10 Best Architecture Tours in NYC

Visiting New York City is always a good idea, with so many options to enjoy and a charm that never gets old, the Big Apple is one of my favourite places in the world. From its artistic side and incredible history, to its parks and bridges, shows and museums, everything here is worth a visit. If you're wondering what to see and do in New York, the list is truly endless.

Undoubtedly one of its greatest attractions are its skyscrapers and atypical buildings. Architecture in New York does not seem to obey the same laws as in other cities. If you look at the imposing The Vessel or the new World Trade Center, you will understand why New York is visited by architecture lovers from all over the world. In this article I have put together the best architecture tours in the Big Apple.

Enjoy one of the most incredible tours of the Hudson, Harlem and East River aboard a yacht that emulates those of the 1920s. This is a tour aimed at lovers of New York architecture, which includes a guide trained by the AIA (American Institute of Architects), who will tell you all about the different skyscrapers and architectural works that can be seen from the waters.

You will pass under the 18 bridges that connect the island with the mainland, and you can also enjoy a glass of wine, champagne or beer accompanied by an aperitif, while you stroll along the heated deck. It's a 3-hour luxury cruise you won't forget.

This cruise will take you to sites such as the Statue of Liberty, the Lower East Side, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Upper West Side, Roosevelt Island, and much, much more. Ideal to enjoy in warm temperatures and on a sunny day, this is one of the best things to do in New York in the summer.

Details of interest

• Price: from 106 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours 45 minutes.
• Means of transport: comfortable semi-private yacht.
• Advantages of this option: you will have the chance to enjoy the architecture of Manhattan from the water. Also, the maximum number of people on this tour is 6, so it is almost a private tour.
• Disadvantages of this option: not recommended if you suffer from seasickness or if you don't like boat trips.

Find all the charm of Art Deco on this tour of the Midtown area, one of the richest in Art Deco buildings and skyscrapers. Your expert guide will take you to some of the most striking and interesting buildings in the Big Apple.

You'll visit Rockefeller Center, the Chrysler Building and Grand Central Station, iconic landmarks of New York architecture. Also on this tour you will walk through the beautiful Bryant Park, next to which is the New York Public Library, a must-see for architecture fans.

Being on foot, this tour allows you to enjoy the real New York atmosphere, where you feel like you've been there before, thanks to all the times you've seen it on the screen. If it's your first time in New York, this tour is ideal, as you' ll be able to walk and learn at the same time. And if you're one of those who can't miss a single series or film set in this city, you must visit the top 10 series and film locations in New York.

Interesting details

• Price: from 35 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
• Means of transport: this tour is on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to soak up the atmosphere of the city in one of the most interesting areas with the most art deco buildings in Manhattan.
• Disadvantages of this option: as it is on foot, it is not recommended for young children.

Enjoy a different kind of architecture tour. With your guide, you'll visit the most interesting parts of Tribeca. Far from the landmarks of classic New York architecture, such as the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building, Tribeca has a unique charm and history that played a major role in the conception of Manhattan.

With over 300 years of history, this is one of the most characterful neighbourhoods in all of Manhattan. Located in the south, between Chinatown, Soho and Battery Park, facing the Hudson, Tribeca is a place with a different kind of architecture, well worth a visit.

From farmland to arts hotspot in one of the world's most important and thoughtful cities, Tribeca's history is truly astounding. On this walking tour of the neighbourhood's treasures you'll learn its best kept secrets.

Finally, the tour includes a visit to the firehouse used in the film Ghostbusters, a place that is much more than just a film set, you'll see.

Interesting details

• Price: from 45 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know other corners of Manhattan, with a beautiful type of architecture, different from the classic.
• Disadvantages of this option: if you want to visit the landmarks of the architecture of New York City you will have to look for an additional tour.

A symbol of one of the world's richest and dreamiest fortunes, Rockefeller Center is located in the heart of the Big Apple. On this 1 hour and 15 minute guided tour you will discover its incredible art deco architecture, its bas-reliefs and mouldings, the detailed work of its murals and much more.

Take your time to appreciate all the beauty of this Manhattan classic. The complex is made up of no less than 19 buildings, and was commissioned by the Rockefeller family in the Midtown area. Along with the richness of its architecture, you can enjoy its open-air artwork.

Depending on the time of year you visit New York, you may be in for a unique spectacle. Visiting Rockefeller Center at Christmas time is a unique experience, with its decorations and ice skating rink, there is no place where the Christmas spirit can be felt more than here.

Interesting details

• Price: from 32 euros per person.
• Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes approximately.
• Means of transport: the tour is on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to enjoy the art deco architecture in one of the most characteristic places in New York. Also, as it is a short tour, you can take advantage of the opportunity to walk along 5th Avenue and go shopping.
• Disadvantages of this option: the tour is limited to Rockefeller Center only.

Get ready to learn all about Manhattan's major architectural landmarks. On this walking tour of Midtown you will visit places such as the New York Public Library, the Flatiron Building, the Chrysler Building and the MetLife Building, as well as Tin Pan Alley, immortalised in so many songs, Madison Square Park, the imposing Grand Central Station and the Empire State Building, among others.

