With a little hiccup to start as got notified a couple house before our tour that our transportation has issue and we were being delayed from 8:30 to 10:00... this pit us in a time crunch for our show later that day but we made it work. Millie was a terrific tour guide with boundless information and driving skills that were beyond impressive...lol. The change that needed to be made (by the company), is that going to Williamsburg into the Hasidic neighborhood feels very much like "lets go look at devout Jews"... and making it worse, it was a Saturday making it Shabbat so the complete neighborhhod shut down (as being jewish, I understand this first hand)... so its just a look at the Hasidic Jews walking on the street (and don't stare or take pictures)... even if it were not Shabbat, and you could visit a store and purchase something (helping support the community), still not sure this is the best idea (feels like taking a group to the jew zoo to see them)... so maybe a different part or neighborhood could be used instead of this intrusive one... Other than that, its a great tour with lots to see and was totally enjoyable.
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- Transport by air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional guide
- All taxes, fees and handling charges
- Driver/guide
Excludes
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Departure & Return
Departure Point
- Meet your guide in front of Crowne Plaza Manhattan Times Square, corner of 7th Ave & 51st St. Arrive at least 10 minutes early. Bus departs on time and cannot wait for late arrivals.
Itinerary
Radio City Music Hall, is a cultural and Art Deco Masterpiece landmark in New York City. The Radio City Rockettes, a world-famous precision dance troupe, have been a signature act since the venue's opening. The annual Radio City Christmas Spectacular has been a holiday tradition since 1933.
Top of the Rock, offers visitors unparalleled 360-degree views of the city's iconic skyline. The experience spans the 67th, 69th, and 70th floors, combining both indoor and outdoor viewing areas
Home of The Rink at Rockefeller Center and The Christmas Tree, Rockefeller Center is one of New York City's most famous landmarks, combining art, history, and culture.
The cathedral is a prime example of Neo-Gothic architecture. St. Patrick’s Cathedral remains a spiritual sanctuary and an architectural gem in New York City
Rich residents, upscale dining options, and luxury stores along Madison Avenue are all hallmarks of the Upper East Side's upscale residential neighborhood. It's a lovely area with a blend of high-rises and traditional brownstones.
Harlem has long been recognized for its African-American roots, soul food establishments, and small jazz clubs. An exciting evening environment is created by fashionable pubs, chic clubs, and trendy restaurants. Modern high-rises and brownstones from the 19th century.
One of America's cultural treasures is the Apollo. People from all around New York, the country, and the world come to see this lively theater in the Harlem neighborhood. Black artists and voices from around the African Diaspora have been at the forefront of the Apollo's creations, celebrations, and presentations since 1934. Additionally, it has sparked civic and social advocacy. The Apollo is currently the biggest performing arts organization dedicated to Black innovation and culture.
Astor Row was one of the earliest speculative townhouses constructed in Harlem, with 28 three-story homes. The single-family, three-story brick homes have an interesting architecture as they are set back from the street. They all have wooden porches and front and side yards, which is unusual in Manhattan.
Although the Bronx has a rich history, it is most known for being the home of the New York Yankees, and for being the cradle of rap and hip-hop music.
Both the 2019 movie Joker and its 2024 follow-up Joker: Folie à Deux were filmed in part at the Joker Stairs. Joker Stairs are now a part of the list of famous film locations.
Yankee Stadium and Old Yankee Stadium Field The Old Yankee Stadium, which was in operation from 1923 to 2008, was replaced by the new Yankee Stadium, which opened in April 2009. From 1923 to 2008, the New York Yankees called Old Yankee Stadium home. The Old Yankee Stadium was the biggest and most impressive baseball stadium when it was open in 1923.
Typical Bronx Bodega A small, independent grocery store, featuring ethnic foods or regional cuisine. Bodegas are renowned for their special charm and individuality, often featuring distinctive signage and a wide array of products.
With this memorial artwork, the artist collective Tats Cru paid tribute to their buddy and South Bronx resident Christopher Rios, also known as Big Pun.
