Every year millions of people come to New York to explore. And while you could easily hop on a tour bus or follow a trained tour guide, sometimes you just want to see the city at your own pace. Self-guided tours give you the freedom to take in everything this magnificent city has to offer, and at the same time you can focus on what interests you most.
Get ready for a 16-hour walking tour of Midtown Manhattan that coves two square miles. You can visit St. Patrick's Cathedral, which holds the title of the largest Gothic-style Catholic Church in the country. Walkers also visit Grand Central Terminal, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, Times Square and the Museum of Modern Art. If you like to shop, Bergdorf Goodman, Henri Bendel and Takashimaya are also featured on the tour. Kids of all ages will enjoy the FAO Schwarz toy store. Included on the tour are visits to Cascina Ristorante, Jo Allen Restaurant, Tolache or Magnolia Bakery. Take the elevator up at the Empire State Building to enjoy the view of Manhattan. You can simply print out the map from the website and hit the streets.
mustseenewyork.com
On the Family Tour, you and your family can explore Central Park after downloading printable maps and audio files to your mp3 players. The Family Tour takes you on a journey through the park, bringing you to the Zoo, Children's Zoo and the historic Loeb Boathouse, where gondoliers pole passengers across the lake. Take your kids' pictures in front of the statues of Hans Christian Andersen and Alice in Wonderland, or ride the Central Park Carousel, one of the largest in the United States. The tour clocks in at just a little more than 1 1/2 hours and covers approximately a mile. During the winter months, you and your family can strap on your ice skates and glide across Wollman Rink.
centralpark.com
Tailored Tours offers travelers dozens of self-guided tour options. As of 2010, tour packets start at $3 per tour, and they range from museum to bachelor party tours. Each packet comes with tour itineraries, a route map and turn-by-turn directions. Tours cover up to two miles and take up to six hours. Tourists aren't the only ones who will enjoy the tours; seasoned New Yorkers will find enough to keep them entertained if they decide to take one of the scavenger hunts or pub crawls. Both the Southeast Central Park Tour and Fifth Avenue Tours offer audio to enhance your tour experience.
tailoredtours.com
The Central Park Art and Architecture Tour not only takes you through the Zoo, Carousel and Wollman Rink, but also brings you north into the park, showcasing the unique architectural treasures of Central Park, including the 3,500-year-old Obelisk, also known as "Cleopatra's Needle." Visit Belvedere Castle, which not only provides gorgeous views of the park, but is also a working weather station. Walk around the lake to the memorial to John Lennon, where you'll find Strawberry Fields and the Imagine Mosaic. The tour takes about two hours and covers just under three miles. Download the tour map and audio files from the website and explore.
centralpark.com
