NYC Lower East Side Walking and Food Tour
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
New York City, USA
- 3 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
mmerse yourself in the the food and multicultural history of Manhattan’s Lower East Side on this half-day guided walking tour with a small group. Let a guide showcase local hotspots and specialties, and chart their European, Jewish, and other cultural roots. Taste local favorites such as pastrami, bialy, and more.
- Enjoy a more relaxed pace and personal attention with a small group
- Visit landmarks including Orchard Street and the Tenement Museum
- Come hungry; enjoy tastings that amount to a full meal
- Learn stories about 19th-century immigrant life that many travelers miss
Why Travelers Choose This Tour
Sample NYC’s signature comfort foods on this tour of a fast-changing area with bags of multicultural history.
What's Included
- Bottled water
- Local guide
- Lunch
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Katz's Delicatessen205 E Houston St, New York, NY 10002, USA
This NYC institution is the home of the worlds greatest pastrami.
End point
- Doughnut Plant379 Grand St, New York, NY 10002, USA
They beat Bobby Flay in a throw down for good reason. These doughnuts are to die for.
Operating hours.10:30 am
Itinerary
1
Katz's Delicatessen
25 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Russ & Daughters
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Economy Candy
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Vanessa's Dumpling House
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Essex Market
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
The Pickle Guys
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Kossar's Bagels & Bialys
20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Doughnut Plant
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Lower East Side (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Rain or shine
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Dress code is casual
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise when you meet your guide
- Please advise any specific dietary/allergy requirements when you meet your guide
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
jgherman
Adam was a fantastic guide. He was fun to be with, had a great sense of humor, and his deep knowledge of the history and multicultural flavor of the neighborhood opened our eyes to a part of New York that should not be missed. Great selection of must-experience food stops along the way. Bring your appetite!
Reviews
5.0
based on 681 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Brittany_L, Jul 2026
Our guide Amanda was amazing! She was very friendly and brought great energy to the tour. She was very accommodating, including finding gluten free options at most stops. She also made sure that at the end of the tour we all knew how to get to our next destinations or back to our hotels. We highly recommend this tour.
Patricia_F, Jul 2026
The guide, Amanda, was amazing! The food stops were wonderful.
It was fabulous; and such a highlight to our visit to NYC.
Jason_L, Jul 2026
David was an energetic, friendly, and very knowledgeable guide. His enthusiasm for New York City's history and food scene was contagious, and he kept the tour engaging from start to finish.
If you're looking for a fun, informative, and delicious introduction to the Lower East Side, I highly recommend this tour. It was a fantastic way to experience one of New York's most historic neighborhoods.
ROBIN_S, Jun 2026
This tour was tons of fun! The lead, Amanda, is adorable and made everyone feel so welcome. She was very knowledgeable and intentional about the stops. Needless to say, the foods we tasted were amazing, and we learned so much about the area.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you!
Donna_R, Jun 2026
Stops are good and guide friendly and fairly knowledgeable, but orders should have been placed before arriving. We waited almost 30 minutes before eating at our first stop, and there were other stops with long waits as well. The guide knew how many people to order for in advance (we all had paid by the time the tour started!) and so, in my opinion, the waits were unnecessary. Additionally, at Katz's each guest should have been given 1/2 a sandwich rather than make their own -- the size of the sandwich is part of the experience. Neither enough meat nor bread was brought to the table (everything was eaten). Also, guests should be told in advance that there may not be seating at all the stops (or better, seating should have been reserved in advance and timing better adhered to). We knew we were walking, but we were on our feet the WHOLE time. Additionally, I thought it odd to make a stop in a candy store without any candy being included in the tour cost. It wasn't expensive, but didn't make sense.
Plus, the tour ended very late. I have taken over a dozen food tours and this the only one where orders had not been pre-made and where there was no seating available. The guide was friendly and pretty knowledgeable, but the tour was poorly organized.
Response from Host, Jun 2026
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the food stops and found your guide friendly and knowledgeable.
