New York City is one of the most recognizable, iconic cities in the world and has been used as the set of over 300,000 movies and countless more TV shows. When walking around New York, it can feel like you are walking on a movie set, and that is because you are! New York is the 2nd most filmed city after L.A. and that’s no small feat being second to Tinseltown itself. If like us, you love New York but love searching out Film Locations from your favorite movies and shows even more; then On Location Tours are a must-do during your next trip to the Big Apple!
Who are On-Location Tours?
On-Location Tours is a Movie and TV film Location Tour company whose main passion is helping fellow movie buffs seek out locations from their favorite on-screen moments. With Tour companies in LA, Boston, Chicago, and South Carolina it’s New York City where On Locations REALLY know their stuff: there are 28 Movie and TV On Location Tours in New York to choose from. You can see the full list HERE
From Infamous TV shows such as Friends, Sopranos, Sex and the City, Gossip Girl and Big Movie Blockbusters such as Avengers, When Harry Met Sally, Ghostbusters, Elf, Home Alone 2, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s; On Location Tours have filming locations from them all! Whether it is a walking tour or bus tour, you are guaranteed to see filming locations from your favorite movies and shows.
What’s even better is that 2 of the On Location Tours (Central Park Walking Tour and the TV and Movie Bus Tour) are included with a GoCity Pass and the other public tours are eligible for 10% off with a GoCity Pass too! GoCity Passes are the best way to save money on your vacation, without paying door prices for every attraction you want to visit! Check out our GoCity New York Pass Review HERE
So with 28 Tours available, there’s definitely a lot to choose from but it can be hard to find a On Locations Tour that suits you. Here, we rate our top 5 New York On Location Tours to make things a little easier:
Top 5 On Location New York Tours:
1. NYC TV and Movie Bus Tour
- Price: Adult $61 Adult Premium Seating $71 Child $45 Child Premium Seating $55
- Daily
- Ages: All Ages
- Wheel Chair Accessible
- Duration: 2.5 hours
- Tour Type: Bus
- Included with GoCity Pass: YES – Find Out More
- Pre Booking is advised either with or without a GoCity Pass
- Private Tours Available
The NYC TV and Movie Bus Tour is On Locations ultimate TV and Movie Tour. Here you get to see the most filming locations from many TV and Movies filmed in New York. Over the 2.5-hour bus tour, you will get to see over 60 locations and visit much of the vast city itself whilst learning about some of the film industry’s best-kept secrets.
Rest your weary tourist feet in the comfy minibus with the heating on to keep you snug in the winter or the AC blowing hard to keep you cool in the summer! Then you get to follow in the footsteps of your favorite movie stars when you hop off at different locations around the city. Famous spots include the Friends Apartment Building, Times Square, Washington Square Park, and the Ghostbusters Fire Station.
This is the best overall filming location tour available for those who love all things New York and the many movies and shows filmed there.
2. Central Park TV and Movie Sites Walking Tour
- Price: Adult $36 Child $26
- Daily- whatever the weather!
- Ages: All Ages
- Duration: 2 hours
- Tour Type: Walking Tour
- Included with GoCity Pass: YES – Find Out More
- Pre Booking is advised either with or without a GoCity Pass
- Private Tours Available
Hundreds of films and TV locations have been filmed in Central Park, making it one of the most filmed locations in the world. This walking Tv and Movie Tour highlights over 30 of those filming locations with 40 stops on your walk through the famous Central Park.
This Film Location Walking Tour is for all ages and in all weathers! So come rain or shine, be prepared for the weather and all the walking, whatever age you are. You will be strolling around America’s first-ever public park for over 2 hours enjoying the views of the park while stopping at many of the film locations featured. Some of the film locations are from movies and shows such as Elf, Avengers, Enchanted, The Way We Were, When Harry Met Sally, Sex and the City, Home Alone 2 and so many more!
The Central Park TV and Movie Sites Walking Tour is also a good way to see the Park as you will visit Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, Wollman Ice Skating Rink, the Boathouse Cafe, Strawberry Fields John Lennon Memorial, and the famous Mall.
