Harlem Renaissance Walking Tour With Lunch

Doris was amazing. Thank her for sharing the history, knowledge, and her lived experience that she shared.

Doris our guide is a wealth of knowledge, weaving together things we knew with surprisingly unknown details. This was my first time in NYC, my wife’s 2nd and she explained so much about Harlem and how multicultural it is by itself. We had a great experience.

I was the most amazing detailed tour of a life time I really now know some very amazing deep history of Harlem the culture the people the soul food was fire sooo Good and the tour guide was so pleasant and detailed and welcoming I recommend everyone to take the renaissance Harlem tour with lunch it’s so amazing

CJ is a walking encyclopedia for all things Harlem. The love & pride she has for her city is clear. It was so impressive that she knew so many locals & they knew her. Sen. Cleare even stopped to say hello & talked about the great things Harlem has to offer. We returned the very next day for the African American Day Parade. We experienced the soul & culture of the city with this tour & because of it will definitely be back.

Our tour was awesome!! Doris, our tour guide was very kind and knowledge about the area and its history. The soul food lunch at Jacob's was delicious as well. We would definitely recommend this tour when visiting Harlem

I was really disappointed that I did not see more of Harlem and its history. Our guide walked very slowly; she wasn’t upbeat or engaging. Viator says it’s 2 hours, but it’s actually 3. The provided lunch was mid at best.

Very knowledgeable and professional guide. Beautiful walking area Beautiful guide made a friend for life.

Be prepared for a lot of walking on this one, but you will learn what it was LIKE in Harlem during the Renaissance, and even before and after. Our tour guide was AMAZING...she was an older lady, but could out walk us all! It does go over the 3 hours listed (at least ours did), but it was so interesting. You'll come away wanting to learn more on your own as well.

Be prepared for a lot of walking on this one, but you will learn what it was LIKE in Harlem during the Renaissance, and even before and after. Our tour guide was AMAZING...she was an older lady, but could out walk us all! It does go over the 3 hours listed (at least ours did), but it was so interesting. You'll come away wanting to learn more on your own as well.

Thoroughly enjoyed it. Learned so much and I am inspired to go back again. The included lunch was excellent and Doris, the tour guide was awesome. She went above and beyond to help me find my subway station. I feel like I made a friend.

I echo what Zoe said in her review from a week ago. The amazing Doris was the best tour guide! She was so knowledgeable, friendly, and as a lifelong local, she had so many great stories to tell us! I would never have understood Harlem the way I do now without a tour and we are so glad to have found Doris and this company. Highly recommend and totally worth the price.

We spent 5 hrs with the amazing Doris who was so incredibly knowledgeable about Harlem! We got a chance to taste some local food, visited the Jazz Museum and stopped at so many spots that we wouldn’t have been to otherwise. Would definitely recommend this tour to anyone looking to learn about the history of the area!

We had a wonderful time and experience with Jonathon and Caroline. Jonathon presented the history of the streets with lots of historical information!

This is an amazing tour! We learned so much about the history of Harlem and had a wonderful time doing it. Lunch is delicious...more food is included than it seems so come hungry!

What a great way to learn about the history of Harlem and its inhabitants! Our guide, a lifelong resident of Harlem, was friendly, welcoming, and incredibly knowledgeable. She showed us where distinguished Harlemites have lived, pointed out major cultural sites, and educated us about the culture, music, food, and architecture. Plus, we ate lunch at a soul food restaurant and sampled foods from bakeries, and other businesses. It was a highlight of our visit to New York.

My wife and I had to delay our first tour due to illness, and so we signed up for this one on our return 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.

We took a tour in October 2022, and Doris was fantastic. I left feeling a strong connection to Harlem, thanks to her insights about the Black Panthers, MLK, Malcolm X, and other influential figures and places. I was really looking forward to bringing my family back for another round. This time, the tour was led by Debbie, who was nice but seemed to rush things. It felt like we barely had a moment to take pictures. At one point, I went to the bathroom at a local grocery store, and she was right there urging me to hurry as soon as I walked out. When we visited the Schomburg Center, I wanted to support a local business, but as I was paying, she interrupted to say we had to leave in a minute. Just ten seconds later, she tapped me again to hurry up. During lunch, she packed her food and announced that the tour was over because she had somewhere to be. It felt like she was on her own schedule, which made the experience less enjoyable. I definitely want to return, but next time, I’ll check who’s leading the tour before I book.

