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Circle Line: 2.5hr - Complete Manhattan Island Cruise

Badge of Excellence
New York City, USA
Very popular!
5+ bookings in the past 6 hours.
  • 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.4
·
· Carissa_S ·
Mar 2026
This is an amazing 2 and a half hours spent in NYC. It is a great escape from the hustle and bustle and a inexpensive way to relax and enjoy all the beautiful scenery New York City has to offer. I live in Pennsylvania and would do this day trip anytime I am in the city. Thanks for a great time!! Highly recommended!
· Charles_M ·
Apr 2026
Awesome experience.seating was good, food was great.overall great experience would definitely recommend to friends

Overview

Some of the best views of New York City's iconic skyline are from the water. This extended cruise goes all the way around Manhattan Island, affording views of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, and more. Choose between standard seating or upgrade for access to the premium seating area. While on board, learn about the history of the city through live commentary, and choose to purchase drinks and snacks.
  • Check off plenty of New York City landmarks in just one tour
  • • Enjoy Statue of Liberty and city skyline views that you won't get on land
  • Learn about New York's landmarks through live onboard commentary
  • See something many visitors miss out on—Manhattan from the water

What's Included

  • 2.5 hour Sightseeing Cruise
  • Live narration by Circle Line’s world-famous guides (in English)
  • Free Wi-Fi on board
  • Air-conditioned vehicle
  • Restroom on board
  • Outdoor deck
  • Download the Circle Line App in 9 different languages (headphones required) See below for more.
  • Food & Beverages (Available for Purchase Onboard)
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Midtown
    83 North River Piers West 43rd Street and, 12th Ave, New York, NY 10036, USA

    Departure Point: Tour departs from Pier 83, New York Address: Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises Pier 83 West 42nd Street New York, NY 10019

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Itinerary

Three rivers, seven bridges, five boroughs, 25 world-renowned landmarks, and a close-up of the Statue of Liberty. Now that’s getting to know New York City.

On this sightseeing tour around Manhattan Island, enjoy stunning views of the Big Apple’s brilliant skyline and iconic landmarks, such as One World Trade Center’s Freedom Tower, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge, and many more.

Depart from Pier 83 in Midtown Manhattan and cruise around Manhattan Island, bounded by the Hudson, East and Harlem Rivers. While on board, enjoy live narration from a professional tour guide.

Learn more about the history of each of the sites while taking in the beautiful views of some of New York City’s most popular attractions.

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Midtown (Pass By)

Empire State Building (Pass By)

Statue of Liberty (Pass By)

Hudson Yards (Pass By)

Little Island (Pass By)

One World Trade Center (Pass By)

Ellis Island (Pass By)

Governors Island (Pass By)

South Street Seaport Historic District (Pass By)

Brooklyn Bridge (Pass By)

Chrysler Building (Pass By)

Yankee Stadium (Pass By)

George Washington Bridge (Pass By)

United Nations Headquarters (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
  • Wheelchair accessible
  • Stroller accessible
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Infants must sit on laps
  • Transportation is wheelchair accessible
  • Most travelers can participate
  • For children/infants under the age of 3, please ask at the box office for an infant ticket; it is free of charge.
  • Please arrive at least 30-minutes prior to the departure time for boarding.
  • Food and drinks are NOT allowed to be brought on board
  • Non-English-speaking guests can now make the most of their cruise with the free Circle Line Sightseeing app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. The app lets you follow along with a guided tour in your language, including Spanish, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. Be sure to bring your own headphones, as headsets aren't provided. Download the app today and enjoy exploring New York City like never before!
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 600 travelers

Frequently Asked Questions (16)

Q:What is the departure point for the Circle Line: Complete Manhattan Island Cruise?

A:The cruise conveniently departs from Pier 83 @ West 42nd Street and the West Side Highway, in Midtown Manhattan.

Jun 2021

The answers provided are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

William_C
I enjoyed this tour. I saw the Statue of Liberty up close for the first time. Great way to learn about the history of NYC and travel under all of the historic bridges. Gorgeous view of the city skyline and buildings. Took pictures you see on postcards. The tour guide was great. The weather was perfect! 5 ⭐️

Reviews

4.4
based on 3,521 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Rod Stewart 😂

Gail_C, Apr 2026
So glad we booked this 😊 Michael 🎤 did a fantastic job, in fact it was 5 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩👍 Take care Gail Alex Anna Aaron Tina & Steven 🇬🇧 😘

Fun tour

Ben_B, Apr 2026
Great tour with a very informative tour guide. Would highly recommend. Toured around the whole island, great way to see the entirety of Manhattan.

I took this cruise years...

Karen_C, Apr 2026
I took this cruise years ago and loved it. We went around entire island which is what I signed up for this time and was so disappointed when we arrived at boat it was only going half way around. We were given the option to go on the afternoon cruise but our schedule wouldnt allow that. The cruise was still awesome but it could have been even better!

Our guide David was...

Jennifer_L, Apr 2026
Our guide David was great. Knowledgeable, entertaining and friendly. A wonderful way to spend a morning.

Great experience we would do it again

Charles_M, Apr 2026
Awesome experience.seating was good, food was great.overall great experience would definitely recommend to friends

Excellent narration. He was excellent……Was able to give us a lot of history too. Spoke clearly……………Made it interesting

NatalieRich_R, Mar 2026
That it is weather dependent. Wish we have the opportunity to see Harlem and the Bronx. Beverages excellent too. Drank hot chocolate

The MC was great, sorry...

