New York City – Local Tours
If you’re someone who loves taking tours and are visiting New York City, you’ve come to the right place. There are all different kinds of tours you can take in the Big Apple. No matter what your interests are, there’s bound to be a tour or two that suits you.
Of course, with so many tours to choose from, deciding which ones to go on can be a challenge. That’s precisely why we put together this list of some of the best tours in New York City. From a tour of NBC Studios in iconic 30 Rock to one led by the real-life Kramer from Seinfeld, these tours make a trip to New York City even more unforgettable.
The Tour at NBC Studios
Want to see where shows like Saturday Night Live, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt are filmed? If so, take The Tour at NBC Studios. This one-of-a-kind tour gives guests a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most famous television networks in the country.
The Tour at NBC Studios takes place at the network’s headquarters in 30 Rockefeller Plaza, a historic skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan. You might know it better by its nickname, 30 Rock.
On the tour, you’ll see studios, the NBC Production Gallery, the NBC Broadcast Operations Center, and more. All the while, you’ll learn about the TV production process.
You’ll then put your newly acquired knowledge to use as you and the rest of your tour group produce your own show in the state-of-the-art Tour Studio. For many, this is one of the best parts of tour. The show then gets emailed to you for you to download later.
Believe it or not, they manage to do all that in approximately 65 minutes. This makes The Tour at NBC Studios perfect for travelers with already-busy itineraries.
East Village Punk ‘n’ Rock Tour
Music fans, listen up! The East Village Punk ‘n’ Rock Tour brings music history to life by taking guests on a walking tour of the East Village. This is the neighborhood where bands like Blondie, The Ramones, The Velvet Underground, and the New York Dolls used to rock and roll all night and party every day. A lot has changed since then, but the East Village Punk ‘n’ Rock Tour is fascinating nevertheless.
This two-hour tour will show you where the famous bands that called the East Village home once lived, performed, shopped, hung out, and more. You’ll also see where covers of famous albums, such as The Ramones’ self-titled debut and Led Zeppelin’s Physical Graffiti, were photographed.
Punk music isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, though. And that’s okay because Rock Junket, the company that runs the East Village Punk ‘n’ Rock Tour, offers other music-related New York City walking tours too. Some of these other tours include the Greenwich Village Rock Tour, the Union Square Rock Tour, and the Beatles Walking Tour.
Kramer’s Reality Tour
If you’ve ever seen the classic sitcom Seinfield, you know who Cosmo Kramer is. But did you know that the character was based off of a real person? That person is Kenny Kramer. Yes, they even share the same last name. And just like Cosmo Kramer lives across the hall from Jerry on Seinfeld, Kenny Kramer used to live across the hall from the show’s co-creator, Larry David.
In 1996, during the height of Seinfeld’s popularity, Kramer launched Kramer’s Reality Tour. More than 20 years later, he’s still at it, taking Seinfans around to landmarks featured on the show.
The three-hour tour starts with an onstage performance by Kramer. After that, you’ll take a bus ride past places like Tom’s Restaurant, which stood in for the fictional Monk’s Café on the show, and the apartment building where the fictional Kramer and Jerry “live.”
The bus also makes a stop at The Original Soupman restaurant, home of the infamous Soup Nazi. You’re welcome to go in and get some soup; just make sure you keep the line moving or else “No soup for you!”
The Small Batch Tour of Brooklyn Brewery
Going on The Small Batch Tour of Brooklyn Brewery is a must for all New York-bound beer lovers. Founded in 1988 by two neighbors, this Brooklyn-based brewing company has gone on to become one of America’s favorite breweries.
Like the “Small Batch” name implies, this intimate tour of the company’s original brewery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is limited to only 20-some people. This ensures that everyone on the tour can geek out and ask all the beer-related questions they might have.
Although the Small Batch Tour is only 45 minutes long, they manage to fit a lot in. In that time, you’ll enjoy a guided tasting of four different Brooklyn beers followed by a Brooklyn Brewery history lesson, a step-by-step look at how their beer is made, and a tour of the brewhouse.
The fun doesn’t have to end when the tour does, either. Afterwards, feel free to stick around, have a few more beers, and do some souvenir shopping at The Company Store. They’ve got T-shirts, hats, glassware, wall decor, and plenty more Brooklyn Brewery-branded goodies.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York Museum & Gold Vault Tour
Ever wish you could feel like Scrooge McDuck, surrounded by comically large quantities of gold? Well, on the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Museum & Gold Vault Tour, you can. That’s because the bank’s vault is home to approximately 497,000 gold bars, which weigh in around a whopping 6,190 tons. That’s about five percent of all the gold ever mined.
The hour-long-ish tour includes a visit to the vault, which is located 80 feet below street level. But that’s not all. You’ll also learn about the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve through a variety of exhibits, some of which are interactive.
Keep an eye out for the 1933 double eagle coin on display. Despite having a face value of $20, one of these coins sold at auction in 2002 for more than $7 million. You won’t look at spare change the same way again.
It probably goes without saying that there isn’t a gift shop located inside the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. You do get a free souvenir, however, and a unique one at that. It’s a bag filled with money! Shredded money, that is. Sorry if we got your hopes up.