Private Harlem Tour in New York with Local Expert Guide
Description
Explore the most authentic New York neighborhood in 3 hours with your private guide. Visit the most notable attractions from Harlem must-see list, listen to interesting facts and stories about Harlem with its rich history and specific lifestyle. You will see the legendary Apollo Theater – the center of African-American music, the famous Strivers Row complex with its incredibly beautiful houses, the Abyssinian Baptist Church - the heart of African-American confession, the Harlem Studio Museum where you can learn more about art history of Harlem, the sophisticated Shepard Hall, and one of the best restaurants to experience soul food in Harlem. Plunge into unique atmosphere of Harlem and learn more about African-American culture. Finish your tour at a local restaurant in Harlem.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Timing is flexible and you can start the tour any time you prefer. This tour can be customized to make it a unique experience for you. *Itinerary and schedule are subject to change. 10.00am Your private local guide will meet you in the hotel lobby and discuss the tour itinerary with you at the beginning of the tour. 10.30am Start your Harlem adventure in the place imbued with the spirit of music. Since early 1900s the iconic Apollo Theatre has heard sounds of jazz, soul and other genres of African-American music and has seen such legendary singers as Ella Fitzgerald and Stevie Wonder. Touch the legend here!
11.00am Feel an aesthetic pleasure looking at elegant houses of Strivers Row. Sophisticated and bright, these houses are one of the highlights of Harlem architecture which will surely make you desire to live here.
11.30am Then you will see Harlem YMCA founded in 1932. It was one of the first YMCA's built for African-Americans which was a big accomplishment for Harlem community. Nowadays it provides a high-class service to make people’s lives better. Shepard Hall is one of the components of very influential and famous New York City College which is known not only for its scientific achievements but also by extremely beautiful Campus built in Gothic style. Shepard Hall is a jewel of Campus: it will surely amaze you by its beauty, elegance, a great combination of dark and light colors and sophisticated ornaments.
12.00pm The best place to explore African-American art is surely Harlem Studio Museum (optional). Over 2000 exhibits, trendy cultural events and a high concentration of different art objects and famous artists make this museum the heart of Harlem art.
12.30pm Feel the sacramental spirit of religious heart of Harlem. Taking its name after the old name of Ethiopia, Abyssinian Baptist Church is a religious center not only for Harlem but also for the whole African-American community. Get excited while visiting the Hamilton Grange - the house where one of the Founding Fathers of USA Alexander Hamilton lived. Listen to interesting historic facts and explore the interior of this house which was declared the National Historic Landmark.
1.00pm Do you agree that having a gastronomic experience is a must-do while exploring new places? Visit one of the most famous restaurants in Harlem – Sylvia’s Soul Food which met such guests as Nelson Mandela and Barack Obama. Authentic atmosphere and tasty food will make your visit unforgettable.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Lobby of your hotel. Please provide the exact name and address of your hotel. Your guide will meet you at your centrally-located hotel, hostel or vacation rental You don't need to call to confirm the tour. The local supplier will contact you via email
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Private walking tour with the use of metro
- The tour can be modified to meet your preferences
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
Reviews(17)
Monia was excellent and full of interesting knowledge. She did a great job of providing us with a true local experience of Harlem. We will definitely recommend her again!
Adam our guide was friendly and amazing with lots of information. My kids really enjoyed the subway experience!
Great tour with Monia a great guide Very friendly visit very informative about history and places Made us discover areas we didn t know and put them in historical and architectural context End of visit at a great Italian cafe where they serve the best espressos of NYC Totally recommend Pierre S
Monia was our tour guide. If you are looking for a very bland, white perspective view of Harlem, she is the tour guide for you. She can explain the architecture and history-book views very well. If you are looking for an understanding of the black and brown perspective, she doesn’t have any understanding. Worse, she gave us inaccurate information. We were very disappointed in this tour.
We're sorry the guide didn't meet your expectations, but it seems you were not interested in tour from the very beginning, even before the tour started, and showing complete disinterest in what the guide was trying to convey about the visited neighborhood. Our guide has done this tour for many years with hundreds of positive reviews, and no one ever complained about "white" view of the tour. We're sorry you saw it this way. Please let us know if there's anything we can do to make it right for you and to make you happy.
Just walking around and finding out information about some key historical events in the US. My guide was extremely intelligent and knowledgeable. I learnt a lot also about the subway system and New York. I would have liked more historical focus on Black American history but when I asked about it my guide was able to tell me about it.
My Hotel was in a Tourist hub. It was wonderful to actually get away from the hub to see how beautiful NYC is. My first ride on the Train. My favorite spots were Julliard and Histories of Harlem's development versus East Harlem.
Guide did not know intimate daily life of African American history in Harlem. He focused on architecture and churches.
Hello Alvina, We are sorry it made you feel the guide did not have enough African American knowledge. The guide did his best to give you detailed overview, provide you with related facts and stories, plan logistics of the tour, answer all your questions and cover all places from the route. In 9 out of 10 cases clients are satisfied with this particular guide, and we're sorry you did not. We will certainly forward your review to the guide so he analyzes it and make some corrections to his tour based on your feedback. Thank you!
I really enjoyed learning more about Harlem from and its' incredible history, on all scores (historical, cultural, architectural), and John was a great tour host.
Monia was our tour guide, and she was great!! Very informative and we got to see a lot of great sights.
Monia Bonaldo was a fantastic tour guide! She had an encyclopedic knowledge of Harlem, the history, and the culture. She was delightful and personable and entertaining.
