Free Tours by Foot

If you want to see what’s happening in contemporary art, this is the thing to do. We took the 2 hour street art by foot tour on a cold January morning and it was so worth any chill we might have endured. Our tour guide, Mar, was so very knowledgable and well versed in the artists, history, process and subtle differences between street art and graffiti and tagging. You pay what you think the tour is worth. This one is worth a lot

On 1÷11÷16 I took the Lower Manhattan Tour with Renée. She was fantastic! We had a group of about 15 and she shared with us of so many interesting facts about the history of lower Manhattan. Bring comfortable shoes as the tour walks about a mile over the two hours. If it’s cold outside, be sure to bundle up as it gets very windy in lower Manhattan!
I think Free Tours by Foot is a great business model. The gratuity you give is completely up to you! How could you go wrong with that? (You know you’ll get your money’s worth!!)
Renée knows her stuff! I never knew learning history could be so much fun!

The Manhattan Street Art tour was easily a highlight of our trip to New York City. We were able to explore a part of the city we otherwise wouldn’t have visited, plus we received a history lesson in street art, the SOHO/​LES neighborhood, and all those who lived there.
That was just the beginning. It colored the rest of our trip with independent excursions: we explored the 100 Gate Project, visited the DUMBO Walls, and we found the Banksy on 79^th and Broadway!
Mar was a phenomenal guide. In all honesty, I usually dislike museum art tours and find them somewhat condescending, however, Mar made this tour entertaining and informative for all levels — from street art enthusiasts to those new to the concept of graffiti and street art as «art.» He had a noticeable passion in his voice that made you want to crowd around him and not be left behind on the walk — risking the loss of a knowledge-​nugget that could wow your eyes and mind.
This tour needs to be on everyone’s «must do» list when visiting New York City.

This is my third (I guess) review of these guys and I just can’t stop!
Today I would like to pay tribute to John and Eric.
Brooklyn Heights with John was one of the most interesting and involving tours I’ve ever been! Despite the ugly weather (it was windy and drizzling) the excursion in the most beautiful neighbourhood of the city was amazing due to John’s talent to keep the audience attention. He is an extremely talented storyteller and a professional tour guide, so I would like to thank him once again for a great experience for me and my friend.
Eric guided us through ChinaTown hidden food gems and it was a lot of fun! Now I know where to go for the most delicious and cheapest authentic food there (I believe, each of us at least a couple of times was disappointed by the chosen restaurant).
During the tour he entertained us with interesting facts about the neighbourhood history, secrets and legends. Basically you end up with a full stomach and head full of new information.
Free Tours by Foot never let me down and whenever I have a friend visiting, I always know what to recommend. Thank you for such great job, guys!

I took the SoHo, little Italy and china town tour with Joss.
He told us from the start he had been a history teacher so would start talking about the history of New York at length but it was fascinating so we never told him to stop just waited, taking it all in, until he ran out of breath!
The walking pace is easy and I didn’t notice the time go by but it went for around two hours
On the tour I learnt some amazing history about the early years of settlement on the island of Manhattan and about the development of the three different neighbourhoods
At the end Josh provided some wonderful tips for being a tourist in New York that made me wish I had taken the tour at the start of my visit to nyc and not the morning of the day I flew out
There are many other tours run by this company so take a look to see which area you want to learn about and see thru the eyes of a local

I went on the Bushwick Street Art tour, and it was great! The guide was friendly, knowledgeable, and informative, and he was able to answer the group’s questions. We saw a lot art during the two hour tour, and it did not get boring as it was extremely varied. Plus, the group was small enough so that everyone could circle around the guide to hear him clearly. The one critique I had was that the guide tried to avoid saying the area is gentrifying (which it is) by saying that it is turning itself around or something to that extent. To my friends and I, this was extremely offending to the people who live or have lived in the neighborhood and made it so unique.
Bushwick is a very cultural, artsy neighborhood that has a lot of small bars, cafes, and restaurants, so my friends and I popped into a café for some coffee after the tour to warm up. You could make a whole day out of the tour and spend a few more hours exploring the neighborhood. We also started the tour outside of a chocolate factory (free samples).
I will definitely go on another tour by Free Tours by Foot. It’s a cheap activity that teaches a lot about different aspects of the city. Plus, you get some exercise while you’re at it!

