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The 5 best bike tours in NYC

From a quick ride across the bridge to a day-long Central Park trek, here are the best bike tours NYC has to offer

For those looking to experience New York City like the locals, hop on two wheels and join one of the best bike tours NYC has to offer. There are lots on offer but we've whittled down the best – we think you're going to like them. And yeah sure, the best walking tours  may allow you to take your time and the NYC bus tours may cover more ground, but bicycle tours are an ideal way for first-time visitors to explore a specific area or see the top New York attractions at their own pace. From a breezy ride down the idyllic Brooklyn waterfront to a cruise through Central Park, our guide rounds up the best bike tours in NYC for every mood and budget. We would say they are all wheelie good but that would be lame. Enjoy!

RECOMMENDED: 📍Full guide to NYC tours and walks 🏨Check out the best hotels in NYC 🗽Don't miss out on the best things to do in NYC

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Best NYC bike tours

1.  From Manhattan: 2-Hour Brooklyn Bridge Bike Tour

This one's a cracker – and not just for fans of bridges, of which we guess there are a few knocking around. Anyway, you'll ride across two iconic New York bridges in this three-hour tour. Kicking off in DUMBO, you'll travel from Brooklyn to China Town, gliding along the East River and stopping in the South Port Sea, City Hall Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park. Finally, the tour winds up in Brooklyn Heights, where you'll find a wealth of shops and eateries to head to post-tour. And you'll have totally earned that reward you know.

Time Out tip: Biking around the city is enjoyable overall and the guides are really good at filling you in on the history of the neighborhood. The only downside is that you don't get to see the whole bridge, so it's worth a second trip on foot if you want a closer look. 

2.  Small-Group Central Park Bike Tour

You might already know this fun fact but, fun fact:  Central Park spans a whopping 2.5 miles from 59th Street to 110th Street, making it quite a trek on foot. Luckily, you can pedal your way through a good number of the park’s famed attractions in just two hours during this tour. Stops include the Bethesda Fountain, Strawberry Fields, the Dakota, Cleopatra’s Needle and the Jackie Kennedy Onassis Reservoir.

Time Out tip:  The tour is capped at just eight to provide a more personalized guided experience. Which is of course wonderful but does mean you also need to reserve your spot early.

3.  Brooklyn Bridge Guided Bike Tour

Did you know that Brooklyn Bridge is one of the city’s most popular biking destinations? Well, it is. And you'll find out why on this excellent bike tour. Your guide will take you on a quick spin around the southern tip of Manhattan before leading you into the City Hall area and then up onto the bridge. Once you hit the bridge tower on the Brooklyn side, you’ll be able to turn back towards Manhattan to snap photos of the Statue of Liberty, the port of Brooklyn and Manhattan’s Financial District. Dreamy Insta stuff.

Time-out tip: The pace of this tour makes it a great family activity, especially if you have teens. 

4.  New York at Night Bike Tour

Sightseeing in New York City doesn’t stop after sunset—this is the city that never sleeps, after all. Make the most of your evening on a bike tour of Midtown’s most dazzling lights. After meeting your guide at Columbus Circle, you’ll pedal south past Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, Times Square, the Empire State Building and other iconic landmarks that light up the city skyline.   Again, great for Insta, people.

Time Out tip: Back at the meeting point you'll find the Burger Joint. A bit naughty after a bike ride, but well deserved. 

5.  New York Highlights Bike Tour

Another Manhattan-based tour, only this one is three hours long in total and sees you cruising along with views of the Brooklyn Bridge, then takes you up the Hudson Greenway, before swinging by the iconic Highline and Chinatown. After such a long but leisurely morning head to Time Out Market because, despite the shameless plug the food actually slaps, as do the views of Brooklyn Bridge from here. 

Time Out tip: If you're headed to NYC in July, first of all, lather up that sunscreen and pray for AC, and second of all you've got to capture Manhattanhenge in Midtown. 

Looking for more cycling fun?

The best cycling day trips from NYC

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Get out of town on two wheels with these fun and beautiful destinations you can reach by bike from New York

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The Big Apple

New york city, ny bike tours.

Famous the world over, the 'City That Never Sleeps' is America's most populous city and one of the most influential modern metropolises on the planet, with a unique sway over global commerce, politics, and fashion.

There is a thrill in the very air here, New York's skyscrapers representing the unwavering commitment of the American People to attaining the incredible successes of the future which, here, seem a little more within reach than anywhere else on earth.

It is a city defined by its skyline and topography. As one of the world's largest natural harbors, NYC is surrounded by the alluring embrace of the Atlantic Ocean. By day, it intoxicates with its glittering extravaganza of skyscrapers. By night, it dazzles, Manhattan a flickering beacon from Brooklyn Bridge. To take it all in within a single day is a challenge, but one that a bicycle tour makes possible. With family-friendly tours and bike rental available, what's to stop you? Go on, take a bike out of the Big Apple!

New York City, NY Bike Tours · 1 to 4 of 4

New York Highlights Bike Tour

New York City, NY · from $81.66 USD

Description: If you're looking for a family-friendly bike tour that encapsulates the key destinations in NYC, we've got you covered. Your guided bicycle tour will take you all around the Borough of Manhattan for an all-encompassing sightseeing day tour, with the…

Best of New York E-Bike Tour

New York City, NY · from $114.32 USD

Description: Experience an unforgettable adventure in New York City from the comfort of an electric bike on the Best of New York E-Bike Tour! With the added flexibility of bike rental, you can relax into a ride around the legendary landmarks that define the…

Highlights of Central Park New York Bike Tour

New York City, NY · from $48.99 USD

Description: See NYC's most iconic park in the most efficient way possible - by bike! This guided day tour is your special sightseeing experience taking you to all the noteworthy spots in this gorgeous landmark which, at a total of 843 acres, is larger than the…

Highlights of Brooklyn Bridge New York Bike Tour

New York City, NY · from $59.88 USD

Description: For your all-encompassing guided bike tour of the magnificent Brooklyn Bridge, look no further. Offering you the most spectacular vantage points of iconic New York, this family-friendly bicycle tour is your opportunity to make the most of the magisterial…

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We are open for the 2024 season - Reserve your eBike tour today

NYC ADVENTURE EBIKE - TOURS, RENTALS, SALES

Sightseeing photo tours.

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Specialty Tours

Long Distance Greenway Rides

• Chevron down WE HAVE THE PERFECT TOUR FOR EVERYONE!
• Some of our tours include an add-on BBQ lunch option
• Call us for more information. 212-262-3815
• **Riders MUST be knowledgeable on of how to operate a bicycle before riding our eBikes**
• MOST POPULAR!
• HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
• SIGNATURE TOUR

Iconic Five Bridges Tour

This is our signature and most popular tour. On this ride you travel over five of NYC’s most iconic bridges: Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, Queensborough and Kosciuszko Bridges. Plus you ride through local neighborhoods such as: Williamsburg and Greenpoint in Brooklyn and Long Island City in Queens. (Bonus Route includes: Dumbo and Brooklyn Bridge Park) Once you cross the last bridge (Brooklyn Bridge) you ride though Battery Park in Lower Manhattan on the Hudson River Greenway aka, a Bike Highway traveling back uptown to our storefront in Times Square.  This tour is a great fun way to see so much of the city. The entire route, including on the bridges takes place in protected bike lanes, keeping you separated from cars and trucks for a safe riding experience.

• Info Ages 16+
• Hour Glass 3 hours

WHY CHOOSE US FOR YOUR NYC ADVENTURE?

Cruise on our luxury Bikes, making the ride much more enjoyable with much less effort.

Choose what interests you! We have almost 30 unique tours to pick from.

No sitting in NYC traffic! You get to see so much more of the city in a fraction of time.

Embark on an authentic NYC experience with your private licensed tour guide.

WE'RE A BIG HIT IN THE BIG APPLE!

I would advise anyone from visitors to born-and-raised New Yorkers to take a tour. I grew up in NY till I was 22 years old and “thought” I had seen it all. But then I took a tour with Rick - his love for the evokes is infectious and his knowledge of New York is unparalleled. It really is the only way to see the city. I enjoyed my first tour on a Saturday, I took Rick’s Coney Island tour the next day. I flew back to Miami and Rick helped me purchase my first eBike. Thank you so much, Rick and NYC Adventure eBike tours for the amazing experience.

For an authentic experience and an insider's perspective, I can't think of a better way to explore New York than this. Owner/operators Rick and Anya offer a huge variety of tours (some 30 options) based on excursions they have personally done for fun, for years, so what better guide than someone with true passion and deep knowledge for the subject? Rick has also researched and planned all routes to maximize use of protected greenways, which is far more pleasant and safe than sharing lanes with other street traffic.

