New York Architecture Boat TourNYC Ferry: Routes, Fares and the East River Skyline Ride
The NYC Ferry is the cheapest regular way to see the New York skyline from the water, and this guide covers how it works. A one-way adult fare is listed at $4 on the official ferry.nyc site, while Wikipedia records $4.50 since a 2024 increase, so both figures are given here. Six routes run across all five boroughs on 38 vessels serving 25 piers, and the East River route passes under the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges in under 50 minutes. Below you will find every route and stop, the ticket options, what you actually see from the deck, and how the ferry compares with a narrated cruise such as the New York architecture boat tours listed on this site. If you want the completely free option instead, see the Staten Island Ferry.
A white and blue NYC Ferry boat under way with a second ferry and the Manhattan skyline behind. Photo: Billie Grace Ward from New York, USA, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer NYC Ferry at a glance
A one-way adult NYC Ferry fare is listed at $4 on the official ferry.nyc site, while Wikipedia records $4.50. It is a commuter ferry system, not a sightseeing cruise, but the East River route passes under three historic bridges in 47 minutes.
Key takeaways
- Six routes cover all five boroughs. The full list is in NYC Ferry Routes and Stops.
- Tickets cost $4 or $4.50 one way depending on the source, with a 10-trip pass at $27.50. Details under Fares and Tickets.
- For a guided alternative, the 80-Minute NYC Skyline Cruise costs $29.75 with licensed tour guides.
- For architect narration around Manhattan, compare the New York Architecture Yacht Cruise at $85.50 per person.
NYC Ferry Routes and Stops
NYC Ferry launched on May 1, 2017 and is operated by Hornblower for the New York City Economic Development Corporation. It runs 38 vessels to 25 piers across all five boroughs, on year-round routes plus seasonal services.
The Six Routes
The table below compares the scheduled routes from ferry.nyc with their stops and end-to-end ride times. The East River route is the one most riders use for skyline views, and it has local and express variants. The South Brooklyn route opened on June 1, 2017, the Astoria route on August 29, 2017, the Soundview extension on August 15, 2018 and the St. George route on August 23, 2021. A Lower East Side route ran from August 29, 2018 until it was discontinued on May 18, 2020, so do not expect it on the map today.
Free transfers between routes are valid for 120 minutes, which matters if you ride one route down and another back.
| Route | Stops | Ride time |
|---|---|---|
| East River | Wall Street/Pier 11, DUMBO, South Williamsburg, North Williamsburg, Greenpoint, Hunters Point South, East 34th Street | 47 minutes local, 31 minutes express (A and B) |
| South Brooklyn | East 34th Street, Corlears Hook, Wall Street/Pier 11, Atlantic Ave/BBP Pier 6, Red Hook, Sunset Park/Brooklyn Army Terminal, Bay Ridge | About 40 minutes |
| Astoria | Wall Street/Pier 11, Brooklyn Navy Yard, East 34th Street, Long Island City, Roosevelt Island, Astoria, East 90th Street | About 49 minutes |
| Rockaway-Soundview | Rockaway (Beach 108th Street), Sunset Park/Brooklyn Army Terminal, Wall Street/Pier 11, Stuyvesant Cove, East 34th Street, East 90th Street, Soundview/Clason Point, Throgs Neck/Ferry Point Park | About 60 minutes Pier 11 to Rockaway |
| St. George | Midtown West/Pier 79, Battery Park City/Vesey St., St. George, Bay Ridge, Atlantic Ave/BBP Pier 6, Wall Street/Pier 11 | 68 minutes total |
| Governors Island (seasonal) | Wall Street/Pier 11 to Governors Island | About 8 minutes |
Timetables and Frequency
East River boats run from about 6:30 AM to 10:30 PM, every 15 to 30 minutes at peak and roughly hourly midday. The route splits into A and B express variants during weekday peaks from 7 to 10 AM and 4 to 7 PM, and on non-winter weekends, cutting the trip from 47 to 31 minutes. The Rockaway-Soundview route runs weekdays from 5:05 AM to 9:32 PM. On the St. George route, weekday Midtown West departures run from 6:21 AM to 9:00 PM and weekend ones from 8:54 AM to 7:39 PM. Riders at Midtown West/Pier 79 can use free shuttle buses around Manhattan.
The seasonal Governors Island shuttle from Pier 11 runs on summer weekends and holidays, is first come, first served, and the last scheduled departure from the island leaves at 5:30 PM. The ticket office at Pier 11 is open 8 AM to 7 PM daily.
Roosevelt Island and DUMBO
Two common questions are answered by the route list above. The Astoria route is the one that serves Roosevelt Island, between Long Island City and Astoria. From the water you can see the Roosevelt Island Tramway, which opened in May 1976, Louis Kahn's Four Freedoms Park from 2012, the Cornell Tech campus from 2017 and the Blackwell Island Light built by prisoners in 1872.
For DUMBO, the East River route stops there between Wall Street/Pier 11 and South Williamsburg. On weekends the South Brooklyn route also adds a DUMBO/Fulton Ferry landing. If you want the full picture of guided options instead, browse the site's NYC boat tour guide.
Sources: ferry.nyc and route schedule pages, Wikipedia: NYC Ferry
Fares and Tickets
The NYC Ferry price depends on which source you trust, so here is both sides of the conflict, then the ticket mechanics that both sources agree on.
How Much the NYC Ferry Costs
The official ferry.nyc site lists a one-way adult fare of $4 and a 10-trip pass at $27.50. Wikipedia and the Ferries in New York City article record a one-way fare of $4.50 since a 2024 increase. The official site is the one selling the tickets, but the higher figure appears in current encyclopedic sources, so carry either $4 or $4.50 in mind and check the app screen when you buy.
Reduced fares are clear cut. Seniors and people with disabilities pay $1.35, and children under 44 inches tall ride free.
| Ticket | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| One-way adult | $4 | ferry.nyc official site |
| One-way adult | $4.50 | Wikipedia, since 2024 |
| 10-trip pass | $27.50 | ferry.nyc official site |
| Seniors and riders with disabilities | $1.35 | ferry.nyc official site |
| Children under 44 inches | Free | ferry.nyc official site |
Buying and Using Tickets
You can buy NYC Ferry tickets on the mobile app, from ticket agents, at vending machines or on the website, then redeem them in the app. A mobile ticket stays valid for up to 90 days from purchase before you activate it. The system does not accept MetroCards or OMNY, so a subway fare card is no help at the gangway.
Free transfers between routes are valid for 120 minutes, so you can ride the East River route to DUMBO, walk the Brooklyn waterfront, and board the South Brooklyn route back to Manhattan within the window. For context on the free alternative across the harbor, the Staten Island Ferry has been fare-free since 1997.
Sources: ferry.nyc, Wikipedia: NYC Ferry
The East River Route as a Skyline Ride
The East River route is the ferry ride that doubles as sightseeing. The local trip takes 47 minutes end to end, and you ride under three historic suspension bridges with the Manhattan skyline on one side and the Brooklyn waterfront on the other.
From Wall Street/Pier 11 to DUMBO
Board at Wall Street/Pier 11. The Brooklyn Bridge opened on May 24, 1883. John A. Roebling designed it and Washington and Emily Warren Roebling finished it. Its main span is 1,595.5 feet and the Gothic Revival towers rise 278 feet above high water.
The route passes under it on the way to DUMBO, short for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.
DUMBO to Williamsburg
Leaving DUMBO, the boat runs upriver and passes beneath the Manhattan Bridge, which opened on December 31, 1909. Leon Moisseiff designed it, the main span is 1,480 feet, and it was the first suspension bridge to use a Warren truss. On the Brooklyn side the stops at South Williamsburg and North Williamsburg put you close to the old industrial shore.
The best landmark here is the Domino Sugar Refinery, built in 1882 to 1883 and closed in 2004. The Pan, Filter and Finishing House became a city landmark in 2007, and a replica of the Domino Sugar sign was installed in 2022. Next to it, Domino Park opened on June 10, 2018 and covers 5 acres of the Williamsburg waterfront, designed by James Corner Field Operations, the firm behind the High Line.
Under the Williamsburg Bridge to Midtown
On the East River leg the boat also passes under the Williamsburg Bridge, which opened on December 19, 1903. Leffert Buck was chief engineer and Henry Hornbostel the architect. Its main span is 1,600 feet, which made it the longest suspension span in the world until 1924. From Greenpoint the route crosses to Hunters Point South in Queens, with the Midtown skyline now ahead, then finishes at East 34th Street on the Manhattan shore.
Ride the express variant and the run is trimmed to 31 minutes. One honest caveat: the ferry is a working commuter boat with plain seating and no narration. If you want the bridges explained as you pass, look at the cruises further down this page or the full Manhattan skyline guide.
