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New York City Sightseeing Cruise and Hop-on Hop-off Bus

TourTruth score 5.0 out of 10

Average

230 reviews · Rated on 2 providers · How we score

  • New York City
  • 1 hr 30 min
  • Updated November 4, 2026

See New York from the Empire State Building, a Circle Line cruise, and a flexible 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour.

About this tour

See New York from three memorable vantage points: high above Manhattan, along its waterfront, and from the open road. This New York City sightseeing cruise and hop-on hop-off bus bundle pairs Empire State Building admission with a Circle Line cruise and a flexible 48-hour Big Bus pass.

Head to the Empire State Building’s 86th-floor observatory for sweeping city views. Then choose a 60-minute Liberty Midtown Cruise or a 90-minute Landmarks Cruise from Pier 83. From the water, take in sights including the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and One World Trade Center. The cruise and observatory visit can be scheduled on separate days.

Use the Big Bus Downtown and Uptown loops to explore at your own pace, hopping off to visit the places that catch your eye and boarding again when you’re ready. Multilingual commentary adds context along the way, while the Big Bus app stores your ticket and tracks buses in real time. Make this New York City sightseeing cruise and hop-on hop-off bus experience your own, one landmark at a time.

Highlights

  • Admire Manhattan views from the Empire State Building’s 86th-floor observatory
  • Cruise past New York landmarks aboard Circle Line
  • Explore Downtown and Uptown with a flexible 48-hour bus pass
  • Track buses and manage tickets with the Big Bus app

What's included

Included

  • Circle Line sightseeing cruise: 60-minute Liberty Midtown Cruise or 90-minute Landmarks Cruise
  • Big Bus 48-hour hop-on hop-off tour on Downtown and Uptown loops
  • Big Bus Tours app for ticket storage, activation, route information, and live bus tracking
  • Admission to the Empire State Building 86th-floor observatory
  • Live English guide aboard Circle Line
  • Circle Line audio guides in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Japanese
  • Big Bus digital commentary in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese

Not included

  • Food and drinks

Ratings on each provider

The ratings and review counts each booking site shows for this tour.

What reviewers mention

Themes that come up most in this tour's reviews.

Important information

  • The Circle Line cruise and Empire State Building visit can take place on separate days
  • Select dates and times at redemption or manage the booking through bigbustours.com/manage-my-booking
  • Circle Line cruises depart daily from Pier 83 at 42nd Street in Hudson River Park
  • The nearest Big Bus stop to Pier 83 is stop 12, Circle Line Sightseeing
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  • Activate the bus ticket in the Big Bus app or with Big Bus staff at 7th Avenue and West 48th Street, outside M&M's World, or with a driver at any stop
  • Cruise boats have an onboard café and full bar, restrooms, outdoor deck space, air conditioning, and indoor seating with large windows
  • Wheelchair accessible; transportation options and all areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
  • Infants and small children can ride in a stroller; infants must sit on an adult's lap
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels; public transportation is available nearby

Frequently asked questions

How long is the cruise?

Choose the 60-minute Liberty Midtown Cruise or the 90-minute Landmarks Cruise.

How long is the hop-on hop-off Bus pass valid?

The Big Bus pass is valid for 48 hours and covers Downtown and Uptown loops.

Can I visit the attractions on separate days?

Yes. The Circle Line cruise and Empire State Building visit can take place on separate days. Select dates and times when redeeming or manage your booking online.

How do I activate the Bus ticket?

Activate it in the Big Bus app, with staff at 7th Avenue and West 48th Street outside M&M's World, or with a driver at any stop.

What languages are available?

Circle Line offers a live English guide and audio guides in nine languages. Big Bus commentary is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

How this score is calculated

This tour scores 4.14 on Viator and 4.44 on GetYourGuide. Ratings on these sites cluster near the top of the 5-star scale, so we compare each one with all other ratings on the same site before combining them.

How the score works and rating distribution in New York City
  • Each provider rating is turned into a percentile: the share of that provider's ratings it beats, weighted by review counts.
  • Listings on different providers are combined in proportion to their review counts.
  • Tours with few reviews are pulled toward the average until more reviews come in, so a handful of perfect reviews can't top the list.
  • The result is shown from 0 to 10: this tour scores 5.0.

Provider rating distribution in New York City

How many tours in New York City have a provider rating at or below each value. The dashed line is this tour.

  • GetYourGuide
  • Viator

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