More than 50 million people visit New York City each year to take in the sights and enjoy everything the Big Apple has to offer but planning one of these trips can be really difficult because there is so much to see and do. That is why tours are so popular. On a tour, you can check a dozen or more of NYC’s most impressive sights off your itinerary in just a few hours. Bike and walking tours are available, but most visitors choose to see the sights through the windows of a tourist bus or from the deck of a luxury boat.

Private water tours are great because you won’t have to worry about NYC’s notorious traffic, and you and your party will have the boat all to yourselves. Prices start at just $475, and you can pick from daytime, sunset or nighttime cruises. If you want to explore NYC on a more modest budget, there are dozens of bus tour companies that would be happy to show you the sights. In this article, we will take a look at some of the best bus tours in NYC. We will let you know what they offer, what visitors have said about them and how much they cost. 

City Bus Tours in NYC

NYC’s most popular bus tours operate during the day and stay within Manhattan. Some tour buses venture out to Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx, but you might want to give these tours a miss unless there is something you really want to see or you don’t mind sitting in traffic on one of New York’s extremely busy bridges. On a city tour, you will get to see how huge and diverse NYC is. From the concrete and glass monoliths of the financial district to the small-town charm of Chinatown and Little Italy, these tours will give you the opportunity to see it all. 

Night Bus Tours in NYC

New York is known as the city that never sleeps, and you will find out why people say this if you take a night bus tour in the Big Apple. The bridges are far quieter at night, so you should consider a night bus tour in NYC that takes in Brooklyn or Queens. If you do, you will get to see the Manhattan skyline in all of its illuminated glory. Other NYC sights that really pop at night include Times Square, Broadway and the Rockefeller Center.

How Long Are NYC Bus Tours?

Some of the tours on this list will be over in under two hours, but others last for almost an entire day. You will get to see more on a longer tour, but you will also spend more time on a bus. That may not be a problem if you share the bus with friendly people, but it could be a nightmare if you find yourself in a loud or obnoxious group. There are also hop-on, hop-off tours with regular stops that allow you to enjoy the city at your own pace and change your traveling companions.

The Best NYC Bus Tours in 2023

After poring over websites, price lists and customer reviews, we have narrowed down the dozens of tour bus operators in NYC to a list of 15 that we think offer the best experiences and the most bang for the buck. Some of these tours stick to New York’s most popular visitor attractions, while others visit cultural landmarks or TV and movie filming locations. Here are our choices, in no particular order.

Big Bus Tours
723 7th Ave,
New York, NY 10019
No phone number is listed, but live chat is available.
Prices start at $60
Google reviewers give Big Bus Tours 3.7 stars

A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours
2036 61st Street,
Brooklyn, NY 11204
(212) 913-9917
The price is $95
Google reviewers give a Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours 4.8 stars

On Location Tours
435 E 85th St,
New York, NY 10028
(212) 683-2027
Prices start at $36
Google reviewers give On Location Tours 4.6 stars

Hush Hip Hop Tours
1220 Fifth Avenue,
New York, NY 10029
(212) 714-3527
Prices start at $79.99
Google reviewers give Hush Hip Hop Tours 4.8 stars

The RIDE
259 W 42nd St,
New York, NY 10036
(212) 221-0853
The price is $79
Google reviewers give The RIDE 4.2 stars

TopView NYC
2 E 42nd St,
New York, NY 10017
(212) 664-0300
Prices start at $39
Google reviewers give Big Bus Tours 4.3 stars

Scott’s Pizza Tours
32 Spring St,
New York, NY 10012
(347) 868-7701
The price is $79
Google reviewers give Scott’s Pizza Tours 5 stars

Harlem Spirituals
690 8th Ave #2,
New York, NY 10036
(212) 391-0900
Prices start at $80.
Google reviewers give Harlem Spirituals 3.9 stars

USA Guided Tours
770 7th Ave,
New York, NY 10019
(917) 708-2155
Price start at $59
Google reviewers give USA Guided Tours 4.6 stars

The Tour
216-200 W 45th St,
New York, NY 10036
(212) 221 0853
Prices start at $79
Google reviewers give The Tour 3.6 stars

City Sightseeing
455 12th Ave,
New York, NY 10018
(212) 445-7599
Prices start at $39
Google reviewers give City Sightseeing 3.8 stars

City Sights
150 West 46th Street,
New York, NY 10036
(212) 445-7599
Prices start at $45
Google reviewers give City Sights 3.7 stars

Open Tours
22 E 38th St,
New York, NY 10016
(212) 222-9433
Prices start at $79
Google reviewers give Open Tours 4 stars

Golden Bus Tours
909 Silber RD # 59,
Houston, TX 77024
(917)-725-2038
The price is $148
Google reviewers give Golden Bus Tours 3.9 stars

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority
2 Broadway,
New York, NY 10004
(212) 878-7000
The price is $2.50
Google reviewers give the MTA 2.3 stars

What Is the Best Way to Tour New York City?

Tour bus companies in NYC offer so many options because not all of the city’s visitors are looking for the same experience. If you are traveling with a family and want to keep things simple, a guided tour that hits all of the major attractions but does not make stops would probably suit your needs. If you are a little more adventurous and want to do some exploring on your own, a bus operator that offers hop-on, hop-off trips would likely be more appealing. However, no bus experience can provide the feeling that will come over you the first time you see New York from the water.

Avoid Traffic on a Boat

All of the tour bus companies we have mentioned operate buses on streets they share with millions of cars, trucks, cyclists and pedestrians, which means their passengers spend a lot of time stuck in traffic. If you want to enjoy the Big Apple in a less stressful environment, you should consider circling Manhattan or taking in the city lights from the deck of a New York Harbor Tours boat. Only private charters are available at the moment, but prices start at just $475. To find out more, you can call us at (718) 230-0136 or use our online form.