nyc guides

Private Photo Journeys

Jessica FestaNY Your Way

Last Updated on November 10, 2024 by Jessica Festa

Say goodbye to selfies and bad vacation photos, as this experience is part tour, part photo shoot.

On a Private Photo Journey you won’t just get a certified NYC tour guide and local showing you around, but a professional photographer snapping photos of you and your group — which are yours to keep.

woman posing in front of the Manhattan skyline on a private NYC photography tour
Happy guest smiling in front of the NYC skyline in DUMBO, Brooklyn

When booking, choose from one of our popular itineraries (listed below). Or, let us know any of your must-see NYC tourist attractions/desired experiences to have us create something custom.

We know New York like the back of our hands, and can work with you to develop the tour of your dreams.

Please also note your group size and how many hours you’d like to explore for.

Private Photo Journey

Itinerary Suggestions:

If any of the below itineraries are of interest please note the tour number on your booking form. Note that our tours do require a fair amount of walking. If you’d prefer to just stay in one location, please click here to book a photoshoot.

Tour 1: Times Square / Central Park / Upper East Side / Brooklyn Bridge [2 hours]. Our most popular 2-hour itinerary. This classic itinerary showcases the best of NYC.

Tour 2: Times Square / Central Park / Upper East Side / Bushwick [2 hours]. A bit of classic New York; a bit of funky Brooklyn through Bushwick street art.

Tour 3: Times Square / Central Park / Upper East Side / Grand Central [2 hours]. Classic New York with a mix of nature and architecture.

Tour 4: SoHo / Brooklyn Bridge / DUMBO [2 hours]. A mix of cast iron buildings, iconic Brooklyn Bridge shots, and gorgeous skyline views.

Tour 5: World Trade Center / Brooklyn Bridge / DUMBO [2 hours]. Enjoy street art, the famous Brooklyn Bridge, and some of the best skyline shots in NYC.

Tour 6: Greenwich Village / SoHo / World Trade Center [2 hours]. This itinerary has a more neighborhoody vibe with beautiful architecture and street art.

Tour 7: Times Square / Central Park / Upper East Side / Brooklyn Bridge / DUMBO [3 hours]. Our most popular 3-hour itinerary! Similar to Tour #1, but instead of ending in the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge we’ll walk the entire structure into Brooklyn for epic skyline shots.

Tour 8: Times Square / Central Park / Upper East Side / Brooklyn Bridge / Bushwick [3 hours]. A full mix of classic New York with funky Brooklyn, with an extremely wide array of photos to be taken, from nature to street art.

Tour 9: Lower East Side / Williamsburg Bridge / Williamsburg / Bushwick [3 hours]. This Brooklyn-focused itinerary offers skylines, street art, and bridges all in one.

Tour 10: Central Park / Radio City Music Hall / Rockefeller Center / St. Patrick’s Cathedral / Grand Central / Bryant Park (with Empire State Building view) / Times Square [3 hours]. See the main Midtown highlights! This is an especially popular option during the holidays when the windows on Fifth Avenue are decorated.

Custom Route: We love creating custom itineraries! Please note that this service incurs a one-time $50 fee to cover additional planning time.

Booking something longer than 3 hours? If you decide to combine any of the above itineraries you don’t have to pay an additional fee.

In your booking form, you’ll be able to note which itinerary you want or if you’d like something custom.

If there is something very specific you want in terms of a custom tour theme please email us to make sure it’s possble first. Feel free to also email us if you have questions about the above itineraries – [email protected].

Want even more photos and poses, and don’t necessarily care about a tour?

Check out our Custom NYC Shoots! With this option, you get *more* photos – each of which is individually edited (if you choose the “edited” package) vs batch edited (as is the case with the tours).

You can also choose to get all of the RAW photos taken (if you choose the “Unedited” shoot). RAW files are not provided with the tours.

Moreover, you get a pre-shoot call where we’ll go over a concept for the shoot based on what your goals are. We can also discuss outfit changes and looks.

All Custom Shoots are led by Jessie on a Journey, who will look over your Instagram feed/mood board/inspiration photos to get a sense of your style, too.

This option is great for influencers, bloggers, creators, people wanting professional family/friend/couple shots, and those looking to elevate their personal brand (vs simply getting fun touristic photos around the city).

Learn more about our Custom Shoots here.

