New York Night Boat Tours
Hours, prices and access verified by the New York Night Tours team — last checked 2026-09-27.
New York Night boat tours sail from the West Side piers or the Seaport at sunset and come back under the lights, past the statue and the tip of the island. Pick the pier nearest your hotel, then the length: 75 minutes on a yacht or two hours on a harbor cruise.
Night cruises on the harbor
Best seller
★★★★★ 4.6 (8,948 reviews · 2 hours)
Harbor cruise2 hours on the waterPier 83, West 42nd StSails at sunset
Two hours from the West 42nd Street pier, timed so you sail out in the last light and come back under the lit towers. A live guide narrates in English, an app covers nine more languages, and the boat passes within about 100 feet of the statue.
From $45 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★★ 4.8 (457 reviews · 2 hours)
Harbor cruise2 hours on the waterPier 79, West 39th StSails at sunset
Two hours from the NY Waterway terminal on West 39th Street, round the statue and back with a live guide. The sailing is set to catch the sunset, a free bus runs to the pier from points in Manhattan, and there is a bar on board.
From $38 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
★★★★★ 4.7 (126 reviews · 1 hour 15 minutes)
1920s-style yacht75 minutes on the waterPier 62, Chelsea PiersMax 80 people
A 1920s-style yacht from Chelsea Piers on West 22nd Street: 75 minutes round Lower Manhattan, a table for your party, and one drink each, Champagne included. Up to eight a booking; every ticket is priced as an adult's.
From $78 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Best value
★★★★★ 4.6 (2,852 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes)
Harbor cruise90 minutes on the waterPier 16, South Street SeaportSails at sunset
The lowest fare here: 90 minutes from South Street Seaport out to the statue at sunset and back. Music and an app audio guide stand in for a live guide, so bring headphones. Seats are first come, first served.
From $27 per person
Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
The best seller sails from the West 42nd Street pier at sunset
Two hours for $45 a person, out past the statue in the last light and back under the lit towers and bridges, with a live guide on the deck.
See this tour
What a night boat tour of New York is
It is a seat on the harbor for the hour when the city switches on. You board at a pier on
the west side of Manhattan or at the Seaport, sail down to the statue and round the tip of the
island, and come back as the towers light up. Nothing is landed on and nothing is ticketed: your
fare buys the boat, the route and whoever talks you through it.
Most of these cruises are sold as sunset or harbor lights sailings, and that word matters.
They leave at sunset rather than at a fixed hour, so you see the change from daylight to lights
in any month. In mid-June the sun sets at 8:29pm; in early December it sets at 4:28pm. The yacht is the exception: it sails at a set evening time shown when you book.
Why choose a night boat tour
You see the whole skyline at once
From the water you see Lower Manhattan, the bridges and Midtown in one sweep, with nothing in
front of them. That is the view no street, bus or rooftop gives you, and it is why Circle Line's
harbor cruise carries more reviews than any other evening we list.
The timing takes care of itself
Because the sailing follows the sunset, you never board a cruise that is all daylight or all
dark. You get the last light on the water, the statue at dusk, and the lights on the way back.
You get close to the statue
Circle Line's Harbor Lights route passes within about 100 feet of the statue, and the other
cruises circle it or sail out to it. The island itself is reached only by the park's own
ferry, so no evening boat lands there; from the deck is how you see it lit.
A cabin when the weather turns
Every boat has an outdoor deck and an indoor cabin, and most have a bar. If the wind picks up
you can watch from behind glass and step out for the photographs.
Night boat tours vs the free ferry
The Staten Island Ferry is free, runs all night, and crosses the harbor in about 25 minutes
each way. It is the obvious rival to a paid cruise, so here is what the fare adds.
| Night boat tour | The free ferry |
|---|
| Cost | $27 to $78 a person | Free |
| Time on the water | 75 minutes to 2 hours | About 25 minutes each way |
| When it sails | At sunset, or an evening time you choose | At least every 30 minutes, all night |
| Commentary | A live guide, or an app audio guide | None |
| Route | Round the statue and the tip of the island | Lower Manhattan to Staten Island and back |
Check availability from $45
If you want the crossing and nothing else, the ferry is the better deal, and our page of
things to do at night explains how to use it. If you want the East River bridges, the statue up close and
someone telling you what you are looking at, pay for the cruise.
