Cafe Wha? Attractions & Things to do

Enjoy a walk through one of New York’s most beautiful neighborhoods as we explore the unique and legendary mecca to artists, writers and radicals. Greenwich Village has always marched to beat of its own drum and is one of the most interesting areas in Manhattan. Whether you love history, music, pop culture, or food there is something for everyone to learn about and enjoy. The Village has gone through many incarnations over the years, from calm farm community, vibrant bohemian mecca, a proving ground for the workers rights, suffragette, beatnik, hippie , civil and gay rights movements, to premier college neighborhood. All the great movements of the 20th century can be found in the surrounding blocks. Come see where New York found its soul.
Duration: 2 hours.

Experience New York's West Village like a local on this lunchtime walking tour that combines tastings of bagels, pizza and other neighborhood favorites with a hearty helping of history. See where famous writers and musicians including Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan and Lou Reed hung out and where Monica on the hit show 'Friends' lived. Savor six tastings at popular West Village spots including Faicco's Italian Specialties, Hudson Bagels and Mamoun's Falafel. By the end of your tour, you'll have learned lots about the bohemian past and current hotspots of this beloved New York neighborhood.
Duration: 3 hours.

Comedy History Tours NYC is New York City's Premier History of Comedy Tour. See the sites in Greenwich Village where modern-day stand-up comedy was born. Learn the history of these locations, as well as the history of comedy in New York City and popular culture at large. Our tour is done in cooperation with comedy shows across NYC, and our tour includes complimentary entrance to one or more stand-up comedy shows later that day/night, and throughout your NYC visit. Please note, show options may vary the day of, depending on availability. Your final show options and vouchers/confirmations for such will be given to you by your guide on the tour. An overview of each show will be provided by your guide so you can make your selection(s).
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes.

Experience the bohemian culture of Greenwich Village, one of New York City’s most beautiful and famous neighborhoods, on this 2-hour, small-group walking tour. Visit the spots artists, writers, and radicals called home. Along the way, learn how 'the Village' became a birthplace of the '60s counterculture movement in New York City. Walk the winding streets and visit popular Washington Square Park, reliving more than 200 years of history.

This tour is limited to a small amount of parties that are able to book per. Say goodbye to large crowds and not being able to connect with your guide. VIP experience at its best!
Duration: 2 hours.

2 INDOOR restaurant tastings are included on this tour! At Foods of New York Tours we are the pioneers of NYC food tours since 1999!

Join us on a delicious “multi–ethnic” food tasting and cultural/historical journey through the Heart & Soul of Greenwich Village (The Central Village – the area surrounding Washington Square Park and New York University). Find out why this area of the Village is so popular for its diverse food scene, rich history, culture, counter culture, distinct architecture, and vibrant Greenwich Village nightlife.

We will also visit Washington Square Park and learn about its radical protesters, infamous hanging tree, the Washington Square Arch, and walk the same streets that Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, and Amy Schumer did while learning about the music and comedy scene, and why this section of NYC can only be described as The Village!
Duration: 3 hours.

Our Greenwich Village tour is unique because we focus on offering an authentic experience without inflating food prices. Unlike other tours, we only charge for the guide, allowing tourists to choose and pay only for what they want to try. This guarantees a more affordable and personalized experience. In addition, we visit secret places frequented by locals, offering a broader and more authentic overview of the Village. Our tour takes you to discover hidden corners and gives you exclusive tips to enjoy New York to the fullest. Come and live a genuine and enriching experience with us.

Book now and explore Greenwich Village in a different way!
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes.

Rock out on our walking tour though Greenwich Village.

Visit the venues where Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix launched their careers, and CBGB where punk rock was born with Ramones, Talking Heads, and Blondie.

See the Fillmore East, called the "Church of Rock and Roll” and the Pyramid Club, where music and art converged.

Visit the home where Buddy Holly recorded his last songs before his tragic death.

Step into Andy Warhol's vibrant world at the Exploding Plastic Inevitable, where the Velvet Underground left an indelible mark on the music scene.

Visit the site where Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols met his demise, and the humble apartment where John and Yoko made their first home in New York.

Discover the spots immortalized in classic album covers for Bob Dylan, Ramones, and Led Zeppelin.

This is a must-do tour for any music lover. Book now and join us for a walk down rock and roll history!

Duration: 3 hours
Distance: 3 miles / 4.5 km
Maximum Guests: 6
Duration: 3 hours.

Explore the fascinating secrets and rich history of Greenwich Village, New York City's most intriguing neighborhood.

Discover cemeteries hidden in plain sight and hear the true history behind stories of ghosts in Washington Square Park.

