Met Tour - Metropolitan Museum of Art Tours

Walking Tour

3 hrs

New York City

English

The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses one of the most significant and comprehensive art collections in the world, spanning more than 5000 years of art history and containing more than 2.5 million objects. As with the Louvre in Paris, this massive museum of art can prove daunting to the first-time visitor. With this in mind, we’ve designed this “crash course” Met tour that is led by an art historian and provides a thorough overview of the museum’s most important collections.

Tour Description

Beginning in the Museum’s Great Hall, we’ll start with a brief introduction to the museum, which first opened its doors in 1872, and discuss why it strategically borders the east side of Central Park in the very exclusive neighborhood of the Upper East Side. Since our guide is an art historian with extensive experience with the Met, he or she may share some inside stories about curating shows here, or research in the galleries before diving into the collections.

Our first stop will be in the Egyptian galleries where we’ll see the Museum’s world-famous collection of artifacts, including statuary, tomb decoration, and jewelry, which our guide will use to paint a portrait of Egyptian dynasties. We’ll also visit the iconic Temple of Dendur, a Roman structure rescued from Aswan during dam construction, before moving on to the Chinese and Japanese galleries, where we’ll see the Chinese Garden Court, a replica of a Ming dynasty scholar’s courtyard.

As we move through the galleries with our guide, we’ll let the conversation glide from history to curating to the role of art in politics, work, and love. The tour is intentionally designed as a seminar-like experience so that participants can ask lots of questions and follow their interests.

Eventually, we’ll shift gears and move into Western art of the modern era, periods well represented by the Met. Our art adventure will bring us face to face with masterworks by such artists as El Greco, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, Degas, Matisse, Sargent, and Picasso, among others. It’s an eclectic mix, to be sure. However, our guide will expertly weave a narrative skein from gallery to gallery, tying works together around themes and ideas, and creating a magical intellectual experience.

Our guide will also curate our time together by selecting a mixture of famous and lesser-known works and crafting a narrative around our interests and questions. Our visit may also include a stop to the Islamic, Ancient Near East or Greek and Roman galleries, or the light- and sculpture-filled atrium of the American Wing, depending on time and interest.

This Met tour is designed to provide a general overview of the Met Museum and its collections.

Booking Instructions

As part of this tour, we will provide pre-purchased entry tickets to the Met Museum, which allow you to skip the long entry lines to the museum. These will be added to your cart when you check out. Your guide will have these with him/her on the day of the walk. All ticket sales are final and cannot be refunded. There will be a mandatory security line that we must wait in together.

PLEASE NOTE: The Annual Met Gala Event happens on the first Monday of May every year. The Met is only closed on the day of the event itself, but many galleries (usually including the Temple of Dendur) will also be closed in the week before and after the event.

FAQ

Where do we meet? Where does it end?

The walk starts and ends at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Your confirmation email will have the exact meeting point details along with a map.

Will you pre-purchase tickets?

We pre-purchase tickets to the museum. Your guide will have them on hand.

What are skip-the-line tickets?

For this tour, your tickets are pre-purchased which allows you to skip the ticket office line upon arrival at the venue. You may still have to wait in a security line or in a line to have your pre-purchased ticket scanned.

What if it’s raining?

Tours operate rain or shine, but this tour takes place almost entirely indoors.

Is this tour good for kids and teens?

Yes! We have some excellent family-friendly guides who can appeal to the learning styles of children. We also have a separate Met tour for kids called Stories in Art, designed for families with children 12 and under. When booking, please provide us with information about your children, such as favorite school subjects and hobbies. This way we can match you with the best possible guide.

Is this walk mobility-friendly?

Overall, the museum is mobility-friendly. There are wheelchair-accessible entrances, elevators, and wheelchairs that are freely available to use. If you require a wheelchair, please mention this in the notes section when placing your order.

From iconic landmarks to tucked-away local favorites, these are the places you’ll explore and experience firsthand with your Expert.

Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York museum with global art spanning antiquity, Renaissance, and modern works

Here’s a look at what your tour covers, plus anything you’ll want to consider arranging separately, so you can plan with confidence.

Included

English-speaking expert guide
Tours led in English, offering you unbroken understanding throughout.
Intentionally sized groups
A smaller group means more time for conversations and questions.
Tickets and entrance fees
All entry tickets included (unless clearly stated otherwise).
Headsets
Headsets are included on tours that need them, so every word can be heard.

Not Included

Gratuities

Tips aren’t included, but we encourage tipping as a way to thank your guide after your experience.
Food and drink

Unless booking a Food & Drink tour or tasting experience, refreshments are not included.
Transportation to and from the meeting point

Unless noted, pre- and post-tour transport isn’t included - this service can be added by request.
Hotel pickup or drop-off

Unless noted, travel to or from accommodation isn’t included - this service can be added by request.

Map of Signature Met Museum Tour: Art Across Time general meeting point area

Some helpful advice for getting the most from your experience, from practical prep to small on-the-day tips.

Dos:

Wear comfortable footwear
Check the weather and dress appropriately
Bring a bottle of water (no glass)
Feel free to ask your Expert anything

Don'ts:

Bring firearms or weapons
Bring sharp objects (e.g. knives, swiss army knives, switchblades, hiking sticks)
Dress inappropriately to enter religious sites or sacred monuments

Any questions? You can always contact us.

210 Reviews

Marianne fue una host impecable, atenta, simpática y con mucho conocimiento. Se nota que realmente ama el arte y la pasión que transmite con cada cosa que nos comentó. Fue una experiencia maravillosa y nos llevamos un recuerdo hermoso de nuestra primera visita al MET. 100% recomendable!

Photo Shared by Gaston with their review

Gaston Oct 24, 2026

If you are lucky enough to get Jonathan he brought everything he showed us to life with colorful narrative.

Wende Oct 3, 2026

Alexandra was a fantastic, knowledgeable guide who listened to our preferences on which exhibits to view and guided us through those as well as suggesting a few extra exhibits to give us a great sense of all the Met has to offer. We particularly loved how she helped us view the art with a view of trying to discern what the artist was trying to say through the subject matter’s pose, background, demeanor etc. I would 1000% book another tour with her personally and recommend her to friends. We have had many private guided tours at many museums and she is definitely at the very top of the list.

Miriam Sep 12, 2026

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