One of the South Bronx's most active graffiti artists are Tats Cru, also known as The Mural Kings. The Bronx's history and culture are preserved by Tats Cru's community murals. Every letter in the I Love the Bronx mural represents a unique characteristic of the Bronx.
A photograph of Amadou Diallo is painted on a building on Wheeler Avenue in the South Bronx, near the location where he was shot and murdered by 41 police bullets.
South Bronx Neighborhoods From the 1960s to the 1990s, the South Bronx came to represent urban decay, but it is also known for being the cradle of hip-hop and graffiti.
Named for the English Queen and Portuguese royal princess Catherine of Braganza, Queens is the largest and easternmost of New York City's five boroughs
One of the city's most famous parks, it hosted two World's Fairs in the 20th century. There is always plenty to do here, including sports, activities, picturesque trails, and historic hikes. Additionally, the park is a well-known filming location: Manifest, Evil, Summer of Sam, Iron Man, Captain America: The First Avenger, FBI: Most Wanted, Law & Order: Organized Crime, Men in Black, and Power: Book III
A well-known sports and entertainment complex in Queens, New York City, is Citi Field. Most famously is known as the home of the New York Mets.
The US Open Tennis Championships are held in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, a stadium complex in Queens' Flushing Meadows–Corona Park.
Designed, constructed, and shown at the 1964–1965 New York World's Fair, this 12-story stainless steel replica of the planet Earth is a symbol of the event. Man has never created a larger depiction of the earth than the Unisphere. It weighs 900,000 pounds with its tripod-like base, and it is 140 feet high and 120 feet in circumference
Brooklyn is the most populated borough of New York City and one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods with sizable populations of Hasidic Jews, Caribbean-Americans, Latinos, Italians, and others it showcases a diverse range of cultures.
Domino Park is a five-acre public park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, that runs beside the East River. This charming waterfront walkway is the ideal location for a leisurely stroll or a peaceful break providing stunning views of the East River and the Manhattan skyline.
With its stylish shops, hip cafés, and popular eateries, Williamsburg is a trendy area in Brooklyn that attracts the young and stylish. The Hasidic Jewish community, on the other hand, is among the world's most observant.
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of New York City's most iconic landmarks, and its history is filled with fascinating details.
Little Italy in New York City is a historic and vibrant neighborhood that has long been associated with Italian-American culture, cuisine, and traditions. Mulberry Street is the main thoroughfare that runs through Little Italy and is the epicenter of its Italian-American culture. The street is lined with Italian restaurants, cafes, pastry shops, and markets, making it a popular destination for tourists and locals seeking authentic Italian food and experiences.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
Sebastian is a great guide and a great city driver too! He is very knowledgeable about the area and adds a little humor as well. My husband grew up in NYC and learned a few things during the tour.
We really enjoyed our tour with Sebastian. He was helpful, knowledgeable, patient, approachable. We especially enjoyed the historic references.
Our guide, Milly, was very warm and friendly. She was very informative about what we were seeing! I had a great time and I would easily recommend this tour.
We had such a phenomenal time on our tour with Sebastian! From the beginning he called us to let us know he was on his way to the pickup spot and was very friendly. He did a great job providing interesting facts about New York on our way to each of the different stops we went to and made us laugh along the way. The microphone made it easy for all of us in the van to hear him. It was really great getting to see the surrounding areas outside of Manhattan. The stop with the bodega had some incredible hot sandwiches; do yourself a favor and get one, you won't regret it! Getting a chance to see historic sites like the Apollo Theater or seeing the incredible view of both the city of Manhattan and The Williamsburg Bridge from the Domino Sugar factory were real treats. Sebastian was there every step of the way to answer any questions or take our pictures to commemorate the occasion. I'm from NJ now living in AZ and learned so much more than I ever knew about the 5 boroughs and I really appreciated it. It didn't feel like we were tourists but just simply learning about all that built the city into what it is today. He was the perfect guide on a truly memorable experience all around New York City. This tour and guide is an easy recommend for anyone looking to enrich their visit to the Big City!
