How should I explore NYC on foot?

Choose an audio walk if you want a route and a story you can hear in place. A DIY map suits a looser day, while an attraction pass is useful when admission to several sites is the main goal.

Are self-guided walks better than guided tours?

They serve different days. A self-guided walk lets you start and pause on your own schedule. A guided tour gives you a live person to ask questions and share the route with.

Does Untourist include attraction admission?

No. Untourist provides a self-guided audio story and walking route. An attraction pass covers admission to its included sites.

NYC Walking Tours, Passes & DIY Routes Compared

Different ways to spend an hour in New York.

A guide can answer questions as you go. A pass gets you into attractions. You can also make your own route and see where the day takes you.

Untourist gives you a prepared story and route to follow on your own schedule.

Swipe sideways to compare all five options →

Cost, flexibility, and experience across Untourist, hosted experiences, NYC passes, private tours, and exploring on your own.
Compare by	Untourist	Hosted experienceAirbnb Experiences · Viator · GetYourGuide	NYC pass	Private tour	DIY
01 / Cost & commitmentWhat does it take to get started?
Expected price	$9.99–$29.99 / pass	~$45–$90 / person	~$89–$259 / adult	From ~$360 / group	~$0 before extras
Time to allow	Under 1 hour	Varies by tour	Several stops or days	Often 2–3 hours	Up to you
Book ahead	No	Usually	For some attractions	Usually	No
02 / Freedom & flexibilityHow much of the day can you shape yourself?
Start when you want	Yes	At a set time	During opening hours	By arrangement	Yes
Set your pace	Yes	Group pace	Usually	With your guide	Yes
Pause or detour	Yes	Limited	Between attractions	Ask your guide	Yes
Planning needed	Little	Book a slot	Choose attractions	Arrange a route	Make your own plan
03 / Story & experienceWhat will help you make sense of the places?
Connected story	Yes	Varies	Depends on each stop	Usually	If you build one
Neighborhood focus	Yes	Varies	Attraction focus	Often	Your choice
Local perspective	Yes	Often	Depends on the stop	Often	Research it yourself
Live guide	No	Yes	At some attractions	Yes	No
Admission included	No	Varies	Yes, for included sites	Varies	Separate

Expected prices for hosted walks, passes, and private tours are planning estimates from linked listings checked September 18, 2026, not measured market averages. Actual prices vary by date, group size, and what is included. Untourist pass prices are listed above. Current TestFlight access is free; passes are not charged during the beta. Sources: Airbnb Experiences, Viator, GetYourGuide, GetYourGuide night walk, Go City, CityPASS, Private tour examples.

The story and route are ready. The hour is yours.

Browse the walks

The comparison above covers the broad tradeoffs. Here’s what each option feels like once you’re out in the city.

Follow an audio walk on your own time

An audio walk gives you a route and a story without a meeting point or group pace. Untourist uses one question to connect the places on each walk. You can listen near a stop, pause to look around, and continue when you’re ready.

How New York Claimed Culture and Prospect Park are available now; other routes in the walk catalog are marked in progress. If you want to know how the app works, read about our NYC audio walks.

Join a hosted walk

A hosted experience gives you a live person to follow and ask questions. That can be useful when you want conversation or don’t want to think about the route. You do need to choose a scheduled time, and a group will usually keep moving together.

Listings vary widely in length, price, and subject. Check what the host includes before booking, especially if food or admission is part of the walk.

Use a pass for attractions

An NYC pass helps when your plans revolve around museums, observation decks, or other ticketed sites. You can choose among the attractions included in the pass, though some require reservations. The pass can stretch across several days.

CityPASS and Go City list their current attractions, prices, and reservation rules.

Book a private guide

A private tour gives your group a guide and more room to ask questions or shape the route around a particular interest. You still need to arrange a time, and the price is usually quoted for the group. Ask whether admission and other expenses are included.

Make your own route

Save a few places on a map and go. It costs nothing before transit, food, or admission, and you can change course whenever you like. If you want history or a story connecting the stops, you’ll need to find it yourself.

For a short park walk, you can start with NYC Parks’ Prospect Park page and the Prospect Park Alliance’s Long Meadow guide. Or take the Untourist Prospect Park walk if you’d rather have the route and audio ready when you arrive.

How to Explore NYC on Foot: Walking Tours, Passes, and DIY Routes