adventure travel companies based in nyc

Destination Backcountry

Outdoor adventure for all.

Hiking, Backpacking, and Paddling in New York State

Scheduled Adventures

Explore our regularly scheduled weekend adventures. We offer hiking, backpacking, and canoeing and kayaking trips in the Hudson Valley, Catskills, and Adirondacks for all skill levels and interests, from gentle slow hikes to multi-night backpacking trips in the deep wilderness.

Customized Adventures

Our founder Dave DiCerbo will work with our team of expert guides to tailor a customized adventure that perfectly fits your needs. We specialize in trips for corporate and nonprofit groups, schools and educational institutions, families, and more, from team-building day hikes to educational overnights.

Unique Adventures

Expert guides.

The best of New York State wilderness

Adventure for All

Founded in 2011 by Dave DiCerbo, Destination Backcountry has grown to a team of over twenty dedicated outdoor guides, professionals, and apprentice guides. Our belief is that everyone should be able to experience the restorative power of wilderness—no matter your skill or experience level—and we design our adventures to create a welcoming and safe environment for all.

Outdoor Expertise

We are proud to take our adventurers off-the-beaten path to the most stunning forests, mountains, lakes, and ponds in New York State, discovered over decades of collective hiking and backcountry experience.

Our team of expert guides combines decades of outdoor experience, from survival specialists to Triple Crown finishers, united by our joy of sharing the wilderness with others.

All Skill Levels

From adventurers taking their first step on the trail, to experienced backpackers looking to expand their skill set, our greatest joy as guides is to teach a new skill or help our hikers engage with nature in a new way.

Diversity of Experience

Our adventures reflect the countless ways to engage with nature in a meaningful way, from gentle slow hikes to deep wilderness backpacks and family friendly paddles.

Transportation Options

We offer transportation to and from New York City with convenient pick up and drop off locations at Grand Central in Manhattan and the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Food and Menu Planning

We serve fresh, healthy gourmet meals on our all of our adventures. We're happy to accommodate any dietary restrictions, including providing vegan and gluten free meals on overnights.

Destination Backcountry has been featured on the Today's Show and in the Wall Street Journal, Backpacker, Men's Health, and more

The DBA team is amazing! I've been on multiple hikes with them and have always had an incredible experience! All the logistics and transport is so well managed. You can just relax and enjoy the hike without having to worry about anything else. The guides are super professional, helpful and a great company.

—Avinash C.

Extraordinary guides! I took a 3 day backpacking trip with DBA and Dave, Jess, and Alex were knowledgeable, fun, and deeply connected to the forest. I had some natural outdoor fears but their compassion and expertise helped me feel at ease in the backcountry.

Their trips are very accessible in price and effort, and their team members are all warm and welcoming... DBA provides a great balance of adventure and safety with a chance to learn within my skill level, or just enjoy the ride and the nature views. Since DBA attracts really great participants, we had a lot of fun and I even made some new friends.

—Patricia Y.

This is the best guiding company I have ever experienced. Wonderful and carefully crafted adventures. Wonderful guides. Outstanding food. You'll learn a lot as well, and you'll have great company and will make new friends! Big shoutout to Dave, Henri and Lauren! Hoping to go many more trips with them.

The best outdoor adventure company in NYC/Brooklyn. I've been on multiple trips with them. The owners are fantastic people. They communicate well to manage expectations & cater you individual needs. All the guides are well trained, top notch & just lovely people in general.

Winter Hiking 101

Hike & harvest—autumn in upstate new york, our favorite post-hike breweries in the catskills.

New York Top 25 Exciting Adventure Travel Companies

The adventure travel industry in New York is a beautiful blend of thrill and exceptional experiences. Companies operative in this industry cover a myriad of travel segments including expeditions, luxury travel, immersive experiences and more. Guided by trained professionals, these companies offer an enriched insight into various global destinations, providing travelers the opportunity to explore offbeat spots and curiosities. They combine the euphoria of adventure with safety and knowledge, making the trips both exciting and informative. As we move into the future, the sector continues to focus on providing unique, personalized travel itineraries to cater to the growing demand for unique travel experiences.

Top 25 adventure travel companies in New York

1. lindblad expeditions.

• Website: expeditions.com
• Headquarters: New York, New York, United States
• Founded: 1979
• Headcount: 501-1000

Expeditions.com is a travel company that offers expeditions to various destinations worldwide, including Africa, Antarctica, Alaska, and more. They provide exclusive itineraries and knowledgeable expedition specialists to guide travelers on their extraordinary journeys.

2. Protravel International

• Website: protravelinc.com
• Founded: 1984
• Latest funding type: Acquired

Protravel International is a respected travel agency that has been providing personal and corporate travel planning services since 1984. With a team of experienced and knowledgeable travel advisors, Protravel offers a wide range of services, including luxury travel, adventure travel, and immersive experiences. They have connections globally to help match clients with their perfect destinations and experiences.

3. Atlas Obscura

• Website: atlasobscura.com
• Headquarters: Brooklyn, New York, United States
• Founded: 2009
• Headcount: 51-200
• Latest funding type: Series B

Atlas Obscura is an online platform that showcases and celebrates the world's hidden wonders, curiosities, and unique destinations. It offers a collection of offbeat attractions, unusual places, and extraordinary experiences for curious travelers and adventure seekers.

4. Escapades Bike Tours

• Website: escapadesbiketours.com
• Headquarters: Saratoga Springs, New York, United States
• Headcount: 1001-5000

Escapades Bike Tours is a company that offers high quality bike trips to unique locations throughout the USA. Our bike tours are fully supported and led by experienced local guides who provide friendly service and information about local communities. Our bike trips for all seasons series provides trips year-round for every biker to enjoy.

• Website: ovrride.com

OvRride is a ski and snowboard trip provider that offers all-inclusive packages to various mountains in New York, Vermont, and internationally. They help riders and skiers escape NYC and experience the best mountains, including Belleayre, Hunter, Mountain Creek, Windham, Mount Snow, Killington, Sugarbush, Stowe, Colorado, Tahoe, Utah, Europe, Japan, and South America.

6. Blue Ribbon Travel & Cruises

• Website: travelblueribbon.com
• Headquarters: Whitestone, New York, United States
• Founded: 1975

Travel Blue Ribbon is a company that specializes in booking and organizing luxury travel experiences and cruises for individuals, families, and groups. They offer a wide variety of travel options including river cruises, culinary travel, adventure travel, and family vacations.

7. Adirondack Scenic Railroad

• Website: adirondackrr.com
• Headquarters: Utica, New York, United States
• Headcount: 11-50

Adirondack Railroad is a scenic train ride company offering trips in the Adirondack Park. With a vision of expanding rail and trail-based offerings, the company aims to provide transportation for people of all ages and physical abilities to explore remote areas of the park.

8. New Paths Expeditions

• Website: npexpeditions.com
• Headquarters: Valley Cottage, New York, United States

NP Expeditions specializes in providing private and small-group expedition tours to wildlife-rich destinations in Africa, Asia, South America, Oceania, and the polar regions, with a focus on sustainable and responsible tourism.

9. Wander Troupe

• Website: wandertroupe.com
• Founded: 2016

Wandertroupe.com is a company that offers travel and adventure packages for adventurous travelers and outdoor enthusiasts, allowing them to explore the world in a unique and exciting way.

10. China Expedition Tours

• Website: chinaexpeditiontours.com
• Headquarters: Flushing, New York, United States

China Expedition Tours is a reliable travel agency and tour operator in China offering a wide range of private and group tour packages, including photography, gourmet, honeymoon, and adventure tours.

11. The Explorer's Passage

• Website: explorerspassage.com
• Founded: 2013
• Headcount: 1-10

The Explorer's Passage is a premier adventure tour company that offers immersive travel experiences in some of the world's most spectacular scenery.

12. Nepal Adventure Team

• Website: nepaladventureteam.com
• Headquarters: New York City, New York, United States

Nepal Adventure Team is a Nepal-based travel company that offers customized trekking, hiking and adventure tours across various locations in Nepal.

• Website: tour-sudan.com

Tour-sudan.com is a travel company that specializes in providing unique and comprehensive travel experiences around Sudan and Nubian civilization.

14. Travel Adventures

• Website: travela.com
• Headquarters: Rochester, New York, United States

Travela.com offers fly fishing trips and travel destinations to some of the world's finest locations. With a specialized angler's concierge service, unique personalization is provided to clients.

• Website: trekinfo.com

Trekinfo.com is a website providing information and resources for trekking in Nepal and nearby areas.

16. ensemble

• Website: ensembletravel.ca
• Founded: 1968

Ensemble Travel Group is a member-owned organization of top-tier travel agencies throughout the U.S. and Canada. They offer added amenities, exclusive offers, unique hosted tours and exceptional customer service through deep relationships with the world’s leading providers of travel products and services.

17. Whitaker & DePrez Travel Partners

• Website: wdtravelpartners.com

Whitaker & DePrez Travel Partners LLC is a travel agency that offers a range of vacation packages and destinations for its customers.

18. Adventure Israel

• Website: adventure-israel.com
• Headquarters: Kingston, New York, United States

Adventure Israel is designed to empower, inspire, and energize all of its clients through safe and fun-filled expeditions while developing an appreciation for Eretz Yisrael. Through these expeditions, we teach and develop core values that directly facilitate positive results, both personal and corporate. Adventure Israel is fully Licensed and Insured.

19. She Explores

• Website: she-explores.com
• Headquarters: Woodside, New York, United States

She Explores is a blog and community dedicated to women gaining confidence and joy through outdoor exploration and adventure.

20. Baboon to the Moon

• Website: baboontothemoon.com
• Founded: 2017
• Latest funding type: Series Unknown

Baboon to the Moon is a company that offers a range of high-quality, durable and stylish bags and accessories. Their products are designed for adventurers and explorers who value both functionality and aesthetics.

21. Classic Escapes Inc.

• Website: classicescapes.com
• Founded: 2003

Classic Escapes offers luxury travel tours to various destinations in Asia, the Pacific, Central & South America, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and North America. They specialize in providing nature and cultural journeys for discerning travelers.

22. Roar Africa

• Website: roarafrica.com
• Founded: 2005

ROAR AFRICA offers luxury African safaris and travel experiences that prioritize consciousness, ecological intelligence, and transformative journeys. With a commitment to supporting wildlife and wild spaces, ROAR AFRICA provides intimate and trusted access to extraordinary destinations across Africa, including Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Namibia, Mozambique, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, and Rwanda.

23. Sourced Adventures

• Website: sourcedadventures.com

Sourced Adventures is a company that offers day trips and adventures for people living in New York City. They provide curated and unique outdoor experiences, including snow tubing, skiing, whitewater rafting, and winery tours. Their mission is to make the outdoors more accessible to city dwellers.

24. TourHero

• Website: tourhero.com
• Founded: 2020
• Latest funding type: Seed

TourHero is a travel company that offers curated group tours for like-minded individuals. They aim to provide unique and authentic travel experiences to their customers.

25. Nature Knights

• Website: natureknights.net
• Founded: 1989

NatureKnights offers camping and farm stay holidays in scenic locations with trekking and other outdoor activities.

Want to find more adventure travel companies?

If you want to find more companies that offer unforgettable travel experiences, ranging from global expeditions to unique destinations you can do so with Inven . This list was built with Inven and there are hundreds of companies like these globally.

With Inven you'll also get to know the company's:

• Ownership: Which of these are private equity backed? Which are family-owned?
• Contact data: Who are the owners and CEO's? What are their emails and phone numbers?
• Financials: How do these companies perform financially? What are their revenues and profit margins?

...and a lot more!

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Best Outdoor Activities Outside Your City

We make outdoor activities easy for 200,000+ adventurers, small businesses, and fortune 500 companies alike., day trips from nyc, long island wine tour from nyc, kayaking & winery visit from nyc, river tubing & brewery from nyc, whitewater rafting from nyc, travel hassle-free.

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It’s Time for Adventure!

Great for weekend getaways, birthday celebrations, a breath of fresh air away from the concrete jungle, or simply embarking on a new adventure!

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Enjoy the freedom to cancel free of charge within 24 hours of booking, or reschedule up to 7 days prior to the trip (or up to 24 hours prior with Trip Protection).

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Looking for Corporate Trips?

We have helped more than 100 companies and private groups with team offsites, outings, corporate ski trips, field games, private retreats, and other adventures.

In the new hybrid model of remote and in-office work, building strong human connections has become more important than ever before for team health and company culture. Sourced Adventures is here to help!

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Why start a company in the middle of a pandemic?

At the time COVID-19 hit, I had been a guide with a NYC-based outdoor adventure company, Discover Outdoors, for almost three years. I started out as a client a decade earlier, and as my passion for adventure in the outdoors became an increasingly important part of my life, I began guiding on weekends. It was a “passion project.” I didn’t know then how much I would learn and how attached I would become to the team of guides with whom I worked. I got a chance to guide with interesting, passionate, knowledgeable, unique people. Their experiences inspired me. Their expertise motivated me. I wanted more. So when the opportunity presented itself in 2019, I made a complete career change and came to work for the company full time, running the Northeast part of the business.

