Circle Line Cruises in New York, Including the Best of NYC Around Manhattan

From the water, Manhattan makes sense at a glance: on the Circle Line cruise NYC you leave from Pier 83, head down the Hudson to the Statue of Liberty and return under the East River bridges. Tickets start at $44 for adults and $39 for children aged 3 to 12, include the 90-minute Landmark cruise and can be used on the day you prefer. You’ll find it among our boat tours.

Below you’ll find prices and supplements, what the ticket includes, the differences between the three cruises, departure times and the rules to know before you reach the pier.

Circle Line Cruise NYC: Price and Booking

The base rate includes the 90-minute Landmark cruise. With a supplement you can upgrade to the 2.5-hour Best of NYC (+$8) or to the Harbor Lights evening cruise (+$9), so one purchase gives you three routes to choose from. Prices vary by date, and the current one is shown in the booking calendar.

After booking you receive an automatic confirmation, and you are then contacted to decide the date and time of the cruise. The ticket can be used on any day for one of the scheduled departures by arriving at the pier 50 minutes early, and it is refundable and changeable up to 48 hours before.

Book Smartly

The cruise is operated by Circle Line, while the booking is handled by Il Mio Viaggio a New York, with an office at 324 W 47th St near Times Square, customer support in English during business hours and secure credit card payment. A practical tip: don’t leave it for the last day of your trip without setting a time, because a seat on a specific departure is not guaranteed.

What the Cruise Includes

Your ticket covers everything you need to see the city from the water:

• Sightseeing cruise on the route you choose, passing in front of the Statue of Liberty.
• Flexible date and time, arranged after purchase.
• Onboard commentary from the Circle Line guide, plus an audio guide on the official app in nine languages.

Food and beverages and guaranteed seating are not included, and there is no Italian-speaking guide: it is an experience designed to enjoy the skyline at your own pace.

Landmark, Best of NYC or Harbor Lights: Which to Choose

All three Circle Line cruises in New York leave from Pier 83, but each tells the city in a different way. Here is how to choose.

Landmark: 90 Minutes Around Lower Manhattan

Downtown Manhattan is the most evocative part of the Big Apple: the old Dutch village, the heart of the Beat Generation, the center of the Wall Street financial empire. The Landmark cruise heads down the Hudson past Hudson Yards, Little Island and One World Trade Center to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, crosses the bay and goes up the East River under the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges before returning to Pier 83. Along the way you see the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, Wall Street and the wall of Downtown skyscrapers.

Best of NYC: Two and a Half Hours Around the Whole Island

It is the only cruise that goes all the way around Manhattan: it reaches all five boroughs, travels three rivers and passes under twenty bridges. If you only have time for one cruise and want to understand the city’s geography, it is the most complete choice.

Harbor Lights: the Evening Cruise

This is the ticket’s evening option: two hours on the water as the skyline lights up, with a stop in front of the Statue of Liberty and a bar on board. If you want to end the day with the city seen from the Hudson at sunset, it is the most scenic.

In autumn there is also the fall foliage cruise on the Hudson, a different experience with limited dates.

Departure Times and Starting Point

Approximate departure times are listed below and change with the season:

• Landmark: 12:30 PM and 3:00 PM; from January 5 to March 5, 12:00 PM and 2:30 PM.
• Harbor Lights: 7:00 PM; from January 5 to March 5, 5:00 PM.
• Best of NYC: 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM.

Circle Line may cancel a departure: in that case you board the next one. The pier is Pier 83, 83 North River Piers, West 43rd Street and 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10036, a few minutes from the Intrepid Museum, and cruises run every day except Christmas.

The pier fits easily into a day in Midtown: our New York tours help you complete your visit of the city on foot or by bus. Book your cruise now: seeing New York from its most spectacular side is an unforgettable experience.

What to Know Before Booking

Before heading to the pier, keep these rules in mind:

• Arrival: be at Pier 83 50 minutes before departure.
• Seats: not guaranteed on a specific departure; if the boat is full, take the next one.
• Last day: not recommended unless you set the time in advance.
• Statue of Liberty: the cruise passes in front of the Statue but does not stop at Liberty Island.
• Children: reduced rate from 3 to 12 years old.
• Cancellation: refundable and changeable up to 48 hours before.

If you are considering a pass, a Circle Line cruise is included in both the New York CityPASS and the New York Pass: compare them among our tourist passes.

Important

After booking you receive an automatic confirmation, and you will then be contacted to decide the date and time of the cruise. Times are subject to seasonal changes: for updates, check the official Circle Line website. The company is not responsible if the desired departure cannot be taken, or for damage or loss of items during the cruise.