St. Augustine Carriage ToursPrivate Tour in St. Augustine: The 90-Minute Electric Cart Ride
If you want a private tour in St. Augustine without a horse in front of you, this 90-minute electric cart ride is the listing to look at. St. Augustine Gold Tours runs it from the parking lot behind the Lightner Museum, and it carries a 5.0 rating from 1,240 reviews, which makes it the most reviewed ride on this site. The price is $200 per cart, not per person, so a group of seven pays the same as a couple. This page covers what the price includes, the landmarks on the route, the parking situation and the honest limits, and links to carriage rides in St. Augustine if a horse-drawn ride is what you came for.
About This Tour
St. Augustine Gold Tours runs this private electric cart tour through the colonial walled city, covering the Spanish, British and Flagler periods from 1565 to 1913. A local guide narrates in person for your group only. The listing does not combine your party with strangers.
The route names the Castillo de San Marcos, Flagler's hotels and churches, the Oldest House, the Plaza and Aviles Street. You meet at the parking lot behind the Lightner Museum and finish at the same spot 90 minutes later.
$200 per cart (private, up to 7), listed on Viator. Per cart means one price for the whole vehicle, so a couple and a group of seven pay the same $200.
90 minutes, a fixed duration on the listing.
The parking lot behind the Lightner Museum between Cordova and Granada Streets, by the fountain. The listing describes it two ways: the rear (southern) lot in one place and the north end of the lot at 69 Granada St in another. There is no signage.
Private, 1 to 7 people per booking. Your group is not combined with others.
Gratuities are not included. Parking at a city garage or meter is your cost. Food, drinks and entry to the places you pass are not part of the price.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund. Inside 24 hours there is no refund.
Check Dates and Availability
The listing shows set start times, among them 9:00 AM, 10:45 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:15 PM, 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Check the calendar for your date.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
This private tour in St. Augustine costs $200 per cart, takes 90 minutes and carries up to 7 people, ages 7 and up. It is the most reviewed ride here with a 5.0 rating from 1,240 reviews.
Key takeaways
- Priced per cart, so a couple and a full group of seven pay the same check availability.
- You stay on the cart the whole ride. If you want to step off and go inside, see the hop-on hop-off trolley.
- Want a horse instead? Compare the private horse-drawn carriage history tour.
- On a budget, the shared waterfront golf cart tour runs an hour from $32 per person.
What the Price Covers
The price is $200 per cart, not per person. Here is exactly what the listing says is in that figure and what is not.
Per Cart, per Person, What It Means
The listing prices the vehicle. Whether two of you ride or seven, the cart costs $200. A couple may find a shared per-person ride cheaper. The $200 does not rise with headcount, and the guide is yours alone.
What the $200 buys is the cart, the driver-guide narrating in person, and the private booking. What it does not buy is listed below.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electric cart tour, 90 minutes | Yes | Private, 1 to 7 per booking |
| Live narrated guide | Yes | Local guide, in person, English |
| Gratuities | No | The listing lists tips as an exclusion |
| Parking | No | City garage or meter, your cost |
| Food and drinks | No | Not mentioned as included |
| Entry to landmarks | No | This is a pass-by ride, no disembarking allowed |
The Rules That Come with the Ride
Seatbelts stay on for the trip. Alcohol is prohibited. For safety reasons the listing does not permit disembarking the vehicle during the trip, so every landmark is a ride-past.
Service animals are allowed and the tour suits all fitness levels since you stay seated. Passengers must be 7 or older, which rules out toddlers.
The González-Álvarez House, known as the Oldest House. Photo: LittleT889, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Route and What You Pass
The tour travels the walled city, the colonial core of St. Augustine, and the listing names five highlights, and the Lightner Museum lot is the start point. All of them are ride-pasts, because you stay on the cart.
From the Lightner Lot Through the Walled City
You meet in the parking lot behind the Lightner Museum. From there the cart loops through the old city, taking in the Castillo de San Marcos, Flagler's hotels and churches, the Oldest House, the Plaza and Aviles Street. The guide narrates the Spanish, British and Flagler periods from 1565 to 1913 as you go.