If you're looking to do something energizing, educational, athletic and fun in NYC you'd be hard pressed to find a better excursion than with NYC Adventure eBike tour. This isn't your "I'm lazy and going to sit on a bus with dirty headphones to sightsee" kind of tour, it's an "I want to see hidden treasures, exercise my body (aka earning your amazing New York meals) and really explore what NYC has to offer" type of tour. Even if you are a native, you'll still find gold. I'd highly recommend doing the tour with 3 other friends so you have a "pack" and can experience it together.

I went on a tour with Rick and his wife from the upper east side, down the west side and over to Brooklyn. It was very interesting. I have lived on Long Island all my life and never knew much about Manhattan. Rick knows everything. We had an awesome picnic on the waterfront he showed me sites I'd never seen and explained the history that I'd been so ignorant of. Besides the tour, the bikes were awesome and made it so easy to travel 40 miles. If you want to know NYC and get an insider experience I highly recommend these tours. There are no tours like Rick's tours.

• Central Park Bike Tour
• VIP Bike Tour Central Park
• De Luxe Bike Tour
• Pedicab Tour Big Loop
• Pedicab Tour Regular Loop
• Brooklyn Bridge Bike Tour
• Manhattan Tour
• Walking Tour
• Picnic tour
• Central Park Map

Online price: $45 Duration: 2 hours

Our Central park bike tour covers all the highlights and beautiful spots. This is the most popular and convenient option to discover Central park and the buildings around it. Every tour comes with a professional tour guide that will assist you in picking up the most interesting route. Our bike tour is very flexible, you will be able to stop everywhere and choose the best locations for pictures.

The Central park bicycle tour can be combined with the pedicab tour and start together.

If you'd like to pick different starting time for your tour or prefer not to be put in a group of riders please consider our guided VIP bike tour .

You can read the reviews about this guided bike tour in Tripadvisor .

Highlights you are going to visit on our NYC bike tour:

• Columbus Circle
• Hecksher Playground
• Wollman Rink
• Literary Walk
• Loeb Boathouse
• Bethesda Terrace
• Cherry Hill
• Strawberry Fileds and John Lennon's memorial
• Dakota Building
• Cleopatra's Needle
• The Metropolitan Art Museum
• The Reservoir
• Delacorte Theater
• Swedish Cottage
• Belvedere Castle
• Marionette Theater
• The Great Lawn
• Gapstow Bridge
• Conservatory Gardens
• Shakespeare Garden
• The North Woods
• Sheep Meadow

Please note that our bike tours in Central park come with a profesional tour guide and a bicycle that will suit you. Locks, baskets and helmets are available on demand.

Bike riding in Central park NYC is fairly easy and you don't need any physical training beforehand. However, you need to know how to ride a bike, because teaching you how to cycle during the tour will slow down the whole group.

We aim to have 1 tour guide per 15 bikers so you can enjoy the story of Cental park, main highlights and guided tour.

Please note that due to the high demand we only accept bookings made at least 24 hours in advance! Send us a message if you want to do an urgent booking.

Fill out the reservation form below to reserve your Central park bike tour online.

Reservation for Central Park Bike Tour

56 Street and Broadway, New York City, 10019 

Phone: (201) 220-5588 Open 9AM - 8PM 365 days

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The Best Bike Routes for Exploring New York City, According to an Avid Cyclist

By Francesca Carington

I began my exploration of the countless bike paths in New York City as soon as I arrived. As a longtime cyclist in London , I knew that cycling is a satisfying way to get to know a city as a newcomer, and it’s no different in New York: you whip through neighborhoods, witnessing the landscape changing character dramatically between blocks. (My first ever bike ride took me past the copper-colored mansions of Brooklyn Heights, along the tourist-crowded cobbled streets of Dumbo, through Hasidic South Williamsburg  and ended outside a crummy dive bar on Grand.) Riding a bike also requires a certain mindset, a kind of calm hyper awareness as you assess your surroundings. It means that you really notice things on a bike: potholes and perfectly flattened rats that need dodging, but also scraps of conversations, or the gauzy silhouette of the Empire State Building peeking out behind skyscrapers to signpost where you are.

While  biking  through Manhattan has its chaotic charms, I love to cycle around Brooklyn most of all, past elaborately named churches and along brownstone-lined streets, getting splashed by the water from hydrants as children play in the water on scorching summer days, wheeling my bike down streets closed for block parties, or pausing to admire families’ dramatic Halloween decorations. And when you puff uphill over the bridges from Brooklyn to Manhattan on a bright winter morning, the saturated colors of the city etched onto a clear sky, New York can literally take your breath away.

Navigating the bike paths in New York City can be intimidating, even for locals, but with a bit of research and planning you can take advantage of both official bike lanes and quieter backstreets. There are also riverside bike lanes running up both the east and west sides of Manhattan (with a thirty-block gap around the United Nations on the east side), as well as cycle paths contouring the key routes through Brooklyn. Whatever your style, on a bike, the city reveals itself to you.

Here are some of my favorite routes through New York 's various boroughs.

Brooklyn Bridge Park, above, is best cycled through at sunset.

Brooklyn Bridge Park to Red Hook

I love to cycle this route at sunset, when the skyscrapers glow pink above the East River. Start at the Dumbo entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge Park , and ride slowly through this cleverly landscaped park with its baby-blue umbrellas, families grilling, and piers speckled with joggers and soccer players. The park’s cycle path turns into a “waterfront” route (the actual waterfront is somewhat hidden by the Port Authority and Brooklyn Cruise Terminal ), before curving into the cobbled streets of Red Hook. You can follow signs to Valentino Pier, taking in the sensational view of the Statue of Liberty amid buttery wafts from Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie —be sure to grab one. Maybe wind your way around the neighborhood’s old wharfs and small brick houses; or lock up your bike and check out an exhibition at the Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition , then grab lunch at the kitschy crab shack Brooklyn Crab . Don’t leave without a visit to the much-loved (cash-only) dive bar Sunny’s , where there’s live bluegrass and country music most nights.

A classic New York bagel is an essential cycling snack in the East Village.

Don't miss the lily pond in the West Village's Jefferson Market Garden.

East and West Village gardens

The East Village can be strangely quiet on weekday mornings, which is when I like to zigzag on my bike between Avenues A and D, exploring the neighborhood's community gardens . The more than 50 gardens—ranging from scrappy lots with intriguing artworks to beautifully landscaped city oases—are the legacy of 70s and 80s activists, and are maintained by local volunteers. Peach Tree Garden, named for the tree in its center, is a personal favorite; while La Plaza Cultural , with its amphitheater, pond and shady trellis, is one of the loveliest. Stop in Tompkins Square Park (with a BEC from Tompkins Square Bagels ), then cycle west down W 9th Street, watching the buildings get grander as you near the West Village . You’ll pass Jefferson Market Garden , a gorgeously manicured quiet spot beneath the fiddly gothic turrets of Jefferson Market Library, then continue down Christopher Street to the Hudson, pausing in the garden at St. Luke in the Fields to breathe in the scent of Buddleia.

Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn leads cyclists to a fantastic biking loop through Prospect Park.

Prospect Park, Green-Wood Cemetery, and Park Slope

There’s always great people-watching in Prospect Park : on the cycle path (which is one way), you might see pro-cyclists whooshing through, baseball matches on scrubby diamonds, music lovers lining up for the park’s free summer concerts, and endless dogs. Enter through Grand Army Plaza—where there’s a fantastic farmers market on Saturdays—and ride down the west side of the park, exiting at Bartel-Pritchard Square. Continue along Prospect Park West until you hit Green-Wood Cemetery. Leave your bike outside and meander through the sloping hills covered in stubby graves, statues of veiled angels, and grand mausoleums. You can potter towards Jean-Michel Basquiat’s grave, taking in the view of the Manhattan skyline rising beyond the grassy hills. Once you’re reunited with your bike, cycle north up 7th Ave through leafy Park Slope, taking in its fat brownstones and maybe even an enormous fried chicken and fennel slaw sandwich from local favorite, Winner .

The Noguchi Museum in Queens has a collection of Isamu Noguchi's works.

On 33rd Street, the museum is a central pausing point on your explorations.