What you get, and what you don't
- Always: the boat, the route and a seat inside or out. Circle Line's boats
have restrooms on board.
- On most: a live guide. The $27 sailing from the Seaport has music and an app
audio guide instead, and you bring the headphones.
- On one: a drink in the fare. The yacht pours one glass of wine, beer,
Champagne or a soft drink, and gives each booking a table.
- Never: a landing on the statue's island, a meal, or a pickup. You make your
own way to the pier, though NY Waterway runs a free bus to its terminal.
- Not included: tips, and anything from the bar.
Two hours timed to the sunset, with a free bus to the pier
NY Waterway's golden hour sailing from West 39th Street, round the statue with a live guide, for $38 a person.
Check availability
Planning a night boat tour
- Budget: $27 to $78 a person. Every ticket on the yacht is priced as an
adult's, and the Seaport sailing warns that its fare may rise closer to the date.
- Where: the four piers are on our meeting-points map. Circle Line sails from Pier 83 at
West 42nd Street and from Pier 16 at the Seaport, so check which pier your voucher names.
- When: the sailing follows the sun, from about 4:28pm in December to about
8:29pm in June; see the sunset and dark times by month.
- Arriving: Circle Line asks for 45 minutes to an hour at the West 42nd Street
pier, where bags are searched; NY Waterway boards 20 minutes before and leaves on time.
- Booking: every cruise here refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead, and Circle
Line lists departures all year.
The sights you pass are described in the landmarks after dark, and our night tours compared sets the cruises beside the
buses, the flights and the walks.
Who should choose something else
- If you want to see the city from above. A boat sees the skyline side on.
The night helicopter tours fly over it for 25 to 30 minutes.
- If you want to stand on the far shore. The skyline night tours drive you to Dumbo,
Queens or the Jersey waterfront and let you walk there.
- If you use a wheelchair. Circle Line's Harbor Lights boat is listed as
wheelchair accessible; the yacht is not, and the other boats do not say. Ask the operator
before you book.
- If you want dinner with the view. No cruise here includes a meal, and
Circle Line bans outside food. Eat first.
- If the budget is zero. Take the ferry and keep the fare.
Frequently asked questions
What time do the night cruises sail?
The harbor lights and sunset cruises sail at sunset, so the hour moves with the season: sunset is at 8:29pm in mid-June and 4:28pm in early December. Your voucher shows the exact time. The yacht sails at a set evening time shown when you book.
How close do the boats get to the statue?
Circle Line's Harbor Lights route passes within about 100 feet of it. The other cruises circle it or sail out to it, and none of them lands on the island.
Can I eat on a night cruise?
Only what the boat sells: each has a bar or snacks on board, and Circle Line allows no outside food or drink. Eat before you go, or book the yacht, whose fare includes one drink.
Where do the night cruises leave from?
Four Manhattan piers: 83 at West 42nd Street, 79 at West 39th Street, 62 at Chelsea Piers on West 22nd Street, and 16 at South Street Seaport. Check the pier on your voucher, because Circle Line sails from two of them.
How early should I get to the pier?
Circle Line asks for 45 minutes to an hour at Pier 83, because there is a security line. NY Waterway boards 20 minutes before and leaves on time.
Are drinks included on the night cruises?
One drink is included on the Classic Harbor Line yacht. On the Circle Line and NY Waterway boats the bar is pay as you go, and Big Bus's night tour includes one beer or wine at Planet Hollywood.
Which night tour is cheapest?
Circle Line's 90-minute Statue of Liberty sunset cruise from Pier 16, from $27 per person. It has an app audio guide and music rather than a live guide, and seats are first come, first served.
Can I cancel a New York night tour?
Almost every tour refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before it starts. The private night flight by plane is non-refundable, and its card says so. Operators may also cancel for bad weather or too few bookings, then offer a new date or a full refund.
Would you rather see the lights from a bus, the air or a far shore? Every way to ride is compared on New York Night Tours.