Private and group tours in New York

Private and group tours in New York

Your own guide, your own schedule and a route shaped around the people you're traveling with.

Plan a custom tour

Your own guide

A local guide who is there for your group alone, so every question gets answered and every story is pitched at the people in front of them.

Your schedule

Start when it suits you, not when the next departure leaves. Slow down for the toddler, speed up for the teenagers, stop for coffee whenever you like.

A route built for you

Book one of our private tours as it is, or tell us what your group cares about and we'll shape the stops, the pace and the stories around it.

New York, planned around your people

A group tour is a great way to meet the city. A private tour is how you make it your own. Whether you're bringing three generations of a family, marking a big birthday, leading a class of students or hosting a team from out of town, the right guide and the right route turn a day of sightseeing into the part of the trip everyone talks about afterward.

Every private and group tour on this site is designed and run by ExperienceFirst, the tour company founded here in New York City in 2009. Our guides live in the city, and after more than 85,000 five-star reviews (a 4.9 average) we've learned what makes a group's day work: fewer lines, sensible walking distances, good food stops and a guide who reads the room.

Pick a ready-made private tour below, or tell us about your group and we'll put together something tailored.

Who we plan for

A family at work at the pizza-making workshop

Traveling with kids, parents and grandparents means balancing very different energy levels. A private guide can do that in a way a public tour can't: shorter walking stretches, more sit-down breaks, stories pitched at the youngest listeners and plenty of snack stops along the way.

Families often pair a morning walking tour with something hands-on in the afternoon. Stretching dough at our pizza-making workshop keeps everyone busy, and a private luxury car tour saves little legs while still covering the big sights.

Good to know

  • Tell us the ages in your group so your guide can plan the pace
  • Strollers work on most walking routes
  • Build in a food stop: it's the secret to a happy afternoon
  • Private car tours are ideal for grandparents or anyone who'd rather not walk all day
Guests at a private dinner with a Broadway artist

Birthdays, anniversaries, honeymoons, graduations, proposals and family reunions all deserve better than a crowded bus. A private tour gives you the city's best backdrops without strangers in every photo, and the flexibility to linger where the moment feels right.

Let us know what you're celebrating when you get in touch. A sunset stop on the Brooklyn waterfront, a private dinner with a Broadway artist or an evening high above Midtown can all be worked into the plan.

Ideas we love

  • Photo stops timed for golden hour
  • A hosted dinner or hands-on workshop to end the day
  • Skyline views from an observation deck
  • A route through the neighborhood where you first met, got engaged or grew up
Guide with Statue of Liberty tour group
A guide with a group on a Statue of Liberty tour

New York is one enormous classroom. In a single day students can stand where George Washington was sworn in as president, walk the streets where the modern financial system grew up, reflect at the 9/11 Memorial and look out at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants first arrived.

Tell us your group size, the students' ages and the topics you're covering, and we'll suggest a route and a guide to match, whether the focus is immigration, American history, architecture or the arts. Lower Manhattan works especially well for history-focused groups because so much is within a short walk.

Popular themes

  • Immigration and Ellis Island
  • The founding of the nation in Lower Manhattan
  • 9/11 and the rebuilding of the World Trade Center
  • Skyscrapers, engineering and city planning
A group busking together on a private music experience

Whether you're welcoming clients, rewarding a sales team or giving conference attendees an afternoon off, a well-planned tour does more for team spirit than another hotel ballroom. We've hosted everything from small leadership groups to large incentive trips.

Hands-on experiences are a favorite for teams: our pizza-making workshop and dinner and Broadway dance workshop get people laughing together fast, while Wall Street with a trader is a natural fit for finance and business groups.

Works well for

  • Team-building afternoons
  • Client entertaining and hosted dinners
  • Incentive trips and reward days
  • Conference add-ons and spouse programs
One of our guides with a group in New York

How a custom tour comes together

1. Tell us about your group. Use the form below to share your dates, group size and what you'd love to see. A rough idea is plenty to start.

2. We shape the plan. Our New York team suggests a route, timings and the right guide, and adjusts it until it fits.

3. Enjoy the day. Your guide meets you at a convenient spot and handles the navigating, so all your group has to do is enjoy the city.

At a glance

Format
Private to your group
Start time
Chosen by you
Getting around
On foot, by subway or private car

What private guests say

Our private tour with Jorge was amazing! We saw so many things in just one day and his knowledge was incredible. We had 4 moms and 4 teens, and he was able to keep us all happy and engaged all day. Highly recommend this as a way to see the NYC highlights in a day!

Jessica

Ray, our tour guide, was a fount of knowledge with plenty of tales and fun stories to share. The itinerary was full but well designed so it flowed well. I feel like we learnt so much about this beautiful city from a born and bred New Yorker who clearly loves this special place.

Karen

The best tour I've ever been on! I've been to the city multiple times and yet everything felt new. Jorge also took the time to share his in-depth knowledge of different cultures and communities. The tour itself felt like it was trying to be ethical by supporting small businesses. I would do it again!

Khaliah

Incredible guide. Ray's dedication and involvement in the tour were exceptional. He didn't just recite facts; he brought the boroughs to life with his personal anecdotes, deep knowledge, and engaging sense of humor.

Adrian

A perfect experience for colleagues, clients, or even a big group of friends. Ricky, Rufus, and Shah were incredible hosts who taught us every step of making great pizza.

Chris

Our group made 28 pizzas in 4 hours, and we had so much fun making up pizza combos and trying different variations. And now we know how to make delicious pizza at home from scratch!

Duane

The tour is amazing for families. Our guide, Sean, covered the historical, cultural and food aspects along the route. Highly recommended.

Harry

Jon was amazing. He was very knowledgeable, and the passion he has for what he does is truly exceptional. His passionate storytelling of the events of 9/11 brought us to tears more than once.

Pam

Plan a custom tour for your group

Share a few details and our New York team will get back to you with ideas.

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Private and group tour FAQs

On a public group tour you share the guide with other travelers and follow a set start time and route. A private tour is for your party alone: you choose the start time, the pace is set by your group, and the guide can adapt the route and stories to your interests.
Yes. Use the custom request form on this page to tell us your dates, group size and interests, and our team will suggest a plan. Many groups start from one of our existing private tours and adjust it.
As early as you can, especially for weekends, holidays, spring school-trip season and December, when private guides are in the highest demand. Larger groups and custom plans need a little extra time to arrange.
Yes. Tell us the students' ages, the group size and the topics you're studying, and we'll suggest a route and guide to match. History-focused itineraries around Lower Manhattan, the 9/11 Memorial and the Statue of Liberty are especially popular.
Yes. We plan tours and hosted experiences for teams, clients and conference groups, from walking tours to pizza-making and Broadway workshops. Send us your dates and headcount through the request form and we'll put together options.
Let us know when you get in touch. We can plan shorter walking stretches and more breaks, and our private luxury car tours are a comfortable way to see the city with very little walking.
New York Experience is run by ExperienceFirst, a tour company founded in New York City in 2009, with more than 85,000 five-star reviews and a 4.9 average rating.

Planning New York days since 2009

ExperienceFirst started in New York with a single walking tour. Today our guides lead families, celebrations, school groups and corporate teams across the city, and every private tour still gets the same local care.

About us

85k+

5-star reviews

4.9

average rating

Local guides

who call NYC home

Since 2009

leading tours in New York