Wheelchair-accessible car park
No
Categories
Location on the map
New York, New York County, New York, US
Accessibility
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
Phone: +1 212-221-0853
Site: http://www.experiencetheride.com/
Site: http://www.experiencetheride.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:9AM–9PM
- Tuesday:9AM–9PM
- Wednesday:9AM–9PM
- Thursday:9AM–9PM
- Friday:9AM–9PM
- Saturday:9AM–9PM
- Sunday:9AM–9PM
Comments (199)
I booked the TOUR earlier in the day and the RIDE later in the day - both unique and fun experiences! A must do if your in NYC! The bus alone is not like any tour bus you’ve seen or been on before! The performers on the RIDE and hosts on both experiences were amazing! A lot of fun!
We had so much fun! My friend & I had been on the EXPERIENCE before four years ago but we wanted to bring our friend! We’re glad we did! The banter is fun, the audio is clear but my favorite part is waving to the people on the street! It’s funny to see who waves back!
Very bad customer service. We booked our tickets in advance. They didnt let us inside even when we reached before departure. We waited for next bus as per their guidance, they had seats but they let in new customers instead of us, even when we waited 2 hours to get on the bus. We literally ran 10 blocks to catch this stupid tour, but absolutely no use. They were so rude! Ruined our trip and itermary completely. Dont take this tour!
Its one of a kind new ride experience.Nicely done seating strcture withfull view throughout NY city sightseeing .It was fun filled very informative city ride.Its a must try ride in your NY city tour.Strongly recommend ❤✌.
Went on The Ride two weeks ago when I was in NYC. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but this was much worse. Minutes into the Ride, you must endure this horrible rap song where the actual bus sings and watch as the actors wave their hands and pretend they like their jobs. The jokes are unfunny and the songs are not good. Not to mention, everyone is watching you from the street, and you are talked to as if you are a child. It’s annoying pretending the bus is really talking and that paid actors on the street are random strangers. The lights and loud noises of the bus were a lot for me, and if you are easily anxious, you won’t like when the bus pretends it’s a subway and makes screeching noises. My brother fell asleep and my other friend had the worst look on her face. Additionally, people were getting off the bus bc they were so bored. Rating this 2 stars because I did learn about some buildings, but otherwise, this could have been a better experience.
This tour was awesome!! We did “The Ride” and bought our 2 kids (7 & 10) and had so much fun! The 2 tour hosts were so funny and made it very entertaining! There were lots of lights, music, and entertainment in the streets, time flew bye! This is definitely worth the price!
Our experience with reserving the ride was negative. Our family did both the Ride Tour of NYC the first day we arrived in NYC with our Explorer city pass and decided to do the evening Ride again with the city pass. When we went to reserve a time slot we were asked to put in our credit card to reserve the time. We went to the city pass site and went to reserve our timeslot, it asked for our credit card info to hold the spot. We found out our credit card was charged $340 dollars and we could not use our city pass even though we had trips to use. BEWARE THAT YOU MAY BE CHARGED the fees to reserve your timeslot. We repeatedly called the company to try to work this out and just have it taken off our pass instead of being charged.
Went to NYC for my sons 16th birthday. The ride was SOOO MUCH FUN. The two hosts on the bus were fricken hilarious. With the exception of seeing Aladdin and the helicopter ride around Manhattan, this was Best 45 minutes this weekend..and definitely cheaper than Aladdin and the helicopter ride :-)
I highly recommend you guys to do this with family or just by yourself! From the entrance to your exit, you will be laughing. They entertain you and even give out fun facts about the places! Supper wonderful and something I will miss from my trip in NY.
Not what I expected but definitely not dissapointed. Its more about comedy than anything else, but at the same time, also more informative than Big Bus. Perhaps a bit expensive on its own, but if you have a New York Pass, you shouldnt miss out on this one.
Hosts were so genuine and hilarious, making a bus tour of NYC so much more fun!!! Plus the bus itself had speakers with lights, music, and screens with videos and pictures. 10/10 recommend
We had an absolute blast on The Ride! Scott and Jack were our hosts and were so hype on the Ride, it was impossible not to get hype with them! Very humorous on board, and the random encounters were awesome. Thank you to everyone for giving us a great visit to your city!
Excellent all round experience a group from 7 to 70 loved the show. The two guys worked really hard to create a superb experience.
Terrible customer relations we were told the bus had a restroom, wife has medical issue and needed bathroom , we were then told it didnt after 20 minutes into experience , stopped for her at public restroom and told us to both to get off and drove off.$90 for 20 minutes.Awful way to treat customers.
Didn’t know what we were signing up for when we booked seats on “the ride” but we were pleasantly surprised! Filled with brilliant live actors, great hosts and interesting technology, this is a tour of New York I would recommend to everyone!
This was the best deal I got out of the sightseeing pass! Our guides were awesome! Jacky was hilarious and Scott was great!! I love our tour and I’ll say that was 75 minutes well spent. This is not much of a “tour” but more of an entertainment thing. The street performers were doing great even when it was raining outside. I highly recommend this to anyone who is interested. And personally, I don’t think you have to be fluent in English to have fun on The Ride. The atmosphere that the guides set up were fun and good for “most” ages. :)
Very touristy at another level. This kind of ride can be made ONLY in NYC!! My mom , my brother and I enjoyed it too much! The MCs were too fun. Absolutely recommended!
If you really want to live the New York experience, I highly recommend this... Its just amazing and cant explain how lovely the experience was.
This was a very interesting tour. Lots of performances and great commentary. Like they improvs.
Oh this was FUN!! Yes, even as a local showing the city around to a tourist :) Not the usual tour, but an interactive party-bus tour! They did an amazing job interacting with the outside crowd, directed and spontaneously, while really showing the NY vibe. Super awesome and recommended!
As many have stated, this is not your typical bus tour. I went on The Tour and The Downtown Experience rides and enjoyed them both. Yes, some of the jokes are cheesy and probably better understood by Americans with some local knowledge, but overall a very unique and entertaining experience. I did prefer The Downtown Experience because it included virtual reality parts that were really well done (like George Washington taking his oath as the first president of the newly formed USA). Dont go if youre expecting an informative tour of NYC, but if youre up for something new and different, youll enjoy it. Also, I would suggest getting one of the NYC passes that includes The Ride as an included attraction; its easy to book and very convenient. Another bonus is that the bus has stadium style seating and surround sound so theres not a bad seat anywhere and its completely covered, so no need to worry about the weather conditions outside.
Wonderful and Amazing Entertaining ride. Full Comedy Central Vibes and unique concept. If you are visiting NYC then Ride is the way to go.
Great experience. The tour guides and street performers were funny and lively. Would go again if i had time!
Amusing evening touring around the tourist sights of midtown Manhattan. Great hosts on board and street performers who added to the experience. Was suitable for our 9 year old as well.
This was my 3rd time in NYC and 3rd time experiencing The Ride! It is a fun way to see different parts of NYC. The hosts are entertaining while still giving informative details about the city.
Awesome. So much fun. Laughed, sang, laughed some more. Julie and Stuart were the best.Must do when in NY. My 10 year old totally enjoyed it, too.
Absolutely amazing! Wish the ride covered more parts of the city, would have loved to know more about a larger area of Manhattan, however what they did cover was done beautifully. If youre trying to decide between a hop on hop off bus ride or this, would choose this.
Like it or not. I didnt. I have to admit that the basic idea is quite interesting but the route is boring, the quality of the provided information low, and the jokes are unfunny. You may do it with the kids if they are not older than 12.
Our guide was fantastic on The Tour! Totally tounge-in-cheek, but a fun way to get to know the city for a first time visitor.It was a drizzly day so being in an enclosed bus was a perfect way to keep the fun going. The guide was interactive with the group and offered recommendations based on the personal interests of the group. Kudos! Maybe next time well check out The Ride.
