Top New York City Cultural Tours

Absorb New York City’s food culture on a walking tour of Greenwich Village. Skip hours of research and trust your guide as you head to the area’s top-rated eateries to sample a variety of New York specialities, from pizza to artisanal cupcakes. Along the way, your guide points out hidden landmarks often missed by visitors and locals alike, leaving you with inside knowledge about the neighborhood.

Pack highlights of New York City’s most interesting neighborhoods—SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown—all into one day with this walking tour. In SoHo, visit the Cast Iron Historic District and learn about 19th-century architecture. In Little Italy, see mob sites and hear about John Gotti, an American mobster. In Chinatown, soak up the sights, smells, and sounds of the neighborhood.

Harlem is one of New York City’s most culturally rich neighborhoods. Don’t miss out on its beauty just because you don’t know where to go on your own. This Harlem Sunday morning gospel tour, complete with a gospel choir service, takes care of the details for you. See local landmarks like the Apollo Theater and Cotton Club, and explore different parts of this neighborhood. Upgrade to include a soul food brunch at a local restaurant.

Explore four of New York City’s boroughs with this all-day guided bus tour. Ride around comfortably and learn about Harlem’s African-American history at the Apollo Theater, see the graffiti murals and colorful street art in the Bronx and Brooklyn, immerse yourself in downtown Flushing’s Chinatown, and experience the culture and traditions of Brooklyn’s Hasidic Jewish community.

Make the most of your time in the city that never sleeps on a guided tour of NYC’s top attractions. Travel by both the Staten Island Ferry and bus as you swing by the 9/11 Memorial, Central Park, Rockefeller Center and more. Then hop aboard a one-trip Ferry ride for a sightseeing cruise past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, complete with stunning views of the world-famous skyline and Brooklyn Bridge.

Hop aboard a pedicab—a bicycle-powered cab—for a private ride around New York City's Central Park. Enjoy the undivided attention of your guide and the chance to customize your itinerary to include four stops of your choosing among more than 20 local attractions. Riding in a pedicab will get you around the 843-acre (341-hectare) park much more efficiently than you ever could on foot.

Some of the best views of New York City's iconic skyline are from the water. This extended cruise goes all the way around Manhattan Island, affording views of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, and more. Choose between standard seating or upgrade for access to the premium seating area. While on-board, learn about the history of the city through live commentary, and choose to purchase drinks and snacks.

Though there’s serious competition for where to find the best NYC views, you can enjoy the cityscape from the tallest outdoor observation platform in the entire Western Hemisphere with a visit to the Edge Observation Deck. Secure this prebooked admission ticket to guarantee your time slot, and head to the West Side to experience New York’s newest, sky-high attraction. Just walk across a suspended glass floor and enjoy 360-degree views.

See the highlights of New York City without the hassle of navigating traffic or public transportation with a hop-on hop-off tour. This tour enables busy travelers to relax and enjoy the sights from a double-decker bus; depending on the option you pick, you can access both Uptown and Downtown routes . Along the way, choose to disembark to see the attractions that interest you most, rather than being caught up on a group tour.

Experience the lights of New York City at sunset on this twilight cruise along the Hudson River and into New York Harbor. Book your ticket in advance online to spare any fuss on the night, and set sail to enjoy the illuminated landmarks while learning about the city from a guide’s informative commentary. This tour is a great way to end a day of sightseeing or kick off a night on the town.

Prebook your admission to the 9/11 Memorial Museum in lower Manhattan, and guarantee your entry to the center that documented the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001. Museum artifacts include first-person accounts of what happened on that September morning in 2001, multi-media displays, and exhibits on history, which commemorate nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives in the attacks.

See New York City at your feet with admission to the One World Observatory, a 3-story destination on top of the western hemisphere’s tallest building. Ride to the 102nd floor and watch the virtual city skyline transform across centuries of history. Learn about the construction of the skyscraper, which has sweeping views across the city, enjoying New York from a whole new perspective.

Don't waste precious hours on your NYC vacation at the Statue of Liberty when you can try this speedy Lady Liberty cruise that's perfect for travelers with limited time. Just hop aboard and soak up the sea breeze as you're whisked past Lady Liberty. You can marvel at the statue from the water, learn about the landmark from your guide's live narration, and snap a few up-close photos with unobstructed views of this must-see NYC attraction.

Get one of the best views in all of New York City from the Top of the Rock Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center. Soak up three indoor and outdoor viewing areas and admire the Big Apple’s popular landmarks, such as One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and more. Booking in advance guarantees your entry to this always-popular attraction.

SUMMIT One Vanderbilt blends elements of art and technology, taking the concept of an “observation deck” to entirely new heights. Explore three levels of mind-bending multi-sensory immersive experiences set atop the tallest commercial skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. Enjoy spectacular 360 views of New York City and beyond on all 3 floors of SUMMIT, including close ups views of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler building.

Share in the excitement of discovery with more than 40 galleries exploring the natural world and the universe at one of NYC's top destinations, the American Museum of Natural History.

Marvel at the 360-degree, unobstructed views from the Empire State Building, and explore its interactive museum and more, with this combo ticket. See NYC's landmarks from the 86th-floor observatory, and enjoy the exhibitions displays on its 2nd and 80th floors. You can also upgrade for skip-the-line entry—or to ascend all the way to the 102nd floor.

Scandals! Murder! Romance Architecture! Come step inside some of the few remaining Gilded Age mansions of Fifth Avenue and learn about the people who lived in and designed these masterpieces. If you're a fan of the HBO show The Gilded Age, you'll love this tour. During the Gilded Age New York City became home to the greatest concentration of wealth in human history. As America's new millionaires competed with each other to see who could have the most ornate mansion alongside the newly created Central Park they spent vast sums of money to hire architects inspired by European palaces to build structures the likes of which had never been seen in America. These men and women were as fascinating and complex as the homes they inhabited and we'll hear stories of power, greed, love and generosity from a time when America was quickly becoming one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world.

In remembrance of the tragic events that took place on September 11, 2001, take this walking tour of Ground Zero and the National 9/11 Memorial. Walk through the space of the former World Trade Center in New York City. A certified guide with a personal connection to the events of that day shares stories of tragedy and heroism. Get a deeper understanding of the events that took place here. Upgrade to add entry into the National 9/11 Museum.

Tuck into the flavors and traditions of two of New York's top foodie neighborhoods on this Chinatown and Little Italy food tour. While exploring these neighborhoods can be overwhelming on your own, traveling with a guide enables you to focus on the food rather than worrying about getting lost. Plus, the guide takes you to off-the-beaten-path establishments where you can sample gourmet food samples at local eateries.

In remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001, take this guided tour of Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial. Walk through the space of the former World Trade Center in NYC, and get a deeper understanding of the events that took place on that day. Your ticket includes skip-the-line access to the 9/11 Museum and Memorial, as well as the One World Observatory for panoramic views of the city.

Harlem’s contributions to hip-hop are unmatched, and on this guided walking tour led by a hip-hop historian, you can check out important landmarks like the Apollo Theater, the Graffiti Wall of Fame, Lenox Lounge, and historic Harlem jazz clubs. See popular locations for hip-hop music videos and hear exclusive stories. Admission to the Museum of the City of New York is included.

It’s possible to spend an entire day inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art and still not see everything, but this guided Met tour is the best way to take advantage of the riches that are inside one of the world’s greatest art museums. See the highlights of the collection and get special insight into the works of art on display, all within a small-group atmosphere. Choose an express tour, or opt for an extended tour to discover even more.