NYC Bundle: Empire State, Big Bus Tour, and Circle Line Cruise

The clever part of this package is that it covers New York from three useful angles: street level by open-top bus, high above Midtown at the Empire State Building, and from the Hudson River aboard Circle Line. You can connect Times Square, SoHo, Chinatown, Wall Street, Central Park, and other major sights without planning every subway ride.

I like the wide route coverage and the freedom to hop off near sights that catch your eye. I also like that the Circle Line and Empire State Building can be used on separate days, which takes pressure off a crowded schedule. The catch is timing: buses may stop earlier than you expect, and finding the correct pickup point after walking around can take patience.

Key points to know before booking

• Three classic New York views: See the city from a sightseeing bus, the Empire State Building, and the Hudson River.
• Two useful bus loops: One route covers Lower Manhattan and the Hudson waterfront, while another reaches Rockefeller Center, Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Carnegie Hall.
• Cruise choice matters: The Liberty Midtown Cruise lasts 60 minutes, while the Landmarks Cruise lasts 90 minutes.
• Use the package flexibly: The Empire State Building and Circle Line cruise can be scheduled on different days.
• Audio support is broad: Circle Line offers commentary in nine languages, and Big Bus offers six.
• Plan your return carefully: Bus service can wind down around late afternoon, so do not leave your ride home until the last minute.

What the $99 package actually gives you

At $99 per person, this is not simply a bus ticket. It groups three familiar New York attractions into one purchase: the Empire State Building, Big Bus sightseeing, and a Circle Line cruise.

That can be good value if you plan to use all three parts. Buying separate experiences can take more time and may cost more, though the exact value depends on how much of the bus service you use and which cruise you select.

The package is especially useful during a first visit, when you want a quick sense of the city before choosing where to spend more time. The bus route gives you a broad map of Manhattan. The Empire State Building gives you a high viewpoint. The boat shows you the skyline from the water, where the city’s shape makes more sense.

The advertised duration is approximately 1 hour 30 minutes, but the package includes components that operate on different schedules. The Circle Line cruise alone lasts either 60 or 90 minutes, and the bus portion is designed around stops rather than one fixed ride. Treat the duration figure as a guide for one part of the booking, not as the total time needed to use everything.

The package is booked, on average, about 23 days ahead. That suggests you should reserve early if your dates are fixed, particularly for a short New York visit.

Begin near Times Square, then find your bearings

The main activation point is at 7th Avenue and West 48th Street, outside M&M’S New York. This is close to Times Square, so it is easy to pair your first ride with a look at the bright signs and theaters along Broadway.

Times Square itself is also a stop at West 42nd Street and Broadway. It is a useful place to begin because you can see the area on foot, then return to the bus route without crossing much of Midtown.

You can activate the ticket in the Big Bus app by adding your booking reference. On the day you ride, open the ticket and press Activate before showing it to the driver. You can also redeem the voucher with Big Bus staff at the M&M’S location or with a driver at any stop.

The app provides route information and live bus tracking. Use it. Pickup points are not always obvious once you have wandered several blocks away, and the signs do not always make the boarding locations clear. I would save the app instructions before leaving your hotel and keep the booking reference easy to reach.

Midtown landmarks from the Empire State Building to the Flatiron

The Empire State Building stop is at Fifth Avenue and West 32nd Street, near Koreatown. This is one of the strongest parts of the package because the building is not just an observation point. It also puts you in a useful part of Midtown, close to Korean restaurants and the busy shopping streets around Fifth Avenue.

The exact entry procedure is handled when you redeem the attraction, so check the instructions connected to your booking. The Empire State Building and Circle Line cruise do not have to happen on the same day, which is helpful. You might visit the building early in your trip, then save the cruise for a clearer afternoon.

The Flatiron stop at Fifth Avenue and West 23rd Street brings you to one of Manhattan’s most recognizable corners. The stop is near Eisenberg’s Sandwich Shop, giving you a simple landmark for orientation. From here, the route shifts from office-heavy Midtown toward older commercial streets and neighborhoods.

You should not expect the bus to provide a detailed visit at every stop. It is a sightseeing connector. Get off when a neighborhood interests you, then allow extra time to find the route again.

SoHo, Chinatown, and Brooklyn Bridge

The SoHo stop is at West Broadway and Spring Street, in front of the Nike store. This is a good place to leave the bus if you want cast-iron buildings, shopping streets, and a change from Midtown’s large avenues.