It’s hard to believe how many film locations are actually located in the park alone and this walking tour combines so many famous film locations with beautiful views of Central Park all at once- just make sure you are wearing comfy shoes!
3. Sex and the City Hotspots Tour
- Price: Adults $66 Premium Seating $76
- Adults Only, Not Suitable for Under 18 Years of Age
- Duration 3.5 Hours
- Thurs- Monday Only
- Tour Type: Bus
- Wheelchair Chair Accessibility available upon request
- Included with GoCity Pass- NO- But GoCity Pass Holders get 10% off when booking – Find Out More
- Pre Booking is Advised
- Private Tours Available
This tour is On Location’s most popular tour for a specific movie or TV show. When filming Sex and the City, it is a well-known fact that the city of New York was featured so predominantly in the show that the city became the 5th Character. And Boy, what a character it was; glitz, glamour, drama, and beauty; New York City has it all! THE perfect backdrop for our 4 wonderful girls, the fashion they wore, and the lives that they led.
This On Locations Tour is an absolute MUST- DO for any big Sex and the City Fan. So many parts of the city were used during the filming of the series and now with the revival of And Just Like That, there are even more locations to see! It’s no wonder that the tour is a lengthy 3.5 hours but do not fear, you will be transported to and around the filming locations in a comfy minibus, resting your tired tourist feet (or Monolo’s!).
As you travel around the city in between stops, a local NYC actress and SATC enthusiast will share filming secrets, quiz you on show trivia, and share fun facts about the show. Due to the adult content of the show, this tour is advised for those over 18 only.
During the tour, you will get several stops including Carries Apartment Stoop in the West Village, a Visit to Magnolia’s Bakery for a free cupcake, SJP’s new boutique (where she often visits!), a tour around Buddakan used in the first movie and O’Neils AKA Scout where you can raise a glass to the show with your very own Cosmopolitan! You will also see many more filming locations on your way around the city. You also get exclusive discounts to use in certain establishments either during or after the tour.
We recently did this tour and LOVED it! You see lots of the City, including less Touristy parts such as Greenwich Village, Little Italy, SoHo, and Chelsea. But for a massive fan of the show, the highlight really is visiting all the amazing filming locations and getting inside info on the show from the tour guide.
You can read our full review of On Location Tour’s Sex and the City Hotspots Tour HERE
4. The Super Tour of NYC: Comics! Heroes! More!
- Price: Adult $66 Premium Seating $76 Child $50 Child Premium Seating $60
- Suitable for Ages 6+
- Duration: 2.5 Hours
- Tour Date Availability Varies: Check Calendar
- Tour Type: Bus
- Wheelchair Chair Accessibility available upon request
- Included with GoCity Pass- NO- But GoCity Pass Holders get 10% off when booking – Find Out More
- Pre Booking is Advised
- Private Tours Available
Superhero Fans ASSEMBLE! New York City has been used as a filming location for multiple superhero films not to mention the place where Batman was created. On Location Tours created this tour with superhero fans, comic book enthusiasts, and special effects fans in mind; whether you are a long-time fan or first-time watcher, this tour is the tour for you!
So put on your cape or grab your shield and hop onto the comfortable mini bus that takes you on a 2.5-hour tour around the city, featuring over 30 Superhero filming sites. The infamous New York Traffic might mean that you won’t be able to ‘fly’ around the city, but you will get to see sites where your favorite movie scenes were filmed from Avengers, Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, and more!
The Tour starts at Midtown Comics, so be sure to arrive early enough to have a look around before the Tour starts. You will then walk through Times Square, home to a pivotal scene in the original Spider-Man movie before boarding the bus and taking you to many more superhero sites.
Your tour guide will point out all the major locations as you drive by, sharing super-sized secrets and insider info about all your favorite superhero movies. Your Tour guide is a big Superhero fan just like you, so of course, they will be dressed up! Dressing up as your favorite hero is massively encouraged so don’t be shy! Come fully dressed in Cosplay or simply in your favorite superhero shirt, either way, you will wish this tour goes on for an infinity!
