More about: New York Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
Visiting New York by tour bus is a very practical idea, as it allows you to get to know the most important areas of the city in a quick way while you travel comfortably seated.
It is a great option to visit the Big Apple in a short time or even to move between the main attractions to see in New York without having to depend on public transportation schedules. I tell you everything you need to know to enjoy it to the fullest.
New York Big Bus Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour
Select between the two-day and three-day pass
Perfect if you want to enjoy the city, while resting from the intense walks, and move around New York while contemplating the views of its streets and skyline.
This two or three-day pass for the New York sightseeing bus will allow you to know, following the guided commentary on board, the most famous sights of New York as Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center, etc.. The sightseeing bus usually has two floors with an open roof to take all the pictures you want from the best angles.
You can choose a 1-day Discover ticket for the Downtown Manhattan tour or opt for a premium 1-day Essential pass with Downtown Route (red route) and Uptown Route (blue route) and a bike rental offer.
Alternatively, you can choose the Explore 2-day pass with Downtown Route (red route) and Uptown Route (blue route) and a bike rental offer.
Why I like this option: it is the most economical and complete way to enjoy the New York sightseeing bus. You can get on and off as many times as you want during the tour and you also have the chance to enjoy a bike ride.
Manhattan Night Bus Tour
Get to know New York illuminated
With this tour in the night tour bus you will comfortably discover the iconic places and main points of interest of Manhattan at the best time to contemplate the skyline. It is a unique experience that will dazzle you.
With this night tour of Manhattan by bus you will know, comfortably and at sunset, the emblematic sites of the Big Apple as the Statue of Liberty, the One World Trade Center, the financial district of Jersey City, Ellis Island, the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building, among other destinations.
You will have the opportunity to get off at some stops to see more details of the place or take pictures. You will also get to try one of the famous cakes at Carlo's Bakery.
Why I like this option: You will enjoy unbeatable views of illuminated Manhattan that will amaze you. A unique and comfortable experience to end the day.
Other New York City sightseeing bus options
The sightseeing bus fits all tastes and, in addition to the day and night tour, there are other options available such as themed tours of specific areas such as Brooklyn, Bronx or Queens; the top experiences in which you can opt for a luxury bus, or even the combination of experiences, ie, you can combine the tour with a cruise. Here are the most popular proposals:
- Tour of New York with cruise and bus tour, from $104
- Night tour of New York by luxury bus, from $96.
- New York sightseeing bus with cruise to the Statue of Liberty, from $100.
- New York contrasts tour by bus, from $68.
New York sightseeing bus routes
Downtown - Red Route
The Red Route is two hours long and operates between 8 am and 5 pm. This guided tour of downtown New York City can start at any of the stops on this route. The tourist attractions linked by the Red Route are the main attractions you have to see in Manhattan:
- Broadway.
- Wall Street.
- Statue of Liberty.
- Ellis Island.
- Little Italy.
- Chinatown.
- Soho.
Uptown - Blue Route
The Blue Route operates between 9 am and 5 pm. This guided tour of Uptown New York City lasts 2 hours and can be started at any of its stops. The tourist attractions that are part of the Blue Route are:
- Madison Square Garden.
- Fifth Avenue.
- Times Square.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
- MoMA, Museum of Modern Art of NY.
- Central Park.
Brooklyn - Purple Trail
The Purple Route is 1 hour long and runs at 10am, 12pm and 3pm. This guided tour summarizes the best things to see and do in Brooklyn, you can start at any of the 4 stops that make up the route. Sightseeing attractions on the Purple Route are:
- Grand Army Plaza.
- Barclays Center, the Brooklyn Nets Stadium.
Harlem - Green Route
The Green Route operates at 10 am, 12 noon and 3 pm. This guided tour of the best things to see and do in Harlem lasts 1 hour and can be started at any of its stops. The tourist attractions that are part of the Green Route are:
- Apollo Theater.
- Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine.
NYC by Night - Yellow Route
The Yellow Route is 1 hour long and operates from 6pm to 8pm. This night tour is non hop-on hop-off, meaning you do not have the option to get off and get back on at any part of the tour. It has one stop and the tourist attractions that can be seen on the Yellow Route are:
- Times Square.
