As a sales partner for "On Location Tours", otsoNY takes a closer look at the Gossip Girl Sites Tour, where fans of the television drama show are taken on a bus ride through areas of New York City to where actors like Blake Lively (Serena van der Woodsen), Leighton Meester (Blair Waldorf), Ed Westwick (Chuck Bass), and Chace Crawford (Nate Archibald) took on the roles of young socialites living in Manhattan.

TV Show: Gossip Girl

The Gossip Girl Sites Tour explores one of New York City’s most exclusive neighbourhoods, The Upper East Side. You’ll feel as if Gossip Girl is talking to you personally when she says “Hello, Upper East Siders!” as you become an expert on the lifestyles of Manhattan’s elite and experience a day in the life of a young socialite. On this unique NYC sightseeing tour, you’ll visit sites from the show and have exclusive access to special discounts throughout the city.

First, you’ll see the courtyard of the luxurious New York Palace Hotel, fictitiously owned by Bass Industries, where Chuck Bass and his “adopted” family, the van der Woodsens, would wake up every morning to a fully catered breakfast from the Palace’s unparalleled service professionals. The Palace is also the location of many a Gossip Girl intrigue. Gilt, the fine dining restaurant on the ground floor of The Palace, where the Bass brunch took place and the site of the first reunion of Serena and Blair after Serena’s mysterious disappearance, and where Chuck tried to win Serena’s affection with a special-ordered grilled cheese sandwich with truffle oil.

Location: New York Palace Hotel

Your journey through New York City takes you up Madison Avenue towards the Constance Billard School for Girls and the St. Jude School for Boys, where your favourite characters attended school. You’ll recognize The Synod of Bishops Russian Church and the Museum of the City of New York as the exteriors of your favourite private schools. Pass St. James’ Church, the site of Prince Louis and Blair’s wedding and the super swanky shops on Madison Avenue, like Missoni, where Jenny found the perfect dress for her sweet sixteen and Vera Wang where Blair was given her custom made wedding gown. The tour then continues down Fifth Avenue towards Blair Waldorf’s apartment building and some of the most expensive real-estate in the country. Nearby is the inspiration behind the fictitious, The Constance Billard School for Girls, The Nightingale-Bamford School, an elite Upper East Side school for girls, where Cecily von Ziegesar, the author of the Gossip Girl books, attended.

You’ll see, Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, located in the former Andrew Carnegie Mansion, the site of the Bass/van der Woodsen wedding in the dramatic Season 1 finale. Further down “Museum Mile” you’ll stop for a photo-op at the famous Metropolitan Museum of Art, on the steps of which many a “Queen B” lunch crew sat. In real life, these steps are often frequented by the girls from the Marymount School, another elite Upper East Side school for girls.

Location: The Met

After exploring Fifth Avenue, the Gossip Girl Sites tour will take you past Hunter College on Park Avenue where the crew took the SATs and Dan found out Serena has somebody else take her test for her. Next, you’ll pass Dylan’s Candy Bar, which features over 5,000 different types of sweets and gifts. Dylan’s is where Dan helped Vanessa pick out candy for her anniversary with Nate. Ride past a variety of locations including The Pierre Hotel where Serena and Blair took dance lessons, The Sherry Netherland Hotel where Georgina stayed when she came back into town, Grand Army Plaza where Serena and Colin shared a cab home from Columbia and The Oak Room where Blair tells Chuck she has to break up with the Prince.

A New York sightseeing tour wouldn’t be complete without a view of Central Park, so the Gossip Girl Tour continues west in Midtown past Central Park South. Central Park provides scenery for many Gossip Girl moments including where Blair and Chuck get married in the final episode. Your guide will then lead the bus past Lincoln Center where the Gossip Girl gang attended the opening of the New York City Ballet’s Winter Season. Then you’ll hop off the bus at The Empire Hotel, the site of Chuck’s home and business venture and many dramatic show moments.

Location: Lincoln Center

Dress the part of your favourite Gossip Girl at Henri Bendel where Serena and Blair frequent. Take in the glitz and glamour of other nearby stores including Bergdorf Goodman where Raina met Nate in Season 4, Harry Winston where Chuck bought Blair’s engagement ring in Season 3, Cartier where Serena catches Blair spying on Chuck purchasing a watch for Eva and Saks Fifth Avenue where Lily takes Jenny shopping for shoes.

Location: Empire Hotel

Continue down Fifth Avenue, passed the Empire State Building, where Chuck attempts to “Affair to Remember” Blair (which Blair coined as a verb) in the Season 3 finale. Blair gets caught up in the excitement of Dorota’s new baby and is too late in meeting Chuck.

End your tour where it all began; Grand Central Terminal. Take a peek inside this beautiful New York City landmark, where the very first scene in the first episode of Gossip Girl takes place when Serena returns to New York City after her mysterious disappearance from “Boarding School” and where Lonely Boy sees the love his life Serena before she has any clue who he is.

Location: Grand Central Terminal

In the next News Report, otsoNY will take a closer look at the Super Hero tour.