5. Holiday Lights and Movie Tour (Seasonal)
- Price: Adult $58 Premium Seating $68 Child $32 Premium Seating $42
- Suitable for All Ages
- Duration: 2.5 Hours
- Tour is Seasonal and Runs Nov- Jan. Check Calendar
- Tour Type: Bus
- Wheelchair Chair Accessibility available upon request
- Included with GoCity Pass- NO- But GoCity Pass Holders get 10% off when booking – Find Out More
- Pre Booking is Advised
- Private Tours Available
There is nothing on earth that quite compares to the Holidays in New York City. New York City for the rest of the year is pretty Amazing but from late November until the holidays are over; it’s Spectacular! So it’s no wonder that New York City is the filming location for major holiday movies such as Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone 2, and Scrooged. That’s why, despite being a seasonal tour, On Location Holiday Lights and Movie Tour just had to be in our top 5 tour list.
The Holidays in New York are magical and there’s no better way to spend them on a warm, cozy minibus, taking in all the beautifully decorated sights, the dazzling lights, and seeing where your favorite holiday movies were filmed at the same time. Let your tour guide share film industry secrets and fun facts about your favorite holiday movies as you travel through the city passing filming locations such as the Upper East Side, Central Park, 5th Avenue, The Rockefeller Christmas Tree, and Macy’s on 34th Street. Stops include filming locations from Scrooged, Serendipity, and Elf.
There’s no better way to get into the Holiday spirit in New York City than spending over 2 hours enjoying the sights and visiting filming locations from all the best Holiday movies.
Overall Review of On Locations Tours NYC
On-Location Tours is run by people who are as enthusiastic about the Movies and TV shows filmed in New York as you are. This is why their Tours are so good and we highly recommend doing one while on your visit to New York City. They know the city and they know their film locations! Some of them are in the industry themselves while others are just massive enthusiasts.
Either way, your tour guides are a fountain of knowledge; sharing secrets, fun facts, and locations you may not know about or would find on a self-guided tour. They can also often guarantee you all access to some film locations not usually available to the general public.
Other Tours
And if our Top 5 On Location Tour list still doesn’t have something to your Movie liking then remember, they have 28 Movie and TV Location Tours to choose from, with New Tours being added all the time! With so many movies and TV shows filmed in New York City, there’s no doubt that a few of your favorite on-screen moments will have taken place in this amazing city, and On Location Tours are the best people to show you where!
- Gossip Girl Sites
- Soprano’s Sites
- Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Sites Tour
- When Harry Met Sally
- Horror Movies
- Private Ghostbusters Tour
- Elf Movie Sites
- and More…
Do We Need to Take a Tour? Can’t We DIY it?
With tours running from $36 – $70+, these are not inexpensive tours, and they offer you nothing that cannot be done for FREE, you just need to do a little research and planning for yourselves…and be ready to get a bit lost.
Every site on any of these tours can be found yourself and our guide to all the best sites is a great place to start. It just takes a little research and tenacity. We actually find it more rewarding and we can focus on the locations that matter to us, but we do often get pretty lost and can spend a long time hunting out a site, and sometimes fail. Also, the sites are not always what you hope they will be.
The tours offer the guarantee of great locations, a few extras you won’t get without the tour (discounts, look around venues, specialty drinks), along with some incredible insights from people really in the know. But it can be a little frustrating when you are so near a site you really want to check out but can’t as you are on the tour. And some of the Stops/Sites are a bit tenuous, such as Times Square…we all know it’s been in a million movies, so we don’t really need it pointing out!
There is something to be said for both approaches, and we have a great time ever we do. For those just looking to be shown everything the tours are great, but even seasoned Location Hunters we still get a kick out of the tours and always learn something. You are also likely to meet some great new people whom you are guaranteed to have a shared interest with!
We think the best bet is to do both, as you are likely to find many Locations in the natural course of sightseeing, but can do a tour to get the really specialized knowledge on a TV Show or Movie you really care about!
Have Your Say
Have You done a Movie and TV tour with On Location in New York? How was your experience? Share your views in the comments section below, we would love to hear about your tour. Do you agree with our Top 5 Tour list? Maybe you went on one of the other 23 Tours they offer and have a different favorite! let us know what you think in the comments box below. If you have any questions about this article, the review, or an On Location Tour, please put them in the comments box below and we will get back to you.
