New York sightseeing bus: an ideal activity so you don't miss a thing
Before finding out what tours are on offer, famous companies and the prices charged for a New York sightseeing bus tour, it is important to know what the advantages of such a mode of transport are.
First of all, know that these tourist buses are more economic than a taxi trip and less tiring than a walking tour. These famous tourist buses allow you to admire New York with ease and tranquility. During your trip, you will not miss any iconic monument because the routes have been specially designed to pass through all the tourist places of the city. You will have the chance to admire the famous Empire State Building or to pass by famous places like Chinatown or Wall Street.
These tourist buses also offer different interesting routes and affordable prices. By the way, if you want to book your ticket online, click here.
As indicated before, many stops are organized during each trip and you can get on and / or off as many times as you want on the company buses.
To make your bus trip interesting and fun, a multilingual audioguide will accompany you throughout your journey.
Tourist bus: which option is the most interesting?
Depending on your desires, expectations and budget, different options are available to you. To help you choose the one suited to your expectations, I have listed the four formulas the most interesting.
Le New York City Freestyle Pass
Le New York City Freestyle Pass is the formula that I recommend you the most. In addition to being affordable in terms of price, this option is also a very good solution if you want to discover New York completely. liberté. The New York City Freestyle Pass has the power to combine comfort, flexibility and visits to symbolic places such as Times Square, Madison Square, Brooklyn Bridge or even Rockefeller Center. Tickets for this tourist bus are valid 72 consecutive hours and this option will allow you to discover 3, 5 or 7 emblematic sites. With this formula, you will have the chance to contemplate more than 40 places and to learn a lot of things about the different New York neighborhoods from your guide.
How does this New York City Freestyle Pass work?
Depending on your ticket (3, 5 or 7 attractions), all you have to do is choose the New York destinations you want to discover and explore these must-see places as you wish. With this pass, you can get back on the bus whenever you want and leave for the next destination (this bus runs every 20 to 30 minutes). In addition to these attractions, you can enjoy various bus tours :
- Downtown Tour : from Times Square to Central Park via the financial district and the tip of Manhattan.
- Uptown Tour : you will pass through Manhattan, then Central Park to reach Harlem. You will also pass through the Upper East Side and the Upper West Side.
- Bronx Tower : from Harlem to the Bronx.
- Night Tour : From Times Square, you will arrive in Manhattan to then cross the bridge in this neighborhood and take a little tour of Brooklyn. You will then go up through Chinatown and Greenwich Village. The Night Tour is an ideal tour to admire the twinkling lights of the Big Apple!
These tours last between 1 hour and 1 hour 30 minutes. You can choose the one you want!
How much does the New York City Freestyle Pass cost?
Depending on the number of attractions chosen, the price varies:
- 3 attractions: $ 139 for adults and $ 119 for children aged 3 to 11.
- 5 attractions: $ 159 for adults and $ 139 for children aged 3 to 11.
- 7 attractions: $ 169 for adults and $ 149 for children aged 3 to 11.
You can purchase your New York City Freestyle Pass tickets by clicking here.
The Big Bus
Le Big Bus constitutes the best quality price report if you want to use a tourist bus for 24 hours. This formula gives you the opportunity to make two bus trips over a period of 24 consecutive hours. During your Big Bus excursion, you will enjoy 30 stops spread across New York. During your trip, you can discover many monuments and must-see places such as Central Park or Times Square.
How to visit New York by Big Bus?
It is very simple. First, buy your voucher from the official Big Bus website by clicking here. Then you just need to present your voucher printed or directly on your mobile to a Big Bus staff member at each stop. You will be able to leave and continue your journey by bus. Throughout your journey, your guide will provide commentary on the visit and share with you some anecdotes and interesting facts about the famous New York buildings.
How much does a Big Bus ride cost?
For adults, the price is $ 53.10 and for children $ 44.10.
The All Around Town Tour 48h or 72h
If you dream of doing sightseeing tours in 48 hours ou 72 hours, then this formula is made for you! The All Around Town Tour 48h or 72h allows you to create your own hop-on hop-off route. During this bus ride, you can learn a lot of things past and present about the city and discover major New York neighborhoods like the Bronx, Brooklyn, Uptown and many more! Pre-recorded commentary translated into multiple languages is also available, and all come with sounds and music specific to the streets and neighborhoods you are visiting.
What are the tours offered by this company?
This excursion offers you five different circuits:
- En downtown where you can go through famous districts (Manhattan, SoHo…) and contemplate different buildings (Statue of Liberty, Flatiron Building…).
- Uptown where different stops await you. Among them, there is the one in Central Park, the Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center ...
- Brooklyn during which you can discover the botanical garden or the Brooklyn Museum.
- Circuit nocturne to enjoy the sparkling lights of 20 sites (Times Square, Little Italy…). This tour is not a hop-on hop-off tour.
- Hop-on hop-off cruises during which you can make a short stopover in front of the Statue of Liberty, pass under the Brooklyn Bridge ...
What are the prices ?
The rates applied for a 48-hour All Around Town Tour are $ 64 for adults and $ 54 for children. For 72 hours, prices are $ 74 for adults and $ 64 for children.
You can buy your tickets directly online, by clicking here.
The Super New York Package
Want to visit the Top of the Rock, the Empire State Building and reach the Statue of Liberty? This option is then made for you! With the Super New York Package, you will have the chance to see the most exciting sites of the Big Apple. This brings together the main New York attractions at a very attractive price. This option includes a pass of 72 hours. During your bus trip, various stops are organized, but not only!
What's in the Super New York Package?
