NY: Statue of Liberty, Empire State, and Hop-on Hop-off Tour

Catch New York from three angles. This package combines a 48-hour hop-on hop-off bus, the Empire State Building, and a ferry to Liberty and Ellis Islands, giving you a useful first look at a huge city. I like the freedom to split the attractions across two days, and I like having two bus routes that cover both downtown and uptown. The main concern is timing: the Statue of Liberty ferry runs only from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, while the Empire State Building requires a booked time slot.

The $135 price can make sense if you use the bus often and visit every included sight. I also like the app with live bus tracking and the included audio commentary in several languages. But this is not a trouble-free package. Crowded buses, slow traffic, poor earbud sound, and confusion over attraction times have caused real frustration.

Key points to know before you book

• The ticket lasts 48 hours from first activation, so you can use the bus on two consecutive days rather than trying to cram everything into one.
• The Empire State Building needs advance time booking, either through the booking link on your voucher or with Big Bus staff.
• The ferry to Liberty and Ellis Islands leaves from Stop 9 at Battery Park, with service listed from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
• The Statue of Liberty monument itself is not included, only the round-trip ferry and island access if that option is selected.
• Two routes give you broad city coverage, with downtown and uptown service plus stops near Times Square, the Empire State Building, and Brooklyn Bridge.
• Traffic can eat into your sightseeing time, and full buses may force you to wait for the next one.

What this New York package actually includes

Big Bus Tours packages three familiar New York experiences into one booking: a 48-hour open-top bus ticket, entry to the Empire State Building, and a ferry ticket for Liberty and Ellis Islands when that option is selected.

The bus is the flexible part. You can board at any designated stop, ride for a while, then get off when a sight catches your eye. The downtown and uptown routes let you cover more ground than you could comfortably walk in two days, especially if this is your first visit and you want a quick sense of how the city fits together.

The Empire State Building supplies the high view. The ferry supplies the water-level view, with Lady Liberty and the Manhattan skyline in the same outing. That mix is the package’s main appeal. You see New York from the street, from above, and from the harbor.

The listed price is $135 per person, with a stated saving of 25 percent compared with buying the bundled elements at full retail. That sounds attractive, but the value depends on how much you use the bus and whether you successfully secure both attraction visits. If you only ride the bus once, visit the Empire State Building, and skip the ferry, the package becomes much less compelling.

Starting the bus tour at Times Square

You can activate the ticket in the Big Bus app by selecting Add Booking and entering your booking reference. On the day you begin, open the ticket, press Activate, and show it to the driver at any stop.

You can also redeem the voucher with Big Bus staff at 7th Avenue and West 48th Street, outside M&M’s World. This is the recommended staffed location and a sensible place to sort out the ticket before getting on. You may also activate with a driver at any route stop, but staff can be more useful if you need help with attraction reservations.

The app is worth downloading even if you prefer a paper voucher. It provides route information and real-time bus tracking, which matters in New York. A printed timetable can tell you where the bus should be, but live tracking gives you a better idea of whether waiting is sensible or whether you should walk to the next stop.

The bus includes digital commentary in English, Spanish, French, German, and Italian, with souvenir earbuds provided. The driver language is English. In practice, sound quality may be uneven. One German-speaking customer found the buses loud and the audio difficult to understand, so bring modest expectations and keep your phone map handy.

Riding the downtown route to Battery Park and Brooklyn Bridge

The downtown route is the most useful one for the classic New York sights. It takes you toward the Financial District, Battery Park, the Brooklyn Bridge area, and other central attractions. For a first orientation, sitting up top can help you connect places that look unrelated on a subway map.

The Brooklyn Bridge stop is especially useful because it puts you near one of the city’s best-known crossings. You can get off, look around, and decide how much walking you want to add. The bus lets you avoid spending the entire day on foot, but it cannot remove the need for walking at major sights.

