Is there a NYC sightseeing tour that's worth it?

[pacificrules]

My H and I are heading to NYC in October for the first time. I know tours are cheesy, but we did one in Chicago and loved learning all of the info they shared with us and seeing so much in one swoop. Is there one in NYC that is worth looking into?

[definitelyO]

we were recommended the double decker bus tour in NYC. We did it last month and it was eh. We had a great tour in San Francisco so thought it would be like that one. But the NY one took forever (obviously the city is much larger than SF) and it really depended on our guide. the first 2 guides sucked. the last one was entertaining and talked a lot about the town and people and history and interesting facts. I think your guide can make or break your experience.

[caddywompus]

When I went to NYC, we got a 2 day pass for the double decker bus.  I think it was called Big Apple Tours, or something... It was a "hop on- hop off" deal, so we could stop and get off to see something, then pick up another bus when we were done- and move on to something else.  When we first got on the bus, we did the whole tour, so we could see all around town and hear the stories.... then later we did the hopping and just used the bus for transportation.

[caddywompus]

Also- do you know how you're getting from the airport to your hotel?  We found out it was much cheaper to hire a limousine for the trip.  We got a round trip deal, and it was cheaper than it would've been to get a cab.  Plus, it was really cool to pull up to the hotel in a limo!!

[sandipluschris]

I have done the Gray Line double decker tour a few times over the course of 10+ years and I have always loved it. I've done the uptown, downtown and Brooklyn loop. What I love about it is that it is hop on/hop off so you can get off and do some exploring on your own if you are more interested in a certain area. It also affords you the ability to see the entire city and highlights of sites that would otherwise take weeks to see.

[My]

I just got back from a trip to NYC and I did the circle line cruise which was a 2.5hr boat cruise around the entire Manhattan island. I found it totally worth it and our tour guide was great!

[stealthmom]

Jul 11, 2013 11:59:31 GMT -5 sandipluschris said:

I have done the Gray Line double decker tour a few times over the course of 10+ years and I have always loved it. I've done the uptown, downtown and Brooklyn loop. What I love about it is that it is hop on/hop off so you can get off and do some exploring on your own if you are more interested in a certain area. It also affords you the ability to see the entire city and highlights of sites that would otherwise take weeks to see.

Yep.  I've always stuck with Gray Line and I've always been pleased.  I think it's ideal for a first visit.

[gtkim]

Jul 11, 2013 23:30:47 GMT -5 My said:

I just got back from a trip to NYC and I did the circle line cruise which was a 2.5hr boat cruise around the entire Manhattan island. I found it totally worth it and our tour guide was great!

I've also done this and really enjoyed it!

[stumpy]

I did a Circle Tour years ago but it was like 2.5 hours. Short and sweet.
I have been back to NYC several times since and have never done another tour.

That being said, I know people have LOVED The Ride. Even native New Yorkers say it is fun.
Check them out.

[lolo]

I also enjoyed the boat ride around Manhattan.

[laurelle]

There are Red open top buses and Blue open top buses, the BLUE ones are far cheaper. when we were there in May all the way from Scotland we were lucky enough to be there for 7 days however this meant we were on some what of a budget, so we booked with them and hopped on and off all 3 tours they do.

[flatlan]

We did the Gray Line Double Decker and The Ride when DH and I were in NYC in Feb. We really enjoyed them both. The Ride was hilarious!

[sabelis]

We took a trip to NYC in May. I would say one of the highlights of our trip was the Circle Line Cruise so I highly recommend taking it