We love visiting places and hunting out filming locations from our favorite movies and TV shows. We love visiting New York City and we love the Sex and the City TV series (well, one of us does!) When we found out that On Location Tours does a tour specifically dedicated to the hotspots in New York that were used when filming it was on our list of MUST-DO activities during our next trip to the Big Apple. Every massive (some might say, BIG) fan of Sex and the City will know that New York City itself features so heavily in the series that it became the 5th character alongside our beloved 4 girls.
I (Katie) am a BIG Sex and the City fan and after we got home from our December 2021 trip, And Just Like That was released, with even more recognizable New York locations (and ones less so). So I convinced Steve to add the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour to our itinerary for our trip in October 2023. By this time, And Just Like That had released a second season using even more of the amazing New York City backdrop as filming locations. On Location Tours actively promotes film locations from the old series as well as the new revival to keep things up to date with current filming. Sounds like a no-brainer for any SATC fan, but is the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour worth it? Read on for our full Review to find out.
Who are On Location Tours?
First off, who exactly 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, 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. But the jewel in their crown is the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour, a whole tour lasting 3.5 hours focusing on all the film locations used in the franchise.
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 https://gocity.com/en/new-york/attractions
- Pre Booking is Advised
- Private Tours Available
Booking the Tour
We booked our places on the tour several weeks in advance as we know that the tour is extremely popular and sells out fast. The Tour only runs Thursday- Monday and weekend tours can get booked up pretty quickly. There is usually just one tour a day either at 2pm or 2:30 so availability is limited. It’s best to be mindful of the days and times the tour runs when planning your trip: you don’t want to plan space in your itinerary for a day when the tour is not on!
This Tour is not included with the GoCity Pass but pass holders get 10% with a valid GoCity Pass number. GoCity Passes are great for saving money on your vacation by getting discounted entry at most big attractions in New York. Two other On Location Tours are even included in the Pass as well as many other attractions in the City. This and the 10% off the Sex and the City Hotsports Tour make getting a GoCity pass worth the value. You can see a full review of the Go City New York Pass HERE
But back to booking the Tour. We had read on Trip Advisor that it can be hard to hear the Tour Bus Guide towards the back of the Bus so we paid the extra $10 for the Preferred Seating option at the front of the bus. Again, the 10% off we got with our GoCity Passes helped offset this cost. This guaranteed us seating in the first 5 rows of the minibus, meaning we would also be first off at all the film location stops.
Also, be mindful of the length of the tour as well as the drop-off spot at the end when thinking about your plans after the tour ends. The Tour drop-off point is different from the meeting place and the tour ends at 9 West 57th Street at the Cucina 81/2 Restaurant. Our tour was moved by half an hour the day before and we had only 15 minutes to make it to our next plan for the day which was a boat trip over in Hudson Yards now due to leave only 15 minutes after we arrived back to the drop-off point! Make sure when you are planning your day that you leave room to get to your next activity.
The Tour Meeting Spot
On Location Tours advertise the meeting spot as Near 5th Ave and 58th Street with exact location details given after purchase. Put simply, the meeting spot for the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour is in front of the Pulitzer Fountain outside the Plaza Hotel. They are very clear that the pick-up spot is not outside the Plaza Hotel itself but in front of the Pulitzer fountain and opposite the Apple Store.
They advise that you get to the meeting spot 15 minutes early and look out for an On Locations Tour Guide carrying a blue umbrella. We were actually a few minutes ahead of our tour guide and could also see a few groups of people milling around who looked like they were waiting for a tour of some sort. It wasn’t long until we saw our Tour Guide Lou with the blue umbrella and approached her with our tickets. As we had preferred seating, she asked us to stand to the side with 2 other ladies who had preferred seating too.
TIP: If you have not paid for preferred seating then we would advise getting to the meeting spot AT LEAST 15 minutes before the tour starts as the line for the rest of the minibus is on a first come first served basis. The earlier you arrive, the nearer the front to the bus you will be.
The Tour Bus turned up pretty much at 2:30 on the dot so while we waited we chatted with the other ladies in the preferred queue, learning that they were from Australia and that they too wanted to do the Boat Trip from Hudson Yards after the tour and were worrying about how to make it to the boat! (more on that later)
The Tour Bus
The Tour Bus on the day of our tour was a single-decker coach with onboard toilets. The seats were plush and comfortable with either AC or heating depending on the climate during the tour. The Bus driver navigates the traffic of the big city with ease and parks in designated areas for the tour stops (more on that in detail in the tour review) Apparently, the bus size can depend on the amount of people on the tour each day. Private Tours are a smaller group so therefore get a smaller private bus or even a Limo if you want to go all out!
Our On Location Tours Guide
For our Sex and the City Hotspots Tour, we had Tour Guide Lou. Lou is an aspiring actress who has lived in New York for several years including when the Sex and the City series was being filmed. She is also a massive Sex and the City fan and this showed in her knowledge of the show and her enthusiasm during our tour. She was a fountain of knowledge, shared industry secrets, and fun facts about the series, and made sure everyone had a good time on the tour. Read on for the full review of our experience of the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour with Tour Guide Lou!
