Harlem Tours and Tickets

There are plenty of ways to experience Harlem. Looking at ratings and reviews previously given by customers, these are the best tours available right now:

• NYC Highlights Tour: Bronx, Brooklyn, Harlem, Queens & Coney

• Central Park Guided Pedicab Tours

• The Birthplace of Hip Hop Harlem and The Bronx

• The Soul of Harlem Walking Tour in New York

• Harlem Hip-Hop Walking Tour

While it’s free to visit Harlem on your own, there are plenty of affordable tours that can help you learn more about the New York City neighborhood with an expert guide—and have some fun along the way. Harlem walking tours start at US$27 per person, while tours that explore its hip-hop heritage begin at US$55, and gospel experiences start at US$59.

Yes, Harlem is worth visiting. The Uptown Manhattan neighborhood is one of the most vibrant in New York City, and is particularly celebrated as a hub of Black history and culture (including the Harlem Renaissance). Admire the brownstone buildings, catch some live jazz, or enjoy a gospel brunch. Exploring on your own is an option, though tours generally offer more in-depth engagement with the area's history.

Per one customer who booked the The Soul of Harlem Walking Tour in New York, "Larry was a wonderful tour guide.  Great sense of humor and source of knowledge. Thoughtful guide, worked a break into the tour. The tour felt very manageable for walking, at 2.5 hours it felt like it was only an hour of walking while getting so much fantastic knowledge and getting a great sense of Harlem. If you think you know what Harlem is like, what its history is, what it has to offer now...you don't quite until Larry gives it to you! Top recommendation!"

How you spend a day depends on your interests, but many visitors relish this neighborhood for its jazz scene—which runs deep. Catch a show at the Apollo Theatre or somewhere quaint like Bill’s Place, and tour the National Jazz Museum. Afterward, nosh on Harlem-classic soul food at Sylvia’s, grab cookies at the famous Levain Bakery, and head to Central Park.

It is perhaps best known for the Harlem Renaissance, the intellectual and cultural movement that birthed a new era for Black music, literature, fashion, art, theatre, dance, politics, and more. In the 1920s and ‘30s, the NYC neighborhood became a hotbed of creativity, and it still is to this day.

You’re probably thinking of 125th Street. Running from the Harlem River to Morningside Park, this avenue somehow manages to be historic across the eras—this is where you’ll find landmarks like the Apollo Theatre, plus ritzy Brownstones, tenement apartments, Art Deco and mid-century buildings, and more. It’s also somehow pedestrian-oriented and modern.

Many people will tell you that West Harlem is the most picturesque part of the area—if not all of New York City. It’s technically between 96th and 155th Streets; to the west is the Hudson River, and to the south is Columbia University. Expect tree-lined streets, spectacular turn-of-the-century homes, and spots like Riverbank State Park.

Yes, Harlem is just like any other busy neighborhood in any big city. Just be smart: Do your best not to walk alone at night, keep your vehicle locked, and don’t carry around or flaunt any valuables on your person. This logic goes for the entire city and beyond.

There are many things to do when you're done visiting Harlem. Travelers to New York City recommend the following places:

• Statue of Liberty

• Empire State Building

• Ellis Island

• Central Park

• National September 11 Memorial & Museum

View Viator's guide to all the best attractions in New York City.