It’s impossible to be bored in New York City. From Liberty Island to the Bronx and out to Coney Island, new skyrises, restaurants, and museums pop up every day. This city appeals to both first-time visitors and seasoned NYC explorers, making it the perfect destination for a group trip.
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With so many iconic landmarks, planning a trip to the Big Apple can be a headache. Luckily, there are many fantastic ready-made New York City tours led by passionate native New Yorkers. Take advantage of these incredible bucket-list-level experiences catering to different budgets and interests.
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Free Walking Tours of NYC
Lower Manhattan Free Walking Tour
Walking Manhattan from tip to tip takes around five hours with no breaks. The best way to explore NYC is by neighborhood. If you love the free walking tours available everywhere in Europe, you’ll love Free Tour’s Original Downtown Manhattan Walking Tour.
These are tip-based tours where you can pay the tour guide what you think the experience was worth. Guides usually work incredibly hard to ensure you all have a great time! It depends on the length and quality, but a professional guide in NYC might expect around $20 – $50.
This tour covers all the famous landmarks in the Financial District. Here are some of the highlights:
- Views of the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park
- Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange
- The Charging Bull Statue
- 9/11 Memorial
- One World Trade Center Site
- Trinity Church
It’s a 2.5-hour tour that meets outside Castle Clinton in Battery Park. This tour runs daily, rain or shine, at 10:00 AM and 2:30 PM, sometimes more often. Even free New York tours like to cap numbers so the group size isn’t unmanageable, so book ahead.
Midtown Manhattan Free Walking Tour
You will inevitably visit Midtown at some point during your trip. But does everyone in your group know about the rich history behind the greatest icons of New York City? Free Tour’s Grand Central & Midtown Manhattan Tour will provide a new perspective on a fun tip-based walking tour.
Here are just some of the famous buildings you will see and learn about:
- Grand Central Terminal (inside!)
- New York Public Library
- Bryant Park
- UN Headquarters
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral
- Diamond District
- Fifth Avenue
The tour ends in Rockefeller Plaza. Book tickets for Top of the Rock after the walking tour if you’re interested in exploring Rockefeller Center and witnessing the incredible views. Allow half an hour or so in between to allow for delays.
It’s a 2.5-hour tour running every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 3:00 PM. Again, book ahead to ensure everyone in your group has a spot on this tour.
Brooklyn Free Walking Tour
Brooklyn has almost overtaken Greenwich Village as the “cool” place to visit in NYC. Across the East River, you’ll find some of the city’s best restaurants, street art, and cultural centers. Guru Walk’s The Brooklyn Way Walking Tour is a free, pay-what-you-wish tour led by local experts from the borough.
These are some of the top sights on this tour:
- Brooklyn Historical Society
- Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Cathedral
- Brooklyn Heights Promenade
- Brooklyn Bridge Park
- Time Out Market New York
It’s the best tour for groups on a budget who have already visited NYC. Meet your guide outside Brooklyn Borough Hall Fountain most Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. This two-hour starts at 3:00 PM and book ahead!
New York City Attraction Tours
Met Museum Private Guided Tour
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the top NYC attractions you can’t miss on a first-time visit. However, many museums have thousands of exhibits on display. Your group probably doesn’t have the time to spend an entire day in one museum.
Booking a guided tour like Context Travel’s private Met Museum Tour is a crash course in The Met. An art expert will show your group around the top artworks in the museum from the Ancient Egyptians to Van Gogh. This three-hour tour will enrich your museum visit exponentially.
Context Travel also offers private Met Museum Tours for Kids and Met Museum Night Tours. The kids’ tour is crafted specifically for groups with kids under 12 to ensure it’s an engaging experience. Every tour includes skip-the-line admission.
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tour
Waving to Lady Liberty on her little island from the Staten Island ferry is free and fun. But nothing beats visiting the Statue of Liberty up close! Get Your Guide’s all-inclusive Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Guided Tour gets up close and personal. It’s the best option for busy groups visiting NYC for the first time.
This four-hour experience includes a timed ferry ticket, the Statue of Liberty Museum entrance, and a guided statue tour. It also includes admission to Ellis Island, entrance to the National Museum of Immigration, and a guided tour of the island. What more could you want?! Groups large and small, with children or without, will get something out of this tour.
