Reviews of My Tours

Ground Zero & 9/11 Memorial Walking Tour

Through ExperienceFirst, I lead walking tours of Ground Zero and the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan. I tell the stories of that tragic day, the aftermath, and the rebuilding while weaving in my personal experiences and observations.

“The most poignant and informative tour l have ever experienced — Arun was a wonderful guide who flawlessly and passionately informed us while enabling us to pay our respects to those who gave their lives on 9/11. He saw it all unfold close up on that fateful day and so few are better placed to educate us. Of course the man made wonders of the memorial, the Oculus and the tower speak themselves but Arun raised it all to another level entirely. We were transfixed throughout. Not to be missed.” ***** —David C

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“Thorough and informative—recommended. Arun was brilliant! So knowledgeable and friendly.” ***** —Jazmin (via GetYourGuide)

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“Very informative tour by Arun. Lovely man, made the [tour] very interesting and personal. Would definitely recommend. Thank you Arun!” ***** —Haley M

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“Brilliant tour with a skilled guide: Arun was incredibly engaging and knowledgable. He told us facts and personal stories in an approachable yet respectful way. He kept the group together, very mindful of our safety, and led us through an emotionally intense experience with skill and compassion.” ***** —jodiesbanks 

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“Wonderful 911 walking tour — Arun was fantastic. He was so [knowledgeable] and interesting. This tour should be on your top list of things to do while in New York. We really enjoyed the tour. I give it 5 stars.” ***** —Candy H

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“Memorable 90 minutes — It was an unforgettable afternoon. Arun shared fascinating details and unique stories that we had never heard before. His personal touch made the experience truly memorable. We deeply appreciate the respect and emotional connection he brought to our visit.” ***** —Amber S

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“My family and I had a great time at the 9/11 Memorial. We opted for the 1.5 hour walking tour of the memorial and ground zero with tickets to view the Observation Deck at the One World Observatory. Arun, our personal guide was amazing. He was extremely knowledgeable about the events surrounding 9/11 and NYC as well. He was thoughtful of the group and the cold weather (made sure to have us in sun when possible) and gave an emotional and moving depiction of this extremely sad day and the days after. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone going to NYC and try have Arun as your guide!” ***** —U.Baker

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“Excellent Tour of Ground Zero — Arun did a wonderful job bringing to life some of the stories from 9/11. He has a great way of connecting with people and clearly has a personal passion for sharing stories about 9/11 with his guest. I would highly recommend this tour to others.” ***** —Pinakin J

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"Tour was well worth it — Our tour guide, Arun, was well spoken, informative and kind. He had a lot of knowledge about the Memorial plaza, the events of 9/11, and detailed stories of so many heroes on that day. I had been to visit the memorial just after it opened but walked around on my own. I learned so much more from this tour, it was well worth the cost." ***** —traycg13

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“Arun was [an] incredibly descriptive and helpful guide, and did an excellent job in explaining the history and importance of the surrounding landmarks.” ***** —Yoshi O 

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“Arun - Guia top .. Vale muito a pena a experiência porque ajuda nos a entrar na história e mesmo com chuva a experiência foi excelente.” | “Top guide.. The experience is worth it because it helped us get into the story and even with the rain the experience was excellent.” ***** —Ricardo E

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“The best tour from Arun — [T]o say Arun was the best would be an understatement. I am floored by his knowledge and openness to all questions asked by the group. He was the very best tour guide and I would recommend him to everybody!” ***** —Mia P

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“[Arun] was an excellent and knowledgeable tour guide. He told the stories of that day with the utmost compassion and respect. I highly recommend the tour and Arun as a guide.” ***** —Jill M

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“Amazing Tour Guide! The tour was amazing! Our tour guide Arun answered our questions, gave his experience, and safely guided us through the city.” ***** —Yolibeth M

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"Fantastic experience — Fantastic tour with Arun - incredibly insightful and a great story teller. Would highly recommend, even if you are doing the museum as well. We learned so much while walking the grounds that we wouldn’t have otherwise." ***** —Carly H

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“We really enjoyed our tour of the 9/11 memorial. Arun, our tour guide was very friendly. He was very knowledgeable and was happy to answer any questions to the best of his ability. I highly recommend doing this tour while visiting NYC. Hopefully you will meet Arun!” ***** —Laura R

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“Our tour guide, Arun, did an amazing job at telling us a lot of stories surrounding the tragic event. He was very thoughtful and even brought tokens of remembrance (flowers and flags) for us to put into a name of choice at the memorial. His stories brought us closer to the history of the world trade center and everything that happened to it, it was very moving.” ***** —Nienke D

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“Was really informative! Very beautiful and heartbreaking backstories. Arun was great! We saw everything around the memorial, very complete tour.” ***** —Tessa D

