Hop on Hop off Bus Tours in New York

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.

The best option

Bus Tours: 2-3 Day Passes

Choose between the two and three-day pass

Perfect if you want to enjoy the city while taking a break from intense walking and getting around New York while still taking in the sights of its streets and skyline. Includes a one-hour cruise.

Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes

From $ 45 at Hellotickets

This two or three day pass for the New York sightseeing bus allows you to visit the most famous sights of New York such as Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, etc., following the guided commentary on board. The bus is from the famous Big Bus company and has two floors with an open roof to take all the pictures you want from the best angles.

You can choose a Classic ticket for the Downtown and Uptown Manhattan tours or opt for a 2-day Premium pass with Brooklyn tour, Harlem tour, the panoramic night tour and a 1-hour Circle Line sightseeing cruise.

Another possibility is to choose the 3-day deluxe pass with all the tours included, the night tour and the one-hour Circle Line sightseeing cruise. You have several different routes and passes to choose from so you can explore New York freely using the bus as transportation, hopping on and off at more than 30 stops throughout the city.

This option also includes a 1-hour cruise on the Statue of Liberty Circle Line and nighttime sightseeing tour with a Premium or Deluxe pass.

Why I like this option: This is the cheapest and most complete option to enjoy the New York sightseeing bus. You can hop on and off as many times as you want during the tour and you can also enjoy a cruise on the Hudson.

Night Option

Bus Tour: 4-hour Night Tour

The lights of the city from the tour bus

If you like the idea of taking the tour bus tour at night to see the lights of the city lit up, this is the best option.

Duration: 4 hours

From $ 59 at Hellotickets

New York, the city that never sleeps. Twenty-four hours a day it is on the move and if when the sun rises it is vibrant and amazing, when it sets it is magical and fascinating. Watching it sparkle during a night tour bus excursion that starts at 5:30 PM is an absolutely wonderful experience. Even more so if you do it aboard a comfortable bus accompanied by a local guide who will tell you the other side of the city.

This tour also includes a guided walking tour of the city. During the tour, you will see the most relevant points of interest and the most iconic places in New York, such as Times Square and Broadway, Grand Central Terminal, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Fifth Avenue and the Brooklyn Bridge, among others.

Why I like this option: This is the most complete night tour if you want to enjoy a sightseeing bus ride when the sun goes down in the city that never sleeps.

Downtown - Red Route

The Red Route is two hours long and operates between 8AM and 5PM. This guided tour of downtown New York City can start at any of the 17 stops along this route. The tourist attractions linked by the Red Route are the main attractions you need to see in Manhattan:

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 10 stops. The tourist attractions that are part of the Blue Route are:

Brooklyn - Purple Trail

The Purple Route is 1 hour long and runs at 10 AM, 12 PM and 3 PM. This guided tour summarizes the best things to see and do in Brooklyn and can be started at any of the 4 stops that make up the route. Sightseeing attractions on the Purple Route are:

Harlem - Greenway

The Green Route operates at 10 AM, 12 PM 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 4 stops. The tourist attractions that are part of the Green Route are:

NYC by Night - Yellow Route

The Yellow Route is 1 hour long and operates from 6 PM to 8 PM. This night tour is non hop-on hop-off, that is, it does 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:

From 39 Euros in Hellotickets you can find a ticket that allows you to access the tourist bus of the city from any of its stops and get on and off as many times as you want. If you want to do the night tour, the price is a little higher, it will cost you around 50 Euros.

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 family. You can also bring your baby and he/she won't need a ticket.

If you are willing to board one of these double-decker buses, it is best to take into account the following recommendations 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 is 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 real hours, so you can use it until 15:00 the next day.

Take one of the full routes to take advantage of the sights

If you get a good seat 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 opportunity to take the full route: you can take photos, take the opportunity to rest and use the tour 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, the tour bus is a good way to find your way around the New York City map. Take the tour at the beginning of your stay there 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 sightseeing 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 City sightseeing cards you will have free access and it is worth taking advantage of it.

Use it as public transportation

Yes, you read that right. 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 on one of the tourist bus routes. Make the most of your trips and enjoy the scenery as you make your way from a museum to a skyscraper or to the next stop on your travel journey.

Another option offered by the City That Never Sleeps is to take the tourist bus at night. This will allow you to close the day in a relaxed way while resting after a long walk seeing the lights of the city. The New York night tour bus is also a good 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, 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.

If you're considering booking a sightseeing bus pass, you've realized that the size of New York City is often beyond the walking ability of travelers. If you want to dig a little deeper into all the areas and neighborhoods of the city, I've created this guide on 20 best New York City Neighborhoods so you can get your bearings and start organizing your itinerary.

And if you want to discover the most interesting points of the city with a guided tour, my favorites are the Contrasts Tour and the Upper and Lower Manhattan Tour. Here are the details of both tours: New York Contrasts Tour and Upper and Lower Manhattan Tour.