The Chinatown and Little Italy stop is near Walker Street at 100 Lafayette Street. It puts you near two districts with very different moods and food traditions. The value here is not just transport. The route lets you sample several parts of Lower Manhattan without committing a full day to one neighborhood.

The Brooklyn Bridge stop is at Park Row and Beekman Street. This is close to the Manhattan side of the bridge and also near the Civic Center. If you want to walk across the bridge, check the time before getting off. The bus may not run late enough to make a long walk and an easy return trip.

This is one reason I would use the bus early in the day. You can leave at the Brooklyn Bridge, explore, and still have room to change plans. If you wait until late afternoon, the service may be reduced or finished before you are ready to return.

Wall Street, the Statue of Liberty area, and the World Trade Center

The Wall Street stop is listed near Wall Street and the Statue of Liberty route area. Trinity Church, at Trinity Place and Cedar Street, is the designated stop for the Statue of Liberty portion of the route. Pay close attention here because New York has several sightseeing companies using similar waterfront locations.

Do not assume a person near Battery Park represents this package. Keep your mobile ticket open and confirm that you are following Big Bus and Circle Line directions. One practical problem in this part of town is that several companies operate similar-looking services, and the wrong advice can send you toward a different cruise or an unwanted ticket purchase.

The World Trade Center stop is at Church Street and Vesey Street, across from the Post Office. This is a convenient point for the memorial area and the surrounding downtown streets. As with the other stops, the bus gets you close, but your visit on foot is your own time.

The Lower Manhattan section works best as a half-day outline. You can ride from Midtown, step off around the bridge or Wall Street, and continue toward the World Trade Center. If you also want the cruise that day, watch the clock closely.

Pier 57, Hudson Yards, and the Circle Line connection

The bus route continues north to Pier 57, at 11th Avenue between West 15th and West 16th Streets. The stop is across from Pier 57 and in front of the NBC building.

From there, the route reaches 20 Hudson Yards at 12th Avenue and West 30th Street. This gives you access to one of the newer parts of Manhattan, with broad avenues and large modern buildings. The stop is useful if you want to connect the older downtown route with the Hudson waterfront.

The Circle Line stop is at 12th Avenue and West 40th Street, opposite Pier 81. The actual Circle Line cruises operate from Pier 83 at 42nd Street in Hudson River Park. The nearest Big Bus stop is the Circle Line Sightseeing stop, listed as Stop 12 on the relevant route information.

This wording matters. You are not simply stepping off the bus and boarding at the same curb. Allow time to walk to the correct pier and confirm the departure point.

Choosing between the 60-minute and 90-minute cruise

The Liberty Midtown Cruise lasts 60 minutes. It is the better choice if your day is packed and you want a quick water view of Midtown and the harbor area.

The Landmarks Cruise lasts 90 minutes. Choose it if you want a longer ride and can spare the extra half hour. The longer option is not automatically better for every schedule. A 60-minute cruise can fit neatly between the Empire State Building and an evening plan.

On board, you will find an indoor seating area with large windows, an outdoor deck, air conditioning, restrooms, and a café with a full bar. That combination makes the boat practical in changing weather and gives you the choice of sitting inside or stepping outside for photographs.

Recorded audio is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. This is not a small detail. The commentary can make the skyline easier to understand, especially if you do not already know which buildings and waterfront sites you are looking at.

The second bus route reaches Central Park

A separate route begins near the Hope Sculpture at 7th Avenue and West 53rd Street, in front of Chase Bank. It then returns to Times Square at 42nd Street and Broadway, in front of the Knickerbocker Hotel.

The Rockefeller Center stop is at West 49th Street and Fifth Avenue, near Michael Kors. This puts you close to the plaza, television studios, shops, and the streets around St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It is one of the most useful Midtown stops for a short walk.

Farther north, the route reaches the Metropolitan Museum of Art at Fifth Avenue and East 83rd Street. The stop is outside the museum near 83rd Street. If you want to visit the museum, allow much more time than a quick hop off. The bus is useful for getting there, but the museum itself can easily fill most of a day.

The Central Park Zoo stop is at Fifth Avenue and East 66th Street, opposite 845 Fifth Avenue. It is near the park’s southeast corner and several polished Upper East Side blocks.

