uber and Lyft both operate in Beaufort. Expect $6–10 for a ride from the marina to anywhere in the historic district. Taxis are rare; rideshare is more reliable. No surge scams to worry about here — this is a small, low-stress town.
- Rental Car — Practical only if you’re targeting a day trip to Hunting Island State Park (~20 minutes) or Savannah (~1 hour). Enterprise and other agencies are in town but require advance booking. Not needed if you’re staying downtown.
- Hop-On Hop-Off — No standard HOHO bus operates in Beaufort. The city is small enough that it would be overkill anyway.
- Ship Shore Excursion — Worth it for Savannah day trips or Hunting Island beach excursions where logistics are complicated. For downtown Beaufort itself, skip the ship tour and explore independently — or book a golf cart or minibus tour locally for far less.
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Top Things to Do in Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort punches well above its weight for a town of 14,000 people — between film history, Gullah heritage, and some of the most beautiful tidal marshes on the Atlantic coast, you’ll struggle to fit everything in one shore day. Here’s what’s actually worth your time.
Must-See
1. Historic District Walking Tour (free / $35 guided) — Beaufort’s antebellum streetscape is the real thing: 300+ pre–Civil War homes, many spared because Union officers found them too beautiful to burn. The John Mark Verdier House Museum ($10) is the most accessible single stop. A Walking Tour in Beaufort on Viator 🎟 Book: Walking Tour in Beaufort covers the key mansions and courthouse square with excellent historical context. Allow 2–2.5 hours.
2. History and Movie Tour by Golf Cart ($38) — Beaufort has doubled for everything from The Big Chill to Forest Gump to The Great Santini. A golf cart tour is the most fun way to hit the film locations while getting the broader history. Book the History and Movie Tour on Viator 🎟 Book: History and Movie Tour of Beaufort by Golf Cart in advance — spots fill fast on cruise days. Allow 1 hour.
3. Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park (free) — The heart of the town, right on the Beaufort River. Spanish moss, river views, a marina full of shrimp boats — it’s exactly what you pictured the South looking like. Arrive early morning for the best light. Allow 20–30 minutes.
4. Beaufort Ghost Walking Tour ($22) — Best for late-afternoon departures. Beaufort’s history of disease, war, and tragedy means the ghost tour material is genuinely compelling, not campy. Book the Beaufort Ghost Walking Tour on Viator 🎟 Book: Beaufort Ghost Walking Tours if your ship stays into early evening. Allow 1.5 hours.
5. Beaufort City Minibus Tour ($37.45) — A solid orientation option if you want air-conditioning and a guided overview before going deeper on foot. Covers the historic district, the Naval Air Station area, and the wider Sea Island landscape. Book via Viator. Allow 1.25 hours.
Beaches & Nature
6. Hunting Island State Park (~$8/vehicle or $2/person on foot) — 5,000 acres of barrier island with an actual historic lighthouse you can climb (171 steps, panoramic views). The beach here is wild, undeveloped, and beautiful — nothing like the resort beaches nearby. It’s 20 minutes by car from downtown. Allow 2–3 hours minimum.
7. Sea Island Kayaking ($40–80 depending on outfitter) — The salt marsh creeks around Beaufort are otherworldly at low tide — egrets, dolphins, fiddler crabs, and the eerie silence of the pluff mud flats. Browse kayak and paddling tours on GetYourGuide. Allow 2–3 hours.
Day Trips
8. Savannah, Georgia (~1 hour drive) — If you have a full day and a rental car, Savannah is one of the best day trips in the Southeast. Factor in drive time and parking before committing. Browse Savannah tours on GetYourGuide if you want a guided combo.
Family Picks
9. USCMC Recruit Training / Parris Island Museum (free) — The Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island, just minutes from downtown, has a free public museum covering the history of the Corps. Call ahead to confirm access; base entry requires ID. Allow 1–1.5 hours.
10. Beaufort Science Museum (~$5) — Small but genuinely engaging for kids, with a focus on coastal ecology and Sea Island natural history. Right in the historic district. Allow 45–60 minutes.
Off the Beaten Track
11. Penn Center, St. Helena Island (free / small museum fee) — One of the first schools for formerly enslaved people in the US, founded in 1862. The Gullah Geechee heritage kept alive here is profound and undervisited by cruisers who don’t know to come. A 20-minute drive from downtown. Allow 1 hour.
12. Old Sheldon Church Ruins (free) — A set of roofless colonial-era church walls draped in Spanish moss, out on a rural road between Beaufort and Yemassee. It looks like a painting. Go mid-morning. Allow 30–45 minutes.
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What to Eat & Drink
Beaufort’s food scene is anchored in Lowcountry cooking — the African, Caribbean, and European traditions that merged in the South Carolina Sea Islands to create dishes you genuinely can’t find anywhere else. Shrimp is local, the rice dishes have roots in West African tradition, and fried green tomatoes here are worth every calorie.
- Shrimp and Grits — The definitive Lowcountry dish; get it at Plums Restaurant on Bay Street ($14–18); generous portions, water views.
- Frogmore Stew (Lowcountry Boil) — Shrimp, corn, sausage, and crab boiled together; look for it at local seafood spots or weekend markets ($12–16).
- Saltus River Grill — Upscale waterfront dining; oysters, local fish, and a solid bourbon list. Expect $20–35/entrée. Worth it for a leisurely lunch.
- Blackstone’s Café — Downtown breakfast and lunch institution; known for sandwiches and Southern brunch plates ($8–14). Perpetually busy on cruise days — go before noon.
- Local Shrimp Dockside — If the trawler fleet is in, walk the docks near the marina and buy fresh shrimp directly from fishermen ($8–12/lb).
- Sweet tea and biscuits — Every counter-service spot in town does them. Consider it mandatory.
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Shopping
Bay Street and the surrounding historic district are your shopping zone. The independent stores here are the real deal — local art, handwoven Gullah sweetgrass baskets, maritime antiques, and Sea Island cotton goods. Lulu Burgess carries excellent local jewelry and gifts. The Beaufort Crafts Guild stocks work from regional artists at fair prices. Skip the generic souvenir shops near the waterfront — the T-shirts are overpriced and made nowhere near here.
The thing to actually buy in Beaufort is a sweetgrass basket, woven by Gullah artisans in a tradition that survived from West Africa. Prices start around $30 for small pieces and scale up significantly for intricate work. These are genuine cultural artifacts and buying directly from weavers supports a living tradition. Don’t haggle.
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How to Plan
🎟️ Things to Book in Advance
These highly-rated experiences fill up fast — book before you arrive to avoid missing out.
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📍 Getting to Beaufort SC, South Carolina
Use the interactive map below to explore the port area and plan your route from the terminal.
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