NYC Bus Tour of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens: Contrasts, Color and Character
4.9

NYC Bus Tour of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens: Contrasts, Color and Character

By ExperienceFirst
Recommended by 98% of travelers
98% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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Free cancellation • Full refund if cancelled up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time).
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Ages 0-99, max of 50 per group
Duration: 6h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More

Highlights

  • Comfortable bus ride through four of NYC’s boroughs
  • Entertaining and expert local guide to point out highlights and share the history and travel tips
  • Stories from Harlem’s African-American history and Brooklyn’s Hasidic Jewish community
  • Visit to two of Manhattan's favorite neighborhoods: Chinatown and Little Italy
  • Photo ops at Unisphere, murals, and the Brooklyn Bridge
What's not included
  • Gratuities


Start:
  • 840 8th Ave, New York, NY 10019, USA
    Meet at the corner of 8th Avenue and 51 Street. The closest address is 840 8th Avenue. Your guide will be wearing an orange hat AND/OR a blue top or jacket.
End:
  • Lafayette Street & Canal Street, Lafayette St & Canal St, New York, NY 10013, USA
    This tour ends in between Little Italy and Chinatown in Manhattan

  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5250P50

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Most travelers can participate
  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers

  • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 5250P50

From
$84.00
per adult
Select date and travelers

Similar experiences

Itinerary
  • 840 8th Ave, New York, NY 10019, USA
    Meet at the corner of 8th Avenue and 51 Street. The closest address is 840 8th Avenue. Your guide will be wearing an orange hat AND/OR a blue top or jacket.
  • 1
    Pass by
    Yankee Stadium
  • 2
    Pass by
    The Hamptons
  • 3
  • 4
    Pass by
    Williamsburg
  • 5
  • 6
  • Lafayette St & Canal St, New York, NY 10013, USA
    This tour ends in between Little Italy and Chinatown in Manhattan
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
  • ExperienceFirst
    4.9 of 5 bubbles35,761
    New York City, New York
    Joined in May 2009
  • gjco714
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    SoHo, Little Italy, and Chinatown Walking Tour in New York
    This tour covers a lot of ground, about 2 miles in a little over 2 hours according to our guide. Angela, our guide, was very informative and kept us entertained throughout the tour. These 3 areas of NY have a lot of history, and I think Angela was able to provide some of the more significant and interesting selections. Two impressions stand out for me; Angelas' passion for the history of these areas and her actual commitment to frequent them to provide the visitor with up-to-date recommendations on places like restaurants, bars, and shops to come to check out in a timelier way. Overall, a good tour that basically wraps up 2-3 tours in one.
    Written March 24, 2025
  • stevefL353EI
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent Tour Guiding From Charlie
    Charlie was a great tour guide! He was informative and well-versed on the topic of the Statue of Liberty. He was energetic and kept everyone engaged.
    Written March 24, 2025
  • ameliapY3267TY
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Ground 0 tour
    We did the 9/11 Ground Zero Tour, our tour guide was Paul, and he was so amazing. He had his own personal experience which he shared, and you could tell how much New York and being able to give a tour regarding 9/11 means to him. I had been to ground 0 before but never done the tour, and I am so glad I did.
    Written March 24, 2025
  • eminaz2024
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    9/11 Memorial Tour
    We took the 9/11 Memorial and Museum Insider Tour through ExperienceFirst and Paul Kelly was a fabulous tour guide who shared interesting and intriguing information about 9/11 and the events of that day. He was considerate of the group and the weather, remembered where many of us where visiting from, and offered his own remembrances from that difficult day.
    Written March 24, 2025
  • Voyager01656207327
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Private 9/11 Ground Zero Walking Tour - Nicola was a great guide
    We were a school class of 22 people who had a fantastic guided tour where the guide Nicola spoke very enthusiastically and knowledgeable about 9/11 and about his own background and experiences on the day of the attack. He captured us all with his engaging stories. We can only give the tour our best recommendations.
    Written March 24, 2025
  • sophienU3188GS
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best Ellis island and Statue of Liberty tour
    Charlie was a fantastic guide for us! Really great fun and brought our experience alive for us. Thoroughly recommend to book experience first but ask for Charlie too!
    Written March 23, 2025
  • GoPlaces528233
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mindy C. was our terrific tour guide !!
    Mindy C. was our fantastic tour guide. So knowledgeable and experienced! She was very patient, and clearly knew all the in and outs of getting around. She also had great insights on the history and in putting in context the importance of the significance of the city’s most iconic sights. Thank you Mindy !!
    Written March 23, 2025
  • 753lynp
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Timothy K is the best!
    Fantastic tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island; really enjoyable, in no small part down to our guide Timothy K - he was so informative and engaging and easy to listen to that it made the whole day so much better.
    Written March 23, 2025
  • lesleyf893
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent four hours
    Was a really great day. Helped along by Charlie our tour guide. Very informative & fun. Left us with some local knowledge of eateries as well. A very enjoyable day. My only criticism was not of our guide but the instructions on where to meet. The location is having some restoration work & wasn’t easy to find. There were a couple of girls hanging around the entrance but we didn’t know they were there to check us in & point us over to our guide. It was only when I went over to ask a person in one of the groups she pointed them out. We weren’t the only ones that had the same issue.
    Written March 23, 2025
  • edchair
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Timothy Led a Great Tour
    Our tour was exceptional. Our tour guide, Timothy Koch, was very knowledgeable and professional. He answered all of our questions and also gave us plenty of time to investigate on our own. It was a great tour facilitated by a great guide.
    Written March 23, 2025
  • davidlW4624KK
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonder tour thru an interesting neighborhood
    An amazing walk thru a wonderful neighborhood with lots of information and culture mixed throughout. Our tour guide Dave did a wonderful job and answered a lot of questions and gave wonderful recommendation for places to eat after the tour!
    Written March 23, 2025
  • JosephT2505
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Definitely worth doing!
    What a fantastic way to learn about the history of the city - SOHO, Little Italy and Chinatown. Our guide Tim was excellent and did a great job conveying his knowledge. We highly recommend this walk.
    Written March 23, 2025
  • sonovascu01
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Broadway outdoor experience!
    Although my wife's perception was that tour will show at least a backstage experience in one broadway theater, the tour was very informative and the guide was very enjoyable. Thank you so much Verena!
    Written March 22, 2025
  • Curious19523487983
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Steve was amazing
    Steve was an excellent tour guide. We learned so much about the history of the area, and he had great food recommendations. Definitely would recommend this tour!
    Written March 22, 2025
  • 730maryannh
    0 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hudson Yards- past , present and future
    The tour was exceptional. Justin our tour guide was so very knowledgeable and entertaining. You can sense just how much he appreciates all that the city has to offer. I would highly recommend it.
    Written March 22, 2025
See all 35,761 reviews
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.9
4.9 of 5 bubbles2,245 reviews
Excellent
2,112
Very good
95
Average
19
Poor
9
Terrible
10