Domino Park, Brooklyn to the Noguchi Museum, Queens

This route hugs portions of the Brooklyn and Queens waterfront. Start at Domino Park , then cycle along Williamsburg’s busy Kent Ave, where in the summer, there’s usually a high concentration of topless male joggers. You’re in Greenpoint when Kent Ave becomes Franklin St, which is dotted with excellent cafés and restaurants (it’s worth stopping at Taqueria Ramirez for a suadero taco). Turn right, admiring the neighborhood’s pretty, pastel-colored wooden houses, and then left onto the dusty Pulaski Bridge and into Queens. Hop over to Vernon Blvd, and it’s a straight line from there to the Noguchi Museum : past the New York Architectural Terra Cotta Works Building, an abandoned peach-colored gem tucked under the Queensboro Bridge, and Queensbridge and Rainey Parks. The museum, which houses the collection of the architect and designer Isamu Noguchi, is on the corner of 33rd St. After wandering through the galleries, with their snaking marble sculptures and somber gray stones, settle in the meditative calm of the sculpture garden.

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Kyler Alvord

Cycle up the Hudson River Greenway to the Met Cloisters in upper Manhattan.

Along the Hudson River Greenway to the Met Cloisters

The Hudson River Greenway stretches up the west side of Manhattan and is one of the loveliest cycle routes in the city. It’s a long way up to the Met Cloisters , so, while you can set off anywhere along the Greenway, Christopher Street Pier is a good starting point; it’s about an hour up to the Cloisters from there. Start by dodging roller skaters in the West Village, continuing past Little Island and the shimmering angles of Hudson Yards . You’ll hit the tranquil greenery of Riverside Park around the 60s, and higher up, buildings melt away entirely and all that’s visible beyond the grassy banks of the river is the George Washington Bridge. Immediately after the bridge, turn right and uphill, following signs over the footbridge to W 181st St, through Washington Heights to Fort Tryon Park . The pink stone courtyards, scented herb gardens and fountains of the Cloisters—which contains the Met’s medieval collections—are a restful place to catch your breath after the cycle.

A cycle route cuts through Brooklyn's brownstone-lined streets all the way to the Rockaways.

Through Brooklyn to the beach

This uneven cycle cuts south through Brooklyn, across the Gateway National Recreation Area and over the Marine Parkway Bridge to the Rockaways . Start anywhere on Bedford Ave (it’s a couple of blocks over from Prospect Park , where I like to start), cycle all the way down, before nipping left around Avenue N, through suburban Midwood, with its timber-fronted houses, until you reach the southern stretch of Flatbush Ave. This busy road eventually arches into the bridge, which deposits you in Jacob Riis Park and its bright stretch of beach. It’s a route that lets you glimpse the many, changing faces of Brooklyn: one Sunday, church bells rang out in Little Caribbean; the faded art deco grandeur of the boarded-up last Sears in the city glowed in the sun; students handed out flyers on the Brooklyn College campus; and cyclists in swimwear made their steady way over the bridge to the sea. And those who looked back saw the Manhattan skyline, hazy and purple in the far, far distance.

A bike path will lead you from the bottom of Prospect Park to Coney Island, home of Nathan’s Famous hot dogs.

From Prospect Park to Coney Island

If you’re after a simpler beach route , the five-mile long, tree-lined Ocean Parkway bike path (America’s first ever, dating back to 1894) runs a straight course from the bottom of Prospect Park to  Coney Island . If you’re planning to take a Citibike down there, don’t–astoundingly, there are no docks once you arrive. The rather lumpy bike path ends at the beach; lock up your bike on the boardwalk or wheel it along to candy-colored attractions of Luna Park for a ride on the Wonder Wheel or the Cyclone, the fairground’s beloved wooden roller coaster . There’s always a crowd at the original Nathan’s Famous , but the hotdogs are well worth the wait. Alternatively, walk over to Neptune Ave to Totonno’s , an old-school pizza joint with walls crammed with pictures and some of the best slices in the city. Finally, grab a gelato from Coney’s Cones and sit on the beach, watching the ferries go by and locals dedicate themselves to some serious sunbathing.

Central Park's bicycle path is a one-way loop that runs counter-clockwise around the park.

The perfect Central Park loop

Cycling through busy Central Park can be something of a stop-and-start affair, but the changing moods and delightful follies of Olmstead’s most famous creation are best enjoyed at a slower pace. The cycle path runs a strict one-way loop counter-clockwise around the park: start at the bottom west corner by the zoo (and perhaps check in on the sea lions in their octagonal pond), then follow the path north past the lake, behind the angular glass back of the Met, and up to the reservoir. Keep on past baseball diamonds, the Lasker public pool (due to reopen after an extensive renovation this summer), turning east through the quieter wooded north and then down along the west side, as the spindly towers south of the park dip in and out of sight between trees and the lake glimmers again on your left. You can cut across over Bethesda Terrace, where the cycle lane runs in both directions, or exit the park at 72nd St for some sustenance on the Upper West Side. Work your way up north through its sleepy streets lined with chunky townhouses and green-awninged apartment blocks to Zabar’s for a warm slice of babka, or up Amsterdam to 86th St for a pile of scrambled eggs and Nova in the mural-lined dining room at Barney Greengrass .

This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.

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9 Best Bike Tours in NYC for a Memorable Ride Through the City’s Highlights

• 6 Pinterest

It’s big, it’s bustling, and it’s full of surprises around every corner — New York City has long captured the hearts of millions with its endless energy and diverse culture. But with so many world-famous things to do in NYC , the streets can get a little crowded.

That’s exactly why more and more visitors are looking for the best bike tours in NYC — from leisurely rides through Central Park to art-chasing adventures through hipster Brooklyn — as a way to get off the beaten track and see the Big Apple from a far more authentic perspective.

Want to dive straight in? Browse our catalog now!

• bike tours in NYC

1 – New York Highlights Bike Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 4.1/5 ( 674 reviews )

“fantastic tour, its a great experience to get to see NY on a bicycle with a great very knowledgeable guide.” Enrique. headout

When people think of the best tourist attractions in New York City , they think of Manhattan: Central Park, Times Square, Wall Street, Grand Central and so forth.

With Unlimited Biking ‘s all-in-one excursion, you’ll get to pedal past all the must-see sights between Upper and Lower Manhattan while learning all about the Big Apple’s rich, diverse culture along the way.

In just three hours, you can check off dozens of quintessential landmarks — the Empire State Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, Battery Park and more. It’s the perfect introduction to everything the Big Apple’s most densely populated borough has to offer.

• check offer

This tour is a great option if you want to squeeze as much of Manhattan as possible into just a few hours. The tour guide is knowledgeable and passionate about the city, and knows a lot of the under-the-radar spots around town.

Even though you see A LOT, it feels leisurely, not overwhelming. Definitely worth doing for first-timers!

2 – Highlights of Central Park Bike Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 4.6/5 ( 405 reviews )

“An extraordinary visit where we discover Central Park with breaks punctuated by anecdotes, history, superb places where we can take photos.” Lecourieux. getyourguide

As the world’s most famous urban green space, sticking out like a sore thumb from the surrounding concrete jungle, Central Park is a non-negotiable for any tourist — especially those looking for cheap things to do in New York City .

With the Unlimited Biking crew, you’ll get to tick off the most famous things to do in Central Park like the Bethesda Fountain, Strawberry Fields, and Bow Bridge; as well as plenty of lesser-known treasures (including movie-famous landmarks).

And for the cherry on top, as you pass spots like the Belvedere Castle and the Imagine Mosaic, you’ll hear all about the man-made park’s unique history and design too.

• check this tour

No trip to New York is complete without exploring Central Park, the city’s famous green oasis — and this Unlimited Biking tour is without a doubt one of the best ways to do exactly that.

The guides share anecdotes about the history and hidden gems of the park, and they’re happy to be photographers too! Definitely recommended!

• Central Park bike tours

Read more: Best NYC city tours

3 – Highlights of Brooklyn Bridge Bike Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 4.1/5 ( 600 reviews )

“The Brooklyn Bridge tour was a wonderful adventure! Our tour guide, Eddie, has an impressive knowledge of the city and sights along this route” Jean. Google review

Move over, Manhattan! As what many consider to be the frontrunner for New York’s art, food and culture, Brooklyn invites locals and tourists alike with an eccentric combination of all three.

Showing off the most celebrated things to do in Brooklyn , the Unlimited Biking highlight tour whisks you out of Manhattan toward the city’s most populous borough, where you’ll end up at picture-perfect spots like DUMBO, the Brooklyn Bridge and Brooklyn Heights.

With several panoramic viewpoints en route, and myriad stories about how this dynamic neighborhood has gentrified, you’ll get to experience a whole new side of the Big Apple.

• book this bike tour

The Unlimited crew are incredibly welcoming. And not only do they show you some of the best sights in Brooklyn, they’re also happy to answer any questions.

Manhattan has its draws, but no trip to NYC is complete without a visit over the East River to Brooklyn. Worth doing!

