New York Tours

New York Tours

Walking Tours

New York’s streets were made for walking. In fact walking is the best way for visitors to really explore the city. There are numerous guided tour operators, including Big Onion Walking Tours (tel: (212) 439 1090; fax: (718) 499 0023; e-mail: bowtnyc@aol.com; website: www.bigonion.com), who, for over a decade, have offered entertaining, informative and contemporary tours of New York’s historic districts and ethnic neighbourhoods. Tours last approximately two hours and prices start at US$12 (concessions are available). Departure points vary depending on the tour – these are clearly listed on the website.

Bus Tours

Gray Line New York Tours (tel: (212) 397 2620 or (800) 669 0051; e-mail: greylinenetwork@coachusa.com; website: www.graylinenewyork.com) offers closed- and open-top double-decker bus tours, calling at numerous stops around the city in a two- to three-hour loop. The Essential New York Tour offers a 40-stop hop-off hop-on tour of Manhattan for US$69 (concessions are available). Tickets are valid for 48 hours. Gray Line also offers tours of Harlem and Brooklyn. Buses depart from the Port Authority Terminal on Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street.

Boat Tours

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises (tel: (212) 563 3200; website: www.circleline.com) is the only cruise line that circles Manhattan Island, with a three-hour narrated Full Island Cruise, departing from Pier 83 on 42nd Street on the Hudson River and costing US$25. Other options include the two-hour Semi-Circle Cruise, costing US$20, or the evening two-hour Harbor Lights Cruise, costing US$20. At both Pier 83 and Pier 16, South Street Seaport, adventurers can take a spin on the ‘Beast’ speed boat for a 30-minute thrill ride, costing US$18.

Other Tours

Gray Line New York Tours (tel: (212) 397 2600; website: www.graylinenewyork.com) conducts over two dozen different sightseeing trips by different modes of transport. The ten-minute helicopter tour, A Bird’s Eye View, costs US$138 and allows visitors to see the Empire State Building, the Chrysler and Central Park from above. Helicopter flights depart from the West 30th Street heliport.

Scene on TV Tours (tel: (212) 410 9830; website: www.sceneontv.com) operates bus tours of the sites of America’s top TV shows, including Sex and the City and Sopranos. Basic TV tours covering the sets of Friends, Seinfeld and Will & Grace cost US$20 and are approximately two hours long. The three-hour speciality tours cost US$30–35. Booking is essential for all tours and meeting points vary depending on the tour taken; hotel pick up and drop off is not available.