Free Tours by Foot: Best Free Walking Tours in NYC
NYC is one of the greatest cities in the world! As such, you’ll find many fantastic experiences on land and at sea. Once you’re done taking a free walking tour of NYC, you’ll want to sit back and relax for a while. New York Harbor Tours offers exactly what you’re looking for! Enjoy the splendor of NYC from the water by booking a private boat tour for your small group. In fact, private boat tours start at only $475, and you’ll always remember it!
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the many different self-guided free walking tours in NYC. By the time you’re done, you’ll want to select your preferred walking tour, followed by securing your booking with New York Harbor Tours!
Self-Guided Walking Tours: Free Tours by Foot NYC
It’s easy to find a free self-guided walking tour in NYC. The difficult part is narrowing down your options to ensure you see the best of what New York City offers. To make sure you don’t get lost, you can even download the GPSmyCity app to your iPhone or Android device for the four tours listed below.
1. Best of Lower Manhattan Tour
Lower Manhattan – also known as Downtown – has some of the city’s most amazing architecture. It’s also a good tour for people interested in history as Lower Manhattan is where New Amsterdam was founded. You’ll also see Wall Street, which used to be a literal wall, and Canal Street, which was an actual canal.
Stops on this walking tour include:
One World Observatory
National September 11 Memorial & Museum
Battery Park and Castle Clinton
Fraunces Tavern
Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
Bowling Green Park
Trinity Church
Federal Hall
Wall Street
This tour lasts approximately two hours and will take you on a 1.6-mile walk.
2. Manhattan Architecture Tour
Are you an architecture buff? Then you’ll definitely want to set aside some time for the Manhattan Architecture Self-Guided Walking Tour! Skyscrapers, Art Deco masterpieces, and even a Roman triumphal arch await you.
Highlights of the architecture tour include:
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Grand Central Terminal
Chrysler Building
New York Public Library
Empire State Building
Macy’s in Herald Square
Flatiron Building
You’ll go on an approximately two-hour walk that encompasses 2.6 miles of the very best architecture, which will get your feet in the mood to kick back and relax on a boat tour afterward.
3. NYC Greenwich Village Tour
If you have a soft spot for the counterculture figures of the ‘50s and ‘60s, including Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac, you’ll love exploring the neighborhood where they lived. Greenwich Village is also lined with trees, restaurants, cafes, off-Broadway theaters, and jazz clubs, so there are plenty of opportunities to take a quick respite.
This unique tour features:
Washington Mews
Jefferson Market Library
Christopher Street
Grove Street
MacDougal Street
Caffe Reggio
Bleecker Street
You’ll wander around Greenwich Village for about an hour on this 1.4-mile self guided walking tour in NYC. Once you’re done, you’ll have a new understanding and appreciation of everything that causes poets, writers, and artists to move here.
4. New York City’s Central Park Tour
Spend at least half a day wandering through the very best portions of Central Park. You’ll be able to take a rowboat onto the water, meander among the park’s many pathways, and even take in some urban birdwatching. The splendor of Central Park will surprise you, as will how ginormous it is!
The best things to see on this tour include:
Gapstow Bridge and the Pond
Central Park Zoo
Central Park Carousel
Sheep Meadow
Bethesda Terrace
Bow Bridge
Shakespeare Garden
Belvedere Castle
Cleopatra’s Needle
Alexander Hamilton Monument
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
This complimentary, self-guided walking tour will take approximately three hours, so make sure you’re wearing comfy shoes! In total, your walk will be just a hair less than three miles.
Food Walking Tours in NYC
There are many different tour groups that take in all the different food options the Big Apple has to offer. However, one group – Free Tours by Foot – is the only option that allows you to pay as much, or as little, as you’d like. We recommend taking some money, though, because how else will you sample all the lovely food options during your food walking tour in NYC?
You can contact Free Tours by Foot on their website or by emailing info@freetoursbyfoot.com.
1. Greenwich Village Food Tour
Try two pizzas, including one at Artichoke Pizza, eat some falafel from one of the U.S.’ first Middle Eastern eateries, and try some prosciutto arancini (rice balls) from an establishment that’s more than 100 years old. All of this and more will be on the menu as you explore Greenwich Village by way of its food!
If you prefer to take this tour on your own, you can download the audio tour from Free Tours by Foot.
Come with an empty stomach and enjoy the following:
Hudson Bagels
Faiccos Rice Balls
Bleecker Street Pizza
Artichoke Pizza
Varsano’s Chocolate
Molly’s Cupcakes
And more!
You’ll definitely find it a bit difficult to keep walking after indulging in the very best that Greenwich Village has to offer. This would be the perfect time to book a private boat tour. That way, your fun doesn’t have to stop, but you can stop beating up your feet!
2. Lower East Side Food Tour
The Lower East Side was historically a place where many struggling immigrants moved to. Each of these immigrants, including from Germany, Eastern Europe, Puerto Rico, and Russia, brought ‘old world’ recipes with them. Therefore, if you want to try the best knish, bagels, and dumplings in NYC, the Lower East Side Food Tour is definitely for you!
Come taste the deliciousness! Many of these mom-and-pop shops are more than 100 years old!
Kossar's Bialy and Bagels
North China Dumpling
Sugar Sweet Sunshine Bakery
The Pickle Guys
Although it’s not on the official list, you can also pop into Katz’s Deli to try one of their famous pastrami on rye sandwiches. If you’ve never eaten this type of food before, we think you’ll absolutely love it!
How Long Are Walking Tours in NYC?
Self-guided walking tours in NYC offer a variety of different lengths. Most of them tend to be around two hours but be sure to check the stated time frame. We’ve seen tours as short as 45 minutes and as long as three hours.
Relaxation Time After Your Walk
Rather than force yourself to keep walking, book a seated boat tour! Our tours last anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours, giving your feet a good chance to rest. Even better, you’ll see just as many noteworthy things without walking to them. We have several tours to choose from, including:
Our 90-minute Daytime Downtown Loop tour is very popular, and it starts at only $475. Be sure to book in advance because our tours frequently sell out. Each private tour can accommodate anywhere from one to 16 people. So, kick back, relax, and let us show you NYC in style!