These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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Facundo M
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2025 • Family
When my family and I started lining up to enter the tour bus first thing in the morning, my mom said: "From looking at that guy's smile, I can tell he must be a happy man". We didn't know it yet, but his name was Tom and we had got the fortune to be rounded up with his group for our bus tour around New York. He and his smile would accompany us for the rest of the day. Tom was incredibly passionate and energetic all along the ride. He always came up with one way to entertain his passengers. He knew all the relevant info of the places we were visiting first-hand, as he has been a Yankee (yes, in baseball too) all his life. Moreover, he told great jokes and played iconic music in the right occasions. Besides the more touristy places like the Apollo Theatre or the Yankee Stadium, Tom offered us an immersive, mini side quest in the middle of the tour to see some street art and eat in some great local businesses of the Bushwick neighborhood in Brooklyn. It was a great lunch break as it allowed us to witness first-hand how life is at lesser-known parts of New York. Tom has evidently got tons of experience in delivering this kind of tours, which allowed him to pay great attention to detail too; knowing that all of the squad he was leading came from non-english-speaking countries, he took great care in explaining things slowly and clearly, so that even those who would have trouble understanding an average american speaking at a normal pace could get what he was saying perfectly. Having a guide who is able to speak for 6 hours straight without any of his words sounding superfluous or being a filler is something you don't get very often (in fact, you cannot find it in the majority of most-known NY tours like Harbor Lights, which is a boat ride of two hours where only 10 minutes of the guide's words must have been worth something). To sum up, if you are interested in a tour surrounding New York and passing by the outer boroughs' highlights and hidden gems, make sure you book this one with Tom as your guide. And if you are not sure you are interested in this tour, just take into account: for all I know, there's no Tom in any of the others. Thank you Tom for a fantastic tour. Best regards from your argentinian passengers!
Written March 7, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Vanessa
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Family
I went on a tour with my mom on May 16. It was our first time in NYC and the first tour we took after arriving. We enjoyed it a lot. The six-hour bus tour around the city, with several stopovers to take in the views and snap photos, was well worth it. My mom is elderly, so not having to walk long distances was exactly what she needed. On top of that, our guide, Ray, was amazing. He shared fun facts while on the bus and made jokes to keep the atmosphere lively. He was enthusiastic throughout the entire trip. Many thanks to him and our driver for that day, Mark. I'm attaching the group photo that Ray took.
Written May 23, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

