Discover the streets where Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and other cutting-edge Harlem Renaissance players put American music on the world map. We'll visit Striver's Row, see Harlem staples such as Bill's Place, Sylvia's Restaurant and Apollo Theatre. On Sundays, take a highlight tour with Gospel Experience at a local church.
A great overall tour of Harlem. We go to NYC regularly but we haven't really seen Harlem. Wow, Ronald our guide was great..such a wealth of knowledge and taking us not only to the major highlights but some great unique spots like the urban garden and meeting Paul who told us how it started years ago and expanded to help the community in a variety of ways. It was a warm day but Ronald worked to find shade and indoor locations to help. Thank you and we plan to return to Harlem to explore more.
We had the best time joining Courtney on her Lower East Side Food tour! Courtney told us so many fantastic stories and the time went by too fast! We had so much fun trying the delicious food, which was really well chosen to get to know the area! Thank you so much! We will be back for more 🤗😀
Our walking tour with Courtney was the highlight of our weekend. We're locals, and we got to know cool insights into local history and architecture while being guided us to some of our favorite food spots!
The pace was perfect, Courtney was a great guide, and we left with a deeper appreciation for the neighborhood. Highly recommended for locals and visitors alike!
Easily recommendable! To see the places where real history took place and to learn of real people who came from Harlem and made changes in the world was very interesting and valuable. Lady Altovise knew her stuff! She was fun and engaging while telling true and inspirational stories. Gives me pride for Harlem and our country. A tour to do while you’re in NY!
I took a Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO sightseeing tour with Renee from Tours by Foot, and she was absolutely incredible. As a New Yorker, I’m always curious to learn more about my own city, and I feel like I hit the jackpot with Renee as my guide. She was knowledgeable, engaging, and full of fascinating history and stories.
In one fantastic walk over the bridge, I learned far more than I expected to in just a few hours. I highly recommend Renee to anyone looking for a memorable, informative, and enjoyable sightseeing experience.
Michael was a fantastic tour guide. His enthusiasm and knowledge was so appreciated by all of us. He is definitely a great ambassador for the best of NYC.
Had the best experience with Lady Altovise on her Saturday afternoon tour of Harlem. My mother discovered her on YouTube and booked her for us to experience while my parents visited. I’ve lived in Harlem for 10 years and still learned so much. She was amazing!
Lady Altovise did an outstanding & professional tour of Harlem! The Soul of Harlem Stroll: History & Heritage Tour was so entertaining and informative! You must take it if you’re visiting NYC! ATL Fans!
Great overall experience. Miss Altovise was fun, funny, knowledgeable, welcoming during this walking tour. It was a beautiful day and we were able to see lots of sites, people, and street entertainment throughout the trip. She welcomes questions which was fun!
Altovise was AMAZING!!! We have been in NYC for five days and have taken multiple walking tours of the city, but this was by far the most entertaining and enlightening tour we took! We could not recommend Altovise enough!
Lady has been a really great tour guide. Her vibe and her knowledge make her an amazing professional. She knows the neighborhood, and the neighborhood knows her!
We took this tour through Brooklyn and it was amazing! Even though I knew the neighborhood I had no idea of the amount of history and fun facts I’ve learned. I’ll take more of these tours when I return to NYC. Renee was a delight and so knowledgeable!
Renee’s Brooklyn tour was really terrific! She is knowledgeable, warm and down to earth. We learned a ton and had so much fun! We hope to take her Greenwich Village tour too!
This late review is about the Greenwich Village Neighborhood Tour I joined back in June 2024. The guide Renee was awesome! She was fun and knowledgeable. She knew a lot about the neighbourhood and could give us direction very precisely. I joined the Chinatown tour by another company and it was boring...Renee's pace was not too fast but we still got to visit different places. She also educated us with local social etiquette. I really enjoy her tour. PS. If you are a fan of Friends, you will walk pass the building which the show used as transition.
The Tour with Michael was great. If you want to get information about New York and his buildings he is the one you should ask. Great Tour, greate gut.
Highly recommended.