The Tour
Once we boarded the bus, we sat behind the tour guide’s seat on the left of the bus and we were ready to go! We always ask the guides which is the best side to sit on and Lou said she preferred the views on the left. The Tour advertises seeing up to 40 film locations from the series, the movies, and the new reboot. However, a lot of these locations are seen from the tour bus.
For example, as we were ready to depart, Lou pointed out The Plaza Hotel, which we had all seen at the meeting point and was used in the series. We drove up Fifth Avenue where she continued to point out more filming locations such as Bergdorfs, Tiffany’s, and then the New York Public Library. Lou explained where in the series these locations were used but the big fans already knew the more famous locations.
As we left midtown and headed through the traffic toward Greenwich Village Lou filled in the journey by sharing stories of the cast filming in the city and even attempted to clear up the rumors around the famous feud between Kim Cattrall and the rest of the ladies. She also pointed out where Sarah Jessica Parker lived while filming and the street they often used to film on, all to make SJP’s schedule as an actress and then producer more manageable. It was really interesting to hear how the series was filmed in such a busy city and the little industry secrets that happened behind the scenes. Before we knew it, we were parked up and ready to get off at our first stop.
Carrie’s Brown Stoop- West Village
As we exited the tour bus, Lou explained that we were about to approach the building used for the outside scenes at Carries Apartment. She was very clear that our safety was paramount as the street was not pedestrianized and that we should be respectful of the current residents on the street. As a result, we would all cross the road in small groups and once we had our photos we were to walk ourselves down the street the our next stop and all meet up later at an assigned time.
This made sense to us as we had an unpleasant experience when we visited Carries Apartment on our own in 2016. Back then, as we approached the building we heard other fans being very loud and as a result, the current owner of the apartment came outside to ask them to be quiet and behave more respectfully. We often visit filming locations on many of our visits across the county and we are very mindful when we visit private homes not to trespass or be a nuisance to the current residents.
As we had Premium Seating, we were one of the first off the bus and in the first group to have our photos taken outside the famous stoop. Lou offered to take photos and even provided props too. With our photos taken, we walked down the street which happened to be during the Halloween Season so lots of the houses were decorated all in a big way!
SJP Collection and Magnolia Bakery
At the end of the street, along Bleecker Street stands high-end boutiques such as LuLu Guinness, Marc Jacobs, Mulberry, and now the newly opened flagship of The Sarah Jessica Parker Collection. Tour Guide Lou mentioned that SJP herself has often been seen in her own store, helping customers try on shoes. Sadly, SJP was currently in London doing her theatre show ‘The Plaza Suite’ so there was little chance we would see her. Still, we went in for a while to look at her beautiful creations and some of the tour guests took advantage of the 10% discount and purchased a pair.
Across from the SJP Collection is BOYAR Gifts, which stocks memorabilia and souvenirs from the Sex and the City series, and tour guests also get 10% off during and after the tour.
We then continued down Bleeker to the Magnolia Bakery. The small scene in season 3 with Miranda and Carrie talking about Aiden and eating a cupcake led to the Bakery’s notoriety which resulted in opening more locations and having pop-ups all over America. More recently, Magnolia Bakery has become famous for its Banana Bread Pudding. As it was Halloween season I purchased a Pumpkin Spiced Cupcake and Steve opted to try the Banana Bread Pudding. We made our way across the road to a small park area to eat our treats.
My cupcake was yummy, with plenty of frosting just how I like American Cupcakes. Steve shared his Banana Bread Pudding with me as it was so large. It was very creamy and sweet with only a hint of banana but it was worth its fame! We then went back to the corner to meet Lou who had a free mini red velvet cupcake for each tour guest. Feeling suitably full and full of sugar we boarded the bus to our next stop.
Buddakan
As we drove through the rest of Greenwich Village, into the West Village, and towards SoHo Lou kept us entertained by pointing out more filming locations from the series and sharing stories from behind the scenes. She also pointed out where other celebrities have been spotted such as Taylor Swift, Hugh Jackman, Bradley Cooper, and of course, SJP herself, who all live in the area.
Soon we arrived at our next stop; the restaurant called Buddakan which is used in the first movie as the location for the now ill-fated wedding rehearsal dinner. Lou explained that the owners of Buddakan let us have exclusive access to the restaurant before dinner opening hours while the staff set up for the evening. This was one of the filming locations across the city that On Location Tours has built and maintained a relationship with to offer private access to their groups.
Again, we were one of the first off the bus and into the building. The private function room and bar area looked exactly as they did in the movie and were instantly recognizable. We were all given the opportunity to take photos, and even get a photo of ourselves at the bar where Carrie asked Big for her ‘last single girl kiss’ (sob!)