I want to give huge thanks to Doris! We were the only people at Harlem tour on november 1st and the tour felt so personal and warm, we have never seen a service like that. Doris was amazing. She showed us the neighborhood, we went to jazz musem, saw all the attractions and had lunch together. Doris even bought me a hotdog at Mo's cart. I felt like I was visiting my own grandmother. It's 10/10 tour!

The tour itself was wonderful. Our guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Loved the history of Harlem and the people were very friendly towards us as we walked the streets of Harlem. Couple of improvements can be made: 1. Given the food culture in Harlem my group of 8 were expecting to eat at a better location. The spot chosen had no a/c and it was the hottest day in NYC that day. While the food selection was plentiful, we did not enjoy it at all!! The restaurants only refrigeration was broken and they had buckets of ice with drinks in them. You literally had to tussle to get a cold drink. The restaurant seating was also limited and cramp. Overall, it was not a pleasant eating experience and environment. We were very disappointed with the choice of restaurant. We would have paid more money to be able to dine at Sylvia’s. 2. As I mentioned early, it was the hottest day in NYC on this day. Doing a walking tour in NYC on the hottest day was MISERABLE!! The option of rescheduling should be offered. While our guide had us stop to get drinks during the tour, it was still awful. The only air conditioned stop we made was the last stop of the tour. Again, the tour itself was great, but think twice about doing this tour in the summer.

Went on the Harlem Renaissance tour with delightful guide Doris Lango-Leak. She was extremely knowledgable and seemed to know everyone and everyone knew her. Went to many historic sites or locations of former sites connected to the Harlem Renaissance, like the Cotton Club, the Savoy and the Apollo. Also after I expressed an interest in the 369th infantry, the 'Harlem Hellfighters', she took me up to see the armory. Had an amazing time, a great experience and I learned many, many things. I simply cannot recommend this tour enough.

A nice change to see a different part of Manhattan. As soon as we stepped off the subway it had a community feel. We enjoyed being with a local guide to show us the sights and share the history. We felt safe at all times. The gospel singers a highlight.

Having lived their whole life in Harlem, the tour guide was extremely knowledgable and full of interesting and fun stories. Highly recommended!

So fun, so informative! Our tour guide was such a great historian, living in Harlem her whole life. Lunch was great!

Fantastic tour by a knowledgeable woman who grew up in Harlem. Well paced, good lunch, always stopped to ask for questions. We enjoyed it completely and recommend to everyone. We learned more than we expected.

The tour mostly focused on architecture and politics of the time (read: Adam Clayton Powell). We talked a bit about nightlife, but only as it related to the building that the guide was pointing out (i.e. this building used to be a club, it’s since turned into xyz). I wanted to learn more about artists like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston from a Harlem native (which our guide was not).

Took this tour with a large group of 7th grade students and several adult chaperones. We had a beautiful day in a culturally rich neighborhood, with a wonderfully knowledgeable woman as our guide. Carolyn was welcoming and naturally skilled in engaging/interacting with our kids. I would recommend highly to anyone, and particularly to educators/school groups. It was a memorable day of learning for all of us!

Understanding the history of the area. Seeing the neighborhood and art. Interesting to see Apollo theatre as well.

Dora was excellent. We loved this tour. Learned a lot and got to explore Harlem. Sampled great food and the neighborhood.

It was all very memorable. I most struck by the knowledge of the subject matter by the guide and his experience and professionalism

Jonathan was the perfect guide. Highly knowledgeable and fun. Our group of 8 had all ages. Everyone enjoyed the experience. Lunch was great, the pace was perfect. And Mother Nature smiled on us. Thank you Jonathan. A great time was had by all!

My school, Fusion Academy, was very pleased with the tour! The student who joined the tour were very intrigued throughout the time there, and I believe they learned a lot. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and took time to address all the questions each of the students and faculty had.

I enjoyed the history of the buildings and how things have changed over time. Debbie was very very knowledgeable and we learned a great deal. She gave us a few minutes to make purchases from a small business and the lunch was absolutely delicious!!!! Would definitely recommend this tour. I do have 2 minor suggestions…. 1. A speaker or mic with ear pieces as sometimes it was hard to hear bc of the road noise. 2. Build in a 15 minute drink break maybe at the Harlem Cafe (maybe a shared group snack) In spite of those small suggestions, my entire family was amazed at the information we got on the tour. The tour guide was a wealth of knowledge not only about Harlem but the city of New York. I book with Viator a great deal when traveling but don’t often write a review however this tour was worthy of my time spent writing this review.

Very informative. The restaurant we ate at was delicious. Wish there was more time to go inside some places.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about Harlem. We learned so much and came to appreciate the culture & history of the area even more.

