I am traveling to NYC with my 13 year old son. It's his first trip there. Are there any good guided bus tours that will see the highlights of the city?

There are the hop on-hop off buses but I would suggest that you get a guide book and both of you read it to see what might be appealling.

If it were me, I'd let the 13 year old choose what he would like to see and then do it on your own by subway and walking. He can research on line and with guide books.

We enjoyed a small tour with Marvelous Manhattan - King of NYC. Click on my name for my trip report.

Good luck.

No. IMHO they are a waste of time. Often inaccurate and you can spend a lot of time just sitting in traffic. And loking at the outsdie of buildings, IMHO, is a waste of time versus picking out what really nterests you and acually going to visit the inside. If you want an overview take a 2 hour Circle line cruis to see a lot of the skyline and key highlights.

Then, visit

Museum of Natural History
The Intrepid
Central Park - bike or row on the lake
Take in a game - Yankees, Knicks, Rangers someting
Top of the Rock

And whatever else will fit in with his and yuor spcific interests.

We did a bike tour of Central Park that my kids (both age 12 at the time) really enjoyed. Actually, I enjoyed it just as much! But...that was in the summer, and I don't know when you are going.

A lot depends on WHEN you're visiting (hop on/off buses are brutal in winter) and what kind of travelers you are. I agree if you want a bus tour in winter, kingofnyc.com is the best option. Realnewyorktours.com is another option that uses walking and subway. If your son doesn't have patience for guided tours, list what you want to see and we'll help you figure out how to do it.