New York Graffiti and Street Art Tours
This post reviews and compares the various New York and Brooklyn street art and graffiti tours and workshops, including our own pay-what-you-wish tours.
- Brooklyn Tours
- Manhattan Tours
- Workshops + Lessons
- 11 Places to See Street Art in NYC
- Other Brooklyn Tours
- Other NYC Tours
BROOKLYN GRAFFITI AND STREET ART TOURS
We are proud to present our well-reviewed tour of Bushwick Graffiti (see the video above).
Additionally, there are a few other companies offering similar tours, so if our schedule doesn’t work for you, there are a few options that have upfront costs.
Our tours are listed in the calendar as well. The tour name is followed by (FREE TOURS BY FOOT).
Bushwick is a working-class district on the north side of Brooklyn adjacent to Williamsburg has been attracting artists for some time now.
The neighborhood has a fair collection of art studios and galleries, but it is Bushwick’s industrial landscape that attracts street artists.
Free Tours by Foot
Join Free Tours by Foot in Bushwick, Brooklyn and discover some of the best New York graffiti and street art on some of the world’s best and most interesting urban canvasses.
We’ll explain to you the background and history of the art of many famous and not-so-famous artists.
Obtain a better appreciation and critical eye for what is an ever-changing form of expression, all the while exploring a part of New York only now emerging on visitors’ itineraries. We are among the very best in NYC.
Read our reviews on TripAdvisor and search for street art or graffiti to see for yourself.
Artists whose works we may encounter on the New York Graffiti and Street Art Tour:
- Buff Monster, known for his use of the color pink
- Skewville, famous, among other things, for re-inventing the sneakers over the telephone wire
- Beau Stanton
- Billy Mode & Chris Stain – famous members of the Bushwick Collective
- ColWallnuts
- and many many other artists.
Some of the sites in Bushwick we will see on the tour:
- Roberta’s Pizza
- The BogArt
- The Loom
- Maria Hernandez Park
- The Bushwick Collective
- Vintage shopping hot-spots
- Great places for refreshments
- Check out our self-guided Bushwick Brooklyn tour.
Tour information
Reservations: REQUIRED. Click here to reserve. For groups of 6 or more, please visit our groups’ page before booking.
Duration: Approximately 2 hours. Tour distance is approximately 1.5 miles (2 km)
When: @9:45 am daily (Spring through December), @2 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays & Mondays. View Our Full Calendar.
Where: Tours meet outside the Raw and Fine Chocolate Shop 288 Seigel St, Brooklyn, NY 11206 by the Morgan Street Subway Station. (map)
Cost: The New York Graffiti and Street Art Tour is free to take, and you get to decide what, if anything, the tour was worth when it’s done. A name-your-own-price tour is a tour for anyone’s budget.
TIP: If you do have a budget or just like to save money on attractions, see if buying one of the many tourist discount passes is right for you.
We also offer street art and graffiti tours in London.
Disclosure: While we think you should take our free tour above, we understand this might work for everyone, so here are a few other companies. While our recommendations are always unbiased, we may receive a small share of sales through some of the links below at no cost to you. See the full text.
Graff Tours – Brooklyn
Graff Tours offer a variety of graffiti tours of the NYC area that are great for singles and groups.
Like our Bushwick Brooklyn Street Art Tour, this outfit’s tour is a 2-hour excursion through one of New York City’s largest outdoor street art galleries.
You’ll learn the history of founder and curator of the collective, Joe Ficalora and explore the Bushwick Collective featuring art from some of the best graffiti artists on the planet like Chor Boogie, Li-Hill, Don Rimx, and more.
This tour is offered both as a public tour or you can book a private tour.
Public Tour
- $20 Adult | $15 Children, Students, or Seniors
- Sundays-Fridays at 1 pm. Saturdays at 2 pm
- Graffiti Workshops Sundays-Fridays at 3 pm. Saturdays at 4 pm. (additional cost)
- More information or to book online.
Private Tour
- From 1 to 5 people $150
- From 6 to 9 people $250
- Check their schedule for times.
- Click here for information and to book a private tour
Note that Graff Tours also offers a street art tour in Manhattan as well as graffiti workshops.
Brooklyn Unplugged
A self-proclaimed boutique sightseeing tour company, Brooklyn Unplugged plays host to a variety of tours throughout the New York area.
- $32 Adult | $20 Child (ages 15 and under)
- Daily at 10:30 am. (Note that prior to May 10, 2018, start time vary depending on the day, with options of 10:30 am, 11 am, 3 pm)
- 2 hours
- More information and to book.
