In this episode, we’ll show you 3 notorious tourist traps in NYC.

By shedding light on these deceitful practices, we aim to arm tourists with knowledge and awareness, empowering them to navigate the city with confidence and avoid falling victim to these cunning schemes.

Here are 3 common tourist traps in NYC:

Alright, let’s look at each tourist trap below. 👇

Statue of Liberty Ticket Scam

As you walk around Battery Park, you’ll often be approached by scammers trying to sell you Statue of Liberty tickets. They often will target people trying to get on the Staten Island Ferry (more on that later).

The scam of this is that the tickets they’re selling don’t actually stop on Ellis Island & Liberty Island (where the statue actually resides). Instead, you end up on a boat that just goes by the Statue of Liberty.

So know that if it’s not Statue Cruises, it’s probably a scam… Just book it online ahead of time to be sure and make sure you verify that the boat actually stops at Ellis Island & Liberty Island.

I highly recommend going through a service like this for often discounted fares.

If you want to just see the Statue of Liberty, take the Staten Island Ferry for free and it runs 365 days a year.

View the full schedule here. The ride takes about 25 minutes each way.

Pedicabs & Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides

Alright, we know this can be a somewhat divisive topic… but it shouldn’t be.

We’ll just say it, the pedicabs throughout NYC are a nuisance, safety hazard, and tourist trap.

Nuisance: They take up the entire bike lane, constantly blast annoying music, and get in your way at SO many places (Central Park, leaving Broadway shows, etc.)!

Safety Hazard: We bike in the city on a daily basis. The vast majority of our almost-crashes have been because of the pedicabs. They drive recklessly and make everyone else pay the price, including their passengers.

Tourist Trap: We’ve seen pedicab drivers charge upwards of $100+ to go a few blocks. If that isn’t a scam, then I don’t know what is!

Deceitful pricing/advertising before riders get on followed by MUCH higher prices when passengers arrive at their destination. 🙄

We understand the allure of a horse-drawn carriage ride through Central Park. Truly we do!

But zoom out for a moment and ask if horses should really be living and working in the crowded streets of New York City?!

The answer is no.

By taking one of these rides you are supporting inhumane treatment of animals. Don’t believe me?

Just Google ‘horses injured nyc’ or ‘dead horse nyc’.

We personally witness the often harsh treatment of horses and aloof coachmen/women of these horse-drawn carriages on a daily basis.

If you’re just using a pedicab to get around, then consider walking, taking a Lyft/Uber, riding the subway, or riding a bike. Any of these options will be much cheaper, safer, and more reliable!

If you’re wanting the horse-drawn carriage (or pedicab) ride for the tour of Central Park aspect, consider a guided bike tour!

Break Dancers in Central Park, Times Square, etc.

Of all the tourist traps in NYC, the break dancers in the parks, near Times Square, and other tourist destinations just might be #1.

While we LOVE street performers and artists, there is a fine line between performing for some tips and all but forcing people to give you money for being “part of the show”.

You can find stories online of tourists having money all but pulled out of their wallets by these performers as “part of the show”.

That’s all we’ll say about this!

Just keep walking. 😀

And instead, explore and go find a live musician in Central Park! You can often find live music performances near Strawberry Fields, The Mall & Literary Walk, and Bethesda Fountain (links open Google Maps listings).