Learn stories of heroism and survival on this small-group walking tour of Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial Plaza in Lower Manhattan. While showing you the sites, including the Oculus, One World Trade Center, the Reflecting Pools, and the Winter Garden, your guide will recount dramatic rescue operations and share details of the design and reconstruction of the once-devastated neighborhood.

Skip the ticket lines for the 9/11 Memorial Museum and One World Observatory with optional upgrades
A portion of the tour's proceeds benefits the Non-Profit FDNY Foundation
Guides use extra-large visual aids to heighten the tour's impact
A maximum of 25 adults keeps the tour experience intimate

What's Included

Narrated 2-Hour Walking Tour using Extra Large Visuals
911 Memorial Museum Preferred Access (Upgrade Available)
One World Observatory Preferred Access (Upgrade Available)
All Fees and Taxes

Gratuities are welcomed and appreciated

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

20 Dey St, New York, NY 10007, USA
This tour meets at the 9/11 Memorial's Starbucks Café located on 20 Dey Street between Broadway and Church Street. Please arrive 15 minutes before your tour to check-in with your host at the Starbucks.

End point

180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10006, USA
This tour ends at the 9/11 Memorial Memorial.

What To Expect

Meet your guide near Broadway for check-in, where you'll be introduced to a captain from the New York City Fire Department. Your walking tour begins with a visit to an overlook offering vistas of the World Trade Center Memorial Plaza, including sights of One World Trade Center, the 9/11 Museum, and the Reflecting Pools.

The journey continues to the World Financial Center, delving into the story of Operation Aegis, the greatest maritime evacuation in history. Move on to the Winter Garden and the Eleven Tears Memorial, with each location carrying poignant stories from 9/11 shared by your guide, that you’d miss if exploring alone.

The tour progresses to the World Trade Center complex, rich with narratives. If you've opted for museum admission, explore The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum at your own pace. Alternatively, the One World Observatory Package offers views from the 100th-floor viewing platform.

The Oculus

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

World Trade Center

40 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Brookfield Place / Battery Park City

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Winter Garden

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

World Trade Center

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum

2 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

One World Observatory

1 hour • Admission Ticket Not Included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Wheelchair accessible
Children must be accompanied by an adult
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed
Comfortable walking shoes are recommended
Near public transportation

Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
Well organized
This tour is copyrighted
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

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.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

135 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 135 reviews

My walking 9/11 tour with my daughter

Kimberly_M, Apr 2024

I really enjoyed this tour, and I was with my daughter who was only 2 when 9/11 happened. We both learned so much about the day, the timeline (with photos). The tour was a fast paced moving tour, our guide was attentive, informative and very knowledgeable. I would recommend this tour for anyone visiting NY and wanting to learn the timeline of that day. Also, I would purchase the museum ticket in addition. I only purchased the walking tour, but you should definitely do both. Bummed I did not. Our guide was so excellent, I would loved to hear more.

Well worth the time and money!

Dennis_H, Apr 2024

Christopher was a wealth of knowledge and humor. He knew many facts about 911 and many details that led up to the attacks, during and after. He allowed time for questions, restroom breaks and kept the tour moving. He shared many insights about the buildings around the World Trade Center area and was very prepared. The photos he shared brought greater context to his presentation. I felt bad that I didn’t get a chance to tip Christopher. He got us to the entrance of the 911 Museum in a sea of people and before I realized I was already in the line queue, he had vanished into the crowd. He was an outstanding tour guide.

Unforgettable tour

Helen_S, Apr 2024

We took this tour in March with Andrew, who was a fantastic guide. With a detailed and passionate delivery he helped us to visualise what it was like before and during that terrible day, and to understand the impact it has had on locals ever since. For us, this was an unforgettable tour. Thank you Andrew.

Hoshristopher t was very...

JENNIFER_N, Mar 2024

Hoshristopher t was very knowledgeable and the personal accounts of that day really added to experience.

Great tour for insider information on the events of 911

Shannon_D, Mar 2024

Great opportunity to learn about the events of 911 from someone that lived through it. Andrew was a great guide! We are so happy we did this along with touring the museum.

An incredible experience!

Lori_B, Mar 2024

Richard, our tour guide was amazing! He was so knowledgeable and a wonderful communicator. He was excited about sharing his knowledge with us and was completely engaged. He was also kind, funny and used laminated color photos to bring his narrations to life! Many, many thanks!

Amazing Tour !!

Shelley_F, Feb 2024

Richard was an amazing tour guide with so much information but made the experience not overwhelming either. Very considerate and polite to all in the group and added personal stories as well. Fabulous tour

Great Tour with Richard!

Linda_H, Jan 2024

Richard was very professional but made everyone feel welcome to! On a very cold day he was very conscious of trying to keep us inside as much as possible! Great tour! Thank you Richard!

