This is one of the best days we have ever enjoyed as tourists! Ammiel is an absolute delight!!!…read moreKnowledgeable, insightful, funny, friendly and really interesting. We really feel as if we saw and learned more about New York in one day than we would have in one whole week alone. Don't hesitate, book a tour! We travelled as a family of four with two children aged eleven and thirteen and it was perfect!

Having only a limited number of days in New York to check items off our bucket list, we needed an…read moreexcellent guide with a plethora of knowledge and enough spare energy to keep us going. I fortunately found New York Historical Tours under the ownership and direction of Kevin Draper, CEO (Chief Experience Officer). My wife and I had used a private tour guide while in Scotland, and had a wonderful one on one experience ~ away from groups and tailored to fit our style of tourism. Kevin was incredibly knowledgable, affable, professional and customized our bucket list to 1) see the Statue of Liberty with pedestal access and the new museum, 2) get a brief but comprehensive history of Ellis Island without disembarking, 3) work our way to Katz's Delicatessen (we are big "When Harry Met Sally" fans) all the while getting a feel and history of the local neighborhoods, as well as learning how to use the Metro system to develop a nice level of familiarity and comfort in the East Side of Manhattan where we were staying. A standout feature on a tour with Kevin is his attention to detail in planning our time together. I call him the Master of Timing and Positioning. For example he suggested catching the first ferry to the Statue of LIberty. When we met him, he had already purchased our tickets. While on the ferry, he kept us comfortably shaded, then took us to key positions to get the best views of Lady Liberty while giving us an incredibly interesting history of the Statue. By the time we left the island, it was getting swamped with tourists and school groups. Superb timing indeed. On the way to the Metro, he pointed out the very interesting history of Battery Park and surrounding buildings and branch of the Smithsonian museum. We wound our way through Little Italy, Chinatown, Nolita and Jewish neighborhoods on the way to Katz's. Amazingly the line was short, but a madhouse inside. Kevin knew how to maneuver to the right cutter, get a table and we had a delicious lunch. As we left, the line had grown to over a block long with over an hour wait. Again the Master's timing was impeccable. He gave us more fascinating history of different areas as we headed back to the Metropolitan Museum where we ended our incredible tour. Our 6 hour private tour went by so quickly, and we were comfortably exhausted. As a historian, Kevin is a walking talking wealth of knowledge about New York, and has tremendous pride in this amazing city. We can enthusiastically recommend him for those seeking the best in personal tours of the Big Apple. In fact, we look forward to using his services on a return trip to New York which can't come soon enough.

We went on their China Town & Little Italy tour of down town Manhattan. Dan was just terrific!…read more His enthusiasm was contagious that made our Birthday celebration weekend. We now want to go on all the tours that they offer.

While in Central Park, my partner and I went off the beaten path to the Ravine. It is here where…read moreseveral meandering walking paths take visitors through a forest-like retreat to witness several lustrous, thick treetops. The threaded stream called the Loch pools and cascades into small waterfalls. According to the builder, the Ravine was designed to mimic the wilderness of the Adirondacks and surprisingly is entirely man-made. Built in 1866 by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould, we came to a stone arch vehicle bridge called Huddlestone Arch held together with the Manhattan schist boulders, gravity and friction. One of them is said to weigh 100 tons. This arch located around 107th Street actually supports traffic over the Loch to the East Drive just south of Lasker Rink.

This afternoon my husband and I decided to take a tour of what Harlem had to offer and therefore…read moredecided to take a tour with Taste Harlem Food and cultural tour. We started our tour at Sylvia's Restaurant and our first meal consisted of Chicken and waffles. Our tour guide educated us on the creation of the meal and how it became staple item in soul food restaurants. Overall our tour guide,Jacqueline, was amazing. She was very knowledgeable of the community and took us to multiple restaurants and eateries that offered many different types of cuisines. I highly recommend that if you ever visit NYC or even live in the city... that you sign up for this tour. I will recommend it to my friends and family.

Jackie is such a gracious tour guide at Taste of Harlem. You get fed history and great food…read more Oxtails, Chicken & Waffles Short ribs Candies yams Red beans Yellow rice Mac & cheese Corn bread Collard Greens Flan Black eyes Peas And more..... Book your tour now. It's so worth it!!!

Great tour of Chinatown and Little Italy. Ryen is super nice, and the food was fabulous too! I…read moreenjoyed exploring these two vibrant neighborhoods with a local and would definitely recommend NYC Tours to anyone trying to narrow down which food tour is right for them.

Thank you Tom! Your knowledge of the history of both Little Italy and Chinatown gave the tour a…read morepersonal touch. Sharing your own personal memories and showing pictures really gave us an idea of the people and businesses of both places, in the past and present. Overall, this is a great tour to do with family or friends.

Three generations of family took this delightful tour--from 11 years to 75 years. The kids love…read moreBroadway (looking at you, Hamilton) and the grandparents love history--the parents love for both of the other pairs to be happy. The walking wasn't too difficult for either end of the age spectrum--in fact we did lots of sitting in the shade, too. Bruce is a priceless New Yorker and completely fascinated us with a thorough and profound knowledge of revolutionary Manhattan. I think he absolutely under-charges for his tours. Very highly recommended! Yes, I did post this review on other platforms. Who is going to write different reviews every time?

