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- Top food experiences in New York City include the Brooklyn cuisine and culture excursion,Scottβs pizza bus tour, and the Chinatown and Little Italy culinary adventure.
- Best Sightseeing Experience: Exploring New York City in One Day
- Best Walking Tour: The Heart of Central Park β’ Immigrant New York
- Best Family Tour: A musical spectacular on Broadway
- Best Free Tour: Big Apple Greeter
- Best Historical Tour: Early Access Statue of Liberty Tour with Ellis Island β’ 9/11 Ground Zero All Access Tour
- Best Architectural Tour: AIANY Around Manhattan Architectural Cruise
- Best Luxury Hotel: Trident
- +30 22 8607 1319 & Hotel webpage
- Best day trip: Visiting Boston and following the Freedom Trail
- Best Night Tour: Spirits of Greenwich Village
Best Tours in New York City
1. New York in One Day β Midtown
- Duration: 6 hours.
- Guided bus, boat, and walking tour that covers all the NYC highlights; great way to become familiar with the city at the beginning of a trip.
- Meeting Point: Times Square
- Highlights of a tour include landmarks like Times Square, a guided walk through Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Madison Square Park, Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial, a ferry ride on the Staten Island with views of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Statue of Liberty.
- Guests can choose between enclosed-top or open-air luxury tour bus transportation.
- The pontoon voyage is not incorporated as a feature of the visit during the off-season (January to April). Rather, visitors visit Pier 17 for a Brooklyn Bridge/Statue of Liberty photo open.
- Services Included: Transportation, knowledgeable guide, bottled drinking water.
- Not Included: Food. Guests must purchase their own lunch during a quick break at the Fulton 55 Market.
- Food included? No.
- Good for kids? Yes.
- Reserving:Booking.com will have the most competitive rates.
Website β’ Phone: +30 6944 644343
2. Chinatown & Little Italy Food Fest β Lower Manhattan
- Duration: 3 hours.
- A guided small-group (12 people or fewer) walking tour visiting two tasty ethnic neighborhoods in New York, with seven varying food tasting stops along the route.
- Meeting Point: Mott Street in Chinatown
- Highlights include: Cannoli, prosciutto, cheeses, homemade pasta, fresh mozzarella, hot dim sum, fresh dumplings, and traditional Chinese pastries.
- Included: Seven food tastings, like a hearty tasting of Italian or Chinese cuisine served warm, a helpful handout with restaurants visited, maps, coupons, and recommendations provided upon completion of the tour.
- Not Included: Bottled water.
- Food included? Yes, there will be enough tastings to serve as a light lunch.
- Appropriate for children? Suitable for children over 5 with adventurous palates.
- Tour Operator: Ahoy New York Food Tours
3. Early Access Statue of Liberty with Ellis Island β Lower Manhattan
- Duration: 4 hours
- Experience Lady Liberty without large crowds through this half-day morning tour of Liberty Island, including a visit to the Statue of Liberty Museum and Ellis Island.
- Meeting Point: Battery Park
- Key aspects: Guided tour of Liberty Island, views of the NYC skyline, free time to explore at the Statue of Liberty Museum and Ellis Island.
- Among the sights offered as options: Entry to The Statue of Liberty Museum and Ellis Immigration Museum,
all ferry tickets between Battery Park, the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island; self-guided audio tour available on Ellis Island. - Not Included: Entrance to the Statue of Liberty Crown, guided museum tours.
- Food included? No.
- Good for kids? Yes.
- Tour Operator: Walks Tours
- Byzantine and Christian Museum: A four-minute walk
4. Scottβs Pizza Bus Tour β Lower Manhattan
- Duration: 4.5 hours.
- Visitors sample pizza from four different eateries in no less than two boroughs (Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island), led by experienced guides who are experts on the NYC pizza scene.
- Meeting Point: Lower Manhattan near South Street Seaport harbour
- Contained: Four slices of pizza, pocket pizza journal, transportation by yellow school bus.
- Not Included: Beverages.
- Tour operates rain or shine.
- Food included? Yeah, pizza!
- Good for kids? Yes! Reduced price tickets are offered for children between the ages of 4 and 12; children under the age of 4 may join for no cost but must share the pizza and seats with their guardian. Just one youngster without payment is allowed per paying adult.
- This bus tour runs on Sundays only, but weekend walking pizza tours are also available in Greenwich Village, Downtown Brooklyn, West Village, and East Village.
- Best Harbor Outing: Sunset Schooner Harbor Cruise
- An alternate reservation for the pizza bus tour in New York City can be made through Get Your Guide
Tour Highlights: Sampling excellent and unique pizza varieties, kitchen demonstrations, a fun and knowledgeable tour guide.
