Big Apple Greeter

We had the best time exploring New York with Big Apple Greeter—huge thanks to our legendary hosts, Lester and Marc. From the very start, it felt less like a tour and more like two old friends casually showing us around their neighborhood… except their neighborhood just happens to be one of the most iconic cities in the world. Lester and Marc didn’t just take us to the big-ticket sights—they unlocked the real NYC. The hidden gems, the off-the-map stories, the places only true locals would know (and fiercely gatekeep if they weren’t so generous). Their knowledge of the city? Encyclopedic. Their delivery? 10/10 stand-up comedy meets history class, but in the best way possible. We laughed, we learned, we walked (a lot), and we left with hearts full, feet sore, and minds blown by how much more there is to this city than skyscrapers and selfies. Big Apple Greeter is an absolute gift, and if you’re lucky enough to get Lester and Marc—just cancel all other plans. You’re in for a New York experience that’s as real, rich, and ridiculously fun as it gets. Thanks for everything, guys—we’ll be back (with comfier shoes next time)!

An essential part of each trip to New York is booking a walk with Big Apple Greeters. We have done many walks with their greeters over the years. Sometimes we will request an obscure neighbourhood. They may wonder why we want to go to Bensonhurst or Elmhurst but chances are someone will offer up their services. All of our greeters have been super friendly and knowledgeable. We have developed solid friendships with some of them over the years. They are people who have more than likely grown up in the city. They know its nuances and fabric. It is a true honour & privilege to be able to probe their vast reservoir of knowledge about the city. I am reluctant to say this, but their walks are absolutely free. Do yourself a favour on your next trip to New York City. Request a walk with Big Apple Greeters. You are not likely to regret it.

We had the pleasure of being guided through the East Village by Nancy, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. From the start, it was clear that she had prepared thoroughly for our tour. Beforehand, we filled out a form indicating our interests and the types of sites we hoped to see — and Nancy took that information seriously. She designed the tour around our preferences, making sure to include exactly what we were curious about and more. Not only was the route thoughtfully planned, but Nancy also shared fascinating stories and insights that brought the neighborhood to life. She struck the perfect balance between being informative, engaging, and fun. It truly felt like we were exploring the city with a knowledgeable friend who was passionate about showing us what makes the East Village so special. If you're looking for a personalized, well-prepared, and genuinely enjoyable tour, we can’t recommend the Big Apple Greeter enough. Our Greeter Nancy exceeded our expectations in every way. Thank you, Nancy, for a wonderful experience!

Big thumbs up to Big Apple Greeter, Michelle!!! She was awesome, friendly, social, knowledgeable and so helpful!! We appreciate her so much and taking the time out of her day to help us navigate and learn some history! I will be recommending your organization to all my friends and family for anyone who needs an extra hand navigating NYC. Thanks again for the person who started this company, good thinking!! Our NYC experience was that much better!! Cheers!! See photos below for where we went :)

We had the absolute pleasure of touring New York City with our guide Jay who was not only a lifelong New Yorker, but also a walking encyclopedia of the city's rich history, culture, and hidden gems. From the very beginning, he made us feel completely comfortable—like we were spending the day with an old friend rather than just a tour guide. His energy and storytelling was so engaging that even the busiest city corners seemed to quiet down just to listen. He was incredibly patient, never rushed us, and generously gave his time to answer every question and ensure a great experience in Manhattan. What really stood out was how thoughtfully he curated our experience. Every stop felt intentional—from the historic neighborhoods to the small, off-the-beaten-path spots that only a true New Yorker would know about. And the food! Let’s just say we’re still dreaming about those egg rolls in Chinatown—hands down the best we’ve ever had. He treated us like old friends, and we left with full hearts, full bellies, and memories we'll cherish forever. If you're looking for a tour that goes beyond the typical and into the truly meaningful, don’t miss the chance to explore NYC with this amazing guide. He’s one of a kind!

Myself and my daughter where shown around today by Richard and I enjoyed every minute of it. We spent 7 hours with him and his knowledge was fabulous. I feel like we got so much out of it and seen things we otherwise would have missed. I highly recommend using these for you New York trip. It will make all the difference.

I loved my walking tour with Stuart in Brooklyn! He was so kind and knowledgeable and the tour was really interesting and fun! He really tailored the tour to my interests. He showed me places, I never would have gone to with a regular walking tour. Thank you so much Stuart!

We were lucky enough to have George L as our host. We are here from Australia and it was great to have someone so knowledgeable about NYC. We loved George’s passion about his city. He was also generous, friendly and respectful of our needs. We would strongly recommend this tour and we hope you get paired with George as we loved seeing the city through his eyes. Liz and Michael. Melbourne - Australia.

My friend is a volunteer for Big Apple Greeters and she has the most fun. She meets interesting people from all over the world, takes them wherever they want to go and see whatever they want to see. She finds out their interests, makes some suggestions and helps them explore some New York City neighborhoods they would never have gone to on their own and to unusual museums, exhibitions and churches that are off the beaten path. Of course, if they want to do the usual touristy things, she'll take them there. They go everywhere using public transportation. They even have an Access Program for people with disabilities. Since I love my city so much, I am considering signing up as a volunteer to share my love with visitors.

