New York: Empire State Building & Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour
New York City, USA
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover New York City at your own pace with a 48-hour open-top bus tour and Empire State Building entry. Hop on and off at iconic spots including Times Square, Central Park, Wall Street, and Brooklyn Bridge. Enjoy stunning views from the Empire State Building with your included ticket and upgrade to add a Statue of Liberty cruise.
- Check off plenty NYC highlights with just one package
- Enjoy the flexibility to hop on and off as often as you wish in 48 hours
- Digital audio commentary and Wi-Fi onboard for an enhanced tour
- Hop-on hop-off bus helps you get your bearings in NYC
What's Included
- Entry to Empire State Building 86th floor
- Big Bus 48-hour Hop-on Hop-off Tour on Downtown & Uptown Loops
- Statue of Liberty Ferry (if option selected)
- Digital commentary aboard hop-on hop-off tour
- Wi-Fi on board
- Big Bus app for route information and live bus tracking
- Save up to 30% off full retail when you bundle
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Departure Point
- You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.
Itinerary
Explore Downtown (Red Route)
13 Stops
23 Points of Interest
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Operating Schedule: 9:00AM-4:30PM (from Stop #1 - M&M'S World) Every 20 minutes, total route takes 90 minutes Download the free Big Bus app or visit the website for route information, customer service, and live bus tracking.
1
M&M'S New York
2
Times Square
3
Empire State Building
4
Flatiron Building
5
SoHo
6
Chinatown
7
Brooklyn Bridge
8
Wall Street
9
Statue of Liberty
10
World Trade Center
11
Pier 57
12
Hudson Yards
13
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Midtown
Points of interest passed by on this route
Times Square
Empire State Building
Flatiron Building
Greenwich Village
Battery Park
The High Line
SoHo
Little Italy
Charging Bull
New York City Hall
Bryant Park
Madame Tussauds New York
Trinity Church NYC
Union Square
Brooklyn Bridge
The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Edge NYC
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
The High Line
Greenwich Village
One World Observatory
Rockefeller Center
Madame Tussauds New York
Explore Uptown (Blue Route)
7 Stops
10 Points of Interest
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Operating Schedule: 10 AM - 4 PM (Departs from Stop #14 Hope Sculpture) Every 60 Minutes, tour duration takes 90 Minutes Download the free Big Bus app or visit the website for route information, customer service, and live bus tracking.
1
Hope Sculpture
2
Times Square
3
Rockefeller Center
4
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
5
Central Park Zoo
6
Columbus Circle
7
Carnegie Hall
Points of interest passed by on this route
Carnegie Hall
Grand Central Terminal
Bryant Park
Central Park Zoo
Central Park
Empire State Building
Fifth Avenue
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Central Park
Frick Collection
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Hop-on Hop-off tour ticket is valid during operating hours for 48 hours after first use.
- Guests may activate ticket in two ways: 1. Download and open the Big Bus app. Tap "Add Booking" and enter your booking reference. On the day of travel, open your ticket and press "Activate" then show your activated ticket to the driver at any stop along the route. Plus, use the app for route information and live bus tracking. 2. Redeem voucher and activate with Big Bus staff at 7th Ave & W 48th St (Outside M&Ms World), or with a driver at any stop along the route.
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Frequently Asked Questions (9)
Q:Do I have to pre-book a time to visit the Empire State Building using the Empire State Building Ticket w/ Hop-on Hop-off Bus?
A:Before you can board the bus, you will need to pre-book a time and date for your tour. You can do this through our online booking portal (which will be provided in your confirmation email), or with our staff at the departure locations.
Mar 2021
The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
3.3
based on 90 reviews
Tara_C, Apr 2026
Scam can’t get on as much as you like ends a 4pm wasted of money. I wouldn’t do it if I was you. Sucks
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Hello Tara_C! Thank you so much for your feedback. We're sorry to learn that the tour didn't meet your expectations. We strive to provide all the necessary details about the tour to help you make an informed decision, and we're here to assist you with any questions through live chat. We believe that the tour offers a fantastic experience to truly explore New York. We look forward to welcoming you back soon. Best regards, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.
