Manhattan Walking Tours in NYC
Walk New York's Central Park, Financial District, Fifth Avenue
Oct 5, 2009
Heading out to walk the neighborhoods of New York is a fun, involved, and adventurous way to see the sights and life of the city. Self-guided walking tours of New York offer a relaxed place and low-budget entertainment.
Museums and History in the Financial District, Manhattan
The Financial District offers visitors many sightseeing options within a small area. Whether it’s a tour to the gold vaults of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York or a quiet moment in the grounds of St. Paul’s Chapel, visitors will find the history of the district rich and intriguing.
Be sure to bring a map because south of Houston Street, the Manhattan streets start to twist in strange ways. Then again, for some, getting lost can often be the best part of a self-guided walking tour. Historic sites to visit on a walking tour of the Financial District include:
- Federal Reserve Bank of New York (33 Liberty St.)
- New York Stock Exchange (20 Broad St. and 11 Wall St.)
- Federal Hall National Memorial—a free American history museum and the site of Washington’s inauguration (26 Wall St.)
- St. Paul’s Chapel (209 Broadway)
Central Park Self-guided Walks
Lush with the warmth of summer or crisp and bundled up in winter, Central Park makes a top destination for a walking tour in Manhattan. This slice of green space offers New York visitors opportunities to bird-watch, rent paddle boats, ice skate, or explore the maze of pathways.
Excellent sites to include on a Central Park walking tour include:
- Wollman Rink and zoo (southeast corner of the park)
- Strawberry Fields (west-central park)
- Fountain and lakes (central park)
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (east-central park)
- Lasker Rink and pool and Conservatory Garden (north end of park)
NYC Summer Walking Tours along Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
A walking tour along Fifth Avenue makes a fascinating day trip. Boasting some of the city's most notable buildings and about a dozen museums in the Museum Mile, a Fifth Avenue walking tour reveals favorite sights but still conceals plenty for visitors to discover. Top Fifth Avenue attractions include:
- Flat Iron Building (175 Fifth Ave.)
- Empire State Building (350 Fifth Ave.)
- New York Public Library (8 West 40th St.)
- Saks Fifth Avenue (611 Fifth Ave.)
- St. Patrick’s Cathedral (at 50th Street)
Museums along the famed museum mile include the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 5th Ave.), the Museum of Modern Art (11 West 53 St.), the Guggenheim Museum (1071 5th Ave.), and El Museo del Barrio (1230 5th Ave.).
Planning a Budget NYC Vacation
Taking independent or guided walking tours make excellent options for budget travelers. By exploring on-foot, travelers can experience the street-level life of New York. Asking directions, stopping for coffee, or admiring architecture are all part of the discovery.
Although these three Manhattan neighborhoods rate as some of the most vibrant and historical, there are other exciting neighborhoods such as Little Italy, Chinatown, or Greenwich Village that are ready to be explored as part of an NYC vacation.
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