After exploring every corner of New York City, set off for a junior cruise course with multiple stops. During this, do not hesitate to enjoy the view of the main buildings! This option will also allow you to go by ferry to visit the Statue of Liberty or the Immigration Museum located on Ellis Island. With this option, however, you will not be able to climb to the top of Miss LIberty's crown or access her pedestal. Once this tour is over, you can enjoy a magnificent view from the Empire State Building or the Top of the Rock.
What is the asking price?
If you want to take advantage of the Super New York Package, know that you will have to pay $ 119 for an adult and $ 85 for a child aged 3 to 11.
Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Bus: Another Way To See NYC
In New York, as in the vast majority of tourist cities, bus Hop-On Hop-Off invite you to discover the city and its main monuments and tourist sites. In New York, these buses are easily spotted: they are red or blue and have two floors (the second level being open-top). During your journey, various stops are planned. Besides, it's up to you to decide whether you want to go down or not. You can, for example, get off at Times Square, stroll around the neighborhood and get on the next bus to continue your journey.
An open-air guided tour
Your Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing bus tour will be rich in discoveries. Indeed, you will have the chance to pass in front of the essential buildings of New York while listening to a guide which will inform you about the different skyscrapers you see. This Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour is therefore ideal if you want to learn more about New York's history, its culture ... The guide will also draw your attention to the essential places of the city. If you are afraid of not hearing anything, rest assured! An audio system will be made available to you. You will be able to listen to the comments while admiring the beautiful view that surrounds you.
Note: Headphones will be available, but nothing prevents you from bringing your own.
What routes are available?
Hop-On Hop-Off sightseeing buses run every 20 minutes around and most companies offer 5 trips different :
- Uptown Loop (2h environ).
- Downtown Loop (approximately 2 hours).
- Night Loop (2h à 2h30).
- Brooklyn Loop (2h environ).
- Harlem and The Bronx Loop (not offered by the Big Bus company) (approximately 1 hour).
Which companies offer this type of tours?
The answer is very simple: all tourist bus companies offer tours of this type. Depending on your ticket, you will have the choice to do one or more tours.
Once again, I really recommend the Big Bus company, which I have already tested 3 times and which is extremely serious and inexpensive.
Where to buy tickets?
The pass for these buses can be valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours and must be purchased directly online. Your ticket will not be valid until you have exchanged your receipt for your ticket.
To book your ticket
Your ticket is valid for several consecutive hours. This means that if you have chosen a 48 hour ticket, then it will be valid for 48 consecutive hours from its date. activation.
What are the famous tourist bus companies?
In New York, there are different tourist bus companies. On the other hand, three turn out to be interesting. Here they are.
Note: depending on the company, the tours offered may be different.
Big Bus
Big Bus is a very famous company in New York (it's my favorite as I said;)). In addition to being installed in a nice bus, this company offers its customers a valid ticket 24 hours with which you can do the Uptown and Downtown circuits. 48h and 72h tickets (cruise included) are also offered by Big Bus.
Note: if you have planned to purchase the New York Pass, be aware that it includes a ticket that will allow you to do the Downtown, Uptown and Midtown circuits. Think about it! The New York Pass will also allow you to save some money on other New York attractions!
What are the circuits offered by Big Bus?
Big Bus offers you five circuits different :
- Uptown et Downtown Loop during which you can explore Manhattan and other New York neighborhoods such as Greenwich Village or Little Italy. The Empire State Building, Central Park or the Metropolitan Museum of Art can also be seen while listening to the guide's commentary. Several stops are planned (you can either get off or stay on the bus). These circuits last 2 hours.
- Midtown Loop : during 2h30, you will have the chance to contemplate Rockefeller Center, Grand Central, Circle Line Pier and many more.
- Brooklyn Loop is ideal for exploring this famous district and its main tourist sites. The trip lasts 1h30.
- Night visit : for 1h45, you will have the chance to admire the buildings and the city illuminated.
Gray line
The Gray Line company (red buses) offers valid tickets 24 p.m., 48 p.m. and 72 p.m. and five circuits different :
- Downtown Loop roaming Manhattan. You will pass the main monuments and make a few stops at the emblematic places of the Big Apple. This trip takes 2 hours.
- Uptown Loop which begins in Times Square and continues with a loop around Central Park. For 2 hours, you can admire the Natural History Museum or the Apollo Theater.
- Brooklyn Loop for a discovery of this district with 8 stops in total. This circuit lasts 1h30.
- Le Bronx Loop during which you will pass through Harlem to reach the Bronx. You can see Yankee Stadium. The journey lasts 1 hour.
- Night visit during which you will travel through Manhattan to reach Brooklyn. For 2h30, you will be amazed by the twinkling lights of the city and the buildings!
CitySights
Blue buses CitySights often pass by neighborhoods in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. The suggested routes are almost identical to those offered by the red buses: the Downtown Loop (2h30), the Uptown loop (2h), the Brooklyn Loop (1h30), the Bronx Loop (1h30) and the night tour (2h).
What are the formulas offered by the CitySights company?
CitySights offers 3 different options:
- Tourist bus and cruises : During 48 hours, you will make several circuits and take the hop-on hop-off ferry: you will stop at Dumbo, Pier 11 and the World Financial District.
- Shopping and sightseeing : for 96 hours, you will be able to do different circuits, but not only. A small tour by Woodbury Common Premium Outlet Center, the Top of the Rock or even a day by hop-on hop-off ferry is planned!
- Tourist bus, Statue of Liberty and Top of the Rock or Empire State Building : this formula will give you the opportunity to do all the circuits in 72 hours. You can also take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and access the Top of the Rock or the Empire State Building.
Other tourist bus companies
These three tourist bus companies are of course not the only ones. In New York, there are others, but the three mentioned above are, in my opinion, the most famous and interesting.
It only remains for me to wish you a good visit to New York. Don't forget to take your camera! Enjoy your discovery of the Big Apple!