This is such a fun way to see NYC. You drive around the city and see interesting sights while being entertained by your guides. I wont say anymore because there is an element of surprise. Loved The Ride
Edited to add:At the time I gave it 3 stars, google was just asking for star rating of all the places we had been but there was no comment section where I could put my reason and since you responded I found a way to edit so I could add why.I gave it 3 stars as the windows were very dirty and having been a beautiful day full of sunshine, you would think with the premise of the tour, that windows would be clean.This was extremely disappointing as the windows were quite grimy and visibility wasnt good and could take no photos out them--that was the purpose of us taking this tour was to sit and enjoy/take photos of the NYC views through floor to ceiling glass windows.We did the Explorer Pass - Front Row Admission with paid extra $10(?) per ticket for what we thought was the better front row seats, only to find out that others who didnt pay extra and only had regular priced seats got to sit right beside us in the front row! The only so called perk was being first on the bus.The guide was very informative and the tour covers a lot of very interesting history of the areas we visited.The 3 stars is because the front row admission was misleading as anyone on the tour could sit front row without paying for it, we were the only fools who paid for it plus it was very hard to see out the windows.I am sure that if the windows had been clean it would have been much more enjoyable but the extra paid for front row admission was disappointing to say the least.
GREAT EXPERIENCE and a must do for tourists and Newley arrived people in the area . Great in winter because it’s closed and the tour guide was very interactive .It costs but it is worth the money in the long run .
This ride is very unique interesting and entertaining. The best part of it is that the bus has to a glass so everybody can see what youre doing and you can see what theyre doing in the stadium seating. Its a really unique idea and we really enjoyed it
Agreeably one of the most fun and entertaining tours my friends and I did while in NYC. The hostesses were funny and knowledgeable. The random encounters on the streets kept us laughing and on our toes. We decided to do this one last minute, as it came as one of the attractions offered with our site seeing pass. We would definitely do it again if we had the chance on a future trip. Definitely recommend!
Fun way to start our NYC trip the guides on the bus were funny dancing around engaging with all. Really enjoyed it.
This is always on our must-do list when we have friends and family coming from out of town. Great staff, great ownership and a good time always had by all! Well worth the $!
Charged by credit card $350 after they did not accept our city explore passes for a reservation. Poor customer service!
It was such a great experience and we enjoyed every single minute of the ride.
It is a good experience for people that have never been to New York before. I would have given a 4 as I could see it being a 4. I am only commenting based on my experience. To be fair, I went to the last ride of the day so I could see the hosts were very tired. They were very enthusiastic when it was their turn to talk but they looked like they were really ready to go home. My main complain was that we were told to meet at 845 as the ride departs at 9, we got there around 842 which was fine but it was quite cold that night, the bus did not load us in until 9:06. I Hope the company would inform future guests If they were running behind. In the warm months I think it is ok but when it is 2 degrees celcius 35 Fahrenheit it sucks to feel you paid 65 usd for this. Also the VR version is not available on weekends for some reason which we were looking forward to.
We had a blast on this fun tour of the area, complete with a comedy show on the bus and extremely talented artists preforming for us along the way, from ballet to breakdancing to rapping and more! It was fun watching people stare at us (and sometimes wave) as we drove by. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a different, more exciting way to see a bit of the city. Excellent!
Such an underrated experience!! We had so much fun that we even considered going back a second time during our trip. Julie and Stuart were hilarious. I can’t recommend this experience enough!
This was actually so much fun. So much better than any bus tour Ive ever taken. They incorporated comedy, music, dance, art, and performance. It all made for a FANTASTIC experience. I was extremely satisfied. I signed up in conjunction with the NY pass. I believe its worth it!
Loved the experience they provide for The Ride. Felt like a moving interactive mini broadway show! Well organized to include rappers/ dancers to be viewed at the right place and right time while in the bus.
This would be a five star review if my first wasnt a one star. Our family has been on The Ride twice now. The first time was a terrible experience....mostly because they made us wait in the cold for almost 2.5 hours and had no idea what was going on.Fast forward to 2021, our second trip and it was great. We got on in less than 15 mins and the hosts were hilarious. It was a great time, interactive and fun. I would do it again.
Unusual and unreal we laughed so hard and so much unforgatable. Dont take everything serious. Just enjoy the Ride
The live comment was very good and entertaining. The VR worked well (we had Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge provided in the bus) but the VR contents are mediocre. In order not to create motion sickness, the VR are short and usually the bus stops. The bus itself is very comfortable!
It was so nice!there are two MC in the bus, and both of guys were enthusiastic to proceed as a guide! but unfortunately, I was really tired that time hence I had a doze frequently cause by jet lag but you guys I bet that would be best choice to make a memories in NYC
I was not interested in doing this attraction at all because I thought it cost too much money to ride around in a bus........ BUT I’m so glad we did!! Very entertaining, learned a little, laughed some, saw places we had not seen. I throughly enjoyed it. I would not pay for front row seats, all seats get the same view. I would pay to do it again.
It’s new. It’s fun. It’s a bit crazy. It’s informative and I’d recommend it for anyone who loves the ‘drama and excitement of life’. (We did the downtown experience too. The second one is better if you don’t enjoy the ‘jazz hands’ side of life. We loved both!!)Thanks Jackie and Scott we had such fun. From Bark, Bite and the tongue (hehe. they will get it!)
Ride Nyc is nice but only minus point is that they beg for tip which shouldnt be allowed. All they sing is tip tip tip and It is annoying. Other than that was nice.
Fun, but expensive. Very loud. Hosts talk too much and make a lot of U.S. only references. They should take into consideration that most of the audience are tourists visiting from abroad and keep the content generic enough to be understood by all.
You can purchase one ticket for the bus ride also the boat ride. They were both fantastic..only problem was since the demand is high you may have to wait for a few minutes..but trust me it is worth it.
This tour was a riot ! Lots of fun with two great hostesses. Lots to see !
If your visiting new York this is a must you get to see the city laugh be amazed and be entertained but two funny amazing well knowledged hosts 👍🏻
Very entertaining guides with cool facts and fantastic street performances. It was cold out, so being inside with great views was well worth it.
If you bought the NY Pass and you have time to spare, take it, if not, do not waste your time and money. They have one more line of seats so the animators can’t move from the edges. Very shabby, you go round like no more than 5 blocks. Don’t put one star because the guy on it wasn’t that bad but the girl, she seemed to have had a long day and already wanted to go home. Bad.
Wonderful! Its totally recommended! A different point of view of the city and its very funny!
Enjoyable ride and fun across Manhattan
Awesome fun! I was on the new York pass for this, and it was just so much fun
It was a great ride. Tour guides were entertaining and spontaneous. This was worth the cost.
Great way to see all the highlights of the city! The comedians were very funny and entertaining!
I would have given this 5 stars save for two issues we experienced... 1) The beginning of the night, we arrived as suggested 15 min early. The buses not only didn’t arrive on time (there were some protests, so we thought maybe this held them up a bit), but when they did arrive, we were not allowed to take our seats on the bus. It was pouring down rain and we were expected to stands single file lined up outside by the bus. When we were finally able to board, our Ride got started exactly 1 hour later than scheduled. This seemed a bit excessive for how much you pay for this experience. When she show started, it was very enjoyable! It was upbeat and fun. The random street actors were phenomenal. 2) I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of Midtown. We went down the same street I know 3 times. This could be a really great experience! I’m hoping we just got them on an off night!All in all we did enjoy it but would not do again and not sure I’d recommend for the expensive price tag.
Really poor and boring experience. A waste of time. Save your money or time or both for other attractions
Absolutely amazing tour. Great fun! Highly recommended. Need to be able to have a laugh at yourself and not take things too seriously! We saw things that would never be pointed out on a boring standard open top bus. The performers were a brilliant addition. We paid an extra $20 for guaranteed front row seats and it was great!