NYC Photo Tour Inclusions

Included in an NYC Photo Journey:

  • Knowledgeable, local guide/photographer
  • Hotel pick-up via subway (upon request)
  • Photos of you and your group (usually ~70 images for a 2-hour tour and ~100 images for a 3-hour tour, depending on the pace of the group)
  • New York taxes and fees

Not Included:

  • Subway transfers
  • Gratuities (optional, but always appreciated!)

Private Photo Journey

two women posing in front of street art on a New York City photo tour
Showing some guests the street art in Brooklyn

Testimonials

See what our happy guests are saying about our New York City photo tours:

I am in love with my photos. Jessie did an awesome on the tour and an amazing job with photographing the day. I added the black and white option but didn’t realize how fantastic they would be. A highlight of my trip to NYC. Thrilled with the quantity and quality of the pictures. Everything I was hoping for when I booked and more.

Dolores H.

This activity was so much fun!! It is definitely worth booking if you are considering. Not only do you get an endless amount of great, high quality, pictures, you also get a tour of NYC. We ended up finding our new favorite area once we ended in Dumbo. We spent the rest of the evening enjoying great food and drinks at the rooftop market our tour ended at, we wouldn’t have ever known the market existed!

Shea C.

Click here to read more reviews from happy guests on TripAdvisor.

Then head here to book:

Private Photo Journey

couple posing in Times Square on a private NYC photo tour with a yellow cab in the background
Couple posing in Times Square on a private NYC photo tour

Pricing & Booking

Price: $185 per hour, per group of up to three people (not per person). There is a 2-hour minimum required.

  • Note that the above is our weekday pricing. To book a Saturday or Sunday slot, there is a $10 per hour increase in price.
  • To add more people there is a $50 flat fee per person (per day, if booking multiple days), which you will see when booking.

Beautiful high-resolution photography of your group is always included. Click here to see examples on Instagram.

Photos: You’ll typically receive your digital folder of photos within 7 business days. If you need your photos sooner you’ll have an option to purchase a fast turn-around upsell at checkout. 

  • Note: We cull the photos and choose which ones to send to you. If you’d prefer to see all of the photos taken, you’ll need to book a Professional Shoot – Unedited Package, which gives you access to the entire SD card.

Editing: Tour photos are batch-edited for light and color. If you’d like individually fully edited photos, please book a Professional Shoot *or* choose the “Super Edits” add-on at checkout. We do not do cosmetic edits, as our goal is always to have the photos look like the real you. After you receive your photos, if there are certain ones you want cosmetic edits on we can create a custom package for you.

Copyright & Usage: Note that the photographer retains the copyright of the photos. You can use the photos for personal use, though please note they cannot be sold for profit or used for commercial purposes. Please get in touch if you have a different usage request.

Bookings: Please email us using the form below with your desired date(s) and time to book this tour or use the “Book Now” link above. If you don’t see a timeslot that works for you please email us and we will try to work with your availability. Also note that tours after 4pm are only possible in the summer due to lighting. 

Cancellation Policy: Our cancellation policy is as follows:

  • Cancellations made at least 30 days in advance receive a 90% refund
  • Cancellations made between 73 hours and 29 days out from the tour departure receive a 50% refund
  • Cancellations made within 72 hours of the tour departure are non-refundable

Please keep in mind that guides block their schedules when a booking is made, turning away other tours to be available for yours. In order to effectively run our business while ensuring guides are always compensated, we do not provide 100% refunds.

Also keep in mind that all of our experiences are private, meaning that if you cancel we don’t have other people making up that cost, which public tours are able to do.

If you need to reschedule please email us at [email protected] and we can try to accommodate as best as we can. As long as your scheduled guide can accommodate your request, we’re happy to reschedule at no charge.

This being said, we do offer a 100% refund if a tour is canceled due to inclement weather.

Please see our Terms & Conditions for full information (section 3).

Private Photo Journey

Contact

About the Author

Jessica Festa

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Jessie Festa is a native New Yorker who enjoys sharing the best of her home city with others. This love of NYC led to her becoming a licensed tour guide and starting NYC Photo Journeys, a photo experience company. Her byline has appeared in USA Today, CNN, Thrillist, and Time Out New York, and she has been a tour guide for BBC Travel's New York episode twice. Additionally, she runs a solo female travel blog, Jessie on a Journey, as well as a sustainable tourism magazine called Epicure & Culture.