11 Lower East Side Tours Worth the Subway Ride

1.Lower East Side Food Tour: Taste NYC’s American Dream

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,031 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $54Our pick

Walk about a mile through the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy with an English-speaking local guide. Expect four food samples, from dumplings and pizza to knish or empanada, plus stories about immigrant communities, Five Points, street art, and changing neighborhoods. Groups are capped at 14.

“Astrid was awesome. Lots of information in an easy to understand for preteens. Lots of food along the way.”

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2.NYC Lower East Side Walking and Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 646 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $94

Start at Katz’s Delicatessen at 10:30 am for a three-hour, small-group walk through Lower East Side food and immigrant history. Sample pastrami, dumplings, olive oils, pickles, candy and bialys, with a local guide and a maximum of 12 people. The tour ends at Doughnut Plant; guides have included Amanda, David, Ian and Adam.

“Our guide, emmile, was wonderful. She was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. It was a great time! Highly recommend her!”

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3.Taste the American Dream a Lower East Side Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 307 reviews · 3 hours · from $53

Start at the African Burial Ground Museum and walk through Chinatown, Little Italy, Nolita, and the Lower East Side with an English-speaking guide. Expect four food tastings, neighborhood history, and landmark stops, including the Tenement Museum exterior. The tour lasts three hours, covers about one mile, and limits groups to 14.

“Mikaela was excellent, so knowledgeable and informative. We really learned a lot and appreciated all the effort she put into her tour. Highly recommend her as a tour guide!!”

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4.East Village Rock and Roll Tour *Rock Junket Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 170 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $46Best value

Walk the East Village and Bowery for about two hours with a guide such as Bobby Pinn or Larry, who brings photos and album covers to the stories. Look for sites tied to CBGB, the Ramones, Iggy Pop, Andy Warhol and more, including famous photo locations. The group is capped at 15, and the walk ends at 315 Bowery.

“Larry, our guide, was so knowledgable. He gave an in depth music tour, he is a great source of information. Another added benefit of the tour is that you really get to know an area of New York city that is beautiful. I saw streets I would have never seen on my own. Great time!!!!”

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5.East Village Rock n’ Roll Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 51 reviews · 2 hours · from $47

Walk the East Village, Alphabet City, and the Bowery with an English-speaking guide. Hear stories about the Ramones, CBGB, the New York Dolls, Iggy Pop, and more, and see music landmarks and album-cover locations. Bobby Pinn has led many tours, sharing personal stories as well as music history.

“The guide and his stories were great you can tell that he lived it. Would have liked to have seen more buildings where the rock stars lived tho.”

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6.Lower East Side Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 31 reviews · 3 hours · from $99

Set out from Katz’s Deli with an English-speaking guide and up to seven other people for a three-hour food walk through the Lower East Side. Tastings may include knishes, bialys, pickles, dumplings and sweets, with stops at longtime neighborhood businesses and stories about the area’s tenements, synagogues and food traditions. Guides Jack and Ross have led tours here.

“We really enjoyed the tour. We had two great sit down small meals at Katz and Castillo de Jagua. Smaller tastings at Russ and Daughters, Essex Market, Kossar Bialy, pickle guys, doughnut plant, north dumplings, and economy candy. Ross was excellent and provided fantastic context of history and specifically the food related history of the LES. We highly recommend Sidewalk food tours.”

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7.2-Hour Sandwich Tour of the East Village

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 25 reviews · 2 hours · from $75

Meet your English-speaking guide inside La Colombe Coffee Roasters for a two-hour East Village walk, three generous sandwich tastings, neighborhood stories, and a lively debate about what counts as a sandwich. Guides have included Ben, Tim, and Matt. The tour ends at an all-ages craft beer bar; drinks cost extra.

“Good mix of food, fun facts a plenty and great social atmosphere facilitated by the guide :)”

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8.Lower East Side Devour Food & History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 19 reviews · from $79

Walk the Lower East Side with an English-speaking guide and taste at seven family-run businesses. The three-hour route pairs Katz’s pastrami with Dominican breakfast, handmade cheese, a modern bagel, Chinatown noodles or dumplings, family-recipe pickles, and inventive doughnuts. Craig has guided the tour, though guide assignments may vary.

“Guide was outstanding. Great knowledge of history of the area and shared an interest in food with all of the people on the tour. Took my 11 and 13 year-old boys and they had a great time.”

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9.East Village NYC Pizza Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 9 reviews · from $65

Walk the East Village and Alphabet City with an English-speaking pizza guide, stopping at three pizzerias for slices and a look at different stages of pizza-making. The route begins at Gnocco Pizzeria on East 10th Street. Guides have included David, Amy, and Laura, and the tour comes with a pocket pizza journal. Allow about 2.5 hours, though the description also calls it a 3-hour walk.

“It was all very enjoyable. All 3 Pizza places were very different. Our guide, David, was very knowledgeable and friendly.”

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10.Lower East Side Walking and Food Tasting Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 6 reviews · 3 hours · from $89

Follow a local English-speaking guide from Katz’s Delicatessen to Doughnut Plant, stopping for tastings at classic Lower East Side food shops. You’ll hear about immigrant communities and pushcart vendors while sampling pastrami, pickles, dumplings and more. Candy at Economy Candy is extra, and the tour runs three hours.

“Loved it! Our guide Amanda was awesome! She was very knowledgeable and gave us lots of suggestions for other places to visit in the city. The tour was not only tasty treats but very informative about the history of the businesses we visited and the immigrants that settled in the area. I highly recommend allowing extra time after your tour to explore the area further. It is so rich in history. Loved, loved, loved!”

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11.East Village & Midtown Irish History Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 3 reviews · 2 hours · from $59

Spend two hours walking from the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral through the East Village and Midtown, hearing how Irish immigrants shaped New York. Your English-speaking guide connects cultural landmarks and lesser-known sites with stories of politics, pubs and the Fighting 69th. Guides Vince and Earl have earned warm praise, though the guide for your tour may differ.

“We had so much fun in our tour with Vince today! He is an absolute gem and his breadth of knowledge about NYC is astounding! The tour was a Christmas gift for my mom and she just adored it. Highly recommend.”

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