Then, COVID-19 hit. I got laid off. Discover Outdoors shut down operations. It felt like a monumental loss. I was hoping that someone or something would come along and provide a solution for the company to continue. But then I realized, all the pieces that I cared so much about – the community of guides, the outdoor adventures, the people that want to experience these trips with us – they were all still there. And if I wanted for our work to continue, the answer was not waiting for something to happen – the answer was to make it happen. Of course, it could only work if the people that I worked with were still on board. They are the ones that created the unforgettable experiences and community that drew me in to begin with. I let the team know that I was planning to start a new business to run Northeast day and multi-day outdoors trips, departing from New York City. I was met with overwhelming, heart-warming support and encouragement. If the team was on board, it was time to get to work!

So here we are! To continue doing what we love, we are putting ourselves outside of our comfort zone, at a time when everything has been turned upside down. And once it’s safe to do so, I hope you will join us! Whether it’s learning about the natural world from a Master Naturalist, exploring a new high peak in the Catskills, doing a nature meditation, or challenging yourself on a long-distance hike, I hope you let us guide you on an adventure that challenges you, excites you, and opens you up to a whole new world!

Be well, be safe, and see you soon!

Jana Paremoud Founder, Senior Guide Adventure Untamed

©2020 by Adventure Untamed LLC.

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Your Luxury Escape is waiting Satisfy your wanderlust with the luxury vacation experience you’ve always dreamed of. With Blue Ribbon Travel, you can escape to the world’s most breathtaking and elusive destinations as part of a bespoke travel package tailored exclusively to you. Swim with dolphins across spectacular Hawaiian lagoons. Uncover the mysteries of Mexico’s ancient jungle ruins. Voyage through the Arctic’s stunning glacial landscapes. The journey of a lifetime is just a few clicks away. Let our expert travel agents start planning for you today. View Our Top Destinations .bg-aside-2 { background-image: url('https://travelblueribbon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/brt-safari-image-800x0-c-default.webp'); } @media(min-width: 380px) { .bg-aside-2 { background-image: url('https://travelblueribbon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/brt-safari-image-1000x0-c-default.webp'); } } @media(min-width: 1200px) { .bg-aside-2 { background-image: url('https://travelblueribbon.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/brt-safari-image-1600x0-c-default.webp'); } } Your adventure begins here with extraordinary travel experiences handled by expert travel advisors. Start Planning Start your Adventure

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I wanted a special vacation experience to celebrate my 60 birthday. Well Anne and Blue Ribbon Travel didn’t disappoint. The experience Anne put together for me was beyond my expectations. I would highly recommend Anne and Blue Ribbon Travel if you want a truly amazing , stress free vacation

I book with Blue Ribbon very frequently and they never disappoint. I deal with Anne Alvarez. She is very helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and always gets me the best deals. I would highly recommend Blue Ribbon Travel. Excellent service all around.

Literally the best, most helpful, fun and kind team to work with. Always available, always ready with a top tip and all round, straight up wonderful. I cannot recommend them highly enough.

I’ve used them for years and have always been treated very well. Over ten vacations booked and no problems. I had a flight delayed overseas and they we’re able to rearrange my booking in no time and get me on the next flight out.

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We promise outstanding adventure travel experiences for people with an adventurous spirit..

Every active travel experience Boundless Journeys creates is complemented by signature accommodation, regional cuisine, and remarkable local guides who can show you the greatest hits and hidden gems of each destination. No matter where you want to go—or what you want to do—Boundless Journeys delivers unique, flexible, and exclusive travel at its best.

So, What are you in the mood for?

Hiking & walking.

We offer what every seasoned traveler looks for: the opportunity to truly experience a destination by slowing down, stepping out of your everyday life, and immersing yourself in places often only accessible on foot.

Nature Tours & Safaris

Boundless Journeys’ active nature tours and African safaris immerse you in a world where “all good things are wild and free.”

Cultural Encounters

Our small group cultural tours carefully uncover, gently explore, and quietly meander through some of the most exceptional and unspoiled places in the world.

Experience the rewards of hiking through hidden valleys, over mountain passes, and into seldom-traveled areas where foreigners rarely visit.

Special Departures

Our special departure tours feature unique and exclusive vacations that are truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Custom Tours

Whether you are planning a family reunion for 16 in Costa Rica, or want to meet with old friends in Europe, Boundless Journeys’ Custom Tours allow you to make your most amazing travel dreams a reality.

A few of our favorite tours

France, italy, and switzerland: tour du mont blanc hiking.

$4,995 / person 9 days

Peru: The Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu

$6,095 / person 8 days

South Africa: Ultimate Cape Town & Kruger Safari

$6,995 / person 8 days

Bhutan: Hiking in the Peaceful Kingdom

$6,795 / person 12 days

More Than Just A Travel Company

Boundless Journeys delivers the world’s great adventures and exceeds expectations on every trip.

If diversity of adventure is what you are seeking, Boundless Journeys has trips to satisfy your most imaginative spirit. Our worldwide adventure tours offer everything from wilderness treks to cultural expeditions, and we always find the hidden gems of each destination.

Small group or private itineraries, memorable accommodations, and expert local guides define the signature Boundless Journeys active travel experience.

What Our Guests Say About Us

Each trip has been unique and wonderful with its own charms. I have been repeatedly impressed with is the guides. Every guide has been exceptional! Very different personalities, but all knowledgeable, friendly, adaptive, good leaders, patient, and all amazing representatives of their countries.

Travel Your Way

From flexible itineraries for small groups to handcrafted tours for you and your traveling companions: There is a Boundless Journeys adventure just right for you.

Amazing Local Guides

Local to the region you’re exploring, our trusted friends have unique perspectives that take you beyond the usual to reveal the most authentic places, people, and food.

Award-Winning Itineraries

We take great pride in the experiences we deliver, as evidenced by the prestigious awards that Boundless Journeys receives year after year.

Our Philosophy

A great travel experience doesn’t begin and end on the trail. It’s the little things that make the difference—and at Boundless Journeys, we take that philosophy to heart.

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We are committed to traveling responsibly, striving to preserve traditions and cultures around the world, as well as to protect fragile natural habitats.

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25 Must-Do Adventures in New York

There's more to New York than the Big Apple.

By: The Outbound Collective + Save to a List

When you think of exploring New York, your first thoughts are probably of plays on Broadway, world-class restaurants, and everything else that New York City has to offer. The truth is, the opportunities for outdoor adventure throughout New York state rival the excitement of the city (and for some of us, far surpass it). From the Adirondacks to the Catskills and everywhere in between, you’ll find winding rivers, epic vistas, raging waterfalls, and campsites far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Whether you’re a New Yorker looking for your next weekend escape or if you’re planning your first visit, be sure to check out our list and see all the beauty that New York has to offer.

1. Camp at Kittatinny Campground

2. Hike the Catskill Mountains' Kaaterskill Falls

3. Camp at Fire Island’s Watch Hill

4. Hike Storm King Mountain

5. Hike the Sugarloaf Mountain and Breakneck Ridge Loop

6. Explore Smith Woods

7. Hike the Appalachian Trail to Anthony’s Nose

8. Hike Wright, Algonquin, and Iroquois Mountains

9. Hike to Watkins Glen's Waterfalls

10. Explore Indian Brook Falls

11. Swim at Peekamoose Blue Hole

12. Camp at the Shindagin Hollow Lean-To

13. Hike to the Mt. Beacon Fire Tower

14. Hike Gertrude’s Nose

15. Hike Mohonk Preserve’s Gatehouse to Skytop Tower

16. Scramble Bonticou Crag and Table Rocks

17. Hike to Taughannock Falls

18. Climb Outdoors at Dumbo Boulders

19. Hike Indian Head and Fish Hawk Cliffs

20. Hike the Gorge Trail in Letchworth State Park

21. Hike to Lake Canopus

22. Camp at Fish Creek Pond

23. Backpack Devil’s Path in the Catskills

24. Climb the Bluffs of Shadmoor State Park

25. Hike Dover’s Stone Church

Cover photo: Lucas Gashi

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We love the classic trail snacks, but sometimes it's worth it to treat yourself to a really delicious meal on an adventure. Check out some of our favorites from Chowhound: Get You Glamping On With These Portable Foods

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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Yep, us too. That's why we send you the best local adventures, stories, and expert advice, right to your inbox.

10 Beautiful Private Campsites in New York

The Outbound Collective

Enjoy comfortable camping in New York's most relaxing locations.

25 New York Adventures with Stunning Fall Foliage

New York gets the best of every season - or maybe worst? Looking at you frigid winters and swampy summers - but fall in the Adirondacks and beyond is our favorite time to be in New York.

New York's Top 10 Camping Adventures

Between the Adirondacks, the Catskills, Niagara Falls, the Great Lakes, and the magnificent state parks, New York has an adventure for everyone!

15 Must-Do Hikes near New York City

A couple hours of driving is always worth it to find the great outdoors.

How to Summit the Two Tallest Mountains in New York in a Weekend

Brandon Dewey

Tips to help you conquer Mount Marcy and Algonquin Peak during a weekend, while being able to enjoy the journey.

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New York Tour Companies

Looking for an unforgettable New York tour? Book a fully-organized trip with the best tour companies in New York and let the tour operator take care of everything for you. Check out the tour details and read 8739 reviews from our customers to help you choose the perfect tour for you.

List of New York travel companies & tour operators with 8739 reviews

Europamundo

• Good - 3,049 reviews for New York tours
• This operator has no New York reviews

• Excellent - 5,487 reviews for New York tours

Citypass was late coming through until I chased it and hotel had an issue with the single supplement so tried to charge me again for a room trying to make me refund with Contiki. Spoiled the start of my trip so had to chase Contiki when I just had arrived. Think I could've done the entire trip cheaper to be honest. Not sure what value Contiki added.

I loved this tour and our guide Jon was great. However it should be advertised as a 3 day tour as the 4th day is just check out of the hotel, no activities.

• Good - 180 reviews for New York tours

Its Your Trip

• Excellent - 23 reviews for New York tours

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Top Adventure Travel companies In New York

Adventure travel companies in New York specialize in providing unique and thrilling experiences for travelers who crave adventure. These companies offer a wide range of activities, including hiking, rock climbing, white-water rafting, zip-lining, and more. They are staffed by experienced guides who are passionate about the outdoors and are trained to ensure the safety of their clients. Whether you're an adrenaline junkie or simply looking for a new challenge, adventure travel companies in New York have something for everyone. With their expert knowledge and local connections, they can take you to some of the most breathtaking and remote locations in the world, giving you a truly unforgettable experience.

Below are the 41 Top Adventure Travel companies In New York and their top employee and management contact details:

All The Rooms

Twip travel with interesting people, black tomato, grown ocean, top view sightseeing, rail europe group, surface travel, r ving trends, sourced adventures, american fun, hotel insider, r ving beginner, bristol mountain, snap outdoors, first century voyages.

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The 19 best new york city tours of 2024.

Explore the best parts of NYC with a local expert.

The Best New York City Tours

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Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned local, you're guaranteed to learn something new on these guided tours of New York City. Tour options range from sightseeing outings to the city's famous attractions to leisurely dinner cruises on the Hudson River.

Editor's Pick: USA Guided Tours – Discover NY Bus Tour

Price: Adults from $99; kids from $89 Duration: 6 hours

U.S. News independently paid to send  Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner , an travel writer based in New York City, on this tour to provide readers with an unbiased, first-hand perspective of what to expect. USA Guided Tours – Discover NY Bus Tour was selected by our team as an Editor’s Pick thanks to its popularity and favorable user reviews.

This tour starts in Midtown and provides a comprehensive survey of well-known Manhattan landmarks, cultural institutions and tourist attractions, peppered with local knowledge. It's an enjoyable way to see much of the city in half a day. The tour is perfect for first-time travelers to get their bearings, check off some photo-ops and see the range of activities that await during their time in New York: shows, parks, museums, live tapings, skyscraper tours, eateries and more. A comfy bus seats about 30 passengers, ideal for quick group gatherings at stops. Tour activities include a walk through Central Park 's west side, a peek at the Empire State Building and a pause at the 9/11 memorial . Guides address ways to further enjoy each space for a return visit, plus pertinent history, standout events, cultural hot spots and more. A round-trip journey on the Staten Island ferry offers close views of the Statue of Liberty , and a real New York commuter experience.

For an additional fee, you can opt to take this tour in a glass-top bus. If you're hoping to admire the city at night, consider the company's evening bus tour.

Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner

Why we love it:

• A 45-minute stop by Zuccotti Park for lunch offers visitors the chance to eat at Gansevoort Liberty Market, outdoor food carts, Eataly and more, just like countless New Yorkers downtown.
• The drive up Broadway, and down Fifth Avenue offers visitors a taste of several neighborhoods they may want to return to (think: West Village and Chinatown). Guides are happy to recommend how to return to these areas and share personal recommendations for shopping, dining and low-priced tickets. 
• There’s never a boring moment – each block has a story about a synagogue, a celebrity, a changemaker or other notable figures in New York history. The comprehensive overview takes visitors from 1600s New Amsterdam to 2024’s Tony Award contenders. 

– Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner

Check prices & availability on:

Bike Rent NYC – Central Park Bike Tour

Price: From $49 Duration: 2 hours

Led by Bike Rent NYC, the Central Park Bike Tour covers roughly 5 miles of Central Park in two hours, and stops along the way include the Bethesda Fountain, Strawberry Fields and the Reservoir. Reviewers generally praise the guides' knowledge of and enthusiasm for the park, and they note that the tours are not paricularly strenuous.

Tours are available multiple times daily, with the first departing at 9 a.m. Tickets cover the use of bicycles as well as helmets, which are mandatory for riders 14 and younger. Bikers can purchase insurance for an additional fee.

Prefer to explore on your own? The company also rents bikes for self-guided tours.

Ahoy NY Tours & Tasting – Chinatown and Little Italy Food Fest Walking Food Tour

Price: From $105 Duration: 3 hours

Eat your way through Chinatown and Little Italy on this three-hour walking tour of New York City. As you explore iconic neighborhoods with an expert guide, you'll stop for seven samples of traditional dishes. Tastings may include Chinese dumplings, cannolis and homemade mozzarella, among other delicacies. Participants praise guides for their historical knowledge of the area and the amount of food served; many warn that you'll want to arrive hungry to fully enjoy all of the tour's offerings.

Tickets cover all food, and participants 21 and older have the option to add a glass of wine or beer at the seated tasting. If you're still hungry, Ahoy NY Tours & Tasting also offers tours of Mulberry Street.

On Location Tours – "Sex and the City" Hotspots Tour

Price: From $66 Duration: 3.5 hours

New York City offers something for just about everyone, including fans of a certain television show starring four fashionable women. On Location Tours' "Sex and the City" Hotspots Tour takes travelers via bus to more than 40 locations where Sarah Jessica Parker and her costars were filmed wining, dining and shopping. Travelers visit famed neighborhoods, such as midtown Manhattan, Greenwich Village, SoHo and the Meatpacking District, stopping for photo-ops along the way. Tourgoers rave about the experienced and amusing guides and assure you don't have to be a fan to enjoy the tour.

The adults-only (18 and older) outings are generally offered Thursday through Sunday at 2 p.m., but the tour runs daily during the summer months. Availability may be more limited in the winter. The company also offers a variety of other TV- and movie-themed bus tours, including those that visit locations featured in "Gossip Girl." If you'd rather walk, consider the company's Central Park TV & Movie Sites Walking Tour.

Courtesy of ExperienceFirst

ExperienceFirst – Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour

Price: Adults from $79; kids from $75 Duration: 5 hours

For an in-depth look at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, sign up for this excursion with ExperienceFirst. The five-hour tour includes access to the grounds of Liberty and Ellis islands, the Immigration Museum and the Statue of Liberty Museum, as well as round-trip ferry tickets. What's more, you'll enjoy priority line access to board the ferry. Guides win praise from reviewers for their expertise and engaging delivery, as well as their ability to navigate the crowds.

Tours depart daily at 8:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The 3.5-hour guided portion of the five-hour tour begins at Castle Clinton in Battery Park and ends at Ellis Island. From there, you can continue to explore on your own for as long as you wish or hop back on the ferry to return to Battery Park. ExperienceFirst also conducts three-hour "express" Statue of Liberty tours , in addition to walking tours of various New York City neighborhoods, including Little Italy and Chinatown.

Broadway Up Close Walking Tours – Broadway's Beginnings

Price: Adults from $41; kids from $36 Duration: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Theater fans can't miss the chance to tag along on the Broadway's Beginnings tour. During the nearly two-hour, half-mile walking tour, you'll pass by the theaters at the southern end of the Broadway theater district, from 41st Street to 44th Street. Along the way, your expert guide will share tales of Broadway's early years and detail how Broadway shows evolve from the first rehearsal to opening night. Plus, guides regale you with stories of the ghosts that reportedly haunt the district's theaters. Reviewers rave about the guides' passion for theater and the behind-the-scenes scoop they share.

Tours are generally available Sunday, Wednesday and Friday at 11 a.m. A maximum of 15 participants are allowed to tour. Can't get enough of Broadway? The company offers a variety of other themed tours, including one that focuses on "Hamilton: An American Musical" and another one all about the Shubert brothers (best known for their theater empire in the 1900s).

Top Dog Tours New York City – Ghosts of Greenwich Village Tour

Price: From $35 Duration: 2 hours

Hear all about the ghosts that purportedly haunt Greenwich Village on this two-hour stroll. Among the sites you'll pass by are the Anne Charlotte Lynch House, where Edgar Allan Poe debuted some of his most famous works, the Hangman's Elm, a more than 300-year-old tree in Washington Square Park that is believed to be the site of many hangings during the American Revolution, and the Jefferson Market Library, a former courthouse. Travelers recommend this tour if you're a fan of the paranormal and are interested in the history of Greenwich Village. Reviewers give kudos to the guides, who they describe as friendly and captivating.

Tours operate nightly at 8 p.m. and are offered in English and Spanish. Note that Top Dog Tours says this experience is not suitable for kids younger than 12.

You'll visit the 9/11 Memorial, a plaza at the former site of the twin towers, during the 9/11 Ground Zero Tour.

9/11 Ground Zero Tour

Price: Adults from $39; kids from $35 Duration: 1.5 hours

Go beyond the 9/11 Memorial with this 90-minute walking tour, led by New Yorkers with personal connections to 9/11. Tours begin at St. Paul's Chapel, which served as an impromptu rescue center during the attacks, and then move to the 9/11 Memorial, a plaza at the former site of the twin towers. From there, your tour may also stop at the FDNY Memorial Wall, the "Survivor Tree" or the Oculus at the World Trade Center transit hub, depending on your tour guide. Tour-takers find the guides to be insightful, respectful and passionate.

Tours take place daily at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Packages that combine the 9/11 Ground Zero Tour with a visit to the 9/11 Museum or to the One World Observatory are also available.

New York Media Boat – Adventure Sightseeing Tour

Price: Adults from $99; kids from $75 Duration: 1 hour

If you're looking for a unique (and thrilling) tour of NYC's top sights, consider this 60-minute speed boat ride aboard a vessel originally reserved for photographers and news crews. After departing from North Cove Marina in lower Manhattan, you'll zip across the Hudson River for views of downtown, midtown and the Empire State and Chrysler buildings. You'll also sail under the Brooklyn Bridge, along the Brooklyn waterfront and around Governors Island. Plus, the tour offers up-close views of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Reviewers say this is a fun and memorable way to see the sights and applaud the captain for their interesting commentary and handling of the boat.

Boats depart several times daily, but availability is limited in the winter months. New York Media Boat also operates private tours.

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Nice Guy Tours – Lower East Side Tour

Price: From $89 Duration: 3 hours

You'll want to come hungry for this New York City food tour, which visits a minimum of seven eateries for samples of pickles, pastrami and doughnuts, among other dishes. During the three-hour walking tour, you'll stop at famous restaurants like Katz's Deli and Russ & Daughters as your guide regales you with stories about the Lower East Side's history and culture. Reviewers are particularly fond of the guides, who they describe as friendly, informative and entertaining. Travelers are also complimentary of the generous amount of food offered.

Tours are available Sunday, Wednesday and Friday at 10:30 a.m. A maximum of 12 people are allowed on each tour. The company also offers food tours of Greenwich Village.

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises – Landmarks Cruise

Price: Prices vary Duration: 1.5 hours

The Landmarks Cruise offered by Circle Line allows you to soak in dramatic views of the New York City skyline from the water surrounding Manhattan. The 90-minute boat ride sails beneath New York's famous bridges, including the Brooklyn Bridge, cruises past the Statue of Liberty and glides by other famous structures. English-speaking guides, who are characterized by reviewers as informed and entertaining, provide a running commentary about the various sights. Food and drinks, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic, are available for purchase.

Prices may vary based on the time and date of the cruise. Passengers also have the option of purchasing premier seating. Cruises depart at multiple times daily between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. from Pier 83 at Hudson River Park. Specialized cruises to the Statue of Liberty and evening cruises are also available.

Foods of NY Tours – Heart and Soul of Greenwich Village

Price: Adults from $75; kids from $50 Duration: 3 hours

The Heart and Soul of Greenwich Village tour highlights the diverse culinary offerings of one of the city's most eclectic neighborhoods. Reviewers enthusiastically praise the varied array of food sampled during the three-hour walking tour, which stops at various cafes and specialty shops for seven tastings – two seated, the rest on the go. Specific tastings vary by day and time, but may include artichoke pizza, fresh pasta, empanadas or kati rolls.

Tours are offered Thursday through Monday year-round. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, tours depart at noon (with a possible additional tour at 12:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday); on Thursday and Monday, tours start at 2 p.m. The tickets cover the food and one bottle of water. Excursions are limited to 16 people. Foods of NY Tours also conducts tours of other neighborhoods, such as Chinatown and Little Italy, as well as Brooklyn.

Tommy's New York – The Catacombs by Candlelight

Price: Adults from $36; kids from $30 Duration: 1.5 hours

Explore the crypts beneath the Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral and enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour with Tommy's New York. On the 90-minute tour, participants will learn the history of the catacombs, which date back to 1815, and the histories of the people buried here, including bishops, priests and families. Unlike the catacombs in Paris and Rome, there are no visible bones. Tourgoers will also walk through the cathedral and see its Erben pipe organ. Reviewers applaud guides for their engaging and educational delivery and vast knowledge of New York history.

Tours are available Thursday through Monday at multiple times between 10:30 a.m. and 4:15 p.m.

Learn all about Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights and Dumbo with Free Tours by Foot.

Free Tours by Foot – Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO Tour

Price: Free Duration: 3 hours

For a local's perspective on Brooklyn history, consider this three-hour walking tour. You'll start your tour by walking a mile over the Brooklyn Bridge. Then, you'll explore America's first suburb, Brooklyn Heights, before stopping to admire the views of Manhattan and New York Harbor. You'll end the tour in Dumbo. Participants compliment guides for their expertise and friendly personalities, as well as their willingness to answer questions. Because it's a name-your-own-price tour, participants choose if they want to compensate the guide at the tour's conclusion.

Tours, which meet at City Hall Park, are offered daily at 9:30 a.m. Though the tour is free, reservations must be made on the company's website. The company offers a variety of other themed tours, including walks through Harlem, Chinatown and Little Italy.

Check availability on:

Zip Aviation – Big City Helicopter Tour

Price: From $279 Duration: 20 minutes

Escape the crowds and enjoy panoramic vistas of the Big Apple on Zip Aviation's Big City Helicopter Tour. The route extends from Liberty Harbor up to the Bronx with views of landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Yankee Stadium and New York's various rivers and iconic bridges, along the way. Reviewers repeatedly laud the exceptional views, the one-of-a-kind flight experience and the professional staff. Plus, prerecorded commentary is provided in multiple languages.

Zip Aviation limits tours to six passengers, depending on the aircraft. The tour, which is available Monday to Saturday at a variety of times between 9:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., lasts 20 minutes. The company also offers 15-minute flights concentrating on the Liberty Harbor area and nighttime skyline tours.

The Wall Street Experience – Wall Street Insider Tour

Price: Adults from $39; kids from $35 Duration: 75 minutes

The Wall Street Experience's Wall Street Insider Tour traverses some of the oldest streets of New York City. The 75-minute walking tour goes past (but not inside) the New York Stock Exchange, which is closed to the public, and the Federal Reserve. As you meander the streets of lower Manhattan, guides – many of whom are traders, investment bankers and stockbrokers – discuss the Financial District's history, architecture and related trivia. Travelers describe guides as funny and extremely well-versed in both finance and New York history.

Outings start at Broad Street, just around the corner from Wall Street, at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The company also offers tours that focus on the 2008 financial crisis.

Courtesy of Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises – Harbor Lights Sunset Cruise

Price: Prices vary Duration: 2 hours

The Big Apple shines at night, and a great way to take in the glistening skyline is from the water. The Harbor Lights Sunset Cruise allows you to do just that, admiring some of the city's most recognizable landmarks, including the Empire State Building and the High Line, during the two-hour evening sail. Cruisers relish the expansive views, photo-ops and engaging commentary, and describe the tour as relaxing.