5. Heart of Central Park β Upper East Side
- Duration: 90 minutes.
- Insightful walking tour guided by Central Park Conservancy leaders with insider knowledge about the park`s history, architecture, flora, and fauna.
- Meeting Point: East 72nd Street at 5th Avenue
- Tour Highlights Include: Conservatory Water, Loeb Boathouse, Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, Cherry Hill, the Lake, Strawberry Fields
- Weather Policy: Tours operate in rain or shine conditions with rain checks given for severe weather.
- Included: Expert guide.
- Food included? No.
- Good for kids? Children are welcome, but guided tours are recommended for kids ages 12 and up. The Conservancyβs Discovery Walks are suggested for younger children.
- Tour Operator: Central Park Conservancy
6. 9/11 All Access Tour β Lower Manhattan
- Duration: 5 hours (3 hours self-guided)
- The most personal and comprehensive tour of New Yorkβs 9/11 and Ground Zero sites.
- Meeting Point: St. Paulβs Chapel
- Tour Highlights: St. Paulβs Chapel, 90-minute guided walk around Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial (including firsthand stories from your guide), 9/11 Museum, Freedom Tower and the One World Observatory, and other sites such as the FDNY Memorial Wall, the Survivor Tree, and the Millennium Hotel.
- Included: Tour guide with a personal connection to 9/11, priority access to the 9/11 Museum; reserved entrance times to the 9/11 Museum and One World Observatory are available with upgrade.
- Food included? No.
- Good for kids? Yes, particularly older children and teenagers. The tour guides ensure that the subject matter is addressed sensitively.
- Transportation: 9/11 Location Tour
Alternative booking options for a 9/11 Ground Zero tour in New York City are available through Get Your Guide
7. Best of Brooklyn Food and Culture Tour β Lower Manhattan
- Duration: 4.5 hours.
- Wonderful half-day tour of Brooklyn food, history, and culture; a delicious introduction to this boroughβs diverse neighborhoods.
- Meeting Point: The northeast corner of 6th Avenue and Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.
- Tour Highlights: Food highlights comprise traditional Polish pierogies and kielbasa, knishes, New York-style brick oven pizza, cannoli, and more. Visited neighborhoods may include Old and New Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Gowanus, Carroll Gardens, and DUMBO.
- Takes place rain or shine.
- Attendees have the choice of walking back into Manhattan across the Brooklyn Bridge.
- Included: Lots of food, bus transport between neighborhoods, bottle of water.
- Not Included: Alcohol and soft drinks are not covered, but can be purchased at some of the tour restaurants.
- Food included? Lots of it.
- Good for kids? Yes.
- Tour Operator: New York Fun Activities
- Alternative reservation via Get Your Guide
8. Disney on Broadway β Midtown
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- An exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of New Yorkβs world-famous theatrical district; guests go backstage within the New Amsterdam Theatre where they can handle props and costumes from shows like Aladdin, The Lion King, and Mary Poppins.
- Meeting Location: West 46th Street between Broadway and 7th Avenue
- Tour Highlights: Times Square, Broadway theatre district, behind-the-scenes tour of the New Amsterdam Theatre, meal at Sardiβs restaurant.
- Food included? No.
- Good for kids? Yes!
- Tour Operator: Walks Tours
- Alternative reserving though Get Your Guide
9. Immigrant New York β Lower Manhattan
- Duration: 2 hours
- A guided walking circuit through Chinatown, Little Italy, the former Jewish East Side, and Irish/Free Black Five Points reveals the experiences of different ethnic groups when arriving in the United States.
- Meeting Point: City Hall Park
- Tour Highlights: Sites associated with the Tweed Courthouse, the African Burial Ground, Mulberry Bend, the Bowery, landmarks related to Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Jacob Riis, Abraham Cahan, βMasterβ Juba, Emma Goldman and others.
- Offered as a public or private tour.
- Excursions operate regardless of rain or shine, except in cases of extreme weather.
- Most guides are full-time graduate learners researching and composing doctoral dissertations in New York history.
- Food included? No.
- Good for kids? Older kids, yes.
- Tour Operator: Big Onion Walking Excursions
10. Sunset Schooner Harbor Cruise β Midtown
- Duration: 2 hours
- Enjoy watching the NYC skyline light up from the deck of the Adirondack β an 80-foot sailboat modeled after the classic pilot schooners of the 1890s.
- Meeting Point: Chelsea Piers
- Highlights: Tours include One World Trade Center, Battery Park, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty.
