New York Architecture Boat TourCircle Line Landmarks Cruise: What You Get for in 90 Minutes
The Circle Line landmarks cruise is a short way to see the Statue of Liberty from the water with a live guide. It runs 1.5 hours from Pier 83 on the Hudson at West 42nd Street, costs $34 per person on GetYourGuide and holds a 4.6 rating from 4,934 reviews. The route goes down the Hudson to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, then up the East River under the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges before returning to the same pier. This page covers what the fare includes, what it does not, the landmarks in order and the honest limits. If you want the full lap of Manhattan, the New York architecture boat tour shows every option side by side.
About This Tour
Circle Line's 90-minute landmarks cruise is the quick version of the company's harbor sightseeing. The boat leaves Pier 83 at West 42nd Street, runs down the Hudson past Lower Manhattan to a slow photo pass by the Statue of Liberty, then crosses to the East River and sails under three suspension bridges before turning back. A live guide narrates in English and a downloadable app audio guide covers eight more languages.
It is a harbor cruise, not a full lap of the island. Manhattan is 13.4 miles long, and this route covers only the Hudson, the harbor and the lower East River. There is no Harlem River and no United Nations side of Midtown East. That keeps the price at $34 and the time commitment at 1.5 hours.
$34 per person, booked through GetYourGuide with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
1.5 hours. The boat slows near the Statue of Liberty for photos
Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, 83 North River Piers, West 42nd to 43rd Street at 12th Avenue. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before departure
Purpose-built sightseeing vessel with climate-controlled indoor cabins and open outdoor decks. Group size not stated
Live guide in English plus a downloadable audio guide in 9 languages through the free Circle Line app, headphones required
None included. A cafe on board sells snacks, soft drinks, beer, wine and cocktails. Outside food and beverages are not permitted
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, with reserve now and pay later
Check Dates and Availability
Starting times vary by day, so check availability to see the schedule for your date. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before departure to allow time for boarding.
Quick answer The short version
The Circle Line landmarks cruise costs $34 per person, lasts 1.5 hours and leaves from Pier 83 at West 42nd Street. It sails down the Hudson to the Statue of Liberty, then up the East River under the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges with a live English guide. It is the shortest Circle Line cruise and does not go around the whole island.
Key takeaways
- For $34 you get the Statue of Liberty photo stop, Ellis Island and three East River bridges in 90 minutes. See what the price covers.
- Want the full lap of Manhattan with the Harlem River and the United Nations? The Circle Line full Manhattan boat tour runs 2.5 hours for $39.
- Prefer the skyline lit up? The New York sunset and skyline lights cruise runs 2 hours for $45.
- Compare it against every other option in the New York architecture boat tour.
What the Price Actually Covers
The $34 fare on GetYourGuide covers the cruise, the narration and the deck access. Food, drinks, tips and hotel transfers are all extra.
Included for $34
Your ticket covers live guided narration in English by the on-board guide, a downloadable audio guide in 9 languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese and Korean), free Wi-Fi on board, restrooms, the climate-controlled indoor cabins and the spacious outdoor viewing deck. Booking through GetYourGuide also gets you skip-the-box-office entry with your voucher and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund.
The audio guide runs through the free Circle Line app, so download it before boarding and bring your own headphones.
- Live guided narration in English
- Audio guide in 9 languages via the Circle Line app, headphones required
- Free Wi-Fi and restrooms on board
- Indoor climate-controlled cabins and outdoor viewing deck
- Free cancellation 24 hours ahead, reserve now and pay later
What Costs Extra on Board
No food or drink is included. The on-board cafe sells snacks, soft drinks, beer, wine and cocktails throughout the cruise, and prices are set by Circle Line. Gratuities are not covered either.
