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St. Simons Island Audio Driving Tour with a Local Historian

2 Reviews 5.00 out of 5 stars Based on 2 traveler reviews collected by Cool Shore Excursions and TripAdvisor |
Recommended by 100% of reviewers
100% of reviewers gave this experience a rating of 4 or higher.
| Golden Isles, USA
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from $11.99 per group (up to 15)

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St. Simons Island Audio Driving Tour with a Local Historian Image 1
St. Simons Island Audio Driving Tour with a Local Historian Image 2
St. Simons Island Audio Driving Tour with a Local Historian Image 3
St. Simons Island Audio Driving Tour with a Local Historian Image 4
St. Simons Island Audio Driving Tour with a Local Historian Image 5
Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 11 (1) days in advance.
90 to 120 minutes (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English
Instant confirmation

Overview

St. Simons Island is almost exactly the same size as Manhattan, but instead of skyscrapers, it has live oaks, and instead of eight million people, it has 6,000 years of history.

On this audio driving tour, with Paula Gallard (History teacher) you'll trace the island's story from Indigenous shell rings to World War II submarine attacks. Booked per car, the price is great value and you can stop & start when you want too.
The tour starts at the Pier Village parking lot, beside the old fishing docks. From here, you'll drive past the St. Simons Lighthouse, built in 1872 on the footprint of an earlier light whose Confederate-hidden Fresnel lens has never been found, and along the coast where German U-boats torpedoed American oil tankers just offshore in 1942. Plus many other thought provoking stories of the Island.

The tour ends back at Neptune Park by the pier, named for Neptune Small, a man born into slavery on Retreat Plantation whose name now marks the land he eventually owned.

What's Included

  • Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
  • Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
  • App for Android and iOS
  • Smartphone and headphones
  • Transportation
  • Food and drink
See 3 moreSee 4 more

Meeting Location

Meeting point

126 Mallery Street
St Simons Island, GA 31522, USA

Show on Google Maps

Detailed check-in instructions, including the exact address, are provided with your booking confirmation.

End point

420 Kings Way
St Simons Island, GA 31522, USA

roughly 395 meters from the start

What To Expect

Book Online

Our secure website provides real-time availability, instant confirmation, and free, no-hassle cancellations up to 24 hours before your tour begins.
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St. Simons Lighthouse Museum (pass by)

Gaze up at this elegant 1872 lighthouse rising 104 feet above the southern tip of the island, its white tower marking the spot where an earlier light was deliberately destroyed by Confederate forces retreating in 1862 — and where a Fresnel lens hidden somewhere on the island has never been recovered. Climb all 129 steps to the top for views stretching 22 miles out over the Atlantic, and look down at the coastline where German U-boats hunted American oil tankers close enough to shore that island residents could see the fires burning.
Read more

Neptune Park Fun Zone Pool (pass by)

Stop at this beloved community gathering place named for Neptune Small, a man born into slavery on Retreat Plantation who lived to own land on the island that had once owned him. Enjoy the easy atmosphere of a park whose very name carries one of St. Simons' most quietly powerful stories of perseverance, freedom, and the long arc of a life well lived.
Read more

World War II Home Front Museum (pass by)

See the handsome 1936 WPA-built Coast Guard Station, now home to a museum that brings the island's extraordinary wartime role sharply into focus. Discover how St. Simons residents watched German submarine attacks unfold just offshore, how the Coast Guard patrolled these beaches on horseback, and how a barrier island of a few thousand people found itself on the front line of the Battle of the Atlantic.
Read more

Bloody Marsh (pass by)

Walk the edge of this quiet tidal marsh where, in July 1742, a small force of British rangers and Highland soldiers ambushed a vastly larger Spanish force in the long grass and changed the course of colonial history. Stand in a landscape that looks much as it did that morning and consider how a skirmish lasting less than an hour secured British control of Georgia and, arguably, the future shape of the American colonies.
Read more

Fort Frederica National Monument (pass by)

Explore the evocative ruins of the town and fort General James Oglethorpe built in 1736 to anchor Britain's southernmost colonial frontier, its tabby walls and excavated foundations emerging from a landscape of live oaks and Spanish moss. Learn how this small garrison of soldiers and settlers held off a Spanish invasion fleet in 1742, in a victory that secured the Georgia colony and ended Spain's ambitions north of Florida.
Read more

Christ Church Frederica (pass by)

Pause at one of Georgia's oldest and most beautiful churches, a whitewashed Gothic Revival building nestled beneath ancient oaks on the site where John and Charles Wesley preached to Oglethorpe's settlers in the 1730s. Wander the storied churchyard where the graves of soldiers, planters, and island families trace three centuries of St. Simons life in mossy epitaphs beneath the trees.
Read more