Sources: ferry.nyc East River schedule, Wikipedia: Brooklyn Bridge
Passengers lining up for the ferry at the Pier 11 Wall Street landing. Photo: Train2104, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A Ferry Ride or a Narrated Cruise
At $4 or $4.50, no cruise can beat the NYC Ferry on price. What a cruise buys you is time on the water, a guide and landmarks the ferry never reaches.
What the Ferry Does Not Give You
The NYC Ferry is commuter transport. There is no guide, no narration and no Statue of Liberty. The routes hug the East River and the Brooklyn shore, so the ferry never passes Liberty Island or Ellis Island and never makes a full lap of Manhattan.
That is exactly the trade. If you want an hour of skyline views for pocket change and do not mind finding your own facts, ride the East River route and bring a coffee. If you want someone to tell you what you are looking at, a cruise is the better spend.
The Cheapest Narrated Alternatives
One low-priced guided cruise is the 80-Minute NYC Skyline Cruise from NY Waterway Harbor Tours at $29.75 per person. It runs 80 minutes, boards at Pier 78 with the box office at Pier 79, and has licensed tour guides, passes One World Trade Center, Hudson Yards, Little Island and the Brooklyn Bridge, and makes a stop in front of the Statue of Liberty. It carries up to 500 passengers and includes free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
If the Statue of Liberty is the priority, the 90-Minute Statue of Liberty Cruise costs $34 per person and runs 1.5 hours with a live tour guide or audio guide, passing Lower Manhattan, Ellis Island and three East River bridges.
The Full Guided Lap
For architecture specifically, the benchmark is the New York Architecture Yacht Cruise at $85.50 per person, a 2 hour 45 minute cruise around Manhattan on a 1920s-style yacht, though the full circuit is not guaranteed, with narration by a member of the AIA New York chapter and one complimentary beverage. It passes under the bridges of the Hudson, East and Harlem Rivers, water the NYC Ferry never sails, and it departs from Pier 62 at Chelsea Piers. Group size is capped at 80.
The budget middle ground is the Circle Line full Manhattan lap. The Circle Line Full Manhattan Boat Tour costs $39 per person for 2.5 hours with a live guide, covering the Statue of Liberty, the United Nations, the Chrysler Building and the George Washington Bridge. Compare everything on the homepage's comparison table or the shorter skyline cruises list.
Prices quoted from the tour listings on this site
NYC Ferry Questions
How much does the NYC Ferry cost?
The official ferry.nyc site lists a one-way adult fare of $4 and a 10-trip pass at $27.50, while Wikipedia records $4.50 one way since 2024, so both figures are in circulation. Seniors and riders with disabilities pay $1.35 and children under 44 inches ride free. Ticket options are set out under Fares and Tickets.
What are the NYC Ferry routes?
There are six services: East River, South Brooklyn, Astoria, Rockaway-Soundview and St. George, plus seasonal Governors Island service. Together they use 38 vessels at 25 piers across all five boroughs. The full stop list and ride times are in NYC Ferry Routes and Stops.
Which NYC Ferry goes to Roosevelt Island?
The Astoria route serves Roosevelt Island, between Long Island City and Astoria, on a run of about 49 minutes from Wall Street/Pier 11. From the water you can see the 1976 tramway and Four Freedoms Park. For a longer guided loop past the island's sights, see the NYC boat tour guide.
Does the NYC Ferry take MetroCard or OMNY?
No. NYC Ferry does not accept MetroCards or OMNY, so you need the ferry app, a ticket agent, a vending machine or the website. A mobile ticket stays valid for up to 90 days before activation, and transfers between routes are free within 120 minutes. Fare details are under Fares and Tickets.
Is the NYC Ferry good for sightseeing?
The East River route is the best sightseeing value in the system, passing under the Brooklyn Bridge from 1883, the Manhattan Bridge from 1909 and the Williamsburg Bridge from 1903 in 47 minutes. It is plain commuter transport with no narration and no Statue of Liberty, though. For guided commentary, the 80-Minute NYC Skyline Cruise at $29.75 is a low-priced alternative.
How is NYC Ferry different from the free Staten Island Ferry?
The Staten Island Ferry is completely free and has been fare-free since 1997, running 24 hours a day on a 5.2-mile crossing of about 25 minutes with harbor and Statue of Liberty views. NYC Ferry charges $4 or $4.50 and sticks mainly to the East River and Brooklyn shores. The free option is covered in full in the Staten Island Ferry guide.