New York Night Bus Tours
Hours, prices and access verified by the New York Night Tours team — last checked 2026-09-27.
New York Night bus tours come in two kinds: an open-top double-decker that loops Midtown with no stops, and a closed-top bus that lets you out. In summer, choose the later start.
Night buses from Midtown
★★★★★ 4.6 (338 reviews · 3 hours)
Closed-top busTwo stops on foot, 10 and 20 min8th Ave at 49th StMax 34 people
A climate-controlled closed-top bus from 8th Avenue at 49th Street for three hours, with a local guide and two stops on foot: ten minutes in Midtown and 20 in Dumbo, across the Manhattan Bridge. Strollers are fine; up to 34 aboard.
From $45 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★☆ 4.4 (3,123 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes)
Open-top double-deckerNo stops: all from the bus7th Ave at 47th St6pm or 8pm: take 8pm in summer
Ninety minutes on the open top deck from 7th Avenue at 47th Street, with a live guide and no stops. It leaves at 6pm and 8pm every day; from April to September only the 8pm bus finishes in the dark.
From $59 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★★ 4.6 (663 reviews · 4 hours 30 minutes)
Closed-top bus8 stops of 15 to 30 min7th Ave at 50th StDecember only
December only: four and a half hours by bus from 7th Avenue at 50th Street, with eight stops on foot of 15 to 30 minutes. Guided walks inside Grand Central and along the High Line, for up to 15 people.
From $89 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★☆ 4.2 (343 reviews · 2 hours)
Open-top double-deckerFrom the top deck, no stops7th Ave at 48th StMax 100 people
Two hours on an open-top double-decker from M&M'S World at 7th Avenue and 48th Street, with a live guide in English and a beer or wine at the end. It has a wheelchair lift; no food, drink or luggage on board.
From $67 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Three hours by closed-top bus, with two stops on foot
A local guide, ten minutes in the heart of Midtown and 20 in Dumbo across the river, for $45 a person from 8th Avenue.
See this tour
What a night bus tour of New York is
It is the lit streets of Manhattan seen from a seat, with a guide telling you what they are.
There are two kinds, and they suit different people. The open-top double-deckers loop the lit
streets for 90 minutes or two hours, and you stay on the top deck the whole time.
The closed-top buses run for three hours or more and let you out at a few stops.
Neither open-top bus lets you get off along the way and back on later. Each runs one
continuous loop from Times Square and back, so what you see is what passes the top deck. If
you want to walk up to something, you want a closed-top bus.
The start time matters more on a bus than on any other ride. TopView leaves at 6pm and 8pm
all year, and in mid-June the sun does not set until 8:29pm. The 6pm bus is back an hour
before sunset. From November to mid-February it leaves in the dark.
Why choose a night bus tour
It starts where you already are
Every bus leaves from a kerb in Midtown, between 47th and 51st Streets. You can walk to it from
most hotels, and you finish back in the same few blocks.
The open top deck
On the double-deckers nothing sits between you and the signs of Times Square or the towers
overhead. It is the ride for looking straight up, and the live guide keeps up a running story.
Stops you can walk
The closed-top bus stops for ten minutes in the heart of Midtown and for 20 in Dumbo, where
the Manhattan Bridge frames the skyline. The December holiday bus makes eight stops of 15 to
30 minutes, with guided walks inside Grand Central and along the High Line.
Heat, cooling and a roof
The closed-top buses are climate-controlled, so rain or a cold snap does not spoil the
evening. On the open decks you dress for the weather instead.
Open-top vs closed-top night bus tours
The two kinds of bus are sold under the same words, but they are different evenings. Here is
how they compare.
| Open-top double-decker | Closed-top bus |
|---|
| Length | 90 minutes or 2 hours | 3 hours; 4.5 hours in December |
| Stops on foot | None | Two, or eight on the holiday bus |
| Seat | Open deck, first come, first served | Heated and cooled cabin |
| Start time | 6pm or 8pm; two times on the other | Shown when you book |
| People aboard | Up to 65 or 100 | Up to 34, or 15 in December |
| Wheelchair | Access listed; ask ahead | Not suitable |
| Fare | $59 to $67 a person | $45 to $89 a person |
Check availability from $45
For the lights overhead and a shorter evening, take an open top, and in summer take the later
one. For time on your feet and a view back at the skyline, the closed-top bus is the better
buy, and our one-evening plan for the city shows how to fit it round dinner.
