NY: Empire State Building, Liberty Cruise, & Hop-on Hop-off Tour
Overview
Available languages
1 hour 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
Explore the Big Apple with this top-rated Best of New York bundle—featuring three iconic experiences at one unbeatable price.
Empire State Building
Begin your adventure with express entry to the 86th-floor observation deck of the Empire State Building. Marvel at sweeping 360° views of Manhattan’s skyline and landmarks—from Central Park to the Statue of Liberty. A must-see art deco masterpiece!
Circle Line Boat Cruise
Cap off your NYC experience with a Circle Line sightseeing cruise—choose between the Liberty Midtown Cruise or the Landmarks Cruise. See the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, and One World Trade Center.
Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Tour
Next, see New York your way with a flexible 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tour on two routes. Ride top-deck for open-air views and enjoy audio commentary in multiple languages. Hop off at must-see spots like Times Square, Wall Street, and the MET—and hop back on whenever you're ready. The free Big Bus app tracks arrival times in real time.
Additional Info
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Circle Line audio guides available: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Japanese
Big Bus audio available: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese
Circle Line and Empire State Building can be separate days. Select date and time at redemption or visit bigbustours.com/manage-my-booking
Cruises operate daily from Circle Line Cruises at Pier 83, 42nd Street in Hudson River Park The nearest Big Bus Tours Stop is #12: Circle Line Sightseeing
Cruise duration is 60 minutes for the Liberty Midtown Cruise or 90 Minutes for the Landmarks Cruise
Cruises feature an onboard café and full bar, restrooms, outdoor deck space, air conditioning and indoor seating with large windows.
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.
What To Expect
Duration:1 hour 30 minutes
Operating Schedule:Downtown Loop operates 9:00AM-4:30PM (from Stop #1 - M&M'S World) Every 30 minutes, total route takes 90 minutes.
Stop 1 - 7th Ave & W 48th St
Stop 2 - W 42nd St and Broadway
Stop 3 - Empire State Building/KoreaTown - 5th Avenue & West 32nd Street
Stop 4 - Flatiron District (in front of Eisenbergs Sandwich Shop) - 5th Ave & W 23rd St
Stop 5 - West Broadway & Spring Street (in front of the Nike Store)
Stop 6 - Chinatown/Little Italy (near corner with Walker Street) - 100 Lafayette St
Stop 7 - Park Row & Beekman St
Stop 8 - Wall St/Statue of Liberty
Stop 9 - Trinity Church located on Trinity Place and Cedar St
Stop 10 - Church St & Vesey St (across from the Post Office)
Stop 11 - 11th Ave, between W 15th St & W 16th St (across from Pier 57, in front of the NBC Building)
Stop 12 - 12th Ave & 30th St (north-east corner)
Stop 13 - 12th Ave & 40th St (opposite Pier 81)
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
Stop 14 - 7th Ave & W 53rd St (in front of Chase Bank)
Stop 2 - 42nd and Broadway (In front of the Knickerbocker Hotel)
Stop 15 - W 49th St & 5th Ave (In front of Michael Kors)
Stop 16 - 5th Ave & E 83rd St (outside the museum near 83rd St)
Stop 17 - 5th Ave & E 66th St (opposite 845 5th Ave)
Stop 18 - Central Park & Columbus Circle (Southwest corner of Central Park, next to Main Monument)
Stop 19 - 7th Ave & W 57th St (in front of Trattoria Dell'Arte)
Options
NYC Bundle: Empire State, Big Bus Tour, and Circle Line Cruise
What‘s Included
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise (60-min Liberty Cruise or 90-min Landmarks Cruise)
Big Bus 48-Hour Hop-on Hop-off Tour - Downtown and Uptown Loops
Big Bus Tours app (ticket storage, live tracking and ticket activation)
Empire State Building 86th Floor Admission
Live English guide aboard Circle Line. Audio guides available in additional languages
Digital commentary in multiple languages aboard Big Bus
Food and Drinks
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
11 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Enjoyable Experience
Emily W,Jun 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00Hop on hop off bus is great. Stops are easy to find and the audio tour was nice to listen to. If you ride on the top deck of the bus for the blue line make sure to duck because there are some low branches that will hit you when you go by Central Park. The Empire State Building was great as well! You have to pick your date and time through the big bus tours app. It was easy to redeem the tickets, however the ticket doesn’t show the date/time you selected. The City Cruise was very informative. There was a tour guide that talked throughout the cruise giving some history and facts about certain city landmarks. The date and time for tickets are also picked through the big bus app and don’t show the date/time you selected.
