Best Soho New York Tours

New York's Soho neighborhood is world famous for its trendy restaurants and exclusive stores. It is synonymous with glamour and a must-see if you are a lover of new gastronomic trends.

Ana Caballero

Ana Caballero

10 min read

Best Soho New York Tours

New York Buildings | ©Jens Karlsson

Soho had its beginnings as a mainly industrial area and was not always a fashionable neighborhood as it is now. For decades it was the neighborhood of choice for the establishment of factories and it was where the immigrants who came to New York from Europe stayed. There are a lot of tours to know Soho, these tours are one of the best things to do in New York.

You can choose between private tours (just for you and your group) or general tours, you can also choose between tours only in Soho or tours that include other points of interest. There are many options available! Here are some of the best tours to get to know Soho.

Tour of Soho, Little Italy and Chinatown

Chinatown in New York| ©Alejandro Mallea
Chinatown in New York| ©Alejandro Mallea

This is one of the best tours to Soho in New York, because it also includes a visit to the traditional neighborhoods of Little Italy and Chinatown. On this tour you will learn about the history of the three neighborhoods from a local guide.

You will have the opportunity to learn about the turbulent history of these areas when the Mafia ruled the streets of southern Manhattan. It is a very complete tour at a very convenient price.

Details of interest of the Soho, Little Italy and Chinatown Tour

  • Price: The price is approximately 35 euros per person.
  • Duration: the duration is approximately 2 hours.
  • Means of transportation: transportation from one place to another, depending on the company that provides the service, can be done in the company's means or public transport. Most of the tour is on foot.
  • Advantages of this option: it is a tour that develops a lot of historical content.
  • Disadvantages of this option: sometimes it is difficult to get a reservation if it is not done in advance.

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Private tour visiting Soho, Chinatown and Little Italy

Entrance to little italy| ©Shutterstock
Entrance to little italy| ©Shutterstock

This tour of Soho in New York City is a private tour, so the guide is exclusive to you and your group. This type of private tour gives you the possibility to focus the visit on those points that are most interesting to you without having to worry about it.

You have the opportunity to transform it into a gastronomic tour of the area, because your guide will give you tips on where to eat. You can also try some specialties of the cuisine of these neighborhoods during your visit, food and drinks are not included in the price.

If Chinese food is among your favorites, do not miss the opportunity on this tour and enjoy eating in one of the best restaurants in Chinatown, you will not regret it.

Details of interest of the Private Tour visiting Soho, Chinatown and Little Italy

  • Price: the price is around 80 euros per person, depending on the company.
  • Duration: the duration is 2 hours.
  • Means of transportation: most of the tour is on foot.
  • Advantages of this option: you can hire this tour with a guide in Spanish.
  • Disadvantages of this option: meals and drinks are not included and when touring the main restaurants and bakeries can become expensive if you do not control yourself.

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Private and personalized walking tour of the Manhattan neighborhood

Greenwich Village| ©Felix Stahlberg
Greenwich Village| ©Felix Stahlberg

This is an excellent tour to get to know Soho and other emblematic areas of New York. As it is a private tour, you will walk through the different attractions at your own pace and avoid crowds of people. This tour includes a private guide for you and your group.

As this is a personalized tour, you choose where to go and how much time to spend at each place. You can also choose the meeting point or even be picked up by car from your hotel. On this tour you can choose to visit Greenwich Village, another of the must-see places in New York.

Details of interest of the Private and personalized walking tour of the Manhattan neighborhood

  • Price: the price is around 61 euros per person, taxes and fees included.
  • Duration: the duration is approximately 3 hours.
  • Means of transport: the tour is on foot, but you can ask to be picked up by car at the hotel.
  • Advantages of this option: it is a personalized tour, you will visit what interests you.
  • Disadvantages of this option: the duration of the tour may be insufficient to see everything that is interesting in Manhattan.

Guided, private, luxury SUV tour: the best of New York including Soho

Touring Soho| ©artgb
Touring Soho| ©artgb

On this tour you will be able to relax and forget about the hassles of public transportation because you will ride in an SUV car just for you and your group.

You have two different tour options, one that includes only Lower Manhattan and has a duration of 3 hours and another of 5 hours in which you can add to your itinerary the highlights of Upper Manhattan.

With this tour you will get to know the best of Soho in New York. By riding in a private vehicle you will be able to do all the shopping you want in the exclusive stores of Soho, without worrying about carrying your bags.

Interesting details about Guided Private Luxury SUV Tour: the best of New York including Soho

  • Price: the basic price is around 700 euros.
  • Duration: the duration is approximately 3 to 5 hours, depending on the type of tour you choose.
  • Means of transportation: the tour is in a luxury SUV.
  • Advantages of this option: it is a personalized tour and you don't have to walk a lot or use public transportation.
  • Disadvantages of this option: the price can be high if you are traveling on a low budget.

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How to book a tour of Soho in New York City

New York City Buildings| ©Alejandro
New York City Buildings| ©Alejandro

The best option to book any of the Soho tours in New York is to do it online on the website of a specialized company. Always choose reputable and reliable websites.

One of the things you should look at when booking tours online are the reviews of previous customers, to get a more complete idea of the quality of the company and the tours offered.

Duration of the best tours to Soho New York City

Viewing Time| ©Vincent Rivaud
Viewing Time| ©Vincent Rivaud

The duration of the tours to New York Soho is between 2 and 5 hours, depending on the other activities that are included in the tour.

