Go back in the time on this 2.5-hour tour to when slavery was the law of the land and the secret Underground Railroad the only path to freedom. Discover how slaves built New York City and how a brave band of people faced danger to rescue fugitive slaves.

About this activity

Free cancellation: Cancel up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund
Covid-19 precautions: Special health and safety measures apply. Learn more
Reserve now & pay later: Keep your travel plans flexible—book your spot and pay nothing today. Learn more
Duration 2.5 hours: Check availability to see starting times.
Live tour guide: English

Highlights

Enjoy a historical and informative walking tour of Lower Manhattan
Learn about the early African-American history of New York and how African-Americans impacted the creation of the city
See Fraunces Tavern, Trinity Church, Wall Street, and the African Burial Ground National Memorial and Museum
Visit former locations on the Underground Railroad
Enjoy this tour as featured on ABC News, NBC News, Newsday, and Amsterdam News

Full description

Follow the Freedom Trail in New York! Learn the exciting history of how a band of brave men and women formed the networks in Brooklyn and Manhattan that became the Underground Railroad. Visit an archeological site and memorial dedicated to the memory of enslaved Africans in colonial America. View the former stations, including the former locations of homes and churches, that were on the Underground Railroad. Learn about the riots, revolts and dramatic escapes that occurred during American slavery. Listen to tales of courage and triumph and discover the stories of real New Yorkers who risked life and property to help people escaping American Slavery.

Includes

Live tour guide

Covid-19 precautions

Safety measures in place

The number of visitors is limited to reduce crowds

Traveler requirements

You are required to bring and wear a mask

Meeting point

In front of American Indian Museum - 1 Bowling Green NY, NY 10004

Open in Google Maps ⟶

Important information

What to bring

Comfortable shoes

Know before you go

Wear comfortable walking shoes as you explore lower Manhattan on a 2.5-hour tour. There will be a bathroom break inside one building.

Customer reviews

Overall rating

4.6 /5

based on 50 reviews

Review summary

Guide
4.8/5
Value for money
4.7/5
Service
4.8/5
Organization
4.8/5

Sort by:

Our guide showed us some very significant slavery sites that I might have never found on my own, so the tour was worth it. He was very knowledgeable but a bit flat-footed on interpersonal skills. I think the tour is best served by having a Black person lead it, and I communicated this to the company.

June 2, 2022

The tour was excellent -- really engaging and incredibly educational at the same time. Our guide was amazing (PhD in History) and clearly passionate about the topic. Loved every minute of it, and will recommend to everyone coming to NYC. I learned so much, and I thought I knew everything about US History.....

April 3, 2022

Eye opening!

Ludie was an inspirational tour guide. She was so steeped in the history and personally passionate and connected to the story. She was sensitive and yet kept the story real. I am a New Yorker and I learned so much about NY’s own history of slavery and the Underground Railroad. I highly highly recommend.

August 17, 2019

New York: 2.5-Hour Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour

New York: 2.5-Hour Slavery and Underground Railroad Tour

About this activity

Experience

Select participants and date

Overall rating

Review summary

Sort by:

Traveler type:

Star rating:

Eye opening!