• Brooklyn Bridge bike tours

4 – Electric Bike Tour of Manhattan and the Waterfront Greenway

Rating: ⭐️ 4.5/5 ( 81 reviews )

“We were amazed at how easy it is to bicycle around NYC. Bob made it feel so accessible while teaching us new things at every turn.” Sheryn. Viator

Combining all the highlights of Central Park, the Hudson River Greenway and the West Village, this popular bike tour invites you to check off a handful of the best things to do in Manhattan without breaking a sweat — that’s the beauty of having an electric bike.

With a particular focus on green spaces, the leisurely adventure promises a relaxed change of pace from the typically chaotic city streets while still knocking off fascinating landmarks like Grant’s tomb and Columbia University.

Plus, the Unlimited Biking guides are friendly, knowledgeable about NYC history and landmarks, and will have you laughing along the way.

A very comprehensive tour of Central Park and some amazing sightseeing along the Hudson too!

The guides (Morgan, Bob, Dan and co.) keep a good pace and provide awesome updates about the landmarks. Even if you’re not overly fit, it’s a must-do.

• Manhattan bike tours

5 – A Day in Manhattan Bike Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 4.5/5 ( 29 reviews )

“Learning new facts about ny and getting a little exercise to bootl. Weather was perfect and guide was really cool and knowledgeable.” John. Viator

Showing off a concoction of all the city’s finest sights, from the bustling streets of Midtown Manhattan to the peaceful oasis of Central Park, with culture-rich enclaves like Little Italy thrown in, this Brooklyn Giro Bike Tours bike tour serves as the ideal way to get the lay of the land for NYC’s most famous borough.

Led by friendly, Manhattanite locals, you’ll spend a day ticking off some of the best places to visit in New York City — the diverse neighborhoods of Soho and the West Village, and iconic landmarks like Wall Street and the historic South Street Seaport area.

Definitely one of the more complete Manhattan bike tours, this activity is a fantastic way to explore the city by bike and hit all of the must-see spots.

Besides seeing so many iconic landmarks, Tom, Josh, John and the guides keep it interesting with wonderful stories throughout the entire ride. Highly recommended!

6 – Brooklyn Street Art Bike Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 2 reviews )

“We came to places you would normally never come. Nice group and fun guide. Our most enjoyable experience in NYC.” Maria. Viator

While you can snap those cliché photos at the Brooklyn Bridge, to really get under the skin of this dynamic and energetic borough, a behind-the-scenes street art adventure — like that run by Brooklyn Giro Bike Tours — is the way to go.

Led by street art aficionados, you’ll pedal through the vibrant enclaves of Williamsburg, Bushwick, Fort Greene and DUMBO, taking in colorful murals, graffiti art and hidden gems that only locals know about (until now).

As you check off notable installations like the Brooklyn Navy Yard exhibitions and the old Domino Sugar Factory, your guides will wax insights into the history and influences behind Brooklyn’s thriving street art scene. It’s not only a Brooklyn must-do, it’s one of the top things to do on Long Island , period.

Something a little different from the usual bike tours of New York City, this Brooklyn Street Art Bike Tour shines a spotlight on an underrated, stunning part of the local culture.

While the focus is on the art, the fact that you get to see some fantastic views of the city as well makes it a superb option!

• street art bike tours in NYC

7 – NYC Harlem and Bronx Bike Tour

Rating: ⭐️ 5/5 ( 4 reviews )

“If you want to see Harlem and the Bronx and get the real feel if the cities, people, culture and the history this is the tour to go on.” David. Viator

Overflowing with history and culture – yet still often overlooked due to their somewhat out-of-the-way location – Harlem and the Bronx are undeniably fascinating neighborhoods to explore.

Sure, they’re both big in size (which makes for a bounty of notable sights), but that’s exactly why hopping onto a bike and pedaling your way around with Brooklyn Giro Bike Tours is such an excellent idea.

This 25-mile Harlem and Bronx adventure takes you through these diverse communities, unraveling their fascinating past and present. And with landmarks along the way — Yankee Stadium, Strivers’ Row, and the Apollo Theater (to name a few) — you can expect myriad photo ops!

If you’re an adventurous tourist looking for a unique way to explore NYC, away from the run-of-the-mill sites, then this bike tour might just be the perfect option.

The average tourist would never see most of the fascinating spots visited on this tour. Robbie and the team make you feel so welcome as well. 100% recommend it!

• Harlem bike tours

8 – Bike Tour of Manhattan: Radical & Weird History of NYC

Rating: ⭐️ 4.9/5 ( 8 reviews )

“Riding a bike in New York is much more relaxed than you might think. You don’t get stuck in traffic, you move quickly and you get to see a lot in a short time. Robby designed the tour according to our wishes.” Laura. Getyourguide

Manhattan-based bike tours are a dime a dozen. But only Freewheelin’ Bike Tours combine your classic sightseeing experience with a dramatic walk through history, focusing on the weird, the wonderful and the wacky traits that make New York City so unique.

Diving into local history (think: underground movements, the mob) and the contrasting neighborhood personalities, this 8-person bike tour delves deep into Manhattan’s very storied past.

Besides learning a bunch about the city’s most famous borough, you’ll also get to snap iconic photos at the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Central Park (to name a few).

The history, the sights, the tour guide (Robby and co.) are all amazing! You get to see so many different aspects of New York in just a few hours, but it definitely doesn’t feel rushed.

Plus, since the tour is capped at just 8 people, you get a much more intimate and personalized experience compared to larger group tours. 10/10!

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9 – NYC Central Park Bicycle Rentals

Rating: ⭐️ 4.5/5 ( 269 reviews )

“Great and easy, right across the street from Central Park! The staff was nice and helped us with everything we needed .” Kelsey. Viator

Guided bike tours are fantastic — you get to learn the ins and outs from a local’s perspective. But sometimes, you just want to explore on your own terms — peddle down that unknown street, snap selfies at quirky landmarks, even pause for a little picnic.

That independence is what you get with a Fancy Apple bike rental. Headquartered at Central Park, you can ride around at your own pace, checking out spots like the Bethesda Fountain and Strawberry Fields – and since you’re in charge, you can venture further and explore other inviting neighborhoods as well.

Thanks to the freedom, it’s a great option for anyone looking for family things to do in New York City with kids .

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If you want to ditch the other tourists and drive your own path, then renting is the way to go. The Fancy Apple are on hand to give you advice on places to see and answer any questions you may have as well.

Overall, a wonderful way to experience Central Park.

• bike rentals in NYC

How to book bike tours in NYC?

As America’s most visited tourist city, NYC has no shortage of bike tours to choose from. Plus, different companies offer discounts at different times, so it can be hard to know if you’re making the right call.

For that reason, it’s best to use our search engine and compares ALL of the bike tour options available. This way, you can lock in the best price and also read helpful customer reviews.

• compare bike tours in NYC

FANTOM cycling tours

- Ride  Like  a  Pro  and  Feel  Like  a  Local - 

Ride like a pro & feel like a local.

Fantom Cycling Tours is owned and operated by NYC cycling ambassador and influencer Tom Johnson (@velo.tom). We offer guided road and gravel cycling tours of the beautiful country roads near New York City, supported single or multi-day tours including the GFNY route and other destination cycling routes anywhere in the world…. All tours are custom tailored to the riding level and preferences of the rider. Each bike tour is guided and fully supported. Cycling route options are pre-planned through beautiful roads outside NYC with plenty of photo opportunities and coffee stops if you desire.

Custom Tailored Cycling Experiences

Local Expert Guides

Local guides with years of cycling experience and knowledge of the regions. 

Handpicked Adventures

Choose from our pre-planned routes or create a fully customized cycling tour around New York City or anywhere in the world.

Get a locals perspective on all the scenic routes and the best cafes in the region.

Hidden Gem Destinations

Plan your fully tailored cycling adventure around NYC or anywhere in the world

- Ride like a pro and feel like a local -

Testimonials

- jeffery p. , - the hansons, - jose domingo.

It was amazing to see  the beautiful roads just a few miles outside Manhattan. River Road was top! Thank you for an amazing day Fantom Cycling Tours. 

We rode our first metric century with Fantom Cycling Tours. It was a great day. Nyack was a perfect place to stop for coffee and donuts. 

Tom planned wonderful route up the Hudson River to The Market for a snack break. He took photos for me and even changed my flat tire. I felt like a pro! 

Ask Us Anything

For questions or to begin the booking process please fill out the contact form

or  email us at:  [email protected]

Located in New York City and Fort Lee New Jersey United States for your convenience. 

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Your City, Your Streets From the scenic beaches of the Rockaways to the lush parks of the Bronx, the NYC Century Bike Tour presents an unparalleled perspective on the Big Apple. Whether you’re a native New Yorker or a first-time visitor, you’ll get a front-row seat for the best vistas in town. Your Ride The NYC Century Bike Tour is all about  you .   

