I’m a sucker for a guided tour. I seek them out, even in my hometown, as I always learn new things when a professional guide is pointing them out.
New York Cityoffers several different kinds of guided tours – from buses, to water cruises, to pedi-cabs and horse-drawn carriage rides through Central Park, NYC has guided tours to meet everyone’s interests. But I’m pretty sure we had the most unique tour of them all. We took a night tour of Midtown and Times Square via The Ride.
The Ride is an interactive 90-minute bus tour. Rather than traditional bus seating, you are facing the left side of the bus, which is all windows in a stadium style setting. Hosted by 2 funny guys – ok, their pretty much comedians – and a bus that talks, you are in for a show. The tour combines quizzes, sing-a-longs, and surprises all along the way.
I really don’t want to give away what makes the ride so unique, but keep your eyes open for some New York characters on the streetsthat add to the fun.
Having done a few other New York City tours, I found The Ride to be both interesting and entertaining. We saw a ton of great sites and learned a great deal about the city. But because you never knew what was coming next, it really added to the experience over a traditional tour. I traveled with both my mother and my teenage daughter and all three of us felt it was one of the most fun things we did on our trip.
The Ride is a reasonable tour that starts and finishes near Times Square. They do offer a daytime ride, but the lights of the city added to the experience, so I recommend a night tour. It’s a popular attraction, so make sure to reserve your seats in advance. And lastly, get into it – have fun – and shout out the answers! The Ride rewards with prizes too!Learn more about our trip to NYC with a Teenager:
#13inNYC: New York City with a Teen
New York Pass: Is it Worth It?
#13inNYC: New York City with a Teen
New York Pass: Is it Worth It?
My family and I were invited to take a tour on The Ride and provided tickets. I was not paid to write this post. All opinions are my own.
I like the seating you show here- forces the kids to look outward and not at the back of the seat in front ( or their Handheld device). Great idea for a tour bus.
I am with you on the guided tours! I love hearing interesting things about a new city that I might not have heard before.