Top of the Rock VIP Guided Experience
You can’t visit New York City without climbing to the top of a skyscraper. The Empire State Building, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, One World Observatory, and Edge NYC are all great choices. However, this VIP Top of the Rock Guided Tour is an experience you won’t forget anytime soon.
This two-hour tour starts with skip-the-line tickets. Your guide will tell you all about the history of the building before escorting you to the Top of the Rock observation deck. Here, your private group can indulge in a champagne toast. Being close to Central Park and the Empire State Building, it’s undoubtedly one of NYC’s best panoramic views.
That’s not all! Take a professional group photo sitting on The Beam, just like the famous 1932 photograph of construction workers. During the Christmas season, you can even get a behind-the-scenes peak of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree.
MoMA Before Hours Tour With an Art Expert
Attractions like the Museum of Modern Art can get very busy, very quickly. A Before-Hours MoMA Tour is the best way to appreciate the art without the crowds. Yes, you can wander around the museum before it opens to the public!
See renowned works by masters like Monet and Andy Warhol from a qualified art historian. It’s only a one-hour tour. However, you’ll learn more in that one hour than you would in three walking around by yourselves.
Food Tours of New York City
Chinatown & Little Italy Walking Food Tour
Each distinct neighborhood in NYC has its own diverse culture and cuisine. Check out two of the city’s best culinary districts with this Chinatown & Little Italy Small-Group Food Tour. These New York City tours are capped at 15 people, so it’s perfect for groups of all sizes. Suitable for children aged six and up.
A local historian and food lover will take your tastebuds on a two-hour walking tour. Visit at least four family-owned eateries and hidden gems you could never find without a guide. While the menu is subject to change, most tours include pizza, cannoli, dim sum dumplings, and traditional sponge cake. Book a lunchtime or dinner tour to fit with your schedule, and arrive hungry!
Upper East Side Walking Food Tour
This upmarket, residential neighborhood is known for museums and fancy fine dining. What you might not know is that this historic district is hiding some delicious casual restaurants. The Upper East Side Walking Food Tour is ideal if your group wants to taste some quintessentially NYC treats.
It’s a 2.5-hour walking tour with a maximum of 15 participants. Try New York-style pizza, bagels, rugelach, and dumplings. Expect at least five tastings that will amount to a filling lunch as well as local stories from the neighborhood. With four tours available daily, you are sure to find one that will fit into your itinerary.
NYC Private Cocktail Tour and Tasting
New York City is home to some of the best mixologists, old-world bars, and speakeasies in the world. Many cocktails, including the Manhattan, were invented in the city! Context Travel’s private NYC Cocktail Tour is ideal for any group of adults who enjoy a strong drink or two.
This comprehensive three-hour tour will take you on a journey through time and space. It starts at the turn of the 20th century, travels through prohibition, and ends in the present day. It’s a walking tour that includes drinks in four bars like the iconic St. Regis King Cole Bar, as well as landmarks like Rockefeller Center.
Note this is one of the few NYC tours that doesn’t run on a weekend. The bars get so crowded, you wouldn’t be able to hear your guide!
New York City Tours on Wheels
Central Park Guided Bike Tour
Visiting New York City without exploring Central Park is like traveling to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. Since it covers 843 acres, it would take you a long time to explore on foot! We recommend a Guided Central Park Bike Tour as the best way to get around.
Cycle around one of NYC’s must-see sights with a fun, knowledgeable guide on this two-hour tour. See famous spots like the Bethesda Fountain and lesser-known gems like the Sheep Meadow. Groups can request e-bikes and it’s very family-friendly with children’s bikes, trailers, and child seats available too.
Sex and the City Bus Tour
Follow in the footsteps of Carrie Bradshaw and her friends by booking a legendary Sex and the City Bus Tour. It’s the highest-rated bus tour of the filming locations that you can book! Bachelorette parties or girls-only groups in NYC will have so much fun taking this tour. It’s ideal for those with limited mobility and the bus is super comfortable.
