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Circle Line: 2hr - New York City Harbor Lights Cruise

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

Why travelers loved this

4.4
·
· Kevin_R ·
Mar 2026
The evening cruise was fantastic. The tour guide ( Dave ) was so informative and the views of New York from the boat were spectacular . It was my wife's choice to go and we all thoroughly enjoyed it . Well worth the money
· Emma_C ·
Apr 2026
Great tour, the city at night was gorgeous. Cool stories about the history of the entire city. Really fun, would recommend!

Overview

Experience the lights of New York City at sunset on this twilight cruise along Manhattan Skyline. Book your ticket in advance online to spare any fuss on the night and set sail to enjoy the illuminated landmarks while learning about the city from a guide’s informative commentary. This tour is a great way to end a day of sightseeing or kick off a night on the town.
  • Beverages, food, and souvenirs are available for purchase onboard
  • Admire Manhattan’s lights from a new perspective
  • Learn about the sights from a live guide
  • Prebook your ticket to confirm a place on your ideal evening

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

See NYC from the water—with live narration—when the sun sets and the city lights switch on.

What's Included

  • Live narration by Circle Line’s world-famous guides (in English)
  • Download the Circle Line App in 9 different languages (Headphones required) See below for more.
  • 2-hour Sightseeing Cruise
  • Indoor & Outdoor Seating
  • Bathrooms on board
  • Complimentary High-Speed Wi-Fi onboard
  • 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 Directions: • Exchange your voucher for a boarding pass at the Circle Line Ticket WindowDIRECTIONS By Subway (Metro): • 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, A, C, E, N, or R train to Times Square 42nd Street • B, D, F, or Q train to 5th Avenue and 42nd Street, • 4, 5, or 6 train to 42nd Street Grand Central Station • All options are approximately 15-25 minute walk to the pierBy Bus: • Take the west-bound M42 or M50 bus and get off at the last stop 42nd Street and 12th AvenueBy Car:: • From George Washington Bridge, Westchester or Connecticut: Take the Henry Hudson Parkway (Route 9A), go south to West 43rd Street. Make a right at 43rd Street to Pier 83 • From Lincoln Tunnel, New Jersey: Upon exiting the tunnel, follow uptown signs on Dyer Avenue to the 3rd light. Turn left onto 42nd Street. Turn right on 11th Avenue and turn left on 43rd Street. Go straight on 43rd Street to Pier 83 • From Midtown Tunnel, Queens and Long Island: Take 2nd Avenue downtown to 34th Street. Right on 34th Street to 10th Avenue. Turn right on 10th Avenue and left on 43rd Street. Go straight on 43rd Street to Pier 83 Dates: Daily Return point: Returns to original departure point

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.7:00 pm

Itinerary

Travel independently to the departure point at New York City’s Pier 83. Aim to arrive in good time for your cruise to secure the best seats—they're available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Relax and soak up the panoramic views as your boat sets sail along the Hudson River and into New York Harbor. Admire Manhattan’s skyline and its landmarks such as One World Trade Center, the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and more.

Then, take in the views of the Brooklyn Bridge and cruise by the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, all as an on-board guide shares snippets on their background and the Big Apple's history.

During your sightseeing, head for the on-board concession areas to buy drinks and snacks (both own expense), and snap up mementoes from the souvenir store.

Your cruise comes to an end when your boat arrives back at Pier 83.

Brooklyn Bridge (Pass By)

Statue of Liberty (Pass By)

Manhattan Skyline (Pass By)

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises - Midtown (Pass By)

New York Harbor (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.
  • Guests need to arrive at least 30-minutes prior to departure for boarding.
  • Food and drinks are NOT allowed to be brought on board
  • Our cruise features a live tour guide in English. If you would like a guided tour in another language, please download the free Circle Line Sightseeing App from the Apple App store or Google Play store. Once on the boat you can use the free WiFi to listen or read a guided tour in one of nine languages including Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean. Please bring your own headphones.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 600 travelers

Frequently Asked Questions (16)

Q:What is the departure point for the New York City Harbor Lights 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

Thomas_D
Terrific views from the boat, whether you are inside or outside. Superb narration by the guide! He was personable, funny, and described locations very well. Stunning views from the water. Bring a light jacket since it can be a few degrees cooler on the water. I can highly recommend the boat tour!

Reviews

4.4
based on 2,894 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Evening Cruise

Nadine_F, Apr 2026
Dress warm. Bad sound system. When you could hear guide, good info. Very organized. Great views of the city and buroughs and Lady Liberty.

Nice views and food aboard!!

Montressa_M, Apr 2026
The 2 hour tour was just what I thought it would be. Got to see some amazing views/sights. The tour guide was nice and friendly. Staff was amazing.

Best way to see the...

Shelley_J, Apr 2026
Best way to see the Statue of Liberty at night!! Very relaxing and the evening view of the city is breathtaking!!

Excellent views.

Javier_D, Apr 2026
It was cold sitting on the outside of the boat. But, obviously, this depends of when you go. We went in April.

