Highlights of the Circle Line Cruise
Especially for first-time visitors to New York, I recommend the Circle Line cruise around Manhattan Island. When you are in Manhattan, the skyscrapers can capture your attention so completely that you forget it is an island. Viewing Manhattan from the outside while cruising, you are sure to discover an unexpected side of the city.
A Cruise Around Manhattan
This sightseeing cruise service is operated by Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises.
There are many different cruises, but the most representative ones are BEST OF NYC CRUISE, LANDMARKS CRUISE, and LIBERTY CRUISE. They differ in duration and price, offering different tiers of options.
You can choose according to your schedule and budget, but while you are here, why not take the BEST OF NYC CRUISE, which circles the entire island of Manhattan?
Boarding locations and types of routes
BEST OF NYC CRUISE, LANDMARKS CRUISE, and LIBERTY CRUISE all depart from Pier 83. Pier means a wharf. All of New York’s piers have these sequential numbers. Pier 83 is a 20-minute walk west from Times Square.
By paying an additional fee for each option, you can upgrade to the Premier class. It includes services such as priority boarding, but for photography, the biggest advantage is access to the special upper deck. It will come down to your budget.
BEST OF NYC CRUISE Route (2.5 Hours)
The route circles Manhattan Island via the Hudson, Harlem, and East rivers, offering views from the water of the Statue of Liberty, major bridges, Yankee Stadium, The Met Cloisters, and more. The cruise described in this article also followed this route clockwise.
The cruise goes all the way around Manhattan Island. BEST OF NYC CRUISE is the only way to see Manhattan from every side.
LANDMARKS CRUISE Route (1.5 Hours)
In addition to the Statue of Liberty, the boat passes beneath the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges. Around the point directly opposite the departure pier, where the Empire State Building comes into view, it turns around and retraces its route.
The HARBOR LIGHTS CRUISE (2 hours) is also available along the same route, offering views of the city lights at night.
LIBERTY CRUISE route (1 hours)
LIBERTY refers to the Statue of Liberty. It is suited to those who want a quick view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan from Upper Bay, but compared with the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island cruise, which lets you disembark on Liberty Island and Ellis Island for an even lower fare, it may fall a little short.
During the seasonal period from 4 to 9, The Beast (30 minutes) is also available. It follows the same route as the LIBERTY CRUISE but takes less time by using a speedboat.
Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Cruises
The service is operated by STATUE CRUISES. Be aware that Circle Line Cruise is operated by a different company.It also departs from a different location.
A key feature of this cruise is that you can disembark on Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty, and Ellis Island, home to the immigration museum.
The following ticket types are available. The duration is flexible and depends on how long you spend at each stop.
- CROWN RESERVE TICKET
- PEDESTAL RESERVE TICKET
- RESERVE TICKET
A CROWN RESERVE TICKET allows you to enter the Statue of Liberty and climb up to the crown, while a PEDESTAL RESERVE TICKET allows you to ascend to the pedestal. Admission slots are limited, so advance reservations are required.
Which side of the boat to sit on
Which side of the boat should you sit on when facing the direction of travel? This is an important point to consider if you want to get the most out of your cruise.
Since the LANDMARKS CRUISE and LIBERTY CRUISE simply travel out and back along the same route, there is ultimately little difference between the left and right sides.
Because the BEST OF NYC CRUISE makes a complete circuit, the views differ on the left and right sides. The cruise travels counterclockwise, keeping Manhattan on the left throughout, so a seat on the left when facing the direction of travel will probably offer the most satisfying experience.
Cruising, Part One
Here is our account of taking the BEST OF NYC CRUISE. We chose seats on the left-hand side when facing the direction of travel. Unfortunately, we were not in Premier class.
This is the boarding point for Circle Line cruises at Pier 83. The Stars and Stripes shines brightly beside the Statue of Liberty.
We set sail. We head south down the Hudson River toward the Statue of Liberty. The Empire State Building gradually recedes into the distance.
Ellis Island comes into view on the right. This building served as an immigration station until 1954. It is one of the places that symbolize the United States as a nation of immigrants.
Statue of Liberty
Here is the Statue of Liberty, arguably the highlight of the cruise.
Was choosing a seat on the right really the right decision?
Don’t worry. The boat makes a wide turn, as if it were turning around.
It was a little farther away, but I managed to fit it beautifully into the frame.
While someone here is working hard to extend a camera’s zoom lens, someone else is leisurely approaching from above in a helicopter.
This is the world’s largest cluster of skyscrapers. Compared with New York or Hong Kong, Tokyo still feels more open and airy to me.
From here, we enter the East River.
Brooklyn Bridge
This is the Brooklyn Bridge. New York City Hall (Manhattan City Hall) is visible at the foot of the bridge.
You can also walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, which is a popular tourist attraction.
I spotted a mysterious jet of water. It is quite a substantial flow.
Manhattan Bridge
This is the Manhattan Bridge. Like the Brooklyn Bridge, it connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. For better or worse, the name is refreshingly straightforward.
You can also walk across the Manhattan Bridge, but perhaps because it lacks the open feel of the Brooklyn Bridge, it is much less popular with tourists.
This is the Williamsburg Bridge. It connects Manhattan with Williamsburg in Brooklyn.
Williamsburg is one of Brooklyn’s popular neighborhoods, combining Manhattan’s polished urban sophistication with an authentic, down-to-earth neighborhood atmosphere. It is also a center of tourism in Brooklyn.
Someone is taking a “cat” for a walk on a leash.
That is the Empire State Building. We have just come around to the opposite side of Pier 83, where the boat departed.
The scenery begins to take on an industrial character. The 4 smokestacks standing in a row belong to a Consolidated Edison facility. With roots tracing back to the famous inventor Thomas Edison, this utility company supplies both electricity and gas.
It is an interestingly designed building. This is a rather niche observation, but the view reminds me a little of the Nexus Momochi Residential Tower and Atomos Momochi apartment buildings standing side by side in Momochihama, Fukuoka.
The Cruise: Part Two
At last, the views that can only be seen on the BEST OF NYC CRUISE around the entire island of Manhattan begin to unfold.
United Nations Headquarters Building
Perhaps the most distinctive highlight of the BEST OF NYC CRUISE is this building at United Nations Headquarters.
The building with a silhouette resembling the monolith from “2001: A Space Odyssey,” or perhaps a matchbox, is the Secretariat Building. The General Assembly Hall, often seen on television, is inside the low-rise building at the lower right.
This is the Queensboro Bridge. It connects Manhattan and Queens.
The “boro” in Queensboro is short for “borough,” meaning a city district.
This is the Wards Island Bridge. It is reserved for pedestrians and cyclists, and its structure rises to allow large vessels to pass. Technically, this type is called a “vertical-lift bridge.” From here, the cruise enters the Harlem River from the East River.
I took a picture thinking it was a landmark, but later found out that it was just an elementary and middle school.
It is a tugboat that looks almost like a cute, stylized miniature.
This is Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium is in the Bronx. We continue north along the Harlem River, which flows between Manhattan and the Bronx.
High Bridge
This is the High Bridge. Surprisingly, it is New York City’s oldest bridge.
It was originally built as an aqueduct and was a massive stone arch bridge. Today, it is reserved for pedestrians and cyclists, and its structure has been replaced with an iron one, although the piers still retain traces of its appearance when it first opened. The High Bridge Water Tower also remains at the foot of the bridge. Although it is no longer in use, it is preserved as one of the landmarks symbolizing New York's modernization.
This is a New York City Subway train yard called 207th Street Yard. Railway enthusiasts may enjoy the view.
This is the Broadway Bridge. It has two levels, with road traffic below and the New York City Subway above. The subway route is the IRT Broadway–7th Avenue Line. Like the Wards Island Bridge, it is a vertical-lift bridge.
This is the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge. It is a railroad bridge used exclusively by Amtrak. When a vessel needs to pass, the bridge rotates to open the channel; it is what is known as a “swing bridge.”
We have returned to the Hudson River, where the ship originally departed. Compared with the Harlem River, its flow is grander and creates an exhilarating sense of openness.
This is the George Washington Bridge. New Jersey lies on the other side of the bridge.
From here, Manhattan is surrounded by deep green foliage. Manhattan has this side to it as well.
We will soon be back at Pier 83. The 2-and-a-half-hour cruise is finally coming to an end.
Basic Information about Circle Line Cruises
The information below was checked against official sources on October 11, 2026. Please also check the latest information on the official website when planning your trip.
- 🔗 Official website
- It provides descriptions of the cruise routes and links to the booking page for each one.
Circle Line Sightseeing CruisesNYC Sightseeing Cruiseswww.circleline.com - 📍 Departure point
- Best of NYC, Landmarks, and Liberty Midtown depart from Pier 83, 83 North River Piers, New York, NY 10036. The company also uses Pier 16 in Downtown.
- 🕒 Operating hours
- Hours vary by season and cruise. The ticket office at Pier 83 normally opens at 9:00 and closes when the final cruise departs from that pier.
- 🚫 Days without service
- Regular sightseeing cruises operate daily except on Christmas Day. Cruises may be changed or canceled at the operator’s discretion.
- 💶 Prices
- Unless otherwise stated, prices are in US dollars per 1 person, and taxes and fees may be added. Prices are subject to change, and the total is shown before the purchase is confirmed.
- 🎫 Reservations
- Select your preferred cruise and date on the official booking page, check the departure time and seating class, and complete your purchase. Best of NYC circles Manhattan in approximately 2 hour and 30 minutes, Landmarks covers the major sights in approximately 90 minutes, and Liberty Midtown cruises around the Statue of Liberty in approximately 1 hour. None of these cruises disembark on Liberty Island. Sightseeing-pass eligibility and booking procedures may change, so check both the pass provider’s app and the booking page.
- ⏱️ Duration
- The officially stated duration is approximately 2.5 hours for Best of NYC, 1.5 hours for Landmarks, and 1 hour for Liberty Midtown. ⚠️ Allow additional time to reach the pier and prepare for boarding.
Getting to Circle Line Cruises
Subway and walking
Pier 83 is located in Midtown Manhattan on West 42nd Street. The address is 83 North River Piers, New York, NY 10036.
What to Check Before Boarding
The company lists 2 locations: Pier 83 in Midtown and Pier 16 in Downtown (89 South St, New York, NY 10038). Before departure, check which pier your chosen route leaves from.
The related guide “【ニューヨーク】観光スポット・グルメ・交通・モデルコースを解説” is currently available only in Japanese.