The tours, which depart nightly at 7 p.m. from Pier 83, feature narration by guides. Prices vary based on time and date of cruise. Cruisers also have the option of purchasing premier seating. Circle Line offers daytime cruises, as well as specialized cruises to the Statue of Liberty.

Intrepid Urban Adventures – New York Tenements, Tales, and Tastes Discovery

Price: From $79 Duration: 3 hours

This walking tour of the Lower East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown illustrates how immigration shaped New York's culture and culinary history. Throughout the three-hour tour, you'll sample four ethnic foods (such as knishes, prosciutto and dumplings) with a knowledgeable guide providing information about the cuisine and culture of the area. Stops include restaurants, bakeries, churches and historic sites. Reviewers heap praise on the attentive guides and recommend pairing this tour with a trip to Ellis Island to gain a better understanding of the early immigrant story.

Tours are generally offered daily at 10 a.m. Groups are limited to 14 people. Intrepid Urban Adventures also leads tours all about Alexander Hamilton, in addition to private outings.

HeliNY – The New Yorker Tour

Price: From $199 Duration: 12 to 15 minutes

Soar above the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, Chelsea Piers, Times Square and more on this approximately 15-minute helicopter flight. As you marvel at the sights below, your pilot will point out landmarks and answer any questions. Previous passengers describe the flight as magical and an amazing way to see NYC. Reviewers also praise the staff for their friendliness and professionalism.

Ticket prices start at approximately $199 per person and do not include the additional $40 facility and fuel fees. Prices may fluctuate depending on the time and date of your booking. There is a 275-pound weight limit per passenger. If you're looking for a longer flight, consider booking HeliNY's Deluxe Tour, which lasts up to 30 minutes.

You may also be interested in:

• The Best NYC Walking Tours
• The Best New York City Hotels
• The Best Weekend Trips from New York City

Tags: Tours , Travel , Vacations , New York City , food and drink , New York Vacations , Mid-Atlantic Vacations , US Vacations

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New York City (truly, genuinely, we're-not-kidding-about-this) has everything

You've heard it before. here's why you should take it seriously.

In this occasional series , travel writer Bert Archer will highlight some of the reasons why a trip to America is always worth your time and travel dollars. Here, why New York City truly is the centre of the universe.

It’s sometimes tough to admit how great New York City is.

I’ve spent a lot of my life reading books, and hanging out with people who read books, and when we ask each other about favourites, there’s an unwritten rule that it shouldn’t be obvious. Liking Proust is fine, but Lautréamont is better. And Hemingway? Come on, what is this, amateur hour?

Except Hemingway is really good. We all know that. We just don’t talk about it.

Now I travel a lot, and I hang out with other people who travel a lot, and even more than with the book people, we talk about favourite places and, more specifically, favourite cities. “Have you been to Vladivostock? You haven’t lived till you’ve been to Vladivostok!” says one. “Oh, yeah, Vladivostock’s nice. Did you visit Yul Brynner’s house? But I really like Nakhodka. But’s a little farther east, and a little more, I don’t know, authentic? Way less touristy. Anyway, you’ve got to go.”

It can get to be a little much.

And I’m naturally no exception. When people ask me what my favourite city is, I have in the past couple of years taken to telling people it’s a tie between Istanbul and Mexico City. That leads to questions about coups and food poisoning and decapitation and assurances from me that reports of the danger of these places have been greatly exaggerated. And they have.

But they’re also no New York.

If you live close by, New York can seem obvious, like Hemingway. Even if you live far away, you’ve probably read Go Tell It on the Mountain , The Bell Jar , or The Emperor’s Children , seen Manhattan , or Law & Order , or Brooklyn 99 , heard Gershwin, Minelli, or Jay Z. You know New York. It’s familiar.

It’s easy to forget it’s also fantastic.

And if any of my former writing students from U of T or George Brown in Toronto are reading, I mean that literally. It’s the stuff of fantasy. Those five boroughs are the apotheosis of the idea of the city. I’m sure it’s one of the reasons Walt Disney’s last idea, EPCOT, never really caught on. Why did anyone need to pay admission to see the whole world in one place, when all they had to do was hop the bus to the Port Authority.

Once you admit to yourself that New York is all that it actually is, you have to ask yourself the next-level question: When you go (and now you have to go), do you see all the obvious stuff? Do you visit the Statue of Liberty? Go up the Empire State Building? Take a walk around Central Park, visit the whale at the Natural History Museum, grab a coffee in the East Village, a pierogi in Astoria, a craft beer in Brooklyn?

Of course you do.

One of the best things about travel is resonance, seeing something and understanding its significance, being in a place you’ve only seen in movies, tasting something you’ve only read about, standing where Deborah Kerr/Diane Keaton/Harvey Fierstein/Pete & Ariana stood. Rome resonates, Paris resonates, London resonates, but no other place in the world palpitates, pulsates, throbs like New York.

But after the obvious stuff, there is literally every other thing there. This city is imbued with a century of fully justified confidence in its own importance. Sure, Istanbul was the centre of the world for longer, and so was Vienna and Timbuktu, but they’re not now. And that’s the important thing. So many of the people you meet on the street behind counters, and on the other side of plexiglass taxi dividers exude a New Yorkishness, often interpreted as brash, sometimes dismissive, always expressive, and occasionally ridiculous, that stems directly from living in a place they can derive a sense of self from and — because its own image is that of a bunch of fierce individuals making it there and making it anywhere — feel like by being intensely themselves they are also contributing to.

And then there’s the fact that everyone wants to do business there, exhibit there, and showcase their best stuff there. So, not only is there good shopping, museum displays, and stage shows, you get stuff here you don’t get anywhere else, and that’s not that common anymore. When I started travelling with my family, one of my favourite things was seeing stuff in stores I’d never seen before. But globalization and containerization have made it pretty unusual for there to be something in a store in Milan that is not also in a store in London, Paris, and increasingly, Calgary and Manchester. But when Tom Ford came out with his new fragrance, Fucking Fabulous, in 2017 it was for New York Fashion Week. You could not even order it in Toronto, or anywhere else. You had to go to New York. (At US$850 for 250ml, you may not have wanted to, and now that you can order it, I’m not sure how many people are, but still, you know, back when it really counted, it was only in NYC.) Though you can get most stuff a little later on eBay, retailers both high and low will often debut things in New York in a way they don’t elsewhere.

The same goes for shows, both of the museum and stage variety. If you wanted to see Hamilton with Lin Manuel Miranda playing Hamilton, you needed to do it at The Public Theater on Lafayette, or the Richard Rodgers Theatre on 46th Street (or, to be fair, briefly last month in San Juan, Puerto Rico).

The Met, the Whitney, and the Guggenheim are great and, like art museums everywhere, offer paintings you can’t see anywhere else, but unlike other great gallery cities like Florence, Paris, Munich, and Amsterdam, New York is not a former centre of the global art movement. It’s where it’s happening now. Sure, there’s Art Basel in Basel, Miami, and Hong Kong, but before stuff gets there, it goes to the Armory, or the Frieze. When I went to the Frieze last year, it was like a window opening. I’d never seen so much good work made by people who were still in their 20s, 30s, and 40s.

I haven’t even mentioned food yet.

When a chef makes it somewhere, anywhere, they generally will want to open a place in New York. This has been the case for a long time. Though Nobuyuki Matsuhisa was successful in Shinjuku, Lima, and LA, he only became Nobu when he set up shop in New York. Vongereichten became Vongerichten in New York, and though there was a Bernardin in Paris, Le Bernardin is in New York. From Thomas Keller (per se) to Daniel Boulud (Restaurant Daniel) to Masaharu Morimoto (Morimoto), if someone somewhere has recognized it as among the best in the world, you can eat it in New York.

But you don’t need the US$355 per person for the tasting menu at per se. New York’s continual churn produces excellence across the spectrum. Russ & Daughters, La Cabaña Salvadoreña, Alnour, Di Fara’s… there’s no point in going on. No city I know has as much that is as widely varied and as often good as New York.

New York is in a difficult country. It always has been. And it’s got its own extremely significant difficulties. It always has. But it also has an as-yet unlimited capacity to grow, turn over, reinvent, preserve, propel, initiate, adopt, adapt, discover, and recover. It sure is something to see.

(Istanbul and Mexico City are too, though.)

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The Perfect 3-Days in NYC for First Timers

By Jennifer Dombrowski 1 Comment

New York City. We’ve practically all visited one of the world’s greatest metropolises through the magic of Hollywood. From the moment Harry met Sally atop the Empire State Building to the Friends apartment on the corner of Bedford and Grove Streets, NYC is a city we all feel like we already know and love. But have you actually been to New York City? If not, you’re seriously missing out on a mega hub of culture, art, fashion and, yes, even adventure – because let’s be honest, navigating a mega city like NYC is definitely an adventure at times.

New York is a buzzing, vibrant, crazy, inimitable city. It’s overwhelming in the most wonderful way that you want to devour it all. We think 3 days in New York is the perfect amount to get your first taste, because you’ll no doubt want to return again and again. We’ve visited the city somewhere around a dozen times now, and put together this 3-days in NYC itinerary for first timers.

Know that in no way can you possibly see and do it all. When it comes to how many days to spend in New York, a three day trip can really be the perfect amount to enjoy the fast-paced Big Apple. To get a good feel for the best that NYC has to offer, follow our recommendations for what to do in New York in 3 days for first-time visitors.

Day 1: Get Acquainted with Iconic NYC

NYC is filled with globally recognized and iconic landmarks, landscapes and foods. The best way to begin a 3 day trip to New York is seeing and eating at some of the spots in the city that you already know and love from your favorite tv and movie shows.

Nobody knows New York City better than your favorite tv and movie characters. And while places like Central Perk can only be found on a sound stage, others like Magnolia Bakery with their famous as Manolos cupcakes and the romantic Loeb Boathouse where seemingly every romantic movie set in NYC ends up at some point are very real places.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Sex and the City Hot Spots or Other Themed Tour

You could run all over New York City trying to track down your favorite filming locations, or you could join one of On Location Tours tv and movie themed tours of the city. We’ve done several of these tours, and have a list of others like the Sopranos tour still on our must-do list for our next New York weekend trip. These themed tours are a great way to spend a fun few hours getting acquainted with New York City.

Midge’s fabulous Upper West Side life and secret talent as a stand-up comedian that take her through the West Village in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is just the latest in On Location Tours library of NYC experiences. Mrs. Maisel’s Marvelous tour of New York is primarily a bus tour, but you do get to get off and visit several locations from the show.

What’s great about the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel tour is you get some insider knowledge on how the show transforms present-day Manhattan to look like the 1950s Manhattan we see in the show. You’ll even stop to enjoy a drink at one of the oldest bars in Manhattan, which is of course a filming location in the tv show.

If Mrs. Maisel isn’t quite your cup of tea, I particularly also loved the Sex and the City Hot Spots tour . As a super fan of the show I loved visited locations like the real life Scout, the bar that was owned by Steve and Aiden for a cosmo. There’s free time some some shopping along Bleeker street, where several of the shops Carrie and the girls shop at in the show.

Since I did the Sex and the City tour on a previous girls’ trip to NYC with my mom, I sure did blush when we visited the Pleasure Chest where Charlotte buys the “rabbit”. But I forgot all about it by the time we enjoyed a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery, which appeared in Sex and the City and the Devil Wears Prada.

Another good one that any ’80s child can appreciate just as much as us is the When Harry Met Seinfeld Tour . The tv shows and movies of the late ’80s and ’90s were my own first trips to New York through my favorite characters. This tour takes you in all their footsteps with Monk’s Diner from Seinfeld , Café Luxembourg from When Harry Met Sally and even the Sheffield’s townhouse from The Nanny (remember that one?!). There’s more recent locations included too, like the Met steps where Blair reigned over her minions in Gossip Girl .

No matter which you choose, these themed tours are a great way to see a lot of filming locations around NYC and get a feel for the city in about 2-3 hours.

Learn to Make New York-style Pizza

We’re foodies and along with all the New York City sightseeing to do, there’s a list of iconic NYC foods to tackle too. From the black and white cookie to pastrami, there’s no one food that shaped New York City’s dining scene. But it’s indisputable that New York-style pizza is one food you have to try in the Big Apple.

Not too surprisingly, the pizza we know and love today was derived from the Neapolitan style pizza of Naples, Italy. Lombardi’s is credited with the invention of New York-style pizza. It was Gennaro Lombardi, an Italian immigrant who arrived in the US in 1897, that opened the very first pizzeria in the US in Little Italy in 1905.

There’s a few more ingredients in New York-style pizza than Neapolitan pizza, like some sugar and olive oil are added along with the flour, yeast and water that makes the dough. Some even say that the minerals in NYC tap water give the unique flavor and characteristics of New York-style pizza.

The size is bigger, too. New York-style pizza is typically 18 – 24 inches in diameter, and cut in to eight slices. It’s sold either by the slice or as the whole pizza. In comparison, Neapolitan pizzas are typically 10 – 12 inches in diameter and eaten as a personal pizza. Both styles of pizza are thin crust.

