New York City Layover Tours

Tailoring each tour to your wishes by locals who love their city

Top 10 layover tours & experiences around the world

From exploring cool neighborhoods to eating with the locals to seeing iconic sites, these are some of our favorite experiences

See all

The best private layover tours & experiences with locals

If you’ve got a long layover at JFK airport, there’s only one thing to do: escape the airport and see the city on the ultimate New York City layover tours with a native New Yorker leading the way! When the Big Apple is at your doorstep, you have to take the opportunity to see it, no matter how little time you have. And who says you can’t see the best of the city in just a few hours? NYC layover tours with City Unscripted are 100 percent tailored to your schedule, and we plan incredible experiences that squeeze in everything you want to see and do, whether you love art, culture, architecture, food, or all the above. The city is waiting – are you ready to explore it?

Meet some of our local hosts around New York City

Like the people who travel with us, they have different backgrounds and interests – but they’re all so passionate about the place they call home, they choose to spend their free time sharing it with the like-minded travelers matched to them.

We’ve handpicked them and we’ll match you to your perfect one!

See NYC on your layover

JFK Airport is nice and all, but do you really want to spend hours hanging around in the airport with a pretzel and a magazine when there’s a world-famous city surrounding you? Of course not! On New York City layover tours with City Unscripted, you’ll get a whirlwind experience of the city that perfectly fits your flight schedule. A local guide will take you to the heart of the city and show you some of the most famous attractions, from the Met and the MoMA to sprawling Central Park on the ultimate NYC layover tours. Now doesn’t that sound better than spending hours in an airport?

A local to lead the way

When you have a flight in a few hours, the idea of exploring an unfamiliar city can be daunting. The last thing you want to do is miss your flight. But luckily for you, we couldn’t make New York City layover tours more effortless if we tried! A local host will come pick you up at the airport and be by your side every step of the way. On NYC layover tours, you don’t have to worry about a thing – we’ll make this travel experience 100% stress-free and one to remember. Plus, you won’t have to grapple with a GPS or guidebook, because your guide will play the role of both!

Get a tour tailored to you

It’s not an exaggeration to call New York one of the most iconic cities on earth. A cultural behemoth of North America, the Big Apple is overflowing with entertainment that caters to every traveler. That’s why we tailor our New York City layover tours to your interests and personality. We understand that no two travelers touching down in NYC are the same, so we plan NYC layover tours according to what you want to see and do. All you have to do is tell us what excites you most, and a local insider will show you all the highlights and hidden gems you’ll absolutely adore.

New York City travel tips and inspiration from our Travel Magazine

Find the best things to do, places to eat, must eat foods and lots of travel tips in New York City recommended by our local hosts

Latest reviews from our guests

We opted for the 8 hour tour and it was worth every penny. I sent our guide my desired itinerary with all of the things we’d like to see. Olga made it happen! She was so professional and very personable. She took us to local spots that were not packed with tourists, which we loved. We walked over 11 miles, so be prepared to walk a lot if you have several things you’d like to see. Olga was so well versed with directions in the city, history, art, and all of the buildings we came across. She also curated the tour to match our values and lifestyle. We appreciated her pointing out Catholic Churches along the way and she even took us into the Trump tower-which was totally cool! 11/10 recommend Olga if you want a flawless experience.

January 2025

Jessica H
Olga was a dream of a tour guide. From the second we got linked with her via email she started emailing with ideas and itinerary items. We travelled with 2 small kids (8/10 yo) and she was patient with them needing breaks from walking. She easily accommodated their food requests. When crossing the street she always made sure they were safe. My kids instantly felt comfortable with her. She not only educated my husband and I on the city but even tailored what she said for the kids to understand. She was patient and kind. We would’ve never have done everything we did/saw in 1 day had we done it alone. She took us to great places that locals use. She was amazing and highly recommend her! If you’re on the fence about it- just do it!

January 2025

Nicole L
It was very fun!

January 2025

Carrie M
We had a custom tour of NYC and Denise was so wonderful. She showed us around, was so flexible ( as we had all different interests and ages of kids), and made the afternoon fantastic. Thank you Denise for a great great day around the city!

January 2025

Misty H