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“Excellent tour! Not knowing what to expect, we found ourselves with a group that was super friendly. Our guide was [Arun] and he was deeply invested in the 9/11 memorial and the history of NYC and the effects on that day” ***** —Donald S

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“Excellent visit — [Arun] is an excellent guide very passionate. He knows everything about 9/11. We visited the Oculus, the two pools and the WTC surrounds.” ***** —Reno

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“Awesome — Arun was a great guide and did a fabulous job!! He was very knowledgeable on the events and area at ground zero. He also told very sweet stories of some of the list from that terrible day. Thank you Arun for a great tour!!” ***** —Theresa P

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“Great experience — Arun was a great tour guide and we got to hear amazing stories. Also love that he provided us with flags and flowers to be able to put on the names at the memorial.” ***** —KC

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"Great tour guide for 911 experience — Arun was very informative and professional. He was an exceptional tour guide. Very knowledgeable, credible and engaging. Would highly recommend.” ***** —Anne Marie C

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“A must do tour — Arun was an amazing tour guide. We learnt so much not just about the event but some of the stories he shared really had an impact on us all. We appreciated the balance of learning and sensitivity shown throughout the tour. Thoroughly recommend doing this tour.” ***** —Kaleb B

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“Arun gave a very detailed description of the World Trade Center Plaza. He related many personal stories of the people memorialized on the plaza. He also gave a very interesting and informative perspective as a person who was born and raised in New York City: it made it very real to hear his perspective on what it was like to be in the city on 911.” ***** —Wanda V

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“Arun was very knowledgeable and kept our attention. It was pouring with rain & Arun kept our spirits up Coming from the UK you just see the headlines & don’t hear the individual stories or the different marks of respect like the white roses. Would definitely recommend.” ***** —Angela T

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“We did a tour with Arun this past week in NYC of the 9/11 Memorial. Our guide was excellent and he was a great storyteller. The stories that Arun shared with us were emotional and unforgettable. We highly recommend this tour.” ***** —kwmaun

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“It is a must do visit of the 9/11 memorial — Arun explained a lot about the 9/11 happenings and narrated touching stories of the heroes involved in the 9/11 memorial.” ***** —Leon D

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“Arun is an outstanding guide. His stories about several individuals made our visit even more touching. He could answer every question. We got so much out of our visit. Thank you , Arun.” ***** —Jaimie P

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“Arun was great. He was friendly, thoughtful and had impactful stories. You could see he is passionate about his job. Definitely recommend the tour.” ***** —Summer M

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“Very powerful experience! Arun is a fantastic tour guide. The 90 minute 9/11 Memorial Tour and Museum package is well worth it. Plan for at least 2 hours in the museum: Both the tour and Museum are extremely powerful. Tissues are recommended.” ***** —Rebecca C

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“Arun was excellent, amazing storytelling skills. Really emotional tour with a lot of information and stories no one should miss. Totally worth the cost and I’d recommend it to everyone.” ***** —Federico

“It was a really emotional experience and Arun was an excellent guide; the story was told with a lot of respect and with a lot of interesting details. This tour is a must, we really loved it.” ***** —Federico M

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“Great tour 9/11 tour and tour guide — Arun was a great tour guide. He told stories that were interesting, memorable, and meaningful. He's a good story teller and gave meaning to the 9/11 event and memorial.” ***** —Ron Y

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“Worth the time and money! Thanks Arun, our tour guide! Arun was our fabulous tour guide, and he did a phenomenal job of sharing information that we could not get at the museum or on our own. The day was cold and windy, and although I was freezing, we did not want to miss out on any of the great details! I’d suggest checking the weather beforehand, and take the tour! You’ll be glad you did! Thanks, Arun, for your gift of sharing the stories of 911.” ***** —Luci S

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“Arun was amazing. He was engaging, knowledgeable, professional, and a great storyteller. This was an all-around, excellent experience!” ***** —Ali A

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“Worth the tour! Would recommend. Arun was amazing! Totally worth it. A lot of information about 911 was given but still learn many new things. He explained a lot and very detailed. I took my 7 year old and he was very excited. Would recommend.” ***** —XxSxX C

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“Amazing tour — Arun was an amazing tour guide, he shared many beautiful stories and gave perspective to everyone on the tour. I would highly recommend him as a guide.” ***** —Jennifer T

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“Arun was amazing. Extremely personable and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the stories and the tour immensely! Highly recommend him!!!” ***** —Mark F

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“[Arun] was great explained all very clearly and was very professional would recommend. We enjoyed his tour and glad we did it.” ***** —Simon G

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“This was by far the best tour we have ever done! Arun was an amazing guide and was very knowledgeable, empathetic and super friendly. I would recommend this experience to everyone and anyone! The museum was breathtaking and hearing stories about that day was truly touching.” ***** —Zoe K