Delores_K, Dec 2025
Honestly this was a waste of money! The buses only run every 1/2 hour or so, and are slow to complete the circut - not at all as advertised! They're also NOT heated, which made riding in the winter time during our visit miserable. At one point our bus driver got in a standoff with a city bus driver, where she wasn't allowing him to move out of the way so I could comfortably board. She was stopped next to him and expected passengers to squeeze on and off the bus through a gap about 1-1.5ft wide. At 7 months pregnant, I unfortunately wasn't fitting through that gap and had to stand there awkwardly before finally just begging them to stop the contest so we could all move on with our day.
Overall, we barely used our 2 day pass to hop on and off, rather rode the entire circuit back around to get home after walking most of the day. Unless you really plan to travel all over the city for quick 30 minute stops, save your money and take the subway.
Allison_C, Sep 2025
Great company! My mother left her wallet on the bus and BIG Bus Tours promptly mailed it back to her. We also very much enjoyed our tour.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hi Allison_C, thank you so much for your feedback! We're thrilled to hear that your mom's lost wallet was located and returned to her. It's also wonderful to know you enjoyed the tour, and we can't wait to welcome you again in the future!- Best wishes, Mara from Big Bus
Thomas_D, Sep 2025
A great way to see NYC. Was able to see many sites that I would not made with the bus. And it included the Empire State Building for a few extra dollars. A very good deal.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Hi Thomas_D. We wish to thank you for your feedback. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour in New York. We hope to have you back soon. Best, Vlad from Big Bus Tours.
Penelope_K, Jul 2025
We did the whole loop. Didn’t hop on/off. Interesting but not overwhelming info with the earbuds. Great sights. Set us up for where we then knew we would want to spend more time. Highly recommend. Including the Empire State made this a fantastic deal. Go early.
Response from Host, Jul 2025
Hi Penelope, we’re thrilled to know that you had a wonderful time on the tour with us. It’s fantastic to hear that you appreciated the organization of the tour, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon! Have a lovely day, Anca from Big Bus
burumble, May 2025
What a fantastic day out exploring the Boroughs of New York!! Our guide Jorge and driver Raf were absolutely amazing! Through Jorge’s commentary we discovered so many new facts about life in this fascinating melting pot of the USA and how so many have settled here and shaped New York life today!
A great way to get around, we could never has seen even half of this if we were on our own, thanks to Raf’s skilful driving!
Highly recommend!!
JJ_W, Aug 2024
My 11 yo was so mesmerized by the open bus experience. We enjoyed the sights & sounds of the mighty NY city with its breathtaking views. The highlight of our tour was at the Empire State Building. This was super amazing. We will do this again soon
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Your comments have given us valuable insight into the services that we provide at Big Bus Tours New York. We sincerely thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us!
James_H, Apr 2024
We have thoroughly appreciated previous Hop-on/Hop-off buses in other cities but I was very disappointed in the Manhattan experience. We were introducing NYC to family visiting from another country but we were unable to view most of the buildings and other sites mentioned. Even though our purchase also included Empire State Bldg entry, there was NO time available to take advantage of that. It took over an hour waiting for a bus that had space for us so we didn't even begin until after 10:30 am. You should consider only selling a 48-hour experience since the bus schedule starts late and ends early.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hello James! We monitor traffic trends and check for road closures daily to manage a 15-minute frequency on our Downtown tour and 30-minute frequency on our Uptown tour. If needed, we may add extra departures to our routes to accommodate our guests and maintain frequency. We also offer upgrades if guests need more time to tour with us and want to extend their ticket validity. We suggest giving it another go in a different city or in New York. Enjoy your weekend!