Very knowledgeable and interesting

Jennifer_A, Dec 2023

Alex is amazing! He is very knowledgeable and professional. He gave interesting insight, as well as sharing his own personal experience during 9/11 and afterwards. We used Viator in several cities- domestic and international- and Alex is the best guide we’ve ever encountered.

Pure perfection!

Lisa_L, Dec 2023

This was by far one of the best tours I’ve taken. Richard was an absolutely amazing tour guide. A true professional! He was extremely knowledgeable about everything that took place on that tragic day. Things that I had never heard about. It was a small group and he even took the time to take photos of us separately. I highly recommend that you book this tour if you’re in New York!

Incredible experience and Richard was an amazing tour guide!

Marlena_F, Dec 2023

Richard was an amazing guide and shared personal stories and information that we don’t believe we would have gotten with another guide. Amazing yet very heavy experience, would recommend! You get entry to the 9/11 Museum and Can spend hours in there at your own leisure.

Passionate tour and guide

Diane_R, Dec 2023

Andrew was a professional and personable guide. We felt his passion for NYC and the events of 9/11. He had many stories and pictures, and took us to many different areas of the memorial.

Five stars!

Venessa_h, Nov 2023

Richard was FANTASTIC! This was my second 9/11 tour with Viator and had a completely different experience - both terrific. Richard is an incredible asset to your organization!!!! Thank you for such a great memory!

Definitely worth doing

Gemma_C, Nov 2023

Would definitely recommend this. Our guide Richard was very friendly and informative throughout. Couldn't have asked for a better guide.

Go on this tour

Alana_R, Nov 2023

I took this tour with mother and grandmother and am so glad we did. Our tour guide, Andrew, was phenomenal. He was knowledgeable and engaging as he told us the story of 9/11. His enunciation and visual aids were much appreciated by my aging grandmother and really brought the events to life. We did the 2 hour walking tour as a stand alone event since my grandmother gets fatigued, but it was 2 hours well spent. Andrew’s personal experience of 9/11 made it that much more real to us. We’ll never forget.

Our tour guide was...

Alexandra_V, Nov 2023

Our tour guide was excellent (Andrew), it was a chilly day so he was checking in on comfort regularly. He also recommended areas near the tour to check out and was really personable. A great tour.

Fantastic

Lorna_C, Oct 2023

Our tour guide was Chris. He was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. We were a party of four and due to another group not turning up we were given a private tour. Chris went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time! Highly recommend this trip, great value for money and very interesting

Fantastic Tour

Adrienne_S, Oct 2023

This was amazing. Chris, our guide, was just brilliant. There were only 4 of us on the tour so was really intimate. The stories told, the amazing photo displays he had with him, was just right. He engaged with us, ensuring all our questions were answered, took us to where some of the now images that are etched in our memories forever were taken. The memorial pools were particularly moving. When he explained how the Memorial Staff place a flower alongside the name of a life lost, on their birthday, this was particularly sad and beautiful. Chris took many amazing photos for us too. Well worth the tour, thank you for what was a moving tour, and done with respect.

Provider issue

Alyson_D, Sep 2023

A little unfair really to rate the tour low when the issue was getting on the tour. We were at the correct place at the correct time. No sign of tour guide. Barrista in Starbucks said he had been in but must have just popped out so to wait by the door as he would be back. He described our tour guide was Adian, wearing shades and average height. Believe me we asked anyone even vaguely of that description if they were the tour guide, Richard. Got a reminder of the booking confirming time and place with guides phone number. No answer when we rang. No timely response to messages via "contact us" on website. We waited until 30mins past meeting time but no responses so gave up. Next thing we knew apparently the guide had left without us and we were refunded. No idea how that would have happened and very disappointed. Surely a tour guide should have their phone on and it would have been nice for the company to have responded promptly. On the plus side they've authorised the refund with no hassle (hopefully money will get into my account but that had yet to be seen.)

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Alyson, The tour guide and other guests waited as long as they could for you. All tours start on time. We apologize for any inconveniences. As a courtesy, we did fully refund your reservation. Linda Manager

Disappointed

Franklin_T, Sep 2023

You can honestly do this tour yourself. It was all outside walking around the sites and listening to the stories of the nypd/nyfd. There were parts when we heard the story and seen the pictures but then tied into that someone is walking up to you trying to sell you something. This could truly have been a self guided tour. The only real plus is the actual museum and remembrance pools.

Response from Host, Sep 2023

Hi Franklin, We apology for your unpleasant experience. Although, your guide informed us that you and your wife left the tour 10 minutes into the experience, due to the heat and that she was pregnant. Sorry you couldn't truly have a fully experience.

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