When it comes to toppings, the original was as simple as a good tomato sauce and cheese. These days you can add just about any topping, but less it more.

As pizza lovers, we didn’t want to just eat New York-style pizza. One of our favorite souvenirs to bring home from any trip is the know-how to recreate some of our favorite local meals back home. We love taking cooking classes, and Pizza School NYC is a fun experience.

Owners Mark and Jenny Bello have been teaching pizza lovers their New York-style pizza dough and sauce recipe since they opened their pizza making school in 2010. With a hands-on experience, you learn to make your own homemade dough and sauce. They have a variety of toppings and you can make up to four different pizzas before enjoying your freshly cooked up pies for dinner with some wine.

They even give out boxes to take the leftovers back to your hotel for a midnight snack later. And you get a booklet of their recipes to recreate New York-style pizza at home. It’s an awesome way to spend your first dinner, and it’s the perfect cooking class for couples in NYC.

Pizza School NYC , 371 Grand Street. Classes available Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Advance booking required.

Day 2: Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Lower Manhattan

Though most first-time visitors to NYC only scratch the surface by staying in Midtown and visiting attractions like Times Square and the Empire State Building , Lower Manhattan is really the cradle of New York City. New York City itself, which is today comprised of five boroughs spanning a much larger area than Manhattan alone, sprung from the southern tip when the Dutch settled there in 1624.

That Dutch settlement is present day Wall Street, so named from the wall that they erected there to mark the northern boundary of their settlement. Quite literally the location of the United States’s financial power and workings, Lower Manhattan today is much more than a financial and business district.

It’s well worth visiting and there are enough historical sights and attractions to occupy a 3 day NYC itinerary itself. But if you only have a few days to spend in New York City, devote one day to visiting the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and the World Trade Center.

Visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Believe me when I say that a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island must be on any first time in NYC itinerary. It took around a dozen visits for me to finally go, partly because visiting the Statue of Liberty was impossible and then infinitely more complicated following 9/11. But having now been to see the Statue of Liberty in person, I can’t imagine why I didn’t make the effort sooner.

We highly recommend going with a guide, which really made our experience. Our favorite small group tour company, Walks, offers an early access Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island tour . Our guide made a somewhat confusing and arduous process of going through security and boarding the ferry seamless, was full of tips like exactly which side of the ferry to be on for the best photo opportunities, and was incredibly knowledgeable about immigration history, the Statue of Liberty itself and Ellis Island.

The Statue of Liberty does get incredibly busy as more than 4 million tourists visit each year. So it’s best to start the day by being among the first group on to Liberty Island. Which makes the Walks tour the perfect way to start a day exploring Lower Manhattan.

Built as a gift from the French as a symbol of enduring Franco-American friendship, the Statue of Liberty has welcomed visitors to New York Harbor since she was erected and dedicated in 1886. Immigration to the United States came in waves, with a major wave between the 1880s and 1930s. More than 12 million immigrants became US citizens at Ellis Island between 1892 – 1954, and every single one was welcomed to America with Lady Liberty as their first sight.

Even landing at Newark Airport today, Lady Liberty is one of the very first notable landmarks you’ll be able to spot (if you’re sitting on the left side of the plane). A symbol of the United States itself, there is definitely something special about getting an up close look at the Statue of Liberty.

There are different kinds of tickets for accessing the Statue of Liberty, and it’s good to know that if you want to go “inside” the Statue of Liberty that you need either Pedestal Access or Crown Access tickets. We recommend Pedestal Access, which is included with the Walks tour.

Pedestal Access allows you inside the pedestal that Lady Liberty stands upon. The view of Lower Manhattan is stunning and this is as close as you can get to the Statue of Liberty without securing Crown Access tickets, which are limited to a small number daily and book up weeks in advance.

While you don’t have to visit both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, the ticket includes both monuments. Ellis Island, where some 12 million immigrants arrived to the United States between 1892 – 1954, is where so many of our own ancestors would have been processed. And even if you don’t have ancestors who came through Ellis Island, it’s a major piece of our history as America that is moving to set foot in.

The interactive museum on the ground floor is an interesting walk through both the process that immigrants went through when arriving to Ellis Island, as well as a look at individual stories. Be sure to also head up to the next level to see the Registry Room. And if you’re interested in exploring the abandoned hospital for a unique look inside what was once the largest US Public Health Service Institution in the United States, allow extra time for the Ellis Island Hard Hat Tour .

You should plan at least half a day to visit both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The restaurant on Ellis Island is a good and quick option for lunch offering sandwiches, a soup of the day and a hot special of the day for reasonable prices. Otherwise, you can also head back to Battery Park on the ferry for a quick lunch in Lower Manhattan. And there’s practically nothing faster or more New York than a New York slice.

A New York Slice for Lunch

For a New York slice, head to Joe’s Pizza at the 124 Fulton Street location just a short walk from the World Trade Center Complex. Joe’s was opened by Pino “Joe” Pozzuoli in 1975. As an Italian immigrant from Naples in the 1950s, Joe knew pizza and worked at various pizza shops all around the city before opening his own in Greenwich Village.

Though Joe has many more locations around Manhattan these days, his pizza and concept has stayed the same. Simple no-frills shops selling pizza by the whole pie or by the slice. It’s all about the ingredients, and all of Joe’s employees have been personally trained by Joe himself to deliver the same quality New York style pizza for over 40 years now.

It’s good to know that Joe’s Pizza is cash only, though there is an ATM in the pizza shop if you don’t already have cash on hand.

One World Observatory

After lunch it’s time to take in more views of Manhattan. Head to One World Observatory , located on the 100th – 102nd floors of the One World Trade Center building, for unique 360-degree views over all of Manhattan. Also known as the Freedom Tower, One World Trade Center was built after the 9/11 attacks and is the tallest building in the United States.

As it’s currently NYC’s newest observatory (until The Edge at Hudson Yards opens in 2020), One World Observatory still attracts quite a crowd. Timed entry tickets ensure that this popular NYC attraction never feels overcrowded though, and combo priority access tickets let you breeze past the line, have a priority security line and an express elevator.

The SkyPod elevators deliver visitors to the 102nd floor in just 47 seconds, all while showing a short movie about the transformation of New York City from before it was even settled to the metropolis of skyscrapers that it is in present day. Then once arriving at the top of the world – at least in the Western Hemisphere – another short movie touches on the pulse of bustling New York City. As it concludes, the screens raise to give visitors their very first glimpse of NYC and Lower Manhattan.

Tour Ambassadors give regular talks highlighting NYC landmarks you won’t want to miss looking down at from this spectacular view, while also giving a brief history. It’s well worth sitting down to listen before exploring the 360-degree views.

Both the combo priority access and all-inclusive tickets include use of the One World Explorer virtual reality guide. The iPad is really cool with two different channels. One displays landmarks and buildings on the screen so that you know exactly what you’re looking at from each window atop One World Observatory, while the other explorers 10 little known restaurants recommended by celebrity chef David Rosengarten of Food Network.

One World Observatory , open daily. Hours change seasonally , so be sure to check the specific hours of operation for your visit. We highly recommend the Combo Priority Ticket.

9/11 Memorial

Exiting from One World Observatory, you’re delivered in to the new-ish World Trade Center Station also known as The Oculus. Designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the transportation hub opened in 2016. Exit out toward the 9/11 Memorial.

The 9/11 Memorial is free to access and open daily. Even if you don’t visit the 9/11 Museum, it’s impossible to visit Lower Manhattan and not stop to reflect and pay respects to so many Americans who senselessly lost their lives.

The 9/11 Memorial pools are the footprints of the Twin Towers that stood as part of the complex until that day that changed America forever. It was a day that put a massive hole in NYC’s skyline as the Twin Towers came crashing to the ground and a day that forever put a hole in our hearts.

I’d previously visited the 9/11 Memorial and Museum on another visit to NYC. But standing here again it’s not any less impactful. The pool are the largest man-made waterfalls in the US, and their sound is meant to mute out the sounds of the bustling city around. The names of the 2,983 victims from both the 2001 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing are inscribed on the bronze panels around the pools.

I remembered feeling renewed with hope as I marveled at the Survivor Tree back on my visit in 2012 not long after the 9/11 Memorial Plaza had opened the year before. The Survivor Tree is a tree that was discovered among the wreckage at Ground Zero with snapped roots and a blackened trunk.

In 2001 it only stood 8 feet tall. It was nursed back to health and replanted at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza and stood 35 feet tall when I first visited the memorial in 2012. I don’t know how tall it is now more than seven years later, but the tree is a sign of our country’s resilience.

Dinner in Chinatown

Before leaving Lower Manhattan for the evening, take a walk to Chinatown for dinner. As Chinatown started way back in the 1870s – before Ellis Island was even open as an immigration station – it’s a fitting way to end a day exploring the roots of America.

While any foodie should definitely take a food tour of Chinatown and Little Italy , there simply isn’t time with everything else you’re trying to pack in to 3 days in NYC. But you can do the next best thing, and that’s heading to one of the city’s best spots for soup dumplings in Chinatown.

If you’ve never had soup dumplings, you’re missing out. As soup dumpling lovers, we try them anywhere we can find them. Short of heading to Shanghai where they were invented, NYC’s Chinatown is one of the best places to have them in the US.

Thought to have been invented in 1870 by Huang Mingxian when the addition of aspic in his pork mince melted into a liquid upon steaming his dumplings, xiaolongbao have only become popular in NYC in the last 20 years. They’re incredibly time consuming to make from scratch. Even eating them takes a bit of skill if you don’t want the soup to leak out all over the place.

Try xiaolongbao at Shanghai Dumpling (called Shanghai Cafe Deluxe since 2018, but locals still refer to it as Shanghai Dumpling) on Mott Street, one of the original four streets that made up Chinatown back in 1870 when it was established. Go for the original pork soup dumplings, which is #2 on the menu. We also tried the crab and shrimp soup dumplings, but weren’t huge fans as the broth inside was a little too on the crab/fishy side. Just be sure to also bring cash, because credit and debit cards aren’t accepted.

Shanghai Cafe Deluxe, 100 Mott Street . Cash only.

Day 3: NYC Museums and Central Park

NYC has no shortage of museums. The five boroughs have at least 100 different museums you could potentially visit during your New York City trip. You could easily spend a week alone visiting everything from art museums that hold some of the world’s greatest collections to history museums that are practically time capsules of life in New York City through the ages.

If the museum selection alone sounds overwhelming, that’s because it definitely is. If you’re visiting NYC for the first time, we suggest picking just one or two museums to visit. With only three days in New York, choosing just one or two of the must-see NYC museums and combining that with other activities is really the best way to see New York City.

Start with some of the very best museums NYC has to offer. And when it comes to tips for visiting New York City for the first time, we suggest you visit any museum you choose right at opening time. The crowds only get larger as the day goes on. We find allowing about 3 hours for a museum visit in the larger museums like the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a good amount of time. After that, we start to feel a little brain burnout.

American Museum of Natural History

Our personal favorite and recommendation if you only want to include one museum on your New York itinerary is the American Museum of Natural History . What’s not to love about dinosaurs, African animals and the civilizations that made our planet what it is today?

We’ve visited the AMNH more than once on our various trips to NYC, and it never gets old. There are the permanent exhibitions, but there are changing special exhibitions that can make the museum a re-visit on a future trip to NYC.

There’s a lot going on in the American Museum of Natural History itself, and it can even be overwhelming deciding how to spend your time there. Museum staff can help you plan your visit, and we highly recommend going with the General Admission + All combination ticket. This ticket gives you access to all 45 halls that are part of the permanent exhibition, plus all special exhibitions, the giant-screen film, and the Space Show.

The current T. rex: The Ultimate Predator Exhibition, which is on until August 2020, had us returning to the American Museum of Natural History. The T. rex is the world’s most popular dinosaur, thanks to its intimidating size and appearance. But did you know that there are actually more than a dozen different species included in the Tyrannosaurus family?

We didn’t either. That is, until we visited the AMNH and the T. rex exhibition. There’s, of course, a skeleton of a massive T. rex like we’ve come to love and know. But the exhibition is much more than bones: there’s a massive life-sized model of T. rex, a baby T. rex that was surprisingly bird-like and covered in feathers, animations and a virtual reality game where you build a T. rex and watch it come to life hunting in a field.

The T. rex isn’t the only dinosaur you can see, either. The AMNH’s permanent collection includes the Hall of Saurischian Dinosaurs with other impressive and popular dinosaurs like the Allosaurus.

We recommend you also check out the giant-screen film while visiting the American Museum of Natural History. The films are either 2D or 3D and we thoroughly enjoyed Oceans: Our Blue Planet in 3D during our most recent visit. You can visit the AMNH’s website to see what filming is playing during your long weekend in New York.

