TopView NYC: The Premium Hop-On Hop-Off Pass

In the Price

The inclusions are the hop-on hop-off bus ticket with unlimited Downtown and Uptown access, one ride on the Brooklyn route, one ride on the Night Tour route, real-time bus tracking in the TopView app, and complimentary headphones for the audio guide. Food and drinks are the only stated exclusion, and no attraction entry is listed as included.

The description also promises a scenic Liberty Cruise from the harbor. The inclusions do not list it, although the Downtown route has a Liberty Cruise stop at West Street and Houston Street. Treat the cruise as unconfirmed and ask the operator before booking. Note that TopView's own pages disagree on whether that cruise reaches Liberty Island.

The listed price of $75 per person is the lowest option and the listing does not say which pass length it covers, so check which of the options you are buying.

Rules That Catch People Out

Two rules matter more than the price. First, all sales are final, no refund is available for cancellations. The fix is simple: book only fixed dates, or choose the Big Bus pass which lists free cancellation up to 24 hours before. Second, you must board with a digital ticket in the TopView app. Paper vouchers are not accepted, so download the app and enter your Tour Operator Confirmation Number before you reach the stop.

The listing also shows a contradiction worth knowing. TopView's FAQ says online tickets can be used up to 12 months after purchase, while its homepage says 24 months. Ask which applies to your booking.

The Downtown Loop, All 15 Stops

A full Downtown circuit takes about 3 hours if you stay on board, and TopView's own FAQ puts it closer to 2.5 hours. Buses run daily from 8:00 AM, the last full departure is at 5:30 PM, and buses leave every 20 to 25 minutes. The itinerary inside the listing says service runs to 5:45 PM while the additional info says 6:00 PM, a small mismatch inside the listing itself, so aim for the earlier time.

In order the stops are: Times Square North at 7th Ave between 47th and 48th St, Times Square South, Bryant Park, the Empire State Building on 5th Ave, the Flatiron Building, SoHo on Broadway, Canal Street, City Hall, Brookfield Place, the Liberty Cruise stop at West Street and Houston Street, Hudson Yards, the Intrepid on West 42nd St, Port Authority, the Theater District and Radio City. You can step off at any of them and rejoin a later bus.

• Stop 1 Times Square North, 7th Ave between 47th and 48th St
• Stop 2 Times Square South, 7th Ave between 40th and 41st St
• Stop 3 Bryant Park, 42nd St between 5th and 6th Ave
• Stop 4 Empire State Building, 5th Ave between 35th and 36th St
• Stop 5 Flatiron Building, 5th Ave between 22nd and 23rd St
• Stop 6 SoHo, 519 Broadway between Spring and Broome St
• Stop 7 Canal Street, Broadway off Walker St
• Stop 8 City Hall, 250 Broadway
• Stop 9 Brookfield Place, West Street and Chambers
• Stop 10 Liberty Cruise stop, West Street and Houston Street
• Stop 11 Hudson Yards, 12th Ave between 30th and 31st St
• Stop 12 The Intrepid, 660 W 42nd St
• Stop 13 Port Authority, 8th Ave between 43rd and 44th St
• Stop 14 Theater District, 8th Ave between 46th and 47th St
• Stop 15 Radio City, 7th Ave between 50th and 51st St

Uptown, Brooklyn and the Night Tour

The Uptown route runs hourly from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and takes about 2 hours for a full circuit, with stops such as the Dakota Building, the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim, the Met, Central Park Zoo and Carnegie Hall named on TopView's own map. The booking itself does not list the Uptown or Brooklyn stops.

The Brooklyn route and the night tour are nonstop, one ride each, with no hop-off. Night buses run from 6:00 PM to 12:00 AM every 30 minutes and the ride takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. Midtown traffic can stretch any loop, so treat the circuit times as a best case and keep a buffer before evening plans.

The Dealbreakers

Non-refundable terms rule out anyone with loose plans. All sales are final, so if your flight moves or the weather turns, your money stays with the operator. If that bothers you, the Big Bus pass carries free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead and 6,598 reviews to read.

No live guide rules out travellers who want questions answered and stories told. The commentary is a GPS-triggered recording through headphones. If you want a person, the half-day guided coach tour of Manhattan uses a live English guide and stops for photos.

The open top deck is weather. TopView says it runs in rain with free ponchos and lower-level seating, and fits a transparent cover in winter, but January highs sit near 39.5F (4.2C) with about 8.8 inches of average snowfall, which is not deck weather. A closed coach like the three-hour night bus with a DUMBO photo stop keeps you warm.

The night tour and Brooklyn route run with English-only audio per TopView's FAQ, and boarding needs a smartphone with the app installed. Wheelchair access is listed but not guaranteed at every stop, so confirm needs in advance. Viator lists child 3 to 12 and adult 13 to 99, and infants sit on an adult's lap.

Arriving at the Stop

The listing says public transportation options are nearby but names no subway lines, so check a live map before you set out. Have your digital ticket loaded in the TopView app, and remember paper vouchers are refused. No pickup window is stated and there is no hotel pickup.

Budget a few minutes for crowds. With around 330,000 people a day in the district, the pavement between the subway and the stop is the slowest part of the journey.

What to Add Before or After

The MTA subway and local bus fare is $3 with one free transfer within two hours, and OMNY fare capping stops charges at $35 over 7 days. The M15 runs down First and Second Avenues to South Ferry, where the free Staten Island Ferry crosses to Staten Island in about 25 minutes.

For more planning, the hop on hop off NYC map lays out how the operators' loops overlap, and the NYC night bus tour guide compares every evening ride. The full range of NYC bus tours is on the homepage.