NYC Big Bus Tour – Travelling Solo Part 4

There will come a time when it will be safe to travel again and I, for one, cannot wait. I’ve been meaning to update my blog with the details of my first solo trip to New York City. I’ve already talked about the hotel, Madame Tussauds, cheap eats, the Gossip Girl tour, Laduree macarons and riding the subway. But no city holiday is complete without a bus tour and only one will do – The NYC Big Bus Tour!

Sat atop a double decker tour bus was me at my happiest when in NYC. It is a fabulous way of seeing the city with minimal effort and it satisfied my need to always be moving around! I bought a Hop On Hop Off Big Bus Classic Tour 2-Day Special Offer ticket via my New York City Explorer Pass which gave me a lot of freedom and time to explore NYC. Walking is the best way to explore NYC but if you’re short on time then a NYC Big Bus Tour is a great way to see many of the city’s sights and landmarks as quickly as possible. Keep reading to see what I saw of the Downtown Red Route.

Times Square

NYC Big Bus Tour Routes and Sights

There are five routes to choose from on the NYC Big Bus Tour: Downtown Red, Uptown Blue, Brooklyn Purple, Harlem Green and NYC By Night Yellow. When I travelled to NYC I distinctly remember there being less routes, it looks like they have expanded over the last three years which is great! I chose the Downtown Red tour as it meant I would see the Empire State Building, Little Italy and Chinatown.  To help you choose which route to pick and the landmarks you will hit I will summarise:

• Downtown Red Route: The Empire State Building and Statue of Liberty
• Uptown Blue Route: Brooklyn Bridge, The Empire State Building, Guggenheim Museum and Statue of Liberty
• Brooklyn Purple Route: 9/11 Memorial Museum and One World Observatory
• Harlem Green Route: The American Museum of Natural History, Apollo Theater and Central Park
• NYC By Night Yellow Route: Times Square, Empire State Building

So depending on what sights take your fancy you have plenty of routes to choose from. Feast your eyes on the photos and videos below that I managed to capture while on the move.

Those famous fire escapes.

Lower East Side Love Beyond Borders Mural by Nicopanda

Chinatown, Lower Manhattan

Homer!

The Charging Bull is located in the Financial District in Manhattan and was created during the stock market crash.

NYC Big Bus Tour Ticket Types

There are four ticket types to choose from depending on your budget: Classic ($47.20), Premium ($55.20), Deluxe ($71.20) and Premium ($72.00) with entry to The Empire State Building. As I’d bought the New York City Explorer Pass  I had the option of adding the Classic tour for free. The Classic tour is a one day hop on hop off bus tour when bought through the official Big Bus website. By adding it as an attraction through my NYC Explorer Pass I was able to take advantage of the 2 day tour offer. Below is a summary of what you get per ticket via the official website.

• The Classic ticket includes the Downtown and Uptown routes plus bike rental for one day.
• If you want a two day Classic ticket then you’ll need to get a NYC Explorer Pass. Otherwise, you can buy the Premium 2 day ticket through their official tour website.
• The Premium Ticket includes a night tour, Circle Line Liberty Cruise, Downtown and Uptown routes for 2 days.
• The Deluxe ticket includes the Statue of Liberty Ferry, night tour, Uptown and Downtown routes for 3 days.
• The Premium ticket which includes entry to the Empire State Building costs just 80 cents more than the Deluxe ticket.
• This gets you 2 days hop on hop off, a night tour, Circle Line Liberty Cruise, and standard entry to the famous art deco building. If you’re not interested in a NYC Explorer Pass then the premium ticket with these attractions included would be a good idea.

Hopping On and Hopping Off

The bus tour was a great way to travel to NYC’s most famous landmarks and if you want to avoid travelling on the subway then I’d highly recommend it. The tours last between 1.5 to 2 hours and the buses are very frequent. All tours come with a live guide and pre-recorded commentary in ten languages. So if it’s windy, you don’t have to miss any information.

There are set drop off points and you are always alerted to which landmarks you are getting close to. The Empire State Building was a popular destination on the tour. On my first day I wanted to relax, enjoy the sights and take in the whole route and by the time the tour ended it was late evening. Walking to catch the subway in Times Square after a day of sightseeing I stumbled across this amazing young guy playing violin so I stopped to record him 🙂 On my second day on the Downtown tour I would hop off at The Empire State Building.

The Chrysler Building in the day

Is the NYC Big Bus Tour worth it?

Absolutely! Whether you purchase a ticket through the official Big Bus website or if you choose to add the tour as an attraction via the NYC Explorer Pass you are guaranteed to learn something and enjoy the many sights. My favourite part of the Downtown Route was Midtown and Lower Manhattan, mostly for the murals and colourful lights.

The live guide was knowledgeable and despite it being a windy day was able to bring the city to life. There are several routes to choose from and exciting landmarks to hit no matter the route. It’s probably the most stress-free way to see New York and the hop on and hop off option makes it an simple way to focus on the famous sights you want to see, especially if you’re short on time. Come back to see my experience at The Empire State Building, where I hopped off on day 2 of the bus tour, had a great time and got tremendously lost!

NYC Solo Series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3