NYC Bus Tour: Empire State & More
3.4
85 Ratings

Experience the best of New York City with a Hop-on Hop-off Tour and access to the iconic Empire State Building. Explore famous sights, museums, and more!

Duration: 3 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

Explore Downtown (Red Route) (Route)

Operating Schedule: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (starting from Stop #1 - M&M’S World)
Buses arrive every 10 to 15 minutes, with the entire route taking 90 minutes.
Download the free Big Bus app or visit the website for route details, customer support, and real-time bus tracking.
1. M&M’S New York
Stop 1 - 7th…

see more
What's Included
  • Big Bus 48-hour Hop-on Hop-off Tour on Downtown & Uptown Loops
  • Digital commentary aboard hop-on hop-off tour
  • Wi-Fi on board
  • Entry to the Empire State Building
  • Statue of Liberty Ferry (if option selected)
  • Bike Offer: Rent 1 hour, Get 2 hours free
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
Additional Information

Discover the enchantment of New York City with an Open-Top Sightseeing Bus Tour, offering stunning views from the legendary Empire State Building, the skyscraper that epitomizes the Manhattan skyline. Enjoy unlimited rides across the city, with the freedom to hop on and off at your convenience to explore the premier attractions in Midtown, Downtown, and…

see more
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
3.4
(85 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Allison_c
Sep 29, 2025
Great experience - Great company! My mother left her wallet on the bus and BIG Bus Tours promptly mailed it back to her. We also very much enjoyed our tour.
Review provided by Viator
Thomas_d
Sep 21, 2025
good deal - A great way to see NYC. Was able to see many sites that I would not made with the bus. And it included the Empire State Building for a few extra dollars. A very good deal.
Review provided by Viator
Franciscoi401
Sep 7, 2025
Amazing Amazing - Amazing Experience This was such an unforgettable tour! I will definitely be booking future tours with this company. Highly recommended!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Penelope_k
Jul 2, 2025
Best money spent - We did the whole loop. Didn’t hop on/off. Interesting but not overwhelming info with the earbuds. Great sights. Set us up for where we then knew we would want to spend more time. Highly recommend. Including the Empire State made this a fantastic deal. Go early.
Review provided by Viator
F6405ndsarahh
Jul 9, 2025
Great way to see the city - Highly recommend you familiarize yourself with the app before you travel/buy tickets, on there you can use it to plan your visit in advance. They do advise last bus times on the app - I've seen some reviews regarding this issue. I do think considering this is a city that never sleeps that the buses could do with running late. I think its very early for a lot of the buses to stop. However saying that, it's a great app, gives live updates and includes a photo of the bus stop. We used the 2 day one and never had an issue with the bus. We enjoyed the commentary, it was helpful and included some interesting facts. Some bus stops are obviously busier than others so there are times its just easier to wait for the next bus than it is to cram onto the bus at the stop. They are frequent enough. The staff were very helpful at the bus stops. We went last week and it was ridiculously hot in New York so the bus was a welcome relief to walking. We didn't find we were stuck in traffic either.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
24lawrenceb
Oct 4, 2025
Not a great experience - Had a 48 Hour ticket & decided to do the red route first day & tried the blue on the next. Tried to find the stop at the Met, which tied up with the location on the app. Bus finally appeared & drove straight past. We were not the only people waiting. The information about stops is either wrong or so confusing you can’t rely on it. The buses are not frequent, so gave up & took a taxi.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Susan
Sep 6, 2025
Really Bad - We were really disappointed in this tour. We entered the bus, were given headphones to listen to the pre-recorded audio. They were super loud and crackled badly. The noise was terrible. We sat in traffic for most of the time. Would have been far better with a walking tour. Sadly we lasted 45 mins, this was our only disappointment in NY The cost was way too high for the level of service.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Joseph
Aug 14, 2025
Big bus New York is not worth money - The bus drivers were extremely rude and unhelpful. When asking what the next stop was coming, they would respond with grab a headphone and listen. The wait times for the bus were ok, but the lack of AC made the rides so uncomfortable. The headphones were so poor quality that hearing the audio was poor even with the volume at maximum. The last bus from statue of liberty kept breaking down at each traffic light. Traveling with a group of 9 with only 1 paper ticket was also hard and getting a second ticket was impossible. When I boarded I showed my ticket indicating that I had 8 others with me, but the driver didn't listen and then yells at my family where is your ticket. Waiting 20 minutes for a bus for a 5 minute ride to the next stop was not worth it but no one to ask how to get around. Changing the time chosen for empire state building tour was not possible. Customer service didn't respond or understand question.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katherinepn3124cn
Jun 28, 2025
Never go with them! - The guy sold us tickets at 3.30 and didn’t tell that the last bus is at 5pm! And at 5 pm the bus didn’t come!!! And we leave the city next day, so with just lost our money!!! Don’t buy their tickets!!! They are scammers!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephanie
Jun 11, 2025
Big Bus FAIL!!! - 1- Big Bus did not make it clear on website that DAY TIME bus tours end at 5pm and you have to make a SEPARATE booking for evening tours. 2- Big Bus allowed us to make a booking to Ellis Island for 2pm, and later in the day sent an email saying 2 or 3pm tours will not be enough time to see Ellis Island. 3- Big Bus rescheduled our Ellis Island Ferry for the next day, and when we showed the QR code at the ticket counter, it was INVALID and did not work. We had to buy new tickets for the ferry, $25 each.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Check Availability
From $100
From $100
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Select a date
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).
More activities from this operator
From $49
4.3
1,166 Ratings
DC Night Tour: Iconic Landmarks Illuminated
Washington
From $62
4.1
252 Ratings
NYC Night Tour: Iconic Landmarks by Bus
New York