General Tours
A number of companies specialize in taking visitors on bus tours of New York City. These tours generally stick to specific areas, but some are all encompassing. These tours will drive visitors past famous landmarks such as the Empire State Building or Times Square. Some lengthier tours will take visitors from the south side of Manhattan all the way up to Central Park and the north side. You can also find tours that, in addition to letting you experience Manhattan, will take people out to some of the other boroughs, such as the Bronx.
Many of these companies also offer walking our bicycle tours for those who don't want to take a bus or other type of transportation. General bike rentals are available all over the cities for those who would rather explore New York on their own.
CitySights NY
A company called CitySights NY markets itself as the "recognized leader" in sightseeing tours in New York City. CitySights NY specializes in bus tours, featuring tours that take visitors all throughout the different areas of the city. Tours can go anywhere from the midtown area all the way to the shoreline to give tourists a great view of the Statue of Liberty. CitySights NY also offers a number of "combo" tours, giving visitors a discount if they buy tickets to multiple tours at the same time.
Many of these tour packages involve a lot of walking once they reach their destinations, so it is important to wear a good pair of comfortable walking shoes. Also important is to make sure that your tour comes back to its point of origin. One-way tours are available that take visitors from one end of the city to the other, and if you're not careful, you could end up walking great distances to get back to where you started.
Entertainment Tours
Companies including CitySights NY offer tours that take visitors solely to famous locations used in popular movies and television shows shot in the area. A number of HBO shows in particular (with "Sex and the City" and "The Sopranos" being arguably the two most famous examples) make extensive use of New York City and the surrounding areas. The tours specialize in taking visitors to recognizable locations from all of their favorite episodes.
