NY: Statue of Liberty, Empire State, and Hop-on Hop-off Tour

The Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, and Big Bus combination gives you three classic New York views in one package. You can ride above the traffic on two sightseeing routes, look down from the Empire State Building, then cross the harbor for close views of Lady Liberty and Ellis Island.

I like the 48-hour flexibility, since you can spread the attractions over separate days instead of trying to force all of Manhattan into one long outing. I also like the choice of transport, with open-top buses for city sights and a ferry for the harbor.

The weak spot is coordination. The Statue of Liberty ferry runs only from 9 AM to 3 PM, and the Empire State Building requires a reserved time. If you leave those arrangements until late, the package may lose much of its value.

Key points

• Two days on two bus routes: Use the Downtown and Uptown routes for 48 hours after your first activation.
• Empire State Building included: Reserve your entry time before boarding the bus.
• Liberty and Ellis Island ferry: Depart from Battery Park, Stop 9, between 9 AM and 3 PM.
• Monument entry is not included: The ferry takes you to the islands, but not inside the Statue of Liberty monument.
• Useful app tools: Track buses in real time, view route information, and activate your ticket digitally.
• Good value only with planning: The $135 price works best if you complete the bus tour, skyscraper visit, and ferry trip.

What the $135 package really gives you

At $135 per person, this is not a cheap bus ride with a couple of minor extras. It combines a 48-hour Big Bus ticket, Empire State Building entry, and a round-trip ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island if you choose that option.

The value depends on use. If you ride both bus routes, visit the Empire State Building, and take the harbor ferry, bundling the attractions can save 25 percent compared with buying the included elements at full retail prices. If you mainly use the bus and miss the ferry, the calculation changes quickly.

I would treat this as a sightseeing framework rather than a fully guided day tour. You are free to create your own schedule, but you are also responsible for making the schedule work. New York traffic, ferry queues, attraction time slots, and the short ferry operating window all matter.

The two-day validity helps. You can use one day for the bus and Empire State Building, then devote another morning to Liberty and Ellis Islands. That is much more sensible than racing between Midtown and Lower Manhattan in a single day.

Starting with the Big Bus routes

You can activate the ticket through the Big Bus app by adding your booking reference, opening the ticket, and pressing Activate on the day you begin. You can also redeem the voucher with Big Bus staff at the recommended location outside M&M’s World at 7th Avenue and West 48th Street, or with a driver at any designated stop.

The app is worth using. It provides route information and live bus tracking, which is useful when you are standing at a stop and wondering if the next bus is close or stuck in Midtown traffic.

The sightseeing ticket covers the Downtown and Uptown Routes. That gives you a broad introduction to Manhattan, from the commercial core and harbor edge to famous Midtown sights and the northern part of the island.

The open-top seating is the main attraction. From the upper deck, you get a better view of bridges, towers, streets, and signs than you would from a regular city bus. The tradeoff is exposure to weather, noise, and traffic.

The digital commentary is available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian, with souvenir earbuds supplied. The driver speaks English. One practical warning: recorded audio is only useful when you can hear it, so keep the volume and earbud connection in mind before the bus gets noisy.

Downtown Route: bridges, Times Square, and Lower Manhattan

The Downtown Route is the natural fit for the Statue of Liberty portion and several of New York’s best-known sights. You can hop off near the Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, the Empire State Building, and Battery Park.

The Brooklyn Bridge stop gives you access to one of the city’s most recognizable crossings. Even if you do not walk the entire bridge, getting off here lets you see the structure from street level and take a break from the bus.

Times Square is a different kind of stop. It is bright, crowded, loud, and hard to ignore. The bus makes it easy to reach, but you will want to leave extra time if you plan to walk around, take photographs, or visit nearby shops.

The Empire State Building is also available as a hop-off point. That is convenient, but convenience should not be confused with instant entry. You need to pre-book a date and time through the Big Bus booking link on your voucher or with staff at a departure location before boarding.

The Downtown Route is useful for orientation, but do not mistake it for fast transportation. New York traffic can slow the buses, and waiting at stops can add up. Use it when you want to see the city from above street level, not when you need to cross Manhattan quickly.

Uptown Route: a broader view of Manhattan

The Uptown Route lets you build a second half of the sightseeing day around northern Manhattan. The supplied information does not list every stop or travel time, so check the current route in the app before setting a tight schedule.

This route makes the 48-hour ticket more useful than a single loop. You can use one day to cover the best-known Downtown sights, then return for Uptown without paying for another sightseeing ride.

I would use the Uptown Route as a flexible viewing ride rather than trying to hop off at every stop. Pick the places that matter most to you, then leave room for walking. If you spend the entire day stepping on and off buses, you may see many stops but feel little connection to the city.

Crowding is another consideration. The buses can fill up, especially during busy periods, and you may need to wait for the next one. That is inconvenient if you have an Empire State Building reservation or a ferry departure to catch.

Reaching the Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is the most straightforward attraction in the package once your time is reserved. You get entry to the landmark and panoramic views across Manhattan from above.

The view is the point. From the tower, you can identify the city’s dense blocks, major bridges, and distant landmarks in a way that is difficult from street level. It is also a strong place for photographs, provided weather and visibility cooperate.

The important step is booking your time before you board. The package information specifically requires guests to pre-book a date and time through the Big Bus Booking Management link or with staff at a departure location.

Do not leave this until the end of your day. A bus delayed by traffic can make a fixed attraction appointment awkward, so build in a generous cushion. A reservation gives structure to your day, but it also means you lose some of the pass’s free-form quality.

The Empire State Building entry is included, but the attraction is not a guided visit with a named personal guide. You are visiting independently, supported by the building’s own experience and the bus company’s booking system.

