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Tour Highlights:
• Walk over the iconic Brooklyn Bridge (only 1-mile long) and learn about this marvel of engineering while admiring the spectacular views
• Discover DUMBO, Brooklyn’s industrial-turned-chic waterfront neighborhood, and take a break at a popular chocolate factory
• Explore the brand-new Brooklyn Bridge Park, including Jane’s Carousel and the Tobacco Warehouse
• Wind your way through Brooklyn Heights, NY’s first suburb, and get your camera out for fantastic photo opportunities on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which overlooks the Harbor, Statue of Liberty, and Manhattan’s skyline
Tour Summary:
Find out why the Brooklyn Bridge was dubbed the “8th Wonder of the World” when it opened in 1883. We will uncover the tragedies and triumphs that went into its construction, as we cross the oldest suspension bridge in New York City on this scenic and eye-opening 3-hour walking tour.
Once in Brooklyn, we’ll explore Dumbo, Brooklyn Bridge Park, and Brooklyn Heights. Besides learning a lot about Brooklyn, once America’s 3rd-largest city, we’ll have phenomenal photo opportunities and stop for delicious chocolate along the way.
We will end the tour on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which offers unrivaled views of the harbor, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Lower Manhattan skyline.
The tour starts in Downtown Manhattan, where we will discover some famous landmarks like the Woolworth Building, once the world’s tallest skyscraper, City Hall, and more. We’ll also find time to rewind the clock to the American Revolution to see where the Declaration of Independence was read to New Yorkers for the first time and where George Washington staged his “midnight escape.”
Recent Reviews For This Tour:
We took the 3 hour Brooklyn Bridge & beyond tour with Max in May. He was an excellent guide, friendly, funny, answered all questions, stopped to take photos of & for walkers. We loved seeing Brooklyn with a local who has so much knowledge & passion for where he lives. Loved the treats & refreshments along the way too. We would never had seen so much without doing this walking tour. Well done Max & we did find our way around after the tour with your helpful hints on what else to do & see before returning to Manhattan. Max was recommended to us & now we would encourage everyone visiting New York to take one of his many tours. Thanks again for such a wonderful experience.
“A Walking Education” Reviewed May 11, 2013 on TripAdvisor
Basic Tour Info:
Duration: Approximately 3 hours
Walking Distance: Approximately 2 Miles (3.2 kilometers)
Language: English
Schedule: Public tours will be offered each Tuesday and Friday at 10am. If this time doesn’t work for you, please consider our other unique public tours offered throughout the week. Simply scroll up to review the tour calendar on the right-hand side. This walk can also be booked as a private tour year-round. It can also be combined with CityRover’s “Wall Street Walk” tour of Lower Manhattan and Wall Street for a 4-to-5 hour private itinerary
Price for Public Tour: $39 per adult, $25 per child (12 and under).
Price for Private Tour: Private tour rates can be found here.
Additional Tour Info:
What About Kids? Our public tours may not be appropriate for young children, as they involve a lot of walking and cover topics geared to adults. Further, some of our tours reference adult content some parents may deem inappropriate for children. On this particular tour, references may be made to bodily injury, death, crime, and scandal. That said, there are 2 “child” tickets available for each public tour for children aged 12 and under.
Meeting Point: Detailed meeting point instructions will be emailed to you once your reservation has been processed. Please note that the tour usually ends in Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn (so we only cross the Bridge one way). Therefore, we recommend using public transportation to get to the meeting point (vs. driving). Directions on how to get back to Manhattan (a quick trip), as well as Brooklyn dining recommendations, will be provided at the end of the tour.
Are gratuities included? Guide gratuities are not included in the tour price, so if you enjoy your tour, tips are very much appreciated.
Are snacks/refreshments included in tour price? Each tour participant will be treated to a delicious chocolate bon-bon from Jacques Torres Chocolates. In addition, each participant will be offered a complimentary bottle of water at the start of each walk.
Is this walk strenuous? This walk is mildly strenuous. First, participants will walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, which has a slight uphill component in the beginning (about 1/4 mile). Second, participants will walk up a short but somewhat steep hill (about one block) to get to Brooklyn Heights. That said, the pace of this tour is moderate, so no one will feel rushed. As a general gauge, if you are able to walk up one flight of stairs without having to stop, then you should find this tour suitable.
Parting Words:
What comes to mind when you think of the Brooklyn Bridge? Perhaps it’s the Lexus commercial from 1997 in which Joe Pesci does the voice for the Bridge? Or maybe its the calamitous scenes in countless science fiction and action movies where the Brooklyn Bridge is either blown up, ripped up by a giant sea monster, or destroyed by an enormous tidal wave? If you are a fan of the Blue Man Group, perhaps you’ve seen this creative video, in which the Bridge is used as a percussion instrument.
But the Brooklyn Bridge isn’t just a famous backdrop for Hollywood studios, ad agencies, and entertainers. It is a 130-year-old marvel of design and engineering. It’s two Neo-Gothic towers were once the tallest structures on either side of the East River. Its steel cables marked an unprecedented leap forward in bridge design (at a time when one in four suspension bridges collapsed). It was also by far the world’s longest suspension bridge when it opened on May 24, 1883 — connecting the largest city in America with the third-largest. In fact, it was such a huge achievement that it was quickly dubbed the “8th Wonder of the World” and Brooklyn’s mayor, Seth Low, declared opening day “People’s Day”. Everyone had the day off and more than 150,000 people crossed this colossal beauty on opening day, including America’s president at the time, Chester A. Arthur. Several dignitaries and politicians gave speeches on the Bridge that no-one could actually hear (this is before microphones), ships blew their whistles, and there was a beautiful fireworks display at night.
But behind the celebration lies the oft-tragic 14-year construction process, which claimed many lives and ruined many more. The Brooklyn Bridge was built by brave, hard-working men and this tour is also about their story.