TIP: This tour is included for free if you have one of these tourist discount passes: the New York Pass, the Sightseeing Pass, and Smart Destination Card.
Tourist passes can save you significant money on tours and attractions. Read our post comparing the various different tourist passes available to you in NYC.
MANHATTAN GRAFFITI AND STREET ART TOURS
Most of the companies listed above also offer street art and graffiti tours in Manhattan, mostly in Lower Manhattan. We offer a morning tour of Lower Manhattan, mostly in the Lower East Side.
Free Tours by Foot
Join us for a Manhattan Street Art Tour and experience the Lower East Side (LES) – SoHo, NoHo, Nolita, and Little Italy.
The Lower East Side of Manhattan is a playground for street artists, SoHo is known to be one of NYC first permit Joint Live-Work Quarters for artists and the area received landmark designation in 1973.
NoHo and Nolita’s street art is either hidden in courtyards or on the more prominent street art facades. Learn about the history of the art of many famous and unknown artist.
Some of the sites we may encounter:
- Spring Street
- Lombardi’s Pizza – the first pizzeria to open in the United States over 100 years ago!
- Taim – rated Best Falafel in NYC
- MoMA Design Store
- Germania Bank Building
- The Bowery
- Liz Christie Garden
- Freeman Alley
- Mulberry Street
Some of the Artists’ work we may encounter:
- Shepard Fairey
- Ron English
- Gilf
- Claw Money
- Jerkface
- Fumero
- Triston Eaton
- Solus
- Beau Stanton
- Gum Shoe
- PyramidOracle
- Team Supreme Team Lowbrow
- and other local and international artists.
Tour information
Reservations: REQUIRED. Click here to reserve.
Duration: Approximately 2 hours. Tour distance is approximately 1.5 miles (2k)
When: @2pm Sundays. View Our Full Calendar
Where: In front of the REI store on the corner of E. Houston and Lafayette. (map). The tour ends at 109 Mulberry Street near Canal Street (map).
Cost: The Manhattan Street Art Tour is free to book, and you get to decide what, if anything, the tour was worth when it’s done. A name-your-own-price tour is a tour for anyone’s budget.
Disclosure: While we think you should take our free tour above, we understand this might work for everyone, so here are a few other companies. While our recommendations are always unbiased, we may receive a small share of sales through some of the links below at no cost to you. See the full text.
Inside Out Tours
Inside Out Tours offer a variety of award-winning tours throughout New York City that are available in both English and Spanish.
The Alternative New York Street Art Tour pays a 3-hour homage to the Lower East Side’s expressive graffiti art scene.
You’ll learn the history of this area and how its immigrant beginnings have impacted the graffiti scene that is rapidly shifting.
This tour is designed to be an immersive, educative experience that will leave participants with a new perspective of non-curated public expression.
- $35 Adult | $28 Child (ages 5-11)
- Thursdays at 10 am
- More information or to book.
TIP: This tour is free with the purchase of the New York Pass.
GRAFFITI AND STREET ART WORKSHOPS
This hour-long, immersive experience offers participants a unique opportunity to receive lessons from a working graffiti artist.
Your street art teacher will provide general art guidance and techniques of aerosol art which you will then implement on your own canvas creation.
NOTE: Free Tours by Foot does not offer or run these workshops as either a public or private option. Please click on the links below.
There is no prior experience required and users will be provided with the tools they need at the workshop. This workshop is offered 7 days a week in either private or group lessons.
There is an optional add-on for this workshop which combines the graffiti lesson with Graff Tours Bushwick Brooklyn Street Art Tour.
Reviews of Graffiti Workshops
There are limited reviews made available for this graffiti workshop. A few users of the TripAdvisor community give it an excellent rating, citing the lesson as a fun activity that allowed participants to leave with a worthwhile souvenir.
*The following prices are for the graffiti workshop only and do not include a tour*
Brooklyn Group Workshop
- $30 per person
- Daily at 3 pm and 6 pm
- More information and to book.
Private Workshops in either Brooklyn or Manhattan
- From 1 to 5 people $150
- From 6 to 9 people $250
- More information and to book Brooklyn.
- More information and to book Manhattan.
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We also offer street art and graffiti tours in London.
About the author
Courtney is a lifelong New Yorker fascinated with the city’s history, culture and cuisine. She loves exploring the world, as well as sharing her travel expertise with others.
She joined the Free Tours by Foot team in 2011, first as a guide and then as a writer. She has a law degree, a teaching degree and a worn-out passport. Her motto is “Have backpack, will travel”.