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. New York City is a mecca for graffiti and street art, making it a very attractive playground for artists from around the world. See the full street art tour schedule.

 

 

BROOKLYN GRAFFITI AND STREET ART TOURS

We are proud to present our well-reviewed tour of Bushwick Graffiti (see the video above), but 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 in 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:

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: @2pm on Fridays & Saturdays. 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.

 

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 will be lead through Bushwick by a local graffiti artist and view the works of Space Invader, Blek le Rat, Dasic, Faith 47 and many more.

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

Private Tour

Reviews of Graff Tours

Graff Tours have been awarded a Certificate of Excellence from the TripAdvisor community and 4 ½ out of 5 stars from Yelp. Their tour of Bushwick receives a majority of positive reviews. Many users were impressed with the tour guides high energy and abundance of knowledge about the graffiti artists.

There have been mentions of guides not being as timely and frustrations with the “street tags” v “street murals” ratio.

It is recommended to be 10-15 minutes early, so the guides aren’t placed in a position to wait for other guests. The tour is designed to share a wealth of information about both tagging artist and mural artist, so keep that in mind before booking.

Overall users rate this tour an engaging experience that provides great insight into the ever-changing graffiti art scene of Bushwick.

Note that Graff Tours also offer 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. Their 2-hour Graffiti and Street Art Walking Tour in Bushwick is a captivating insight into the mesmerizing graffiti culture in NYC’s premier aerosol district. Your tour guide will escort you through this visually stunning excursion while sharing information about the artists who’ve come from as far as Europe, South America, and Asia.

  • $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)
  • 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.

Reviews of Brooklyn Unplugged

Reviews collected via Yelp, Get Your Guide (read the reviews) and TripAdvisor all affirm this graffiti tour to be a standout experience. Reviews from TripAdvisor suggest that many of the participants of this tour are couples or groups of friends rather than families, no less; there are reviews from parents that recommend bringing the kids along.

The tour guides receive excellent feedback, users citing them as both fun and knowledgeable about the murals themselves and the artists behind them. If you have an interest in uncovering the enchanting graffiti scene in New York City, this tour comes highly recommended.

 

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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.

 

Manhattan Street Art Tour

 

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: @9:45am on Fridays & Saturdays. 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.

Graff Tours – Manhattan

The Manhattan Street Art Tour by Graff Tours is an insight into the downtown Manhattan art scene featuring works by, Crash, ROA, Space Invader, OS Gemeos and JR. This tour kicks off outside CBGB Music hall and ends at the famed Bowery Wall.

You’ll meet a real NYC graffiti artist and learn the unique history of graffiti art form. Your guide will explain the differences between graffiti and street art and you’ll have a viewing opportunity of the First St. Green annual mural project which features 15 walls. Participants will also view the Centrifuge art project, and learn how the subways are incorporating art to inspire new riders.

Graff Tours offer this tour as both a public tour and a private tour.

Public Tour

Private Tour

Reviews of Graff Tours Manhattan Street Art

Reviews from TripAdvisor of this Lower Manhattan art tour are very positive. Users seem most impressed with the guides, who give an excellent mix of historical and technical information. Reviews suggest this tour comes at a very reasonable price, given the number of art pieces you are exposed to and the abundance of knowledge the guides have about the artist.

Photographers taking the tour seemed overwhelmingly pleased with the plethora of famed artist murals, some citing experiences with guides going as far to help label photos for them. A few users were even lucky enough to catch a graffiti artist in action during this unique Manhattan experience.

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.

TIP: This tour is free with the purchase of the New York Pass.

Reviews

Inside Out Tours is rated as excellent by TripAdvisor and Viator (see the reviews). Reviews suggest this tour attracts families, couples, groups of friends and solo tourist alike. Users seem most impressed with the tour guides knowledge about the area that reaches beyond the art itself, such as the impact of gentrification. The art along this tour is described as both captivating and authentic. Reviewers say the tour itself is well paced, and within its 3-hour mark allows participants to truly appreciate the value of each piece.

 

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GRAFFITI AND STREET ART WORKSHOPS

This hour-long, immersive experience offers participants a unique opportunity to receive lessons from a working graffiti artist. He or she 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

Manhattan Group Workshop

Private Workshops in either Brooklyn or Manhattan

 

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