Although I've been to New York a number of times I haven't done anything like this before so I decided to give it a shot. I contacted Big Apple Greeter about a month or two before my trip. I requested a guided tour for a Friday and I was matched with a greeter. I was a little confused why the pairing process involved them asking where I would be staying and calling my friend to confirm my stay. It felt like a background check, but I guess there is some purpose to it. I was paired up with Mary who turned out to be an outstanding guide. She showed me around Greenwich Village, Chelsea and the Meatpacking district. Even though I was familiar with some of the neighborhoods it was refreshing to go around with her and hear all the tidbits she had to share and to see these neighborhoods through her eyes. We were chatting the entire time and ended up spending almost 4 hours together which flew by! I love that New Yorkers love their city so much that a handful of them volunteer to show people around. This non-profit operates on a donation basis and is a great alternative to all the other cookie cutter guided tours. This tour will be tailored to you and what you want to do and see. It's a great way to get to know the City through the eyes of a resident.

Bonnie was our guide. She met us at our motel. Bonnie was so interesting in what she showed us and told us about New York. Bonnie went above and beyond what we expected. She answered every question we had. Bonnie was so patient, kind, caring and full of life as we walked and she talked and knew so much history about New York. I would want Bonnie again on a tour with a Big Apple Greeter. Learning, seeing and experiencing New York with Bonnie made our experience in New York pleasurable easy going and a wonderful experience. Ask for Bonnie if possible! Her history about the city is remarkable! And her knowledge of architecture is informative.

My wife and I are Scottish and first time visitors to New York. Family friends recommended the Big Apple Greeter service to us and we duly applied. We were pleased when Lewis, our BAG contacted us to inform us that he would be our guide. He duly met us at our hotel at 10 a.m and only left us much later at 6 p.m. - our step count was over 33000 which meant we walked over 13 Miles for the day! It was a great way for us to get acclimatised to this bustling city as he gave us handy hints on getting around. We had a lovely time taking in lesser known parts of the city and found Lewis to be very pleasant company and to be extremely knowledgable about his city. Would heartily recommend this service to others especially New York virgins like us.

Big Apple Greeter is a perfect example of why NY is such a great city. My honey and I were visiting NY and were a little intimidated by the Big City so we decided to have a proud New Yorker show us around with helpful tips on our first day. It's a great service. Based on your requests, they try to match you up with a greeter who will then meet with you and show you around. You do not pay, not even a tip as it's not allowed. I highly recommend Big Apple Greeter and hope more cities join in with this brilliant service.

Where do I start? I first met my GG (Great Greeter) Phil, in Palm Springs Ca. He and his wife were looking over a map of the city deciding on what to do on their last day in town. I gave them some ideas and chatted with them for a few minutes. Found out that they were from NY. I told him that my wife and I would be in NY in about 3 weeks for a little vacation. That's when he told me about BAG (Big Apple Greeters) duh... And that he was a greeter himself. We arranged to set up a tour. Granted, our reservation almost got lost, but Phil was awesome in fixing the hiccup. On the morning of our tour, our GG greeted us with a warm smile and hello. As we walked he asked what we were interested in and would like to see. My wife and I are very laid back and are always in the mood to learn and try new things. We gave some suggestions and told him to surprise us. WOW!!! I have never been given so much information from one person not hosting a 2 hour history channel show. The knowledge our GG had of the city and little side streets, out of the way shops and below ground restaurants that we visited was amazing. We've been on plenty of tours. Most of the time the tour guide is just going through the motions, spitting out gibberish he read in some handbook. Counting the minutes he can cut us loose and go hang with his friends. Our GG was far from the typical tour guide. I am not sure if they BAG does automobile tours? Ours was a walking tour and man, did we walk...and walk and walk and walk. My wife and I both loving walking, but man, we almost started to take the batteries out of our GG. Phil is a walking machine. I have to say, after 7 hours of walking (took 45 minutes for a lunch break) my dogs were barking big time. We plan on visiting NY again in April and plan on see another part of the city. And you can believe we will be calling BAG.

This was a highlight to our trip! Our tour guide Brent was informative, patient and a pleasure to send time with. He first shared how to navigate the city and subway which was a big help overall in getting around. We walked all over the village (Soho, Chelsea, Tribeca, etc..) an he gave us history and pointed out sights we would have totally missed! Having this on the first day was the springboard to a fantastic visit. Don't miss this opportunity by planning to request a greeter well in advance!

I'm a native New Yorker but when some friends from Italy, Connecticut and New Hampshire were coming to town and wanted to visit Williamsburg, I knew I was out of my depth. Fortunately I learned about a great guide who works with Big Apple Greeters. Sam Weiss gave us an amazing tour of contemporary, hipster, chic upscale Williamsburg as well as the Hasidic section, home of the Satmar Hasidim. It was a fascinating tour and I learned loads about the levels of history that we find in Williamsburg - going back to the 17th century and then expanded with the completion of the bridge. Sam's tour and comments were all tailor made for the interests of our group. If you will be in New York and would like to explore any area of New York City, call Big Apple Greeters. Oh - I almost forgot. There is no charge. The guides provide their services on a volunteer basis.

