New York City Your Way - 5 Hour Half Day Customized Tour

If you’re on the fence about hiring a personal guide to show you the best of NYC, get off it. And if you are trying to decide which guide to go with, let me save you some trouble, HIRE GARY! My daughter and I were headed to Broadway to see a show, but we wanted to get something more than just the show out of our trip, so we looked into guided tours. We had not been to NYC before and a big bus tour was out of the question, we wanted something more personal. We got lucky and found Gary, and boy what a find! Gary’s communication prior to booking the trip was great and he easily adjusted our agenda to fit the things we wanted to see. During our 5-hour tour, Gary’s knowledge of, and love, for the city he grew up in quickly became evident. This guy wasn’t just topical, he knew stuff. At every turn and on any topic, Gary had something entertaining and interesting to say. And he wasn’t boring just reporting facts, he’s a true storyteller with a great sense of humor. My daughter is a theater kid, and Gary really took that to heart and helped make the theater district part of the tour extra special for her. And the number of local New Yorkers that personally knew Gary was really cool. Whether you are a NYC newbie, or a frequent traveler, and no matter what your area of interest is, I’m certain that Gary can make your next trip even better. Thank you Gary for a great day!

A little background: we live outside of Philly. My sister and niece were coming to visit. My niece had never been to NYC and wanted to go. We had been many times for shows and my husband traveled there quite often for business. We thought we knew the city fairly well. I also knew that we were visiting on what would be one of the hottest days of the summer (7/14/26). We do not know the subway system that well, so I decided to check out Tours by Locals to see what might be offered. I am so glad I did. We spent most of the day with Gary. We had an amazing time. He was a wealth of information regarding history, architecture, and anything else we could throw at him. He met us at Penn Station and we were off on a wonderful adventure. Because we used the trains, we were as far uptown as Central Park and as far downtown as the WTC. When I showed my family where we had been on a map, they were amazed at how much ground we covered. I saw sights even I had never seen before. I think one of the things that touched me most, was that my sister told Gary when we first met up that she wanted to see a fire truck and get a shirt (my BIL is a retired firefighter). At lunch, Gary told me that he wanted to make sure she got those items and that’s where we were off to next. We ended up at WTC and at Ladder & Engine Co. 10 right across the street. After thanking the guys for all they did and do, Gary showed us around the memorial and explained what some of the symbolism built into the memorial. After that quick tour, Gary delivered us back to Penn in time to catch our train back to Philly. I would not hesitate to book Gary’s services again. The pace was lovely. He was kind and patient (shhh… don’t tell anyone I said that about a born & bred New Yorker), and a joy to be with. Gary, thanks for making my family’s first trip to NYC a great experience for them. (And I made Emory listen to Imagine and Strawberry Fields Forever on the ride home.) Velva

What an amazing day with Gary! He was so funny and incredibly knowledgable about NYC and so many other things, like subways. We saw a ton of interesting things, both popularly known and little known places. Gary tailored the day to things we wanted to do and see, including a cool little lunch place in China Town that we would have never found by ourselves. He taught us the subway system and it was just an all around perfect day. You won't regret spending a day with Gary!

Christopher G.United States

Gary is a great tour guide. He met us at our hotel and took us on a fabulous tour of the city, with a non-stop narration of the history and sights. We saw so much, and even found time for lunch. I can't think of a single thing I would change, except perhaps the weather. Kathy and I would unreservedly recommend Gary!

Gary picked us up from our hotel on time. We all enjoyed the tour. He gave us detailed information about the history of the places we visited. He was friendly and accommodating. I will recommend him to friends and relatives who plan to visit NY in the future. Thank you, Gary👍😊

Gary was extremely knowledgeable, informative and entertaining. He paid strict attention to our needs and interests. Highly recommend taking tours with Gary.