Battery Park is the key stop for the Statue of Liberty ferry. It is listed as Stop 9, and ferry service operates from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. That limited window should shape your day. If Liberty Island matters to you, make it an early priority instead of treating it as something to fit in after lunch.

The harbor outing involves a round trip to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. You can see the Statue of Liberty up close, walk around the island, and take in views back toward Manhattan. The ferry ticket does not include entry to the statue’s monument, so do not assume this package gives you access to the pedestal or crown.

Ellis Island is included in the ferry experience, but the day can become long. One account described an hour-long wait for the return boat and decided not to continue with Ellis Island because of the delay. That is a useful warning: allow plenty of time, especially if your schedule also includes the Empire State Building.

Seeing New York from the Empire State Building

The Empire State Building visit is the package’s most straightforward attraction, provided you book your time first. Before boarding the bus, you must reserve a date and time through the Big Bus Booking Management link supplied with your voucher, or ask staff at a departure location to help.

Do not leave this step until you are standing at the building. A booking problem can turn an included ticket into a missed visit, and one customer reported being unable to secure a Statue of Liberty slot after other times had sold out. The lesson is simple: handle the time-sensitive parts before you start sightseeing.

At the Empire State Building, you ascend for wide views over Manhattan. You can spot major landmarks from above and take photographs of the city spreading in every direction. The view is the reason to come, rather than the building’s ticket alone.

The attraction received a mixed reaction in the available feedback. One person described it as fine but not especially exciting, while another called it a nice extra. I would treat it as a reliable city-view stop, not as the sole reason to buy this package.

The best planning choice is to place the Empire State Building on a different part of your two-day schedule from the ferry. That reduces the risk of a delayed bus or a long ferry queue ruining both reservations.

Using the uptown route for a broader first look

The uptown route gives you a different view of New York from the downtown loop. The package description specifically presents it as a separate route, so you should think of the two lines as orientation tools rather than one continuous ride.

Hop-on hop-off service works best when you use it selectively. Ride for a stretch to understand the city, get off at a sight you genuinely want to visit, then use the app to judge the next bus. If you remain on board for every stop, heavy traffic and pauses can make the ride feel slow.

That slow pace is not always a flaw. The open-top bus gives you a street-level view that the subway cannot provide. You can see how neighborhoods change as the route moves from one part of Manhattan to another. But if you have a tight attraction schedule, walking or using the subway may be faster for individual journeys.

Full buses are another practical issue. A German customer found that some buses were too crowded to board and required waiting for the next one. Build spare time into your plan, particularly before the Empire State Building and the ferry.

How to plan the two days without rushing

The ticket is valid for 48 hours from first activation, during operating hours. You do not need to take the attractions in a fixed order, and the tours may be taken on separate days.

A sensible plan looks like this:

Day one: downtown and the harbor

Activate the ticket in the morning, then take the downtown route toward Battery Park. Aim for the ferry while service is running, rather than waiting until late afternoon. After Liberty Island and Ellis Island, use the bus for Battery Park, the Financial District, or the Brooklyn Bridge area.

Keep the afternoon flexible. The ferry may involve queues, and the trip can take longer than expected. If you have a fixed Empire State Building time, leave a generous gap rather than trying to step off the boat and rush straight across Manhattan.

Day two: uptown and the Empire State Building

Use the uptown route for a wider city tour, then get off near Times Square or the Empire State Building when your reservation approaches. You can also use the bus to revisit a neighborhood or sight you skipped on the first day.

This arrangement protects the ferry from the most common scheduling problem: trying to fit it into a day already packed with bus rides and a skyscraper visit.

The bike rental discount adds another option. You receive one free hour when you rent one hour, but the package information does not specify the rental location or bike terms. Consider it a bonus rather than a central part of your plan.

The biggest weakness: transport is not always fast

New York traffic is part of the experience, but it is also the reason this package can disappoint. The bus moves through crowded streets, stops at designated points, and may pause for several minutes at each stop. One account reported waits of five to ten minutes at stops and slow progress between sights.