You will be able to enjoy the richness of the New York skyline on a tour of the best of its architecture. In 2 hours and 30 minutes you will walk with your guide through a large part of the Midtown neighbourhood, and you will also learn about the history of some of the most famous skyscrapers in the world.

Midtown is the ideal place to enjoy the architecture of the Big Apple, as it is the place where you will find some of its most iconic skyscrapers. This is a tour you won't forget.

Details of interest

• Price: from 84 euros per person.
• Duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes approximately.
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to see a large number of famous skyscrapers in less than 3 hours, all concentrated in the Midtown area.
• Disadvantages of this option: you will have to visit all the buildings that are not located in this area.

Take a tour of New York's best sites with a smart audio guide. You can walk around at your own pace, as there is no physical guide, but instead you download an app on your smartphone, which will accompany you and suggest the highlights of classic New York architecture, with its art deco skyscrapers, as well as the best of modern architecture.

The tour is designed to introduce you to lower Manhattan, from Battery Park and the Wall Street area , to the new World Trade Center and the Ground Zero memorial, next to which you can tour the Oculus, with its design reminiscent of the enormous ribcage of a prehistoric being.

From start to finish this tour will take you through the best of the architecture and art in the open air of the Downtown Manhattan area. While you can pause the audio guide for as long as you like, the tour is estimated to take approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Details of interest

• Price: from 16 euros per person
• Duration: between 2 hours and 2 hours and 30 minutes approximately.
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you can explore at your own pace, as there is no physical guide.
• Disadvantages of this option: as it does not have a physical guide you will not be able to ask questions about some of the things that are not included in the audio guide.

There's no place like Manhattan for great architecture and if you're a lover of photography, this tour has it all. If you are a lover of photography, this tour has it all for you. Together with your guide you will pass by some of the most emblematic places in the Big Apple, such as the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Station and the Empire State Building.

You won't fail to take pictures of these gems of art deco architecture, just as you won't be able to believe the beauty of places like Bryant Park, the New York Public Library or the ever-busy Times Square Greenmarket, with its hundreds of screens lit at all hours.

You'll go on a photo safari, hunting for the most amazing spots in this concrete jungle. You'll see that the city is full of art, from the roof of Grand Central Station to the murals at Rockefeller Center to the Red Cube. Everything in New York is designed as an artistic expression in perfect harmony with the heartbeat of the city (which never stops).

Interesting details

• Price: from 126 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately 3 hours.
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will visit the architectural landmarks of the Big Apple, and you will be able to take the best photographs of the city and its people.
• Disadvantages of this option: the itinerary is closed.

Enjoy one of my favourite parts of Manhattan. Around this giant, slender and imposing building, you'll find plenty of options for hanging out. On this tour you'll not only see the Flatiron Building, but you'll also get to tour the gourmet market Eataly, where the concept of taste takes on a whole new meaning.

You'll stroll through the Union Square and Flatiron areas, savouring the best of each place. Then, in Madison Square Park, you'll learn about its history and the importance it played in the origins of Manhattan.

Finally, you'll have the chance to visit the Union Square Greenmarket, a natural products market where New Yorkers come to stock up on fruits, vegetables and all sorts of other things. You'll also find street performers and a very diverse mix of people.

Interesting details

• Price: from 235 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately 3 hours.
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: includes lunch.
• Disadvantages of this option: can be a bit tiring on a hot day.

On this tour you'll take in the architectural highlights of the famous 42nd Street. With a mix of periods and styles, along 42nd Street you'll find architectural gems worth visiting.

With your knowledgeable guide, you'll discover the beauty of places like the New York Public Library, the Chanin Building, One Vanderbilt and the Chrysler Building. But you will also get to know places like the Graybar Electric Building, and its curious decoration of... rats! That's right. You can't deny it a point for originality.

42nd Street, famous for its theatres, has endless attractions for architecture lovers. On this tour you'll get to know its best kept secrets.

Details of interest

• Price: from 35 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours.
• Means of transport: on foot.
• Advantages of this option: you will get to know in detail one of the most important streets in Manhattan, with its art deco, modern and beaux-art buildings.
• Disadvantages of this option: the itinerary is limited to 42nd Street only.

With this guided tour you will visit the Chelsea and Hudson Yards neighbourhoods. Your guide will take you up to the popular High Line, an elevated space built over what used to be the railway tracks. Ideal for walking and enjoying this walkway with exclusive views of the Hudson River and some of the most irreverent architectural works, such as The Vessel, with its endless stairs and its honeycomb shape, or the unmissable Whitney Museum.

If you want to know what to see and do in Hudson Yards, this tour is perfect for you, as you'll be able to make the most of this part of Manhattan and see it all while taking in the street art along the High Line.

The tour then continues to the Chelsea neighbourhood , one of the most gallery-rich areas of New York. Depending on the time of your trip, the tour may include a visit to a gallery or art show.

And after the tour I recommend you to visit one of the most famous markets in the city, Chelsea Market of course, where you can find everything you need.

Interesting details

• Price: from 49 euros per person
• Duration: 2 hours approximately
• Means of transport: walking tour.
• Advantages of this option: you will be able to enjoy the many examples of street art, while contemplating the most innovative architecture of the Big Apple.
• Disadvantages of this option: if you are not interested in the art world, this tour may not be the most suitable for you.