Half-Day Harlem Gospel Experience Walking Tour
Description
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.
Tour Options
Itinerary
(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.
(Exterior Visit) Home of the first Works Project Administration commissioned work awarded to an African American artist
(Exterior Visit) Mother Zion has played a critical role in every aspect of African-American life during early New York City history.
(Exterior Visit) Founded in 1808, Abyssinian Baptist Church is one of the oldest African-American Baptist churches in the United States.
View beautiful historic homes built by David H. King Jr., who also built the Washington Arch and the Empire State Building.
(Exterior Visit) Re-opened to both black and white audiences in 1934 as the Apollo Theater catering mostly to Harlem’s black community.
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.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- 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)
Reviews(288)
we had a nice guide. Charles told us a lot about the history and origins of church history in Harlem
Thank you for the wonderful review of your Harlem tour! We are thrilled to hear that Charles provided such an insightful look into the rich history and origins of Harlem's historic churches. Our guides love sharing these stories, and we hope to welcome you back for another history tour soon!
Sergio was an educational, communicative, friendly, and approachable guide.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted Sergio made your Spanish-language New York City tour educational, engaging, and welcoming. His clear communication, friendly personality, and approachable style helped create a memorable guided experience. We truly appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you on another Inside Out Tours adventure! -- ¡Muchas gracias por su excelente reseña! Nos alegra saber que Sergio hizo que su recorrido en español por Nueva York fuera didáctico, ameno y acogedor. Su comunicación clara, cercanía y trato amable ayudaron a crear una experiencia memorable. Esperamos recibirle nuevamente en otro tour de Inside Out Tours.
The tour wasn' t what we expeted , the guide was good but the servise was a bit boring and they sang just twice the same song (no Gospel) of congratulation for an anniversary..nothing more. It was supposed to be a Gospel experience.. I reported my comment to Inside Out Tour and they ansered me that "These are authentic worship services—not performances" ..It would be better change the title and descripion of the tour if they cannot be sure about Gospel..
Thank you for sharing your feedback. We truly appreciate you joining us for the experience and are glad to hear you enjoyed your guide. We’re sorry to hear that the church service did not meet your personal expectations for Gospel music. Our Harlem Gospel Experience is designed to provide guests with an authentic local worship service, and because these are real congregations and not staged performances, the style of music, number of songs, and format of the service can vary from week to week depending on the church and the occasion being celebrated that day. Thank you again for visiting with us.
The tour begins with an hour and a half tour of Harlem, with an excellent and very erudite Francophone guide who knows Harlem well and explains in detail its history and current situation, while strolling through the neighborhood. It all ends with an authentic religious service, with Gospel songs of high quality.
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted you enjoyed our Harlem Gospel Tour, the knowledgeable French-speaking guide, and the neighborhood’s rich history and present-day culture. We’re also pleased the authentic gospel service and inspiring music created a memorable New York City cultural experience. -- Merci beaucoup pour votre magnifique avis ! Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez apprécié notre visite Gospel de Harlem, les connaissances de votre guide francophone et la découverte de l’histoire du quartier. Nous sommes également heureux que l’authentique service religieux et les chants gospel aient rendu cette expérience new-yorkaise mémorable.
Great visit. Jess is a great guide who loves sharing his knowledge. I recommend ++
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re delighted Jess made your New York City tour engaging and informative. His passion for sharing history and local knowledge helps create a memorable experience for every guest. We truly appreciate your enthusiastic recommendation and hope to welcome you on another Inside Out Tours adventure! -- Merci beaucoup pour votre excellent avis ! Nous sommes ravis que Jess ait rendu votre visite de New York intéressante et enrichissante. Sa passion pour l’histoire et le partage de ses connaissances crée une expérience mémorable. Merci pour votre chaleureuse recommandation, et au plaisir de vous accueillir lors d’une prochaine visite !
Harlem Gospel Experience Walking Tour The Harlem Gospel Experience Walking Tour was amazing! Our guide was super nice and really took the time to explain Harlem’s history and culture. Gospel Mass is an experience to live absolutely, full of energy and emotion. I highly recommend this activity to anyone visiting New York! LEMAIRE family
Thank you for the wonderful review. We’re thrilled to hear you found the Harlem Gospel Experience Walking Tour incredible. Taking time to share the history and culture of Harlem, combined with the powerful energy of a gospel service, is what makes this experience so special. Thank you again, and we hope to welcome you on another tour in New York City. - Merci beaucoup pour ce superbe commentaire. Nous sommes ravis que la visite Harlem Gospel Experience Walking Tour vous ait autant plu. Partager l’histoire et la culture de Harlem, ainsi que l’émotion et l’énergie d’une messe gospel, est au cœur de cette expérience unique. Merci encore pour votre recommandation, et au plaisir de vous accueillir lors d’une prochaine visite à New York.
Extremely interesting tour with guide Kevin, history professor in New York. His narration was clear and engaging, an experience I would recommend to everyone!
Our guide made the tour with her broad, deep knowledge of Harlem history. She spoke clearly and had us all mesmerised. We were made to feel welcome at the church service but the music wasn't what we associate with traditional Gospel choirs.
We are thrilled to hear your guide's expertise made the Harlem history tour so engaging! Making our guests feel welcome is a priority, especially during the church service. We appreciate your feedback on the music and strive to offer an authentic, mesmerizing experience for all.
We had Sergio as a guide and it was lovely and very fun and explanatory. We had a great time. Fully recommended!
That sounds like a wonderful experience! We are delighted to hear that Sergio provided such a fun and informative tour. Your high recommendation means a lot to us, and we are thrilled you had a great time. Thank you for your kind words! -- ¡Suena como una experiencia maravillosa! Nos alegra mucho saber que Sergio ofreció un tour tan divertido e informativo. Su recomendación es muy importante para nosotros y nos alegra que lo pasaran tan bien. ¡Gracias por sus amables palabras!
We toured Harlem with Sergio and it was a really great experience. He is an exceptional guide, with an in-depth knowledge of the neighborhood and a way of explaining it that maintains interest at all times. We loved the close, clear and pleasant way to guide us. We very much appreciate your dedication, your enthusiasm and all the stories and details you shared with us. We recommend this tour 100%!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We are thrilled to hear you had a great experience touring Harlem with Sergio. We appreciate your kind words about his in-depth knowledge, enthusiasm, and dedication. We strive to provide memorable tours and are delighted you recommend it 100%! --- ¡Gracias por tus maravillosos comentarios! Nos alegra saber que tuviste una gran experiencia recorriendo Harlem con Sergio. Agradecemos tus amables palabras sobre su profundo conocimiento, entusiasmo y dedicación. Nos esforzamos por ofrecer tours memorables y nos complace que lo recomiendes al 100%.