Such a fun experience on THE RIDE! Our tour guides were so energetic. A cool way to see NYC. Thank you!
We had just a few days in New York and booked the seasonal experience on The Ride. We had such fun, we truly couldnt stop laughing at our hosts and were in awe of the talented staff on the streets. I dont have the words, so Ive handed it over to my family ...I was a bit underwhelmed by the idea of it, but I thought it was probably the best bus ride I will ever have in my life (my 11 year old).It was so hilarious, the actors were amazing, it was so comfortable, I loved it (my 9 year old).Nice to see struggling actors having a ball and cheering up customers. Id do it again! (my wife).Stuart and twin sister were the most entertaining aspect of Manhattan, brilliant! (my brother)
If you dont really know what the ride is about, its very funny and surprising. Totally American experience with a lot of talking, singing, etc.
This was a lot of fun, it was like a rolling comedy variety show with lots of surprises.
A really fantastic experience. I took my children (17, 16 and 13) and they really enjoyed it too. Its hard to explain the magic of the experience really. Our hosts were so funny and the street performers were excellent. Thoroughly recommended. We had ours with the sightseeing pass and it was well worth it!
If I could describe it in one word - Fun! Brilliant idea of getting to know New York City and learn about some interesting facts along the way. The Ride gets interactive by participation from street performers at various stops and other random audience walking around the city. The 2 host did a great job trying to hype things up but it can be a bit too much though. Overall good experience and you should bring along your family/friends to join The Ride.
Very fun experience! The hosts are funny and a lot of fun! I enjoyed this bus tour because its very different! It makes the streets your personal show! I would recommend that anyone visiting N.Y. for the first time whos interested in this type of thing, take this tour!
Love it. Great way to see some sites and be entertained
Waste of time. The bus made 2 circles around the Times Square, that was about it
THE RIDE is not your typical bus tour, it was actually unique and very fun. The seating was comfortable and well laid out. Our hosts, Jacky and Scott, had great chemistry and gave excellent insight on some of the history of NYC and its famous landmarks. The street performers were entertaining also. We redeemed The Ride with our New York Explorer Pass, so wasnt worried about the price. Would definitely recommend others go this route.
This was the absolute best tour that we had during our entire New York City trip. The guides and the Ride were very interactive and entertaining.We got great views of midtown and it was great to take a break from walking.The only issue we had, was the listed location from Google took us down the block from the actual pick up location. You also have to reserve your space online prior to arrival.
It is great to be a tourist in your own city. I learned so much that I didn’t know about NYC in such a fun interactive way! From start to finish Scott had us laughing! I would recommend the Ride and definitely go on it again! Thanks for a great time!
So much fun. It will definitely put a smile on your face.
The Ride was super fun and an unforgettable experience. I felt comfortable there and the hosts that guided us were hilarious and always kept the mood light. The content that we learned was interesting as well and my family and I all had a blast. I would recommend this to anyone.
If you are lucky like me and happen to be there on the Friday with the Drag Queen RIDE then you must go!!!I took this bus the last night I was in New York. I had such a blast. The Drag Queen tour guide was just excellent entertainment. I loved everything about it! They all put on a great show and its unlike anything Ive ever experienced.DO IT is all I can say.
Pretty good, the girls doing the show were cute and entertaining. The street performers they had set up were awesome all around. The guy who rapped and the sax and singer especially. Would do it again for sure, would be something with a different experience every time.
We decided to try out the Ride as one of our experiences we had in our package and overall it was a good experience. We did the late show 10:45 p.m. based on the recommendation from the hotel to do it at night. The tour isnt your typical tour and the bus is one of a kind. The hosts were very entertaining and the interaction was awesome, you never knew what was coming next. My only complaint was it was really hot on the bus.
Ive been to NYC many times, but this is the first time experiencing The Ride. We had a GREAT time!! Ill definitely do it again. The guides were funny and the performances were very cool. But the fun part was the multimedia, party atmosphere. Highly recommend!!!!
The Ride was an incredible experience. The tour itself was exciting, refreshing, and FUN! The hosts were energetic, hilarious and extremely friendly as well. The staff in general was very helpful and the process of checking in was hassle free. The Ride is definitely recommended for friends and families of all ages.
Just arrived in NYC and 1st thing on our itinerary was The Ride NYC. What a great way to start our holiday. Being driven around, in the warmth and great entertainment from Julie and her friend (Sorry cant recall your name). Definitely worth a visit. Very impressed. Thank you. J&J
Had my daughters 13th birthday on the ride. The humor was a bit much for them . With that said we did have a really good time the 2 cast members on the bus where very good and funny. They also mentioned my daughters name several times during the ride as well as acknowledged it was her birthday. Would recommend doing the ride when in NYC
AC didnt work at all. It was way too hot!! The guides are really motivated and enthusiastic.BUT: The Tour in general was really awful. The jokes werent funny at all, it wasnt a real tour, we hardly went further than Times square. The attractions (3 dancers and 1 singer) couldnt make up to the rest of the tour.Only suitable for really young kids.I would recommend the hop on hop off buses!Edit: No I booked the show expecting some comedy but it just wasnt funny. Not even the kids on the tour had fun. I just tried to tell that its neither a comedy tour nor a sightseeing tour.
A fun time! Get the premium tickets
The show started half hour late. Making us waiting on the street with the cold and the crowded. We could feel how tired the performers were, and the racist jokes could have been avoided. Taking into account that the show was not very impressive to say, and that we have already paid to feel uncomfortable...on top of that, they ask you for tips.Please spend your money in any more cultural attraction.
I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 5 because all of the attractions shown on this ride could’ve been seen my tourists without booking this ride anyway, in much more detail. I heard it was a customised bus, but not much of it really was. However it is worth an one time watch because of the ability of the employees who are on the Ride to entertain people to the fullest. They have a really high motivation level. The shows we saw during the ride from the bus were really good. Keep it up!
I’ve done petty much everything there is to do in NYC and the Ride is definitely a must do, if like me you are on a New York pass and you’re moving though the city all day it’s great to be able to put you’re feet up for an hour and a half, continue around this amazing city learn a bunch of facts and be very entertained.It’s very interactive with you’re hosts and the street performers and many of the city’s general public.The two hosts on board were amazing.
I must say after visiting Times Square a few times in the days running up to The Ride Experience I wasnt really that excited.WOW!!!! We had SOOOOO MUCH FUN.Scott and Jack (Our hosts) were ABSOLUTELY brilliant. So funny and witty as we drove around New York.We did quizzes on the drive around.The entertainment acts on the sidewalk which are part of the ride were fantastic.I would definitely recommend this for anyone whose up for a laugh and fun.
Fun and Cheesy is how I would describe it. The 2 hosts do their best to get the crowd inside the bus, and outside the bus hyped up. There are a few stops where you will find an outside performer that is part of the show. Its a great way to see the city from an Air-conditioned Vantage Point, and take pictures as you ride along. My tour was included with my New York Pass.
I seem to have the only shirt that says THE RIDE. We had a great time.
(Note: This entry is written as a reply from the owner who commented that they disliked my 3-star rating with no context.)To me, the ride was just OK, and certainly not worth $80 per person. I did not learn anything new about NYC, and it seemed like we just went around a very small portion of midtown, commonly going over the same portions of the route more than once. We left 10 minutes late, and arrived back 10 minutes early - so certainly not 90 minutes either. While the entertainers that randomly appeared on the street and interacted with us were nice, this is not the new generation of sightseeing (as their website promotes). It is a show, and nothing more. Had I wanted a show, and signed up for a show, I would have likely been happy with the show.Their website says we will see New York City’s most iconic landmarks unfold before your very eyes - not true. We saw a handful of icons and did not see many, many others - many that are common on other sightseeing tours, and are even mentioned on The Rides own website.Again - if it were sold as an off-Broadway show that I signed up for, Id likely be OK. But it was billed as a sightseeing tour, and - in my opinion - it failed at being one.After writing this, I started reading some of the other reviews - and the owners responses. In a response about a month ago, the owner said THE RIDE is not a city sightseeing tour, it is a comedy show and entertainment experience. This information is available to you all over our website, we never brand it as a city tour. yet when you go to their website, at the very top and in large all capital letters it clearly states THE NEW GENERATION OF SIGHTSEEING. Their homepage does not mention the word show a single time, but mentions tour ten times and mentions sightseeing twice. Because of this, I am lowering my rating to two stars.