And while most of Night at the Museum wasn’t actually filmed inside the AMNH, you can live out your very own Night at the Museum during their sleepovers. There’s both a kids version for kids 6 – 13 with their parents, or an adult-only sleepover complete with champagne, wine and beer, live music and live animal demonstrations. You get complete access to the entire permanent collection and most special exhibitions without the crowds. You even sleep under the museum’s famous blue whale in the Hall of Ocean Life. Natural history museum geeks like us would totally plan a weekend in New York around a special access event like this.

Lunch at Luke’s Lobster

When you’re on the Upper West Side, a high brow lunch is in order. But there’s also still so much New York City left to see. So is there a more high brow sandwich than the lobster roll? We think not!

You’ll definitely work up an appetite while spending a few hours exploring the four floors of the American Museum of Natural History. For a fast, but delicious lunch head two blocks over to Luke’s Lobster at their Upper West Side location.

They’re known for some of the best lobster rolls in NYC and have nine locations. You can’t go wrong with their classic lobster roll, but they also have seasonal specials like the white truffle lobster roll or the lobster grilled cheese that appear on their menu in winter.

Luke’s Lobster , Amsterdam Ave.

Stroll Through Central Park

You simply can’t come to NYC and not visit Central Park, especially as a first timer to NYC. Central Park was America’s first major landscaped public park, initially opened in 1857. And it’s fitting to end a visit to the Upper West Side and visiting the American Museum of Natural History in Central Park, since the park is like a living natural history museum itself. Those dramatic rocks and boulders you see in Central Park are debris left behind from the glaciers that once covered the park and melted about 12,000 years ago.

Covering an area of 843 acres, Central Park is 2.5 miles long and a half mile wide. It stretches from 59th Street to 110th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. If you enter Central Park from near the American Museum of Natural History, you’ll be able to cover a lot of famous sights that you’re sure to recognize from some of your favorite movies and tv shows.

Starting from entering Central Park at the 79 th Street entrance (Mid-Park), you can follow the paths back toward Midtown and pass by many of the must-see sights of Central Park. Located near the 79 th Street entrance is the Belvedere Castle. Designed in 1865 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, its purpose was really nothing more than to provide a beautiful backdrop. Since 1919 the Belvedere Castle has served as the official Central Park weather station.

Continuing south, just north of the lake you come to what’s known as The Ramble. It’s a really dense wooded forest area, and you’ll hardly believe you’re still in NYC and not Upstate. Bird watchers particularly love The Ramble because it attracts migratory birds.

The centerpiece of Central Park is The Lake. It’s here that the famous Loeb Boathouse sits, and the cast iron Bow Bridge is one of the most romantic spots couples regularly seek out in Central Park. From there, you can also see the famous San Remo Apartments. They were the very first twin towered building in New York City.

Just a little further south of The Lake is the Bethesda Terrace. It’s here that you find the most recognizable icon in Central Park: the famous Angel of the Waters statue right in the center of the Bethesda Terrace.

The Sheep Meadow is a vast lawn where New Yorkers love to come out to soak up the sun. It gets it name from the 19th century when it was actually home to some 200 Southdown sheep for about 70 years!

Then you’ll pass by the Central Park Zoo. Tickets are required to enter the zoo itself, but you can see the sea lions swimming about from the East Side.

Finally, you must see the Gapstow Bridge. This spot is definitely one of the best views of the New York City skyline from Central Park with the dramatic buildings rising up at Central Park South, including the famous Plaza Hotel. You’ll certainly recognize the spot from movies like Weekend at Bernies and Cruel Intentions .

Where to Stay in NYC

One of our new favorite affordable luxury hotel chains as of recently has become the citizenM brand. It’s primarily a European brand, but there are a few NYC citizenM locations. The citizenM Times Square is located just off of Times Square on a relatively quiet street, yet is the perfect location for walking Midtown and has multiple subway lines accessible within a block.

While the rooms themselves don’t change from location to location with citizenM, we actually love that. We know exactly what to expect. There aren’t different levels of rooms like at most hotels, and citizenM is perfect for city stays exactly like this when you want comfort and amenities yet won’t be spending a ton of time in the room.

All citizenM hotels are high-tech with the rooms entirely controlled by an iPad. You can change the color of the lighting in the bathroom, which has a fantastic rain shower. There’s also blackout shades that lower with the tap of the iPad.

Perhaps our favorite feature is the library of movies you can watch on-demand. The only problem is that all these movies are included complimentary, and in a city like NYC you actually don’t want to spend a load of time in the hotel.

The citizenM Times Square location also has a great cocktail bar, and the breakfast is delicious with a buffet of options.

Know Before You Go

This article contains affiliate links. When you book on On Location Tours , Viator or Booking.com through our affiliate partner sites, we earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Loved this post? We love when you share our content! ~ Jen & Tim

About Jennifer Dombrowski

Jennifer Dombrowski is an independent travel publisher and an American expat who has lived in Bordeaux, France since 2016. She previously lived in Northern Italy in a small village near Venice for seven years where she fell in love with wine and wine tourism. She is an award-winning travel writer. She is also a travel correspondent on Traveling on the American Forces Radio Network. Luxe Adventure Traveler was named one of the top travel blogs to watch by the Huffington Post and TripAdvisor, and has been featured by top publications such as National Geographic, CNN, Buzzfeed, and Business Insider. Jennifer's photography has also been featured on publications such as USA Today and Travel + Leisure and on the Travel Channel.

Victoria says

February 26, 2020 at 4:47 PM

‘Nice one.

I really like your post guys.

We’ve been to Americaof course, but haven’t yet visited the East Coast. We’re waiting for our son to be 18 (he’s 17) as we don’t consider New York to be family-friendly for a shy teenage boy!

Besides, my husband and I would looooove to do a historical / architectural / rooftop cocktail bar parent-only type of visit! Haw! Haw!

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Adventures in the Adirondacks

Destination: adirondacks state park, ny, | activities: hiking and kayaking.

• Trip Overview
• Common Questions

Adirondack State Park in northern New York is unique. At over 6 million acres of both private and public land, half of it wilderness, it's larger than Yellowstone and Yosemite combined. Diverse ecosystems exist here: alpine and sub-alpine zones, boreal forest, and lowland lake systems, providing suitable habitat for black bears, deer, bobcats, beaver, fishers, and numerous bird species - even moose are returning to the region. The human history is no less fascinating. Over the years it has been the home of farmers who struggled to scratch a living from thin soil and harsh winters, miners and loggers who participated in the exploitation of its natural resources, Adirondack guides renowned for their skills in the woods, and wealthy industrialists, builders of the famous Adirondack Great Camps. In autumn, after the summer crowds have departed, the invigorating weather and brilliant foliage make the Park an ideal location for a vacation that is both active and relaxing. Maximum group size: 12

• Kayaking on the Moose River and Raquette Lake
• Climbing several Adirondacks Peaks, including Blue Mt and Cascade Mt, one of the Adirondack High Peaks
• Learning about the unique private/public partnership that keeps this area "Forever Wild"
• Enjoying crisp fall air and changing foliage
• Listening to the haunting call of the loon

Departures and Prices

• 1 - 2 experienced AGC guides based on group size
• Seven nights lodging in double occupancy rooms, most of which do not have en suite bathrooms
• All activities on the itinerary, including kayak rental and shuttles and a visit to the Adirondack Experience Museum
• All meals from dinner Sunday to breakfast the following Sunday
• Transportation once you arrive in the Albany, NY airport (ALB)

What's not included: Travel to and from Albany, alcoholic beverages, guide gratuities, and travel insurance.

Trip Documents

Each day includes 3 to 5 hours of activity and the variety of activities (e.g. hiking and kayaking) require a good all around fitness level, so this trip requires being in good physical condition. As the hiking trails in the Adirondacks tend to be quite challenging because of their footing and steepness, the difficulty may be greater than the mileage would indicate. The trip is rated 3. Prior to beginning the trip, participants should be engaging in aerobic conditioning, such as walking vigorously up hills, jogging, cross country skiing or stair stepping for 30 - 45 minutes at least 3 - 4 times a week. Rating: 1 2 [3] 4 5.

On this trip we will be primarily kayaking and hiking, with visits to the Blue Mountain Museum and time to explore the historic town of Lake Placid. No experience in kayaking or hiking is required. However the trails in the Adirondacks usually have both rocks and roots and can be both steep and challenging.

We will be staying at three very different places during this trip. The first two nights will be spent at comfortable cabins on Big Moose Lake. We will then stay at Great Camp Sagamore , one of the original Adirondack Great Camps, in one of the 9 bedroom lodges that we will have to ourselves. We will finish the trip with three nights at Trails End Inn . Please Note: These are locally owned Inns and Camps, very indicative of the Adirondacks. There will be a mixture of single and double occupancy rooms, and a mixture of rooms with bathrooms ensuite, and bathrooms available in shared hallways. Aside from roommate requests, the rooms will be randomly assigned. On this trip we can offer 2 single supplements which will guarantee a private room throughout. A single supplement will not, however, guarantee you a private ensuite bathroom. We can accommodate a variety of dietary preferences and restrictions but, depending on your specific circumstances, we may ask you to bring supplemental food. Please call the office if you would like help planning.

Below is the proposed itinerary for the trip. As is true on any adventure travel trip, plans for any specific day may be modified due to weather considerations, unforeseen circumstances, new opportunities, and group interests.

Transfer from Albany Airport to Big Moose Lake

Kayaking on moose river, optional hike to fire tower on bald mountain, climb blue mountain, settle into great camp sagamore, kayaking on raquette lake, tour of sagamore, visit adirondack museum, hike coney mountain, climb cascade or baxter mountain (your choice), free time in lake placid, climb rooster comb mountain, final farewell dinner, depart after 12:00 by plane or anytime after breakfast if you drove, *these are the unfiltered reviews of women who have been on this trip in answer to the question "what made this trip special for you". we take reviews very seriously and often tweak itineraries based on feedback. please feel free to contact us about any questions you have..

The guides, Carrie, Inger and Ann, were very good. Staying at Sagamore Great Camp was really special.

The hiking, kayaking and camaraderie were excellent. Staying at The Great Camp Sagamore was very special.

The camaraderie of the group, and Carrie's extensive knowledge of the Adirondacks

Adventuring in a part of the US I was not familiar with and doing so with ladies who enjoy the outdoors.

Wonderful balance of activities: kayaking, hiking, and exploring Adirondack history, culture and towns. Excellent guides who shared their knowledge of the area, and trekking tips. Sunrise paddling at Camp Sagamore was enchanting. Enjoyed every moment with a fantastic group of adventurers!

The hikes were challenging but the mountain top views made it so worth it.

Staying at the Great Camp Sagamore was the highlight of the trip for me. The camp is a magical place and we had special times there watching the sunrise, viewing the night sky, bowling, games, lovely accommodations and great food. And of course we had a fantastic group of women who supported one another all through the week. This was the perfect time to enjoy Adirondack Park with a wonderful group of women.

New location and new activities made the trip special. The guides as always with AGC were terrific and make every effort to make each day special.

Game night at the Sagamore Lodge

I was only able to attend 2 days of the adventure before I tested positive for Co-vid. Our group was in a remote location with very little wifi or phone coverage. Both guides (Carrie and Inger) were supportive and took great measures to insure my privacy but also to assist me to a quarantine location back in Albany NY.

Always the women and the guides

Sharing the Adventure with two people I knew and also meeting and sharing it with other women. The area was beautiful and I loved it.

Great leaders and company

Everything! The hiking trips were the perfect level for me - challenging and fun but I was ready to be done when we finished. And interspersing the hikes with awesome kayaking trips had me ready to hike again the next time. Anne and Carrie were both so interesting, knowledgeable, supportive yet confident in us - I could not ask for better guides. They made us delicious meals and took us to enjoyable restaurants too. The Adirondacks were beautiful and so much fun to explore.

This trip was my replacement trip. I was initially signed up for Hut To Hut in British Columbia but was unable to travel due to border closures and COVID. The Adirondack Mountains were beautiful, Carrie and Anne love the area and know the history, plants and animals and our accommodations very comfortable.

The group was just the right size and the hikes were challenging but not too difficult to enjoy.

As a first time traveler with AGC and with the world just coming out of COVID (sorta), this was an incredible trip. Not having the detail of work of planning and the emotional work to carry of "will everyone have a good time" was incredibly precious! The trip truly was a perfect sampler of all the awesome things the ADKs have to offer. I felt the balance between activity and rest was great. Taking a trip with strangers is very far out of of my comfort zone and this was a wonderful experience.

the combo of kayaking and hiking, the camaraderie of the women, the knowledge and passion of the guides for the area and activities

Variety of activity and location. I always like & appreciate including a cultural component..in this case , the visit to the Adirondack Experience and some time in Saranac Lake and Lake Placid

The itinerary was well-organized and the guides were experts in knowing the area. The weather was also perfect!

