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Carriage, pedicab, bike or walking?
Four ways around the same park, suiting four different days. This page ranks nothing and names no other business. We quote prices and policies only for our own carriages; for the other three we describe how they work, and where the honest answer is to ask the person in front of you, that is what it says.
Four ways to see Central Park
| Option | How it is priced | How long it takes | In bad weather | Getting in and out | With children |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horse-drawn carriageOur own carriages — the figures below are ours | Per carriage, never per person: from $104.99 for the Mini Tour (25 minutes) to $414.99 for a 125 minutes ride. One booking is one private carriage. | A fixed length you choose when you book, 25 to 125 minutes. Booking closes 30 minutes before departure. | Our carriages have covers for light rain. We do not run below 19°F or above an 87°F heat index. Weather-related cancellations by NYC Royal Carriage: full refund or free rescheduling. | The carriage has steps. Tell us when you book if anyone needs a hand and the driver will help you board. | Up to 4 adults per carriage. With children 12 and under the seating can be: 4 adults, 3 adults & up to 2 children, 2 adults & up to 4 children, 1 adult & up to 6 children. |
| PedicabHow the city regulates them | By the minute. NYC requires the price per minute per ride to be posted on both sides of the pedicab and on the back of the seat, and every passenger to be given a Pedicab Information Card that serves as a receipt. | Whatever you ask for — you are paying for minutes, so settle the rate and the length before you set off. | Depends on the vehicle; ask what cover it has. | Ask the driver before you get in. | Ask the driver how many people the pedicab seats and whether children can ride. |
| BicycleRented or shared, self-guided | Set by whichever rental shop or bike-share you use. You are paying for bicycles, not for a guide. | Yours to decide — it ends when you bring the bike back. | No cover at all. | Everyone in the party has to be able to ride a bicycle. | Every rider needs a bicycle they can ride; ask the rental shop what it offers for children. |
| WalkingFree, self-guided | Nothing. Central Park is free to walk in. | Entirely yours, and you can stop whenever you like. | No cover at all. | Depends on how far you are happy to walk. | No seat limits; the pace is set by whoever is slowest. |
Pedicab rate-posting and receipt rules: NYC pedicab business licence checklist. Carriage-horse furlough and temperature rules: NYC Health, caring for horses working in NYC. Our tour prices are per carriage and were verified September 2026; regular tours run January 10 to November 20, and from November 21 to January 9 the Christmas tours run instead.
How to choose a Central Park carriage operator
Seven things worth checking before you pay anyone for a carriage ride. Apply them to us too — the answers we give are underneath.
Private or shared
Is the carriage yours for the whole ride, or will another party be seated with you?
Price visible before you book
Can you read the full price before you hand over your name, your card or your phone number?
Per carriage or per person
Does the figure cover everyone in the carriage, or is it multiplied by the number of heads?
A stated meeting point with a street address
Is there an address and a map pin, or only "by the park entrance"?
Online booking with a written confirmation
Can you book without a phone call, and does a confirmation arrive with the tour, the time and the price on it?
A written weather and cancellation policy
What happens if it rains, and what happens if you cancel — written down, before you pay?
Welfare practices stated with numbers
Temperatures, vacation weeks, veterinary visits — numbers you can check, not adjectives.
What NYC Royal Carriage offers on each point
- Private or shared
- Every booking is one private carriage. We do not seat another party with you.
- Price visible before you book
- The whole price list is published on our tours page — $104.99 to $414.99 per carriage — and the price shown is the price charged.
- Per carriage or per person
- Per carriage, for up to 4 adults. Nothing is multiplied by the number of guests.
- A stated meeting point with a street address
- Our carriage stand is at 7th Avenue & Central Park South (59th Street) — postal address 180 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019.
- Online booking with a written confirmation
- Book online with Stripe or PayPal and a confirmation email with your tour code follows. Online booking closes 30 minutes before departure.
- A written weather and cancellation policy
- Our cancellation terms are published in full and quoted again before payment:
- Cancellations made 24+ hours before the tour: full refund (excluding transaction fees)
- Cancellations made 12–24 hours before the tour: 50% refund
- Cancellations made less than 12 hours before the tour, and no-shows: no refund
- Rescheduling: up to 12 hours before the scheduled time — call (646) 656-9717
- Weather-related cancellations by NYC Royal Carriage: full refund or free rescheduling
- Late arrival: more than 15 minutes late without contacting us forfeits the refund and rescheduling options
- Welfare practices stated with numbers
- Fifteen horses, born and raised in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Veterinary check-ups three times a year. Six to twelve weeks of pasture vacation a year, where the city requires no less than five. The city sends horses back to the stable at 90°F and above, at 80°F and above when the Equine Heat Index reaches 150, and at 18°F and below. We stop below 19°F and above an 87°F heat index, where the city makes work illegal at 90°F and above or 18°F and below. The operation is licensed and inspected by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
See every tour and price · Book online · Find the carriage stand · (646) 656-9717