The best tours in NYC in 2026 are Big Onion's historian-led walking tours, Free Tours by Foot's pay-what-you-wish neighborhood walks, and Circle Line's harbor cruises around Manhattan. For a budget version of a boat tour, the NYC Ferry costs the same as a subway ride and the Staten Island Ferry is free.
Walking tours led by historians, including Jewish Lower East Side walks.
Big Onion's guides are trained historians, and its tours cover neighborhoods and themes across New York, from the Lower East Side's immigrant history to Brooklyn Heights and Harlem.
Tours are about two hours on foot.
Good to know: Look for its Jewish Lower East Side tour, often ending with a food tasting.
Pay-what-you-wish walking tours of dozens of neighborhoods.
Free Tours by Foot runs pay-what-you-wish walking tours — you decide what to tip the guide at the end — covering neighborhoods, food and themes all over New York.
It is great value, especially for families.
Good to know: Reserve a spot online; tours fill up in summer.
The classic narrated cruise around Manhattan.
Circle Line has run narrated sightseeing cruises from the West Side since 1945, including full circumnavigations of Manhattan and shorter harbor trips past the Statue of Liberty.
Commentary covers the skyline, bridges and history.
Good to know: The shorter harbor cruise is enough for most first-timers.
A DIY harbor tour for the price of a subway ride.
The NYC Ferry is a commuter service, but its routes along the East River — Wall Street to Dumbo, Williamsburg, Long Island City and Midtown — are as scenic as many tours, at a subway-like fare.
Sit on the open upper deck.
Good to know: Ride the East River route end to end for skyline views.
Yes — especially for neighborhoods whose history isn't visible at a glance, like the Lower East Side, Harlem or Greenwich Village. A good guide turns a stroll into a story.
Several operators run Lower East Side Jewish history walks, and the Tenement Museum and Museum at Eldridge Street offer their own guided tours. See our Jewish heritage sites guide.