It was great! I took my boyfriend as a birthday gift& he loved it. We especially liked the extra special treatment when you pay a little extra to get the bday recognition throughout the show. I have been on the ride multiple times but this last one was the best !
So much fun! We highly recommend this tour. The hosts are hysterical and the sites are fantastic around the city. We purchased this with the New York City Pass and it was definitely the highlight with our kids, ages 12, 14, and 16 years old.
Literally the dumbest attraction I’ve Ever seen.Tried to book for 3 hours using the “New York Pass” finally booked the 10:45pm Ride.My wife and I expected something great but it turned out to be a poor tour around a few city blocks circling many areas more then once. This could have been so much better. I felt the entire trip was one big TV commercial stopping in front of stores and billboards.Would give this attraction 0 stars if possible. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME.
So funny! Okay, so, it’s a bit cheesy, but the rapper was really good and the guides were really funny! They were friendly and in good spirits and obviously having a lot of fun. I didn’t even realize until later how much information they went over! Super fun- highly recommended.
Great fun with Scotty and Jacky on the ride bus tour
This is a lot of fun. You honestly don’t see much but the bus is super cool and the guides are very very high energy. The hook is the surprise street performances integrated in the show. Great value if you book as part of a GO CityPass thingy
I think it might depend on the people you have running the RIDE but this was just fine. I expected it to actually be funny but it all felt very forced and awkward. We still managed to have a bit of fun but it wasn’t anywhere near as good as other reviews made us think. We definitely didn’t feel it was worth the cost of a ticket (luckily we used the New York Pass).
So much fun!! I visited NYC last week, and this was the first thing I did. From the HILARIOUS hosts to getting to ride around the entire city, it is an hour and a half full of fun! Great way to start off my trip! My only complaint was that it ended! I highly recommend for all ages!!!
Extremely underwhelming and over-priced. We bought the City Pass and booked this only because it was included with the pass. When you book it will ask you for cc details for ‘verification’ purposes. We missed our ride that night and we’re forced to pay the full amount of the fare because we failed to let them know an hour beforehand (we were stuck on the subway and couldn’t let them know). They offered us a rebooking the following night and the experience was far from enjoyable offering little to no value for money. The hosts weren’t funny and the entertainment was sub par - do not waste your money on this.
I went on The TOUR, not The RIDE. Theres a slight difference. Im reviewing for The TOUR.I really enjoyed the whole experience. Our host, Claire, made the whole thing enjoyable. I really like the historical facts about NYC, it made the whole trip interesting.I took off one star because it was way too loud. Like uncomfortably loud. My ears were about to bleed (not really, but still). I wish they would lower down the speaker volume a bit. There was no reason for it to be that loud at all. I actually suggest bringing earplugs for this.
We booked the ride using our sightseeing pass, and was a little sceptical at first as they have no office with any information and its all online, although we booked it fine, chose our time slot and the bus turned up on time on and on the street outside Patricks/Five Guys opposite Madame Tussauds and all seemed straightforward. We all loved it, I think our hosts were Scott and Jackie, who were absolutely hilarious and kept us all well entertained throughout, with witty on the spot humour, it made a change to just sit back and be driven around the chaos of Manhattan, watching random people break out dancing and singing. Just to make it clear this is not a Tour as such, its more of bus ride entertainment, I read a few reviews staying they wanted a bus tour, this is not your boring bus tour its a laid back experience providing some entertainment, I recommend doing it especially if you have a Pass, it provided some much needed fun in all the hustle of the city. Would definitely do it again!
I had a great time on the RIDE, cheap jokes, cheesy humor but very good actors on the streets.Dont go here for a silent non-interactive tour, youll be in shock.With respect to some one star reviews here -- I thought the terms and conditions were pretty clear but still -- make sure you book the right tickets and are there bout 15 mns in advance
Im sorry but this for me was boring. When you see the sides of the bus decorated with people sat with VR glasses on we expected so much more but we had 2 compares on the bus trying to play off each other (not very successfully) and random actors performing in the street, I am glad we didnt pay for this. It was part of the New York Pass which we had bought for some of the major attractions which we thoroughly enjoyed. Not worth the money.
While not the most informative tour, The Ride was extremely entertaining. The hosts were extremely funny and the other acts were very well done. They crammed allot into 75 minutes so it was never boring. The only negative would be that theres more than one tour going on at a time so I can only vouch for my tour (shout-out to Jenny and Scott)
Loved the ride! Entertainment reps on the coach were full of energy, street entertainers were great, the experience was well organised from booking to meeting, boarding and ending the tour. So glad we did the tour at night as the entertainers were easier to see!
The hosts are fun and hilarious. Make sure to tell them if theres any celebration and they will work it into what they do. I cant describe how they do it, but it made my dads day. The sightseeing isnt the main deal, so if you are looking for specifically that, ...I would probably still recommend it. It is THE highlight of my trip so far.
It was a nice way to see the city with pre-recorded videos and commentaries, but there were only 4 street performances. I didnt think it was worth the price.The New Year Guy did not perform. It was just four shows: Tapper, Rapper, Ballet, and Belter/Sax. If there were 7 performances, maybe the show would have been better. Between the first performance which was the tapper, it was just a bus ride with recorded entertainment for more than 30 minutes. Was a bit long and boring.
We had a blast on The Ride! My daughter, mom and I booked the 7:30 Ride and it was so much fun! The talent onboard was amazing as were the street entertainers. I’m sure the experience was improved by the crowd on the bus - so much fun!
I think maybe I was expecting more after seeing a few videos. We went on a tour in the early afternoon, maybe that had something to do with the excitement level or lack of. A few street performers and some banter between the hosts. Definitely wouldnt recommend it to anyone I know traveling to NYC. Take the ticket price and put it towards a Broadway show.
The Ride was amazing. Unlike any tour Ive ever been on before. Learned so much about a city I thought I knew pretty well, and the tour guide (Tim) was awesome as well; making jokes and keeping everything entertaining. Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a different way to see the city.
The Ride was exactly as advertised. The MCs were hilarious and the ride was very fun. Lots of laughing and surprises. Even though we knew what to expect, we were still surprised when the street performers appeared. A couple of the performances were a little less than what we expected, but still a surprise . I would recommend this to anyone for a good time.
First time visiting New York , and I am so glad that I joined The Ride!!I saw a big giant bus with one side ceiling to floor glass where passengers seated like watching movie.... it was so cool that I google it and booked the tour.In fact, I was on the both The Tour ( Time Squarer , mid and upper Manhattan ) and The Downtown ExperienceI got the chance to see best of the New York in two days. This is not the typical BigBus - hop on hop off type. These rides come with a energetic host ( he said he is not a tour guide) , a team of crew members , street performers, to ensure awesome experience ! It gets in-depth into the history, local hip and the trends.Customer services was also exceptional (shout out to Devin). I called and then emailed with some situations and the reps were able to smooth it out and ensure no interruption with my short stay in town.The value is exceptional ! If you want to see the best of the New York in short period of time, join The Ride ! I highly recommend!