What you get, and what you don't
- Always: the bus, a live guide and the loop through Midtown.
- On the closed-top bus: bottled water, photo stops and a crossing of the
Manhattan Bridge to Dumbo.
- On Big Bus: one beer or wine at Planet Hollywood at the end, and recorded
commentary in six more languages.
- In December: the holiday bus, with its guided walks and water on board.
- Never: a pickup, or getting off and back on. No food, drink or luggage on
Big Bus, and no restrooms on TopView.
- Not included: tips, and anything you buy at the stops.
Take the 8pm open top in summer
Ninety minutes on the top deck from 7th Avenue, with a live guide and nothing between you and the lights, for $59 a person.
Check availability
Planning a night bus tour
- Budget: $45 to $89 a person. The dearest is the December holiday bus,
which runs four and a half hours.
- Where: TopView boards on 7th Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets, Big Bus
outside M&M'S World at 48th Street, the closed-top bus on 8th Avenue at 49th Street, and the
holiday bus on 7th Avenue at 50th Street. All four are on our meeting-points map.
- When: a 6pm start is dark from about November to mid-February and daylight
from April to August; see the sunset and dark times by month.
- Arriving: 15 to 30 minutes early for Big Bus and 20 to 30 for the holiday
bus. Seats on the open decks are first come, first served.
- Booking: every bus here refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead.
The sights on the loops are described in the landmarks after dark, and what to expect on the night covers the start, the
stops and getting back.
Who should choose something else
- If you use a wheelchair and want the stops. The closed-top buses say they
are not suitable. Big Bus lists a lift, and TopView asks you to contact it ahead.
- If you want to walk the lit streets. The Manhattan night tours spend the whole evening
on foot, with a guide beside you.
- If you want the harbor. No bus goes near the statue. The
night boat tours sail past it at sunset.
- If you want the skyline from across a river. The closed-top bus gives you
20 minutes in Dumbo; the skyline night tours give you an hour or more.
- If you visit in June and can only go at 6pm. Book a sunset cruise instead:
it keeps pace with the sun, and a 6pm bus does not.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get off the open-top bus and back on later?
No. TopView runs one 90-minute loop with no stops, and Big Bus says its two-hour night tour is one continuous loop. For time on foot, take the closed-top bus, which stops in Midtown and in Dumbo.
Which open-top bus should I take in summer?
TopView's 8pm departure. In mid-June the sun sets at 8:29pm and it is dark by 9:02pm, so the 6pm bus is back before sunset while the 8pm bus finishes in the dark.
Is the open-top bus cold at night?
It can be, because you sit on an open deck for the whole ride. Bring a layer even in summer, and a warm, windproof coat from November; the closed-top bus is heated and cooled.
Is it dark on a 6pm night tour?
Only from about November to mid-February. In June the sun sets about 8:30pm and it is fully dark about 9pm, so a 6pm bus is back before sunset and the 8pm one is the bus to take. In early December it has been dark since about 5pm.
Which night tours stop in Dumbo?
The Dumbo and Long Island City skyline tour spends about 70 minutes there, and ExperienceNYC's closed-top bus stops for 20 minutes. The Spanish-guided lights tour and one Dyker Heights coach also stop there.
Do night tours run in the rain?
Most cruises, buses and walks run rain or shine, and the open decks and bus tops are outside, so bring a layer that sheds water. Flights and some vans may be cancelled for bad weather, and then the operator offers a new date or a full refund.
Can I cancel a New York night tour?
Almost every tour refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before it starts. The private night flight by plane is non-refundable, and its card says so. Operators may also cancel for bad weather or too few bookings, then offer a new date or a full refund.