Free New York City Walking Tours

By
Heather Cross
Heather Cross
Heather Cross is a longtime New York resident who has written about the city since 2002. She is also a travel agent and NYC & Company-certified New York City specialist.
TripSavvy's editorial guidelines
Updated on 06/26/19
Tourists on Brooklyn Bridge

Dennis K. Johnson/Getty Images

Walking tours are a wonderful way to visit a new place, especially New York City. Exploring on foot gives you the opportunity to see a neighborhood up-close and learn about the people and places that make it tick. We've put together a round-up of free New York City walking tours for visitors on a budget. These tours cover a variety of neighborhoods, as well as two of New York City's great parks -- Central Park and the High Line. Be aware that free tours tend to attract large groups, so you're not going to get the same intimate experience you might experience some of New York City's best walking tours, but you can't beat the price!

01 of 07

The Grand Central Neighborhood Tour

Grand Central Station NYC

Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Every Friday at 12:30 p.m. you can experience a wonderful tour of Grand Central and the surrounding neighborhood led by Justin Ferate or Peter Laskowich. In addition to exploring some of the highlights of Grand Central Terminal, it also includes many neighborhood highlights, including Pershing Square and the Chrysler Building.

  • When: Fridays at 12:30 p.m.
  • Length: 90 minutes
  • Where: Sculpture Court at 120 Park Avenue (southwest corner of East 42nd Street)
  • Sponsor: Grand Central Partnership
02 of 07

Big Apple Greeter Tours

New York Central Park
Matteo Colombo/Getty Images

Want a private, guided tour of New York City? For free? Seems hard to believe, but that's exactly what Big Apple Greeters offers visitors to New York City. Since 1992, this non-profit organization has connected visitors with volunteer New Yorkers who want to share their know-how and favorite neighborhoods with visitors to New York City. They even have a no-tipping policy, but if you love what you experience, you should make a donation to Big Apple Greeters to keep their services available.

Please note: Tours are assigned on a first-come, ​first served basis, so book well in advance to have the best chance of getting a tour.

03 of 07

Free Tours by Foot

MET museum NYC

Barry Winiker/Getty Images

Free Tours By Foot offers a variety of New York City walking tours, most of which are free (on their food tours you pay for your own samples). Most tours are 2 hours and cover a single neighborhood, but they also have an All-In-One-Tour that is 6-hours long and covers many areas of New York City. The guides on these tours work exclusively for tips, so keep that in mind and tip appropriately if you are happy with your experience. They recommend tipping $10/person for their 2-hour tours and $25/person for the 6-hour tour.

04 of 07

Central Park Conservancy Guided Tours

Shakespeare Garden in Central Park

MichaelStubblefield/Getty Images

The Central Park Conservancy offers free guided walking tours covering many different areas of Central Park. Tours range from 30 minutes to 2 hours and are led by volunteers from the Central Park Conservancy Walking Tour Program. These tours offer visitors a great opportunity to understand Central Park and learn about the park's history and design. Tours are rated for difficulty, and some are handicap-accessible.

Tips? No, but consider making a donation to the Central Park Conservancy.

Continue to 5 of 7 below.
05 of 07

"Crossroads of New York" Walking Tour

Union Square NYC

Paul VanDerWerf/Flickr/CC BY 2.0

Learn about the Union Square neighborhood with a rich political and social history on a walking tour created with the help of the experts at Big Onion Walking Tours. Learn about the people, events, and architecture of this wonderful neighborhood.

  • Length: 90 minutes
  • Where: Abraham Lincoln Statue at 16th Street transverse
  • Sponsor: Union Square Partnership
06 of 07

Free Lower East Side Historic Tours

Katz's Delicatessen

City Foodsters/Flickr/CC BY 2.0​

This three-hour walking tour of the Lower East Side explores both the history and modern side of this dynamic neighborhood.

07 of 07

Not Quite Free: Municipal Arts Society Walking Tours

Rear view of a tourist photographing Times Square
Glow Images, Inc/Getty Images

The Municipal Arts Society offers two weekly tours with "suggested donations" of $10. On Tuesdays, the tour covers Downtown Manhattan, while Wednesday tours visit Grand Central Terminal. MAS offers many other tours as well, and their tour guides are very well regarded.

  • Tuesday Downtown Tour Start: In front of 55 Exchange Place
  • Wednesday Grand Central Tour Start: Info Booth in Grand Central