I love true-blue, real New Yorkers. They are some of the most wonderful people I have ever met in…read moreall of my years living there. Real New Yorkers are those who call the city their home, make her their home, and love her with all of their heart. Bruce is as New York in kindness of heart, deep thinking of mind, and generosity of spirit as they come. This is important to say because this tour is not only about Hamilton (and the monstrous success that is Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical) or Washington. This is a tour about New York and the influence these men had on molding her into who she has become. Almost analogous to Nora Ephron having NYC as a character in her films but just not corny (this coming from me who has watched You've Got Mail at least 25 times!). We took this tour in Sept 2017 and met in front of the US Customs House (today it's the home of the National Museum of the American Indian). This building is right opposite Bowling Green station. Bruce's website gives a nice overview of what you will see/discuss so I recommend reading the description so you have a general idea in your mind and then let the tour immerse you in history through his wonderful storytelling. I especially liked that Bruce walked us through a high-level chronological order of events. My personal favorite moments: -seeing a "3D" map of the city I would never have seen on my own -learning more about Eliza Schuyler Hamilton and her role in history and in Hamilton's life (the Smithsonian even published an article on her saying she is deserving of a musical of her own!) http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-elizabeth-hamilton-deserving-musical-her-own-180958214/ -Washington as a leader and his learnings from the Battle of Brooklyn/Battle of Long Island -Mother Nature's influence on helping the Patriots -the relationship between Hamilton and Burr. This tour is one of my favorites of all the ones I have taken in countless cities. Thank you Bruce for such a wonderful and knowledge-filled September 2017 day!

My wife and I had to delay our first tour due to illness, and so we signed up for this one on our…read morereturn trip to New York, and it was not only a delight but a dream. Doris was a wonderfully thorough and astoundingly lovely tour guide. A true local, she led us around the neighborhood while greeting friends around Harlem and asking questions about us and our time in New York. She pointed out all manner of interesting locations; houses of Renaissance legends like Zora Neale Hurston and Marcus Garvey, the former locations of the Cotton Club and the Savoy, and current projects like the restoration of the Apollo and the Schomburg Center. Lunch was delicious, a soul food buffet with some of the best mac and cheese and collards I've ever had. We gratefully went an hour and a half over our expected time, and only had to cut _that_ short because of prior engagements. I feel very lucky to have met such a knowledgeable and charming person, and even luckier to have been given a glimpse into the history of one of the most dynamic and interesting places and times in America. We owe Doris a return trip to complete the second half of the tour, and I think it's well worth your time to take a trip yourself.

An eventful evening of amazing JAZZ music by talented musicians. I would recommend you take an…read moreevening and enjoy the ambiance of the beautiful church, and the rhythms that come together during the concert.

A historic Episcopal cathedral with its amazing Gothic Architecture !!…read more Came to visit and admired the spectacular stained glass windows ! I was in awe of the fine detailed sculptures as well as grandiose interior.

The Cathedral of Saint John the Divine is one of the highlights of visiting Morningside Heights…read more This beautiful church is the Cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of New York. Although I was unable to enter today, I do plan to visit in the future. Here is notable information: Mission: Over one hundred years ago, the trustees of the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine conceived its mission to be a house of prayer for all people. Construction: "When construction began in 1892, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, in the then-popular Byzantine-Romanesque style of architecture, was designed to rival St. Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. But by 1909 the cathedral's plan was updated to the more fashionable Gothic style, and today, although officially "unfinished", the structure is considered to be one of the largest cathedrals in the world." Services: "Online Morning and Evening Prayer services are held Mondays through Saturdays at 8:30 am and 5:30 pm via Zoom. " Tours I am very interested in taking a tour. "Self-guided visits are welcome, and tours are not required. Information brochures are available in multiple languages. We also offer a wide range of Virtual Guided Visits on our website" Exhibitions: There is an ongoing exhibition of the art, glass , stone and bronze that make up the Cathedral. Vertical Tour: "On this adventurous tour, climb more than 124 feet through spiral staircases to the top of the world's largest cathedral. Explore the stories of the stained-glass windows and sculpture and study the grand architecture of this grand Cathedral" I am so doing this staircase tour! More to come... The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is located on 1047 Amsterdam Avenue between 112th Street

Had the pleasure of a FANTASTIC tour of lower Manhattan with Renee. She was extremely knowledgeable…read moreabout the Financial District and NYC and could not have been any more helpful. I recommend Free Tours by Foot and especially tours with Renee. Thank you so much Renee!

I am so glad I found this tour company! We did the Brooklyn bridge/DUMBO walking tour with Onel -…read morehe was phenomenal! This tour was one of the highlights of our trip to NYC. I can't wait for my next trip to take another walking tour with this tour company. Onel is knowledgeable, personable, engaging, humorous, thoughtful and kept us on time! He knew exactly where to stop for photo ops and gave us plenty of time for them - I appreciated the scheduled bathroom break at clean bathrooms and the stop for drinks/snacks at the most perfect grocery store that I wish was in my neighborhood. The tour ended at lunchtime in the perfect location with several food options as well as close to both the ferry and trains for the return commute to Manhattan. I highly recommend this walking tour with Onel as your guide - you won't regret it!