The 10 Best Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tours in New York City

1.Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour by Open-top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 5,863 reviews · 3 hours · from $44Our pick

Use Big Bus New York to get your bearings without driving or navigating subway transfers. Ride the Downtown and Uptown loops, listen to commentary in six languages, and hop off near the Empire State Building, Museum Mile, Battery Park, Wall Street, and the 9/11 Memorial. The app tracks buses in real time, while 48- and 72-hour tickets add digital walking tours.

“Good way to see the sights whilst having an audio commentary about what you are looking at”

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2.Big Bus NYC: Hop-On Hop-Off Sightseeing Tour by Open-top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 4,762 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $44

See Manhattan from an open-top double-decker bus, with Downtown and Uptown loops linking Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building, SoHo, Wall Street, and the World Trade Center. Choose 24, 48, or 72 hours, listen to recorded commentary, and hop off to explore. The 72-hour ticket adds Brooklyn tours and self-guided walks.

“Great way to see the city!! You could definitely use a second day to see everything at all the stops. Staff is great and buses come fairly quickly”

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3.New York City Sightseeing Bus Tour and Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 349 reviews · from $197Top rated

Spend six hours with a native New Yorker guide such as Bryant, Martin, or Frank, riding a small luxury bus through Manhattan and Brooklyn. Walk at Washington Square Park, Brooklyn Bridge, the 9/11 Memorial, and Grand Central, then take the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

“Highlight of the day World Trade Center. Bryant gave a somber and thorough explanation of where we were and what it means to New Yorkers.”

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4.Big Bus New York: Sightseeing Night Tour by Open-top Bus

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 277 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $67

Ride a two-hour open-top double-decker through New York after dark, leaving from M&M’S World on Broadway. A live English guide, with recorded commentary in six languages, points out Times Square, the skyline, bridges, and neighborhoods. Seats are first-come, first-served, so arrive early and dress for the wind.

“Shelly was an awesome tour guide! Very knowledgeable and she even hopped off of the bus to retrieve a dropped cell phone! The tour covered a lot of ground and great recommendations were given if you have time to do more independent exploring. We had a great time!”

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5.New York City: 24 or 48-hour Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.2 · 275 reviews · from $65

Use a 24 or 48-hour TopView pass to see Downtown, Uptown, and Harlem by open-top bus. Hop off near Times Square, Central Park, the Empire State Building, and Museum Mile, then continue when ready. Audio plays in 11 languages, with a 2-hour Central Park bike rental extension, Skyscraper Museum entry, and Butterbeer at the Harry Potter Store included.

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

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 163 reviews · 2 days · from $135

Use a 48-hour Big Bus pass on New York’s Downtown and Uptown routes, then fit in the Empire State Building and a ferry to Liberty and Ellis Islands. You choose the order, but reserve your Empire State time early and plan the ferry between 9 AM and 3 PM. Audio commentary, live bus tracking, and wheelchair access are included.

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7.NYC Bundle: Empire State, Big Bus Tour, & Circle Line Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 106 reviews · 2 days · from $99

See New York from three useful angles: the Empire State Building’s 86th-floor deck, a 48-hour Big Bus route through Midtown, Uptown, and Downtown, and a Circle Line cruise past the Statue of Liberty. You can choose a 60-minute Liberty Midtown Cruise or a 90-minute Landmarks Cruise, with separate days allowed for the tower and boat.

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8.New York City: Discover Pass with Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 35 reviews · 1 - 5 days · from $69

Use one pass for New York’s Uptown and Downtown buses, a Statue of Liberty cruise, skyline night tour, Central Park bike rental, Brooklyn bus tour, two museums, and a Butterbeer at the Harry Potter Store. The pass lasts 1 to 5 days, but several extras are single-use, so plan carefully.

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9.New York City Night Views – A panoramic hop-on-hop-off tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 8 reviews · 4 hours · from $45

Spend four hours seeing New York after dark from a small air-conditioned vehicle. With an English or Spanish-speaking guide, you’ll stop at Liberty State Park, the Empty Sky Memorial, Carlo’s Bakery, the Frank Sinatra Statue, and Hamilton Park, with views of the Statue of Liberty, One World Trade Center, and Empire State Building.

“It was an interesting and informative tour. Our guide was friendly and took the best photos for us.”

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10.Madame Tussauds and Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 5 reviews · 1 day · from $99

Spend a day pairing five floors of Madame Tussauds, Marvel Super Heroes 4D, and Broadway and fashion scenes with a 24-hour Big Bus Downtown Loop. Ride an open-top double-decker past Times Square, Wall Street, the 9/11 Memorial, Brooklyn Bridge, and more, hopping off at 13 stops with app-based tracking.

“Great chance to get all around the city without paying multiple Ubers. We got off at several locations and then hopped the next bus. I have always heard about Madame Tussaud's, but this was my first visit. Great experience and more to see than I expected. Overall, a good tour...one that you can tweak to your desires.”

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