NYC Bus ToursNYC Bus and Boat Tour: Six Hours With a Local Guide
This nyc bus and boat tour packs six hours of Manhattan and Brooklyn into one guided day. Small Bus Tours NYC runs a coach of up to 32 guests from Broadway and 51st Street at 9:30 AM, with a native New Yorker guide who steps off the bus with you at Washington Square Park, on the Brooklyn Bridge and at the 9/11 Memorial. A one-hour boat ride passes the Statue of Liberty, and a 40-minute lunch break sits inside the 90-minute Memorial stop. The $99 ticket covers the guide, the boat and water on board, but not your lunch. This page sets out what the price buys and where NYC bus tour do the job differently.
About This Tour
Small Bus Tours NYC runs a six-hour loop by luxury touring coach with a lavatory, free WiFi and charging stations. The guide is a native New Yorker who stays with the group all day, narrating and leading three short walks. The bus waits while you walk.
The route covers Midtown, Chelsea, Greenwich Village, Chinatown, SoHo, NoHo, the Brooklyn Bridge, the 9/11 Memorial and Central Park, with a one-hour boat ride past the Statue of Liberty. It is a single-ride ticket, not hop-on hop-off, and it leaves at 9:30 AM from West 51st Street and Broadway.
$99 per person, booked on Viator. Rating 4.9 from 394 reviews.
6 hours, one departure at 9:30 AM. Booking closes 360 minutes before the start.
Corner of West 51st Street and Broadway, in front of McDonald's, itinerary address 1651 Broadway.
Live native New Yorker guide, in English only, on the bus and on the walks.
Not hop-on hop-off. You get off three times with the guide, for 30 minutes at Washington Square Park, 30 minutes on the Brooklyn Bridge and 90 minutes at the 9/11 Memorial.
Lunch is not paid and there is no attraction entry, the tour skips the Empire State Building and the 9/11 museum. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.
Check Dates and Availability
The tour runs year-round with one departure at 9:30 AM. Booking closes 360 minutes before the start, so reserve the day before rather than at the corner.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer The short answer
This $99 nyc bus and boat tour lasts 6 hours, leaves West 51st Street and Broadway at 9:30 AM and carries up to 32 guests with a live native New Yorker guide in English.
Key takeaways
- The price includes the guide, a 1-hour boat ride by the Statue of Liberty, round-trip ferry tickets and free water on the bus. Lunch is not paid. See what the ticket covers.
- You get off three times with the guide: 30 minutes at Washington Square Park, 30 minutes on the Brooklyn Bridge and 90 minutes at the 9/11 Memorial. The route is in the stop-by-stop section.
- Want the same idea in 4 hours for less money? Look at the half-day luxury bus tour of NYC highlights instead.
- Want a bus plus a boat on your own schedule? The hop-on hop-off pass with Empire State entry and a Circle Line cruise works over two days.
What the Ticket Actually Covers
The $99 from-price buys the coach, the guide and the boat. Everything you eat and any attraction entry is your own cost.
Included in the $99
The listing is specific. A native New Yorker guide rides with you and walks with you. The luxury touring coach has a lavatory, free WiFi and charging stations, and water on the bus is free.
The boat leg is a 1-hour ride by the Statue of Liberty, and the inclusions list round-trip ferry tickets. The 40-minute lunch break is part of the itinerary, though only the break itself is included, not the food.
One Contradiction to Clear Up Before You Book
The inclusions say round-trip ferry tickets, while the itinerary calls the same hour a free ride on the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Governor's Island. The Staten Island Ferry is in fact free for everyone and takes about 25 minutes between Whitehall Terminal and St. George, so the two descriptions do not quite match. Ask the operator which boat you board when you confirm your booking.
If it is the Staten Island Ferry, you can also take the same crossing yourself any day at no cost, since it runs year round with departures on the half hour overnight.
Not Included, and What You May Spend on the Day
Lunch is the one stated exclusion, so bring money for the 40-minute break at the 9/11 Memorial. There is no attraction entry of any kind: the tour does not go into the Empire State Building and does not enter the 9/11 museum, it only passes and walks by them. There is no hotel pickup and no reserve-now-pay-later option.
