Our most recommended things to do in Folly Beach

Folly Beach: Folly River Kayak Tour with Dolphin Watching

1. Folly Beach: Folly River Kayak Tour with Dolphin Watching

Explore the waters of the Folly River by paddle power while learning about the wildlife and history of Folly Beach. Discover birds, dolphins, crabs, and more as you perfect your kayaking skills. Choose between a daytime or sunset tour to see the South Carolina Lowcountry in a different light. Meet your guide near the Folly River Boat Ramp and pick up your kayak, paddle, and life jacket. Get a lesson on the right way to paddle so you can hit the water with confidence. Navigate through the brackish estuary behind Folly Beach, where you will encounter native flora and fauna. Learn fascinating facts about the ecosystem. Keep your eyes peeled as your guide points out dolphins, crabs, pelicans, and various other birds along the way. Listen to stories of pirates who used to roam the waters. If you choose the sunset option, marvel as the sun sets over the beautiful Lowcountry.

Hilton Head Island: Scenic Helicopter Tour

2. Hilton Head Island: Scenic Helicopter Tour

Marvel at breathtaking views only seen by helicopter. Spot a range of wildlife from dolphins and sharks to sea turtles and manta rays. See Hilton Head, Daufuskie, Tybee Island, and downtown Savannah by air. Choose between 3 options: Ocean View – 3 minutes Get views of Folly Field Beach and the Port Royal Sound on an 8-mile loop around the northeast corner of the island. This flight is designed as a discovery flight to experience what it is like to fly in a helicopter. Beach Cruiser – 6 minutes Fly right over the sandy shores of Hilton Head. Depart out of the Hilton Head Airport and head east, right down the busiest beaches on the island. This tour offers great views of Folly Field Beach, Broad Creek, Port Royal Sound, and Shelter Cove. Beach Bum – 10 minutes A combination of the Ocean View and Beach Cruiser tours, this tour takes you along the most active stretch of beaches to Coligny Beach, Hilton Head's most popular beach park. Keep an eye out for marine life as you fly low along the beach. As you turn around you will begin to climb high in the sky giving you the best view of the island along with Parris Island and Downtown Savannah.

Folly Island: Guided Dolphin Boat Tour in Folly Beach

3. Folly Island: Guided Dolphin Boat Tour in Folly Beach

Step onboard and explore the amazing coast behind Folly beach. Be amazed while you watch the local wildlife, especially the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that populate the area year-round. You can choose between the boat tour in the morning or the sunset boat cruise. Your experienced captain will share their knowledge about the beautiful ecosystem and local history of Folly Beach. Hear about the famous dolphins as you safely cruise on your boat while respecting the wildlife. Also be on the lookout for strand feeding, a dolphin hunting technique that is unique to this part of the world. Strand feeding is usually seen from July to September. Explore the backwaters and navigate to the historic Morris Island, where you can hunt for fossils, seashells, and sand dollars. Join this signature dolphin tour for an experience you’re not likely to forget.

Charleston: Folly Beach Stand Up Paddleboard Dolphin Safari

4. Charleston: Folly Beach Stand Up Paddleboard Dolphin Safari

Learn the basics of stand up paddleboard surfing on this 2-hour introductory lesson as you explore the peaceful Folly River. Glide alongside beautiful flora and fauna while keeping an eye out for bottlenose dolphins. Following the tides and wind direction, your expert instructor will help you go with the flow for a great beginning paddle. Your instructor will point out all the amazing sights in this truly unique landscape. You can commemorate your experience with a group photo at the end of the tour. Choose your perfect experience with the morning, afternoon, and sunset tour options. Paddleboard, paddle, and a personal floatation device will be provided. Just bring your water shoes or flip flops, swim trunks, and a positive attitude and enjoy two amazing hours on the water.

Charleston: Folly Beach Stand Up Paddleboard 2-hour Rental

5. Charleston: Folly Beach Stand Up Paddleboard 2-hour Rental

Experience stand up paddleboarding in Folly Beach and enjoy the incredible aquatic landscape with astonishing views of local flora and fauna. It will feel like you're standing on the water while you glide along the Folly River and get a full-body workout. Paddle past beautiful waterside homes and you might even have the opportunity to see dolphins on the way. Renting a paddleboard in Folly Beach is an incredible experience that you will remember for a lifetime – you'll never get closer to the incredible biodiversity of this unique landscape.  Just bring your water shoes or flip flops, swim trunks and a positive attitude and enjoy two amazing hours on the water with a paddleboard, paddle and personal floatation device provided. Have you Paddleboarded before? If not, we ask that you book a Dolphin Safari with us and one of our lifeguard certified guides will show you the waters and give you a brief ground school lesson before you head out!