Angelica_A, Dec 2023
Well it didn’t happen! Very disappointed! I went to two locations to redeem my voucher for tickets and no one was there. I went to a pick up spot to hopefully get some help. The bus driver wasn’t any help and rude. I want my money back. This was a terrible experience.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi Angelica_A,
We appreciate your feedback! We're truly sorry to hear that you weren't able to use your tickets. In situations like this, please feel free to reach out to us directly, and we'll guide you on how to redeem them. We sincerely hope you'll consider giving us another opportunity in the future.
DONNA_B, Oct 2023
We very much enjoyed the Big Bus hop on & hop off tour with entry to the Empire State Building after a bit of a rough start. The reps are easy to spot at their designated location to pick up your vouchers. I would recommend doing a 2 day pass if you really want to do both loops. I would have given Big Bus a 5* rating except they had the wrong time slot. We had purposely booked the 9:30am time slot to visit The Empire State Building so we wouldn’t be on a strict timeline to get back there. When we picked the tickets up our time slot was 12:45pm…Rep was no help, said maybe we were from a different time zone..not the case. We went anyway for 9:30am & because it was the first time slot and not yet crowded they let us go up.
Michael_B, Oct 2023
Many attendants around the city to answer questions. Easy access. Most audio boxes worked, but not all.
Peter_M, Oct 2023
Raining very hard - bad directions to starting point - too rainy & foggy to see anything - you should give us a full refund. Not sure if that day’s excursion even happened. Please call me at 361-648-7248.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi, Peter_M!
We're sorry to learn that you couldn't enjoy your tour due to the difficult weather, your disappointment is certainly understandable. While we take the appropriate measures by, for instance, covering the upper deck during heavy rain, there are certain instances where it can prove difficult. We'd be happy to offer alternative resolutions via e-mail or live chat through our 24/7 customer care team. If you'd like to join us for a future tour in New York, we'd be thrilled to see you onboard!
Florin_P, Aug 2023
The buses are overcrowded and dirty, and traffic around Times Square is horrible. It took 45 minutes to get to the next stop. We ended up only taking the hop-on bus to get to Wall St, then spent our time walking around there. By the time we were done, the bus schedule was done for the day. So at $85 per person, this was the most expensive bus ride downtown. Do yourself a favor and take the regular bus or metro to the destinations you want to get to
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi Florin! Big Bus Tours closely monitors daily sales to ensure we schedule a sufficient quantity of buses to service a steady frequency of departures for each route. We monitor traffic trends and check for road closures daily to manage a 15-minute frequency on our Downtown tour and 30-minute frequency on our Uptown tour. If needed, we may add extra departures to our routes to accommodate our guests and maintain frequency. We also offer upgrades if guests need more time to tour with us and want to extend their ticket validity. We hope you'll consider trying us again in another city or in New York. Have a fantastic weekend!
LALATENDU_S, Aug 2023
Never buy combo tickets from viator. We bought tickets for one day hop on/off plus empire state admission tickets from viator. Viator sent us a voucher and asked us to redeem with any street agent. The next day morning we went to empire state and redeemed with a big bus street agent. The agent gave us tickets only for the hop on/off bus but not empire. Upon enquiring he instructed us to go directly go to empire and show the viator voucher. We went inside after clearing security and scanned the voucher at the entry scanners which did not work. The security lead us outside and asked to check the tickets with the agent. I contacted viator but they did not provide any assistance. The agent on the phone only told they will contact the provider(Big bus) and let us know. We spent 2 hours and cancelled the plan that day. I got an email from viator in the night with a link to download empire tickets which they said is valid for 15 days. The next day was our last day in newyork but we decided to use the tickets. So I checked out of our airbnb and again parked our car by paying additional amount. We again went to empire with the new tickets and again the tickets did not work at the scanner. This time I decided to buy new set of tickets at the counter as I w could not disappoint my family anymore. So we bought the tickets directly at the empire state counter and visited. Completely disappointed with the unprofessional behavior of the street agents and the viator phone agents. They did not help me at all. I ended up paying twice.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hello LALATENDU! We are sorry to hear that you had these issues on your tour. You can always contact us via live chat or email and we will be more than happy to assist you with your request. We invite you to give it another shot in a different city or in New York. Have a wonderful weekend!
