- xphile1067
- First Reviewer
- 4 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 3
- Reviews
-
7
- Photos
Harlem Gospel Tour
- January 30, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
tracey73jay from Sydney, Australia
We went on this tour on the 31st December 08, our tour guide was named Glenn. He was unreal, he knew so much about Harlem as he grew up there. Very Informative & very very funny. My husband was unsure about the tour when I first booked it but he was the first to say how much he enjoyed it. My 3 teenage children enjoyed it just as much. The church service was about 45 mins to 1 hr, it was great & very uplifting. It gave me goosebumps especially when they sang "Happy Days". It snowed when we were on this tour which made everything so beautiful in New York. Even though it was snowing we still got out the bus when our tour guide wanted to show us things. I would do this tour again in a heartbeat especially if we had the same tour guide.
Tracey
Australia
Editor Pick
Grayline Tours
- January 1, 2008
- Rated 3 of 5 by
Joy S from Manchester, United Kingdom
We did 2 guided tours, both prebooked with Grayline.
On Sunday morning we took the Harlem Gospel Tour. Since the 1990's visitors (especially Europeans) have been increasingly common at Harlem's traditional Sunday morning services, home to the near ecstatic black gospel tradition that was born during the days of slavery and came north with the African-American migration of the 20th century.
The tour cost $50 per person. It is not necessary to pre-book, availability did not seem to be an issue and you have to go to Grayline's offices to collect the tickets and walk a number of blocks to the bus, whether or not you have prebooked.
The tour was interesting and the guide was lively and informative. Harlem is really nice - the Dutch architecture is very impressive. We saw the beautiful Cathedral of St John the Divine, the grand houses of Striver's Row and 125th Street with the famous landmark the Apollo Theatre.
The tour ended with a visit to a Pentecostal Church in Spanish Harlem. 3 busloads of tourists were bustled in and sat in the back pews.
The service, already well underway, consisted mostly of singing and music. This was good but the noise level was disconcerting. There were huge speakers everywhere and the music blasted out through these at top volume. Our son spent most of the time under the pew in front with his fingers in his ears.
The congregation danced, clapped, sang and were really lively. We spent almost an hour in the church and were taken out before the sermon (which can last up to 2.5 hours) started.
The tour took about 4 hours. I would recommend it, but be prepared for the very loud music in the church. My ears were still ringing an hour later.
We also took the Grayline Loop Tour - just the Downtown Section. It starts at Times Square, goes to Battery Park and back taking in all the main sights.
The tour is hop-on, hop-off on an open-top double-decker bus. Again do not prebook as there is no shortage of tickets.
This tour is a good way to get the lay of the land (in summer) especially if you only have limited time in New York. In December however we thought it was a waste of time and money. It was far too cold to sit upstairs - guides even recommended you stay maximum 15 minutes as the wind-chill was so severe. Downstairs you can see next to nothing through the windows.
The guides are interesting and informative and most of those we had were very wacky. They do expect a tip each time you get off - some seemed to suggest $5 was insufficient. It can therefore work out rather expensive if you plan to get on and off the bus a lot. Also they stand right at the door, collection hat in hand eyeballing you as you get off.
From journal A Week in New York
Grayline Tours
- January 24, 2006
- Rated 3 of 5 by
xphile1067 from Burbank, California
Grayline Heritage tours cost $25/$13.50 adult/child, AAA $22.50 adult. You can book online and print out the receipt. Pick up the tickets at 625 Eighth Ave., between 42nd and 43rd Streets. Exit the subway at the 42nd Street stop and walk 2 blocks to Grayline office. The guides are fairly knowledgeable but rely heavily on playing DVD’s and notebooks of information. Between the New York drivers and the Grayline drivers, you get a fairly bumpy and “jerky” ride with so-so friendliness.
From journal NYC Layover? Take a Grayline Tour