Loved the tour , Sebastian was excellent! Very detailed, plenty of interesting stops. Very worthwhile
A fabulous insight of the non tourist areas of New York. Expertly guided with an open and honest account of how the city was, how its regeneration has helped shape the city’s future and what still needs to be achieved
The guide was knowledgeable and a good driver in congested Manhattan and other boroughs. The van was spotless and comfortable.
An Unforgettable New York Contrasts Tour Our New York Contrasts Tour was one of the most memorable experiences of our visit, and so much of that was because of our incredible tour guide, who was also our driver. He was truly exceptional. His knowledge of New York City was remarkable. As we traveled through the different boroughs and districts, he seemed to know every neighborhood, every street, and the history and character behind the places we were seeing. He did not simply point out landmarks—he helped us understand New York and appreciate how diverse, complex, and fascinating the city really is. What impressed me just as much as his knowledge was his courtesy, professionalism, patience, and respect for everyone on the bus. He was very principled about keeping the tour organized. When there was something important to explain, he respectfully made sure the bus was quiet so everyone could hear. I appreciated this enormously because he understood that while driving through New York, sometimes there is only one opportunity to explain something before the bus passes it. He wanted every passenger to receive the full experience and not miss an important story or sight. For me personally, his kindness meant even more. We made many sightseeing stops throughout the day, and whenever I stepped out of the bus, he patiently waited for me, offered me his hand, and helped me step safely down from the bus. He did this again and again throughout the tour. It may seem like a small gesture, but to me it demonstrated his character. He was attentive, thoughtful, respectful, and genuinely concerned about the comfort and safety of his passengers. He also introduced us to another wonderful side of New York through food. He took us to a local grocery-style place where we had delicious empanadas for lunch, and later to a wonderful bakery. Those stops made the tour feel authentic rather than simply tourist-oriented. We were not just looking at New York through a bus window—we were experiencing its neighborhoods, people, cultures, and food. What makes an outstanding tour guide is not simply knowing facts. It is knowing how to bring a city to life for other people. He did exactly that. He was our driver, our narrator, our guide, and throughout the day, someone who genuinely looked after us. His knowledge was extraordinary, but his kindness, courtesy, patience, discipline, respect, and professionalism are what I will remember most. We came to see the different sides of New York, but because of him, we left understanding and appreciating the city much more deeply. Thank you sincerely for an unforgettable day and for treating us with such kindness and respect. You represented New York beautifully. We feel very fortunate that you were our guide, and I would recommend this tour—and especially this wonderful guide—to anyone visiting New York City. Five stars are simply not enough.
This tour was great we were in a small group which made for an excellent time. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant.
Wonderful, wonderful tour guide, Sebastian! He is so knowledgeable, kind and generous, helping me on and off!!
This tour is a 10 out of 10, and our guide was the best! She provided us a thorough history of the areas included in the tour.
This was a fantastic and comprehensive tour of the mosaic that makes up NY- the different communities and histories from Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. Sebastian was exceptional as a tour guide not only in detailing about the places we were seeing and stopping at, but answering our questions, and leaving enough time for photos and restroom breaks. It exceeded our expectations by far. At the end, my husband and I walked the Brooklyn Bridge which was one of the highlights of our NY experience. Others ended the tour in Little Italy. If you want the full picture of the different communities, artistic references, and histories that have shaped this amazing city, this is the tour for you!
An excellent way to see parts of New York that you typically wouldn’t, and find out some really interesting facts and history of each area. Sebastian was an excellent guide, he knew his stuff and got us safely from place to place. Well worth doing as an alternative to the main touristy things of Manhattan
I booked this tour as it was our first time in New York and the content appealed to me for us to visit the areas of New York. It was interesting and I loved the different cultures from each area. It has taken me along time to review as we both walked away feeling the guide could have lit the tour up with personality a bit. However the essence of a great tour is here and if a bit more enthusiasm was given it would be so much better.
