Things to Know for Tours — New York Narratives

Tour Details

The standard tour lasts for two hours and covers between half a mile to two miles (one mile is about 1.6 kilometers or roughly 20 New York City blocks). We walk at a leisurely pace. Some tours may involve taking public transit to shorten the walk. In such cases, one trip is $2.90 and the cost is not covered.
Of course, if you request a private or custom tour, it can be shortened, lengthened, or customized upon request.

Our default is to run all tours, rain or shine. However, if you prefer rescheduling a tour based on a weather forecast, you must let us know at least 24 hours in advance, and we will be happy to rearrange.
Additionally, if dangerous weather is forecasted (for example, a flood warning or a hurricane), we will be required to reschedule and will reach out to you to let you know.

You should wear comfortable shoes for walking, and dress appropriately for the weather, as most tours will be spent entirely outside.

We understand that some people might be inclined to pay more after a tour. You are not required to tip, but since NYN is a one-man operation and a labor of love, we’d be grateful to receive any tips. It is entirely up to you how much you tip if you decide to do so!

If it’s a public tour, it will begin on time, but every tour involves an introduction that can last 10-15 minutes at the starting location. If you are running later than that, feel free to text your guide to let them know.
If it’s a private tour (meaning, it’s just you and your group), we have more flexibility, but please send us a text letting us know that you're running late!

As of right now, NYN is a one-man operation, so in order to make our labor worthwhile, a private group booking must have 10 or more people, at $25 per ticket.
However, we welcome bookings with companies, organizations, schools, museums and other institutions even if they have less than 10 people. Please do inquire about our institutional rates. We are happy to work something out!
The ideal capacity for one tour is 20 people, but if you have more than that, we will happily accommodate.

All walking tours are wheelchair accessible unless otherwise indicated in the tour description. For example, our standard “Little Syria” route does involve going up and down some steps. Other tours may involve taking the subway, and not all stations are fully accessible. This info will be available to you before booking.
However, for private bookings, we can easily customize the tour to avoid inaccessible routes, so please inquire!
We do not provide wheelchairs.

Tours continue uninterrupted without any breaks. We often start at locations with bathrooms nearby, and we recommend using it before the tour starts. Food is not included on any tour, though you are of course welcome to bring a snack or a non-alcoholic drink on our walk.

You are welcome to cancel a tour for any reason up to 24 hours in advance, for a full refund or a voucher to be used for a future tour.
If you cancel later than that, or are a no-show, we cannot offer a refund or a voucher. We apologize for this, but please bear in mind that an enormous amount of labor is spent preparing a single tour.

We would love if you could give us a review! Since we are a small business, a good review would go a very long way. Here are the links to write us a review on Google and TripAdvisor.
If you didn't enjoy a tour for any particular reason, please do write to us, as we are always looking to improve.

At the moment, NYN does not offer virtual tours, but we are currently developing them and should be ready to launch them by summer 2024. Sign up for our Substack and site newsletter and check back!
Both! Whether you are a native New Yorker who's lived here all your life or a visitor coming to town for the first time, our tours have something to offer everyone. No background knowledge of the city or its history is needed to join the experience. We've done the work. You enjoy!
Kids under the age of four are welcome to join for free, no ticket purchase needed.
Not at all! While we get plenty of clients who are in the education field, our tours are open to the entire public and are fully accessible to everyone of all ages and education levels.