I’ve only done one tour with these folks, but this one really was amazing. I’ve done free walking tours in all sorts of European cities and was pleasantly surprised when they had this concept here as well. You get a ‘free’ tour, and you can pay whatever you like at the end. If you’re trying to budget and wondering what the range is, I did see a bunch of people hand over a $ 20 bill to the tour guide at the end. I gave $ 25 because I though it was brilliant, but your experience may vary and you are certainly welcome to give less or much more, if you had a great time.
My tour was the Bushwick Graffiti and Street Art tour, since renamed the Brooklyn Graffiti and Street Art tour. It takes place in a gritty, working class neighborhood of Bushwick, where there are both famous and aspiring artists creating art on the walls all around on a constantly-​changing basis. My tour guide happened to be an artist (of a different sort) himself, living in that neighborhood, very well-​versed in the artists, and had even spoken to many of them. He even kept up to date with the city’s urban planning status and gentrification issues affecting this area.
It was such a lovely experience to hear about how the neighborhood developed and how the art evolved over the decades. He describes the difference between «graffiti art» and «street art», and breaks down the techniques and characteristics of each, as well as giving an extensive art history lesson about graffiti art, as it related to this area and New York in general. I learned a lot of graffiti art vocabulary and the dynamics of how/​why a graffiti artist might paint over another artist’s work (really fascinating, those dynamics). He was very knowledgeable answering questions about what makes this art better than that art, or why one person would gravitate towards this or that, etc. Really great.
Bathrooms: No public bathrooms, but the guide might be able to point you to a nearby café or bar if you get desperate.

I’m always a fan of the «Free Tours by Foot» as I’ve always had good experiences with this concept in other U.S. cities. All the times I’ve been to NYC yet I never took an actual tour, which is a shame because there’s only so much you can discover on your own. I joined the «SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown Tour» which a two hour tour, though it was cut a bit short as we were caught in a rain downpour as we approached Chinatown.
The tour guide was a lifelong New Yorker who had lots of interesting facts and a great accent. The only reason I didn’t give five stars is that it didn’t cover many of the sites that the website said it would. The tour was probably more heavy on SoHo and less on Little Italy and Chinatown which is a shame. Don’t get me wrong, what I did learn about SoHo was very interesting but it wasn’t as balanced.
But for sure, wear walking shoes (it’s not an obscene amount of walking but you want to be comfortable), bring water, hat and umbrella (I didn’t bring an umbrella even though there was no rain in the forecast but it poured and made for an uncomfortable walk). And definitely definitely give at least $ 20 or more per person. These guides are talking non-​stop for two hours. I would definitely more tours with this group on my next visit.

We took a walking tour yesterday with Dante Salerno as our guide. He was most personable and the two hours flew by! Very knowledgeable about the area and all that it has to offer. Loved every moment of our afternoon with him and definitely recommend him. We had a lovely group of people from all over the world, and Dante made sure that everyone was well fed and happy.
Looking forward to booking an other tour very soon! Highly recommend Dante!

My Mom and I took the Greenwich Village Tour and we both thoroughly enjoyed it!
Renee Rewiski is a gem. In addition to knowing her history, she has a great sense of humor and kept the pace moving at a great rate.
I live in San Francisco and my Mom and I take similar tours locally. I always wonder how it would feel to take a tour in a city that I don’t know as well as San Francisco. Well, now I know. We never felt like tourists in the annoying cliched sense! Renee made us feel welcome in her city and encouraged questions. She was able to answer every last one. How she kept the tour to two hours so precisely I’ll never know.
Walking with Renee is walking with a friendly local who knows her stuff. I can’t praise her and the tour enough.

