NYC Underground Subway Walking Tour

Overview

Explore the world’s largest subway system, the beating heart of the city that never sleeps. On this guided NYC subway tour you will discover the fascinating beginnings of the NYC subway, and explore spaces even the most seasoned commuter might not know about.

- Explore City Hall Park as the birthplace of the NYC subway system
- Learn about the comically short route of the mythical “Subway before the Subway,” Alfred Ely Beach’s Pneumatic Transit System
- See the architectural ghosts of the now nearly forgotten, and partially abandoned, Chambers Street station then nicknamed the “Grand Central of Downtown”
- Use the 6 train as your own time machine as you ride through abandoned subway stations
- Discover the remnants of Union Station as you learn about a hidden art installation thousands of riders walk by everyday

Guests will need one MetroCard swipe or OMNY tap to enter the subway.

All the stops on this tour are in stations which are publicly accessible.

City: New York City

Mon 18 Nov

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $35.00

Make a reservation

Mon 18 Nov

Starting at $35.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Ear pieces provided to each guests ensuring everyone hears the guide perfectly

Guided walking tour with a native New Yorker!

Additional Info

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Hand sanitiser available to travellers and staff
Gear/equipment sanitised between use
Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff
Temperature checks for travellers upon arrival
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons
COVID-19 vaccination required for guides
We provide ear pieces to each participants so guests can hear the guides perfectly, even from a distance while maintaining social distancing.

What To Expect

City Hall Park

You will learn about the creation of the very first NYC subway station while looking at visible remnants from City Hall park!

Brooklyn Bridge

We will see the Brooklyn at the beginning of the tour

The Municipal Building

Learn about the importance of this building in the creation of the NYC subway system!

Union Square

Explore the Union Square subway station and its surprising Art installation

Show 1 more stops

Cancellation Policy

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

Traveler Photos

Reviews (158)

Diana Z

Feb 2018

Overall, I enjoyed the stories our guide shared with us. I did find myself wishing there were more stations covered and because of typical weekend construction, we weren't able to stop at all the stations the guide would have liked; we had to improvise. While this wasn't a problem for me, I think it did cut into the tour time and a possible reason why it seemed like more could have been covered. Our guide was friendly and knowledgable and left me with several pieces of information that were new. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing places I pass on a daily basis with a revamped perspective.

Response from Host

Feb 2018

Thank you for your review Diana! I am glad you were able to discover several pieces of information about places you pass daily. Sorry about the week end construction in the subway, it is very rare that our tour is affected by it, and it is great to hear that our guide was still able to make this experience enjoyable. Thank you again for coming and we hope to see you soon on another tour!

Stewart J

Jan 2018

First off I am a huge fan of Untapped Cities and will take more tours with them in the future. The consensus from our group is that the tour guide was way better than the content of the tour. She was well organized, lively and managed all of us through the crowded cars for our two hour tour. Content was a little lacking in terms of more detailed history and sites, but that being said we learned and fun was had by all.

Response from Host

Feb 2018

Hi Stewart! Thank you very much for your review of our Tour of the Subway and for the kind words about Untapped Cities. I will definitely take this feedback to the team and make sure we deliver an even better experience in the future. Thank you again and see you soon on another tour!

homebaseNewJersey

Dec 2017

Very interesting......learned the history about things that are right there that everyone just walks right by

Response from Host

Jan 2018

Thank you! Please let us know if there is anything you would want us to improve in order to earn a fifth star! Thank you again and we hope to see you soon on another tour