The exact street order is not stated.
| Stop | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lightner Museum | Building completed in 1887 as the Hotel Alcazar, designed by Carrere and Hastings | Wikipedia |
| Castillo de San Marcos | Oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, construction began in 1672, built of coquina shell rock | National Park Service, Wikipedia |
| Flagler's hotels and churches | Flagler College occupies the Ponce de Leon Hotel, built in 1888 by Henry Flagler and designed by Carrere and Hastings | Wikipedia |
| The Oldest House | The listing names the Oldest House as one of its highlights | Listing |
| Plaza de la Constitución | Laid out in 1573 under Spanish Royal Ordinances, a National Historic Landmark since 1970 | Florida's Historic Coast |
| Aviles Street | Called the oldest street in the nation, dating to the 16th century | Florida's Historic Coast |
You Never Get Off
Because disembarking is not permitted, you see the fort, the Plaza and Aviles Street from the cart. If you want to walk the Castillo walls afterwards, adult entry is $15 for ages 16 and up, valid 7 consecutive days, and free for children 15 and under. Read the Castillo de San Marcos guide before you go.
Who This Ride Suits and Who It Does Not
This is the right listing for some groups and the wrong one for others. Here is where the limits sit and what to book instead.
Good Fit
A family or friend group of 3 to 7 who want a guide to themselves. The $200 per cart does not rise with headcount, so a fuller cart spreads the cost further. It also suits travellers who want the most-reviewed option: 1,240 reviews at 5.0 is the deepest review base of any ride on this site.
Anyone who finds a 90-minute walk too much in the heat stays seated the whole time.
Poor Fit, and What to Book Instead
Children under 7 cannot ride, so families with toddlers should look at the shared waterfront golf cart tour, which does not state a minimum age, so check before booking. A couple paying the whole $200 may do better with a shared tour. The guided golf cart tour from the city garage runs an hour at $45 per person with up to 9 per cart.
If you want to get off at stops, this cart does not allow it, so the hop-on hop-off trolley is the option that does. And if the horse-drawn experience is the point, the private carriage history tour costs $175 per carriage for 45 minutes and takes all ages.
The Meeting Point Problem
The operator has no physical location and no signage. The listing gives the meeting spot two ways: the rear (southern) lot of the Lightner Museum between Cordova and Granada Streets by the fountain, and the north end of the lot at 69 Granada St, across from the French Pantry Restaurant at 36 Granada St. Confirm the exact corner when you book and arrive early.
Parking, Weather and Timing
You drive to this start point yourself, so parking matters. Here is what the city charges and what the weather does in the months you are likely to ride.
Where to Park
The Historic Downtown Parking Facility at 1 Cordova Street is a city garage on Cordova Street, one of the streets beside the Lightner Museum lot. It holds 1,200 spaces and is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Rates are $20 per vehicle per entry from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and $5 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. according to the city, while a Visit St. Augustine guide describes the $20 as per day, so confirm at the garage. The 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM departures sit either side of the 5 p.m. rate change. Registered St. Johns County residents pay $3 per entry.
Street meters cost $2.50 per hour for non-residents, three hours on streets and four in lots. Meters are free before 8:00 a.m. and after 9:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and free on national holidays. The ParkStAug app lets you add meter time remotely. The free STAR Circulator bus runs daily 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. if you park farther out. Full detail is in the St. Augustine parking guide.
Weather on the Cart
July is the hottest month at a mean daily high of 32.8°C (91.0°F) with a low of 23.2°C (73.8°F). August and September are the wettest at 7.18 in of rain each, and the Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30. For a cooler ride, January averages a high of 19.7°C (67.5°F) and November 23.8°C (74.9°F).
A morning slot in summer or any slot in late fall is the comfortable pick. Season norms come from the St. Augustine Light station record.
Nights of Lights and the Horse Context
This is not a holiday ride and the listing states no seasonal limits. If you visit during the festival, the city garage's off-peak $5 rate does not apply during Nights of Lights, so expect the full $20. For a lit-up ride see the Nights of Lights guide.