angelvivy
Naples, Italy196 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Couples
Tour to say the least compelling, this Tour tells you the true story of New York .. makes you understand how New York is not only Manhattan but much more. Each neighborhood has its own history and peculiarities. Guide Chris explained everything to her perfectly, professional and fun at the same time, he took pictures of everyone in the most salient points .. I recommend everyone to do it, going alone you will not appreciate anything you are seeing. However the milestone of this tour is the DUMBO although I really enjoyed everything.
Automatically translated
Written October 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eva S
9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Couples
I took a bus tour in NYC with my partner to explore some lesser-known areas where locals live: The Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn. The tour was conducted in English by Jorge, and he did an amazing job. He's a true professional, sharing a wealth of information with a great sense of humor. He also gave excellent advice. I highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to discover other parts of New York City and see how most New Yorkers live. It's a great way to gain a better understanding of the city beyond the usual tourist spots. The bus driver's driving was also commendable.
Written January 29, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ian C
13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Family
We did our NYC Bus Tour of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens with Chris. First and foremost, from the very start Chris was the nicest and most engaging guy you could ever meet. A man proud of his heritage, his home. You would think a 6 hour tour could become a little tedious but not at all, Chris kept us engaged the entire time with his knowledge of history. We got to see the Apollo Theater in Harlem, where many famous people have performed. Taken to the Bronx and shown the wall art, murals and the stories behind some of them. Culturally important stories, stories about artists, people whom have been the subject of miscarriages of justice. We got to see the area where celebrities grew up before they were famous.

We then saw where the US Tennis open takes place in Queens before being taken to Brooklyn where we were given time to eat, drink and explore. Here you see a stark contrast to Manhattan. It is like you are in a completely different country but there is a vibe, an ambience here and a very relaxed way of life. Sure it's not as big and imposing as Manhattan but you see more wall art, pieces created by the people.

You are also taken to Washington Street to see that famous view of the Manhattan Bridge.

All in all, I would very much recommend this tour if you want to see a bit of NY that is a world away from the lights, the sounds, smells (and crazy characters of Manhattan).

Hope that you get Chris as your guide. He is awesome! :)
Written August 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chinnesa H
Phoenix, AZ11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Couples
If you’re only in Manhattan for a few days and you want to get a glimpse of the surrounding areas, I highly recommend doing this six hour bus tour. Our tour guide, Solange Rodriguez, was enthusiastic and knowledgeable. She packs a lot of information in this BBQ ( Brooklyn, The Bronx and Queens) experience, which also included a quick stop in Harlem. The large air conditioned bus was very comfortable and it even had an onboard bathroom. Solange was very well informed on the locations that we visited. Her presentation was interesting to listen to and we learned a lot about New York City history. Kudos to the bus driver just for being able to navigate that kind of traffic, road construction and pedestrians. All the communities that we visited had their own unique stories and history which Solange effortlessly explained, and she was also able to answer questions that we had as well. There were numerous stops along the way for some outstanding photo opps which she graciously volunteered to assist with. Oh another pro tip make sure you wear comfortable shoes. Be advised your tour does not end where it starts. We did have to find our way back to our original starting point.
Written July 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Inspire608072
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
The tour is great. We were able to tour NY’s iconic neighborhoods beyond Manhattan and our Tony Guide was outstanding. It is definitely a tour that I recommend to anyone who wants to take a more complete picture of New York City
Automatically translated
Written October 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pam4242
Asheville, NC6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Family
This tour exceeded our expectations. James was an outstanding tour guide with great knowledge and understanding of the areas and Alan was an outstanding driver, which can be a daunting task with a large bus, small spaces and crazy NY drivers. I recommend this tour to anyone traveling to NYC because James gives a terrific insight into the unique areas.
Written November 24, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Eduardo D
10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2025 • Couples
We did the tour on our last day in NY. The tour was very interesting, since we visited some sites that we didn’t plan to go to. Our guide, Chris Lee, was very funny and known a lot about the city and the NY culture. Although we enjoyed the tour, we recommend to do it on your first day at NY, since it gives a background and a overview about the city.
Written March 2, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your experience! We're so glad you enjoyed the tour and Chris's insights into the city and its culture. We appreciate your helpful recommendation to take the tour on the first day—it’s a great way to get an overview of New York. We hope you had a fantastic time during the rest of your visit!
Written March 4, 2025
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Ðèépäk M
Taipei, Taiwan13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2024 • Solo
I recently took the NYC Bus Tour of Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens with James as our tour guide and Wang as our bus driver, and it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. James's knowledge and passion for the city were evident throughout the tour.

He provided insightful commentary, historical anecdotes, and engaging stories that brought each neighborhood to life. His friendly demeanor and willingness to answer questions made the tour both informative and enjoyable.Wang, our bus driver, was equally impressive. His professionalism, punctuality, and safe driving skills ensured a smooth and comfortable journey.

Despite the bustling streets of New York City, Wang navigated through traffic with ease, allowing us to focus on the sights and sounds of each borough.

Together, James and Wang made a fantastic team, creating a memorable and immersive tour that showcased the contrasts, colors, and character of Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens. We highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a comprehensive and enriching exploration of New York City's diverse neighborhoods.
Written April 6, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

NYC Bus Tour of Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens: Contrasts, Color and Character provided by ExperienceFirst

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