Certified guide
About Me
Rayn Riel is a licensed NYC tour guide and AICP-certified urban planner with experience in infrastructure planning, transportation operations, and real-world city systems. He leads tours that reveal the history, design, and behind-the-scenes workings of New York City’s transit and rail networks.
Rayn’s tours focus on how the NYC Subway, Penn Station and Moynihan Train Hall, and Grand Central Terminal were built and continue to operate. Visitors learn about original station details, tunnels, service patterns, and the planning decisions that shaped the system. His approach turns everyday routes into clear explanations of how the city moves and why it works the way it does.
He also leads an East River ferry tour that highlights infrastructure linking trash and wastewater systems with tunnels and bridges, showing how transportation and urban operations connect across the city.
As a native New Yorker and urban planner, Rayn brings context, clarity, and curiosity to every tour, helping both visitors and locals see New York from an informed perspective. He is a member of the Guides Association of New York City and is highly reviewed for informative and thoughtful tours.