This tour uses a cart, not a horse, so the city's carriage horse rules do not apply to it. For readers weighing the horse option, the city voted in October to keep carriage horses on the streets with 10 stalls, 7 awarded and 3 by lottery.
Sources: City of St. Augustine, Visit St. Augustine, Wikipedia climate normals
How the 90 Minutes Run
The listing gives fixed start times and a fixed duration. It does not publish a stop-by-stop schedule, so the phases below follow the order of the named highlights.
-
Before
Find the fountain
The lot behind the Lightner Museum has a fountain and a statue similar to the Statue of Liberty. There is no operator signage, so use the fountain or the north end at 69 Granada St and confirm when booking.
-
Meeting point
Board and belt up
Meet your guide at the agreed corner of the lot. Seatbelts go on before the cart moves. Groups of 1 to 7 board together.
-
First stretch
The fort and the bayfront
The named highlights include the Castillo de San Marcos, the coquina fort begun in 1672, with narration covering the Spanish and British periods.
-
Midway
Flagler's city
The cart passes Flagler's hotels and churches, including the 1888 Ponce de Leon Hotel that is now Flagler College, and the 1887 Hotel Alcazar where you started.
-
Later stretch
The Plaza and Aviles Street
You ride past the Plaza de la Constitución, laid out in 1573, and down Aviles Street, called the oldest street in the nation, plus the Oldest House.
-
Back at the start
Drop-off
After 90 minutes the cart returns to the same lot behind the Lightner Museum. Tip if you choose, since gratuities are not included.
Pros and Cons
A straight read of what this listing does well and where it falls short.
What we genuinely like
- Private for 1 to 7 at $200 per cart, so the price is fixed however many of you ride
- 5.0 rating across 1,240 reviews, the deepest review base of any ride on this site
- 90 minutes is the longest standard narrated cart tour here, covering 1565 to 1913
- A local guide narrates in person and your group is never combined with strangers
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
The honest downsides
- No getting off the cart at any point, so every landmark is a drive-by
- The meeting point is described two ways and there is no signage, so confirm and arrive early
- Children under 7 cannot ride, which excludes toddler families
- Gratuities and parking are extra, and city garage parking on Cordova Street is listed at $20 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- July heat, with a mean daily high of 32.8°C (91.0°F), is hard work for some riders on a cart
Who it's NOT for: Not for families with children under 7, for anyone who wants to leave the vehicle at stops, or for couples on a tight budget who would rather pay per person on a shared ride.
Questions About This Tour
How much does this private electric cart tour cost?
$200 per cart (private, up to 7) on Viator. The price covers the vehicle, so a couple and a group of seven pay the same figure. Compare it with the private horse-drawn carriage history tour at $175 per carriage for 45 minutes.
Where exactly do I meet the guide?
In the parking lot behind the Lightner Museum between Cordova and Granada Streets, by the fountain. The listing also calls it the north end of the lot at 69 Granada St, so confirm the spot when you book. The St. Augustine parking guide covers the garages nearby.
Can children ride this cart tour?
No one under 7 may ride, per the listing. For younger children the shared waterfront golf cart tour costs $32 per person and does not state a minimum age.
Do we get off the cart at the Castillo or the Plaza?
No. The listing says disembarking is not permitted during the trip for safety reasons, so the fort, the Plaza and Aviles Street are all pass-bys. If you want to hop off, the hop-on hop-off trolley has 22 stops over 1 or 2 days.
Is parking included?
No. A city garage is the Historic Downtown Parking Facility at 1 Cordova Street, listed at $20 per vehicle per entry from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and $5 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Street meters cost $2.50 per hour. The Nights of Lights electric cart ride is a seasonal alternative in the same city.
What happens if it rains?
The listing states no weather policy for the rider beyond Viator's standard cancellation, which gives a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start. August and September are the wettest months at 7.18 in of rain each.
Is this tour really private?
Yes. The booking is for 1 to 7 people and the listing states your group will not be combined with other people. The guide narrates in person in English.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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