Top 4 NYC Subway and Underground Tours

1.New York City Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 411 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $49Our pick

Meet your English-speaking guide at Bowling Green and walk Manhattan’s African-American Freedom Trail through Battery Park, Wall Street, Foley Square, and African Burial Ground. Guides such as Ludie, Maia, and Sean use photos and personal context to connect overlooked places with slavery, abolition, and escape.

“The tour was interesting and I did learn a lot but it is a lot of standing for long periods while the tour guide talks. There is not a lot to really SEE. Unfortunately several of the parts of the tour were under construction or blocked off (the statues outside the Museum of the American Indian, the African Burial Ground) which was disappointing. I wish the tour company had let us know that in advance, although the tour did go into the African Burial Ground museum since the area itself was closed. Again, I learned a lot and found the information interesting, but be warned that it is a lot…”

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2.NYC Underground Subway Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 361 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $39Best value

Follow a native New Yorker through New York’s subway past, from City Hall Park and the Municipal Building to Union Square. You’ll ride the 6 train, view abandoned stations, spot subway art, and hear the guide through provided earpieces. Guides may include AJ, Pete, Cullen, Rayn, or Alexis.

“lots of history and data about railway and trains. Guide is a railway museum expert. Enthusiastic. Some business history, but, missing stories about the people in the subway, singers, beggers, criminals (?) or even about animals there (?). So, a bit boring in my eyes. Plus, after almost 2 hours in the subway we felt short in clear air.”

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3.History of Slavery & Underground Railroad Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 87 reviews · 2h 30m · from $49

Walk Lower Manhattan with an English-speaking guide and connect sites such as Fraunces Tavern, Trinity Church, Wall Street, and the African Burial Ground National Memorial to New York’s history of slavery and resistance. Expect about 150 minutes on foot, difficult stories, and plenty of time for questions.

“I grew up in NYC but learned so much about this important part of history. This is the stuff that they don’t teach you in school. Loved it and highly recommend!!!”

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4.Guided Private Underground New York Subway Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 51 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Join guide Gary for a private 2.5-hour tour of New York’s subway history, art, engineering, and politics. Ride the original route, view the abandoned City Hall Station from the train, study Astor Place’s terra-cotta beavers, and finish at Grand Central Terminal.

“This tour was EXCELLENT!!!! And so reasonably priced. Gary is just a wealth of information on the New York City subway system and he loves to share it . He talked nonstop for three hours and gave us such a history of the subway system . He was personable , pleasant and answered all of our questions and listened to.our comments . I would highly recommend this tour to anyone . There were a group of six of us and the only issue we had is that at the beginning , because he had to give us so much history , we stood in one spot for about 40 minutes…”

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