New York City is known for being a cultural melting pot, rich in history and brimming with vitality and style. The best way to experience all of it by yourself is through bus tours. Bus tours let you enjoy the best parts of the city without having your nose buried in a guide book all day. You can also get down and explore places better when desired while also being able to give your tired feet a rest when finished roaming.
Given below is a list of bus tours in New York City that you should check out.
Big Bus New York Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
Costing $48 for adults for a one day ticket, this bus tour is ideal for tourists who are visiting New York for the first time. It provides a fully narrated and comprehensive tour of thirty popular New York attractions. Highly convenient, the hop-on, hop-off tour allows you to personalize your itinerary and board and leave according to your wishes. You can get tickets for this bus tour in Times Square.
The bus takes three routes that you can choose from—the uptown loop, the midtown loop, and the downtown loop. The first route includes the Lincoln Theatre, Rockefeller Center, and the Apollo Theatre. Next, the midtown loop covers Madison Square Gardens, The United Nations Headquarters, and the Empire State Building. Lastly, the downtown loop visits Chinatown, Little Italy, and the World Trade Center.
Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens Coach Tour
This extensive bus tour takes you through the four boroughs of New York City, including Manhattan, where you have to board from. The tour costs $64 and begins from the Grand Central Station, drives through the Upper East Side followed by the Bronx and the Spanish Harlem. You will get to check out the Yankee stadium and Arthur avenue before you cross into Queens. The tour also covers Long Island City, Astoria, and Brooklyn. Finally, it heads down to Williamsburg and Greenpoint, where you will stop for a quick bite, before completing the tour with a view from the Brooklyn bridge.
Gossip Girl Sites Tour
The show Gossip Girl was inspired by the rich and elite families of New York City. Now you can have a sneak peek into their lives with this bus tour. Lasting for about three hours, this tour takes visitors through the hotels owned by the Van der Woodsen family in the show, the popular shopping spot Henri Bedel, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. As far as bus tours go, this one is pure fun, especially for die-hard fans of the show. The tour costs $56.
Scott’s Pizza Tour
Bus tours and pizza—not a bad combination, huh? Scott’s Pizza Tour offers a charming food-based bus tour every Sunday. The tour takes place in a bright yellow school bus, and journeys through the outer boroughs of New York. With overwhelmingly positive reviews, this tour helps you learn a bit about making pizza, and of course, eating it too.
New York City Guided Sightseeing Tour
Short on time? This bus tour is the way to go. Both the six-hour and the eight-hour tour cover most of Manhattan, including famous spots such as Museum Mile, Battery Park, Central Park, Times Square, and Greenwich Village. The bus tour also lets you go on a guided walk to Wall Street, South Sea Seaport, and other historic sites. If you opt for the eight-hour tour, you get to go on a sightseeing cruise. The cruise visits the majestic Statue of Liberty and gives you a birds-eye view of Manhattan from the Top of the Rock.
New York Hip Hop Tour
If you are more musically-inclined, the New York Hip Hop Tour is the one for you. Costing $74.99, this bus tour is worth the price. Presided over by a Grandmaster, the tour begins at a hip-hop party in Manhattan and heads uptown to sites like the Rucker Park, the Graffiti Hall of Fame, and the Apollo Theater. The tour also includes a lesson on freestyle hip-hop!
The Ride New York City
Want to do something different from regular bus tours? Take a journey on The Ride New York City. Part broadway show and part city tour, this bus tour is touted as a “traveling theater.” The 75-minute long excursion takes place on a uniquely-designed bus. The bus has floor-to-ceiling glass windows and stadium-style seats. While the tour allows you to experience brilliant showmanship and even interact with performers, it is limited to Times Square and its adjoining areas. So, if you prefer your bus tours to be informative and thorough, you might want to give this one a pass. The Ride New York City charges $69 per person.
New York Double Decker Night Tour
Rightfully dubbed as the city that never sleeps, New York is a sight worth witnessing in the night. This bus tour allows you to check out the city in its complete night-time glory for only $29. Starting on the west side of Manhattan, this double-decker bus tour moves on to Chinatown, the Empire State Building, and Times Square. The tour ends with a phenomenal view of the Manhattan skyline.
TCM Classic Film Tour of New York
New York has been the backdrop of so many classic movies. A horror tale like Rosemary’s Baby, a sweet rom-com like You’ve Got Mail, and the Marilyn Monroe classic Seven Year Itch have one thing in common—New York City. Now you get to visit all these filming locations, thanks to the Turner Classic Movies Film Tour. The tour costs $56 and will bring lasting memories to the cinephile in you.