Diane_M, Mar 2026
The MC was great, sorry forgot his name!! He was very knowledgeable & entertaining! The boat was very clean.

Great NYC overview

Rich_G, Mar 2026
Essential to see areas that you aren’t going to visit personally. “Premiere” seating is the same chairs with a-pad. Great entertaining narrative. I could without the rap music filled with cuss words. Windows were streaked and should have been cleaned. Overall all worth it.

This is an amazing 2 and...

Carissa_S, Mar 2026
This is an amazing 2 and a half hours spent in NYC. It is a great escape from the hustle and bustle and a inexpensive way to relax and enjoy all the beautiful scenery New York City has to offer. I live in Pennsylvania and would do this day trip anytime I am in the city. Thanks for a great time!! Highly recommended!

Terrific information and...

LeAnn_D, Dec 2025
Terrific information and festive atmosphere! Postcard Tim was a wonderful guide along with the crew!

The 2.5 hour tour was boring, prob not a shorter one thou. Def take the 30 min toor

Kathy_M, Dec 2025
Good tour, don’t take the 2.5 hr tour. Complete waste of time. So boring I actually fell asleep sitting up.

Great night tour

Sharon_B, Dec 2025
Excellent your, great staff and guide was very informative. Would recommend to anyone wishing to see the sights at night.

Just Brilliant

Matthew_G, Dec 2025
Excellent, great trip, worth paying for premier. Great cafe, awesome tour guide. Great views, its the best way to see all of the things to see around New York.

The host, Alexis, is very...

Tanya_L, Dec 2025
The host, Alexis, is very knowledgeable and entertaining! She even sings very well. Alexis packed a ton of information into our tour that will help plan to visit other places.

Great tour

April_P, Dec 2025
Great tour and tour guide. Very comprehensive tour with nice staff. . Worth it even on a cold day….,

Heartbeat of the city- Circle Line

elizabeth_s, Dec 2025
David Parker is a wonderfully knowledgeable and humorous tour guide. He obviously loves the city and its history. The narration and his personality are great. Keep him!! The vessel was very clean - and tge Premier seating very comfy and great panoramic views. bathrooms in good order, we could hear the narration just fine inside- have no idea about outside as it was about 30 degrees out there so we kept warm and cozy inside. The engines were very quiet however- competent and polite crew. A very good experience to brush up on your history and see interesting possible places to explore. Great skyline views and of course everyone loves lady liberty . We always love taking a boat tour or ride everywhere we go and this was a wonderful one! If you get hungry they have snacks and drinks available. They really have it down To a science .

Great experience! This...

Lucille_W, Nov 2025
Great experience! This event was amazing Everyone from the beginning and to the end..Staff was superb 👌🏽 👏🏾

Breathtaking Manhattan Views

Gil_M, Nov 2025
A great way to spend an afternoon with breathtaking Manhattan and other side of the rivers views. Good moderation in a nice inviting and clean boat...

Great tour at a great price!

Jennifer_W, Nov 2025
Great way to get an overview of NYC! Our guide Jerry was very knowledgeable and was awesome! The views were spectacular.

Day trip

Dawn_S, Nov 2025
Was nice just need better food and more entertaining. But enjoyed the trip and would do again …….. period the end

Birds Eye View

judith_p, Nov 2025
It is excellent for getting the layout of Manhattan Island. Commentary was very detailed. Learnt great history

Must See Tour!!!

Von_C, Nov 2025
Great way to learn about the City...Amazing views!!! Highly recommend. If you've never been to NYC and/or haven't had a chance to see all of the cities sights definitely take this Tour

Great way to see the city!

hannah_k, Nov 2025
A great way to see the city, guide was very knowledgeable pointing out all the great landmarks with a fun twist. Weather was great and we had lots of time to take photos of the Statue of Liberty and other iconic views. Would definitely recommend 🤩🤩

I love New York

Rosalia_V, Nov 2025
Best way to get an overview of the magnificence of the awesome buildings, bridges, statue of liberty, relativity of the boroughs and comfortable conditions.

Great way to see the city

Paul_S, Nov 2025
Great trip around the entire Manhattan Island. Lots of sites pointed out along the way, narration was good. Nice way to see the city while saving some walking.

Super Value cruise

Carla_M, Nov 2025
Great views and tour guide! He was funny and informative. we had a windy but sunny day, lucky for us This trip is a very good value and interesting way to view the glorious city- from the water!

Was a great tour for a...

Tyree_R, Oct 2025
Was a great tour for a late summer/ early fall day. The tour guide was knowledgeable and entertaining.

Great way to get a view...

Emily_L, Oct 2025
Great way to get a view of the city! Tour guide was exceptional! It was a little cold on the water, but the view was spectacular! Totally worth it!

Tour guide was very...

nicholas_g, Oct 2025
Tour guide was very knowledgeable and you got to see the other parts of Manhattan that you normally get to see by boat

They charge me the the price of the 2 .5 hour tour for the price of one 90minis tour. Very dishonest beware folks.

Peter_F, Oct 2025
Be very careful full when booking online And if you are 8minites late schedule tour. You will not get a refund . If you decide to go on the next tour which is usually cheaper. They will not you the different. How crooked is that.

Response from Host, Nov 2025

Thank you for your review, We do not offer refunds but we do offer guests a one-time courtesy reschedule for a cruise of equal or lesser value, when running late. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused. If you would like to discuss further, please reach out to us at GuestServices@support.nycl.com.

From $34.55

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 17 days in advance.

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