A great tour with a very informative tourguide. You can tell he knows New York inside out, had some very niche knowledge about the boroughs he shared with us. Multiple stops so you can get out and stretch your legs and take pictures of interesting sights. Highly recommend on your first or second day in New York to get a good layout of the city.
The guide was very good, keep the tour interesting, lots of humor. The bus was clean, spacious, very comfortable seating, good comfort for the air conditioning, the windows allowed for great views. The site stops were very good, guide provided lots of information about the areas to walk about, the guide always did a head count for the conclusion of each stop, also allotted a time frame looking about the areas. Overall really great tour Yes, I would recommend this tour and tour company Thanks
We have been to NYC at least 40 times and never visited any place but Manhattan. This was a great tour and enlightened us to what else is there. Learned a lot, terrific guide who was excited and knowledgeable . well worth your time and great value! just a nice way to fill 1/2 the day and you will love it.
It's good for those who want to see a lot in a short amount of time. It's the type of tour participants are dropped off to explore on their own rather than being a guided tour.
Overall a very nice experience. A great way to get the ‘lay of the land’ and bearings for where everything is located. Cool to see the different burroughs and Flushing Meadows where the US Open tennis tournament is held. Our guide Sebastian was very pleasant and quite knowledgeable. Be forewarned the tour was done in both English and Spanish which was a surprise to us as I didn’t see that mentioned in the tour description.
This was a well managed tour through the less visited parts of NYC, outside of the glitz and glamour of Manhattan, which most tourists usually miss. Taking this tour, which travels though less glamorous parts of the city, like Harlem and South Bronx, gave me a much better understanding of NYC and its history. Our guide Sebastian was smart and knowledgeable, who kept our small group engaged throughout.
I booked a tour and they rescheduled it at the last minute without any prior notification because they didn't have enough passengers. I wasted my morning waiting at the meeting point at the Manhattan Hotel in Times Square. I had to buy a replacement tour from another company on the spot just to save my day because if I reserve for a specific day is because I have different activities next day. Very unprofessional and zero communication
More stories to engage customers while driving to the next stop would have been nice.
Sebastian did an amazing job showing us all the cities from Manhattan to DUMBO and back! I recommend this tour to everyone so you can experience and learn more about NYC!
It was an excelent tour, very complete. Sebastian was the perfect tour guide, he had lots of information and trivia. I 100% recomendt it
I wish we would have stopped more to walk and explore and have it guided. I feel like most of our stops were quick, the tour was 90% driving. Why didn’t we go somewhere with a view of the Brooklyn Bridge? The last stop is Little Italy where you’re literally dropped off on the curb. No history, nothing. Wouldn’t recommend this one.
The Tour is all about its name: CONTRAST! It’s amazing how diverse a city like New York can see! From one square to another, you can find an extremely different reality! I feel that this is the tour for who doesn’t want to be stuck in the traditional touristic spot and want to get to know the REAL New York City! Thank you Sebastian, a truly brilliant guide!
I am slightly puzzled by the reviews for this tour as it doesn’t match with our experience. Maybe it’s because it’s a rainy day, maybe it’s because the majority of the commentary was in Spanish, or maybe it’s because we’re English, but I would advise thinking carefully about booking this tour. The tour is too long, even for the distance covered, and the stop points haven’t felt particularly iconic. It just feels as if something is missing. If your time is limited or if you’re not overly interested in ‘seeing how the locals live’ this probably isn’t the best tour for you.
The tour was fantastic . Saw so many cool things and learned a lot about NY I did not know . The guide did a great job . Highly recommend.
It was a fantastic zoom in the diversity of New Yorkers. Different neighbours, architecture, music, daily life, gastronomy, sports and activities. Our guide Sebastian very friendly and helpful! Thank you!
It was great getting a glimpse of the different areas. This is stupid to have a minimum amount of letters
They canceled 1 hour before the tour but expect 24hrs from us. People that do these tours don't have rebook opportunities
Lots of interesting information by tour guide. Great to see the other areas of the city if you have only been in Manhattan. Small group tour.