That matters because the 48-hour ticket sounds generous, yet time disappears quickly when the bus crawls. The hop-on hop-off format works best for sightseeing and orientation, not for getting across Manhattan on a strict timetable.

You may also find the upper deck noisy, especially in heavy traffic. Poor audio can make the commentary hard to follow, and crowded buses reduce the relaxed feeling that makes this type of tour appealing.

The staff received kinder treatment than the logistics. One account described the drivers and staff as pleasant, even while criticizing the queues, sound, and crowded vehicles. That distinction is worth keeping in mind: helpful people cannot always solve traffic or capacity problems.

Ticket mistakes and attraction reservations need care

The most serious complaints involve ticket handling. One customer received tickets with incorrect dates and was sent between the bus company and the attraction. That person ultimately paid again to avoid missing the visits. Another customer could not contact the company and had to buy replacement passes.

I would protect yourself by checking every date and time immediately after activation. Confirm the Empire State Building reservation, confirm the ferry option is included in your booking, and keep the booking reference available in the app.

The Statue of Liberty is especially important. Ferry availability can fill up, and the package does not guarantee that every preferred time will remain open. If the statue is your main reason for booking, make that reservation as soon as the voucher allows and do not assume the bus ticket automatically secures a ferry departure.

The overall rating is 3.7 out of 5 from 163 ratings, which fits the pattern here. The attractions themselves can deliver memorable views, but the experience depends heavily on capacity, traffic, and careful planning.

Who will get the most value from $135

I think this package suits a first-time New York visitor who wants a broad introduction without arranging every ticket separately. It is also useful if you value the ability to change plans and want two days of bus access rather than a single sightseeing ride.

Families and older visitors may appreciate the chance to rest between major stops, though crowded buses and queues can work against that comfort. The wheelchair-accessible service is an important plus, but attraction access and ferry arrangements should still be confirmed when booking.

The package is less suitable if you already know New York well, prefer walking and subway travel, or want a tightly timed day. It is also a poor fit if you mainly want the Statue of Liberty monument itself, since monument entry is not included.

At $135, I would buy it only if I planned to use both bus routes, visit the Empire State Building, and take the ferry. The stated 25 percent bundle saving is useful when all three parts are used. It is not much of a bargain if one attraction sells out or if traffic leaves you riding less than expected.

Should you book this New York combination?

Book it if you want a simple two-day framework, enjoy open-top city views, and are willing to reserve the Empire State Building and ferry early. The combination of street views, a high lookout, and a harbor trip gives you a clear introduction to New York.

Skip it if you dislike waiting, need precise transport times, or are buying mainly for monument access. My practical advice is to activate early, check every date, make the Empire State Building reservation before riding, and put the Statue of Liberty ferry near the start of your first day.

Used that way, the package can be a useful city sampler. Used casually, it can become an expensive pass for slow buses and attractions you never reach.

FAQ

How long is the hop-on hop-off ticket valid?

The bus ticket is valid for 48 hours from the time you first activate it, during operating hours.

Which bus routes are included?

The package includes two hop-on hop-off routes, the downtown route and the uptown route.

Where can I activate the ticket?

You can activate it in the Big Bus app, with a driver at any stop, or with Big Bus staff at 7th Avenue and West 48th Street outside M&M’s World.

Is the Statue of Liberty ferry included?

The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry is included if that option is selected with your booking.

Is entry to the Statue of Liberty monument included?

No. The package does not include entry to the Statue of Liberty monument.

Where does the ferry leave from?

The ferry operates from Stop 9 at Battery Park.

What time does the Statue of Liberty ferry operate?

The listed ferry operating hours are from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Do I need to reserve a time for the Empire State Building?

Yes. You must book a date and time before boarding the bus, using the Big Bus Booking Management link on your voucher or asking staff at a departure location.

Can I take the included activities on separate days?

Yes. The tours and attraction visits may be taken on separate days within the relevant validity and operating times.