Tips are not mentioned in the listing either way.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Live native New Yorker guide, in English | Yes | On the bus and on all three walks |
| Luxury coach with lavatory, WiFi and charging | Yes | Enclosed coach, up to 32 guests |
| 1-hour boat ride by the Statue of Liberty | Yes | Listed as round-trip ferry tickets, itinerary calls it the free Staten Island Ferry, confirm which boat |
| Free water on the bus | Yes | Water only, no other drinks |
| 40-minute lunch stop | The stop only | Food and drinks are not paid |
| Empire State Building or 9/11 museum entry | No | The tour passes and walks by, it does not enter |
| Hotel pickup | No | Meet at West 51st Street and Broadway |
| Lunch and any tips | No | Bring money for the meal |
Sources: MTA congestion pricing, NYC Tourism
The Brooklyn Bridge, a 30-minute walk on this tour. Photo: Luca Bravo lucabravo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Route, Stop by Stop
This is a single guided loop, not a hop-on hop-off ticket, so the order below is the order of the day. The departure is at 9:30 AM and the whole loop takes 6 hours.
Morning Drive-bys
The bus leaves 1651 Broadway at 9:30 AM and the first drive-bys are Times Square and Macy's, then Chelsea. These are views from the window, the guide narrates and nobody gets off. The coach then passes the Empire State Building and runs through Greenwich Village, Chinatown, SoHo and NoHo.
Washington Square Park, 30 Minutes
The first walk. The guide leads a short walk through the park for photo shots of the Empire State Building and the park. You do not enter the Empire State Building.
Brooklyn Bridge, 30 Minutes on the Bridge
The second walk goes onto the Brooklyn Bridge itself with the guide. Then the group returns to the waiting bus.
The Boat Ride by the Statue of Liberty
The itinerary schedules a 1-hour boat ride past the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Governor's Island, with skyline views. The inclusions call this round-trip ferry tickets and the itinerary calls it the free Staten Island Ferry. The Staten Island Ferry crossing itself takes about 25 minutes each way from Whitehall Terminal at 4 South Street, so confirm with the operator how the hour is spent and which boat you board.
9/11 Memorial, 90 Minutes with a 40-minute Lunch
The longest stop. The stop is 90 minutes and includes a 40-minute lunch and a walk-through with the guide. You buy your own food.
The museum next door is not entered.
Central Park and the End of the Day
The last leg drives past Central Park. The tour does not return to the meeting point: it ends in front of Carnegie Diner.
Who This Tour Rules Out
This listing fits travellers who want one fixed guided day in English. Several common needs point elsewhere, and each has a linked alternative.
You Want to Hop Off and on Freely
This is a single-ride loop, you cannot leave the group and rejoin later. If you want that freedom, the open-top hop-on hop-off bus with a night option sells 1 to 3 day passes on two Manhattan loops.
You Want a Shorter, Cheaper Guided Day
Six hours with a 9:30 AM start is a long morning. The half-day luxury bus tour of NYC highlights does a 4-hour coach loop with five photo stops and no boat, at a lower price.
You Need a Language Other Than English
The guide speaks English only on this tour. For Spanish, the contrasts tour of Harlem, the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn runs with a guide in Spanish and English.
You Want Attraction Entry in the Ticket
Nothing is entered here. The hop-on hop-off pass with Empire State and cruise adds 86th-floor Empire State Building admission and a Circle Line cruise to a 48-hour bus pass.
You Want a Small Private Feel
The group is up to 32, which is small by bus standards but still a shared group, and the tour is not private. There is no wheelchair access stated in the listing, so call the operator before booking if a step-free coach matters.
Cancellation Plans
Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, after that no full refund is stated. Booking closes 360 minutes before departure, so decide the day before.
Getting to the Start and What to Add
The meeting point sits in the Times Square district, and the tour finishes in front of Carnegie Diner.
Finding the Meeting Point
Meet on the corner of West 51st Street and Broadway, in front of McDonald's, at the address 1651 Broadway. The Times Square district runs from 40th to 53rd Street between 6th and 8th Avenues, and the corner sits inside it, so allow extra time for crowds. The listing notes public transportation options are nearby but does not name a subway entrance.
No pickup window is stated, so arrive before the 9:30 AM departure with margin.
Where You End Up
The tour ends in front of Carnegie Diner, not at the meeting corner. The listing gives no finish time.
Add the Free Ferry Yourself
If the boat leg turns out to be the Staten Island Ferry, you can repeat it any day for nothing. The Staten Island Ferry is free, takes about 25 minutes between Whitehall Terminal at 4 South Street and St. George, and runs every day year round, with departures on the half hour overnight.