• Choose your route: 35, 55, 75 or 100 miles, all within the boroughs of New York City
• Pick your starting point: Central Park or Prospect Park
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• Take pride in your ride: All proceeds of the NYC Century Bike Tour support safer streets in New York City.

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A Visual Tour of New York’s 750-Mile Bicycle Route

By Jane Margolies and Wm. Ferguson Nov. 5, 2021

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We rode every inch of it, from Manhattan to Buffalo to the Canadian border. This is what it was like.

By Jane Margolies and Wm. Ferguson

Photographs and Video by Johnny Milano

November 5, 2021

Last December, the Empire State Trail — a sprawling, 750-mile cyclist and pedestrian route that connects Buffalo to Albany and New York City to the Canadian border, forming what looks like a sideways T — opened to the public. Considering the pandemic bike boom, the timing was perfect.

About 400 miles of greenways, repurposed rail lines and bike paths already existed in New York. So, when the $200 million project was announced in 2017, the state rushed to fill in the gaps between them.

Where new bike trails were not possible, blue-and-yellow signs were installed on roads signaling the way, and some guardrails were added to protect cyclists from vehicular traffic.

The result — a combination of protected paths, city streets, highway shoulders and country roads that pass by small towns and cities — offers views of wetlands, waterways, grasslands and mountain ranges. It is a showcase for New York State’s history and natural beauty.

Recently, two reporters set out on bikes to experience the trail for themselves. One traveled from Buffalo to Albany, and the other, from New York City to the Canadian border.

Here are the highlights.

Point north and start pedaling: N.Y.C. to Canada

By Jane Margolies

Rouses Point

Poughkeepsie

New York City

The route: Lower Manhattan to Rouses Point

The north/south part of the trail, on the eastern side of the state, is not one bike route but many, each differing in length, type, surface material and scenery, all stitched together.

If diversity is what you’re after, this trail’s for you.

The official website divides the whole 400-mile shebang into two main sections: the Hudson Valley Greenway Trail (N.Y.C. to Albany) and the Champlain Valley Trail (Albany to Canada). But on the ground, those categorizations are largely irrelevant; it’s the smaller trail segments that define the journey.

The approach

The concept of leaving my front door in New York City with my bike and, 400 miles later, arriving at the Canadian border, had definitely piqued my interest.

But I didn’t have a spare week to do the whole trail in one go. Plus, when I started plotting this trip back in April, I had yet to be vaccinated and trains and hotels still seemed risky. So I cooked up a crazy scheme, made possible because I have a car, a bike rack and a very understanding husband.

The plan: Whenever my husband and I had a free day, we would hitch our bikes to our car and drive to the section of the trail I’d last completed. I’d start pedaling while my husband drove to the day’s destination, parked and sometimes biked back to meet me.

After I’d completed my jaunt, we’d head home and, yeah, I do cringe at the environmental impact of all that driving.

City greenway, Bronx-bound

My first day, however, was car-free. On April 30, I started at a kiosk in Battery Park City at the bottom of Manhattan, which serves as the gateway to the Empire State Trail. It has a map and one of those “you are here” arrows at this southernmost point — which kind of throws down the gauntlet.

From there, I started pedaling north on the Hudson River Greenway .

I knew this 13-mile protected path intimately. Many cyclists depend on it as an efficient alternative to Manhattan’s traffic-choked streets. Said to be the busiest bike path in the nation, it’s usually teeming.

In Upper Manhattan, the greenway ends at Dyckman Street, and a little urban adventure — complete with iffy signage and rutted roads — begins. Beware of the dangerous Broadway Bridge entering the Bronx, and have fun when the trail takes you onto the sidewalk (seriously?) of the Manhattan College campus.

New York’s Stonehenge and quirky birdhouses

The city portion of the Empire State Trail concludes in Van Cortlandt Park, on the new and splendid, if short, Putnam Greenway . This path, which opened last fall, follows the Putnam Division of the old New York Central railroad, which operated until 1958.

I passed 18-acre Van Cortlandt Lake and the curiosity known as the Grand Central Stones , a row of pillars that some have described as an urban Stonehenge . In fact, these are quarry samples that were under consideration when Grand Central Terminal was being built in Midtown Manhattan in the early 1900s.

The Putnam flows into Westchester’s South County Trailway , where construction of a different sort caught my eye in Hastings-on-Hudson: whimsical wooden birdhouses hanging from trees. Steve Pucillo, a local retiree, makes them.

On the North County Trailway , which came next, homeowners whose properties border the bike path had built wooden boardwalks, ladders and even paths made from carpet remnants connecting their land to the trail.

After 40 or so miles and deep into Westchester County, I turned around and pedaled home.

Easy, pretty and smooth: The Maybrook Trailway

In May, I resumed my journey through Westchester. In Putnam County, I picked up the Maybrook Trailway in Brewster.

The 24-mile section opened in January, and there’s nothing quite like riding on asphalt that is still perfectly smooth, before tree roots and seasonal freeze-and-thaw cycles cause the paving to buckle. The trail is essentially flat, following part of a former freight rail corridor.

It passes wetlands, a couple of small waterfalls and, at a spot where the Appalachian Trail crosses the Empire State Trail, a bridge over a stream that is a nice place to pause, enveloped in the sound of rushing water.

Peek-a-boo with the Hudson

The trail crosses New York’s famous river four times, as the waterway goes from mighty in Manhattan to quite modest near its origin in the north.

The most dramatic crossing is the Walkway over the Hudson . This wide 1.5-mile trailway, built on a historic railroad bridge from Poughkeepsie to the town of Lloyd, is more than 200 feet above the water’s surface.

From old brickyards to open roads

I arranged to meet Andy Beers, the Empire State Trail director, in New Paltz to ride the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail . He told me about the scramble to install thousands of signs across the state (admitting to stashing some in his car so he could hop out and hammer one in on the spot). We passed the charming Rail Trail Café (wood-fired pizza, kale drinks) and old limestone caves, ending up at Kingston’s new Hudson River Brickyard Trail , which will eventually be part of a new state park on 520 riverfront acres that will include the ruins of brickyards .

At the next Hudson crossing, on the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, the view was impressive, but the busy bridge’s bike lane was entirely unprotected. Much of the Kingston-to-Hudson stretch is on-road — a taste of what I would increasingly encounter.

In fact, roads make up 55 percent of the trail heading south to north, but open roads do let you take in more of your surroundings; on the rail trails, you often can’t see beyond the dense greenery. I got so caught up ogling the historic houses on a country road in Dutchess County that I missed a sign around Bard College, and it took me a while to find the newly upgraded trail through the Tivoli Bays Wildlife Management Area .

A trolley line with a textiles past

Another day, another fantastic trail. The 36-mile Albany-Hudson Electric Trail , between Hudson and Rensselaer, opened last December on a route where a trolley ran from 1900 to 1929. Several old depots still stand.

Much of the Electric Trail is paved with stone dust — finely crushed, compacted gravel that my road bike had no trouble handling — interspersed with asphalt.

The country road sections pass through small hamlets and wind past the ruins of old mills. This area was a major textile producer for decades, and the same creeks and waterfalls that provided water power for the trolley line also fueled the manufacture of cotton and wool.

Americana redux: shops and sites along the trolley trail

It was tempting to keep sailing along, but I stopped to check out local businesses.

Velo Domestique , a new bike shop in Valatie that opened in a 1990s carwash, has a cool relic of cycling’s early days: a set of huge old wooden rollers, which allow for indoor training on outdoor bicycles. The rollers were previously owned by a motorcycle officer and sometime cyclist who is said to have once pulled over Babe Ruth for speeding.

Farther north, Smiles Soft Serve Ice Cream , a family-run frozen custard stand in Nassau, installed a bike rack and recently added a porta-potty that the owners rented to save their septic system because of so many cyclists passing through.

And Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook rang a bell for me because its apples are sold at the city’s Greenmarkets.

A city looms on the horizon

By the time the buildings of Albany rose up in the distance, it was good to see a city again. But the route skirts the capital, continuing on the Mohawk-Hudson Bike-Hike Trail , the river on my right already narrower and more placid.

Farther north, there were a few tranquil trails made from old canal towpaths, along with still-active canal locks and lovely Lake Champlain.

Much of the Champlain Valley Trail follows old New York State Bike Route 9 , which meant mile after mile of on-road riding, sometimes on the crumbling shoulders of 55-mile-an-hour roads. In the Adirondacks, State Route 22, north of Willsboro, wound to an elevation of nearly 1,000 feet. The ride was made all the more challenging by a skimpy road shoulder and trucks zooming by.