Sara_M, Aug 2023
The audio tour was weak. Lots of music and not as much information about the city as I was hoping for. Less banter and more useful facts would have been good.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hi Sara! We're sorry to hear that the pre-recorded commentary didn't meet your expectations. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us! We've moved to a recorded-commentary system to ensure a more uniform tour experience. If you're interested in a live guide experience in New York, we suggest our Night Tour or Brooklyn Immersive Tour. We hope you'll consider joining us again in the future!
EstelaR_C, Aug 2023
The whole tour was amazing , we included tickets for the Empire State Bldg visit with breathtaking views. Enjoyed the tour very much.
Vincent_C, Jul 2023
The meet up place on 42nd and 12th was non-existent. Had to hustle back to Time Square and almost missed our slot. The location by Tome square is adjacent to M&M Store. Why not say that! You can do better! We lost hop off and on time!
Marcie_R, Jul 2023
Sound did not work. We changed seats and finally able to listen. Did not have time to ride both buses and was disappointing that tickets were “all day” but expired at 5:00.
Susan_W, Jul 2023
The Empire State Building tour was a great tour and experience. The bus tour could have been better, we didn’t get to see the Statue of Liberty, I feel like we turned before we should have. So, we didn’t get to even glimpse it from the bus. The bus driver wasn’t the friendliest either.
Response from Host, Dec 2024
Hello Susan! Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. We're truly sorry to hear that your experience didn't meet your expectations. Your feedback is invaluable, and we will use it to enhance our services. Remember, you can always visit our website to find the address of each stop along the route, so you know what to look forward to on your tour day. We hope you'll consider giving us another chance, whether in a different city or right here in New York. Have a wonderful weekend!
Rhonda_B, Jun 2023
Beautiful 911 memorial.
Empire State building was great.
Was hoping the bus would have gone so we could gave seen the Statue of Liberty from the bus
Would have also liked to go to central park
Lee_B, May 2023
Just going up 1 of the most famous and iconic buildings in the world, what a brilliant experience, its a must do when you visit New York for the 1st time
Sheryl_M, May 2023
Great to see different parts of the city! And didn’t have to drive! Took us by different places of interest!
Candy_K, Apr 2023
This was the one hop on hop off tour that was Great! You had time to hop off see what you wanted to see and get back on! You get your moneys worth with this one!!!!
Lisa_F, Feb 2023
Good idea to start off your New York experience, particularly if you haven’t been before. Good fun trip to help you get your bearings! Commentary throughout
Ticket add in for empire state was as great addition but you must book a slot and ensure you get there on time
Carol_W, Dec 2022
The ease of seeing the sights without al the walking and people! It was a very comfortable and exciting experience.
McKenzi_W, Jul 2022
The bus was a great experience to see all of Manhattan! Easy to navigate and get on and off! Do it!!
Regina_C, Jun 2022
Not so memorable because of the heat. But, Jimmy is fun and shares good information about the sites visited
Sue_A, Mar 2022
Was such a lovely day easy hop on and off lovely helpful staff (apart from one women at Times Square ) but well recommended and access to Empire State was amazing
Loretta_M, Dec 2021
The empire state building had breath taking views, 911 memorial, the information on the bus was great xx
Wilfred_Plumley, Jun 2021
The guidance on where to get tickets was incorrect. I made reservation for 1030 for Empire Building but Big Bus had no record of reservation. Called number but no one answered.
Response from Host, Sep 2024
Hi Wilfred_Plumley!
We're sorry to learn that you were directed to the incorrect location for ticket purchases. We appreciate you sharing your experience with us. We highly suggest booking your tickets in advance through our website and booking portal, where you can select the date and time for your ticket inclusions. Currently, we don't have a phone line available, but we encourage you to reach out to us via email or live chat for any further assistance. We look forward to having you back on board for your next adventure!
From $105.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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