New York City now draws an incredible 60 million plus tourists per year, with almost 50 million visitors from other parts of the US and over 10 million from abroad.
New York is full of iconic landmarks, prime entertainment outlets, unforgettable shops and restaurants, lushly green parks, new york state parks, and nature centers, and all kinds of once in a lifetime experiences. So it’s no wonder that The Big Apple is such a perennial tourist magnet – but what is the best way to explore this tourist treasure box?”
While you have many transportation options, to say the least, in New York City, one of the most popular and very best ways to see the city is via double-decker bus tour. TopView Sightseeing tours, for example, can take you through Manhattan and any and all parts of New York by bus.
Here are the top eight reasons to choose a NYC bus tour:
1. Convenient to Book
You can easily book a NYC bus tour online anytime from the comfort of your own home. Or, you can usually buy tickets on-site with very little wait. However, booking ahead online can get you a discount.
2. Very Affordable
Let’s face it, it’s not cheap to travel to New York. Most things are priced at the high end of the spectrum. One of the few exceptions are bus tours, which are eminently affordable, even for groups.
3. Skip Fighting Traffic
Let the bus driver deal with the traffic for you instead of doing it in a rental car. A cool breeze and sunshine enhance your upper deck experience, and you get great views. Plus, you’ll never have to worry about getting lost!
4. Start & Stop at Times Square
Many bus tours begin and end at Times Square, though there are other options too. But a Times Square jump off gives you the chance to arrive early enough to explore the shops, restaurants, and museums in and around the Square or to do the same right after you return.
5. Great Overview Tour
If you want to see the city relatively quickly but still hit most of the main sites, a bus tour is for you. You can see Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, and much more even if you’re on a tight schedule or traveling with impatient youngsters.
6. Great Flexibility
Bus tour companies typically allow you to buy an all day pass or a two day pass. This option lets you hop on or hop off at any bus stop on the route as you please. You, in effect, carve out your own itinerary and spend as much time as you like at the sites you want to see most.
7. The Food Stops
No trip to New York would be complete without experiencing some of the city’s most unique, iconic cuisine. Bus tours often stop for meals and snacks, giving you a chance to taste New York’s namesake style pizza, incredible coffee house coffee, the famed tastes of Chinatown or Little Italy, wonderful NYC sandwich shops, and more.
8. The Liberty Cruise
Many times, you can get free or highly discounted tickets to a Liberty Cruise included in a bus tour package. Scanning the city skyline from the water, seeing Lady Liberty in person on her native Liberty Island, taking advantage of photo ops with the Statue in the background, and stopping off at nearby Ellis Island to see the immigration museum, are all worthwhile adventures to add onto your bus tour trip.
If it’s your first trip to NYC, if you have only limited time to spend in the city, or if you’ve just never yet had the bus tour experience, there are at least 8 good reasons why you should try it!
