8 Unique Walking Tours of NYC
Published by Josh Hirsch.
New York City. The Big Apple. The city that never sleeps.
It is one of the busiest and most dynamic cities on the planet. Each time you visit NYC, it shows you something new, something amazing, something that keeps you coming back for more.
You’ve already done your standard tours walking tours – visited the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the 9-11 Memorial site.
This time you want to do something unique.
You’re not a typical tourist – so why should you follow the typical tour groups where you get lost in the crowd?
Why not try something a little unusual this time around? Something that your typical visitor won’t know about. Something only New Yorkers know exist.
Have a look at our list of 8 unique walking tours of New York City and witness a different side of this impressive city.
Warning: You will want to sleep with the lights on after this tour…
#8. Ghost Tour of Greenwich Village Have a penchant for the macabre? Love a good ghost story? This spine-tingling 2 hour evening walking tour of Greenwich village will fill you in on the spookiest spots of Manhattan.
Listen as your knowledgeable guide gives you the scoop on stories of lost children, celebrity spirits, and misplaced souls as they lead you through some of the most haunted neighborhoods.
This creepy tour will have you leaving the lights on at night.
Learn the history from the people who were there
#7. Stories from the Dark Side: Criminals, Gangs & Mafia Tour of NYC
Consider yourself a true crime fanatic or a history buff? This tour is for you.
Created with the help of retired NYPD officers and detectives, this walking tour gives you a glimpse into a time when mobsters, immigrant gangs and white collar criminals ruled the streets.
Follow your guide from Wall Street through to Chinatown and Little Italy as they expose the shocking truths of the criminal underworld of NYC.
Lights, Camera….Action!
#6. TV & Manhattan Movie Locations Tour
Couch potatoes and movie buffs – we have found what you’re looking for! Allow your guide to take you to some of New York City’s most iconic shooting locations. Check out the sites of Sex and the City, The Godfather, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Elf, and Ghostbusters.
Not only will you have the opportunity to go behind the scenes at NBC studios in the 30 Rockefeller Center for a full studio tour, but you’ll get the chance to film your very own TV segment!
Discover the hidden speakeasies
Be transported back to the 1920s in New York City with a tour of four hidden speakeasies.
This 3 hour tour leads you to secret bars where rule-breakers defied the prohibition laws and gathered within these East Village establishments for a pint or two.
Strictly an adults only tour, included are 3 vintage-style beverages and a bar snack as you sit back and listen to the history of each of these secret watering holes.
Let history be your guide
#4. NYC Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour
This 2-hour walking tour tackles the dark and seedy underbelly of New York’s history.
The guides educate visitors about the origins of slavery in the city. You will visit the earliest known African and African American cemetery at the African Burial Ground Memorial.
Become engaged with the history of the Underground Railroad – a network of hidden routes and safe houses. Visit a former station and hear about the brave men and women who shaped the Underground Railroad.
You’ll learn about the dramatic riots, emotional escapes, courageous revolts, and valiant tales of the New Yorkers who risked their lives to help people escape enslavement.
Walk the same streets as your favorite musical artists
For those who are all about hip hop – you’ll love visiting Harlem – the birthplace of hip hop, on this aurally stimulating walking tour.
Witness the amazing art, landmarks, and culture of Harlem. Experience the spirited pulse of the very same boroughs that has produced many famous hip hop icons.
Your guides are former hip hop legends themselves, who will take you on an unforgettable journey through the streets of Harlem.
Explore Brooklyn, where anything can be a canvas
Graffiti. Is it a crime or is it art?
Come and meander through the streets of Brooklyn and discover the fascinating world of street artists and graffiti taggers.
As you wind your way through the neighborhoods, you’ll be immersed in the culture and lifestyle of these talented artists. You’ll see some incredible murals that have injected new life into neighborhoods with their imaginative and visually appealing works of art.
Don’t overlook Food Truck cuisine!
#1. Midtown and Downtown Food Truck Tour
A walking tour of NYC wouldn’t be complete without a food tour! Sidewalk Food Tours have got you covered. They have tasted all the street food in New York City to present you with the most mouth-watering cuisines in this fantastic city.
New York City street food is dynamic and continually changing. Hit the streets with them and devour the unique flavors, the breathtaking skyscrapers, the electric energy, and the type of unique experience only New York City can provide her visitors and locals.
This two hour tour stops at five different food trucks and carts offering the most innovative and delicious gastronomic experiences on the streets of New York City.
Not only will you sample some of the tastiest savory foods NYC has to offer, but you’ll get behind the scenes stories and the ins and outs about the food truck industry, directly from the vendors.
Book your Midtown or Downtown Manhattan tours today – your tastebuds will thank you!
That’s our list of suggestions to you, for what we believe are the best 8 walking tours of NYC.
Get ready to soak up the rich culture, the chaos, the electric energy, the incredible food, and the sensational sights that New York City has to offer. We promise you, it will give you a newfound appreciation for the city.
Make sure you book early – you don’t want to miss out on these unique things to do in New York City! The only problem will be figuring out how to fit them all in to your next trip!
Happy planning!