BusTourNYC Editorial Review
Big Bus Tours New York
Big Bus Tours New York Review
By the BusTourNYC editorial team · Published · Updated
Quick verdict
Big Bus is the establishment choice for NYC hop-on hop-off: the most polished operation with the classic downtown and uptown loop structure, usually at establishment prices. If you want the default done well and don't mind paying for it, start here. If you're price-hunting, compare TopView first.
Best for
- First-time NYC visitors who want the standard experience executed reliably
- Families — hop-off flexibility plus child ticket tiers
- Multi-day visitors using longer ticket durations as transport-plus-tour
BusTourNYC Editorial Rating
4.1/5
Our assessment from published routes, tickets and policies — not consumer reviews.
Editorial content prepared August 2026 from operator-published information. Prices and schedules have not been re-verified since — always confirm current details on the booking page before purchasing.
Pros & cons
Pros
- The most established hop-on hop-off structure in NYC, run by a global brand
- Downtown + uptown loop coverage hits every first-timer landmark corridor
- Consistent boarding operations — stops and staff are clearly identifiable
- Multi-day tiers turn the bus into semi-practical transport between sights
Cons
- Usually positioned at the premium end of NYC hop-on hop-off pricing
- Recorded commentary on standard loops — those wanting live-guide energy should verify current offerings
- Manhattan traffic makes full loops slow in the afternoon (true of every operator)
Routes
Big Bus New York is built around the classic two-loop structure: a Downtown loop covering Times Square, the Empire State Building corridor, SoHo, Chinatown and Lower Manhattan's harbor edge, and an Uptown loop tracing Central Park, the Upper West Side, Harlem and Museum Mile. Exact stops shift over time — treat the operator's live route map as the source of truth on booking day.
Route background: Downtown loop · Uptown loop
Major attractions covered
Between the two loops you pass essentially every first-visit landmark: Times Square, the Empire State Building area, Battery Park's Statue of Liberty viewpoints, the Brooklyn Bridge approach, Central Park and Museum Mile. Note that buses pass or stop near attractions — entry tickets are always separate.
Stop-by-stop context: Times Square · Battery Park · Brooklyn Bridge
Ticket options
Tickets are sold in duration-based tiers (single-day through multi-day, in varying configurations with extras). We don't republish prices because they change frequently and vary by channel — use the check-current-price links and compare the operator's own site against Viator/GetYourGuide before buying, as promotions differ by channel.
Once you have a ticket: where to board · how pricing works
The tour experience
The product is the open top deck. On a clear day, the upper level of a double-decker is legitimately one of the best seats in Manhattan — the second-story vantage turns streets you'd walk without looking up into an architecture tour.
The trade-off is pace. Midtown traffic means a 'two-hour' loop can stretch well past that in the afternoon. Experienced riders board early, do the full circuit for orientation, then use the rest of the day to hop off at the two or three stops they actually care about.
Value
Value depends entirely on how you use it. As pure transport, a hop-on hop-off ticket loses to the subway on both speed and cost. As a combined orientation-tour, open-top viewing platform, and hop-off shuttle for a first visit, a day ticket earns its price for most first-timers.
Big Bus typically costs more than TopView for comparable loops. What you're paying for is operational polish and brand consistency. Whether that's worth the difference is the core question — our Big Bus vs TopView comparison walks through it.
What riders report elsewhere
Aggregated from public traveller reviews (Tripadvisor, Trustpilot, BBB, PissedConsumer) — this is other riders' feedback, kept separate from our editorial rating above. Sourced links are listed at the foot of this review.
Across public review platforms and traveller forums, Big Bus is the most consistently recommended of the NYC hop-on hop-off operators — riders rate it noticeably higher than TopView and treat it as the reliable default. The praise is qualified, though: it's also seen as the priciest option, and on-board commentary draws mixed reviews since the operators dropped live guides for recorded narration after the pandemic.
Commonly praised
- Broad coverage of the marquee sights — Times Square, Empire State, One World, Central Park, the Met
- Family-friendly: stroller-friendly boarding, free rides for young children, wheelchair ramps on most buses
- Seen as the reliable, well-run 'establishment' choice first-timers default to
- Genuinely good open-top skyline views from the upper deck
Commonly criticized
- Recorded narration only (no live guides since the pandemic) — some describe it as mostly music and pre-recorded jokes with little real explanation
- Priciest of the major operators; riders who don't hop off much call it 'expensive public transportation'
- Reports of long waits (up to ~45 minutes) for a bus at busy times
- Multi-day tickets generally must be used on consecutive days
- Occasional gap between what staff promise (e.g. heated or air-conditioned buses) and the actual bus
Who should choose it — and who should skip it
Choose Big Bus if
- First visit, limited planning appetite, want the known quantity
- Traveling with kids or older relatives who value predictable operations
- Staying several days and considering a multi-day ticket
Skip it if
- Repeat visitors who already know the landmark geography — a night tour or a single neighborhood on foot serves you better
- Strict budgets — compare TopView's current pricing first
- Anyone whose priority is a live human guide — verify what commentary each product currently includes, and consider a small-group tour instead
Alternatives
TopView Sightseeing is the direct competitor, usually at lower prices with a fast-changing bundle lineup. Beyond hop-on hop-off: dedicated night tours cover the lit-up city in one seated circuit, and the free Staten Island Ferry covers harbor views at zero cost.
See the head-to-head: Big Bus vs TopView · All our picks · bus tour vs. walking tour
Big Bus FAQs
Does the Big Bus ticket include attraction entry?
No — hop-on hop-off tickets cover the bus loops and commentary. Entry to observation decks, museums and ferries is always separate, though bundled combo products exist; read what's included at checkout.
How long does the full Big Bus loop take?
Plan on roughly 2–3 hours per loop without hopping off, heavily dependent on Manhattan traffic. Mornings run faster than afternoons.
Is Big Bus New York wheelchair accessible?
Big Bus publishes per-city accessibility guidance and accessible vehicles exist, but access can vary by vehicle and stop. Confirm directly with the operator for your travel date.
Sources
Related guides
Are NYC Bus Tours Worth It? An Honest Assessment
For a first visit of two to four days, a hop-on hop-off bus tour is usually worth it — it compresses orientation, landmark viewing and transport between sights into one purchase. For repeat visitors, visitors staying a week or more, or anyone comfortable with the subway, the money is often better spent on one or two specific experiences instead.
NYC Bus Tour Prices: How the Pricing Actually Works
As of our August 2026 editorial check, full-day hop-on hop-off tickets from the major NYC operators are commonly published in the rough range of $40–80 per adult, with night tours typically less and multi-day tiers more. Exact prices change frequently and differ by sales channel — treat any specific number you read (including ours) as a starting point and check the live price before booking.
How Do NYC Hop-On Hop-Off Buses Actually Work?
You buy a time-based ticket (typically 1–3 days), board an open-top double-decker at any marked stop on a fixed loop, and get off and back on as often as you like while your ticket is valid. Buses repeat the same circuit all day, so a later bus always comes — frequency varies by operator and season.
Do NYC Bus Tours Run in the Rain? What Actually Happens
Yes — the major NYC hop-on hop-off operators run their loops in ordinary rain rather than cancelling, since every double-decker has an enclosed lower deck riders can move to. What you lose is the open-top view, not the tour itself. Heavy rain, high wind or genuinely unsafe conditions are the exception, not the everyday drizzle most trips will actually encounter.