It is best to choose tours that include other areas of interest also to know the most important and then if you have more days in New York you can return to visit those places that you liked and want to visit with more time.

Tips to keep in mind in Soho in New York City

Famous apartment in the movie Ghost in NY| ©LeAna
Famous apartment in the movie Ghost in NY| ©LeAna

Soho is an area where you will find the best fashion houses in New York, if you plan to go shopping, either in a group or on your own, avoid carrying cash. All major stores accept credit or debit cards and it is safer for you to opt for these methods of payment. You should organize your shopping trip well and keep in mind that Soho is one of the most expensive neighborhoods in New York.

Take advantage of your visit to Soho to visit its wonderful art galleries, you will find established artists and also new artists with a lot of talent, exhibiting their works in Soho.

As for security, you should take the same precautions as in all other areas of New York, Soho is an exclusive area, does not mean that it is free of problems, although one of the great advantages is a greater police presence that discourages bad behavior.

If you want to plan your first trip to New York and avoid making mistakes follow these tips for visiting New York, which will help you have an amazing trip.

What are the advantages of taking a guided tour of Soho?

Streets of Soho in New York| ©Hayden Crackett
Streets of Soho in New York| ©Hayden Crackett

The advantages of taking a guided tour of New York's Soho are many. The main one is getting to know the less touristy places and getting useful tips from the local guides. If you tour Soho on your own, you will miss details about the off-the-beaten-path places that only locals know about.

This can also happen with other areas of New York, where a guided tour is recommended to get an overview and then if you want, delve deeper on your own. In the case of New York Soho, it's particularly important, because if you're planning either a shopping trip or an art-focused trip, the guides will give you valuable information. Based on that information, you can then go back and delve deeper into what interests you most.

If it's your first visit to New York, it's always best to opt for guided tours. New York City is huge and with over 20 million people it can be overwhelming the first few days of your trip.

To avoid getting lost and to get the most out of the city, it makes sense to hire guided tours. If you don't know where to start, you can start organizing your itinerary by zones, choosing the best neighborhoods in New York and depending on your selection, book the tours that interest you the most.

Must-see places in New York's Soho neighborhoods

Wooster Street Sign| ©Joaquin
Wooster Street Sign| ©Joaquin

Now that you know what the best tours are, how long they last and that you have an overview of the advantages of taking a guided tour of New York Soho, make sure that the tour you choose takes you to see the following places.

Shopping on Whooster Street

If you're on a shopping trip, Soho's Whooster Street is the place to visit. There you will find the stores of the best and most famous high fashion brands. It is also where the most famous stylists have their stores

It is a small street, but it is where the main stores of the city are concentrated.

Visiting the historic Soho area of New York City

Soho is known for its shopping, but it has much more to offer. It is a historic area of great interest not only in New York City, but also in the rest of the United States due to its unique and distinctive architectural style.

The cast iron structures of the buildings, which emerged as a cheaper building alternative at the end of the 18th century, give this area a different feel. There are around 500 preserved historic buildings and the authorities are very strict about the preservation of the historic architectural heritage.

Companies that decide to set up in Soho must comply with a detailed building conservation plan. Otherwise, they are not allowed to move their premises to Soho.

Soho in the movies

New York City has been and continues to be the setting for famous movies and series. Soho is no exception. The movie Ghost, starring Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, had New York's Soho as its main setting. The apartment where Molly (Demi Moore's character) lived is located at 102 Prince Street.

The series Sex and The City also had many of its main scenes filmed in Soho. Charlotte's character worked in an art gallery in Soho, a place that exists in real life and is located at 141 Prince Street.

If you want to know more places that were scenes of movies or series in New York City do not miss the 10 best locations of series and movies in New York.

Book a movie and series tour in New York City

A tour for the sweet tooth in New York Soho

If you have a sweet tooth and love sweets, you can take a tour of Soho, sampling the best sweets New York has to offer. Some of the best bakeries in New York are in Soho.

At the Little Cupcake Bake Shop you can try the best cupcakes and cheesecakes in New York and some of the best in the country.

If you want to try something out of the ordinary at the Dominique Ansel Bakery, located at 189 Spring Street, you can have a cronut, a house specialty that is a mix of croissant and donut.

Eating in New York's Soho

New York's Soho is home to some of the best restaurants in the city, such as the famous "Balthazar", a restaurant specializing in French cuisine, considered one of the best in the United States.

Perhaps after so much traveling, you are nostalgic for a good Spanish meal, in Soho you can eat dishes with a taste of Spain. La Boqueria is a chain of restaurants in New York, with several branches that offers tapas and typical Spanish dishes on its menu.

How much time do I need to tour New York's Soho?

Soho buildings| ©Joel and Trish Chong
Soho buildings| ©Joel and Trish Chong

Locals say that you never finish getting to know Soho. It is one of the most dynamic areas of New York, always setting trends whether in fashion, food, art or nightlife.

There are always new things to see and do in Soho. Even if you travel to New York several times, you will find that Soho always has something different to offer.

If you want to get to know Soho in a general way, you will see that it is not a very extensive area to walk around, one day is enough to do it. A good option is, as I said, to take a guided tour to see the most basic attractions and locate the places of interest in Soho and in the following days go deeper into what you like the most on your own, shopping, eating, visiting art galleries, things that you can not do in a tour of just a few hours.

Soho's nightlife is some of the most vibrant in New York City and I recommend that you set aside at least one night for a night tour. Remember when going out at night in New York, take extreme safety precautions and always try to go in a group, to minimize the chances of any inconveniences.