Regarding the pacing, we do our best to have food ready upon arrival whenever possible, but because we visit some of New York City’s most popular local establishments, occasional waits can occur, especially during busy periods. We believe the quality and authenticity of these neighborhood favorites are worth it, even when it means a little less predictability than restaurants with more available seating.
As for seating, some of our stops have seating available while others do not, and availability can vary depending on how busy each location is that day. Since our tours focus on experiencing iconic local businesses in their natural setting, reserved seating is not always possible.
We also wanted to clarify that our tour includes eight stops, with food tastings at six of them. We visit the Essex Street Market as part of the neighborhood experience, and we stop at Economy Candy because it is a true New York institution featuring candies from around the world and nostalgic favorites. Since candy preferences vary widely from person to person, guests are welcome to browse and purchase something if they wish, but candy is not included as one of the food tastings.
We appreciate your comments regarding Katz’s and the overall timing of the tour, and we’ll certainly take them into consideration as we continue to improve the experience.
With all that being said, if there is something I can do to make it right, please reach out to me directly at 646-883-0310 or dante@niceguytours.com
Jerry_W, May 2026
Amanda was amazing. She knew a lot about our food stops and gave interesting information about food, and neighborhoods. She has a lot of energy too.
Response from Host, May 2026
Thank you very much!
Maureen_H, May 2026
The tasting tour of the Lower East Side was a great experience. Amanda was a friendly, knowledgeable and funny guide, and she definitely knew her history. We learned so much, ate a lot of excellent food and enjoyed this unique part of the City. Amanda was also able to answer questions about other things to do and make suggestions for the rest of our NY visit.
Sarah_L, Apr 2026
Amanda was amazing! She knew so much about the food and also the history of the area! Such a fun and informative way to learn more about the area!!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words.
Allie_V, Feb 2026
Great tour! Loved the food tastings and learning about the Lower East Side. David was a fantastic guide and very knowledgeable. Would suggest having water at each stop. Would do this tour again!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for joining us and for the five star review.
Kathleen_G, Feb 2026
Amanda was enthusiastic, friendly and knowledgeable! Food stops were a great choice. Plenty of food; good variety!
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you so much for joining us and for the fabulous five star review.
Andrea_S, Jan 2026
Good mix of food sampled and Amanda was super knowledgeable and engaging! Make sure you check weather to not let that be a hinderance
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Thank you very much! Hope to see again on another tour.
David_P, Dec 2025
Knowledgeable guide, plethora of food, fun part of town and the small group size allowed an intimate time to be had by all.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thanks very much!
Ruth_V, Dec 2025
Our guide Amanda was so friendly,knowledgeable about the history & culture of the area & the food was delicious & plentiful. A tour not to be missed.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Wow! Thank you so much.
Gary_S, Dec 2025
The tour starts at Katz‘s deli. Getting in ahead of the crowd was worth the price on its own. Great walk around the lower East side, learning the history, and of course sampling food along the way.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Wow! Thanks so much for the review. Please come see us again.
Annmarie_G, Nov 2025
Awesome food tour with David! Lots of historical information about the Lower East Side and front of the line passes to Katz’s deli! Great thing to do in NYC, even if you are a native New Yorker!
Response from Host, Nov 2025
Thank you! Hope to see you next time.
Lillian_S, Oct 2025
Amanda is exceptional, we really enjoyed her tour!! We learned many interesting facts & some detailed history about the lower east side & had fun as well
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Thank you so much!
Linda_C, Oct 2025
Ian did a great job with a good mix of interesting facts and good food for a very worth while tour - it was very entertaining! Thanks Ian!
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Wow! We are so glad you enjoyed your tour with Ian. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Hal_B, Sep 2025
Great survey of Lower East Side delicacies with an engaging and knowledgeable guide. Be sure to bring your appetite
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you so much! Hope to see you again.
Brad_W, Jun 2025
Whole lotta carbs on this food tour. I loved Katz’s, the dumpling’s, and the bagel shop, but would loved to have had some kind of sampling at the market. I’d also love another stop with proteins rather than the donuts (the rugelach was a better sweet.
