Harlem: Holiday walking tour with concert & local guide

Summary

Walk Harlem’s decorated streets, hear its stories, and end with live holiday music

You’ll walk Harlem’s festive streets with a local guide, learn its layered history with multimedia stories, sing carols alongside new friends, and end your day wrapped in live holiday music at a cozy concert hall — moments you’ll remember every time you hear those songs again.

What’s the experience like?

You know that feeling when you catch a bit of music drifting out from somewhere you can’t see? That’s how our Harlem Heritage Holiday Tour started — right outside the Schomburg Center, where the doors let out this faint gospel hum mixed with cold December air. Our guide, Tony, greeted us like he already knew half the group (maybe he did), and inside we wandered through exhibits that made me realize how little I actually knew about Harlem’s history. The walls were covered in old photos and handwritten notes — I lingered over one letter until Tony called us back together. Bathrooms here too, if you’re wondering.

Once we stepped outside again, it was like the city had changed clothes — lights strung up everywhere, people selling roasted nuts on the corner (the smell followed us for blocks). Tony had this iPad-and-speaker setup in his backpack, so as we walked he’d play these old recordings or show a video right where something happened. At one point he played a clip of Ella Fitzgerald singing at the Apollo Theater while we stood across from it — the theater was closed but the gift shop was open, so a few of us ducked in for souvenirs. I tried to pronounce “Schomburg” properly; Li laughed and corrected me (I probably butchered it).

We sang carols as we walked — not all of us in tune, but nobody seemed to care. There was this moment near 125th Street when a couple of locals joined in for half a song before heading off laughing. The sky was that weird New York gray where you can’t tell if it’ll snow or just stay cold forever. My hands went numb holding my phone for pictures but I didn’t want to miss anything.

The last stop was the Harlem Heritage Tourism and Cultural Center. Inside felt warmer than outside in more ways than one — local R&B and gospel singers took turns on stage for a full hour. Some folks clapped along; others just closed their eyes and listened. I still think about that version of “Silent Night.” When it ended, nobody rushed out into the night right away — maybe because it felt good to just sit there together for a minute longer.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Harlem Heritage Holiday Tour

• Visit Schomburg Center exhibitions
• Multimedia Harlem Heritage walk with caroling
• Visit Apollo Theater gift shop
• Attend Harlem Holiday Christmas Concert

Top questions

Is the Harlem Heritage Holiday Tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, all areas and surfaces on the tour are wheelchair accessible.

Where does the tour start?

The tour begins at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Does the tour include live music?

Yes, it ends with a one-hour holiday concert by local performers at the Harlem Heritage Tourism and Cultural Center.

Are bathrooms available during the tour?

Yes, bathrooms are available at the Schomburg Center at the start of the tour.

Can infants or small children join?

Yes, infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller during the tour.

Is public transportation nearby?

Yes, there are public transportation options close to all stops on the tour route.

What’s included

Your experience includes entry to exhibitions at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, guided walking through decorated Harlem streets with multimedia stories from your local guide, caroling along historic routes, and admission to an hour-long holiday concert featuring talented local R&B and gospel performers before heading home filled with music.