Hop On Hop Off Bus Tours
Many travellers to New York have but a few short days to see the sights. If you're not careful, you could waste a chunk of this finding out where the sights are and how to get to them. To avoid this, take an open top bus tour. It may seem a bit cheesy but it's a really effective and inexpensive way of getting familiar with the city. A 48 hour - 4 loops ticket covers Uptown, Downtown, Brooklyn and a night tour. Book online before leaving home and it will cost about $100 (£50) for two tickets.
The three daytime loops allow you to hop on and off the bus, therefore tailoring the tour to what you want to see. All the major sights are included and the on board guides are really informative. The night tour is not a hop on and off tour but does give you great views of the city and all its lights.
The tours enable you to quickly find your bearings and get to and from all the most famous must see sights of New York. Shop around for the best value option.
There are two main HOHO bus companies
GrayLine (the red buses) - much more popular, hence long lines at popular stops. Gets great reviews.
Citysights (the blue buses) - less popular, hence shorter lines, but mixed reviews.
Photo Tours
A great way to see the coolest landmarks in NYC like Times Square, the Empire State building, Radio City Music Hall etc. and get photographs of you and your companion(s) with you there.
Here are a couple of companies to contact:
Here is the link to the Must See New York site with plenty of useful information for your visit.