Must-see attraction/show in NYC. Its the best!👍
Went on THE RIDE with a work outing and had a blast! Jackie and Scott were hilarious and fantastic fun. Great experience and while Im a NY native, this would be especially great for a tourist! I could see some issues if people arent native English speakers, but thats not an issue with the company, rather one with the customer. Thanks for a great day!
So much fun! We come every year for my birthday and my husband is not a musical or shopping kind of guy. This was the first thing he has ever loved to do in NY! Highly recommend and will definitely do again when we come back!!!!!
The Ride was full of fun and very enjoyable. Our hosts Scott And Jack were very good. I would give the experience five stars but the ticketing process is a disgrace. As other reviewers I queued to be told no tickets for pass holders..same again next day..but after a frank exchange of views just a few of us got tickets. If you can get tickets you will have loads of laughs. Its worth the effort.
I like the guy and girl host they was amazing but they took us around in circle twice explaining different things I guess they thought people wouldn’t notice. The guy with the saxophone was okay and the rapping guy was the best. Other than that don’t waste your money and time just spend your money on something else. Not worth it at all. Than they give you some cheap gift card don’t waste your time.
Very cheesy and touristy (is that a word). The concept is cool but not really worth the money paid unless you want to laugh a corny jokes and see a few street performers that are difficult to see through dirty bus windows or traffic that blocks the view of the performers. Do not pay for VIP seats. The seats are stadium style (you ride looking out the side of the bus and can see as good from the back and sides as the front.
SPECTACULAR!! We did The Ride as our last attraction before leaving and what a way to end a fab trip, it was the best experience and nothing could have been better!!! The two hosts Scott & Jackie, as well as the entertainers were amazing. I really hope they expand and go to all other major cities. Highly recommended!!!!!!!
Brilliant. Really enjoyed it. Went with my husband and 2 teenage sons who all enjoyed it too.
I purchased the 10 person silver package for my daughters Sweet 16 trip to NYC and it was an experience her friends raved about. Weve gone on The Ride during Christmas and the 2nd time around was just as perfect as the first. The performers worked my daughters name into their performances and they just did a great job giving all of their guests special attention to make it a memorable Ride for everyone.
Its a fun ride experience and unlike normal tour bus. The street performance is fun to watch, just wish there are more of them. Kudos to Jack for all his jokes and enthusiasm
Lots of good information with humor mixed in to keep it interesting. Experienced a tour guide duel between our guide and one of another company. Hilarious. Definitely would recommend this one, especially because we were warmer than the other guys. Good for folks that have never been to NYC.
Had a great time on the Ride. Our guild was Jackie and she had a great (but weird) sense of humour. We had our 11 and 13 year old girls with us and they loved it. It is pricey but we used our sightseeing pass and had no issues.
I lived and worked in NYC years ago and find it hard to do something creative when I visit the area. I brought my 9 year old daughter and her two friends into NYC for her birthday and we experienced The Ride. It was hands down the best interactive experience in NYC! The kids had a blast and so did I. The hosts are appropriately funny and the side shows have many talented dancers, singers, and rappers. It was just pure fun the entire time! A MUST do when visiting NYC.
Very overrated. Not really a tour... just riding around a bus, clapping hands and listening to inappropriate jokes. Nothing informative or entertaining about this Ride. Mostly saw the sides of buildings on this tour. Wouldnt recommend to anyone, especially to families with kids under 14.. many jokes made parents with small children uncomfortable.
Managed to get on at 11.45 after booking for 10pm. Would have been great if on time but having to wait for 1.75 hours with little or no information out us in an angst mode before getting on board. Compares and acts were all superb
Awesome....My experience from purchasing to end was wonderful. Had flight cancelations and they immediately accommodated us, unlike Broadway Shows. We took our 12 year old niece to NY for her birthday and they make it so very special for her. It was worth every penny. The adults had tons of fun as well....I have told all my friends and we plan to return. Thank you
Probably the most entertaining part of our NYC trip...had us laughing from beginning to end with Jackie and (forgot other guys name) who was amazing as well... best bus tour for getting through a night out... highly recommend it! Its inlcuded in new york pass which is great for budgeting while here...
Pros - 1) entertaining guide with good stories about NYC, 2) comfortable ride (no freezing on top of bus), 3) repeat... warm bus.cons - 1) sitting on side of bus allows you to only see that side and miss 50% of views, 2) ride combined some uptown and some downtown sites but missed many sites seen on the hop on/off bus tours 3) paying for front row not worth cost... all seats were good and taking pictures through the windows wasnt a good option.
We went on the holiday version. Really fun and well done. A great mix of comedy, information, and sightseeing. The street performers were so fun, and some were seriously talented. Our host was hilarious, she had us laughing the whole time. The bus was about 45 minutes late, but we were there during the height of the holidays and santacon so thats not really that surprising. Also, we had no idea why there were hundreds of people dressed like Santa all over until we took the Ride and they told us about santacon. You get some fun insider information on this tour that would be hard to find anywhere else! We were with treo girls ages 9 and 10 and it was their favorite part of our entire trip! So definitely worth the money.
Unfortunately we missed the tour as the directions we had were incorrect; however we were gladly put on another tour two days later. When it was time for our bus, they upgraded us to the ride as the tour was taking off after it was time for our vacation to end. The bus waited for us to arrive and all the employees aboard were expecting us. The ride was great, cheesy but still a lot of fun. Both my boyfriend and I greatly enjoyed this ride.
Have been to New York City many times and finally decided to do the Ride a couple of years ago with my parents and we had a blast, hosts are pretty awesome and we learned a few things we didnt know about NYC, highly recommend doing it if youre in Manhattan.....keep up the good work!!
Re: UPSTAIRS PIANO SHOWSeating leaves everything to be desired, they seat you for piano show...you dont get a choice. Very, very uncomfortable long side tables. They crammed as many people as unreasonably possible in. The show was kinda fun but a bit too long. Two very talented guys.
Loved their intimate interaction and very enjoyable and entertained. Great biz idea to connect to the customers who wants somewhat different tourism experience from cliche. One thing to add, is probably kinda too much circling around the same area.
Around 80 minutes of comedy, with two hosts inside the bus and a couple of street performances going on outside throughout the ride. This is Not a sightseeing tour.If you have the New York pass, The Ride is included in your pass, and in that case its worth a visit, but I would not pay full price.Personally, for best entertainment, I would suggest a late departure time (latest is around 9 PM) and been drinking two beers before. For me, it felt like they were trying to create a party feeling so if you arent a party person you might not like this ride.Much is dependent on your hosts, if they are not funny or having a bad day, then youll suffer, but if you get along with them you will have a funny ride experience.The experience was OK but not great.
This review is for the Downtown Experience, which is not listed on Google, but is by far the best of the Ride experiences. The Ride is three star, at best, but the Downtown Experience is 5-star!THE DOWNTOWN EXPERIENCEThis is a hidden gem. Its a bit difficult to find the loading place, in front of a Starbucks, but once on, the tour guide and staff provide such an entertaining experience. Downtown Manhattan is steeped in history, and the ride brings it to life, not only through their VR experiences, but through their knowledge. I loved their street explanations and driving by a seemingly mundane site only to discover the unique history behind it. I especially loved how they pointed out the areas which didnt exist (they were added to the island after creating land) and the water marks that still exist from Hurricane Sandy, which I would have never known or realized without the tour.
By far The Ride is THE MOST exciting, fun, unique way to experience N.Y. We had an absolute blast!!! You are guaranteed to laugh sooo much, learn interesting facts, see N.Y. in the best, creative way!!! Kentucky cant wait to come back!!! Thank u all for the experience
A fun way to see midtown! The guides are hilarious and very good at vamping and making sure youre never bored. The live performers were surprisingly good as well. You only see a small portion of Manhattan (42nd to 59th) but they pack in a lot of interesting facts in that time. A bit on the cheesy side but a very enjoyable time!
