From a Native NYer's POV-- It's been cold in NY! And it just so happens that my cousins have birthdays the first week of December. In order to make their day special, I wanted to take them on a tour of New York City. As a local, I would normally do a walking tour, but when the temperatures hit below, freezing, my Floridian cousins could not handle the cold. OK, I admit it. I couldn't handle it well either. So I was looking for an experience that would give me the tour. I wanted to share with them, but better than a hop on hop off bus. That's when I found The Ride! Honestly, the experience was exceptional! You get on the bus and you sit sideways to see the incredible cityscape of New York around you. We went around Times Square, radio city, Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, and the very bottom of Central Park. When you experience The Ride, you have two tour guides on the bus who tell you some facts about the city in a very funny and interesting way. The bus itself also gives you facts, because "The Ride" bus also has a personality of its own. My cousins had no idea we were doing this, and they absolutely loved it . Because it was called the holiday ride, we also saw some surprises along the way, including dancers, actors, and Freestyle rappers! It really made it feel like a true New York City Disney World attraction. You also can't control what you see on the street, so sometimes people wave at you just to wave and sometimes people make interesting gestures at you lol . Overall, as far as tourism goes for New York City , 10/10, 5 stars, and that's coming from a local born and raised. This was an awesome experience to bring my family to. read more

The Ride - Backrow is the best tbh - Bus Tours Near Me

Based on the great reviews, I decided to book The Ride for my family during my children's first visit to NYC. Unfortunately, I was very underwhelmed. One of the street performers was a fantastic singer, but the rest were honestly a waste of time -- poor singing and awkward acting. It's far too expensive for what you get. That said, if you're celebrating a special occasion, it might be worth considering. They went out of their way to make a woman celebrating her birthday feel special, with repeated shoutouts from the performers. read more

The host(s) were fantastic and fun, very engaging and you do get to see NYC in a different way, by sitting sideways and looking out a big window but the street performers are cringy...and probably could do without it. Just play music, have fun, and show us the city instead of having the "dancers" and "singers" on the street. read more

After posting a review here, on Trip Advisor, and Google I got yet another belittling, rude, and condescending response from customer service. I highly recommend avoiding this ride at all costs. Their response is heavily implying I am lying about my experience because other customers didn't reach out, and staff is essentially used to these conditions and didn't flag it. Which is horrible that staff have to work like this. It not acceptable to treat customers this way. I was not even looking for a full refund at any point in time ..I paid for an experience and a show and I got that, but the heat was unbearable and what I had in mind was at minimum a genuine apology ..which even that was too much for them to offer. read more

In a normal business establishment would you expect to be served from the front of the line if you followed their staff's instruction to wait in the line? Nope not here. Even worse, we had prepaid reservations and still were cancelled despite being ahead in the line. At this point it's not about getting a $100 refund but it is about the point this company needs to change or even create a better policy, because I feel ripped off and they need to take responsibility and admit their policy is not fair. My family and I organized our schedule around this tour. We hurried from visiting with friends at a museum and rushed our dinner to show up 15 minutes early as instructed because this tour starts in one of the busiest streets in NYC. Walking traffic was heavy. The team that was onsite had us lineup standing on the sidewalk right next to the heat of the line of tour buses and next to the gutter. Another group of people was lined up behind us for a later tour. One of two buses on site had mechanical problems and while they tried to fix it we waited for 45 minutes. Then the team on site canceled our tour while a working bus sat right next to us. We were told since the first bus was not in service, our tour group had been cancelled and we were welcome to come back another time. The group of customers behind us in line were allowed to board the working bus. We found out later that we were treated as second class because most of our group was booked through a third party. I did collect my composure and tried to calmly ask for a manager to speak to, but never got one. They handed me a phone number to a director of experience; I immediately called multiple times with no answer (and no response from voicemail to this day). Apparently there was no real leadership or office staff to speak to. There are just a few staff standing around on the street with no apparent authority to do anything and no ability to get you in contact with someone who does. Absolutely no respect for our time. A total waste of our valuable vacation evening. Avoid it. There are better things to do. Company policy caters to the higher profitable customer only. Apparently if you pay them via a third party such as Go City you have no rights to a timely resolution. Now weeks later after my wife corresponded with the company via email, she was told they will work with the third party to come up with a resolution. That was weeks ago but we have yet to hear a final decision; they just stopped responding. The staff that stood on the street with us is not capable of handling situations that do not go as planned, which is surprising because based on all these reviews apparently it's not uncommon for buses to break down and tours to be cancelled. In hindsight I would avoid booking any tours like these through a third party and spent more of our time with the friends we left at the museum; or enjoying the dinner we rushed through. We wasted a valuable evening of family vacation time dealing with this incompetent business and attempting to get treated as paying customers from their poorly organized staff. And so we are done with it all. Our only resolve is to warn you before you have a similar experience as we did. read more