I CANNOT say enough good things about this service! This was the BEST thing I did while in NYC. Our Greeter Jay (unsure if you can request him, but DO SO if you can!) called me 2wks before we were to arrive in the City. He asked what we wanted to see and I left everything up to him. He met us at our hotel on the scheduled day and we walked to the subway. We went into Brooklyn and walked around Brooklyn Heights (got to see the Moonstruck house!). Jay is a retired history teacher who was born and raised in NY and still lives in the City, so he was able to give us LOTS of history and tell great stories. We walked up to the waterfront (AMAZING views!) and then over the Brooklyn Bridge back into Manhattan. We went through the municipal bldg district and into Chinatown for an EXCELLENT lunch. We then went into Little Italy for cannoli and cappuccino. Our tour was supposed to end there, but Jay offered to take us uptown via subway into Grand Central Terminal and show us around there as well. Overall, this was like a guided tour from an old friend whom you love to spend time with. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! Even if you've been to NYC many times, PLEASE do yourself a favor and take one of these tours...you won't be sorry! The service is FREE and the guide pays his/her own way and is not allowed to accept tips. All they ask is for you to fill out a review form and send it in with a donation (if you like.)

This was the best idea we had for our trip to New York. submitting a form 5 weeks in advance and feeling relieved when they had a greeter for us. a real New Yorker is going to show us his city. unusual to tourist tours he showed us pretty cool buildings: he was obviously a fan of the architecture. he was willing to change his planned tour into another neighborhood, but we agreed his great plans to go to Greenwich area. I learnt so many things and the greeter was really nice, he would let us choose the place for lunch. the website says all we have to pay is the greeters lunch, but our didn't even eat lunch. such a nice man who wants to share so many things he knows about a city we love. "meet a greeter" is great idea. I am gonna do a donation on the website of this non-profit organization and I would definitively do it again.

If I could give Big Apple Greeter 10 stars, I would. The experience was just that fantastic. Basically, you submit a request for a greeter during your trip to the city. You suggest some dates/times that work best for you, and then Big Apple Greeter looks for volunteers whose availability matches your visit/request. About a week before your visit, you'll hear from them with your match, and the contact information for your greeter. The greeters are ALL VOLUNTEERS. They do this for FREE. They are kind of like free, private tour guides, but really, in our case, it was so much more than that. Meeting up with our volunteer felt like meeting up with a friend who just happened to live in NYC. My volunteer, Bob G., emailed me and offered to speak with me via phone to give me information or travel tips before my trip, which I promptly took him up on. He was an amazing resource, and spoke to me for more than an hour, giving me everything from helpful tips about our hotel's location/proximity to various activities, to restaurant recommendations, to tips like "The avenues run north and south and the streets run east and west", and "Anything west of 5th Avenue is going to have a west side address and anything east of 5th Avenue is going to have an east side address". That bit of knowledge made navigation during our trip so much easier. He also told me about a website that allowed us to find our Broadway tickets for half off. We ended up seated the 4th row from the state to see Chicago for less than $90 a seat, and we didn't have to take our chances and stand in line at TKTS. He was a wealth of information. Big Apple sent a fax to me at my hotel to remind me of our "meeting", and then at the agreed upon time, Bob met us right at our hotel. We chatted in the lobby for a little while about what we'd seen and what we wanted to see, and then he took us all over the place. We road the subway to the Financial District, checked out the WTC Memorial Preview Center, Trinity and St. Paul's churches, Wall Street, the federal court house, city hall, City Hall Park, and even ventured into Century 21 for some quick browsing. Then we walked to Chinatown, and over to Little Italy, where we ate dinner and then grabbed dessert. Then Bob took us back to the subway and dropped us off in Times Square at our hotel, and he continued on his way home. Along the way he gave us bits of history, and gave us information on other places to visit in the city the next time we were in town. He was a wealth of knowledge, couldn't possibly have been nicer, more genuine, or more helpful, and honestly felt like a friend we'd known for years. We spent an entire afternoon and part of the evening with him, and thoroughly enjoyed the time. For someone to donate that much of their time for someone they've never met, taking them to see things that they have surely seen a dozen times, and doing it for no charge-- that is just such a great gift! I can't say enough good things about Big Apple Greeter. If you're going to be in New York City, definitely look into being assigned a greeter. It's the best thing going in the big apple!

Don't count on them! They may have been good in the past but not now. If I could have given them 0 stars I would. - We were excited about the greeters and made a request a few months in advance. Were very flexible re the time and location- offered both a weekday and a weekend and not on a holiday to give them lots of flexibility. Didn't hear anything until after the first date past and eventually heard that they didn't have anyone for the weekend. Definitely didn't feel welcome. Made the mistake of making a nice contribution to the organization in advance because we thought it was such a good idea.