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“Our tour [guide], ARUN [did] an amazing job. It was an important impactful experience and appreciated all the personal stories.” ***** —Christine K

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“This was a truly excellent tour, Arun used his own personal knowledge to bring the tour to life. We were never rushed and had plenty of time to see everything and to ask questions. Without doubt one of the best tours I’ve done. Thank you.” ***** —Pamela D

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“Fine job on the tour! Arun was well informed and seemed very interested in sharing the stories of 9/11. He was responsive to questions and set a good pace for the walk-around. Ticket pricing was just right as well. Very informatve on the physical location and knowledgable abouut the date. Tour timing was just right, memorial very well done, museum was a bit overwhelming in terms of material to take in - but all great stuff,. And finally, the new trade center tower tour is FANTASTIC! Take the reservation deal at the Tower restaurant, very ecomincal and the views are of course, amazing. And it IS less expensive that doing it ala-cart!” ***** —749walth

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“Informative and Nice — I enjoyed [Arun] and he was very informative about the things that happened on 9/11. He was great at explaining his perspective on what he experienced on that day.” ***** —Raul O

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“Great tour. Arun our tour guide was great. If you have never seen the 911 memorial this is a great tour. Personal experience plus great knowledge of events.” ***** —Eileen R

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“TAKE THIS TOUR!! Arun was very knowledgeable & being native to NYC shared some personal stories as well. My children even enjoyed the tour (children bore easily on tours). It was very informative & interesting. Highly recommend!!!” ***** —Judy J

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“Arun Das was an excellent guide!! He gave us such detailed accounts of what we were seeing. He made sure we were all together and were able to hear him. He gave life to the tour and made us feel like we were a part of it all. I highly recommend him!” ***** —Teresa D

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“Arun did an amazing job showing us and helping us feel the experience of the 9/11 Memorial. His experience living close when 9/11 occurred gave him the experience to guide us and make us remember.” ***** —Relax43729733861

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“Arun was awesome — Arun was awesome!!! Very knowledgeable and it was great that he got us out of the heat for part of the tour. The tour was good value.” ***** —Daniel R

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“Amazing Experience — Arun was our tour guide. He did an amazing job. He was very passionate and you could tell it meant a lot to him to share the story of 9/11. Our family really enjoyed the tour. Arun did an excellent job.” ***** —Monica P

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“Excellent Tour — We really enjoyed this tour made all the better by our amazing guide was Arun he was very informative and kept the whole group engaged, I would highly recommend this tour.” ***** —Deborah C

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“God Bless you all! Reflecting Absence — This memorial is incredible! It’s absolutely breathtaking and a beautiful tribute to the men, women children and all of the heroes whom lost their lives on this devastating, unforgettable day. Our guide Arun has such a heart-full and thoughtful way about him and great knowledge as he relates his personal experience and true stories of 9/11. He touched my heart as he talked, bringing my daughters and I back in time, evoking sadness, gratitude, strength and pride for our United States of America. The beauty of what stands today and all of the love that went into this memorial will make you so proud of our country and its people. This is a tour that you have to do. It is so meaningful and I was truly awestruck by all of it. Request Arun as a tour guide if you can, he made it that much more special! And you must do the observation deck- nothing like it in the world, aside from the beauty and the incredible views, most importantly, it’s the thought and heart of so many that went into all of this in honor of all lives lost and their surviving families. God bless you all.” ***** —Jodi D

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“Excellent guide — Arun was perfect guide today. He told us tiny and important all details of ground zero 9/11 Memorial tour today. Five hugh stars to him. He has sent another email with links to good local restaurants nearby. Hats off to him.” ***** —Sarabdeep K

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“Heartfelt tour of 9/11 memorial — Our tour guide, Arun, was so knowledgeable and his accounts of the events and people of 9/11 were very heartfelt. He told the stories of that day in such a thorough and caring way. It was well worth it to take this tour and I couldn't have asked for a better tour guide.” ***** —Alene B

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“Arun was an engaging guide who gave us a very informative tour of the memorial site that drew on his personal experience of this tragic event.” ***** —Mr F

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“Remembering and never forgetting — Arun did an amazing job. Was very informative and polite. He is very proud of his city and sensitive to those we lost. My granddaughters and I really enjoyed the tour.” ***** —Brenda S

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“Arun was extremely knowledgeable and very helpful. He pitched what was a very difficult topic at just the right level. He took time to answer questions whilst feeding his audience with enough human interest stories and factual information that made the time fly. You were then directed to the museum where you could take as much time as you wanted to go through all the exhibits and experiences. We finally finished off with the one world observatory experience which again was excellent. Overall well worth the money.” ***** —Roy M

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“Amazing Tour — Arun was an amazing guide, he was so informative and had firsthand experience of the day. We got to hear so many details that we never knew about 9/11.” ***** —Allyson J

50-plus 5-star reviews…