Half-Day Harlem Gospel Experience Walking Tour

Overview

Enjoy a neighborhood tour of the cultural capital of Black America and experience the soulful sounds of gospel music. Explore the streets walked by greats such as Billie Holiday, Malcolm X, and Michael Jackson while viewing legendary sites like the Apollo Theater, the Abyssinian Baptist Church, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Strivers’ Row, Hotel Theresa and much more. After the neighborhood tour, you also have a chance to enjoy a gospel performance at a service in a local church.

City: New York City

Tue 24 Dec

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $45.00

Make a reservation

Tue 24 Dec

Starting at $45.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Professional guide

Additional Info

Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Dress code is smart casual. Part of this tour will take place inside a church. Out of respect for the congregation hosting us, please dress appropriately and refrain from wearing flip-flops, tank tops and shorts
Visiting the church requires the proof of vaccination and wearing a mask.
Customers require staying for the entire church service (usually 1.15 - 1.3 hours)
Face masks required for travellers in public areas

What To Expect

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

(Exterior Visit) The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is a research library of the New York Public Library and an archive repository for information on people of African descent worldwide.

Mother African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church

(Exterior Visit) Mother Zion has played a critical role in every aspect of African-American life during early New York City history.

Abyssinian Baptist Church

(Exterior Visit) Founded in 1808, Abyssinian Baptist Church is one of the oldest African-American Baptist churches in the United States.

Strivers' Row

View beautiful historic homes built by David H. King Jr., who also built the Washington Arch and the Empire State Building.

Apollo Theater

(Exterior Visit) Re-opened to both black and white audiences in 1934 as the Apollo Theater catering mostly to Harlem’s black community.

Harlem

Experience the service of a black congregation and enjoy and participate in the Gospel music with live musicians and choir sharing the joy of Gospel.

Show 3 more stops

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (64)

Z2186CBpaulh

Dec 2019

This was a great tour! Russell was a great guide - he's a Harlem local so clearly not just reading off a script. Really friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommended!

LynnCieslak

Dec 2019

We were hoping to find a great tour through Harlem with authentic church mess with singing and clapping gospel music, but we were very disappointed. During the walking tour I haven't received any new or specific information about Harlem itself, the tour guide was rather focused on rushing through the streets (even over almost red lights with a big tour group) and was worried all the time not to disturb any of people living in Harlem. Taking pictures of buildings could offend people personally, as well as blocking a piece of a sidewalk- this is what we've been told a couple of times too many. what's wrong here ?! Therefore, we haven't felt welcomed in this part of the city at all or were wondering if people living here were really that easily provocated... also the tour guide's way of speaking was neither well structured nor clearly enough to understand which made it hard and uncomfortable to follow. All in all 1 hour "running" tour Through Harlem like on the run, feeling uncomfortable, 1 hour waiting in the church before mess started because we arrived much too early, 1 hour of getting public administrative news of the church with 2 times money baskets going around and just a few songs sang in a more traditional old fashioned way. Beautiful, but not as we expected with happily moving singing and clapping at all. Only after 3 hours it seemed the real mess and preaching would actually start, but after we planned with 3hour tour, we had to leave earlier in order to not mess up our agenda totally.

Response from Host

Jan 2020

Thank you for your feedback. Our Harlem Gospel tour includes a historical neighborhood tour including both residential areas like Striver's row, the Schomburg, and iconic sites like Apollo. Following the historical tour, we include history of gospel music, viewing several churches, and attend a gospel music performance with an ensemble of singers at an authentic Harlem Church. As for your expectation on what gospel is, the guides communicate it is not what media and film has presented as Gospel. We provided you an opportunity to see gospel and engage an intercultural experience. We do apologize if you felt the guide was rushing. As gospel in Harlem is highly requested, we want to make sure we arrive on time to ensure entry. We indicate the tour can take up to 4 hours, which appears is how long it took based on your review.

Cecilia_W

Dec 2019

Did not get to take tour. Tour guide left when we did not get to meeting point on time due to transportation problems. Had no way to contact guide to inform of travel problems Please refund.