- Offered from April to early November.
- Sunset and views of the city from a boat tours are offered aboard a 1920βs style teak vessel.
- Included: Boat fare, one complimentary beverage (beer, wine, Champagne or soft drink).
- Food included? No.
- While this cruise is family-friendly, itβs generally more of a popular romantic date-night activity.
- Travel Operator: Classic Harbor Line
Alternative booking though Get Your Guide
11. Big Apple Greeter Tours β Various Locations
- Duration: 2-4 hours
- Get to know the genuine New York City that locals are familiar with in these free, custom, private walks led by passionate individuals who live there. No pre-set itineraries, themes, or start times.
- Meeting Location: Greeters coordinate assembly spots with guests.
- Tour Highlights: A completely unique experience. Greeters are assigned dependent on the neighborhood and language requested, and when possible, guestsβ interests.
- The tour includes: A highly personalized walk through the area at no cost β there is also a no-tipping policy.
- Food included? No.
- Good for kids? Yes.
Organization: The Big Apple Greeter organization is a non-for-profit group
12. Ghosts of Greenwich Village β Lower Manhattan
- Duration: 2 hours
- Guided nighttime tour of the most allegedly haunted places in New Yorkβs historic Greenwich Village neighborhood.
- Meeting Point: Near Washington Square Park at The Waverly Restaurant
- Tour Highlights: Washington Square Park, the Brown Building (site of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire disaster), home of Emma Lazarus, βthe Murder House,β βThe House on Gay Street,β Jefferson Market Library, Chumleyβs underground bar.
- Included: Expert tour guide
- Food included? No.
- Tour operator: Wild Lime Adventures
It is not recommended for children under 12.
The Siam@Siam Hotel. Contact number: +66 38 930 600
13. Iconic New York Photo Tour β Midtown
- Duration: 3 hours
- Hone your photography skills while capturing images of some of New Yorkβs most iconic landmarks. Suitable for photographers of any level, whether using a smartphone or D-SLR camera. You can use your own equipment or rent from them.
- Meeting Point: Midtown Manhattan.
- Attractions on the guided tour include Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, the Empire State Building, NYC`s subway transit lines, and Central Park.
- Included: Expert photographic guide, subway fare.
- Not Included: Camera rental. (Rental fee incorporates a memory card, which you retain to keep.)
- Food included? No.
- Suitable for children? Yes, and discounted rates are offered for young ones. Any participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a paying adult. Minors participating in public/group sessions must be 13+; children under 13 years old may participate in a private session accompanied by a paying adult.
- Tour operator: New York City Photo Safari
14. Around Manhattan Architecture Cruise β Midtown
- Duration: 2.75 hours
- View New Yorkβs iconic landmarks, modern architecture, and engineering masterworks from the elegant deck of a 1920βs-style teak yacht on this harbor boat cruise led by members of the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
- Meeting Point: Chelsea Piers
- Highlights of the tour included seeing One World Trade Center Memorial and the waterside memorials in Manhattan, Frank Gehry`s 8 Spruce Street architectural design, Jean Nouvel`s 100 Eleventh Ave condo complex, the Standard Hotel, the renowned Woolworth Building, Wall Street`s art deco spires, crossing the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, exploring the bridges over the Harlem River, exploring Little Island at Pier 55, and gazing at the extensive `mega-project` of Hudson Yards.
- Architecture and the Lights of Gotham, Urban Ecology & Infrastructure, and Industrial Waterfront Tours are also offered.
- Contained: Expert guide, boat tour, one drink.
- Food included? No.
- Perhaps good for kids. Though the content may not be too exciting for little ones, being on the water is always a thrill.
- Travel Operator: Classic Harbor Line
- Alternative booking through Get Your Guide
15. Boston & the Freedom Trail β Midtown
- Duration: 14 hours
- Day excursion from Manhattan to Boston, where guests can stroll the Freedom Trail and visit Bostonβs most popular attractions and historic sites.
- Meeting Point: Port Authority Bus Terminal
- Tour Highlights: Campuses of Harvard and MIT, Boston Harbor (site of the Boston Tea Party), the U.S.S. Constitution, Bunker Hill, Boston Common, the Freedom Trail.
- Included: Private vehicle, professional escort for sightseeing.
- Food included? No. There is a lunch stop at Boston Common, but guests purchase their own food and drinks.
- Suitable for younger children? Yes, though the duration may be rather lengthy for the very young.
- Tour Operator: Empire Getaways
A day trip to Boston and the Freedom Trail from New York can also be booked through Get Your Guide