Private Walking Tour of Hoboken, Only Half a Mile from Manhattan!

The following attractions are only examples of where we can go and what Hoboken has to offer. We can certainly customize based on your preferences!

Hoboken's Waterfront offers expansive views of the Hudson River and New York City skyline, which many of our guests say are worth the trip alone. We’ll explore both the northern and southern waterfronts. Check out the photos above!

Hoboken has transformed its former industrial piers into beautiful parks and promenades, with some bars and restaurants located immediately adjacent to the southern walkway. The largest of these is Pier A Park, which extends almost 800 feet into the Hudson River and offers a unique combination of sunshine, serenity, open space, and Manhattan views. The Urban Land Institute named Pier A Park one of the top 10 urban parks in the United States.

Hoboken’s residential streetscape is defined by picturesque, tree-lined blocks of three- and four-story Greek Revival and Italianate buildings, largely built in the late 1800s. Together with its numerous sidewalk cafes (and a few cobblestone streets), we will enjoy a peaceful escape from New York City. You won’t believe you’re only a mile from Times Square!

Hoboken is the birthplace of baseball, Frank Sinatra, and the zipper; key player in American wars, immigration, and industrialization; and former home to some of the 20th century's most advanced shipyards and factories, including Maxwell House, Lipton Tea and Tootsie Roll. We’ll discuss this history during our time together, and for guests who want to learn even more, we can stop by Hoboken’s quaint historical museum. (Please note that the museum is only open in the afternoon, and it is closed on Mondays. The $5 entry fee is not included in the tour.)

Hoboken's ferry-and-rail terminal embodies the city's past, present, and future. The Beaux Arts station was built in 1907 and served as the starting point for the first multi-unit electric train in 1930, helmed by Thomas Edison. Though often overshadowed by its New York City neighbors, it is the ninth-busiest railroad station in North America. (You'd never know it based on its quaintness.) The interior waiting room remains beautiful and creates the sensation that you've traveled back in time.

Washington Street is Hoboken’s main commercial thoroughfare, running approximately one mile (1,6km) from the very top to the very bottom of Hoboken. It is home to restaurants, bars, bagel shops, bakeries, cafes, and shops – many of which are still locally owned and operated. The American Planning Association once named it one of the “10 Great Streets in America.”

Located only two miles north of Ellis Island, Hoboken was a prominent destination for German and Irish immigrants in the 19th century and Italians and Puerto Ricans in the 20th century. Their influences remain visible in contemporary Hoboken’s delis, cafes, bakeries, restaurants, churches, festivals, social clubs, and people. Founded in 1913, Fiore’s House of Quality is among the most famous of these “original” local eateries, offering housemade mozzarella and locally famous daily sandwich specials. Guests seeking a taste of Hoboken’s old Italian-American influence love to stop here. (Fiore’s is but one example. We can stop anywhere you’d like!)

Like Fiore's, Carlo's Bakery is a Hoboken original. Founded in 1910, the shop has gained national and international acclaim since TLC created "Cake Boss" in 2009, covering the bakery's owner (Buddy Valastro Jr.) and operations. For out-of-towners seeking other well-known brands without Manhattan crowds, Hoboken also has a Shake Shack, Del Frisco’s Steakhouse, Nike Store, lululemon, and more – all within a 5-minute walk of Carlo's Bakery! (If you visit the same places in Manhattan, you will be dealing with massive tourist crowds and all the stress that comes with that. A short trip away in Hoboken, you can usually walk right in and enjoy yourself.)

Kikilu quickly shot to the top of Hoboken’s must-see (and must-taste!) attractions with our guests. The family-owned shop makes its gelato on-site and is considered the best you’ll find outside Italy. (Again, this is just one example of where we can stop!)

Along with (allegedly) having “the most bars per square mile” in the United States, Hoboken features countless bagel shops and pizzerias, creating ample opportunity for our guests to sample New York style bagels, pizza, and bacon-egg-and-cheeses (the classic American breakfast sandwich) – in this case from just across the river in New Jersey!

Stevens is a top-100 American university perched on a hill above the Hudson River. The campus includes Castle Point, which is the highest point in Hoboken. The campus offers still more spectacular views of New York City – including the Empire State Building in Midtown Manhattan, One World Trade Center (Freedom Tower) in Lower Manhattan, and the surrounding skyline. (On clear days, you can see north to the George Washington Bridge and south to the Verrazzano Bridge and Statue of Liberty.)

OPTIONAL: For guests who'd like to venture into Jersey City, we can head about half-a-mile (0,8km) south of the Hoboken Terminal to check out Newport Green Park, Newport Sand Beach, and Water's Soul by Jaume Plensa (https://waterssouljc.com/), the latter of which is an 80-foot tall sculpture at the edge of a waterfront pier in Jersey City's Newport neighborhood. (Visiting these sites in Jersey City adds about one mile of walking and can take up to 60 minutes round-trip, depending on pace and how long we stop for photos, etc. As a result, guests would be choosing to do this "side trip" in place of other, more common stops in Hoboken itself.)

OPTIONAL: For guests who'd like to venture into Jersey City, we can head about half-a-mile (0,8km) south of the Hoboken Terminal to check out Newport Green Park, Newport Sand Beach, and Water's Soul by Jaume Plensa (https://waterssouljc.com/), the latter of which is an 80-foot tall sculpture at the edge of a waterfront pier in Jersey City's Newport neighborhood. (Visiting these sites in Jersey City adds about one mile of walking and can take up to 60 minutes round-trip, depending on pace and how long we stop for photos, etc. As a result, guests would be choosing to do this "side trip" in place of other, more common stops in Hoboken itself.)

OPTIONAL: If you select MEET IN MANHATTAN (PATH TRAIN) at checkout, I will meet you near one of the PATH train stations in Manhattan. PATH stations are located at 33rd St, 23rd St, 14th St, 9th St, Christopher St and World Trade Center (Oculus). The tour price for this option includes a one-way PATH train ticket for each member of your group. I will provide the tickets when we meet at a PATH station in Manhattan.

OPTIONAL: If you select MEET IN MANHATTAN (PATH TRAIN) at checkout, I will meet you near one of the PATH train stations in Manhattan. PATH stations are located at 33rd St, 23rd St, 14th St, 9th St, Christopher St and World Trade Center. The tour price for this option includes a one-way PATH train ticket for each member of your group. I will provide the tickets when we meet at a PATH station in Manhattan.

OPTIONAL: If you select MEET IN MANHATTAN (FERRY) at checkout, I will meet you at the NY Waterway Ferry in Midtown Manhattan (459 12th Ave) or Lower Manhattan (Brookfield Place Terminal). The tour price for this option includes a one-way ferry ticket for each member of your group. I will provide the tickets when we meet at the ferry terminal in Manhattan.

OPTIONAL: If you select MEET IN MANHATTAN (FERRY) at checkout, I will meet you at the NY Waterway Ferry in Midtown Manhattan (459 12th Ave) or Lower Manhattan (Brookfield Place Terminal). The tour price for this option includes a one-way ferry ticket for each member of your group. I will provide the tickets when we meet at the ferry terminal in Manhattan.

OPTIONAL: If you select MEET IN MANHATTAN (PATH TRAIN) at checkout, I will meet you near one of the PATH train stations in Manhattan. PATH stations are located at 33rd St, 23rd St, 14th St, 9th St, Christopher St and World Trade Center. The tour price for this option includes a one-way PATH train ticket for each member of your group. I will provide the tickets when we meet at a PATH station in Manhattan.