I took the Bushwick Graffiti and Street Art Tour in Brooklyn on a Sunday afternoon, Mar was our guide and he is really knowledgeable and gave a great tour. Having been to NY many times, and visiting galleries and museums, but never a tour of street art. I have to say it is one of the best! The street art themselves were amazing too, so I would highly recommend this to anyone who is interested in art and a different point of view. The fact that it is «Free» tour makes it no excuse for anyone to not give it a try! Of course having had a great experience I did pay a proper amount as I saw it, so don’t be cheap either if you can.

I did the Bushwick Graffiti and Street Art Tour on a very hot, very sunny summer day, but it was so great that neither of those facts bothered me. The guide was really enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Overall, it was a fantastic couple of hours, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do another tour when I’m in the area.

We did the Lower East Side Food Tour with Katherine and loved it! We tasted several new foods for us and everything was delicious. Katherine was very knowledgeable about the history of the LES and we felt like we learned a lot about the area during the tour in addition to the tasty food. The tour lasted about an hour and 45 minutes. Highly recommend this food tour!

I’ve taken a couple of these tours in the past year, and was incredibly impressed by both. In July 2014, a couple friends and I joined the SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown tour. While I’d visited all three neighborhoods on previous trips to NYC, I learned a great deal about each on the tour.
In May 2015, my sister and I joined the Greenwich Village tour, which takes you into parts of Manhattan the average tourist just isn’t exposed to. You’ll see iconic sites made famous by television shows like Friends or Sex and the City, along with some historic bars and beautiful side streets.
Based on our experience with the two tours taken so far, I think pretty much everything this organization must be exceptional. The guides were both local and were able to answer any questions we had — with fantastic attitudes.
Remember to tip! :)

I discovered Free Tours by Foot through a friend who invited me to join him for the tour of Harlem led by Derik. The tour lasted for almost 3 hours and was definitely an adventure. I learned a lot about history and art of Harlem. We did a few stops on the way for pictures/​water/​snack break and mingling. I enjoyed the tour, however, it seemed a bit too long. The last hour was a drag for me.
Interestingly enough, once in a while the tour guide was interrupted by locals passing by who were adding on to the story he was telling. Harlem is a very interesting neighborhood, totally different from the rest of Manhattan that tourists normally explore.
My second experience with Free Tours by Foot was the Manhattan Street Art tour with Izzy and Mar. It was AMAZING. First of all, the guides are artists themselves and definitely know their subject. I learned a lot about street art and its distinction from graffiti art. We explored many unique artworks on walls, doors/​gates, restaurants, dumpsters, ground etc. Second, Izzy and Mar were very friendly, energetic and entertaining. They were eager to answer our questions and provide directions. Last, although the tour went a bit over 2 hours, the time flew by very very quickly.
Bear in mind that street art is constantly changing and evolving, therefore, every time you take this tour, it will have different content.
I highly recommend Free Tours by Foot. One of the best ways to experience local culture and history, especially if this is your first time in NYC.

This is an amazing service, especially because it is free!
I did the Grenwich Village food tour with them…
We made 6 stops and learned some history along the way, which was a nice bonus. Below are the places we tried:
Mamoums Falafel
Artichoke pizza
Faicco’s
Bantum Bagels
Bleecker St Pizza
Sugar & Plumm