In Keeseville, the road leveled out. But I saw so few cyclists, I found myself waving like a maniac whenever I encountered someone on two wheels.

The final push to Canada

By this time it was June, Covid had momentarily receded as a threat, and I was able to piece together a few consecutive days to wrap up the journey. I biked by day, my husband and I stayed at Airbnbs by night, and, for our final stop, we pitched a tent at Ausable Point Campground on Lake Champlain, which put me less than 40 miles from Rouses Point, a village on the American/Canadian border, with flags from both countries flying from lampposts. I reached the border the following morning and saw the kiosk map with its “you are here” arrow, this time at the top of the trail.

I’d officially become an end-to-ender.

I doggedly covered every mile in the interests of journalism, but the 80 miles in the Adirondacks between Whitehall and Keeseville are not for everyone. You need to be physically fit to handle the hills, and you have to have nerves of steel to cope with the noise and proximity of the trucks.

For mostly stress-free riding, stick to the Hudson Valley Greenway Trail, the route’s southern half, where day-trip options abound. For an overnight, consider Kingston or Hudson as midpoints.

Psychic Highway: The Erie Canalway Trail

By Wm. Ferguson

The route: Buffalo to Albany

Dotted with canalside towns that tell a rich and often strange history of the westward expansion of America, the Erie Canalway Trail, a 360-mile bike path connecting Buffalo to Albany, is a route to savor. One endurance cyclist I spoke with made it from end to end in just over 31 hours (stopping only to stretch, eat and fix a flat), which is impressive. But racing through this trail defeats its purpose.

The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, not only opened up the nation to commerce, it also was a kind of psychic highway that attracted a steady stream of 19th-century freethinkers: Abolitionists, Mormons, Spiritualists, Adventists and suffragists can all trace their roots to this fertile vein of New York State.

The towns along the path, which is much more established than its north/south counterpart, can hardly be glimpsed from the interstate and are very welcoming to cyclists.

If you live in New York City, the Erie Canalway isn’t easy to get to. I have family in Buffalo, so I could start there. Along with my 22-year-old son, we planned a week to ride to Albany, where we had left his car, and then to drive home to Brooklyn.

I highly recommend sharing the trail with a physically fit young person who is happy to bear half the camping gear and is eager to ride in front and let you draft in his slipstream.

The cycling is relatively easy. Eighty-five percent of it is on a dedicated bike path, most of which is flat and is either paved or made of crushed stone. The towns are never much more than 20 miles apart, so it’s simple enough to ride to a hotel every night.

There are a few state parks not far from the trail where you might pitch a tent, but we had planned to “wild camp” at the locks along the canal. These are first-come, first-served hiker-biker-boater sites. But as we pedaled past the locks in the early part of the ride, it was hard to tell: Were these well-tended lawns meant for public camping? Right next to the path? It turns out yes.

I spoke with Robin Dropkin, the executive director of Parks & Trails New York and the woman behind the indispensable map and guidebook “Cycling the Erie Canal.” She confirmed that these were the suggested campsites, but she also agreed with my hesitancy. “They are a little exposed,” she said.

It felt like camping in Central Park. Despite having loaded our bikes with a tent, sleeping bags and cooking gear, we mostly stuck to hotels.

Points of entry

Buffalo is a fantastic city. It had electric lights years before Paris. But if you’re only going to use Buffalo as a starting point, consider beginning farther down the road. There are a few lovely miles along the shore of Lake Erie, but the trail here is a patchwork of poorly marked sidewalks, multipurpose paths and aggravating detours.

If you’re not a completist, maybe start at North Tonawanda . This is really where the Erie Canalway begins in earnest. In fact, you could do worse than beginning your ride in Pendleton , a few miles down the path and home to Uncle G’s , the first of many excellent ice cream parlors suspiciously close to the bike trail.

We brake for honey wine

Medina doesn’t look like much from across the canal, but it’s a wonderfully preserved town that once made its fortune from Medina sandstone, used worldwide (the Brooklyn Bridge, Buckingham Palace) until the 1930s. Hart House , a boutique hotel that occupies one floor of a former shirt manufacturer, seems eager to court cyclists (our room was decorated with an enormous Schwinn medallion and nicknamed the Brake Pad). On the ground floor is Meadworks , an actual meadery that makes and sells artisanal honey wine, which is served in a rustic-chic bar or in the outdoor “Beegarten.”

Engineering feats: locks and tunnels

There are any number of impressive structures along the canal. The “flight of five” locks in Lockport is considered an engineering marvel; it allowed barges to rise in five separate chambers as if on an escalator over the Niagara Escarpment. The Nine-Mile Creek Aqueduct outside of Camillus is the last of 32 working aqueducts. The enormous UTICA tower that emerges without warning in a lonely field is kind of a thrilling moment in a monotonous stretch.

But only one attraction will elicit a visceral response from the nonengineer. Around Knowlesville , you can scramble down a hill to wander into the only tunnel to pass under the Erie Canal. It is wondrous and alarming to stand in this echo chamber, which is clearly dripping a lot of canal water.

Take the detour

The Parks and Trails guidebook offers a few alternate routes away from the canal. Around Clyde , it suggests a detour south to Seneca Falls , past Cayuga Lake and rejoining the canal after a trip through the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge . Take the detour.

Once you have left the trail and endured a short, sketchy ride on the shoulder of a busy highway, you enter miles of bucolic country lanes. We didn’t encounter a single vehicle for more than 90 minutes as we passed through Amish farmland and field upon field of sunflowers.

Seneca, not Bedford Falls

Seneca Falls simultaneously tries to honor competing pasts. It is the birthplace of the women’s rights movement, dating to the first Women’s Rights Convention in 1848, which is commemorated by the Women’s Rights National Historic Park and the National Women’s Hall of Fame .

It is also the inspiration for “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

There is a museum dedicated to the movie (Seneca Falls stood in for Bedford Falls), but really all you need is to stroll the truss bridge and imagine George Bailey contemplating hurling himself into the waters below.

We booked a room at the Gould , another boutique hotel. The staff was wonderful, although our room had so much chrome and filigree it looked the apartment of a drug lord in Grand Theft Auto. Still, the hotel let us store our filthy bikes in a conference room.

For dinner, the concierge suggested we make a reservation for Sackett’s Table. Reservations? On a Tuesday night in Seneca Falls? In the middle of a pandemic?

In fact, the place was booked, and it deserved to be. Sackett’s Table is an artisanal butcher attached to a restaurant, a farm-to-table experiment in a valley of brewpubs.

The menu is haute comfort food: duck nuggets, deconstructed fried chicken, braised beef ravioli. But there’s also a butcher’s case filled with locally sourced meats. You point out the cut — that pork tenderloin, say, or that beef flank — and they’ll prepare it to order. Best meal of the tour, without question.

Camping, finally

Determined to make use of the many pounds of camping gear we carried, we made for Green Lakes State Park . We had nearly 60 miles ahead of us, but we had to get through Syracuse first. We had been alerted to the terrible state of cycling there. Adventure biking forums were filled with dire warnings about unfriendly city streets and how easy it was to get lost.

But this was before a $36 million, 14-mile extension passing through the city was completed last year. The new bike path runs right through a rundown stretch of strip malls and muffler shops. But it’s nicely landscaped, and the ride feels like a gentle luge run through an urban highway. Is this what those Danish bicycle superhighways feel like?

Before we knew it, we were back in nature and climbing a steep ridge into the state park.

Rain happens

Fortified by our night in the campground, we had intended to spend the next night in the tent. But we got off to a slow start when we realized that the bolt securing my son’s pannier rack had sheared right off. It is truly amazing what you can achieve with a full roll of electrical tape and 45 minutes of profanity.

Then it started raining, just as the trail put us on a two-lane highway for 10 miserable miles. We rejoined the bike path in Ilion , sheltering at a hot dog joint adjacent to a marina along the Mohawk River. Was the grilled frankfurter at Voss’s truly the best I’d ever had? Quite possibly. But it still wasn’t reason to pitch a tent in the freezing rain next to the marina. We rode a bit longer until Little Falls and decided to check into the somewhat pompous-sounding Inn at Stone Mill .

What a stroke of luck. The hotel was part of a massive 19th-century building, and the manager had no problem allowing us to roll our sopping wet selves (and our bikes) into our room, which had a grand view of the Mohawk River and the rocky promontory of Moss Island. On the ground floor was a terrific wood-fired pizzeria . Close by was a microbrewery in a converted garage that was equally hospitable to dogs and bluegrass musicians. A perfect end to a challenging day.

To the ramparts!

We wanted to spend a little time wandering along nearby Moss Island , which has some world-class rock climbing in the middle of the Mohawk River. So instead of pushing through to Albany, we spent a last night in Amsterdam , largely because there is a hotel there that looks like a castle.

