Harlem Sunday Morning Gospel Tour

Reviews

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  Macdonald2717 5

  20 Jan 2020

  This was amazing. The church service at The Greater Highway Deliverance Church was outstanding. The energy, thankfulness and talent was transformative. The brunch at the Cotton Club was made exceptional by the music of Ms. Helen Stiles and her band. We danced to her gospel music and celebrated being alive. It was fabulous. BUT the most magnificent thing about the tour was Duane. He is the most amazing tour guide in the world and should be promoted to tour guide extraordinaire. Multilingual, personable, Ivy educated- he’s exceptional and brilliant in his telling of New York history. DO THIS TOuR!!!!!!

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  Lina_G 1

  05 Jan 2020

  First we experienced a rude guide. When we got to the church in the Bronx, not Harlem, there were no place to seat. Nothing like the picture, no choir with gowns, nothing like advertised. Too expensive for what they provide..bad experience!!

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  Hook911 5

  30 Dec 2019

  This was a great way to see the real Harlem and an authentic Harlem Church Service. The tour leaves from just behind Times Square on a very comfortable coach and our guide, Anthony, was a real New Yorker who had lived most of his life in Harlem and his local knowledge as well as his knowledge of New York history and even what movies were filmed where, made this an amazing trip. If you want a little insight into the real Harlem and to experience a genuine Harlem Church service (I was sceptical and thought this might be a little fake - it really wasn’t) then this is well worth it. We didn’t do the Sunday brunch buffet so can’t comment on this. Thanks Anthony for all your top tips and advice about NYC generally as well as being a great guide for this tour. 5 stars ⭐️

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  Tony B 4

  29 Dec 2019

  Alvin is a warm, enthusiastic and knowledgeable tour guide and focuses on African American luminaries and their personal connections to Harlem and the Bronx, as well as the early history of these districts. I understand there is a commercial element to the Church service and I had been prepared for something staged specifically to funnel tourist money into struggling communities. If that was the case, I didn't notice and the whole experience felt genuine and welcoming. The gospel singing (choir and congregation) was excellent. The tour bus was clean and comfortable and has an onboard rest room (important, as very few public ones in Harlem). I think you could skip the optional Cotton Club lunch element without missing the best of the experience. The entertainment was well executed but felt dated. The food was welcome but not standout. The European waitresses are there for their language skills with the mostly European customers, but they need a little more training in how to communicate with paying customers. Overall I thought the whole morning's package was good value for money.

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  Ellie_Veee 1

  19 Dec 2019

  This tour is a complete waste of money and time! We stopped for way too log at some memorial. No explanation. Just sent out of the bus. We then got to the church, and although that was very average (they sang two songs, asked for money donation, then we were ushered out). I understand this part is beyond the tour group's control. But, the real disappointment of the tour was that although I was very much looking forward to Apollo and Cotton Club (30 minute each as per agenda), the bus stopped long enough just outside these venues where we could click a quick photo through the bus window ("Japanese style" as the tour guide explained) and we drove off! That's not a "visit ". That's abysmal! All the while the tour guide and the bus driver were bickering so much so, that the bus driver pulled over at one point,  asking the tour guide to leave the bus or he will call the police. Can this get any more unprofessional?! I feel very let down by this tour. I emailed my disappointment three times to Harlem Spirituals tour operator and have had no answer. Sent various messages, was told someone will get back to me. Two months later, no one has replied to any of my emails or messages. Do yourself a favour and pick another tour.  

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  RobbynaS 2

  25 Nov 2019

  The bus tour to Harlem with Anthony's guiding and excellent information was very well received. He knew a lot and he communicated it in a pleasant way. However the church and supposedly gospel visit was not what I expected. There we a handful of locals in the church and at least 4 your groups of 20 people each so the tourists wag out numbered the congregation. The quality of the singing was very poor. Shouting and screeching more than singing. I have heard beautiful gospel music before, admittedly not from Harlem or from this Pentecostal church hall, and the singing and music we heard 24 Nov was unrecognisable. Suggest providing the tourists with earplugs so the decibels don't damage the ears. It felt like being at a very loud Rock concert. Real gospel voices don't require a lot of accompaniment. Very disappointed. The bus your was great but the gospel experience a disaster. Real tourist trap.

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  olivia l 4

  11 Nov 2019

  We enjoyed the tour and Anthony, our guide gave us enough information about Harlem to keep us interested throughout. The highlight was the Cotton Club, with amazing food and entertainment (quite religious)! Our 11 year son enjoyed the tour but did find the church very loud and hot. The only disappointment was that they was no choir at the church.

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  suber2016 5

  06 Nov 2019

  I highly recommend this tour we loved it. The staff we bought our tickets from were so friendly and happy to answer all of our question. The bus driver was great, we had a smooth ride. Anthony our tour guide was very informative regarding Harlem and all the history. He had great recommendations on restaurants. Only had time to try one of the restaurants he suggested, best Italian food I have ever had. The Sunday Morning Gospel was amazing......the congregation welcomed us with open arms.....It was wonderful .

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  Clive_H 5

  03 Nov 2019

  Brilliant time way over are expectations would do this tour again thank you again so much will recommend to all our friends

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  Marie_LaureV403 2

  03 Nov 2019

  I booked a french Harlem Gospel Tour excursion via Viator for October 2019. I had done this excursion about 15 years ago with another company. We had a french guide named Michele. She was my concern for this evaluation. Michele, even though se seemed nice and willing to share, was very unclear, messy and disrespectful. She was talking about 5 différents subjects at the same time, not finishing on explaination. Really hard to follow and understand. While showing a building or a part of Harlem, she hardly said where to look (right or left), often finished her explaination with a … oh, too late, we've passed already. Even when I loudly ask to know where to look,she hardly changed her way to present the tour. She choose who she wanted to speak to, and did not treat everyone the same way. Every time we could leave the bus, we had no explanation about when to come back, where would the bus be. We almost missed the bus once because of that. Also during the Gospel, we saw some people leaving the Church without knowing we were concerned too. I was a lot of stress for me and my daughter and because of Michele and the way she lloked after the group, we could not really enjoy the tour.

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