Outside food and beverages are not permitted, so budget for the cafe if the 1.5 hours crosses a meal. Hotel pickup and drop-off are also not included, and Pier 83 sits at West 42nd Street and 12th Avenue, a long walk from most Midtown hotels.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cruise, 1.5 hours | Yes | $34 per person on GetYourGuide |
| Live guide in English | Yes | Expert local guide narration |
| Audio guide, 9 languages | Yes | Through the free app, bring headphones |
| Wi-Fi and restrooms | Yes | Free on board |
| Snacks, soft drinks, beer, wine, cocktails | No | On-board cafe, pay on the day |
| Gratuities | No | Not included |
| Hotel pickup and drop-off | No | Not included |
| Outside food | No | Not permitted on board |
How It Sits Against the Other Cruises
At $34 this is the mid-price Circle Line option. The same operator's 2.5-hour full island cruise costs $39 and adds the Harlem River, the United Nations, Yankee Stadium and the George Washington Bridge, and it has 7,925 reviews. The 2-hour sunset version costs $45 with 8,992 reviews.
If you want architecture narration from an architect instead of a sightseeing guide, the New York Architecture Yacht Cruise with narration by a member of the AIA New York Chapter runs 2 hours 45 minutes at $85.50 with one drink included.
Sources: Circle Line and GetYourGuide listing data
The Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan seen from a boat on the East River. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
Check in at Pier 83, board with your voucher and settle into a cabin seat or claim an outdoor deck rail. The route then runs river by river in this order.
Check-in and Boarding
Arrive at Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, 83 North River Piers, West 42nd to 43rd Street at 12th Avenue, 30 to 45 minutes before departure. Voucher holders skip the ticket line and go straight to boarding. Circle Line's main departure point is Pier 83 at West 42nd Street, and the company says this pier has the most cruises and the most daily departures.
Departure times vary by date, so check your booking for the starting time.
Down the Hudson to Lower Manhattan
The boat heads south past Midtown and Lower Manhattan. To the east you get the full west face of the skyline, including One World Trade Center, which stands 1,776 feet to the tip of its spire and 1,368 feet to the roof. David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed it and it opened on November 3, 2014.
The neo-Gothic Woolworth Building, 792 feet tall and designed by Cass Gilbert, also stands in view downtown.
Statue of Liberty Photo Stop
This is the centerpiece. The boat slows near the Statue of Liberty so everyone gets time to photograph Lady Liberty with the skyline behind her. The statue was dedicated on October 28, 1886, stands 305 feet 1 inch from ground to torch and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
Bartholdi designed it, Eiffel built the iron framework and Richard Morris Hunt designed the pedestal. Ellis Island, which processed immigrants from 1892 to 1954, sits right beside the route.
Across to the East River Bridges
The cruise then turns up the East River, passing the Brooklyn Bridge first. It opened on May 24, 1883, its main span is 1,595.5 feet, its towers rise 278 feet above high water, and John A. Roebling designed it while Washington and Emily Warren Roebling finished the work. Next comes the Manhattan Bridge, opened on December 31, 1909, designed by Leon Moisseiff with a 1,480-foot main span.
The Williamsburg Bridge follows, opened on December 19, 1903, with chief engineer Leffert Buck, a 1,600-foot main span and the title of longest suspension span in the world until 1924. On the Manhattan side you look back at the Midtown skyline including the Chrysler Building, 1,046 feet to the spire, designed by William Van Alen and completed on May 27, 1930.
Back to the Pier
After the bridges the boat turns around and runs back down the East River and up the Hudson to Pier 83. Total time on the water is 1.5 hours. One World Observatory, on floors 100 to 102 of One World Trade Center at 1,268 feet, is named on the route and passes on the downtown legs.
Who This Tour Rules Out
This cruise is a fast harbor loop, and several kinds of traveller will get more from a different boat. Here is who should look elsewhere and where.
Anyone Who Wants the Whole Island
The route covers the Hudson, the harbor and the lower East River. There is no Harlem River, no United Nations and no Yankee Stadium or George Washington Bridge. The full-island cruise lists far more landmarks than this one.