Such an incredible tour! Super interesting, with so many important historical details. We loved every second of it. Our tour guide was so fun and knowledgeable, would highly highly recommend booking!
Harlem's history is also one of the city's most dramatic, having gone through many ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic changes over the past roughly 400 years.
This has resulted in a diverse array of places of worship, theaters, homes, and eating establishments.
Join New York Tours by Foot uptown on this two-hour Harlem walking tour.
Discover the streets where Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, and other cutting-edge Harlem Renaissance players put American music on the world map.
And where Fidel Castro slept after being kicked out of a midtown hotel for having chickens in his room.
Come hungry if you want to treat yourself to some great soul food after the tour!
We'll also show you some places where you could visit to experience a live gospel service.
Our Sunday Tour includes a Gospel Experience.
Sites we cover on our Harlem Walking Tour:
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture: Start your exploration at one of New York Public Library's renowned research libraries, which serves as a cultural institution for the exhibition and preservation of African-American experience. Experience periodic exhibitions dedicated to the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Era, & the Black Lives Matter Movement.
Abyssinian Baptist Church: Established over 220 years ago in New York City, and in Harlem since 1902, it is one of the oldest Baptist churches in the United States.
Striver's Row: Walk in this historic district of beautiful row houses with alleyways and shared rear courtyards built in the 1890s. Home to the likes of tap dancer and actor Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, heavyweight boxer Harry "BLACK PANTHER" Willis, Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. & William Marion Cook - 1st Black Broadway musical composer.
Bill's Place: Located on Harlem's original Swing Street, owner and Harlem jazz icon Bill Saxton performs with the best in the business, including American jazz and swing singer Billie Holiday.
Sylvia's Restaurant of Harlem: A 3rd-generation family-owned business started by Sylvia Wood, also known as the "Queen of Soul Food," that has served authentic soul food to the community and notable people alike since 1962.
Clinton Foundation: Located in Harlem since 2001, the Clinton Foundation is one of the top sponsors and supporters of small businesses in the community by way of grants and scholarships.
Sites Related to Malcolm X: This civil rights activist revolutionary made Harlem his home base. His impact on Harlem, as well as Harlem's impact on him, is woven throughout the tour.
Apollo Theater: "WHERE STARS ARE BORN & LEGENDS ARE MADE." Celebrating 90 years this year with concerts by USHER, Smokey Robinson, Mary J. Blige, and Babyface, just to name a few!
Sunday Harlem Gospel Experience
Our Sunday Harlem Walking Tour is part historic walking tour and part gospel experience at a local church.
Apollo Theater
Several historic landmarks & statues relating to Harlem Renaissance, civil rights, & BLM movement
Murals that capture Harlem's colorful and vibrant impact on society
Award-winning Restaurant Row (Option to dine afterwards, if interested—cost NOT included)
Former Synagogues from Harlem's Jewish history
Picturesque Brownstone Row seen in several movies & TV shows
Groundbreaking School that changed the educational demographic of Harlem's youth of today
Largest African market in the United States
Famous historic sanctuary of 100+-year-old Missionary Baptist Church with original stained glass windows
Headquarters for former President of the United States
Newly renovated & reopened 1917 theater & hotel
NOTE: We do not enter these buildings on the tour.
Duration: Approximately 2 hours. The tour distance is approximately 1.5 miles (2.7 km).
Start point: The tour starts from the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (map). The Sunday Gospel Experience tour begins at the Apollo Theater.
Endpoint: The tour ends near the Apollo Theater. The Sunday Gospel Experience tour ends at the Memorial Baptist Church at 141 W 115th St in Harlem.
Language: English
GPS-LED AUDIO TOURS OF HARLEM
We also offer a GPS-enabled audio tour as well as a self-guided tour.
The 1st option is our GPS-led audio tour.
This option is our full tour of Harlem and was researched and recorded by one of our tour guides from the neighborhood. Listen to a sample.
You'll need to download our free audio tour app. Downloads are only $2.99. We also offer 9 other NYC audio tours.