I heard about this via the Sightseeing Pass, and what a GREAT experience. Booking and redeeming the pass was super easy. The Ride was so entertaining and funny! Our whole family loved it. (kids ages 10 and 13). Would totally recommend,.
The Ride was one of the best things we did in New York City. It was highly entertaining to watch our to host feed off each and we learned so much history in a funny way. This is a must do for anyone visiting NYC!
Entertaining, yes. Over-priced, absolutely absurdly. LOVE the concept. But it was a huge let-down.My group of 4 was there for the Holiday Edition Tour. After waiting 45 minutes because the bus was late, we finally boarded. We got in line early, and sort of expected to have first dibs on where to sit. However, when boarding, the tour guides assigned us seats. We got stuck in the back row, which looks directly at a bar above the windows... Not the most pleasant of seats, but was fine for looking down on the performers outside the bus. Additionally, my back became out of whack after the hour-long tour. The back row seats (top nose bleed seats, if you will...) DO NOT RECLINE. Every other row DOES recline. Our backs were straight up against the wall of the bus. Being 62 tall, it was a struggle to stay in the seat. Luckily, the seat next to me was empty so I could turn my legs a bit, but it was very difficult to endure The Ride in the back row.The Tour Guides were pleasant. Overly-scripted, but entertaining as well. The performers were great, I thought. The Holiday Edition tour was really just a slightly modified version of a normal tour, just with Christmas music performances. I absolutely got a kick out of the public waving to the bus and reacting to the chaos. This reason alone made the tour worth it. I felt for the Tour Guides who were sweating as they struggled to stand as the bus whipped it around. There were some close calls where the guides almost fell on an audience member, or had to slam themselves against a window in order to avoid falling over. THAT was entertaining... Audience participation was pretty good as well.The bus did NOT venture far away from Times Square. We would have loved to see Christmas displays during the Holiday Edition tour, but were let down with that. The best part of the tour was the Subway imitation... where the bus driver drove erratically and subway noises sounded off.Dont pay full price for this tour... its simply not worth it, especially if youve been on tours in the area before. The Christmas tour as a holiday gesture was a let-down if you are expecting to see something other than what a normal tour offers... which we were. But, again, LOVE the concept of this bus... Hopefully, they will expand their tours and fleet in the future...Also, the box office lady was a WITCH... (if I could replace the w with a capital B in this review, I would. Huge turn-off right from the start... but this is NYC.....
We just did the tour because it was included in our NY Pass. I didnt expect anything really but it was kinda okay. Sometimes the hosts seemed to be trying just too much to be funny and it clearly doesnt really give any facts about the city. Some parts like the singers and dancers are nice though and some fun facts actually funny. 69$ is clearly too much for it. I would never pay that amount for it
Every year my family share a memory in Manhattan for my daughter’s birthday. This year we decided to go on The Ride. My mom who is 70 and has a bad hip and mother in law who is also 70 and has breathing issues always enjoy this tradition with my family. We booked the Ride for Monday August 19 at 4:30 PM. We arrived at 4:15 checked in, waited to go onto he bus until 4:35. When we got on the bus we were told the Air Conditioner was a little broke. Total Lie!!! The AC didn’t work at all!! The windows do not open and passengers wanted to get off the bus! We were told we could get off but would not be refunded or rescheduled. Several passengers got off due to extreme heat on the bus. The windows did not open and we weren’t given anything, wait a paper fan to fan ourselves! When we exited the bus we asked how they could still put people on the same bus they were telling the next group the air was working slow!!! We should’ve been reimbursed and apologized too for such horrific conditions!!! This was appalling and I give it less than 1 Star!!! Awful customer service!!! Would Never Recommend this attraction to anyone!
Not impressed, was expecting what the hype says I’ll get. Disappointed. I literally couldn’t wait to get off the bus. The hosts were always talking on top of each other or stuttering and trying to figure out what to say. Not funny, need new material. The street interaction was nice but I expected more based on what they advertise. The pick the darkest streets to perform and it was just not what I’d imagined. Money would be better spent on a broadway play.
Highly recommend this! Scott and Victoria(I think that was her name, the beautiful red head) were entertaining and fun. We saw parts of the city that we had not seen or knew what it was on this tour. The entertainment on the streets for us was fun and we found our selves laughing and smiling alot! and making people on the street smile.
I had a great time on The Ride! The street actors were funny and so were the hosts. I went on a Sunday afternoon and with a mellow crowd and still had a good time. Im going to come back and try it on a Saturday night.
If you want an experience, please make this a priority on your list when visiting NYC. We stayed an extra day because of the great reviews of The Ride, and i tell you what it did not disappoint!Few things to remember, get in line earlier for ticket purchases. And by early i mean like 8 am, even if you plan on going on an evening tour. I went on the 11 am tour, it sold out a couple people behind me and i showed up to get in like around 8:20 am.Enough about technicalities though, the interactive comedy routine was hilarious, i went into this more for your purposes and ended up thoroughly finding the hosts hilarious. The acts throughout the city associated with the ride are amazing! I recommend getting tickets for someone who isnt aware of the ride and then go with them and see the shock of what would seem like random people in places like time square, central park, ect start performing right then and there.Also the full theater view window and seating is probably one of the most convenient ways to see the city.I see why this is so highly rated for trip advisor and Google.MUST SEE!
I dont get all the 5 star ratings???For the amount of money it cost I expected a lot more. We took the Holiday edition tour, for 3 people it cost 250.00+.The majority of the entertainment was based on waving at pedestrians as they passed by ....the novelty of this wore off pretty quick. Along the way there was some weak street acts and annoying banter between the hosts, nothing was memorable. You basically just ride around a 6 block radius looking and waving at people,.You can jump in a cab and pretty much do the same thing while saving yourself 250 bucks. If the Ride would have cost $30 or $35 I wouldnt have felt as bad...but at $79 a head I definitely felt ripped off. You would be much better served if you took your money and put it towards seeing an Broadway show.
I dont get all the 5 stars reviews.. Im not too difficult but that ride was an awkward experience. We felt scamed. I guess its a very American show.The two hosts talk way too much and nothing from the tour website prepares you for this.. They speak non stop. Props to them for doing this job though and keeping the motivation up. I imagine the hosts are there to avoid being bored as the ride itself is quit boring. You will go a few times throughout the same streets and you wont go very far around NYC. You will still catch a few interesting facts but nothing you wont get out of any good city book guides.Most of the hosts jokes are written in advance and they are overdoing it with the fake laughs. When they go off script they start saying terrible things out of exhaustion. For example the girl host started making weird remarks towards working women in a restaurant whom had scarfs to cover their hairs (probably for religious reasons). Feeling they were going on a dangerous path, they tried to quickly move away from the initial joke and just went on criticizing the restaurant itself saying you should avoid at all cost going to a restaurant that serves pizza and breakfast. It will most certainly be disgusting. Checked the reviews afterwards and its a decent place to eat.They called a tall blonde girl out for the night with her friend a blonde barbie and made fun of her.They mocked a homeless person.The bus it self is dirty. Food on the floor. The hosts even apologize for this as a joke when they ask you to find a sitbelt that doesnt exist. Chairs are half broken or used to the core. Mine was even missing an elbow rest. The AC was so strong, more than any restaurant or hotel we have been to. Meant to ask to turn it down but the hosts just speak none stop and make it hard to truly communicate with them.And the ride is mostly on the side of the road with the sidewalk just in front of you. What a shame. It makes it much harder to see well the buildings and the street. I wouldnt have minded a few cars in front of us to be able to see better the street and have larger sights.Not to forget the performance artists. Poor, I dont know how long they wait outside for us. They were the highlight of the ride but its more sad than anything. Their appearance is mostly about few seconds up to maybe 2 minutes. They often dont do much or just talk back and forth with the hosts. There was only about 6 of them during the ride.Also avoid paying more for the front raw. Most people dont so if you arrive early you will be seated in front anyway. Plus its only 3 raws: you will see perfectly fine from any of them.Definitely overpriced. Keep your money and go see a Broadway show for a bit more.Honestly as an better alternative I would recommend those open roof tour buses instead. They are much cheaper. You can have few rides out of them depending on the ticket you choose. One of them will show you around the heart of Manathan and then bring you to Brooklyn to be able to see the city skyline from up far before bringing you back to the city. Available too during the day and at night. Covers the same streets as the ride bus and much more but with less noise and less filling.
