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 Harlem on the day of the week when it’s most alive—Sunday
Watch a Sunday morning gospel service with a choir
A guide knows the best ways around to see more in less time
Upgrade to enjoy a soul food brunch at a local-favorite restaurant

What's Included

Harlem tour
Walking tour of residential sections
Gospel service

Gratuities
Meals (unless brunch option is selected)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

690 8th Ave, New York, NY 10036, USA
Between 43 and 44th streets on 8th avenue

Start time

09:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Harlem has an incredibly rich musical history and played an instrumental role in the evolution of jazz, blues, and gospel. Begin your tour in Times Square, where you meet your guide and board a comfortable coach for the drive north to Harlem.

Pass iconic music venues like the Apollo Theater and the Cotton Club, plus other cultural landmarks including the former home of Duke Ellington and the stately residences of Sugar Hill and Hamilton Heights. Disembark to explore parts of the neighborhood by foot. Along the way, your guide shares pieces of Harlem’s history as an important enclave for African American writers, artists, and musicians throughout the decades.

Make your way to a local church and join the congregation for a traditional Sunday morning service. Listen to a rousing sermon and admire the soulful vocals of a live gospel choir.

If you selected the brunch option during booking, you are also treated to Sunday brunch at a local Harlem restaurant. Savor southern-inspired soul food like fried chicken and spicy ribs, served with sides like buttery cornbread, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese.

At the end of your tour, return back to the departure point.

Apollo Theater

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Morris-Jumel Mansion (Pass By)

Strivers' Row (Pass By)

Cotton Club (Pass By)

Sylvan Terrace (Pass By)

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Church services may be held in the Bronx, however the tour will still cover the Harlem itinerary
Not wheelchair accessible
Shorts and tank tops are not allowed to be worn on this tour. Harlem Spirituals Inc. reserves the right to refuse clients improperly dressed and will not refund the service
Stroller accessible
Soul Food is traditional African American cuisine that originated in the South in the United States. Today it has become a highly sought after cuisine. It consists of spicy ribs, collard greens, fried fish and chicken, freshly cooked corn bread, and a few side dishes like black eye peas, okra, or macaroni and cheese to mention a few.
Guests are invited to take walks through the neighborhoods visited. The average walk is about 15 minutes.
With advance notice, wheelchair bound customers with some mobility can be accommodated in the front rows of the tour bus with their wheelchairs folded away in the luggage compartment. It is mandatory that someone accompany customers with special needs to assist them onto the coach.

Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
For passengers with no mobility or a non foldable wheelchairs we recommend giving at least 3 weeks notice so that we can secure a coach with a wheelchair lift.
Wheelchair lifts are 49" X 28" and can carry a maximum weight limit of 700lbs. We kindly ask that you submit the dimensions and model of the chair as our lift may not be able to accommodate scooters and other large sized electric chairs. A maximum of one person in a wheelchair can be accommodated per bus.
Many of the churches that we visit have steps. In order to accommodate their wheelchair bound congregation members churches use portable mobility ramps.
Most travelers can participate
Masks are mandatory inside churches
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 80 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.0

949 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

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Showing 1-10 of 949 reviews

Our Quide was totally...

Selami_S, Mar 2024

Our Quide was totally great but the experience in church was so short that we did not feel Harlem soul so much. But actually I generally recommend this tour.

Very good organised small group with great guide

Isabell_K, Mar 2024

Very good organised small group with great guide. Highlight of the tour was the Gospel Choir as well as the short stop at the legendary Apollo Theatre.

Harlem facts

Barbara_S, Jan 2024

The church was the 5th largest in the world. Grant is buried by Columbia University and PT Barnum had a country home in Harlem. Duane was bilingual and did a great job with French and English passengers.

Interesting

Janeen_K, Jan 2024

Dwayne was great. His ability to go from French to English was impressive. Shared lots of information. But I wish I knew before the tour that it was bilingual. It was a bit distracting, the constant switching of languages, and I would have preferred an all English tour. More time at the gospel service would have been appreciated. Did not get to hear any other preaching from the deacons or bishop. Loved all the sites along the way, especially the opportunity to see the Apollo theater.

Gospel tour

Joe_C, Dec 2023

The experience did not deliver as advertised, with the Gospel tour. It lacked the choir atmosphere….

FAB TOUR - DO NOT MISS IT!

Sarina_C, Nov 2023

Great morning tour and a fabulous way to understand Harlem. The choir was charming, the history of Harlem astonishing.

Great tour, great guide, terrible gospel brunch

Josep_B, Nov 2023

Everything was great with the tour and guide, except for the gospel brunch at the Cotton Club that was and absolute disaster. Very bad food, very bad singer and musicians, only four tables with guests from more than 40 completely empty… it was all a lie. It’s a pity that the tour attaches its name to such a bad place.

I canceled at least three...

mary_m, Nov 2023

I canceled at least three days before never got a credit and somehow I guess I was expected to be on the tour waiting for $160 refund. Very frustrated.

Excellent experience

Paul_A, Oct 2023

The signing was infectious, the tour was interesting and our guide Peggy was delightful and knowledgeable.

Excellent

Alison_P, Oct 2023

The choir was excellent and the congregation were very welcoming and sincere also the tour guide was very informative

A joyful experience not to be missed

Janet_P, Oct 2023

Our tour guide Alvin was very knowledgeable and made it a very interesting tour. The bus tour took us to the Apollo theatre, Alexander Hamilton’s New York home, The cotton club & other places in Harlem. But, the highlight was definitely the lively & very uplifting gospel service. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning & gave us a glimpse into another aspect of New York life. Our driver, Hussain, was also excellent & negotiated some very tricky manoeuvres with skill & good judgement.

Disappointed

karen_c, Sep 2023

Very disappointed as congregation was made up of tourists with only a few real regular parishioners. Only a few singers, who did a good job. It was not a real indication of a gospel service just a tourist attraction. Bus was good, showed Harlem city very well

Church service was...

Pauline_R, Aug 2023

Church service was dissappointing sing was ok but sounds system was bad felt it was just a money making for the church

Great Church service.

Jayne_F, Jul 2023

The Church service was awesome. The rest of the trip was a little unorganised the tour operator tried to speak French h and English.

Amazing experience!

Elizabeth_R, Jul 2023

The energy, and people we got to interact with. Our group had people from different places attending, the energy from the gospel was powerful. The brunch and show was amazing as well. Definitely would do again.

Nice tour, could use more gospel though.

Dimitri_B, May 2023

A large part of the tour is riding the bus through Harlem. Which is nice but I would have preferred more gospel music in church.

New very interesting experience

Marek_S, May 2023

Awsome singer in church nice guided trip in Harlem Upper West Side and Helĺs Kitchen very interesting visit of Cotton Club with jazz band

Great Experience

Paulo_H, Mar 2023

Nice tour! Sheila Evans - our Tour Guide - was very knowledgeable and interested! The Gospel Mass was great. The Harlem Tour helped us to get to know much more about NYC. Recommended! A+

interesting

donna_m, Mar 2023

I enjoyed this tour but it would have been good to have a longer stop at the Apollo, there wasn't really enough time to go inside. The visit to the church was good but felt slightly awkward as there seemed to be more people on the tour than in the congregation.

You'll Really Enjoy This Tour!

Jeannette_M, Feb 2023

Tour stops were interesting, the Church service inspiring, and the guide, excellent! It was a convenient and fun way to explore the city.

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