The Columbus Circle stop is at the southwest corner of Central Park, next to the main monument. This is a good place to leave the route for a park walk, though you should remember that Central Park is large and walking across it takes time.

The final listed stop is Carnegie Hall at 7th Avenue and West 57th Street, in front of Trattoria Dell’Arte. This completes a useful Midtown and Upper East Side circuit, but do not confuse a sightseeing stop with admission to any attraction. The bus brings you near these places; your separate admission or visit arrangements still matter.

Audio, languages, and the pace of the ride

Big Bus audio is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. Circle Line offers those languages plus Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

Recorded commentary gives you a steady stream of facts without requiring a live guide. No individual guide names are provided for this experience, so you should expect app-based and onboard audio rather than a tour led by a named person.

The bus format suits you if you like to choose your own stops. It is less suitable if you want a tightly managed walking tour with someone keeping the group together. You can get on and off, but you must keep track of the route, the stop location, and the service hours yourself.

The biggest practical issue is the late afternoon

The most important warning concerns the bus schedule. Service may stop around 4:00 or 5:00 p.m., depending on the route and day. A bus can also be changed before the final stop, leaving you waiting while another vehicle is prepared.

I would not plan a final bus ride that ends exactly when you need to reach a dinner reservation, hotel, or cruise departure. Give yourself a generous cushion. If you leave the bus after the cruise, be prepared to walk or use another form of transport if service has ended.

This also affects how you arrange the day. A safer plan is:

• Use the bus in the morning and early afternoon.
• Visit the Empire State Building on a separate day if your schedule is tight.
• Take the Circle Line cruise with enough time before the final bus departure.
• Keep the app open for route tracking and stop information.
• Confirm the company before boarding near Battery Park and the waterfront.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Within 24 hours, the price is not refunded, and changes are not accepted. The cutoff follows New York local time.

Who will get the most from this package?

I would recommend it to a first-time New York visitor who wants a broad introduction without building every connection from scratch. Families and mixed-age groups may also like the easy sightseeing format, since the boat has indoor seating, restrooms, and an outdoor deck.

It works well for someone staying a few days because the cruise and Empire State Building can be split across separate dates. It also suits you if recorded commentary in your preferred language is useful.

I would be more cautious if you want late-night sightseeing, a single fixed departure time, or a guide who walks with you at every stop. The bus requires attention to schedules and boarding points. The package is flexible, but flexibility also means you have to manage the day.

Should you book the NYC Bundle?

Book it if you want three major New York perspectives for $99 and will use the bus more than once. The strongest value comes from combining the Empire State Building, one Circle Line cruise, and several bus rides across Midtown, Lower Manhattan, Hudson Yards, and Central Park.

Skip it if you only want a single harbor ride or only plan to visit the Empire State Building. In that case, a smaller purchase may fit better. For most first visits, though, this is a practical city sampler, provided you watch the bus clock, use the app, and confirm the correct company at every waterfront stop.

FAQ

How much does the NYC Bundle cost?

The package costs $99 per person.

What attractions are included?

The package combines the Empire State Building, Big Bus sightseeing, and a Circle Line cruise.

How long is the experience?

The listed approximate duration is 1 hour 30 minutes. The cruise portion lasts either 60 minutes for the Liberty Midtown Cruise or 90 minutes for the Landmarks Cruise, while the bus sightseeing operates around multiple stops.

Can I use the Empire State Building and Circle Line cruise on different days?

Yes. The Circle Line cruise and Empire State Building visit can be scheduled on separate days.

Where do Circle Line cruises operate?

Cruises operate from Circle Line Cruises at Pier 83, at 42nd Street in Hudson River Park.

What is the nearest Big Bus stop to Circle Line?

The nearest listed Big Bus stop is Stop 12, Circle Line Sightseeing, at 12th Avenue and West 40th Street, opposite Pier 81.

What languages are available on Circle Line?

Circle Line audio guides are available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

What languages are available on Big Bus?

Big Bus audio is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

How do I activate the mobile ticket?

You can add the booking reference in the Big Bus app, then press Activate on the day of travel and show the ticket to the driver. You can also activate the voucher with Big Bus staff at 7th Avenue and West 48th Street outside M&M’S New York, or with a driver at any stop.

Can I cancel for a refund?

You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made within 24 hours are not accepted for a refund.