Retreat Golf Course (pass by)

Drive the oak-canopied entrance avenue that Anna Page King planted at Retreat Plantation, its cathedral arch of live oaks forming one of the most photographed stretches of road in coastal Georgia. Reflect on the cotton plantation that once occupied these fairways, worked by hundreds of enslaved people whose labour built the wealth that planted these very trees.
Read more

Pier Village Market (pass by)

Return to the lively heart of St. Simons Island, where the old fishing docks, waterfront restaurants, and weekend market carry the easy energy of a community that has always gathered by the water. Browse the stalls, watch the boats, and take in a scene that connects directly back to the steam ferry tourists in straw hats who first made St. Simons a destination more than a century ago.
Read more

Massengale Park (pass by)

Finish at this breezy oceanfront park on the island's east shore, where a wide beach and a picnic grove of live oaks offer a natural full stop to a day of layered history. Kick off your shoes, walk down to the waterline, and look out over the same Atlantic that brought Indigenous settlers, colonial soldiers, enslaved Africans, and German submarines to this small but story-rich island.
Read more
Show 8 more stops

Additional Info

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the St. Simons Island Audio Driving Tour with a Local Historian?

A: You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund. For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EST). Read more Apr 2025

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.

Still have questions?

We're here to help.
Activity code: C-110804P1406

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.00
2 reviews

Average 5.00 out of 5 stars based on 2 traveler reviews collected by Cool Shore Excursions and partner sites such as Cool Destinations and TripAdvisor

5 stars
2
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3 stars
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2 stars
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1 star
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Don't miss out!
On average, this is booked 11 (1) days in advance.
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Frequently Asked Questions (7)

Activity name

The answers provided below were previously given in response to questions from Cool Shore Excursions customers.

Filter by:

Q: What is the cancellation policy for the St. Simons Island Audio Driving Tour with a Local Historian?
A:
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the tour for a full refund.
  • For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the tour start time.
  • If you cancel less than 24 hours before the tour start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
  • Any changes made less than 24 hours before the tour start time will not be accepted.
  • Cut-off times are based on the tour local time (EST).
Apr 2025
Q: What's included in the price?
A:
The following is included:
  • Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it.
  • Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata.
  • App for Android and iOS.
  • Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start.
  • Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour.
The following is NOT included:
  • Smartphone and headphones.
  • Transportation.
  • Food and drink.
  • Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour.
Apr 2025
Q: What is the minimum age for this tour?
A:

There is no minimum age for this tour, so bring your wee one along for an adventure..

Apr 2025
Q: My date is not available in the calendar, I am just checking to see if it is available?
A:

If a date or time is not listed on the calendar, it’s sold out or unavailable for another reason. Support cannot assist further if a date or time is not on the calendar.

If you find a date and time that works for you, book it NOW because things always sell out at this time of year.

Apr 2025
Q: Is this an accessible tour?
A:

Accessibility information for the St. Simons Island Audio Driving Tour with a Local Historian is as follows:

  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Apr 2025
Q: Where is the meeting point for this activity?
A:

Detailed check-in instructions – including meeting point address, Google map, and parking information – for St. Simons Island Audio Driving Tour with a Local Historian will be included in your confirmation email from Cool Shore Excursions. Please be sure to double and triple check your email address is correct at checkout so this important email makes its way to you!

 

 

Mar 2024
Q: How long does a refund take to reach my card, and can I get it faster?
A:

Once your refund is processed, it usually shows on your card statement within 5–10 business days. The exact timing depends on your bank or card issuer.

Want it sooner? When you cancel, choose Receive a refund to my wallet instead. The credit is in your Wallet straight away and is applied automatically at checkout on your next booking when you’re signed in with the same email. You can see your balance any time in My Wallet.

If you paid part of your booking with Wallet credit, that part always goes back to your Wallet. Trip protection isn’t refundable.

Oct 2026

What's Included

Activity name

  • Lifetime access to this tour in English before your booking date and after it
  • Offline access to audio, maps, and geodata
  • App for Android and iOS
  • Directions to the starting point so that when you’re in the right place, the tour will start
  • Flexibility to explore at your own pace with a self-guided GPS tour
  • Smartphone and headphones
  • Transportation
  • Food and drink
  • Personal expenses for admission fees not included during the tour

Additional Info

Activity name

  • Confirmation is instant and will be received at time of booking
  • Service animals allowed
  • Public transportation options are available nearby
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Report Product Issue

Activity name