The 10 best bus tours in NYC

First time exploring the wonderful city that is New York? This comprehensive, fully narrated tour allows you to customize your itinerary to just how you want it, boarding and leaving whenever it’s convenient for you. Vouchers can be redeemed in Times Square, where the tour begins. Choose from two circuits: the 90-minute Downtown Loop, which visits neighborhoods such as Little Italy and Chinatown and attractions like the Stock Exchange and the World Trade Center; and the 75-minute Uptown Loop, which includes classic New York spots like Lincoln Center, Rockefeller Center and the Apollo Theatre. Think of it as a handy little passport to discovering all the best of this fascinating city. 

Double-decker bus tour not your thing? Amp up your usual sightseeing excursion with this dynamic part-show, part-city tour. Yes, it’s as wild and wonderful as it sounds. The multi-million-dollar bus (yep, you heard that right) offers outward-facing stadium seating with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Billed as a “traveling theater,” the uniquely designed bus allows riders to take photos of top attractions (the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal) and interact with street performers during the 75-minute ride. It's a blast.

If New York is the city that never sleeps (which it totally is, btw), it makes sense to experience it in all its nighttime glory. This after-hours tour starts in midtown Manhattan, then drives past iconic and illuminated landmarks like the Empire State Building, Times Square and Chinatown, with expert commentary on the city’s history and celebrity residents along the way. There will also be time to stretch your legs during the four-hour excursion, with guided walks in High Line Park and Grand Central Station. And trust us, all those glittering, gleaming views of Manhattan at night are just as glorious as billed. 

Has there been a better unofficial NYC spokesperson than Carrie Bradshaw herself? This bus tour pays homage to the New York-loving sex columnist by spotlighting all of the hotspots from the original stint of the hit HBO show. (Alas, locations from the And Just Like That reboot aren’t featured, so no Che Diaz sightings here!) Board the bus and get reacquainted with some of your favorite Sex and the City settings, like Steve and Aidan's bar Scout—where you can stop to sip a Cosmo, of course—the Pleasure Chest, where Charlotte bought her 'Rabbit' vibrator, and Carrie’s iconic stoop. Jimmy Choos optional!

Manhattan may get a lot of the glory, but this comprehensive tour (it lasts for four-and-a-half hours) takes you through three equally deserving boroughs that made New York, well, New York. (Sorry, Staten Island!) Board in midtown and drive north through the Upper East Side to Spanish Harlem and the Bronx. Check out Yankee Stadium and the Italian enclave on Arthur Avenue before crossing into Queens. You’ll drive through Astoria and Long Island City before entering Brooklyn, where you’ll explore trendy ‘hoods including Greenpoint and Williamsburg. There’s just enough time left to drive over the iconic Brooklyn Bridge for one last look at the New York City skyline. Lush.

Like Reuben sandwiches, eggs Benedict and Martin Scorsese, hip-hop was born right here in New York City. Discover the origins of the groundbreaking musical genre on this bus tour of Manhattan, Harlem and the Boogie Down Bronx. Led by a grandmaster—no, not Flash, but similarly legendary emcees like Kurtis Blow, Johnny Famous, Roxanne Shante and Reggie Reg—the excursion starts at the location of the first hip-hop party in Manhattan before heading uptown to iconic spots like the Apollo Theater, the Graffiti Hall of Fame and Yankee Stadium. You’ll get to watch a real b-boy and b-girl dance session, snap photos in front of famous murals dedicated to Big L and Kool Herc, and even learn how to freestyle!

From Spider-Man to Batman to Jessica Jones, New York City has played home to many a superhero. On this sightseeing tour, you’ll see around 40 locations featured in your favorite super-powered TV shows and movies, from the setting of the Battle of New York in The Avengers to The Daily Planet building from the Superman franchise to the exact spot where Danny Rand flips over a cab in Iron Fist. This is one fascinating exploration that will make superhero fans and comic-book buffs very happy indeed.

Explore the culture of Harlem, one of the meccas of Black-American identity, on this guided tour. The tour visits both iconic and lesser-known attractions, such as Columbia University, the Cotton Club and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. After visiting the Apollo Theater, where Michael Jackson once performed, and the famous stretch of 125th Street, where Duke Ellington lived, guests will be welcomed by a local congregation to participate in a Gospel mass. 

“Spotted at Grand Central, bags in hand” is the opening line of the New York-centric hit show Gossip Girl. And this is a big “XOXO” to the city and its super-elite, showcasing a number of memorable locations from the hit teen drama. Follow in the footsteps of Blair Waldorf, Serena van der Woodsen and the rest of the Constance Billard crew and explore many of the show’s glamorous locations on this three-hour bus tour, including The Empire Hotel (where Chuck Bass lived and worked), the Vera Wang boutique where Blair tried on her wedding gown and, of course, those iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where you can take a photo op.

First thing’s first: yes, we know that The Sopranos largely takes place in New Jersey. But just like Jersey residents proudly tout “NJ/NYC” in their Instagram bios, we’re going to lovingly co-opt the crime drama as our own. Starting in midtown Manhattan and crossing over into the Garden State, this Jersey-set tour will feature key locations from the Mafia-inspired HBO series, including the diner where Chris was shot, the spot where Big Pussy spoke with the FBI and the booth in Tony’s restaurant where the final episode was filmed. You’ll also catch a glimpse of Satin Dolls (the Bada Bing bar).