If you want the complete lap, the Circle Line Full Manhattan Boat Tour runs 2.5 hours for $39.
Sunset Chasers
Departure times vary by date and the listing does not time this cruise for sunset. For the skyline lit up, the New York Sunset and Skyline Lights Cruise runs 2 hours for $45 and is timed for golden hour into the lights.
Architecture Students and Design Fans
The guide is a sightseeing narrator, not an architect. For building-by-building design commentary, the New York Architecture Yacht Cruise has narration by a member of the AIA New York Chapter, or the New York Climate and Architecture Cruise focuses on sea-level resilience and sustainable design.
Small Boat People
Circle Line runs purpose-built sightseeing vessels and the group size is not stated, so expect a large vessel. If you want a small group, the Chelsea Piers Small Boat Tour caps at 12 guests on a 1-hour ride for $99, and the Hudson River Sunset Schooner Sail caps at 49 on an 80-foot schooner.
People Wanting Food, Pickup or Guaranteed Quiet Commentary
No food or drink is included and outside food is banned, so you buy from the cafe or go hungry. There is no hotel pickup. The live commentary can be hard to hear in places on a big open deck, one reviewer notes, so bring headphones and lean on the 9-language app audio guide instead.
Getting There and What to Add
The pier sits at West 42nd Street and 12th Avenue on the Hudson. Pair the cruise with the West Side parks nearby or a free ferry across the harbor.
Reaching Pier 83
The meeting point is Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, 83 North River Piers, West 42nd to 43rd Street at 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10036. Exact subway and bus directions to the pier are not stated in the listing, so confirm your route on the MTA trip planner before you go and allow the 30 to 45 minute pre-departure arrival window. Parking at the pier is not stated either.
Add Little Island and the High Line Before or After
The pier is on the West Side waterfront, and these sights are further south along it. Little Island opened on May 21, 2021, covers 2.4 acres and sits on 132 pot-shaped tulips over the Hudson, designed by Heatherwick Studio with Signe Nielsen. The High Line runs 1.45 miles along the old West Side rail viaduct, built from 1929 to 1934 and redesigned by Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Piet Oudolf.
Hudson Yards, 28 acres over the rail yard, opened its first phase in 2019, with 30 Hudson Yards standing 1,296 feet tall and the Edge observation deck on its 100th floor.
Free and Cheap Boats to Add
The Staten Island Ferry is the free way to see the harbor and the Statue of Liberty from the water. NYC Ferry is the paid alternative, with fares reported as $4 one way on ferry.nyc and $4.50 one way on Wikipedia, so check the current fare. Both are covered in the free ferries section of the New York architecture boat tour.
Other Cruises from the Same Family of Piers
If 90 minutes leaves you wanting more water time, other operators run from the West Side piers too, including the Statue and Skyline Yacht Cruise from Chelsea Piers with a drink included for $60, and the 80-Minute NYC Skyline Cruise from Pier 78 for $29.75.
Route and Itinerary
The listing gives the order of the landmarks but no clock times, since starting times vary by date. Times below are relative to departure.
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30-45 minutes before
Arrive at Pier 83
Arrive at Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, 83 North River Piers, West 42nd to 43rd Street at 12th Avenue. Voucher holders skip the ticket line and board directly.
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Start
Departure down the Hudson
The boat leaves the pier and runs south along the Hudson past Midtown and Lower Manhattan, with One World Trade Center, 1,776 feet to the spire tip, on the skyline.
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Photo stop
Statue of Liberty slow pass
The boat slows near the Statue of Liberty, 305 feet 1 inch from ground to torch, for photos with Ellis Island beside it and the skyline behind.
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After the Statue
Ellis Island and across the harbor
The cruise passes Ellis Island, which processed about 12 million immigrants from 1892 to 1954, then crosses toward the East River.