The Scenery and lakes in the Adirondacks….and our extraordinary guides!

YES!! I had an amazing time! So much so that I signed up for 3 trips this year! And who knew that the weather would be so great. It was picture perfect every day!

Fun hikes and kayaking

Loved the hikes and the order they were done. I have never kayaked before and everyone was very patient and it was really doable. I loved how history of the area was weaved into the trip. Please the weather was glorious! The food was great. Nice split of going out, dinner cooked by the guides and dinner cooked by the camps. It was exciting to be at the Sagamore.

My first trip with AGC and it was better than expected!

The beauty and history of the Adirondacks

Kayaking on the Moose River and Raquette lake in a SINGLE kayak! The beautiful weather, scenery in the mountains and changing leaves.

great to have local historians as our guides; added so much more to the total enjoyment of the area

Group dynamic was fantastic. Hiking gave me great confidence to challenge myself more here at home in western Pa. Improved my kayaking strokes and technique. Accommodation were excellent. Local folks were very friendly and welcoming.

Highlights-Climbing a high peak; visiting a camp; “low water” moose river kayaking; meeting great people; great, knowledgeable guides!

Kayaking on still lakes.

Love the combination of exercise and learning history. The fact that our guides were living where they were guiding was an unexpected plus.

Feeling of accomplishment hiking some really challenging mountains.

It is beautiful country and I enjoyed the hiking, kayaking and where we stayed.

This was one of the best trips I've ever been on and while I expected it to be a great trip, it was even better than I'd hoped. It's hard to pick just a few highlights. The guides were amazing, the group was a ton of fun, and the hikes were spectacular. I still can't get over how cool it was to stay at Camp Sagamore. I'd been expecting just another lodge and really didn't know anything about the great camps. What a surprise! It felt like staying in a museum and I learned so much. The rooms were cozy, the beds were comfortable, the food was good, and the staff here was great. It was also very cool that we had the unique opportunity to paddle to Bluff Point to check out another camp. This helped me understand just how remarkable it is that Sagamore has been preserved the way it has and is open to groups like ours.

The scenery, the guides, and the other women were all highlights

I loved the kayaking, because it's something I don't usually do at home. I also loved the tour of Great Camp Sagamore and the Museum of the Adirondacks, both activities which I was skeptical about and ended up enjoying very much. Also, Anne and Carrie are so passionate about the Adirondacks, and their enthusiasm is infectious!

The Adirondacks hold a very special place in my heart, so it was wonderful to be "back home". Anne

Guides were fantastic - laid back, yet very organized

I had never been to the Adirondacks and found it to be beautiful in so many ways. (even though we saw just a small portion of the entire area). Thoroughly enjoyed the overall variety of activities on this trip - the varying hikes, bodies of water for kayaking and additional items like the museum, tour of Sagamore, and time in Lake Placid.

Seeing a variety of areas in the Adironacks with excellent guides.

Just being at the fabulous locations

Kayaking turned out to be the best part for me. I go locally a few times a week, but enjoyed the differences. It's a beautiful area - more so than I anticipated. The great camps were definitely a huge factor.

I went primarily to explore the Adirondacks in the hopes of being able to offer my English hiking companion a new area of the States to travel to that would be easy for her to reach. The trip itinerary provided a very good introduction to the Adirondacks, so that I feel comfortable in inviting my friend to spend some time there. The hiking piece of the trip was more difficult than I thought it would be, but a couple of the shorter, less strenuous options offered were welcome and very enjoyable. From a personal perspective, I didn't feel my fellow travelers "jelled" as well as on some of the other AGC trips I've taken. This obviously happens sometimes, and there is nothing for it.

Wonderful restaurants, lodge meals and great meals by our guides. Super friendly and patient guides. Unique and varied lodging facilities.

Loved the combination of hiking and paddling, and the opportunity to hike one of the 46 high peaks!!

Being able to summit a high peak and paddleboard at the Sagamore at sunrise.

• Where do we eat? Your guides will prepare some of the meals and others will be either at your lodging or at restaurants where you can order off the menu. Before you leave in the morning you the guides will put out lunch 'fixings' and you'll take a packed lunch.
• What dietary preferences or restrictions can you accommodate on this trip? If we know well in advance, we can accommodate vegetarian, lactose-free, and gluten-sensitive diets. We cannot guarantee a completely gluten-free diet and we cannot provide a kitchen guaranteed to be free of cross-contamination. If you are vegan, we ask that you bring some additional protein bars; and if you are gluten-sensitive, please bring some gluten-free snacks. If you have severe allergies, Celiac disease and/or other significant dietary restrictions, please call the office before you register.
• I have never kayaked before, is this the right trip for me? This is a great trip for both new and more experienced kayakers. The first day there will be instruction on safety and basic kayaking strokes. The boats are stable and the guides are experienced kayak instructors.
• I will be coming by myself. Do I need to pay a single supplement? You only need to pay a single supplement if you want to guarantee you have your own room. Otherwise we'll pair you up with someone and then switch roommates every time we switch lodging.
• Can you tell me more about the trail conditions and fitness required for this trip? The hiking trails in the Adirondacks tend to be quite challenging because of their footing and steepness, the difficulty may be greater than the mileage would indicate. We will paddle on both lakes and a slow-moving flat-water river.

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The Best Day Trips From NYC

By Nicole Kliest

It’s indisputable— New York City is one of the greatest cities on earth. But sometimes even its shiniest qualities are overshadowed by its flaws—ones that can wear even the most ardent New Yorker out. That’s why skipping town for a breath of fresh air, even for a day, is a self-care strategy everyone should adopt. Conveniently, there’s an abundance of things to do just beyond the city limits, from nature trails for outdoor enthusiasts to vintage shops well-suited for the antique hunter.

Before curating the day’s itinerary, determine whether you’ll be traveling via public transportation or picking up a car as this will inform the destinations most accessible to you. (Zipcar, Kyte, and Turo are car rental companies that are useful for quick trips like these.) Then, pick a destination that aligns with your interests. In desperate need of green space ? Hoping to bring back a new decor accent for the apartment? On the hunt for the best farm-to-table meal of your life? The best day trips from NYC deliver in spades. Ahead, our guide to making your great escape.

By Hayley Maitland

By Deanna Pai

By Hannah Jackson

A natural wilderness beloved by just about every New Yorker, the Catskill Mountains are vast and beautiful. And while some regions are farther to reach than others, the Sullivan County Catskills are only 90 minutes from the city. Here you’ll find Callicoon, a charming hamlet that’s home to Seminary Hill —a hotel, restaurant, and working cider that offers tours and tastings . On your tour, you’ll explore the 12-acre organic orchard with 1,500 trees that produce over 60 varieties of apples and Perry pears, and end with a guided tasting of eight ciders. While in town, be sure to swing by Callicoon’s downtown historic district to pick up handmade homeware at the newly-opened Black Walnut (it turns into a cocktail bar at night). You’ll also be within driving distance of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts as well as locations for kayaking, canoeing, and hiking.

Approximate distance from NYC: 90-minute drive

American architect Philip Cortelyou Johnson was an early proponent of modern architecture and had a career that spanned nearly 75 years (including running the architecture department at MoMA). Visit one of his masterpieces— Glass House —in Canaan, Connecticut, which was designed and constructed in the 1940s. Today, visitors can explore the original mid century structures as well as several others, including a unique subterranean painting gallery. Additionally, this year marks the Glass House’s 75th anniversary and includes the opening of the Brick House to the public (just 80 feet from the main site) after an extensive restoration. Join a tour or guide yourself, there’s much to be appreciated at this historic campus.

Approximate distance from NYC: 2-hour train ride

When Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection opened in 2022, it was unlike any other hospitality concept in the area. Set on a sprawling farm surrounded by hiking trails and tranquil mountainsides, the luxury resort is the kind of place that makes you wonder why you live in a city at all. And even if you’re not a guest at the hotel, day trippers can experience Wildflower Farm’s incredible programming, such as their summer event with master floral designer, Ariella Chezar, where she’ll lead a full-day workshop followed by a ‘bloom flower dinner’ held in the property’s beautiful barn. And even if you’re not partaking in a workshop, a reservation at Wildflower Farm’s on-property restaurant Clay is a must.

Approximate distance from NYC: 2-hour drive

If your driver's license is defunct but you don’t feel like getting on a train, why not hop aboard a beautiful boat? Through Classic Harbor Line , you can charter a private yacht or classic motor boat for a peaceful day on the water. The cruise departs from Pier 62 and the skipper can help you chart your very own course (contingent on weather). Depending on the mood, one can glide up the Hudson River to see the Palisades or cruise out to New York Harbor to see the Statue of Liberty up close—all with the iconic Manhattan skyline as the backdrop.

Approximate distance from NYC: Depart from Chelsea Piers

Many New Yorkers relocated to Hudson, New York en masse during the pandemic, and for good reason. This quiet, charming town is surrounded by nature and offers a slower pace of life, while still feeling connected to a vibrant community. For visitors making the trip up here for the day (perhaps even to scope out some real estate?) one of the best things to do is antique hunting. Begin your day at The Antique Warehouse . Inside, you’ll discover 40,000 square feet of incredible vintage and antique finds spanning across all styles and periods of furniture, lighting, architectural salvage, and decorative accessories. If there’s time left, you can pop into other shops on the main drag like Theron Ware , and refuel for the ride back home at the cafe inside The Maker hotel.

Approximate distance from NYC: 2-hour drive or train ride

If your idea of a day well spent includes meandering between farm stands, sampling local wine, and soaking in fresh air, head out to the North Fork on Long Island. This sleepy wine country has been around since 1973 and is ideal for those who want a pleasant day among the vineyards, perhaps enjoying a casual meal or taking a coffee down to the water. There are over 50 wineries in the region, each producing a variety of styles. Need a few suggestions? Bedell , Lenz , Macari , McCall , and Paumanok are all top-notch spots to add to your list.

Need to touch some grass ? Lace up your hiking boots and head for the picturesque Delaware Water Gap. Here, you can explore a network of beautiful nature trails at a range of difficulty levels. If you’re a sucker for a waterfall, head for Raymondskill Falls and Dingmans Falls (located 15 minutes away from each other by car). The three-tiered Raymondskill Falls is the tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania and is reached by a quick out-and-back loop. Similarly, the trail to Dingmans Falls is only a mile-and-a-half, making it easy to knock both out in the same day.

Approximate distance from NYC: 1.5-hour drive

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Should I Use a Travel Agent? Our Travel Expert Says It Makes All the Difference.

The new age of travel agents know how to find deals, book off-the-beaten path adventures, and get you out of any jam. Especially if you know who to use.

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

I’ve always thought that planning my own trips was the most cost-effective way, but I’ve been hearing more about travel agents making a comeback and saving their clients a lot of money. What kinds of outdoor trips should I turn to a travel agent for, and are there any who specialize in working with adventurers like me?

Technically, I’m a professional traveler. As a journalist, it’s my job to research and connect with locals to get beneath the surface of a destination. So I have never really used travel agents. What could they plan better than I could?

A lot, it turns out. Over the years, I’ve gotten to know many travel specialists, and I consider them magicians. My big aha moment happened two winters ago on a trip to Iceland . A massive storm shut down internal flights for a day, causing me to miss my return flight to the U.S. Normally, I would have spent frustrating hours on hold with the airline. But because I’d paid $65 to have Ana Gloria Garcia, an air-support specialist at the travel agency EmbarkBeyond, find and book the most affordable and convenient flight option for me, she handled the rebookings while I soaked in the Blue Lagoon.

During the pandemic, agents became advocates helping travelers get refunds on canceled flights and trips. As travel has come roaring back, an agent’s superpower is now their access to the best hotel rooms, most in-the-know guides, free amenities, and more, says Cory Hagopian, senior vice president of sales and partnerships for Virtuoso , a global network of travel agencies.

And they’re attracting a young clientele. According to a recent industry survey , 38 percent of millennials and Gen Zers are opting to use travel agents as opposed to booking on their own trips. That number is far greater than Gen Xers and baby boomers, of whom only 12 and 2 percent respectively use agents.

What Do I Gain from Using a Travel Agent?

I recently had a friend tell me she spent close to 40 hours researching a family trip online. She probably could have gleaned the same intel from an hourlong conversation with a travel adviser. Knowledge is priceless, and advisers act as your insiders. They know what you don’t and fill in the blanks for things you might not have considered, says Erika Richter, a spokesperson for the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). Their firsthand knowledge, vast network, and on-the-ground connections all combine to provide a unique perspective for crafting the perfect itinerary for you.

Most travel advisers specialize in certain regions and countries and travel to them frequently, so they have up-to-date intel on not only the best safari camps but the perfect tent to book for the most incredible views and the best local restaurants you won’t find on Tripadvisor. They want their client’s trips to go well to keep them coming back, so it’s in their interest to have sussed out hotels and itineraries before they send you out into the world.