A must attend event.
Halil G,Apr 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00This was a fabulous boat trip/ cruise. A very informative tour with a knowledgeable former professor as the audio guide. Very satisfying.
You get to see so many...
Denise H,Apr 20, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00You get to see so many things. The hop on/ hop off feature is amazing to stop at little shops or grab a quick bite to eat. Would absolutely recommend the boat tour, was so awesome!
Great Value!
David H,Jan 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Great Value! Family visiting from Australia. The combo tour allowed them to see so much over their time! Highly recommend!
avoid this tour
ELENAFRED,Dec 30, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
1.00Unfortunately, our family had a terrible experience due to extremely poor logistics and organization, and I strongly advise others not to book this trip, as you may end up having the same experience we did. We booked this tour because the website stated that the timing was based on “availability,” which was very unclear. To clarify, we contacted the online assistant and were told that the last cruise was at 5:00 PM. Based on this information, we arrived at the Empire State Building at 5:00 PM, expecting to start our tour there. Instead, we were informed that our actual time slot was 7:45 PM. After that, we tried to join the Big Bus Tour. We stood outside in line on the street for 30–40 minutes in the cold. When our tickets were finally checked, we were told that this bus was for night-tour bookings only, and that we had missed our tour, despite never being given a clear time anywhere in our booking details. We then attempted to go on the Circle Line Cruise, only to find out that we had also missed that tour as well, again due to the lack of any clearly stated time information. Although we arrived based on the instructions we were given, both tours were considered “missed.” In the end, the only activity we were able to do was the Empire State Building at 7:45 PM. That was the sole availability offered to us. We paid $498 (almost $500) for this family package and received only one attraction instead of three. We spent a long time standing outside in the cold, became sick, and were left confused and frustrated. No staff member approached us to explain how the tour actually works, and there was no guidance or support provided on site. This experience was extremely disappointing and poorly managed. We are still trying to understand how to get a refund, but overall, this was a very frustrating experience. Please be very careful when booking this tour.
Good package, deal, be careful what time you plan to exit the bus
DeeDee C,Dec 29, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00Overall, in general, it was a good adventure as planned. Only snag was at the very end of our trip when the bus was supposed to run until five. At 4:20, the bus stopped, it had us disembark and get onto one of their other buses that been sat there for another 20 minutes before it took us to the final stop to get off luckily it was near the hotel we were staying. Be careful what time you plan to exit the bus.
Good - could be a little better but overall still a good time!
Jackie W,Dec 8, 2025
- Review from Viator
4.00Be careful to remember which cruise line & bus you're going on. There are at least 3 different companies doing the same thing. NOT this line but another company at Battery Park tried to tell me I bought the 4 hour cruise & had to buy the 1 hour cruise there if I didn't want to do the 4 hour one. When I looked at my ticket online, I bought the 1 hr cruise, but with a different company down at the Piers, not Battery Park. The other companies are not always nice and work to get your money. The worst I found was at Battery Park. They were not this line but they were working together to scam people into buying more tickets. The guy at the entrance of the park acted like you couldn't go into the park unless you showed them your ticket too. The guys handling the bus tours were all very good though & helped direct me to the right line for the bus tour I bought. I loved the bus tour and my only wish was that I could find the places for pick up/drop off easier after I'd walked around. They aren't exceptionally well documented on the signs.
Well worth it!
bilalk93,Nov 9, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Excellent value for money. I went with 48 hr hop on off bus plus two attractions (empire state/liberty cruise) and entry to all attractions was seamless. Bus were very frequent, so if one’s packed then I didn’t have to wait long for another one. Staff at stops and drivers were excellent.
Great introduction
Tom R,Oct 17, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Very straightforward. Great Introduction to New York. Saw tons.Guides were entertaining and knowledgeable. Very good value.
Recommend this for an easy way to see sights
Penelope B,Oct 9, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00This is a great way to see all the sights around NYC! I just wish the buses ran until 6:00pm instead of stopping at 4:00pm!! We ended up having to find our way back on foot after our cruise.
Related Experiences
Operated by Big Bus Tours - USA