I’d replace pickles and donuts.
David was very friendly and knowledgeable. Had a good time but was not high on my list of best food tours.
Response from Host, Jun 2025
Hi there, and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review.
We’re happy to hear you enjoyed Katz’s, the dumplings, and the bagels—and that you found David to be friendly and knowledgeable. That really means a lot to us.
We hear you on the variety of food, and we totally get that everyone has their own preferences. Our tour is definitely designed around iconic New York comfort foods—things like bagels, dumplings, donuts—because we want to showcase the neighborhood’s rich food culture and the quick, delicious bites New Yorkers really love. It’s a bit of a love letter to the Lower East Side and all its flavor and history.
That said, we appreciate your thoughts and always value feedback that helps us grow. If you’d ever like to chat more about your experience, feel free to reach out to me directly at 646-883-0310 or dante@niceguytours.com. We’re always listening.
Thanks again for joining us, and safe travels wherever you go next!
lsachais16, May 2025
David was wonderful. Good balance between history of neighborhoods and current info. Had delicious food and learned a lot about the history of the neighborhoods
Response from Host, May 2025
Hi there! So glad you enjoyed your time with David. Please consider taking another tour with us next time.
MOLLY_H, Mar 2025
Great experience. Locally owned. Guide fantastic - gave a ton of city history and how food influenced the neighborhood and history
Response from Host, Mar 2025
Hi Molly! Thank you for the fantastic review. We really appreciate you signing up. Please come see us again.
Daniel_R, Jan 2025
Nice amount of time to learn some of the basic history of the Lower East Side and experience some of the older and newer foods to come out of the area.
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Hi Daniel! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this five star review. We are glad you enjoyed your time with us exploring the Lower East Side. We hope to see you next time!
Christine_H, Dec 2024
Very informative tour and amazing food choices! We definitely loved Emmeline, she was a wonderful guide.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi Christine! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this five star review. We are very grateful for you and for your business. We are so glad you had a great time with Emmeline, please consider taking another tour with us.
MICHAEL_B, Dec 2024
The food and neighborhood history was terrific. Our guide was a pleasure! I would recommend this to anyone!
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hey Michael! Thank you for the awesome review. We are so glad you enjoyed your tour with us. Please come see us again for another of our walking food tours.
Rosemary_B, Nov 2024
David he is an excellent guide tour. Very insightful and personable. The tour was interesting and the food was wonderful. Gave us knowledge to go back and share with our family and friends.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Wow! Thank you for your kind words about David and the tour as a whole. We appreciate you and your business. Please come back and take another tour with us ASAP.
mrafferty1101, Nov 2024
History, culture and food were all fun and tasty. I look forward going back to that area. Adam was entertaining and knowledgeable!
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Hi there! Thanks for taking the time to write this five star review. We really appreciate you signing up for the Lower East Side Food Tour and are really glad you enjoyed your time with Adam. Come back and see us again for another tour, please!
azion970, Oct 2024
Great tour, wonderful stops with iconic foods of NYC. Hit a bunch of places, no lines, no waiting, tables waiting, food quickly follows.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Oh wow! Thank you so much for the five star review. Please come back and see us again next time you are in NYC.
Philip_Y, Sep 2024
It was a great tour. David was a great tour guide, knew his cultural and neighborhood history. NYC Revealed should follow him on a tour for one of their shows.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Hello Phil and Ann! Thank you for taking the time to write this five star review. We love David and we are glad you do too. Please come back and do another tour ASAP!
kpraec01, Sep 2024
Adam was a wonderful guide. We had ample food and time at each stop. We learned a lot. Highly recommend
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Hi there! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this five star review. We are so glad you enjoyed your time with Adam and of course the food! Come see us again ASAP.
Robert_H, Sep 2024
Our guide, emmile, was wonderful. She was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It was a great time! Highly recommend her!
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Hey Robert! Thank you for the five star review - we appreciate you taking the time to tell the world about your experience. “Wonderful, knowledgeable and enthusiastic” - what more could we ask for? Please come do another tour with us soon.
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