Came to NYC a few years ago and did this, had to go back and take my husband! He LOVED it. Had no idea what to expect, and was blown away. We had the NY Pass and made reservations online a few weeks prior. You do need reservations! Loved all the staff and performers. read more

Took them awhile, but they were able to rectify the situation post event and do the right thing.

Such a fun way to see NYC! I had no idea if this was a really good idea or a really bad one, but it turned out to be the perfect way to end our 5-star vacay in NYC..my 11 year old daughters 1st trip to NYC. I splurged on front row seats and I think any seat would be good, but thought for covid purposes maybe safer. Speaking of covid they are currently checking vaccines and requiring masks. We forgot masks (oops), but they were nice enough to supply some to us. We were in very good hands with our hilarious hosts who taught us so much about NYC and made us laugh...so many laughs! There's a good mixture of performers they've planted on the street and just cracking jokes at the expense of others (both tourists and locals) on the street. The 1 hour and 15 min ride was the perfect length and we literally laughed the entire time. My daughter was sitting next to the host and between her seat and being the sole kid she got a lot of extra attention. We also had a bday gal celebrating the big 4-0 on our bus and she got a lot of special attention including a street performer singing happy bday to her...so highly recommend for a bday or special occasion. Be prepared for a lot of stares from those on the street, but it's such a fun way to see NYC! read more

This got to be the best attraction in NY City, period. I never went or even heard about this before, but now I'll recommend this to everyone and bring my groups here when I'm back! Funny, educational, and learned facts I never knew about the city before. If you never went then go! Pickup for the bus is right at Times Square on the Sidestreet of The Marriott Marquis Hotel. We bought out ticket through the Go City company. read more

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Fun night out! The one-sided bus is a great way to experience this unique tour and it has a nice sound system. MCs kept everyone engaged and involved. The performers along the way were all really good, especially the rapper. read more

Had a great time on this interactive tour bus. Amazing view of Time Square. Your guides very very entertaining read more

The Ride - Trip to NYC - Bus Tours Near Me

If you've never been to NYC, The Ride is a great activity for people of all ages. We booked the first tour of the day (11:15am) and were promptly seated on the bus around 11:00am. We were greeted by two super friendly hosts. They are truly the stars of this overall experience. The hosts spend the entire time entertaining guests along the route. We initially anticipated that it was going to be corny, but it was actually the opposite. People from everywhere, including families, singles and couples were all on The Ride. The bus is expertly designed allowing passengers the best possible view from almost every angle. The seats are very close together, so be prepared to share elbow space with your neighbor. The seats are tiered, so anywhere you sit will be fine. There really isn't much of a tour aspect of The Ride, so if you are looking to learn more about NYC or Midtown, this is not a typical tour - but instead an entertainment experience on wheels. read more

The Ride - Bus Tours Near Me

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This was such a fun experience. My boyfriend and I had purchased the NY go pass and this was one of the experiences that was included. It was a 90 min tour around Times Square/surrounding areas in a sideways facing bus (all the seats were facing the large windows). Yes, everyone stared when we were driving around but it was all a part of the experience. The hosts were funny and threw out a lot of facts about some of the buildings/things we were seeing. I wouldn't say it was a true tour of NYC, they only highlighted a few places, but it was still informative. They also had a few street performers lined up that was fun to watch. Dancing, singing, ballet... a bit of everything. They also had NY trivia throughout the ride and I won! Got a cute pair of sunglasses and the hosts sang me a nice song, haha. read more

The Ride - The Ride glasses! - Bus Tours Near Me

My third time on The Ride. If you're in NYC this is a must! It's an interactive experience through the streets of New York City. The only issue I had was the cramped seats that's why only four stars. But it is fun, you're enjoy it. read more

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Avoid. 75 minutes, stuck in traffic for most of it. It's not a tour, as it doesn't show much of Manhattan. There were only three street performers in the 75 minutes. Not worth the price. read more

Booked this tour on a whim and we really enjoyed it. The cohosts were funny and the show was great.

So glad The Ride is back! I've been on it a number of times and it just gets better with age. The hosts and entertainers are awesome and you get some really nice facts about NYC. Highly recommend! read more

We saw the holiday edition, which had Christmas-themed entertainment along the route. We paid extra for the first row, which probably wasn't necessary as the light bar was directly in front of my face. I also added $20 to have my son's 16th birthday included in the "festivities." This was well worth it, as they kept incorporating it into the acts. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed The Ride! read more

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We got in on the last minute for the 9:15 ride. Very happy as we had been trying for several days to book 2 seats. Had an enjoyable time on this tour. Host Jackie was very funny and had a good voice. Humor on board was good and I got 85% percent of the jokes. Ride took about 75 min. Cost was balanced to the entertainment. Acts during the tour had some real talent. Enjoyed the dancing at Columbus Circle and also the music battle near Beetlejuice. Not sure I would go again but definitely enjoyed the trivia and knowledgeably about the city. Now we know why all the Walgreens say DuaneReads. read more

The Ride - Beetlejuice Sax battle - Bus Tours Near Me

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The two guides Jackie and Scott were entertaining throughout the whole ride. They had really corny jokes, but I like corny jokes. I didnt exactly know what I was signing up for when I booked tickets to "The Ride", my wife thought it was like a Broadway show where we will sit down in a building and there'll be a stage with performers. She was both right and wrong at the same time. The ride did have performers, but the stage was in the streets of NYC. First you sit on the bus that faces to the left of the bus, it takes you around Manhattan and then there are performers that have mics that sync to the bus, so you see them perform, hear them speak. It was very impressive, especially for the rap performer and it was just free style, he was choosing people, things, and rhyming consistently. I'm not into rap, but that performer had an amazing beat and rhyme. I'm from NYC, but decided to do a touristy weekend and explore my own city. I was not disappointed with "The Ride", however, I would have preferred a few more performances. Besides that, I would definitely recommend this show. See if you can find coupon/promo codes, or if you can buy a city pass, because paying the full price of $69 is pretty steep in my opinion. But if you can get this for a cheaper price, definitely have this part of your NYC trip. read more

I heard of this bus tour since I just arrived in city. Checked online about it and seems ppl all enjoyed it. So finally We did this tour via groupon. It's much better deal to do with it. It was a cold weather, we got there on time but the bus was really long time delayed. I understand there's always traffic in the city, but since the bus arrived, we all people still had to wait outside for about 30 mins till they open the door n let us in. I wish they could be more considerable. The tour last about one hour around up and mid town. Our guide is really funny and told us a lot story about this city, the buildings, history behind of them etc. it's really a unique bus tour, had a lot of fun. read more

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As a native NY-er with two friends who are not familiar with the city, this seemed like a good and more modern option for a bus tour around. This was not the typical bus as it was fully covered and people are seated facing one side of the bus, as windows are on the side and the top, allowing for a better viewing experience. We bought tickets in advance online ($45 per person) and realized we couldn't make it to the time we initially reserved and called to ask if we could push it to a later time on the same day. No problem! They had room for us and did not hesitate to do so. We received e-tickets and showed it on our mobile phones to gain entrance. The ticket says the location is near the Marriott Marquis hotel but there were two sides to the hotel and we had a difficult time finding the bus. More confusing was the bus was labeled as "The Ride" and not what we thought it would be..."The Tour". While our tour guide was bubbly and quite animated, the tour itself was informative but sad to say quite boring. The bus focuses on buildings, architecture, and Central Park. For 90 minutes, you see people and the streets wave to you as you snap photos from inside the bus. People also are snapping photos of you inside the bus. During the tour, the bus also plays upbeat music and flashes some LED lights, while slamming on its brakes to create some motion. All in all, this 90 minute tour was a relaxing time as the bus was well air conditioned and provided comfy seats for the three of us with tired feet from walking all day. But was it worth it? Not really, as touristy as it seems, the bus is probably most suitable for those who are completely clueless about the city and rather see the attractions by bus and not enjoy it by foot. read more

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My daughter and I just had THE BEST TIME on The Ride! We laughed from start to finish, and I was literally in tears by the end- partly because I was laughing so hard, and partly because the tour made me realize how much I've missed being in NYC. Jackie was an amazing host who delivered a great balance of comedy and content. She really connects with her audience and remembers names, where people are from, etc. (The other host was great too- but we sat close to Jackie!) I don't want to give away too much about the street performances, but I will say we got to see "a little bit of everything" that one would expect to find from NYC entertainers. We would totally come back to see the holiday or pride month editions! *A few tips... If booking with the NY Explorer pass, make sure you have the correct numbers ready to input on The Ride's website. If incorrect (like me), they will email you to get the right numbers. Also, "5 Guys" is the destination to look for to board the bus. There will be 2 people in orange jackets/vests that say "The Ride" on the back to check you in 15 minutes prior to boarding. Have the NYC Covid Safe app on your phone to show ID/vaccination status. Most of all, don't forget to bring your sense of humor! read more

Disclaimer : I did not pay for The Ride as our group participated courtesy of our work (I am visiting NYC on a business trip). Overall, I enjoyed my experience and would recommend to a first time NYC visitor. I have never been on a bus tour like this before and it was a hoot. The Ride is about an hour long (give or take) and takes you generally around the area of Times Square. Our two hosts Scott and Jessie (?) were high energy and kept the mood lively in the bus. As other reviewers have noted, make sure to use the bathroom prior to boarding as there were no facilities on the bus. As we journeyed around the city, various performers would stop and engage with the hosts and us with various entertaining acts (dancing, singing, saxophone playing, and freestyle rapping). We also were told information about various NYC landmarks we passed by (Columbus circle, central park, times square). We also participated in trivia challenges and did a bit of karaoke on the tour as well. Not sure if this would be engaging for younger kids but I think older ones night find it fun. read more

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Horrible! Two screeching women talking about nothing. Extremely loud and noisy. Paid extra for front row. Was told we were only ones who did. But then they filled up the first row with people who did not. We could not wait to get off. read more

We loved this tour. The hosts were upbeat and fun, and the entertainers were awesome! We LOVED the rapper dude! He made up raps on the spot about whoever happened to be walking by at the moment. So talented! Next time we're in NYC, we will defintely do this tour again! read more

We were really disappointed with the experience. We thought we were going to see a lot more than just Times Square. A little misleading

We booked 9:30 pm show and arrived at 9:15 pm per instructions. 15 mins prior to the show time but we didn't get on the bus until 9:45 pm! 30 mins waiting in the line on a humid summer night was brutal! The bus hosts were great! They were enthusiastic and funny! The view was great since we had the front row seat. read more

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So glad we were able to do this! Great way to tour Times Square and surrounding areas and save your feet and back! So entertaining, cute and funny with great street performances! Definitely recommend! We have the NY pass and originally there were no slots left when I checked ahead of time for my party of 3 but I checked back 3 hours before and 9 slots had opened up, so glad I checked and got to go. read more

What a fun experience! The hosts on the bus were hilarious. Upbeat fun tour. The street artists we so much fun to see. Totally worth it.

We had an ok time. A fun way to see the city during our short vacation here. Staff were friendly. Jokes were funny. No point spending money on the front row. read more

I was expecting more of a complete tour of Manhattan. For the full price of the ticket, I would expect to see many more major attractions of NYC. Unfortunately you will only see a few attractions that surround the 42nd street area. The Ride returns to 42nd Street and 8th Avenue THREE times, which I felt was repetitive. You start at 42nd street and 8th Avenue, circle around going east to Grand Central and then back to 42nd Street and 8th Avenue, north on 8th Avenue to Columbus Circle and then back to 42nd street and 8th Avenue. It's just big circles going nowhere. The bus itself was cool. You sit sideways facing the window, which is good for sightseeing. If only they drove us to different NYC sights! You're inside the bus so weather like rain or the hot sun is not a problem. If you are a tourist and expect to see more of Manhattan, this is not a tour bus...not sure what was the point of The Ride. read more

The Ride - Bus Tours Near Me

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This is a part-tour, part-entertainment, part-show kind of event. You get to ride this special bus (all seats face side ways to the right) around a small section of mid-town bordered by 42 St to 8 Ave to 59th St to Lexington Ave then back to 42 St; a loop. The two host gives some tourist information to keep it real on "tour." Most of the entertainment is from the two hosts making jokes, singing and funny comments. Also along the route of the bus ride there are actually characters acting on the sidewalk when the bus pulls up; singers, dancers (including a ballet dancer) and comedians. You also get to wave to the crowds outside. The price for this event is expensive so do check the Groupons and Living Social for discounts if you plan to take "The Tour." For a native NYer, it is just OK. read more

Are you a jaded New Jersey/New Yorker who loathes touristy stuff for no real apparent reason? Welp, that's me. And I thoroughly enjoyed this chessy fun tourist attraction in the city. When the wife told me we were going on this when her sister was in town my response was..."you're kidding right", even after reading some reviews I was wary. But overall this was a lot of fun. I don't really want to spoil the "show" but it was very well done. There are street performers and then the 2 MCs inside the bus. We had Stuart and Julie and they were hilarious. I was laughing and having a good time as they made fun of people on the street and made up conversations it was some pretty solid ad-lib. And I learned a lot too, we went on the holiday edition but they change up the show frequently. They aren't just cracking jokes the whole time there are some really cool facts about the city too, with a lot of humor thrown in. I will say you are on this bus with tourists, we had a lady from Florida with her kids in front of us, and let's just say she represented her state "well." yikes. So that enhances the show all the non- New Yorkers on this bus. I will say it gets downgraded about a star and a half because of price. We had a groupon and it was still $50 a pop (reg. $74), that is steep if you ask me, but I had a good time. I think we had more fun than our family from out of town. We also got stuck in some serious traffic and it went a bit over 2 hours instead of 75 minutes. But, they did a pretty good job of filling time. This is a good attraction to bring your family. It's a lot better than a ho-hum bus tour with a monotone tour guide telling you the Empire State Building is here, the Chrysler Building here...zzzzzzzzz Give it a try. read more

The Ride - Back of Grand Central - Bus Tours Near Me

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We went on the 9:15 pm ride and had a great time. (There were four of us). We ordered front row seats, but it looked like everyone had a good seat. The ceiling is all windows. Our hosts were witty and kind - Stewart and Julie. It did get a little loud at times, and sadly the monitor with the simulated fireplace right in front of me was not working. For the price point for this ride, everything should be working correctly. The street performers were a real highlight, especially the breakdancer, and the saxophonist with the singer. read more

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"A Delightfully Tacky New York Experience" ....is what my friend from out-of-town called our adventure on The Ride and I wholeheartedly agree. Our deliciously oversized and marvelously cheesy tour bus took us on a lovely ride around some of Manhattan's more touristy attractions. I'm not sure if this bus zooms exclusively around the Big Apple during the holidays, but it's definitely better to go now than, say, in the springtime when I gather you would be less likely to see dancing Santas and twinkly fairies plieaying (how do you spell that?) around sprinkly water fountains. If you're a local like me, you won't see a whole lot that you probably haven't seen before (save the santas and the fairies) ... (well, actually, scratch that) ... but regardless, this is one of those things you will have way more fun doing than you think you will or will ever admit to any of your friends (kind of like last summer's NKOTBSB concert). You might even develop a crush on your Ride Guide. I was a little sad I didn't get most enthusiasic rider (or whatever the prize was for) I won a lot of points for my "cool haircut" and for dancing, but some little blonde rugrat beat me out. Ok, she totally deserved it and was way cooler and cuter than I will probably ever be, ...but still. read more

The Ride - Bus Tours Near Me

The ride is a great light hearted tourist attraction. You start off by being seated theater style in a tour bus and then the show begins. From a ballerina decked out in lights to a rapper free styling, you have no idea what you will see next on the street when the bus turns the corner. Even though there were a lot of performances, you also get a little history of the buildings in Times Square. Like did you know that Duane Read is a mom and pop shop great for deodorant and toothpaste? Go on The Ride to get that joke and a guaranteed fun time, I know I will be back on it again when I return to New York. read more

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The Ride is the most fun I have ever had on a sightseeing tour. Sh*** it is the most fun I have had this year! I don't want to say too much for fear of giving it away, but there is no way you could not have fun, unless you are some sort of boring fuddy duddy. Although there was a fuddy in front of me that couldn't help but have some fun too. Our "Ride Operatives" were Scott and Jackie and they were entertaining and informative. All the performances were awesome and I just can't say enough nice stuff! And I SWEAR I'm not just writing this review because I was chosen as the coolest rider. Really. But I have to say, I am pretty cool. read more

The Ride - Bus Tours Near Me

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A fun and unique experience in NYC. I had won a free ticket to the Ride from Dave and Buster's, and then saw Groupon deal for a ticket, which I purchased for Hubby. He knows I'm a sucker for the occasional tourist event, and he was game to check this "tour" out. The Ride is more like a 1 hour, 15 min comedy show. There are 2 hosts that banter back and forth with one another, and the other guests. The bus has sideways, stadium seating, giving everyone a great view of the best part of NYC: the people! The bus circles midtown, going down to 34th st and up to Columbus circle. The improv comedy (often at the expense of people on the street) is hilarious. There are also several performances that you get to see as the Ride progresses. I'd imagine it changes day to day, but here's a sampling of what we saw: break dancing, rapping, ballet, and singing. Lots of talented people. :) Don't go on the ride if you're looking to learn historical facts about NYC. Go to be entertained! (Also, pick up tickets from a tiny alcove off the side of Madam Tussaud's. A bit hard to find if you're not looking for it.) read more

The Ride is sold as a Broadway and billed as a show and it'll certainly have you questioning your decision to purchase tickets. Especially if you're from around New York. The regular price for the tickets I would say are a bit excessive, but I suppose they have to pay for the special sideways seating bus somehow right? I definitely had far more fun than I expected and as some suggested, you'll probably have more fun if you've had a few drinks beforehand. It's half performance and half "tour" where you'll be entertained along the way of a tour route while ride operatives (narrators) give you snippets of info and "witty" banter along the way. Why are there so many things in quotes? Well you'll see that the corniness factor is pretty high when going on The Ride. Either way it was a lot of fun and having managed to get tickets from a deal site made it much more palatable. Overall if you don't mind the cost, The Ride is definitely entertaining as well as informative for all ages. read more