Nicole Forster, 29, considers herself a savvy traveler. She’s been to 20-plus countries and enjoys destination research. But when it came to planning her honeymoon in Africa, she felt overwhelmed, so she reached out to Danielle Meyer at Coastline Travel Advisors , which specializes in bespoke itineraries. “Originally, I wanted to go to South Africa, Victoria Falls, and Madagascar,” Forster recalls. “Danielle convinced me that if we wanted to relax, we should stay in South Africa and save the other countries for separate trips.”

Over five phone conversations and multiple emails, they crafted a 15-night itinerary that included Cape Town, the winelands, the Cape Peninsula, and a safari at the Thornybush Game Reserve. Forster established her budget early in the process, and Meyer sent her a variety of lodge options to choose from.

“I initially wanted to start with the safari, but she pointed out that we’d be jet-lagged and would need to wake at sunrise for game drives,” says Forster. “The safari was our highlight, so it was a perfect way to end the trip.”

Not only did Meyer book all of the flights, hotels, and transfers, but she created a detailed, day-by-day trip app for the couple that included useful information like check-in times at hotels and how much to tip guides .

Agents also act as advocates. If something goes wrong during your travels, they’re on call 24/7 to handle it. When Forster left the battery and charger for her camera at a hotel, Meyer arranged for an on-the-ground contact to go to a camera store and buy new ones that would be delivered to her hotel the next day.

The cost for the honeymoon planning: $150 per person. “I wouldn’t use a planner for a trip to Hawaii ,” Forster says, “but if I ever took a big trip like this again, I’d 100 percent work with an expert.”  

When to Consider Using a Travel Agent

For savvy trip planners, the best time to use a travel agent is for complicated international travel. It can save you hours of planning and peace of mind that if anything goes wrong in your chosen far-flung destination, there’s someone a What’sApp message away to handle it.

Domestically, I’d consider using a travel agent when planning a multi-week national park trip or multi-island trip in Hawaii. They will save you time, guarantee you get the best guides, and help you land reservations at always-booked lodges and hotels.

Dream Trips Delivered

Jessica Cook and her husband both work in the travel industry. Decision fatigued, they handed their honeymoon logistics over to the team at Askari Travel , an agency that specializes in South Africa. Their original plan was also an African safari, but just as they were about to put a deposit down, the Omicron variant of the coronavirus made headlines. Worried about getting stuck abroad, they reached out to Askari’s founder, Muriel Truter, who is from Zimbabwe, and upon her advice, changed their focus to South America.

Knowledge is priceless, and advisers act as your insiders. They know what you don’t and fill in the blanks of things you might not even have considered.

Truter suggested they stick to Colombia rather than country-hop. Cook supplied a budget and a wish list: 12 days, no more than three destinations, a barefoot-luxe feel, and adventures like horseback riding and mountain biking. The rest was a surprise that Askari pretty much nailed, with the exception of one hotel.

“Everything felt so authentic, but this one hotel on Barú island felt really fabricated and was full of American tourists,” recalls Cook. She immediately messaged the Askari team, saying, “Hey, this place really isn’t our vibe,” and within an hour they were on a water taxi headed to Blue Apple, a B Corp hotel—and an Outside pick for tropical adventures —on Tierra Bomba island. “It was honestly the best trip we’ve ever taken,” she says.

Are Travel Agents Expensive?

It depends. Cost varies. Some travel agencies won’t charge any fee, as they receive a commission from the bookings, while some high-end agencies will charge pricey annual membership fees for their services. Still others charge nominal “professional” fees starting at $150. Fees often fluctuate based on the length and intricacy of a trip and how far out you do the planning (6 to 12 months is recommended). You may occasionally come across agents who charge a percentage of the total trip price or hourly rates.

Basic travel enquiries are generally free. In 2016, Leah Smith, founder of Tafari Travel , opened an old-school brick-and-mortar location in Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood so her services would feel less intimidating to first-time users. “With our retail-office location, we’ve become part of the community, and both clients and non-clients are welcome to pop in and ask whatever questions they may have, no charge,” she says.

Matt Lindsay, founder of the surf-guiding and travel company LuxSurf Travel , builds relationships with resorts and property owners to get discounted rates that he can then pass on to guests.

Dominic Allan, the founder of Real Latin America , specializes in travel to Belize and Nicaragua and caters to independent travelers who are happy to book their own flights and hotels but are seeking his local intel. Allan’s three-tier pricing structure starts at $300 for up to three hours of phone calls, during which he might weigh in on where to eat (or not to), the best room to request in a certain lodge, or whether you really need a guide to hike.

Value Versus Savings

If you’re just looking for deals and steals, you might not be ready to work with a travel adviser, says Richter of the ASTA. “Anything you invest in with a travel adviser comes back to you in the form of amenities, customer service, peace of mind, better access to unique experiences, and handcrafted itineraries,” she says. “You could save money by cutting your own hair, too, but most people go to someone who knows what they’re doing.”

Agents work with preferred partners who can guarantee perks for clients, such as free upgrades, early check-in or late check-out, and resort credits. Those add-ons often translate into savings, says Justin Huxter, cofounder of the UK-based Cartology Travel . “We had a client go to Maui for a week, and because of our partnership with the resort, breakfast was included,” he says. When breakfast costs $120 for two, that’s a savings of $840.”

Some of the Best Travel Agents in the Adventure World

Some of my go-to resources for finding a person to work with include travel expert Wendy Perrin’s annual Wow List of tried and trusted agents, the Adventure Travel Trade Association’s adviser network , and the ASTA’s advisor directory .

In addition to the agents mentioned throughout this story, others I highly recommend for adventurous travelers include:

• Dan Achber of Trufflepig , for Africa and the Middle East
• Miguel Cunant of Sri Lanka in Style
• Javier Echecopar of Journey Costa Rica
• Daniel Fraser of Smiling Albino , for Southeast Asia
• Elizabeth Gordon of Extraordinary Journeys , for Africa
• Kleon Howe of the Art of Travel , for French Polynesia
• Jay Johnson of Coastline Travel , for Hawaii and California
• Antonello Losito of Southern Visions Travel , for Puglia, Italy
• Rabia Malik of Fora Travel , for general worldwide travel
• Robyn Mark of Mayamaya Travel , for Africa, the Alps, Patagonia, and Japan
• Marisol Mosquera of Aracari , for Peru and Bolivia
• Zach Rabinor of Journey Mexico
• Raluca Spiac of Beyond Dracula , for Romania

Travel-advice columnist Jen Murphy is now a believer in using a travel agent. Thanks to their expertise and connections, she’s avoided dozens of trip catastrophes. 

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Garden tours, plants sales and more ways to spend time among flowers

Visit Maine's botanical gardens or get a sneak peek of what your neighbors are growing in their back yards.

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One of the loveliest ways to ease yourself fully out of the post-winter blahs and into springtime is to quit being a wallflower and instead surround yourself with living, blooming plants.

From botanical gardens to plant sales and garden tours, it’s time to make like the Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz” and while away the hours, conferring with flowers.

The waterfall at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay. Photo by Tory Paxson, Courtesy of Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens

TOTALLY BOTANICAL

Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens in Boothbay is open for the season, daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Maine Days are May 31 to June 2, when anyone with a Maine driver’s license or state ID gets in for free. Ditto for dads/father figures on Father’s Day (June 16). Advance registration is required. With more than 300 acres of gardens and natural spaces, including a waterfall, there will be plenty to see, smell and bask in the scenery.

Here are more things to do in Boothbay

A tour group walks on the boardwalk at Viles Arboretum in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Viles Arboretum is a botanical garden in Augusta with 6 miles of trails and more than 20 botanical collections. It’s open daily from sunrise to sunset, and admission is free. There are 224 acres with all sorts of flora and fauna to discover. Leashed dogs are welcome, and the visitor center is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

Viles Arboretum offers medicinal plant walks, and although the May 18 session is full, you can still register for the June 15 and Sept. 14 events, lead by herbalist, homeopath and flower essence practitioner Debra Bluth. Tickets are $25. Advertisement

The Mount Desert Land & Garden Preserve has four areas to explore on its property in Northeast Harbor: the Asticou Azelea Garden (dawn to dusk daily), the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Garden (noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday from July 9 to Sept. 8, reservations required), Thuya Garden (dawn to dusk daily, June 15 to Oct. 14) and Little Long Pond Natural Lands (hiking trails and carriage roads open dawn to dusk daily). On June 26, at the Wildflowers of Little Long Pond event, participants can wander around the garden’s fields and forest, spotting wildflowers along the way while practicing how to identify them.

Joyce Saltman, right, and Beth Anisbeck embrace a tree for 60 seconds during a tree hugging event sponsored by Portland Parks and Recreation, at Deering Oaks Park last year. Carl D. Walsh/Staff Photographer

TOURS AND MORE

2nd Annual Tree Hugging 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Deering Oaks Park, Portland. portlandmaine.gov The tree hugging is a family-friendly community gathering to celebrate Portland’s many trees. Park ranger Liz Collado will lead a sensory awakening and forest bathing session. Along with tree hugging, there will be a storytime, and you can touch a forestry truck and meet naturalist Noah Querido and Portland city arborist Mark Reiland. Just down the road, you’ll find Fessenden Park, on the corner of Brighton and Deering Avenues. The tulips have arrived, and it’s worth a visit to see them.

McLaughlin Garden Lilac Festival 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 24. McLaughlin Garden and Homestead, 97 Main St., South Paris, $5. mclaughlingardens.org You’ll find more than 125 varieties of lilacs at the McLaughlin Garden Lilac Festival. Explore on your own or take a guided tour led by a horticulturist. There will also be family-friendly activities, and you can shop for native and unusual plants.

4th annual Woodfords Community Garden Tour 1-4 p.m. June 8. Woodfords Corner Community in Back Cove, Deering Highlands, Oakdale and Deering Center, $20 suggested donation. woodfordscorner.org Presented by Friends of Woodfords Corner, this self-guided tour features at least 10 gardens. As you make your way down the list, you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised by all of the hidden havens bursting with flowers, plants and impressive yardscaping elements.

Peony Society of Maine 23rd annual Garden Tour 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 8 and 15. Both tours start at 1348 Ohio St., Bangor, $5 donation. peonysocietyofmaine.net You’ll visit multiple gardens in Bangor, Winterport, Ripley and St. Albans, and your senses will be filled with countless peonies. A peony plant will be raffled off at the end of each tour. Advertisement

Hidden Gardens of Historic Bath 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 22. Sagadahoc Preservation Inc., 880 Washington St., Bath, $40. sagadahocpreservation.org The Hidden Gardens of Historic Bath house and garden tour features several homes in North Bath. Every stop on the tour will be a treat for your senses and may motivate you to make some of your own magic when you get back home.

Garden Conservancy Open Garden Days 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 29. Beckett Castle Rose Garden, Singles Road, Cape Elizabeth, $10. gardenconservancy.org You’ll see plenty of roses as well as ocean views at Beckett Castle, which sits right on the water, with views of five lighthouses. The castle was built in 1871, and its rose garden features more than 70 varieties of heirloom roses. A 50-foot stone tower doubles as the rose arbor entrance to the castle.

PICK A PLANT SALE

Tate House Museum’s Annual Plant and Herb Sale 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 18. Tate House Museum, 1267 Westbrook St., Portland, 207-774-6177.  tatehouse.org The wide selection includes perennials divided from the museum’s 18th century reproduction garden. Visitors can also make their own “seed bombs” and get a sneak peak at a new installation by artist Ashley Page from 10 a.m. to noon.

Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland Spring Plant S ale 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. May 18, Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland, 217 Landing Road, Westbrook, 207-854-9771.  arlgp.org   Perennials, house plants and more will be on sale, and plants that don’t have specific pricing are “name your own fee.” Anyone interested in donating plants or pots to the sale should send a message to [email protected] .

Taking Root Plant Sale 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 1, Tom Settlemire Community Garden, Maurice Drive, Brunswick, 207-729-7694.  btlt.org This annual sale is organized by the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. Proceeds benefit the Common Good Garden, which provides food and gardening education for the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention Program. Master gardeners will be on hand to help shoppers choose their best options.

Scarborough Land Trust Native Plant Sale and Spring Festival 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 1, Broadturn Farm, 388 Broadturn Road, Scarborough, 207-289-1199.  scarboroughlandtrust.org Visitors will find native plants, food vendors, local artisans, guided nature walks and activities for kids. To preorder plants, visit the Scarborough Land Trust website.

Maine Audubon Society Native Plants Sale and Festival 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., June 8, Gilsland Farm Audubon Center, 20 Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth, 207-781-2330.  maineaudubon.org More than 75 species of native wildflowers, shrubs and tree seedlings will be available, along with workshops, info tables and experts.

Staff writer Megan Gray contributed to this report.

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