Beautiful

Emma_C, Apr 2026
Great tour, the city at night was gorgeous. Cool stories about the history of the entire city. Really fun, would recommend!

Great cruise

Sara_L, Apr 2026
It would be an excellent way to see New York from the water however the heavy rain spoiled it for us. We sat inside but ruined seeing the sky line. You can't book the weather.

Incredible evening…tour...

Roger_W, Mar 2026
Incredible evening…tour guide David was filled with knowledge about NYC and very informative, however may want to back off asking awkward questions or get in the faces of young kids with derogatory statements about cell phones and technology!!

Lovely NYC

Julie_M, Mar 2026
Cool outdoors but we came prepared. Beautiful way to experience the city at night. Tour guide was wonderful.

Amazing

Kristi_G, Mar 2026
It’s amazing but take a jacket. Statue of liberty was my absolute favorite thing about the tour. Loved the bridges too

Wonderful Experience

Taura_T, Mar 2026
It was great viewing all of the landmarks at the front of the boat. I would definitely recommend it especially for its affordable cost and breath taking views as the night falls.

Awesome!

AshleyP_E, Mar 2026
David was an absolutely amazing historian and storyteller! Very passionate about recounting the history of NYC! We really enjoyed this experience.

A must do.

ALISON_M, Mar 2026
This was a brilliant tour. The city literally up at night, amazing. And guide was very interesting to listen to.

Sit on level with the...

Hal_P, Mar 2026
Sit on level with the host. Too hard to understand if you sit on first floor. The host was excellent.

Unbelievable views of New York

Kevin_R, Mar 2026
The evening cruise was fantastic. The tour guide ( Dave ) was so informative and the views of New York from the boat were spectacular . It was my wife's choice to go and we all thoroughly enjoyed it . Well worth the money

Nathan was great! Very...

Karina_M, Mar 2026
Nathan was great! Very knowledgeable about the history. The entire process was smooth and painless. Every other staff was friendly and great.

A must do!

Eric_V, Mar 2026
It’s a great way to see NYC. Lots of views only possible from the water. Informational, time well spent.

Stunning views

faith_J, Feb 2026
Me and my bf went for Valentine’s Day and the views were incredible!! Watched the sun set on the water then with the night time city lights it was truly beating

Great trip, great value and unique views

Paul_W, Jan 2026
This is a great value 2 hour trip, the views from the boat are fantastic, Dave the tour guide is a fountain of knowledge and delivers his information in an entertaining way. It’s well worth the ticket price, even though it was -8 on the night we went there are options to sit inside in the warm with plenty of seating, restrooms are available on board as well as refreshments sold throughout the voyage . I can’t recommend this enough and so glad we did it.

Evening cruise worth a visit

Amanda_R, Jan 2026
We took a cruise from pier 83, it was very cold so not ideal to go outside apart from nipping out a couple of times. Lots of indoor seating and windows were clear so you could see everything. Your guide was very informative. Highlight was being so close to the Statue of Liberty at night. Easy walking from Times Square area.

Nice time friendly staff...

Joseph_K, Jan 2026
Nice time friendly staff and easy to get in and out of the boat and parking lot. Best views of the city, bridges and Statue of Liberty is at night. Take the 7pm time.

NYC from the water at Nite

Sherrie_F, Dec 2025
Took Circle Iine cruises around NYC at nite Dec 7. Great tour guide, who moved from NW to NYC. The views were amazing despite the coldest!

Horrible

Nadine_G, Dec 2025
Felt like I was being belittled by your person who was narrating the cruise wrong.They seemed to be not happy to be working there

Refreshing Experience

Alicia_W, Dec 2025
Absolutely amazing and refreshing experience. We are first time new to New York and got to see so many things on our list! We 10/10 recommend!

Wonderful time

Hannah_P, Dec 2025
The ride was nice with very few bumps. They allowed us to go outside and inside. The drinks were nice and Andy did a great job with the jokes and tour.

The narrating was really...

Joelle_G, Dec 2025
The narrating was really good when you could hear it over the noise of people talking loudly. Seeing the Statue of Liberty like we did was amazing.

Amazing Christmas 🎄

Brenda_P, Dec 2025
Don't miss this experience. Lady Liberty is stunning at night. Christmas is our favorite time to go.

New York trip

Edward_B, Dec 2025
Just an overall good time viewing the city at night, very informative too. Great drink options nice and warm inside and ability to go outside for a beautiful view

Limited window seating...

Robert_D, Dec 2025
Limited window seating inside cabin. Get to the boat early to get the best seats. Night cruise is the best

Excellent cruise

Michelle_G, Dec 2025
Wonderful. Boat looked lovely and Christmassy. Andy great guide. Very informative. Great views of the city from the water and Lady Liberty 👍

New York lights cruise

Mirko_G, Dec 2025
Excellent view of the city by night, narrator on board a bit too annoying with unnecessary nonstop talking

From $45.00

per person

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

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 21 days in advance.

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