Doris was a walking encyclopedia plus a Harlem native which was a major bonus, she knew everything about what had been where, when and who. She was so personable and articulate. My son and I thoroughly enjoyed her. The meal was great, my fav was the collard greens. And we also had a Mo’s hot dog with the works. Delicious! (It was on my list, Mo is featured in a Netflix documentary NYC Street Food.)

Having prior knowledge of the Harlem Renaissance made this tour very exciting to see historical sites, art and references in person! Our tour guide Doris has a very personal connection to Harlem and lots of insider perspective and pop culture history and tidbits to share!

Really enjoyed the tour and the guide was excellent. I would recommend allowing a few minutes to shop in the African market.

There were so many. Our guide,Doris, was extremely knowledgeable. She had wonderful information about almost every street in Harlem. Our lunch was a great experience as was a short trek thru an outdoor market and the Apollo Theater was high on the list. I highly recommend this tour when in NYC. I will definitely use Harlem Renaissance for another tour when I return.

Outstanding immersion experience of The Harlem Renaissance. Bibliophiles can’t say they’ve been to Harlem until they’ve walked the streets that Langston Hughes and James Baldwin did. Highly recommend 📚

I’ve always loved Harlem . But now, I love it even more . This tour is a must. Simply the best planned tour from start to finish. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable.. but why wouldn’t she be? She was born and raised in Harlem . From 125th st to Sugar Hill we learned and saw so much . We had lunch and a Caribbean & Soul food restaurant that’s been a staple of Harlem since the 1970’s .. my mouth waters at the mere thought of how delicious the food was. From salads to rice and beans with oxtails!! Amazing!!

A wonderful and enlightening experience. This tour was culture rich with plenty of sites to see. We experienced Harlem from a person born and raised in that great city. Enjoyed food from a local restaurant (which was delicious). So glad we decided to go on this tour. Definitely would recommend it to anyone interested in experiencing Harlem from the inside.

OUTSTANDING! For my sister and I, we were thoroughly impressed and we can truly appreciate the hard work of research that she has done to make this an invaluable experience. We began at her brownstone where she has lived for decades. She knew the history behind the architecture, the events in the buildings of the community, the back story on both the famous and infamous people in Harlem from to 1900’s, through the Renaissance to present day. Best of all is that she is an excellent storyteller. You could truly envision being right there where history was made. We saw founding churches, YMCA that led dance, acting and art, the Apollo Theater, Adam Clayton Powell’s influence, Strivers row, Hotel Theresa, The Green Book exhibit at the Schomburg Center, etc. This tour is worth booking a weekend trip to NY for.

Carolyn was AWESOME & SO KNOWLEDGEABLE WE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED EVERY MINUTE OF OUR EXPERIENCE. we personally feel she went above & beyond is showing us all the rich history & beauty of Harlem.

Amazing experience . Carolyn was very knowledgeable and kept us interested. We had fun ! The lunch was delicious !

Great experience! Our tour guide Debi was very knowledgeable. Beautiful day out and learned so much!

I had an incredible time with Carolyn learning about the beautiful and unique history about Harlem! I got a personal tour and cannot wait to recommend this tour to more people.

I enjoyed my walking tour of Harlem with my WONDERFUL guide. I had many questions, and she had all the answers. This was no college student working a summer job. This lovely lady was born in the neighborhood and knew ALL about the neighborhood from her many decades there. In spite of wind and rain we made our way through many historical sites and sights. AND UNLIKE SOME TOUR OPERATORS, this company didn’t cancel my tour because I was the only person who signed up for the tour. A wonderful and memorable experience.

My mother and I thoroughly enjoyed our Harlem Renaissance Walking Tour with Lunch conducted by Cheryl. We travel to NYC yearly and explore at least one new neighborhood on each trip. Our tour with Cheryl was by far the best neighborhood tour we have experienced in many years. As a long time resident of Harlem, Cheryl was able to introduce us to life in Harlem over the years. She shared her insights and helped us understand just how culturally significant Harlem has been and remains. We ended the tour with so much knowledge and great sense of community.

My daughter and I made reservations for the Mount Morris Park tour. It was a Monday and we were the only ones on the tour. Sheryl, our guide, gave us the option of doing the Renaissance Tour which included some indoor venues. It rained fairly steadily the entire walk, but we each had an umbrella, so it was fine. Unfortunately the bookstore is closed on Mondays so we missed that, but overall, it was a great introduction to the heart of Harlem. Sheryl is very personable and knowledgeable.