Are you planning to stay in the Big Apple and don’t want to miss a thing? Discover our selection of the best guided tours in New York!
Summary
- New York in a nutshell
- Visit New York in French
- New York must-sees
- – New York landmarks
- – Central Park
- – The museums of New York
- Street Art in New York
- Guided tours like in movies and series
- Special and original visits
- – Haunted New York
- – The New York of gangsters and criminals
- – The New York of the comics
- New York gastronomy
- – Pizza Tour
- – Chinatown
- – Rounds of sweets
- Music in New York
- Go further
- Free tours
- The different ways to visit New York
- – On foot
- – By bike
- – On pedicab
- – By bus
- – By metro
- – By helicopter
To visit New York is to enter the lair of all possibilities. Whatever your profile, New York is a breathtaking city that will disorient you more than the others. When we talk about the fact that she never sleeps, it’s not exaggerated. At any time of the day or night, the Big Apple lives, swarms, illuminates and breathes. To live an unforgettable experience, we offer you a selection of the best guided tours in New York. Thus, you will be able to know everything about this city-world, symbol of freedom and lust. These guided tours are the safest and easiest way to experience a city of this magnitude.
So to help you during your stay, Generation Voyage has concocted a guide to guided tours in New York.
New York in a nutshell
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New York City is a tourist marvel. The surprises are many and very varied. So, it is very easy to get lost in the list of all the must-sees that the city has in store for you. Times Square , Empire State Building , Central Park, Fifth Avenue… So many famous places for you to discover. Therefore, why not learn to live like a real New York city dweller and walk the smoking streets of the city like in the movies? Can’t you see it already? New York welcomes you with open arms!
It is the world-city that adapts to everyone. With family, friends, couple or solo, it is made for you. Don’t be afraid to venture there. This is why guided tours in New York are perfect. Indeed, according to your choices, you will set off to conquer the most famous of American cities and let it be revealed to you. Following and listening to a guide gives each visit an aspect of an authentic New York-style odyssey… Why deprive yourself of it?
Note, however, that a mistake is frequently made: reducing the city of New York to just one of its districts. Indeed, it is common to see the neighborhood of Manhattan as a representation of the entire city. The films and series that take place there have something to do with it. However, New York is also the district of Wall Street , Staten Island, the Bronx or even Queens. Separated from Manhattan by the Hudson or the East River, they are nonetheless interesting neighborhoods to visit.
Visit New York in French
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There are many sites on which there is talk of guided tours in French. This is the advantage of a city that many French people fantasize about: many settle there. The opportunity for French tourists to discover the city that never sleeps in their mother tongue.
Likewise, some native Americans speak the language of Molière and are therefore able to create French guided tours in New York. Let yourself be guided, and immerse yourself in the heart of the city of freedoms!
New York must-sees
New York landmarks
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New York is a city whose vertiginous buildings and other skyscrapers have forged its reputation. The skyline of New York is also very well known, just like that of Paris is, thanks to its Eiffel Tower or its Arc de Triomphe. In New York, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the Flatiron or the Top Of The Rock make up this skyline. It is for this reason that it is truly interesting to visit them.
Each of them has its own history, often dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Except for the New York One World , the tallest building in the city, built following the attacks of September 11, 2001. You will be able to climb up to the Observatory, and enjoy a 360° view of the city whole and its surroundings.
Small specificity for the Statue of Liberty which will ask you to cross a piece of the Hudson aboard a small ferry to get to the island.
Central Park
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If there is one visit to enjoy, it is Central Park. Indeed, in the middle of the thundering tumult of the city, this green space is a natural parenthesis. Some of the buildings that line it have a great history, as do some areas of the park. This is the case of Bow Bridge , one of the emblematic bridges, or the Sheep Meadow , where New Yorkers love to stroll on sunny days.
Also, it’s a very cinematic place, it’s the most filmed park in the world. It is not impossible that you visit the site at the same time that a shooting takes place…
New York museums
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Concretely, New York without its museums is no longer itself. Culture being essential in this city, New York’s museums are real gems that should not be missed for anything in the world. And you already know a number of them:
- Metropolitan Museum (MET)
- Natural History Museum
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- Guggenheim Museum
Four museums selected from a long list. However, these are the ones we highly recommend. On the one hand, they are completely part of the city, and on the other hand, each of them is sure to have surprises in store for you. Guided tours in French are of course available. With a guide, an audioguide provided by the museum or a free app, you won’t be on your own!
Finally, for those who manage to overcome their emotions, a 9/11 museum opened in May 2014. The National September 11 Memorial & Museum exhibits underground at the exact location of the tragedy, under the outdoor memorial, -even very moving.
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Street Art in New York
Crédit Photo : Shutterstock / Leonard Zhukovsky
It is directly in the street that you can find some of the best works of Street-Art. It’s all in the name, really. New York artists, professional or amateur, have a field day and offer passers-by magnificent pieces. That’s why some guided tours in New York focus on Street-Art, to give you a taste of the best there is. You can also visit galleries specializing in street art, such as the Bushwick Collective .
Would you like to go further? Attend a graffiti class to bring your piece to the building that is becoming Street-Art!
Guided tours like in movies and series
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Since many movies and series are shot in New York, it has become a fantasy town. This is also why many tourists choose to discover the filming locations of their favorite films and series. It’s fascinating to find yourself in a place that you have always known only through the small or big screen.
Thus, rediscover the mythical places seen in the successful series Sex and the City, Friends, Person of Interest… Or in certain films like American Bluff or Spiderman . Immerse yourself in a visit between fiction and reality where in addition to discovering the city, you will learn many anecdotes about the shootings.