Taking the ferry to Liberty and Ellis Islands

The ferry leaves from Battery Park, identified as Stop 9 on the Big Bus route. It operates from 9 AM to 3 PM, so this is the part of the package that needs the earliest planning.

The round trip takes you to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. You get close views of the Statue of Liberty, time on the island grounds, and views back toward the Manhattan skyline.

The ferry gives you a different angle on New York. From the water, the tall buildings become a single wall of the city, while the Statue of Liberty has room around it instead of being boxed in by streets and buildings.

The ticket does not include entry to the Statue of Liberty monument. You can visit the island and see the statue up close, but access inside the monument is a separate matter and should not be assumed.

Ellis Island is included in the ferry itinerary, but you need to manage your energy and time. The island visit can become a long outing when combined with queues, ferry departures, and walking. If your main goal is Lady Liberty, you may prefer to spend more time there and keep Ellis Island shorter.

The return journey can also take patience. Ferry queues may be long, and one account describes waiting about an hour for the return boat. That makes the ferry a poor choice for a tightly packed afternoon schedule.

The biggest planning trap

The package lets you choose the order of the attractions, which is useful only if you plan around the fixed parts first.

I would start by securing the Empire State Building time. Then look at the ferry operating window and place Battery Park on a morning or early afternoon when you have plenty of room for queues.

Only after those two items are fixed would I build the hop-on hop-off schedule. The bus is the flexible element. The attractions are not.

A workable two-day plan could look like this:

• Day one: Activate the pass, ride part of the Downtown Route, visit the Empire State Building at your reserved time, and continue with Times Square or the Brooklyn Bridge area.
• Day two: Go to Battery Park early, take the ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, then use the remaining bus hours for the Downtown or Uptown Route.

You can reverse the days, but do not count on completing the ferry late in the afternoon. The 3 PM operating cutoff is the detail most likely to catch an unprepared visitor.

How the bus compares with walking

The bus gives you a quick visual introduction to New York, but it cannot match walking for every neighborhood. Traffic slows the ride, the upper deck can be noisy, and buses may pause several minutes at stops.

One piece of feedback described buses as crowded, with some people unable to board the first bus. It also found the audio difficult to hear and the bus journeys slower than expected. Those are fair concerns, especially if you expect the pass to function like a private car.

Walking can be more enjoyable around compact areas such as Times Square, the Empire State Building district, Battery Park, and the Brooklyn Bridge area. The bus helps connect those areas, but I would not use it for every short trip.

The best approach is to combine both. Ride for orientation and longer stretches, then get off and explore on foot. The package includes a bike rental discount, with one free hour when you rent one hour, which adds another option for seeing the city at your own pace.

Comfort, access, and practical details

The buses are wheelchair accessible. That makes the pass useful for visitors who need step-free sightseeing options, though specific boarding conditions can still vary by stop and bus.

You receive digital commentary in five languages, English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. The driver commentary is in English, and the app supplies route information and bus tracking.

No individual guide names are provided for this experience. This is a self-directed sightseeing product, not a small-group tour led by one guide from start to finish.

The ticket is valid for 48 hours from first activation, not simply for two calendar days from purchase. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and reserve now while paying later, which helps if your New York plans are still shifting.

The voucher must be redeemed with Big Bus staff before boarding the bus and cruise. That extra step is easy to miss, so do it early rather than arriving at the ferry with an inactive voucher.

Who should book this experience

I would recommend it to a first-time New York visitor who wants the major sights organized in one purchase and is willing to plan around fixed times. Families and short-stay visitors may also appreciate having a bus route, skyline viewpoint, and harbor outing covered together.

It suits you less if you prefer slow neighborhood walks, dislike scheduled attractions, or want a quiet ride. The bus can be crowded, traffic can be frustrating, and the recorded commentary may not always be easy to hear.

The package is strongest when you use all three parts: both bus routes, the Empire State Building, and the ferry. It is weakest when you buy it for the Statue of Liberty but fail to secure a workable ferry time.

Should you book the Statue of Liberty, Empire State, and Hop-on Hop-off Tour?

Book it if you want a broad first look at New York and will handle the reservations before your sightseeing begins. The 48-hour pass, Empire State Building entry, and harbor ferry can be good value at $135 when you use them fully.

Skip it if your schedule is tight or your priority is entering the Statue of Liberty monument, since monument entry is not included. For the best experience, activate early, reserve the Empire State Building, reach Battery Park well before the ferry cutoff, and use the bus as a sightseeing ride rather than a fast taxi.

FAQ

How long is the hop-on hop-off ticket valid?

The ticket is valid for 48 hours from the time you first activate it. It can be used during operating hours on the Downtown and Uptown Routes.

Can I use the attractions on separate days?

Yes. The tours and attractions may be taken on separate days, which makes it easier to use the two-day bus validity.

Where does the Statue of Liberty ferry leave from?

The ferry leaves from Battery Park, listed as Big Bus Stop 9. Its stated operating hours for this package are 9 AM to 3 PM.

Is entry inside the Statue of Liberty included?

No. The package includes the ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island if that option is selected, but entry to the Statue of Liberty monument is not included.

Do I need to reserve a time for the Empire State Building?

Yes. You must pre-book an Empire State Building date and time through the Big Bus booking link on your voucher or with staff at a departure location.

How do I activate the Big Bus ticket?

You can add your booking reference in the Big Bus app and press Activate on the day of travel. You can also redeem the voucher with Big Bus staff at 7th Avenue and West 48th Street outside M&M’s World, or with a driver at a route stop.

What languages are available for the audio guide?

The digital audio guide is available in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian. The driver speaks English.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible.