Things to do in New York

Experience New York With a Twist : The Ride NYC

Last Updated:

Every cosmopolitan around the world is known for one character trait that it has draped itself in over the years. The Big Apple, however, is something of an exception. It is known for everything, literally. It has history, it has art, it has romance, it has a nightlife. New York City sets fashion trends, it attracts the shopaholics. It makes people dream and then brings them to life. No matter how many corporate dramas or cheeky sitcoms you binge on, you'll never know New York City to its core if you don't spend a lifetime here. In case you don't have that long, The Ride NYC is your best bet to explore the best features of this mottled city.

Here's a detailed guide on what exactly The Ride NYC is, related experiences and how you can get The Ride NYC tickets! Read on to know more.

The Ride NYC - Handy Information

The Ride NYC - Things to know

📍 Location:New York
⏰ Suggested Duration: 75 minutes
☀️ Best Time to Visit:Early evening
🎟️ The Ride NYC Tickets:Check Prices

The Ride NYC Opening Hours

The Ride NYC is temporarily closed

Must-see Sights

The Downtown Experience
Queen of the Ride

What is The Ride NYC?


The Ride NYC

The Ride NYC is the highlights reel that you watch if you have missed a game. It doesn't take up a lot of time, yet you can participate in the water cooler discussion the next day. To add to the analogy, you get stadium seating for this show. The Ride NYC sits you in a well lit, futuristic bus, and takes you to all the major destinations in the city. While you experience all that is New York, actors present you with an interactive experience like never before. Pick up this CliffsNotes to New York City and give in to its flashy quirks.

Why should you take The Ride NYC?


  • Going around all the major attractions in New York City might be a costly affair since the city is chock full of iconic spots. The Ride NYC presents you with a relatively cheaper option, without compromising on the value.
  • With The Ride NYC, you won't have to scurry around the city in order to get the taste of the big apple. Climb aboard the luxurious ride of yours, sit back, and watch New York City unfold in a brilliant fashion.
  • When you come to New York City, you can expect exhilarating experiences like these. The Ride NYC spices up the comfortable experience, as you observe the city in real time through the floor to ceiling windows. Keep reading to know how you can be boozing on one of these tours.
  • Who are we kidding? This is the age of technology, and it would be a crime to not make the most of science while taking an express tour of New York City. Let The Ride NYC deconstruct the big apple with the help of Virtual Reality and multimedia.
  • History is boring. Not with The Ride NYC, though. If you knew that understanding the tradition and culture of a place could be made as interactive and delightful as it is on The Ride NYC, you’d be ready to take these lessons over and over again.
  • Since The Ride NYC is undertaken within fully covered and climate controlled vehicles, you don’t have to worry about the weather. Rain, snow, or heatwave, The Ride NYC will never turn you down.

The Ride NYC Experiences


The Ride

The Ride NYC

The Ride New York experience brings to life the essence of New York City right in front of you. This experience is the closest to getting down and dirty in New York City without having to leave the comfort of your couch. During the time that you are seated in your luxury coach, you'll see almost all the facets of the heart of the city, that is Midtown Manhattan. Grab onto your seats, this will be a ride to remember.

Highlights of The Ride NYC
  • The hilarious hosts will not let a dull moment slip into The Ride New York.
  • Surprise street-side performances by rappers, singers, hip hop dancer, ballet dancers are lined up for you.
  • The tour is aided by audio visual media to make it the best experience you have ever had.
Sights Covered

Midtown Manhattan, including Times Square, Columbus Circle, the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal and Bryant Park.

Suitable For

People of all ages, but not recommended for those below the age of 6

Know Before You Go
  • The Ride New York lasts for 75 minutes, during which it covers 4.2 miles.
  • Hotel pickups are not included in the experience.
The Ride NYC Hours

4:30 PM to 9:15 PM

Looking for The Ride NYC Discounts? Here is how you can save some extra money.

The Tour NYC

The Ride NYC

New York City has so much to offer that it is impossible to wrap it all up in a single whirlwind tour. That is where The Tour NYC comes into play. Hop on one of the city's patented multi-million dollar vehicles and enjoy a technology-assisted cruise through its heart. See Midtown and Upper West Side of Manhattan unraveling in front of you as you kick back and relax with your people.

Highlights of The Tour NYC
  • The officially licenced host will present to you a well researched narration of all the landmarks you hit.
  • During The Tour NYC, you will be presented with performances that will aid you with taking in the real New York City experience.
  • With 40 LED TVs, and surround sound, the state-of-the-art vehicle will provide you with an unprecedented multimedia presentation.
Sights Covered

Over 50 spots are covered in The Tour NYC including Lincoln Center, Central Park, Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, the Garment District, Empire State Building, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Madison Avenue, New York Public Library, Bryant Park, and the Forty-Second Street.

Suitable For

People of all ages who don’t mind embracing technology

Know Before You Go
  • The Tour NYC lasts for 90 minutes and covers around 10 New York City neighborhoods.
  • Box office ticket bookings have been permanently closed since the 2018/19 financial year.
The Tour NYC Hours

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

The Tour NYC Tickets

  • 75 mins of top-quality high techno-entertainment mixed with all the famous sights in Midtown New York around Times Square.
  • Indulge in a theatrical experience that redefines a sightseeing tour.

The Downtown Experience

The Ride NYC

If any new innovation makes its way to the planet, New York City is the place it never skips. The Empire City is always abuzz with the best, and when Virtual Reality became a rage, New York City embraced it in its mind, body, and soul. The Downtown Experience takes you around Downtown Manhattan and lets you uncover the history of this area through stories and reenactments. Things will be great when you're downtown.

Highlights of The Downtown Experience NYC
  • Let the storyteller take on on the most spectacular journey, bar none, of the legendary downtown Manhattan.
  • Live the historical moments with the help of your VR kits included with the The Downtown Experience package.
  • Get acquainted to the bare bones of downtown Manhattan and the numerous spots that breathe life into the entire city.
Sights Covered

Major landmarks in Downtown Manhattan including South Street Seaport, Brooklyn Bridge, Governor’s Island, Battery Park, New York Harbor & Ellis Island, Battery Park City, One World Trade Center & One World Observatory, and Wall Street.

Suitable For

People of all ages who don’t mind embracing technology

Know Before You Go
  • The Downtown Experience lasts for about 90 minutes.
  • The experience involves occasional usage of VR headsets, which may cause isolated discomforts in some individuals.
The Downtown Experience NYC Hours

11:00 AM to 1:00 PM

The Downtown Experience NYC Tickets

  • Enjoy a 90-minute adventure through Downtown Manhattan and take in the most notable landmarks including the South Street Seaport, Brooklyn Bridge, Governor’s Island and more.
  • Using the latest VR technology, you will get to travel back in time and relive the memorable moments of history.

Queen of the Ride

The Ride NYC

New York City will not let you leave without showing you its bold and sinful side. After all, the city's reputation is built on the framework of ingenuity. Queen of The Ride invites you to come to the dark side, and enjoy the boozy world of drag-on-wheels. With alcohol flowing and steamy entertainment keeping you the edge of your seat, this is the perfect way to end your day in New York City.

Highlights of the Queen of the Ride
  • Embark on an authentic and quintessential New York City experience with your drag queen host.
  • Enhance your experience with flat screen TVs, karaoke, comedy, and music.
  • Continue your night at Hardware Bar, where you receive a complimentary drink once you are dropped off. .
Sights Covered

Around New York City’s top nightlife hotspots ending up at Hell’s Kitchen.

Suitable For

Individuals above the age of 21 upon verification of valid identity proof

Know Before You Go
  • Queen of The Ride lasts for about 60 minutes.
  • The content presented during the experience is likely to be mature and may not be suitable for everyone.
  • Heavily intoxicated individuals will be refused entry to this experience.
Queen of The Ride Hours

9:00 PM to 10:30 PM, First and Third Saturday of every month

The Ride vs Tour: Know Your Fit


The Ride NYC The Ride NYC
The Ride
Book Now
The Tour
Book Now
Hosts 2 hosts trained in improvisation
Learn More
1 licenced and experienced navigator
Learn More
Sights Covered

Midtown Manhattan, including Times Square, Columbus Circle, the Chrysler Building, Grand Central Terminal and Bryant Park.

Lincoln Center, Central Park, Fifth Avenue, Rockefeller Center, Radio City Music Hall, the Garment District, Empire State Building, Times Square, Columbus Circle, Madison Avenue, New York Public Library, Bryant Park, and the Forty-Second Street.

Seasonal Specials

Yes. The Ride: Holiday Edition and The Ride in Masquerade

No

Unique Selling Point

Sightseeing along with improvisation, acting, singing, and other performances.

Sightseeing 2.0 with immersive multimedia experience as supplement.

Duration

75 minutes

90 minutes

Insider Tips for The Ride NYC


  • For a nominal extra fee, you can reserve front row seats for yourself in The Ride NYC.
  • The Ride NYC comes free with the New York Pass. Prior reservation is required.
  • Get the Experience Pass and enjoy a compilation of The Ride, The Tour, The Downtown Experience and a 60-Minute Sightseeing Cruise with Hornblower.
  • If you are unsure about your availability, get the flex ticket for The Ride NYC. It allows you to change the time and date of your booking once, at least 12 hours before the experience commences.
  • Do not worry about traffic interruptions. The Ride NYC assures you of zero boredom, no matter what the situation is.
  • f you are planning a corporate event in the city, and think a dash of panache wouldn’t hurt, you can book an experience for your entire contingent on The Ride NYC.
  • You can book entire buses for private events like birthdays, and anniversaries. The Ride NYC can be customized to your liking for the event.
  • For large group bookings, The Ride NYC can be conducted in multiple languages. The current roster of languages besides English are Japanese, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, and Korean.

Looking for The Ride NYC Discounts? Here is how you can save some extra money.

The Ride NYC Reviews


The Ride is a tour bus that goes round parts of New York, not very original or exciting you may say but this is a very different beast to the hundreds of open-top buses you see trunding round the city. Firstly you sit in one of 3 rows facing into the street, sideways from what you would normally do. Secondly the enclosed bus has 2 Comperes one either end, who take you on a bit of a whirlwind, magical tour of the city.Thirdly actors, dancers or singers suddenly appear on the sidewalk to entertain you in a variety of ways. It is bizarre, wacky, entertaining and total absurd but great fun. The bus 'The Ride' has an internal light and sound show to compliment the 2 Comperes and does give out good information on some of the things you pass. It is quite expensive but you can use many of the sightseeing passes and this way is good value for money. Just take your singing voice, clappy hands and let your inhibitions go wild.


- ItheJD, Tripadvisor September 2018

The Ride was a last minute booking before we went on holiday as we realised we could use our sightseeing pass on it. You climb onto a bus, sit sideways and watch the world go by until someone stars interacting with The Ride! The two tour guides were very funny, bouncing off eachother well, but they were also knowledgeable about the local history too which was cool. The Ride is great fun for all ages, a must!


- Emily D, Tripadvisor September 2018

Read more reviews of The Ride NYC on Tripadvisor

Other NYC Guides