Very cool show!! Not worth paying full price for. You also dont learn a ton about the city, its more of an entertainment experience than a tour. If youre looking to see the city this isnt for you, if youre looking for a very cool way to kill an hour and a half, then would definitely recommend.
Originally rated this 3 stars, but after a reply from the owner Ive thought again over the experience and upped it to 4 stars, and provided some additional feedback:I found THE RIDE, whilst generally being good fun, was a little overly cheesy and slightly tacky. Also, I dont think it was a particularly good tour - there wasnt a huge amount of info about any of the places we stopped at.
Staff is friendly. Experience itself is on the extremely cheesy side which is great if you are in the mood for that (if you arent then it may be uncomfortable and a tad awkward). Didnt find it offered a ton of facts about the city, would have enjoyed more of that. NO AIR CONDITIONING- sitting in a melting hot bus for 1.5 hours you could not pay me to do again. For the cost of this experience, GET AC. We felt awful for the staff.
The tour was good but could have been great but NYC should be ashamed of themselves for having these tour buses in use with no AC(air conditioning). The best way to see NYC is to do both the uptown & downtown tours if you have time.
Was really looking forward to this after reading reviews, Paid extra for front row seats to really experience it. When we got our tickets scanned to guy said tell the guy u have front row seats, he should have saved you 2. We got on we told the man that we have paid for the front row as it looked tittles full. There were two separate single seats Available but nothing together as people didn’t want to move up. No one would move up even though they hadn’t paid for front row seats, as there is a small 6inch plastic bit with led lights and they didn’t want to miss anything out of the big double decker size windows. The man said I can’t ask people to move.! They shudnt have been in allocated seats in the first place. The man was rude. There was no air on which may sound snobby but in the blazing heat in a green house on wheels... u need a little oxygen of some sort.If your gonna pay extra for your seats you must get on first or your not guaranteed to get what you paid for.Also I wanted my wife and I together as I have brain cancer and anxiety so did not feel it would be a good idea for us to be on opposite ends of the bus.Extremely disappointed.I don’t really have anything positive to say except I felt bad not tipping the driver but it was one pot shared by all and I weren’t tipping the tour guide speaker!
Was really unimpressed. My wife and I just went on this yesterday and it was not what we expected. I could have gone on a bus tour for a lot cheaper. They made 3 religious jokes as well which really bothered me since we are strong in our faith. I would not recommend this unless you want to pay $140 for a bus tour and listen to loud obnoxious tour guides the whole time.
I love The Ride and this was my third time bringing someone to experience it and my second time seeing the holiday version. After seeing it that many times, I can honestly say it was just as much fun as the first time. Julie and Stuart were excellent and really clicked together. You could see they got along well. They both interacted with the passengers and were hilarious. Its all about having fun and the jokes and sarcasm were very funny. Even so, you can really learn some interesting facts about NYC. Each time I go on, they throw in some new facts. I guess it depends on the hosts. Its expensive but I think its well worth it. Tipped $20.00 because they work so hard to make you laugh and I laughed a lot!
My family of 9 thoroughly enjoyed The Ride and its sibling hosts! Both brothers were friendly, funny, and interactive with the guests. Its a must-see attraction while in NYC. I recommend for all ages.
The street rapper is brilliant. He should do a show on his own. The rest of it is poor. The management attitude is very poor. View their responses to constructive feedback on TripAdvisor. Its shocking what they are saying to people and treating them with contempt. Get the greyhound bus with Jim Boyle on the Mic. On the night ride you cant see out the window with the interior lights. Give the staff their due. Doing that garbage 12 times a day and still sounding enthusiastic deserves an Oscar.
The best, entertaining and informational ride. You get so much information also supported with VR Gears with very well made clips about things that happened in New York. Beside the mandatory tourist information there are some very need and cool suprises. If you want to do any bus tour in New York to get to know the city I would recommend the Ride.
This past Saturday I took The Ride. The weather was extremely cold temperatures and windy. Told to be there 15 minutes prior to departure. Arrive and said they werent ready for people to board (bus had been sitting for awhile w/driver inside and the ticket taker). Had us to go the Starbucks to wait and said come back in 5 minutes and still not ready. One elderly woman said this is BS and got on bus. Later we boarded. The 2 amateur tour guides didnt explain much and I paid $85. The Windows of the bus were dirty and cold. The dark side humor inappropriate for a group of high school students from Florida with their Teacher onboard. The entertainment they scheduled us to see while riding on the bus was good. Overall, It wasnt worth it...cheesey...need to step up their game. Dont recommend it.
My friends from Spain are visiting us here in NY and they wanted to do this ride. They were using their New York Pass that they bought and had a misunderstanding when reserving tickets. Being that they cant speak English, I spoke on their behalf with customer service to see if there was any solution. I spoke to a woman named Kristen, who not only found a solution to our problem but was SO nice and with amazing customer service. She was very patient while I was trying to relay and translate information back and forth! She turned a stressful situation into an easy solution, all done while being extremely friendly, polite and professional. My friends had an absolutely INCREDIBLE time. Thanks again Kristen for being so patient and ensuring a life long memory for my friends!!!
Kinda expensive but definitely a nice experience, would recommend to book few days in advance in the evening time.The Subway part was the most fun, good entertainers in the bus. Nice way to see the City.
Very fun! Julie & stuart I guess were sort of hosts and were were hilarious! Very sarcastic but tourist friendly! During your tour entertainers meet show up on the street and sing, dance & entertain! The whole ride was very fun! The only negative thing was the ticket taker was very rude when we could not pull up one of our online tickets right away. But julie & stuart made up for it!
So much fun, the host were fantastic. Highly recommend.
Attention Scam!!!I came with my family to NYC and had a wonderful experience, until I booked an attraction with the ride. I booked it with NYC explorer pass so it was supposed to be for free... supoosed to!We got to the place said on the email and found no sign or people from this company. We called them, and after 20 minutes in the automated menu with useless recordings, we got to talk with an agent. To our surprise her answer was look on google maps and hang up......... This was really disappointing. We missed the ride.Finally today, I got their last move, they charged 162$ for missing the booking. After emailing them about this they replied it was in the terms and conditions. This is a really poor experience and highly disappointing.Hope you think twice before booking with this company.
We booked this via the New York Pass, unfortunately there werent 2 tickets available for any time slot on Friday the 25th. We booked a single ticket 1 slot (15 minutes) apart and decided to ask the guys at the bus if they could get us on the same bus. We arrived on time and asked The Ride personnel if there were 2 slots on the same bus. They said yes, but it would cost $10 to rebook either of us. Fine, no worries well go separate, but then they started switching other passengers between busses... When we asked again we got the same answer. So we left after check in. Rude and inflexible staff. Wont bother trying any of their attractions again.
The ride shows are fantastic and creative. Is it only New York ability?
We did the Downtown Experience on 9/14/18 - it was super educational and enjoyable. LOVED the moving tribute to 9/11. Our guide, Kelsey was amazing - she had to adapt to a lot of unexpected traffic slowdowns and did so effortlessly.
Unique and valuable experience for me. Had lots of fun. The most excited thing was that passersby also took funny actions and someone danced or shook their hands when they faced our Ride bus.