Get Out of Town! Lighthouses, Beaches and Forts Tour

6. Get Out of Town! Lighthouses, Beaches and Forts Tour

Join your guide as you travel to see 2 iconic lighthouses in Charleston, South Carolina on a guided sightseeing tour. Get an up close and personal view of the Morris Island lighthouse, visit the Folly Beach Pier, discover one of the most infamous spots in American history, and more. Start your excursion at the Charleston Visitor’s Center and make your way to your first stop for the day, Folly Island. Travel to the edge of the island to view the lighthouse up close. Learn the secrets of this abandoned part of the island and walk down the beach for different views. Then, continue your road trip as you head to Folly Beach Pier, once a premier beach amusement destination and still a fantastic location to breathe in the salty ocean air. Next, visit a military college established in 1842 known as the Citadel. From here, make your way to Sullivan’s Island, home to the Charleston Light. Your final stop for the day is at  Fort Moultrie. Stand in one of the most famous spots in American history, a place that witnessed the first shots of the Revolutionary War and the Civil War. This is also where you’ll get to marvel at some of Charleston’s best views. Finally, make your way back to the Charleston Visitor’s Center where your tour comes to an end. 

Folly Beach: Morris Island Full Moon Boat Tour

7. Folly Beach: Morris Island Full Moon Boat Tour

See the full moon rise near Morris Island, which is always a spectacular sight. This evening boat tour takes you to Morris Island in time for the sunset, and then stick around for the moon to rise over the ocean. Get ready to experience a rare opportunity like meeting interesting wildlife while on the move, such as dolphins. Morris Island, aside from its natural beauty and interesting wildlife offers interesting history information. Explore a little bit of history about the island along the way. Explore fascinating facts about the area and its wildlife as you enjoy the boat ride in the cool evening breeze.

Folly Beach: Private City Scavenger Hunt

8. Folly Beach: Private City Scavenger Hunt

Gather your friends, family, colleagues, and kids, we’ve got an adventure in store for you. Feeling competitive? Divide into multiple teams and race against the clock to be crowned the winner. Or unite as one team to beat our leaderboard - the choice is yours! Select a game in your chosen city and we’ll add up to three personalized challenges as per your request. All you need is a charged smartphone with a camera, GPS, and internet access. Mind-boggling missions and creative clues will guide you through the city, taking you on a tour of hidden gems and bucket list locations. Online scavenger hunts are the ultimate team builder. Show off your artistic, communication and problem-solving skills with unlimited opportunities to break the ice. Your host will cheer you on as you go, awarding plenty of points before the highest scorers win.

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What people are saying about Folly Beach

Overall rating

4.9 / 5

based on 115 reviews

This was our first helicopter ride. Family owned business. Everyone was friendly, courteous and answered any questions we had. The pilot was also all of the above and has a good sense of humor which was nice. We chose the 6 minute tour this time, we will be back for a longer flight in the not too distant future. If you visit the Hilton Head Island, I recommend you take a helicopter ride with Hilton Head Helicopter Tours at the airport.

My dad and I flew Friday, September 23rd and we had the best time! We’ve previously flown on other helicopter tours, but never one over the ocean . This was a special tour, all thanks to our friendly and knowledgeable pilot who also helped to serve as our tour guide. It was a great way to kick off our long weekend getaway, and definitely helped us to get a lay of the land!

We loved it...!!! 100% recommend. Alex and Sara thank you very much for this fantastic experience. This tour was more than amazing to closed our vacations in Hilton Head Island. I hope to see you soon...!!! Pura Vida, Greetings from Costa Rica.

This excursion was the highlight of our trip. Capt. Will gave the perfect amount of information. I would highly recommend this tour!

It was very enjoyable for the surprise of my wife and she's wanting to do the upgrade with champagne in the hand