The Amsterdam Castle Hotel did not disappoint. A former armory, the castle sits on a hilltop. Where the town is tidy and unassuming, the Castle Hotel is a riot of incongruous suits of armor, random medieval weaponry, mismatched and highly ornate furniture and photocopied portraits of lords and ladies in gilded frames.

It is nutty and wonderful. And if you happen to be in town on a Friday, I highly recommend the fish fry at Shorty’s Southside Tavern , the polar opposite experience on the fancy axis.

Homeward bound

My son and I had grown a little weary of each other after six days. It happens. But the rolling hills leading into Schenectady and the well-groomed paths outside of Albany inspire a kind of Zen state. And when my annoyance subsided and I slowed down and let him catch me, we both had to smile at the beauty of an endless ribbon of bike trail.

If you want to finish the trail in a week, expect to ride a little more than 50 miles a day. It sounds like a lot, but once you’ve done a day or two of that distance, four or five more feels like no big deal. Even at a leisurely pace of 10 miles an hour, you’ve got maybe five hours in the saddle every day, with time for lunch and a snack break. Also worth bearing in mind: Heading east from Buffalo toward Albany means you’ll be going downhill overall, and the prevailing winds will be at your back.

Planning your trip

The official Empire State Trail website is a good resource; it just added GPS to its map and will soon include lodging ideas, Mr. Beers said. Come spring, there will be a trip-planning guidebook.

For day trips, consider reaching your departure point by train. Much of the trail is reachable on Metro-North and Amtrak, and they’ve been making it easier for cyclists to hop aboard.

As of this fall, it is no longer necessary to have a bike permit to get on Metro-North . On weekdays, four bikes per train are allowed; on weekends, eight. You can also check timetables for bicycle trains — look for a bike symbol and a plus sign — these can accommodate up to 44 bikes on off-peak hours, perfect for group rides.

Amtrak’s carry-on service costs $20 and requires advance reservations, although some cyclists have had success as walk-ons. Train cars marked with a sticker have bike racks.

If you are driving and doing the trip with a group, consider organizing your own “sag wagon.” Ride with a group of three or more cyclists. Every day, someone takes a turn and drives the car ahead to that day’s destination. The designated driver can either tour the town or ride halfway back and meet the group.

Lodging and dining

Unlike many bike trails, the Empire is never far from civilization. You could certainly pack all your food and a tent and rarely need to pull out your wallet. But you could just as easily rely on hotels and restaurants. Most will opt for a middle path. And it’s worth considering Warmshowers , a network for traveling cyclists that offers free lodging to members.

Do I need a special bike? Should I do this?

Pretty much any bicycle that you feel comfortable riding for more than a few hours at a time will be fine on most of the trail, and cyclists of all levels of fitness will find most of the riding doable. That said, flat-bar handlebars have fewer hand positions and become tiring on long rides or multiday trips. Carbon-fiber road bikes with narrow wheels will find the occasional passage through gravel or mud difficult to navigate. Check with an outfitter like REI or the Brooklyn-based 718 Cyclery & Outdoors to see what kind of racks and bags your bike can handle. The more rugged sections of the trail are best done on wider tires, and if you’re heading into the Adirondacks, you’ll definitely want some gears .

The Empire State Trail is about as close to biking bliss as you can get in one of the least bike-friendly regions of the country, and while it’s an achievement to have ridden from the Battery to the border or from Buffalo to Albany, any time on two wheels among its many peaceable corridors is well worth it.

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Cycling in New York

Bike touring

It’s impossible to get bored of cycling in New York thanks to its staggering variation of landscapes. From the eponymous city to the utterly wild mountains and forests further north, riding here provides adventure after adventure. Did we mention its exquisite Long Island and Lake Ontario coastlines? From family-friendly forest trails to multi-day explorations in the Adirondacks, cycle routes in New York will capture your heart. 

Major trails cut their way through this huge state and if you want to spend weeks on paved paths through mountain ranges, past lakes and through great expanses of forest, there’s nothing to stop you. Equally, you can enjoy well-maintained bike paths on short lake loops and through state forest after state forest. 

City lights glinting in your eyes? Two-wheeling around New York City is a brilliant way to explore. Ride through Central Park, into Brooklyn and to Brighton Beach or head up the Hudson for city and nature all in one day. 

The best cycling routes in New York

Palisades loop, manhattan & brooklyn loop.

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Coney island loop, hudson river greenway loop, rockaway beach loop, randalls & wards islands loop, east river loop, bronx river greenway loop, albany county helderberg hudson rail trail — albany, new york, jones beach island ride, explore these rides on the map.

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• Cycle the erie canal

Cycle the Erie Canal Bike Tour

Join us for cycle the erie canal -- july 7 - 14, 2024, ★ registration is open ★.

Every summer, cyclists leave their cars behind in Buffalo to pedal along the historic Erie Canalway Trail to Albany for Parks & Trails New York’s annual Cycle the Erie Canal bike tour.

The 400-mile journey along the legendary Erie Canal ends in Albany eight days later. Along the way, cyclists enjoy some of the finest scenery, most interesting history, and unparalleled cycling in the United States.

Covering between 40 and 60 miles per day, cyclists travel along the Erie Canalway Trail, which is now more than 85 percent complete and the east-west axis of the statewide 750-mile Empire State Trail.

Our Partners

What a ride! I have never visited New York and I have never been on a supported bike ride. PTNY has built a reputation of 1st class support that is impossible to beat. In the 400 miles and 8 days of this ride, countless volunteers provided OUTSTANDING support to the riders, and I gained many new friendships. I also learned some important history and understanding. Thank you PTNY. If you have a dream of seeing real America, do it on a bicycle and cherish the experience! PTNY will help you do it.

--2021 Cycle the Erie Canal rider

Stay connected to receive the latest info

• Receive exclusive updates by email. Sign up for our Cycle the Erie Canal Tour email list
• Stay connected during and after the tour by joining the official Cycle the Erie Canal Facebook Group

Riders cover about 50 miles a day on mostly flat terrain. About 85% of the ride is on the off-road Canalway Trail, with the remainder on public roadways with good shoulders. Most days, the route follows the canal along level ground, although there are some rolling hills and two long, gradual climbs in the Mohawk Valley.

The Terrain

The route follows the legendary Erie Canal passing locks and aqueducts and winding through historic villages and rural farmlands. Learn more about each day's route with our interactive maps .

Learn how you can get a discount on your registration

Become a member.

Parks & Trails New York is the leading statewide not-for-profit organization working to expand, protect, and promote parks and trails in New York State including the Erie Canalway Trail. Become a member and receive exclusive member benefits, including a discount on this year's bike tour:

• $35 members get $15 off
• $50 members get $25 off
• $100 members get $50 off
• $250 members get $100 off
• $500 members get $200 off

Volunteer on the Ride

Both riders and non-riding participants can volunteer to help out during the ride. Volunteers who commit to the entire tour ride for free. Time commitments are detailed here . There are many volunteer possibilities available, including SAG and luggage truck drivers, rest stop help, route marking and more!

Riders stay overnight in Buffalo, Medina, Fairport, Seneca Falls, Syracuse, Rome, Canajoharie, and Schenectady at colorful tent cities. A variety of lodging and amenities are also available, from national hotel chains to bed and breakfasts. Rental and set up of tents and air mattresses is available from Comfy Campers .

What's included?

• Indoor and outdoor camping accommodations
• Eight hearty breakfasts and six delicious dinners
• Two daily refreshment stops, stocked with fruit, snacks and beverages
• Evening entertainment, including music and historical presentations
• Guided tours of the Canal, historic sites, museums, and other attractions, including the Women’s Rights National Historic Park, Erie Canal Museum and Village, Fort Stanwix National Monument, and a boat tour through the Lockport locks.
• Kick-off reception and end-of-tour celebration
• Cycle the Erie Canal t-shirt
• Baggage transport
• SAG wagon, mobile mechanical support (fee for latter)
• Daily maps and cue sheets
• Painted and arrowed routes
• Pre-departure info packet, including training tips
• Recognition as a Cycle the Erie Canal End-to-Ender
• Amenities (for an additional fee) including fresh daily towels, gourmet morning coffee, tent and air mattress rental and set up.

This event is funded in part through the generous support of the NYS Canal Corporation and the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.

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More From Forbes

The world’s most inclusive bike ride is back again in new york: hop on.

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Many-colored ride

How do you love a bike?

Well, Ken Podziba practically sees the grand old two-wheeler as virtually New York City’s savior.

