We had an informative and entertaining tour “See the D”. Nancy was our tour guide. She is very enthusiastic about Detroit and presented just the right mixture of history, stories, places to eat and general information. If you decide to go to Detroit, this is the right way to get to know about the city. Read more
Let Us Show You the Motor City
From Its Industrial Roots to Its Thriving Café Culture Scene
Detroit holds a unique spot in world history due to its role in putting the world on wheels and its meteoric rise as an industrial powerhouse in the first half of the 20th century followed by its dramatic fall. While the city’s automotive heritage is definitely a major part of the city’s identity, there is so much more to the Motor City than cars. Take a walk through the city on our See the D Walking Tour or discover Detroit’s important role in the antislavery movement on our Detroit Underground Railroad Walking Tour. We’ll take you to all the city’s must-see attractions like the Guardian Building, Greektown and Motown as well as a few out-of-the-ordinary gems that us locals love to show off. We’ll also show you the ever-evolving dining and drinking scene that’s made Detroit a top foodie destination. Check out our offerings below to learn more!
Check back often! We’ll soon be adding our exciting food, music, art and true crime tours to the calendar.
Passionate Tour Guides
Our staff is composed of locals who want to help you make the most of your trip to our vibrant city. We love Detroit, and we want you to love it, too!
Multiple Transportation Options
Whether you want to explore the city by foot or travel in our late model vehicles, we have a tour to suit you.
TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence
We’ve served thousands of happy customers in our short time in business as City Tour Detroit—and we’d love to add you to our list!
Tours Designed for You or Your Group
Want a private tour of Detroit? Have your own itinerary in mind or want one created specifically for you or your group? Check out our private and customized tours and make the most of your time in Detroit.
Hear From Our Previous Guests
My girlfriend and I took a trip to Detroit and reserved The see the D tour. Our guide Nancy did a great job. She covered a wide range of topics and made the city feel very unique. Read more
We visited Detroit in late August to attend a Tigers game at Comerica Park. When visiting a big city, we always try to take a city tour to experience the city. Our walking tour guide was Pat. We got a private tour and are so grateful that she took the time to host just the two of us. Her tour was extraordinary. Read more
Thank you Nancy from City Tour Detroit! 3 adults & 4 tweens spent a wonderful morning learning about Detroit. A native, who repatriated after 8 years away, I wanted some how to show my guests this amazing city, and Nancy was spot on! Read more
This was a very fun activity to enjoy downtown Detroit. The stories are interesting and some are quite grim. I think that much of the enjoyment is dependent upon how well the group interacts and plays along with the tour guide. This 2.5 hr tour on foot is very easy to walk. Read more
On behalf of Eden’s Garden Club, I would like to thank Karin Risko and City Tour Detroit for organizing the Aug 8 “Gardens of Detroit” bus tour which served as a fundraiser for our organization. Read more
I was very impressed with both the walking and bus tours! Kudos to Karin, she is a very pleasant, knowledgeable and highly motivated guide! Read more
I organized a day trip to Detroit for a group of international students from the University of Michigan, and I wanted to include a Downtown walking tour. City Tour Detroit did an amazing job – we saw all the highlights and had great photo opportunities. It was these students’ first time in Detroit and they absolutely loved it. Read more
Nancy did an incredible job of our Detroit D tour. She has high energy and enthusiasm and communicated information in a very interesting way and was able to answer all the questions. The trip itinerary was excellent with a nice balance of architecture, history, current structures being built, restaurants and wonderful things going on in the city. Read more
Nancy was our guide for the See the D tour. We decided to take a visiting out-of-town relative down to Detroit, but realized we didn’t know much about it despite having lived here all of our lives. Nancy was extremely informative and accommodating. Read more
To be honest, I didn’t have the best impression of Detroit before visiting but Pat at City Tour Detroit changed all that! She was a wonderful tour guide that had so much passion and love of Detroit…it was definitely contagious! I learned so much from her — she had great facts about all the locations we visited. 10/10 Read more
This is more of an experience than a tour. Four major conductors in the UGRR, dress in character and walk you through the city’s major locations, where, in the 1840s and 50s, was a hotbed of abolitionist sentiment and where thousands of fugitive slaves were spirited in secret to various “stops,” then onto awaiting boats to take them to freedom—less than a mile away in Windsor, Ontario. I’m a native Detroiter and this was my second time on the tour; it was that good! Read more
Entered and shot the interior of buildings we would have never found on our own. Well worth the money and time. Photographers’s heaven! Read more
Our Story
About City Tour Detroit
Founder Karin Risko started the company to showcase her love for Detroit. She’s been leading tours for over a decade, but officially launched City Tour Detroit in 2016 to meet the increased demand for her tours. Karin, and her talented team of tour guides who love the city as much as she does, are here to help you make the most of your time in the D!
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You may have heard about Jack White’s most recent album, Fear the Dawn, but did you know that he will be releasing his follow-up album, "Entering Heaven Alive", in July?
#Detroithistory #racecars The Ford 999 was a huge part of Henry Ford’s success. The car being made of a wooden frame that went 90mph, he was afraid to drive it. He enlisted the help of his friend Barney Oldsfield, who had never driven a car before, but was an experienced bicycle racer. The money that Ford made from races with the 999 allowed him to kickstart the Ford Motor Company. And the rest is history...
Photo courtesy of The Detroit Public Library's Burton Historical Collection
#MondayMemories #HullsTrace
A short drive down West Jefferson to a few hundred yards shy of the Monroe County line might get you a glimpse of a remnant of a corduroy road built over 200 years ago. This isn't just any old 200 year old road. It's Hull's Trace*- the very first federally-funded military road project- built at the onset of the War of 1812 to hurry troops, supplies, and armaments to the Fort at Detroit. Both "road" and "built" are used generously here. It was really a rough trail slashed through the woods, made wide enough for the passage of wagons and columns of troops. The "corduroy" sections are merely logs laid side by side to add a more solid top layer over swampy areas. In 2010 this location gained recognition as a National Historic site and became a unit of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park. The pictures showing the submerged logs were taken Sunday March 3, 2019. Other views showing the exposed road during lower water levels are courtesy of the National Park Service and Google Earth.*FYI , General Hull would surrender Detroit to the British in August 1812. Shout out to local historian Rusty Davis who has played a major role in getting this historic site documented: "It was the first federally funded road linking Ohio and Michigan Territory because Hull's army had to build the road across Ohio as they marched north. It connected to the 1809 surveyed road at the Rapids of the Maumee. Then continued into Michigan to Detroit."
Electric cars are not a new invention. In fact, there was a time when electric cars were seen as a more reliable mode of transportation that would soon replace gas powered cars. In 1911, the Detroit Electric hit the streets as a popular alternative to Ford's Model T. They could get up to 20 mph and lasted for 80 miles on a full battery. The Detroit Electric was especially popular with doctors and people who didn't have time to crank the engine before driving. Thomas Edison and Clara Ford both owned one of these vehicles.
Photo courtesy of Detroit Public Library's Burton Historical Collection