Follow in the footsteps of rock legends Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix at Café Wha, where they began their careers, and stop by the Gaslight Cafe, made famous by poets in the Beat generation.

At the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, hear the tale of the tragic fire that led to changes in labor laws.

Visiting remnants of the past, see the 1811 plan that transformed Manhattan from rural fields to a modern metropolis.

At the site of his prohibition-era speakeasy, learn about the infamous mayor Jimmy Walker.

Pass by The Stonewall Inn where a riot in 1969 began the LGBTQ rights movement.

Walk over an old underground stream that still flows today.

Finally, stand where founding father Thomas Paine died alone and friendless.

Distance: 2 miles / 3 km
Duration: 2 hours.

Bob Dylan. Andy Warhol. Edgar Allen Poe. The list of legendary residents of New York City’s Greenwich Village goes on, and we’ll be exploring their legacies and the surprising fringe history of this vibrant neighborhood.

You’ll start your walking tour in Washington Square, famed for its iconic Memorial Arch and less known for its early Native American village and later designation as “Little Africa”.

As our tour sets off into the neighborhood, your guide will explain the cultural significance of Greenwich Village as a place where art and counterculture flourished. You’ll hear stories of street buskers, painters, and writers, both famous and obscure.

You’ll also see firsthand the neighborhood’s transformation following years of gentrification and its struggle to preserve its history in the face of an expanding university.

We’ll end at one of the neighborhood’s most significant landmarks, the Stonewall Inn, where you’ll learn about the riots that fueled the fight for LGBTQ rights.
Duration: 3 hours.

The music scene in Greenwich Village launched the careers of some of the world's most well known artists! On this tour you'll visit the site and hear stories about how they became famous, the people who nurtured their talent and signed them to recording contracts. It wasn't by accident that both Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen became famous. It was because of one man, John Hammond who signed them both to Columbia Records along with many others. This tour helps you understand the times and the people who supported them as well as many other artists.
Duration: 2 hours.

Explore Greenwich Village with this self-guided walking tour produced by an Emmy-nominated storyteller.

• Find out about Dave Van Ronk, known as the Mayor of MacDougal Street, and once described as “a walking museum of the blues”
• Hear from Tom Darbyshire, a Creative Director from New York’s advertising industry whose passion for juicy stories inspired him to produce this VoiceMap tour
• Do it all in 90 minutes or linger at stops along the way with complete control over when you start and finish
• Get unlimited use before your booking date and after it
• Use the virtual tour option at home

Once you’ve booked, you’ll receive a ticket with instructions and a unique code listed under “Before You Go”. Then simply install the VoiceMap app and enter your code.

The app displays directions to the starting point, and when you’re in the right place, just pop in your headphones and tap start. VoiceMap has automatic GPS playback, with turn-by-turn directions. It also works offline.
Duration: 90 to 120 minutes.

Freewheel through the streets of Greenwich Village, following in the faded tracks of the numerous artists that lived here (Barbara Streisand, Bob Dylan, Edgar Allen Poe, Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, George Carlin and many, many more).

Solve clues to discover the places where poets and musicians lived and performed. See where Dylan Thomas had his last drink and where Barbara Streisand first debuted. Ready to roll?

See Washington Square Park, the epicenter of the hippie movement and the stage of the Beatnik Riot. Enjoy the musical aura that radiates from Electric Lady Circus, the recording studio Jimi Hendrix set up just before his death. Find yourself at The Bitter End, a venue that claims to be New York City’s oldest rock and roll club.

Each clue will lead you from one place to another by providing you with exact directions. As you solve the challenge, the secret story of each place is unlocked.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes.

You decide which food you want, then pay what you wish for the guide. This is the best deal in NYC

Greenwich Village is one of the most popular neighborhoods in NYC, with many stars living there, and their shows and movies being filmed there! A wealth of food options will be available from bagels with cream cheese, delicious, Margherita pizza (NYCs best!) Rice balls, falafel, award winning chocolates, and cupcakes. There’s plenty of walking to burn off those calories. Well see the sights of the gay liberation movement, the Friends apartment, many different historic and modern speakeasies, as well as the trendiest streets in NYC for music and nightlife. This tour is pay what you wish. You decide how much or which food you’d like, and at the end of the tour, you pay the guide whatever you think the tour is worth per person. This is the best deal in NYC! If the guest purchases one of every item as recommended by the guide they will spend $6 on food per person, before desserts.
Duration: 2 hours 20 minutes.

We will explore one of the great epicenters of cultural energy in the U.S. from Mark Twain to the Ramones, Billy Holiday to Jimi Hendrix, this neighborhood fostered creative forces that would define epochs and change the world.
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes.