Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Tour with Reserved Ferry Entry
Description
Experience America’s most iconic symbols of freedom without the guesswork. This comprehensive guided tour takes you from the bustling shores of Battery Park through the hallowed halls of Ellis Island. With Reserved Access tickets, you’ll bypass the massive general admission lines and dive straight into history with a local expert storyteller. What You’ll Experience Step onto Liberty Island for a guided stroll around the monument. Your guide will share the "hidden in plain sight" secrets of the statue’s design and the dramatic story of its journey from France. The Immigrant Journey: Walk through the Great Hall where 12 million people began their American dream. Hear the personal, heart-wrenching, and triumphant stories of the families who passed through these very doors. The "Guide Advantage": Our guides are experts in NYC history who know the best photo spots and the quietest corners of the museums.
Tour Options
Itinerary
This sandstone fort is our meeting point, but it’s also a national monument.
Tour Liberty Island with your guide. See the statue up-close and visit the Statue of Liberty Museum. This is also a great opportunity for photos of the NYC skyline.
If you choose our Comprehensive 4 Hour tour, you will have time visit the museum on your own (guides not permitted inside the museum) before continuing your tour to Ellis Island. If you choose our Express Tour, the tour ends at Liberty Island so you can stay as little or as long as you like in the museum. Our guides are not permitted to enter the museum so this part will be self-guided.
Choose our 4 Hour Comprehensive tour and take a tour of Ellis Island as your guide points out sights like the American Immigrant Wall of Honor. Not included with Express Tour.
Choose our Comprehensive 4 Hour tour and discover the stories of the millions of immigrants who came through here from 1892-1954. Explore this museum at your own pace with your included audio guide before returning to Battery Park at your leisure. Guides are not permitted into the museum so this part is self-guided but our guides will give you facts and tips before you enter to get the most out of your visit.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour. The tour departs promptly and if late, you will NOT be able to catch up and will miss the tour. There are no refunds for missing the tour.
- Please note the earliest time tour will have the least wait. Later tours will encounter longer wait times.
- Your ferry ticket includes access to both islands, although for afternoon tours, there may not be enough time to visit Ellis Island.
- Food available for purchase on the ferry, at the Statue of Liberty, and on Ellis Island
- Operates in all weather conditions. Please dress appropriately.
- Security screening will take place prior to entering the ferry. Visitors to the park are required to undergo airport-style security screening.
- Photographs are permitted, but tripods and monopods are prohibited.
- Children 3 and under free with paid adult ticket.
- Guides are wearing orange hats AND/OR blue shirts or jackets.
- Pedestal and crown access are not included in your tour. Guided tours are not allowed in the pedestal or crown at the Statue of Liberty
Reviews(14,252)
Tour was great, was easy to get on and off the boat, tour guide was great Jelt. Boat ride was smooth.
Very good experience, great information
May we suggest the travelers download the metro system it does make things easier to get around. However; all the people we spoke with, helped us to find the castle. Our experience once we started the tour with guide Dan, was amazing! He was very knowledgeable, good sense of humor & kept the tour team engaged & well informed. We would highly recommend this tour. If you get Dan as your guide you will be very fortunate. Shout out to Xavier as he maintained the operations changes with professionalism, positvity and calmness. Thanks for a great tour of the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island.
Our tour guide was really nice and friendly. he gave clear directions but the tour was a little dry. I wish we were able to do more than just stand there and listen to him speak for 25 minutes at a time. It really wasn't much of a tour. They should have explained that in the description of the event when booking.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're glad to hear that you found your guide friendly, knowledgeable, and clear in their directions. We're sorry the tour experience didn't fully meet your expectations. Our tours are designed to focus on storytelling and historical interpretation at key locations, but we understand that different guests prefer different levels of interaction and pacing. We appreciate your comments about the amount of time spent listening at each stop and about setting clearer expectations in the tour description. We'll be sure to share your feedback with our team as we continue to improve the guest experience. Thank you again for joining us, and we appreciate your honest review.
Jett was great he was informative about everything. He was great honestly. Loved everything overall
Jay was amazing on this tour, he was very informative on the tour of the Statue of Liberty but also on the city as a whole. Great job Jay!
The weather was perfect and our tour guide was spot on. No complaints here
The trip was very organized. Jake was very friendly and knowledgeable. We learned a lot and had a great time!
Great tour w the family. Charlie, our guide, did a great job w the group.
Statue City Cruises is the only legit operator of these tours. Book a 9:00 time slot for the crown well in advance. Get there around 8:45 and use the nice bathrooms at Castle Clinton, where you will also pick up your ferry tickets. Be in the mainland security line at 9:00. Expect airport level security. The ferry ride to the SOL offers a great opportunity for skyline photos. When you disembark, take a photo of the Ellis Id. ferry departure times. If you have crown or pedestal tickets, walk to the back side of the statue. Bring quarters and leave everything but your phone and a disposable water bottle in the locker. You will go through another, less intense, security line inside the statue. Then you can ride the elevator as far as the pedestal. Show your crown ticket to begin climbing the spiral stairs to the crown. There are landings if you need to take climbing breaks, and the people going down use a different staircase, so it wasn’t bad for anyone in average shape. I would not care to climb up there on a really hot day, though. If you have extreme claustrophobia, you might only want to go as far as the pedestal. Be patient at the top of the crown. The area is small and everyone wants to take pictures. There were two rangers stationed up there. After the statue, grab the ferry to Ellis. I was able to check an item off my bucket list!
Here's a short response you could use: Thank you for the detailed review! We're thrilled to hear you enjoyed your visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and were able to check this iconic experience off your bucket list. We appreciate you sharing your helpful tips with future visitors, and we hope to welcome you on another tour soon!
