The best NYC tours and walks

Perfect for the directionally challenged traveler, Big Bus Tours double-decker bus will take you to 30 landmarks all over New York City. Your live tour guide will point out attractions and things to do along the route so you can hop off the bus whenever you see something interesting. Four easy-to-follow routes—downtown, uptown, midtown and Brooklyn—allow you to customize your sightseeing itinerary however you’d like. It’s the easiest way to get from Wall Street’s Charging Bull statue to the green meadows of Central Park—without ever bothering to figure out the subway system. $44.10

You’ll cover much more of Central Park’s 843 acres of meadows, woods and ponds on a bike than you ever could on foot. Meet up with the guide from Central Park Tours Inc. to pick out your wheels for the day, then set off from the south end of the park. You’ll spy iconic landmarks like Bethesda Terrace, Sheep Meadow and Belvedere Castle, plus a few lesser-known gems. And since the tour is always capped at just eight people, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions along the way. $53

For a grand view of the New York skyline, you can’t beat the top deck of a Circle Line cruise. The boat sets sail down the Hudson River to get up close and personal with the Statue of Liberty before rounding Battery Park and heading for the Brooklyn Bridge. It goes without saying that you’ll want to bring your camera along for the ride. $37

Head down to the Financial District to pay your respects to the victims of the 9/11 attacks at the site where the World Trade Center once stood. This guided tour from City Tales Sightseeing includes stops at the twin reflecting pools, Fireman’s Memorial, St. Paul’s Chapel and One World Observatory. $35

With one of the most spectacular views in the city, the Brooklyn Bridge is catnip to snap-happy tourists. Instead of catching the view through your camera lens, really soak up the scenery on a bike ride across the bridge. This Bike and Roll tour will take about three hours at a leisurely pace and there will still be plenty of time for photo opps. $55

A record-setting 7 million people visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art's three locations in 2017. Needless to say, it would be an understatement to call the galleries “crowded.” Sign up for this exclusive tour to visit the museum's Fifth Avenue location before it opens for the day. You'll have the freedom to stand in silence in front of the spectacular Temple of Dendur or take in El Greco’s masterful “View of Toledo” without having to jostle for a spot. Though this tour comes with a higher price tag, the behind-the-scenes look at the city’s most encyclopedic art museum is worth every penny. $175

Once an elevated railway, the High Line now serves as a public park, rotating art gallery and perennial tourist attraction. Take a two-hour walking tour hosted by New York Tour 1 to explore the length of this green space and get a feel for Chelsea and the Meatpacking District. Save time to shop in Chelsea Market afterwards! $35

Grand Central Terminal, Times Square, the Chrysler Building, the New York Public Library, Tudor City: All these architectural landmarks lie along 42nd Street. You’ll walk the storied thoroughfare with an expert on this three-hour tour of Midtown. Spot examples of Beaux Arts, Art Deco and International Style architecture and learn how each style ties into the city’s history. $86

Though it’s the epicenter of downtown cool, the area south of 14th Street doesn’t get nearly as much attention from tourists (besides Wall Street and the National September 11 Memorial, of course). Explore the Lower East Side, Financial District and Greenwich Village on this three-hour bike ride around the southern tip of Manhattan. $65

With more than 1.6 million square feet of exhibition space, the American Museum of Natural History seems almost too huge to navigate on your own. That’s where this Museum Hack tour comes in. In just two hours, you’ll see all the highlights, get a crash course in biology and even discover some of the museum’s secrets. $59