New York City can be a large and overwhelming place to navigate, with so many fabulous things to do, NYC Tours can help you have a fun a relaxing time while checking all the boxes of a great New York vacation! We’ve done the foot work and hopped on these NYC Tours to give you the full scoop!
5 NYC Tours We Love
Historic NYC Tours
Grand Central Terminal is a constant and evolving hub of transportation for New York City. This space is a historic piece of architecture and infrastructure that can be explored on your own or with a tour. When you explore with the tour guide, you are able to find the hidden secrets and special details, you might not be able to find on your own.
I traveled with the Walks Tour by City Experiences, and they offered an inside look into the history and legacy of Grand Central Terminal. Our guide on The Official Grand Central Terminal Tour was well-versed in the story of the transit terminal and offered some insightful information based on his life in New York City.
We had a late afternoon tour and it was great to see all the hustle and bustle. It wasn’t too busy that we couldn’t walk through the terminal easily, plus we had the opportunity to see a lot of Interesting and beautiful art around the station.
My favorite part of the tour was stepping outside and looking at the architecture. There were many iterations of Grand Central Terminal, and the knowledge from our guide made it quite a entertaining tale!
He spoke of robbers and treasurer hunters stealing the giant eagles outside the grand entrance. He even shared his favorite hidden restaurant. He had a lot of great information I would not have figured out on my own.
After your tour, I highly recommend checking out one of the many restaurants inside of the terminal. I didn’t stay for dinner after my tour, but I did come back the next morning and I had a lovely breakfast in The Grand Brasserie. Our tour guide said it was a new restaurant in the area and that you never know what you’ll find around each corner it’s an evolving space!
Statue of Liberty with NYC Tours
This Statue of Liberty tour is a must! It’s the only way to step on the island and Statue City Cruises is the only authorized cruise. Watch out for scammers trying to resale old tickets and buy through a City Experiences in advanced.
This tour begins by taking the ferry to Liberty Island where we were greeted by a tour guide. The tour guide is a park ranger for the US National Park Service. He was an excellent source of information and filled with fun facts.
I was so impressed to learn about the making of the Statue of Liberty. The most amazing piece of information that I learned was that inside of the statue is a mini Eiffel Tower stabilizing the structure. It was the beginning of what the Eiffel Tower was based upon.
We did the pedestal tour, but you can also book a crown tour to walk up directly into the crown. However, the views from the pedestal were exquisite! It’s a bit crowded, so be prepared on making a lot of friends really quick.
Don’t skip the museum across the island near the entrance. They have some very interesting information about the creation of the Statue of Liberty. There is some original memorabilia from the opening of the statue and the creation of this monumental gift of friendship from France.
The tour we took included a tour of Ellis Island. Here we were able to explore the space that many immigrants walked as they made their journey into the United States, and this landmark has become an important part of US history.
Ellis Island deserves at least two hours of your time. I highly recommend going through the audio tour and reading all the additional notes. The gift shop pays special attention to different heritages all around the world.. A lot of people enjoyed the ancestral name souvenir.
Be sure to take lots of pictures of the Statue of Liberty on your first cruise over. It is the best time to get a picture of her face. For pictures of the Lower Manhatten coastline I would recommend taking those when you’re headed from Ellis Island back to the dock.
Museum NYC Tours
The Walks Tour, Meet the MET was filled with fantastic information! Our tour guide was also an actor and local to the area. They provided us with a very insightful and entertaining experience.
This was my third time visiting the MET, but it was the first time that I was able to check all the “must see” items off the list in one visit.
We started with the Egyptian area where we learned about the important and strategic relationship the MET formed with them. Next, we moved back to the site of the Met Gala! From the glass room we were able to see the apartment of Jackie O. which she held residence near the MET because of her substantial connection with the museum.
We also found our way to the American area of the museum. Here we were able to see the façade of the second bank of Alexander Hamilton. Inside you would find reconstruction of a house during that same time period.
We made our way through the building to see the famous “Washington Crossing the Delaware” painting. Our guide had an astute assessment of the painting and offered some insightful information. We also stopped to see the American impressionism paintings and heard the tale of the evolution of American impressionism.
At this point, we took a short break and had a bite to eat. We had a few moments to explore the area alone and then we regrouped. We then went to the top floor of The MET that has an outdoor garden. Our guide gave us some quick information on the area and the neighborhoods pointing out some fascinating a bits of information!
We then moved along to see some of the more well-known painters and discussed Van Gogh, Degas, and “The Little Dancer”. We then moved to see some sculptures, and ended with the Greek statues.
Overall, this was a successful trip to The Met and our guide definitely made it one of my most unforgettable tours in New York. After the tour I walked through Central Park and enjoyed a delicious meal at the Loeb Boathouse.
Foodie NYC Tours
The Devour Tour is something that you definitely don’t want to miss, it’s a unique food tour called, “Dumplings, Delis, and History: Lower Eastside, Historical food tour”. It takes you through some of the most iconic dining spots in the lower east side of New York City. You get to start at Katz’s Diner, which is famous for the “I’ll have what she’s having” scene in When Harry Met Sally. Here you have some Pastrami to see exactly why it’s been a staple in the city for so long!
From there, you’ll have a variety of dining opportunities. On our tour, we had vegan bagels, then Dominican breakfast, then tried the YouTube famous peanut noodles in Chinatown, followed by a special olive oil tasting, and topped with a delicious sandwich from a charcuterie stand at the Essex Food Market.
Along the way, we learned a lot about the neighborhoods and the community. I was very interested by the tenant history. Our tour guide had a lot of information on the diverse immigrant neighborhoods.
Later, we had the opportunity to try pickles which is are must-haves in the neighborhood. The pickle shop had an amazing amount of options. We even tried pickled pineapple, and it was delicious! To end our tour we had donuts and it was a very nice and sweet way to end our trip!
Needless to say, we were quite full by the end of our walk. After the tour, I doubled back to the Essex Food Market and made some purchases to take home as souvenirs.
Cruise NYC Tours
I had the pleasure of experiencing the dinner cruise by City Cruises. For this particular dinner, we enjoyed a preview of the holiday cruise. The holiday cruise features delicious food, tasty drinks, and a lot of holiday fun! The dining rooms were decorated with twinkle lights and garlands. The dance floor had a DJ and festive music! On the upper level You could stop by and visit a very merry Santa Claus.
I was very impressed by the options at the buffet. The food was prepared well, and it was definitely a step above your typical pre-made, buffet food. It was a very jolly and merry experience overall.
This cruise leaves from Chelsea Pier and you’re able to see the Statue of Liberty at sunset as well as Battery Park glowing across the water! We happened to be there on a night when the Northern Lights were visible and it was an amazing experience.
I highly recommend booking this cruise in advance. You will want to be sure you have secured your space before they fill up! They offer signature dinner cruises throughout the year including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve!
When you are exploring New York City, it can be quite daunting, but having an expert guide you is extremely valuable!
I will definitely book these NYC tours again when traveling with friends and family. It was a great experience and it really took the guess work out of where to go and what to see. Even if you are a planner, it is nice to just let a professional take the lead and just take in the sites and history of New York City!
If you’re traveling with you teen to NYC check out our article on Fun things to do with your teen in NYC.
Disclaimer: Travel and accommodations were provided to create this review, however all opinions and statements are my own.