As we left the restaurant, Lou pointed out the world-famous Chelsea Market which was used for scenes in season 1 of ‘And Just Like That’. There was not time to actually go into the Market hall but we had previously visited early December 2021 before the scenes were aired! We had Lobster Rolls and Chowder at The Lobster Place where the scene with the girls having lunch and Charlotte shocks everyone with an announcement that she still blows Harry was filmed!
O’Neils AKA Scout
Back on the bus and on to our next stop: O’Neil’s bar which was used to film Aiden and Steve’s bar Scout. Lou delighted us with more behind-the-scenes info during the drive. In the series, Scout is on Mulberry Street which is why Carrie brings Aiden a Mulberry Bush as a peace offering. O’Neils is in real life, situated on Grand Street. However, just 2 streets over is Mulberry Street so it still shares a connection.
O’Neils is the last stop before the final stop of the tour and it is a good one! Here, for just $25 you can raise a glass to your favorite show with the drink they made iconic: a Cosmopolitan. The tour guide calls ahead to let O’Neils know they are arriving and pre-orders the drink. The price of the cocktail also includes the gratuity, so $25 for a classic Cosmopolitan in New York City is not a bad price! There was no pressure to purchase one of the drinks if you did not wish to, everyone was still welcome to relax in the bar, take photos, and use the facilities. While we sipped our drink, Lou continued to share film secrets about the series before everyone headed back onto the bus.
Now, remember our time constraint issue regarding the boat cruise we had booked for after the tour? We spoke to Lou at the beginning of the tour and she suggested that after O’Neils would be a good time to leave if we needed to as there would be no more stops before the bus headed back to the drop-off point. We made the decision then to leave the tour after our drinks and head over to Hudson Yards. Our 2 new Aussie friends wanted to come with us so we shared an Uber to the Pier and enjoyed the Harbour Lights Sightseeing Cruise together! It was so lovely to meet new people and end up sharing part of our trips together.
The Meat Packing District and Drop Off- for info
Obviously, as we left the tour early, we did not experience the end of the tour ourselves. However, after the tour bus leaves O’Neils it travels through the Meat Packing District, home to many more Sex and the City film locations which the tour guide points out from within the bus. You pass by many more filming locations before heading back to the drop-off point in Midtown at Cucina 81/2 Restaurant at 9 West 57th Street. Here, Tour guests can get a discount but there is no obligation to stay and eat there.
Is the Sex and the City Hotspots On Location Tour Worth it?
The Tour is over 3 hours long which we consider a lot of time for one activity in New York City; there is just so much to do in the Big Apple that any activity that takes up a lot of time, can mean you are forfeiting another activity or landmark that might be worth more to you. However, if you are a massive Sex and the City Fan then we would say that the Hotspots Tour is DEFINITELY worth it. The 3 and a half hours flew by and we had so much fun (not to mention a well-needed rest for our feet thanks to the coach driving us to each stop!)
Sure, you see lots of New York landmarks that you might have already seen. You may have even been to some of the more famous locations before on your own. But what really makes the Tour worth it is the Tour Guide. Lou was absolutely amazing and shared information that we wouldn’t have found out if we hadn’t taken the tour.
She also pointed out lesser-known filming locations so still managed to surprise us, even though we consider ourselves film location buffs! Her knowledge and enthusiasm are contagious and it’s hard not to have fun on the tour, you feel you are with another fan of the series and that’s because she is one! Gaining access to locations closed to the public also makes it worth it as well as the special price of the Cosmo and the discounts at the boutiques on Bleeker. And they constantly add in new locations from Just Like That, keeping the tour up to date.
We highly recommend any Sex and the City fan add the On Locations Hotspot Tour to their itinerary for their next visit to New York. And if the rest of the Tour Guides are as fanatical as Lou is about film locations, then we bet that any of the other Film Location Tours by On Locations Tours will be just as good!
< Book Your Sex And The City Tour Here >
Want to do the Tour for FREE?
at $66 each these are no the cheapest of tours and for a family it can add up quite a bit, and for the mos part there is very little on the tour that cannot be accessed for free (the exception being the Buddakan, which while open to the public you would need to pay to dine there). For your money you are getting the transport around the City and the incredibel tour Guide, along with a few perks and dicounts aling the way. These are well worth the cost, but if you just want to see the locations there is nthing stopping you hunting ut the sights yourself, it’s actually very rewarding.
We have a full list here, inclusing a few not on the Tour, We complied this list before we did the tour so it’ all our own reserach and we are not ripping off or letting the any cats out of the bag. But if you don’t want to do a full tour and just see some of the best sites for yourself then follow our guide and you can see all of the best locations from the Show.
Have Your Say
Have you ever done the Sex and the City Hotspots Tour? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below! Did you do another On Location Tour and enjoy it more? Let us know what you think in the comments section. Also, if you have any questions about On Locations Tours and the Sex and the City Hotspot Tour, ask away in the comments section below and we will get back to you!
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