Drink cosmopolitans outside Steve’s Bar on this 3.5-hour tour. See Carrie Bradshaw’s Brownstone, Magnolia Bakery, and so much more. Not a fan of Sex and the City? There are tons of other New York City tours of movie sites to choose from.
Day Tour to Niagara Falls by Bus
You might think that Niagara Falls is too far to travel on a day trip from New York City. It’s a 13-hour round-trip drive which is not exactly close. But past participants of Get Your Guide’s highly-rated New York City to Niagara Falls Day Tour would disagree!
Despite the long drive, you will have plenty of time to see the famous waterfall from the American side. Take a boat ride on the Maid of the Mist and catch the light display in the evening before returning to NYC. There are plenty of comfort breaks en route.
Top tip: Bring an eye mask and earplugs so you can snooze on the bus. Private and small-group day trips are available too.
Alternative Tours of NYC
New York in Half-a-Day Private Tour
Do you only have one whole day to explore NYC? It’s not ideal to explore New York in a day, but it can be done! Make the most of your short time by booking a private New York in Half a Day Tour.
Here are some of the half-day tour’s stops:
- Times Square
- Radio City Music Hall
- Rockefeller Center
- Grand Central Terminal
- Central Park
- Empire State Building
Tickets to climb up to the Empire State Building’s observation deck are optional and cost extra.
Since Context Travel runs private tours, your group can move at your own pace. Feel free to skip any city sights you’ve already seen and include new ones you’re more interested in. These NYC tours are led by a historian and a native New Yorker. Their knowledge of the city will know no bounds!
It’s a four-hour walking tour which leaves plenty of time for other experiences. See a museum, catch a Broadway show, and you’ll have successfully explored NYC in a day.
Manhattan Skyline Helicopter Tour
Helicopter tours of New York City are the “in” thing to do, and for good reason! The Manhattan Skyline is one of the most recognizable city skylines in the world. The only way for your group to see it all in one trip is from up above. Book this Manhattan Island All-Inclusive Helicopter Tour for this bucket-list experience.
The large floor-to-ceiling windows mean incredible views, completely unobstructed. See larger-than-life landmarks from the Hudson River, Central Park, the Brooklyn Bridge, and more.
This 30-minute helicopter ride is operated by a highly-trained pilot. They’re limited to six people (for obvious reasons!) so larger groups may have to book two or more helicopters. Don’t worry if you’re traveling with kids as they can come too. Note that flights don’t always depart from Manhattan, and there are no flights on Sundays.
Behind the Scenes Broadway Tour
New York’s Broadway shows are popular attractions in their own right. Musical fans will love this Behind-the-Scenes Broadway Small-Group Tour. You will have an insider’s perspective of the famous theaters like the Shubert Theatre and Majestic Theatre.
This two-hour walking tour visits Times Square, Great White Way, plus the off-Broadway theaters in Hell’s Kitchen. Learn all about the inception of New York’s theater district and fun facts you wouldn’t learn without a professional tour guide. Head inside an active theater’s rehearsal studio (entrance fee included) for the ultimate super fan experience.
The daily small-group public tour has a maximum of 12 people, but there is a private tour option. These tours always sell out, so book in advance.
High Line Private Guided Tour
Groups returning to New York may think they’ve seen it all. But how many times have you visited Chelsea’s Meat Packing District? Do you really know about the borough’s urban development over the decades? Context Travel runs a fascinating private High Line Tour to Hudson Yards.
This three-hour walking tour follows the High Line, a former 1933 freight railroad turned elevated greenway. It’s a 1.45-mile park that has quickly become one of the most beloved spots among locals. Learn about the neighborhood’s architecture and how it’s being preserved.
Children are more than welcome on these private tours. Although it’s a walking tour, it doesn’t cover a great distance so it may be suitable for those with limited mobility. The High Line is wheelchair accessible at various points and there is seating throughout.
Book NYC Tours For Fun Group Experiences of the Big Apple
Foodies, history buffs, movie fans, and NYC first-timers will all get a kick out of these New York City tours. They are a great way to uncover all the incredible stories of the people living in the most populous city in the United States. You could easily plan several group trips out of all the amazing NYC sightseeing tours on this list. No matter which one you book, your group is in for a treat.