Special and original visits
How about visiting New York in an original way to mark your spirit forever? Do not hesitate, and enhance your discovery of the city with a little special atmosphere.
Haunted New York
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Do you like ghost stories? So, visit the haunted theaters of Broadway, in search of wandering souls.
Otherwise, walk the streets of Greenwich Village once they are plunged into darkness… Perhaps you will come across these haunting specters attached to the present by the tragic history lived in the past? Ghosts haunt New York, and that’s nothing new!
So follow those who know the city and its tragedies. Are you ready to shiver or even jump?
The New York of gangsters and criminals
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The music from the cult film The Godfather should already be ringing in your ears when it evokes New York gangsters. The mafias present in New York made part of its fame throughout the 20th century. A rich and sometimes surprising story, but always captivating.
Revisit the Big Apple, rediscover it through its past: prohibition, criminal stories… Not everything was rosy! Indeed, the city has seen all the colors to be what it is today!
The New York of the comics
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Are you familiar with superheroes? That’s good, New York is the birthplace of many of them. If Batman is connected to Gotham City, Spider-Man has lived in New York. We were able to see this in the films of the Marvel franchise, which took place in this city of multiple skyscrapers.
Guided tours are organized to help you discover the world of superheroes. Anecdotes, secrets, unusual places, you will know more about your favorite characters and their authors!
New York gastronomy
In North America, food is a veritable institution. This is why there are guided tours in New York , focused on tasting, discovery and American flavors. These are rich and surprising moments to experience, to become an expert in food ! So, are you ready to taste New York life?
Pizza Tour
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Above all Italian, pizza is today often associated with Americans, who have known how to appropriate it. So much so that they are the first consumers of it.
For an amazing and tasty experience, guided tours offer you the opportunity to taste the best pizzas in New York City. It is through an optimized route that a guide will reveal all the secrets of the city. Embark on an unforgettable tour!
Chinatown
Photo credit: Flickr – Thomas Hawk
The history of the Chinese in New York is a real epic. So, discover the Chinatown district, whose reputation is second to none. Lair of the Asian community, many restaurants are present there and offer you specialties. So there are tours that go through Chinatown, tell you its history and stop there to give you a taste of the cuisine.
The local guides will immerse you in an unusual atmosphere, for an immersive experience!
Rounds of sweets
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For sweet mouths, no worries! Indeed, guided tours are prepared especially for you too! In Greenwich Village, roam the streets in pursuit of the best culinary treats. Gelato, cupcakes, biscuits and cookies, there will be something for everyone!
As you revel in all that New York has to offer, let it reveal its non-culinary secrets too. Thanks to your guide, you will nourish your stomach and your spirit!
Music in New York
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Whatever your musical tastes, you will find what you are looking for in New York. Enjoy music-themed tours in New York City.
- For example, treat yourself to a gospel concert in a church (free except for an additional visit).
- Otherwise, how about a documented excursion on the origins of hip-hop or a jazzy moment of relaxation in the Harlem district ? New York has everything to offer, you just have to know when to listen to it.
Go further
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Free tours
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In fact, there are really a lot of free tours in New York. For starters, street and building exterior views are free. A first significant point, knowing that even from the outside, the buildings, skyscrapers and other monuments are very impressive. That said, note that some are accessible free of charge , upon entry.
- Like the Grand Central Station, a large New York station, which is constantly teeming with people, but which is worth a detour.
- Also, the bridges are points of interest to see: Brooklyn Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge and Manhattan Bridge. So don’t miss the opportunity to cross them in both directions.
- Also, you can go inside a Comedy Club (for bilinguals), to attend the very famous American-style stand-up. Very common, you will find many establishments that organize this type of evening. Immersion and emotions guaranteed.
- To reconnect with nature or take a break from the concrete, Central Park is free of charge, so you can take advantage of it. Just like the High Line , east of Manhattan, a green path intertwined between the buildings.
The different ways to visit New York
Walk
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Although New York is a huge city, it is very walkable. It is very pleasant to move there. The multicultural and very lively atmosphere of the city impregnates you directly. You feel almost New York just walking along Broadway towards Times Square.
Do not be afraid to get lost, take a street or an avenue at random. You will inevitably come across a point of interest in the city, because New York is rich in attractions.
By bike
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Adventurers and sports enthusiasts will be keen to try the cycling experience in New York. Central Park, Harlem or Lower Manhattan, ride and let the city unfold.
Accompanied by a guide, set off for one to several hours of personalized visit. In the saddle !
in pedicab
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The pedicab, kesako? In other words, it’s the cyclist’s version of the cart of yesteryear. Be transported through Central Park, past landmarks or through the streets of New York City by a cycling guide. It’s a different, much more fun way to see the city.
Get some fresh air without getting tired! The pedicab is the alternative solution between the bike and the car, why deprive yourself of it?
By bus
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As in many other cities, guided tours in New York are provided on board tourist buses. Indeed, open-air or multi-storey, these buses roam the streets of New York to help you discover it.
In all cases, these visits are commented by experienced local guides who do not skimp on any detail.
By subway
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The New York subway is a must for getting around. You can take this means of transport and mingle with the crowd. In reality very simple, the metro map is quickly understandable. It will help you visit New York without worrying. However, most of the attractions are not underground.
In a helicopter
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For the purses which assume it, the flight over the city in a helicopter is an ideal idea. From the air, observe the skyscrapers, the streets, New York life and the skyline. Discover New York’s best sites and their history easily and without hassle.
For those who wish, you can opt for an even more complete experience: piloting the helicopter ! Under the eyes of your pilot, and after a mini-training, take control of the machine. Surprise yourself and surprise your family or friends!
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