Ken, as head of Bike New York, is the guiding (tail) light behind the world-renowned TD Five Boro Bike Tour, being run this year on Sunday, May 5. But to him, it is more than a one-day event, more than a ride that attracts more than 32,000 cyclists, more than one of those annual events that bring in thousands of people from all over the world.

For he is smitten with its inclusion, and the good works that the ride creates.

“What we try to do every year is increase the diversity,” he explains. “It’s the most diverse bike ride in the world—84-year-olds and 4-year-olds, so many women, so many people of color.”

Most bike rides—including the world’s largest in South Africa—are overwhelmingly dominated by white males, he said. In this year’s ride, though, almost 40 percent of the entrants are women. But this one not only has an inclusive group of folks, it also has more than 5,000 people who don’t even live in the Tristate area. “And,” he adds, “it doesn’t matter what shape you’re in. It’s a ride, not a race.”

A ride with diversity and inclusion.

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And then there’s the post-race benefits to hundreds of others.

Bike New York teaches the once-incarcerated bike mechanics, and gives them a chance to join unions, with a month-long course. They also help to maintain all the Citibikes in New York City.

Bike New York’s reach extends to the public schools: It also trains gym teachers ways to teach bike education. And there are many youngsters in the city who can’t afford a bike. So Bike New York distributes hundreds of bikes to those who can’t afford them.

And then there are charities that work within the tour. They include the Boomer Esiason Foundation. The former N.F.L. quarterback has been a long-time supporter of cystic fibrosis research as well as working with the cystic fibrosis community, from scholarships to athletics. Amani Toomer, another former football hero, also rides. So has the television personality Al Roker, who might have spotted Bill Nye, the Science Guy, or Ivanka Trump among those pedaling.

The ride—it is not a race, Podziba stresses—spins through 40 miles of New York, including the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and Manhattan. But he would like to make it even more of a New York thing.

“I want to go into Times Square. The Bronx, Yankee Stadium, see more of the iconic sights of New York City,” he says.

“I want to run for Mayor just so I can get that.”

He certainly is an advocate for the city. The bike, he claims, is the best way to see New York City on two wheels.

But don’t worry if you don’t have a bike and want to join the fun on May 5. More than 3,000 people actually rent a bike just for the Tour.

Quite a difference from the 250 folks who made up the first Five Boro event back in 1977. And within two or three years from now, says Podziba, “We expect 35,000 riders, which would make it the world’s biggest bike ride.”

Want to watch? Here are some of the tour’s suggested spots, which they call “cheer zones”:

· Cheer Zone 1 | Manhattan | 6th Ave & 52nd St. (TD Bank)

· Cheer Zone 2 | Manhattan | Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. & 110th St.

· Cheer Zone 3 | Bronx | E 138th St. & Rider Ave.

· Cheer Zone 4 | Queens | Vernon Blvd. & 41st St.

· Cheer Zone 5 | Brooklyn | Kent Ave. & N 14th St

Interested in riding? There may still be some spots available. Go to: www.bike.nyc .

Remember. It’s not a race. It’s a ride. And there isn’t another place in the world where you get the intensity, fun, and just plain joy of practically rubbing elbows with thousands of other fun-seeking folks.

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New York Philharmonic to tour China this summer

The Associated Press

April 11, 2024, 3:14 PM

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NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Philharmonic will give five concerts in China this summer in what it says will be first visit to the mainland by a U.S. orchestra since 2019.

Outgoing music director Jaap van Zweden will conduct the performances at Guangzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai from June 27 to July 3, the orchestra said Thursday. Baritone Thomas Hampson will join as a soloist in Guangzhou and Shanghai.

Van Zweden’s final concert with the orchestra as music director will be at Vail, Colorado, on July 20.

Van Zweden succeeded Alan Gilbert as music director in the 2018-19 season. He announced in September 2021 that the 2023-24 season will be his last. Gustavo Dudamel will take over but will not start until 2026-27.

Van Zweden will become music director of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France starting in 2026-27.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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New York Finger Lakes Bike & Wine Tour

Roll through picturesque beauty and tempt your palate with multiple wineries..

***** This tour is available only as a custom / private departure.  Submit a custom tour request form if you are interested.  Consider our 6 day Finger Lakes Tour for your biking vacation.

Home to over 100 wineries and breweries, our moderately challenging tour weaves between three of the largest and deepest of the Finger Lakes. You’ll visit unique wineries, hike along stunning waterfalls, and visit historic sites, including the bridge featured in the classic film It’s A Wonderful Life . Bring your camera and your taste buds!

New York’s Finger Lakes region is home to 11 pristine, glacial lakes, sparkling waterfalls, small farms and magnificent parks! You’ll get up close and personal with three of the lakes — Cayuga, Seneca and Keuka. We’ll visit charming villages with one-of-a-kind museums, and unique shopping opportunities.

Custom bike tour departures available for groups of 6 or more.

Tour Highlights

Glenora Wine Cellars on Seneca Lake

Taughannock Falls State Park

Hammondsport, NY

Watkins Glen State Park

Lodging Options

William Henry Miller Inn

Glenora Vineyard & Inn

Day 1: You will meet the group in historic Seneca Falls on the first morning of your tour, then enjoy riding along the western shore of Cayuga Lake. Following lunch at a winery, we’ll arrive at the world-famous Taughannock Falls. At 215′ high, it’s a Finger Lakes icon! After a walk to the base of the falls, you can ride all the way into Ithaca on the Black Diamond Trail or take it easy and shuttle to Ithaca in the support van. Tonight, we’ll enjoy a stay at the William Henry Miller Inn and get to explore walkable Ithaca, a college town with an abundance of tempting dinner choices.

Day 2: After indulging in a sumptuous breakfast at the William Henry Miller Inn, there will be a short shuttle to the Taughannock Falls overlook. Time for pictures! Your ride begins here (at the top of the hill) where you’ll pedal along quiet roads to the most famous park in the Finger Lakes: Watkins Glen State Park. Glen Creek drops 400 feet, between 200-foot cliffs, carving out 19 stunning waterfalls. It’s truly gorgeous! We’ll walk through the refreshingly cool gorge after having lunch in town. Afterwards, we’ll head to the Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars where you can enjoy a complimentary bottle of wine as you gaze over the vineyards to Seneca Lake from your room’s private balcony.

Day 3: Today is the big day — a 62-mile circumnavigation of Keuka Lake! This morning we’ll ride from the Inn after fueling up on a delicious breakfast overlooking the vinyards at Glenora. Keuka, the Y shaped lake, is the true heart of New York’s Finger Lake wine region. Lunch today is in Hammondsport, voted “Coolest Small Town in America.” From there you’ll cycle around beautiful Keuka Lake, through the town of Penn Yan and past rolling Amish farms before returning to the Inn at Glenora for a second night. Recounting the day’s adventures at dinner on the Inn’s deck is always entertaining! 

Day 4: Wake up with the beautiful views of Seneca Lake and enjoy a final day of Finger Lakes riding. Geneva, at the top of Seneca Lake is our starting point today. We’ll ride 25 miles on lakeside paths and gentle farmland roads that’ll lead us back to Seneca Falls where we’ll wrap up our adventure.

“Incredible support from experienced and friendly guides…Where to next, Wilderness Voyageurs?”

~Maria R, TripAdvisor

Top 3 Blog Posts on the Finger Lakes Bike Tour

Wineries and waterfalls on the finger lakes.

This moderately challenging trip rolls along smooth paved roads, past three of New York’s Finger Lakes: Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga. Along the way, you’ll visit wineries, hike along stunning waterfalls and visit historic sites – such as the bridge from  It’s a Wonderful Life . The scenery, lodging and food on this bike tour are truly fantastic.

Finger Lakes Photo Tour

Not only full of delicious wineries, the finger lakes region is also full of stunning views! Our moderately challenging road bike tour takes you pedaling past three of the Finger Lakes most beautiful lakes – Keuka, Seneca and Cayuga Lake. We also take you on a guided hike to explore Taughannock State Park & Falls and Wakins Glen State Park’s jaw dropping winding gorge and waterfalls.

Top 5 Books for Biking New York’s Finger Lakes

Before you leave for your Finger Lakes biking adventure, though, do you know who the Father of Finger Lakes wine was? How about .. do you know how long ago the lakes were formed? We have put together our  TOP 5  Reading List to prepare you for your Finger Lakes Biking Tour.

Trip Information

Trip Length - Days

Tour Rating

Route Overview

Daily Mileage

Check In Location

Seneca falls, ny.

Support & Gear Vehicle

Minimum Age

3 Breakfasts | 2 Lunches2 Dinners

PP Double Occupancy

Single Supplement*

*This is required if you are traveling solo or if you are traveling with someone but require separate beds.

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