I was disappointed because some of the places I wasn't able to see: 1. did not stop by Apollo Theater 2. did not remember has seen the Big Pun Mural (Only the Bronx Mural, Tats Cru) 3. The Guide was fine but he switched between two languages very fast and voices quite low. Most of the time, I did not recognise whether he is speaking English or Spanish. Have problem to understand what he said. 4. All the "pass by places" listed in the iternay, some of them were impossible to see as the van was very small if the scenary was not on your side. E.g. Brooklyn Bridge
It was a generally good tour. It was scheduled to begin at 8:25 am but was pushed to 10:00am. More notice would have been appreciated as I didn't get a text until 10:00 pm the night before. We felt trapped with no time to find another tour. The delay caused a ripple effect in our plans for the rest of that day. Other than that, everything went well and our guide, Sebastian, was great!
Very informative and extensive tour of various neighbourhoods of NYC. Tour guide is very knowledgeable and provides lots of background information and history. Definitely recommend, covers so many places, definitely recommend if you have time and interested in seeing other places other than just Manhattan.
Wonderful itinerary and amazing informative tour guide. Sebastian did a great job sharing details throughout the entire tour. Also, he was a professional and courteous driver.
This a great tour if you want to explore the other boroughs of NYC. The amount of things I learned about the history of the neighborhoods was astounding. Would definitely recommend!
This Bronxs,Brooklyn and Queens bus tour was fantastic. Millie the tour operator was fabulous. Knew everything about the experience and friendly and down to earth.
Live tour director Sabastian was terrific. took us to small neighborhoods and shared regional meal treats
Great way to see something outside of the city. I’ve been to NYC many times and never ventured out of Manhattan.
Good trip to see the parts of New York you would not normally see if only here for a few days. Good stops and guide.
A very informative and enjoyable tour, that was well worth the reasonable ticket price. My one and only complaint is the selection of the “lunch” stop. A very dismal little “market”, with few things on the shelves, and that only served empanadas. Greasy empanadas. The store and small kitchen area were not the cleanest around, and the fact that we had to stand outside to eat, was terrible…especially for anyone who has any type of mobility issue. Moi! The messy 2nd hand store immediately next door, and the area itself, were not somewhere I’d ever choose to stand around in while eating a greasy empanada. Our whole group said the same thing. Many didn’t eat at all. Otherwise, the guide and the tour, were enjoyable!
The customer service was very patient and addressed questions in detail with a great manner. Our tour guy was slightly late due to New York's traffic, however the entire tour was a blast. Would 100% recommend!
The group size was excellent. It was a good length of time. We spent too much time at the bodega. The stops were interesting.
Millie was our tour guide. We would highly recommend her for this and other tours. She was knowledgeable, efficient, friendly and drove us with utmost safety in mind. We had a very memorable experience with her.
Sebastian was our guide and his knowledge of the city was incredible! We had a small van for this group tour that was much more enjoyable than a big bus. We throughly got to enjoy and learn about the boroughs and even have some bites to eat. It was a real highlight of our trip to New York. The only reason that I did not give 5 stars was that the tour started late because of a mix up with people getting pickup at different locations. Also, I wanted to drive by the Apollo Theater, since I grew up watching shows filmed there, but we didn't because of renovations being done.
Our tour was a delight, starting with our tour person/driver, Sebastian!!! Sebastian took his time to explain the different sights in all the NYC boroughs. He stopped in different communities for us to get out of the vehicle to take a break and get something to eat. This private tour was well worth it!!! Highly recommend this tour and if at all, request Sebastian. He's the best!!!!!
A great way to see a quick trip of some of the sites of NYC. Driver Sebastian did a great job and we felt safe.
We’d been to New York a number of times before but got a much broader overview of the city through this tour. A big thank you to Jim Quinn for his knowledge and story telling, and to driver Chris for his excellent navigation.
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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