- Statue of Liberty.
- Wall Street.
- Brooklyn Bridge.
- Empire State Building.
- Manhattan Bridge.
How much does a New York City sightseeing bus ticket cost?
In Hellotickets you can book a ticket for the New York City sightseeing bus, from $57 and you can get on and off at any of its stops as many times as you want. If you want to book a night tour of Manhattan by bus, it will cost $61, a higher price.
Children under 12 years old have access to a reduced price and only pay 35 Euros, so it is a good option if you are traveling to New York with small children or as a family. You can also bring your baby and he/she won't need a ticket.
Tips for using the New York City Sightseeing Bus
If you are ready to book your sightseeing bus pass, it is best to keep the following tips in mind to get the most out of the experience.
- Activate your ticket first thing in the morning: Tickets can be activated automatically from the first moment you board one of the buses, so it's best to do it first thing in the morning to make the most of the day. No time? Don't worry, if you have a busy morning you can always activate it after 15:00 and the ticket will last for 24 hours, so you can use it until 15:00 the next day.
- Do one of the full routes to take advantage of the views: If you get a good spot on the top floor of the bus (which is not always the case because there are usually more travelers wanting to take the same seats as you), take advantage of the full route: you can take photos, take a break and use the route as a good way to locate yourself in the city and then decide at which stops you want to get off.
- Do it at the beginning of your trip: If you are going to be in New York for several days and it is your first time in the city, it is a good way to orient yourself in the New York City map. Take the tour at the beginning of your stay to calculate distances, discover new neighborhoods and decide which stops and attractions you will visit during the rest of your travel agenda.
- Take advantage of the tourist card ticket: Many of New York's tourist cards include a free ticket to the sightseeing bus or a cruise on the Hudson River. Keep this in mind because if you purchase one of these New York tourist cards you will have free access and it is worth taking advantage of it.
- Use it as public transportation: The New York subway is very well connected and its frequency is enviable, but if you want to move between one attraction and another, most likely they are well connected in one of the routes of the tourist buses and you will make the most of the journeys enjoying the scenery while you get from a museum to a skyscraper or you get closer to the next stop on your itinerary.
Sightseeing bus at night
Another option offered by the city that never sleeps is to book the night tour bus, which will allow you to close the day in a relaxed way while resting after a long walk seeing the lights of New York.
The New York night tour bus is also a great option if you are traveling to New York in winter and want to protect yourself from the cold when the low temperatures are lurking.
It is also a great way to enjoy the Christmas lights if you are traveling to New York at Christmas time, undoubtedly the most magical time of the year. On those days when the crowds take over the streets, sitting relaxed on the tour bus cruising through the city at night will seem magnificent. You have several options:
- Manhattan night bus tour by bus, from 61.
- Night tour of New York by luxury bus, from 96.
- Night tour of New York by bus, from $61.
The complete package: sightseeing bus and cruise
If you want to enjoy the full experience you can book a guided walking tour, a sightseeing bus and a cruise, from 104, an experience of no more and no less than 6 hours in which you will appreciate the most iconic places of New York on foot, by bus and ferry.
And another option if you prefer something more free, is to book the New York sightseeing bus with cruise to the Statue of Liberty, from 100, as you can get on and off at any of the 30 stops along the route. The pass lasts one day and from the cruise to the Statue of Liberty you can admire the Manhattan skyline.
Other interesting activities in New York
If you're considering booking a sightseeing bus pass, you've realized that New York has a lot of things to do and things to see and it's often beyond the walking capacity of travelers. If you want to delve a little deeper into all the areas and neighborhoods of the city, I've created this guide about 5 Best New York City Neighborhoods so you can get oriented and start organizing your itinerary.
And if you want to discover the most interesting spots with a guided tour, my favorites are the Contrasts Tour and the Upper and Lower Manhattan Tour. Here are the details of both tours: Contrasts Tours in New York y Upper and Lower Manhattan Tours in New York. And I'll tell you that you won't regret it if you book the New York Contrasts Tour.