This is kind of like a party bus with windows. We circled the same block twice with getting half the interesting facts a double decker would. Plus we scheduled the 10:00pm bus tour and the thing didnt get there till 10:45pm. It truly is the city that never sleeps. The hostess tried to make it fun but we really just ended up waving to people on the streets. Save your money.
We booked the Ride for the evening in the hot summer time. The host were great and funny. Not knowing what I was letting myself into, the few stops we made were amazing and funny.
It was okay, that is a perfect description. I laughed some and learned a little. I even enjoyed the cute actors on the sidewalks. But for the money I spent for the 65 minute experience I wish I would have saved it and seen another Broadway show.Signed, I was hoping for more.
Brilliant tour, entertaining and very informative. Julie, Stuart and the Ride made the atmosphere great in a friendly and amusing atmospheric. I would highly recommend this tour when in New York.
The Ride is a very funny and interesting Bus tour.Youre getting interesting and funny information about New York.
Not sure what i was expecting in fairness, it was good but Im glad it was included in NY pass and i didnt pay $69 per ticket. Fair play to the guides on the coach they were funny and made it fun but just was not my cup of tea
Our family of 4 just got off the Ride and thoroughly enjoyed it! Fun experience incorporating different entertainment and interesting facts about the city. Our teenagers loved it!
This a total RIP off and ride from HEll. Do not purchase this. Fir starters the whole time we rode only one of the buses had air😡. The tour guide were rude and very pushy when you ask a question. Then we were given the wrong information about the tour to see the statue of liberty,when we arrived we were 3 hours early and had to sit and wait because of misinformation. Then on the way back to the hotel, there were not enough seats, nothing was organized people were just moving in front and getting on we had to wait 3 times for another bus and finally the one we got was only going part of the way so we had to get off and walk the rest of the way. If I ever return to New York I wont use this service and neither should you.👹
It was definitely the funnest thing we did on our trip. The staff was amazing and the whole concept of THE RIDE is something I never seen before. We got a NY explorer pass and used this as one of the attractions we wanted do. Definitely worth it!
If I could rate without giving a star, I would have.They cancelled our tour and rescheduled it for the following day - we were told the bus had mechanical issues.We got on the tour and we were given hand fans. There was no air circulating, we could have all suffocated from gotten heat stroke. There was not a single window open. To top it off, the guy sitting in front of me had really bad B.O.The poor tour guide continued to do his job but his shirt was soaked through with sweat.They should have just refunded all of us instead of letting us go through such a miserable experience. A few families including ourselves walked off the bus and left the tour midway.Complete waste of money and time!
No where to wait on bus out of rain. Even if you try to get out of the weather under a conopy they ask you to step out into rain and stay in a line. Ride was over an hour late. Kids were so disappointed in the experience that it ruined our night. Total waste of time.
Hosts were great and entertaining, however, you dont see enough sites in the hour plus ride. You end up going through Times Square three times but leave out the Empire State building and UN building which are both in Midtown. 5 stars for the hosts, but 3 stars for the route the bus takes.
Terrible, u want content? We had a schedule to keep, we told the driver where we going, he said ok. We wanted to go to Harlem as it said we would, then we ended up in the spot we started and then the driver said he wasnt going that way. Smh. He wasnt professional at all, he got upset when we asked why, didnt try to help us in no way. Couldnt give directions to catch the train. A lot more people was in happy that day besides me. We wasted 2hours of our trip and money. . Ill bet it will mean something if u had to refund all the people they money and they gave u the same review.
Extremely disappointing. We wood The Tour and it was cancelled with little notification. Our The Ride was rebooked to an earlier time. Out of 4 busses 3 were broke down, the one that did work was extremely hot. The experience was a lot of fun but getting to that point wasnt at all.
If you get chance you should definitely do this. Its a full immersive experience and great fun. The onboard entertainers/hosts are very funny and the street performers are equally good. Absolutely brilliant
Total reviews rating 4.2
199 Reviews for The Ride NYC 2023:
Review №1
2022-04-25Racist Host!The bus tour is fun but the racist host Julia (or Julie) spoiled our mood right in the beginning. We took the ride on Sunday at 2 PM and joined the queue waiting to board the bus. There is no seat reservation when you book the tickets - it is first come first basis. We were last in the queue and when boarded saw a number of empty seats in the front row. We were going there but the host didn’t allow us to sit there and asked us to sit in the last row. When asked why, she said four other people would come and sit there. My wife and I were the only two person seating in that last row - I guess we were not white enough to sit in the first two rows. Everybody took seat of their own choice but apparently we had to sit in the last row. After some time, when nobody came, she apologized and asked us to come and sit in the front seats. We didn’t want to spoil it for everyone else so we came back to the front seat. By that time, we had already lost our interest in the trip. Sad to see that such mentality is still alive!
Review №2
2022-04-19I was in The Tour powered by The Ride. I read bad comments about it so I was a little prepared to get disappointed but all the opposite! It was really good, the bus is very innovative and the woman that explained all about the spots we were passing through was fun, I learned some cool things as she was explaining. I definitely recommend it.
Review №3
2021-12-15This is one of the most fun things you could do on a bus tour!The compares were hilarious, got everyone involved, even the passers by on the street & the street performers are brilliant. Such a great experience that is worth every penny. All I would say is book early to avoid disappointment as tours sell out fast.
Review №4
2022-03-07This was an absolute blast! Purchased the premium package and would highly recommend it. It was part of my girlfriends birthday present...so you let The Ride know that its an occasion plus a few things about her and they will incorporate her into the experience. She loved it, you cant go wrong with this.
Review №5
2022-06-26This was so fun! The environment the hosts created was fun and energetic. I would highly recommend this to anyone traveling to NYC for the first time. I learned a little bit about the city while having a great time. There were a lot of random moments on the ride that made the experience ten times better! I am s glad I got to have this experience.
Review №6
2022-03-05Had so.much fun on The Ride! Sitting in a Stadium Seating set-up was a great way to see New York City in all its uniqueness. The talent along the route was timed perfectly with the bus arriving to entertain all of us. Break dancing on Madison Ave, ballet dancing in Lincoln Square and a jazzy sak player and vocalist in front of Carnegie Hall was perfect! It was like live theater at each stop! Would recommend and do it again!
Review №7
2022-05-01Awesome hosts, very funny. The ride could have been a tad longer instead of going round times square twice but we had a really good time. It was included in our new York city pass and Id recommend it for anyone who wants to sit back and laugh a little.
Review №8
2022-05-30To The Ride NYCBoth my wife, Kat and I highly enjoyed our guided tour experience on the Ride NYC!!!I brought and treated myself and my wife for a ride on the Ride NYC to celebrate our Happy Birthday Of 2018 and we had an absolute blast!!!Our bus tour ride was smooth and comfortable and our tour guides were over the top hilarious and entertaining!!!My wife and I also enjoyed the wonderful views of NYC and we took great pictures that captured the city’s nightlife!!!We highly recommend all avid sightseers take a tour on the Ride NYC!!!Respectfully,Greg Harris
Review №9
2022-07-04Do not do this experience on a hot day. You will fry! The entire bus load of people used whatever item they had to fan themselves. Masks were required for everyone except the staff. The jokes don’t land as well when most people on the bus are fighting for air. It was very uncomfortable and the audience was very quite and docile. The best part was when it ended and we all got to step off the bus and the 89 degree heat outside felt like an air conditioner.
Review №10
2022-03-19The Ride was one of the most enjoyable experiences I have ever had! The guides, Jack and Scott, were pleasant, funny and created a very energetic atmosphere. We got to see many sites around NYC, did a mock New Year countdown at Times square and got to see live dance and music performances on the streets as we passed by in The Ride. I had my two teenage kids with me and they LOVED it! We used the New York pass. Would definitely do it again.@TheRideNYC #TheRideNYC