I’m giving only 3 stars *gasp* based on two tours with Free Tours by Foot. One was awesome (Harlem walking tour with Juan) and one was *really* crappy (Greenwich Village Food Tour).
HARLEM with Juan
To start with the good one. The Harlem walking tour was excellent. Juan was a great guide, and brought a small microphone, which made it a lot easier to get all the info. Somewhat unusual (compared to other walking tours) was that he used his iPad to show photos of the people he told us about. Unusual — but great! It’s kinda shocking realizing how white the media is today.
Tourwise, it was a good length and the information was interesting, relevant and really up to date, bringing up subjects as what it’s like to be black in today’s society.
Highly recommended!
GREENWICH VILLAGE FOOD TOUR with Lori
This tour really disappointed me. It started of well with some interesting information about the Washington Sq Park, but that was about it. Very little information about the area we walked in («these famous people once lived in this house») and the food was quite bland. The Bleecker Street pizza was nice, but that’s the only one I’d recommend. Falafel — nothing special. Artichoke pizza — lacked spices. Bagels — can’t believe I paid for those! Just a random hyped thing which are not good. Italian rice balls — bland. Ugh. If you’re a foodie and/​or interested in the area — choose another tour.
Regardless of this, the guides aren’t doing these tours for fun… Some people on my tour talked about tipping $ 2 – 3 «as we’re students.»… As you pay around $ 50 for other tours, that’s just shameful (even if you hate it).

We have taken two tours with Free Tours by Foot — Greenwich Village and Soho, Nolita & Chinatown. I am not sure how you could give the tours less than 5 stars because it is up to you to pay the guide what you think the tour is worth so you
determine the maximum value for money and time.
This wasn’t my first time in any of these neighborhoods but I still gained a lot of valuable info that I probably wouldn’t have gleened otherwise about the culture, history and architecture. The guides really know their stuff and I was happy that the pace of the tour moved along fairly quickly.
Like any tour, you will pass many places that looked really interesting and that you wish you could spend more time at. Be sure to take a picture, use a tracker app (or old school write it down) because the tour routes that you take are really circuitous so the places will be tricky to find again after the tour.

When I come to a city, there are a few things I want to do:
1) Explore the neighborhoods like a local instead of a tourist.
2) Eat all the things.
Ok, two things I want to do.
I had a friend who told me the last time she was in NYC, she went on a food tour and I thought that was a solid idea. So I looked it up and found Free Tours by Foot. And my god am I happy I did.
I did the Greenwich Village one and it was awesome. You have to book in advance as they only have a limited amount of spots on each tour. The day before, you get a very clear email saying exactly where to meet at what time. Our guide was great, right on time and very knowledgable.
The key aspect of this spot was the food. Oh my, what food it was. We stopped at six different spots and sampled along the way. Every spot was $ 1 for a taste of food and each one worth tasting, from amazing artichoke pizza, regular pizza, arancini balls, falafel, bagel bites and chocolate. So good.
As we walked through the neighbourhood, our would point out interesting sites and bits of trivia or history. I learned, I ate, I was happy.
It’s pay what you want at the end, but we were never even asked for money (although, seriously, throw your guide some dollars. They’ve earned it). I can’t recommend these tours enough, loved every second.

Tour de NY gratuit (pourboire selon appréciation) pour ceux qui comprennent l’anglais. J’ai pris le Greenwich Village Tour et le Soho/​Little Italy/​Chinatown dans la même journée.
Je recommande vivement de prendre les tours du matin pour éviter la foule, je parle en connaissance de cause car nous avons perdu notre guide pour le second tour qui était a 14h.
Nous avons eu Renée pour les deux tours et elle était très dynamique et agréable à écouter, elle nous délivrait des informations historiques mais aussi beaucoup de références aux films tournés dans le quartier, tout aussi intéressants les uns que les autres.
Je compte déjà refaire une visite avec eux !

Went on a walking tour with Dante Salerno of SoHo/​Little Italy/​Chinatown. Can’t believe I’ve lived in NYC for about 5 years and just discovered this tour company. Love that it’s «pay what you wish.» Makes it really affordable for anyone to go.
Dante was so knowledgable and friendly. It was a hot summer day but somehow it wasn’t that bad walking around with Dante. I think he did a good job of finding us shade to stop in.
It was an amazing tour and I learned so much about places I’ve been before but never realized their historical significance. Really adds a new dimension of appreciation for this city. Thanks, Dante!