Cheap Add-ons by City Bus
An MTA local bus or subway ride costs $3 and an express bus is $7.25, with one free transfer within two hours of paying. OMNY fare capping stops charges at $35 over 7 days on subway and local bus, and MetroCards can no longer be bought since January 1, 2026. The M15 runs up First and Second Avenues between South Ferry and East Harlem if you want the East Side, and the M4 runs along Fifth and Madison Avenues to The Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park.
Both cover ground this tour skips.
- Read the basics in the hop on hop off NYC guide before comparing passes
- For evening plans, the NYC night bus tour guide covers the open-top night options
The Day in Order
Clock times are stated only for the 9:30 AM departure. The rest follows the order and durations in the listing.
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9:30 AM
Departure from 1651 Broadway
Meet before the start at West 51st Street and Broadway in front of McDonald's. The guide boards with you and stays with the group all day. First drive-bys are Times Square and Macy's.
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Next
Chelsea and downtown Manhattan by window
The coach passes through Chelsea, then by the Empire State Building and through Greenwich Village, Chinatown, SoHo and NoHo. No getting off in this stretch.
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Then
Washington Square Park walk, 30 minutes
The guide leads a short walk in the park with photo views of the Empire State Building and the square. The tour does not enter the Empire State Building.
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Then
Brooklyn Bridge walk, 30 minutes
You step onto the Brooklyn Bridge with the guide for photos and skyline views, then return to the waiting coach.
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Then
Boat ride by the Statue of Liberty, 1 hour
The listing describes a round trip by ferry past the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Governor's Island. The itinerary calls it the free Staten Island Ferry, so confirm which boat you board.
-
Then
9/11 Memorial, 90 minutes
A 90-minute stop with a 40-minute lunch you pay for yourself and a walk-through with the guide. The museum is not entered.
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Last
Central Park drive-by and the end
The coach passes Central Park and the tour ends in front of Carnegie Diner, not at the meeting point.
What Works and What Does Not
A straight reading of the listing, with the weak points named.
What we genuinely like
- A live native New Yorker guide stays with the group for all 6 hours, on the bus and on the walks
- The coach has a lavatory, free WiFi and charging stations, for a six-hour day
- Three real walks with the guide, including 30 minutes on the Brooklyn Bridge
- The 1-hour boat leg past the Statue of Liberty is inside the $99 price
- Up to 32 guests
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start
The honest downsides
- Lunch is not paid, and the 40-minute break sits inside the 90-minute Memorial stop
- No attraction entry at all, the Empire State Building and the 9/11 museum are only passed
- The listing contradicts itself on the boat: inclusions say round-trip ferry tickets, the itinerary says the free Staten Island Ferry, confirm before you book
- The tour ends in front of Carnegie Diner and not at the meeting point
- English only, no other guide language is offered
- Booking closes 360 minutes before departure, and a full refund needs cancelling 24 hours ahead
Who it's NOT for: Travellers who need hop-on hop-off freedom, a language other than English, attraction entry in the ticket or a tour shorter than 6 hours should book a different listing.
Questions About This Tour
How much does this NYC bus and boat tour cost?
The listing price is $99 per person on Viator, with a 4.9 rating from 394 reviews. For a cheaper guided option without the boat, compare the half-day luxury bus tour of NYC highlights.
Where does the tour start and finish?
It starts at 9:30 AM at West 51st Street and Broadway in front of McDonald's, address 1651 Broadway, and ends in front of Carnegie Diner. The hop on hop off NYC map guide shows how the open-top operators mark their nearby stops.
Is the boat ride a paid cruise or the Staten Island Ferry?
The inclusions say round-trip ferry tickets, the itinerary says a free Staten Island Ferry ride past the Statue of Liberty. The Staten Island Ferry itself is free and takes about 25 minutes between Whitehall Terminal and St. George, so ask the operator to confirm which boat you board.
How much walking is involved?
Three walks with the guide: 30 minutes at Washington Square Park, 30 minutes on the Brooklyn Bridge and a walk-through at the 9/11 Memorial. The listing says all fitness levels are fine, and the bus waits at each stop.
Is lunch included in the $99?
No, the 40-minute lunch break is included but the meal is not paid, and drinks are not included either. Water on the bus is free.
Can I cancel if my plans change?
Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, and booking closes 360 minutes before departure. Some other listings are stricter, for example the New York premium hop-on hop-off bus pass is non-refundable.
Does the guide speak languages other than English?
No, this tour runs in English only. If you want Spanish, the contrasts tour of Harlem, the Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn runs with a guide in Spanish and English.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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