Brooklyn, New York Self-Guided Walking Tour

Welcome to the Brooklyn Walking Tour

Chances are you already recognize the Brooklyn Bridge from movies set in New York. But did you know that this landmark almost didn’t exist?  This comprehensive self-guided walking tour of NYC covers Brooklyn’s two most popular neighborhoods: DUMBO & Brooklyn Heights. Discover must-see sights like the Brooklyn Bridge, iconic eateries like Grimaldi’s, and hugely popular photo-ops like Pier 1 on this Brooklyn walking tour! 

Our New York city tours let you experience the city’s many wonders at your own pace. Do check our other New York city tours here.

About the tour

This self-guided audio and GPS tour begins in the center of Brooklyn’s popular DUMBO neighborhood and continues toward the waterfront. Get some picture-perfect views of the Manhattan Bridge and pick up some history along the way–and don’t forget to snag that perfect shot!

Get your first good look at the famous East River at Main Street Park, where you’ll also have gorgeous, uninterrupted views of Manhattan’s skyline. As you admire the urban vista, hear the history behind New York’s race to the sky with these towering structures.

Continuing along the river on the Brooklyn walking tour, you’ll get insight into the suburb’s early coffee industry kings and the bitter rivalry that kept them at each other’s throats. Then, step inside the former warehouse of one of these kings for some quintessential Brooklyn pop-ups at Time Out Brooklyn!

Then, take in the entire span of the Brooklyn Bridge and hear about a panic that prevented New Yorkers from crossing it and the unorthodox solution the mayor came up with to reassure everyone!

As you walk toward the picturesque arches of Saint Ann’s Warehouse, hear the true story of a conman who claimed he owned the Brooklyn Bridge — and made tons of money selling it over and over again!

And what would New York be without pizza? Please pay a visit to two of Brooklyn’s most famous pizzerias next, and hear about the betrayals and bitter rivalry that pits them against one another to this day.

While taking in some of the waterfront’s most beautiful sights along the next stretch of the tour, you’ll hear about even more Big Apple history, from how immigrants reshaped the city to the side effects of the renaissance that Brooklyn has experienced.

Up next, you’ll visit Brooklyn Heights, where author Norman Mailer wrote his most famous works. Then it’s on to another literary landmark: Truman Capote’s house. If you’ve ever wondered where the author of Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood lived, it was right here in Brooklyn!

Next, stop by the iconic Saint George Hotel, where a famous scene from The Godfather was filmed. Finally, head to Cadman Park Plaza and hear about one New York mayor’s Herculean struggle against corruption in the city. The Brooklyn walking tour will conclude here, not far from where it began.

Starting Point Address: Prospect St & Adams St, Brooklyn, NY 11201