Ricki's Walking Tours

A Licensed Guide and Photographer in New York City

Ricki's Walking Tours is a one-guide business in New York City: Ricki leads private walking tours and runs photo tours, where she photographs her guests around the city. Everything on the site is in NYC, from Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy and Chinatown on the walking side to Times Square and the Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO on the photo side. She sells her own tours and books them directly.

The homepage introduces her in her own words: "I'm a licensed NYC tour guide and a former stand-up comedian, so expect laughs along with landmarks. I keep things light, fun, and full of energy as we explore the city together." The About page fills in the background. "I've lived in NYC for 15 years, and worked as a stand up comedian and a photographer. After covid hit, I decided to change my career & become a NYC tour guide." She says "Doing stand-up comedy for over 10 years taught me how to break the ice in 2 seconds, so every tour & photoshoot will feel like a friendly hang out & not a stressful chore."

A review widget on the homepage shows an "EXCELLENT" rating "Based on 667 reviews" posted on Google.

Walking Tours

The homepage lays out the choice as "Pick a Photo Tour or a Regular Walking Tour." The walking tours page lists these:

Private Pub Crawl. The site pitches it as a chance to "Drink where gangsters, jazz legends, and rebels once hid from Prohibition," mixing "iconic bars, hidden history, and a cold one (or three)." The homepage card lists "3+ hr" and "Private Tour (min 6 people)." The tour page is blunt about extras: it "Does NOT include Drinks," "Does Not include Subway Fare," asks guests to "Contact before booking," and says participants "must be 21+."

Best Of Down Town. The tours page calls it "a 2.5-hour NYC walking tour packed with history, culture, and local flavor" through "Greenwich Village, SoHo, Little Italy & Chinatown." The homepage card for the same tour says "5 hours · Private Tour (min 4 people)," so the two pages give different lengths and it is worth confirming which applies when booking.

A Full FUN Day in NYC with Ricki (6-7 hours). Described as "Totally private, totally flexible, and all about seeing the city your way," with the homepage card listing "2-8 people." The homepage hints at the kind of day it can be: "Whether we're chasing the best dumplings in Chinatown or discovering hidden gems, every tour feels like a new adventure."

Build Your Own. A separate page offers a "Build Your Own Tour" option: guests "Share the places you're interested in," from famous sights to lesser-known spots, and Ricki says she will "craft a fully personalized walking itinerary based on your interests, pace, and schedule." That page's title points to DUMBO and the Brooklyn Bridge as one setting for it.

Photo Tours

The photo side combines a walk with a shoot. The About page promises "my photoshoots are fun & easy going, you will feel like Beyonce for a day," and "Together we'll have a stress free photoshoot, as we learn the history of the most beautiful neighborhoods in NYC." It also jokes, then retracts, that "before every session there's a mandatory 2 shots of tequila."

The Google reviews shown on the homepage, which the site has selected, describe what the shoots look like. Several are birthday shoots: one reviewer booked her daughter's 17th birthday photos in Times Square, and another marked a daughter's 15th birthday on a first trip to NYC. Kathleen Johnson says Ricki "asked me details about the session up front, communicated leading up to the day and on the day of, asked preferences when she arrived," and "perfectly executed this session on a busy Sat night in Times Square." Mallory Osleger writes that she "prioritized keeping our daughter safe while still getting amazing shots of her during a very busy Times Square." Samantha Jones says she "delivered our photos with a super fast turnaround." One review, in Hebrew, describes a marriage proposal she photographed.

The longest review, from Yvonne Robles, covers a rainy Brooklyn Bridge walk with her grandson. She says Ricki "guided us to some truly beautiful vantage points to photograph the bridge," took them to a boxing gym in the neighborhood, and "showed us how to embrace the moody, overcast skies," and that "The greatest gift, though, was the candid shots Ricki took of my grandson and me."

How Booking Works

The homepage sets out the steps: "Pick a Photo Tour or a Regular Walking Tour," "Chose the specific tour," "Fill out the booking form," and "Confirm and pay." The form asks for a name, email and phone, the tour of interest, a date range and a message. It asks guests to "Choose your availability range" and says "the tour will take place on one day within this range," so the guest offers a window and the exact day is set afterward. The site links to Facebook, YouTube and TikTok accounts.

What the Site Leaves Open

The site does not publish a price for the walking tours, so the cost comes out only after the form is sent, even though the booking steps end in "Confirm and pay." It does not say how payment is taken, whether a deposit is required, or what the cancellation and refund terms are, and it gives no bad-weather policy (though one review shows a tour going ahead in the rain). Meeting points are not listed. The Best Of Down Town tour is listed at 2.5 hours on one page and 5 hours on another. Photo tour details sit on a separate Photo Tours page, and anyone booking a shoot should check there how long it runs and how many edited photos come back. Apart from the pub crawl's 21+ rule, it does not set age limits, and it does not address accessibility.

For visitors who want a private walk with a guide who is also a photographer, and who would rather come home with photos of themselves than only of the skyline, the offer is clear and personal. Families marking a birthday in Times Square, couples, and small groups up to 8 on the full-day tour are the people the site and its reviews speak to. Anyone who needs to compare prices before reaching out will have to send the form first.