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Up the East River
Under the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges
Three suspension bridges in sequence: the Brooklyn Bridge of 1883 with 278-foot towers, the Manhattan Bridge of 1909 with a 1,480-foot span, and the Williamsburg Bridge of 1903 with a 1,600-foot span.
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Return
Back to Pier 83
The boat turns and returns down the East River and up the Hudson to the same pier at West 42nd Street, 1.5 hours after departure.
Pros and Cons
The short version after reading the listing, the operator facts and the route.
What we genuinely like
- $34 per person makes it one of the cheaper guided cruises from Pier 83, with the same operator's full island cruise at $39 and the sunset cruise at $45
- Live English narration plus a free audio guide in 9 languages through the app
- The boat slows near the Statue of Liberty, dedicated in 1886, so photos are not rushed
- Three East River suspension bridges under the keel in one run, from the Brooklyn Bridge of 1883 to the Williamsburg Bridge of 1903
- Indoor climate-controlled cabins and outdoor decks, so bad weather does not sink the trip
- Free Wi-Fi, restrooms and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
The honest downsides
- It is not a full loop of Manhattan, so no Harlem River, no United Nations and none of the northern sights like the Little Red Lighthouse
- No food or drink included, outside food banned, so everything comes from the paid on-board cafe
- No hotel pickup and the pier at 12th Avenue is a long walk from most Midtown hotels
- The audio guide needs the app and your own headphones
- Live commentary can be hard to hear in places on a large boat, so the app guide is the backup
- Cruises run in most weather, which means an open deck can be cold, so dress for the season
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers who want the whole island, architect-level narration, a small boat or food and drinks included in the fare.
Circle Line Landmarks Cruise Questions
How long is the Circle Line landmarks cruise?
It runs 1.5 hours on the water from Pier 83 at West 42nd Street and back, with a slow photo pass by the Statue of Liberty built into the 90 minutes. For a longer route, the Circle Line Full Manhattan Boat Tour runs 2.5 hours.
How much does the Circle Line landmarks cruise cost?
It is $34 per person on GetYourGuide, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and reserve now, pay later. The cheapest comparable run on the page is the Starship 90-Minute Landmark Cruise at $26 from Pier 78.
Where does the Circle Line landmarks cruise leave from?
From Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, 83 North River Piers, West 42nd to 43rd Street at 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10036, and you return to the same pier. Departure details for every pier are in the New York architecture boat tour.
Does the Circle Line landmarks cruise go around Manhattan?
No. It covers the Hudson, the harbor and the lower East River, with no Harlem River or United Nations side. The full 2.5-hour island loop with the northern sights is the Circle Line Full Manhattan Boat Tour for $39.
Is there a live guide on the Circle Line landmarks cruise?
Yes, a live guide narrates in English, and a downloadable audio guide in 9 languages runs through the free Circle Line app if you want another language or a clearer feed. For narration by an architect instead, see the New York Architecture Yacht Cruise with narration by a member of the AIA New York Chapter.
Is food or drink included on the Circle Line landmarks cruise?
No. Outside food and beverages are not permitted, and the on-board cafe sells snacks, soft drinks, beer, wine and cocktails for purchase. If a drink in the fare matters, the Statue and Skyline Yacht Cruise includes one drink for $60.
What happens if the weather is bad?
Cruises operate in most weather conditions, so dress for the season, especially on the outdoor decks, where it can feel a few degrees colder on the water. You can cancel free up to 24 hours before departure, and the comparison of every New York architecture boat tour lists each listing's cancellation terms.
What Travelers Said
The boat tour was great. It allowed us to see so much of the city and PostCard Tim did a great job of pointing out points of interest.
Great views of the city, expert guide with great humour thrown in!! Loved it!
Although we've been to New York several times, this was our first tour with Circle Line. It was definitely worth it. The weather was fantastic, and we saw a lot. We also heard many interesting facts about New York and its history. I highly recommend it!
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