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New York City Lower East Side Culture and Food Tastings Tour

New York City Lower East Side Culture and Food Tastings Tour

Overview

Tacos, dumplings, bagels — America would be a food wasteland without the dishes brought here by immigrants. Join this 3-hour New York City walking tour to sample the best ethnic foods in the Lower East Side. But this experience includes much more than sampling delicious foods, as you’ll learn about the history of the dishes, establishments, sites, and people along the way from your guide.

City: New York City

Thu 14 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $81.63

Make a reservation

Thu 14 Nov

Starting at $81.63

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Learn about the importance of immigration to the city

See 100-year old bakerie, churches, and historic New York sites

Stroll in the Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy on 3 hours food walking tour

Get tips on what else to see, do and eat during your stay

Sample 4 historic dishes on 4 Food stops

Friendly Local, English-speaking food lover guide

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Children aged 5 years and younger are welcome at no charge
Tour runs rain or shine
Comfortable walking shoes recommended
Maximum group size is 14.
Guides required to regularly wash hands
All tours follow the latest local health authority advice, including mask usage and social distancing. Urban Adventures have received the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Safe Travels stamp, which recognises companies that have adopted health and hygiene global standardised protocols.

What To Expect

African Burial Ground National Monument

We discuss the discovery of the burial ground and the building of the memorial and monument, including the significance of some of the design. We also talk a little bit about the early African experience in New York through those that were brought here as slaves and those that were freed.

New York City Supreme Court

We talk about the history of the surrounding area that was once a poor Irish community and before that a polluted pond. You get to see the building that is now most famous for being featured on most episodes of Law & Order.

Columbus Park

We briefly walk through this park on the edge of Chinatown and talk about what used to be here: the notorious neighborhood of the Five Points. We discuss the Irish immigration and show photos of what the neighborhood used to look like.

Chinatown

We walk through part of the neighborhood, discuss Chinese immigration, and visit a dumpling shop that is a local favorite. We also give tips on where else to visit in the large community.

Little Italy

We head up and around Mulberry Street and discuss Italian immigration. We get to see some amazing modern street art, hear stories about organized crime, and visit an historic local Italian food shop for a delicious tasting.

Nolita

We cruise through one of the most trendy neighborhoods in New York today and discuss the changing neighborhood. This used to be Little Italy, but today it’s loaded with hip bars and restaurants and we get to see some of the best street art in the city.

St. Patrick's Old Cathedral

As we walk through Nolita, you get a chance to see the original St. Patrick’s and learn about the hardships Catholic immigrants first suffered when coming to this country.

Sara D Roosevelt Park

Learn about the history of this park, named for FDR’s mother, and take a quick stroll through the northern end. We’ll also stop at the M’Finda Kalunga Garden inside the park to discuss Latin American immigration and how this neighborhood has changed throughout the decades.

Lower East Side

See the transformation of the neighborhood from an area filled with run-down tenements and poverty to one that is currently being gentrified. See lots of great street art and community gardens. Learn about Jewish, German, and Latin American immigration in this neighborhood and sample some traditional food.

Tenement Museum

We share stories about the founding of the museum and its important part in Lower East Side history. Our tour ends very close to the museum and our guides can give you tips on how to get tickets and explore their excellent gift shop.

Show 7 more stops

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (688)

B4533RImichellel

Sep 2022

We very much enjoyed our Lower East Side Tour! Our guide, Micaela, was amazing. She was very knowledgeable about the area and was very interesting and informative. The tour takes you through several neighborhoods of the Lower East Side and she gave us information about the different cultures that started their American dream there. We made four stops for a tasting of a food item that represented the culture of the area where we were. Drinks are not included but you can buy them along the way. I left the three hours very full and loved all the food we tried. I can't say enough about Micaela. She made sure we were all comfortable and she answered all our questions.

R5107XMdennisr

Sep 2022

I see that some of the other reviewers have given low ratings to this tour. Their criticisms have some validity if you are seeking out a truly "foodie" experience. We did not and enjoyed the five stops & variety of food that were included. We are giving this 5 stars mostly because our tour guide Bruce Northam was so excellent. His good humor and insights made this a very enjoyable experience for our group. We were never bored or wished we were somewhere else as another review suggested they were on their tour.

torchedsnapshot

Aug 2022

Okay, so, our guide was AMAZING! She did an awesome job teaching us about the history and culture of the neighborhoods. I really liked her. However, this is not a food tour in any way. Do not go on this tour if you want to eat and talk about food. You will be hungry and bored and wishing you booked something else. You will also feel bad for the tour guide. We do at least have lots of places we want to check out next time - we walked by a ton of cool things, just didn't get to try anything lol.

Response from Host

Sep 2022

Thank you for taking the time to post your feedback. Whilst it’s great to know that your guide did a great job, we are sorry to learn that the food tastings, did not live up to your expectations. The tour is a walking tour, which includes tastings at 4 historic stops. Although this is not advertised as a food tour, we would love to hear more from you to see how you feel we could better manage our customers’ expectations. If you are happy to share more details, please reach out to our customer care team at [email protected] .