How to get around and explore New York City by Water Ferry

Traveling by Water

Categories: What to know
Manhattan is an Island, so nothing is simpler and more fascinating than to move around by Water Taxi and Boats. In recent years, the city's transportation system by water has been considerably expanded, so today, you won't only find the famous cruises such as the historic Circle Line, one of the oldest boat companies in NY founded in 1945, but in addition, you will find several different ferry boats connecting all 5 boroughs and even New Jersey! Let's check them out:


NYC Ferry


Managed by the Hornblower Company, already famous for the New York Bay Cruise with Dinner / Lunch and for special events cruises such as the New Year's - July 4th - Thanksgiving etc., it is the new transportation system by water connecting residential and commercial communities along the East River, including Astoria, Brooklyn, Bronx, Lower East Side to Midtown and the Financial District.

It is also possible to board the boat with your bicycle. There are two types of tickets: single ride ($2.75) or the 30-day passes ($122).

NYC Ferry - Best panoramic views




There are also ticket options for bicycles if you decide to bring one on board. All transfers within the route are free and valid for 90 minutes after the start of the one-way journey. 
 
NYC Ferry

At the moment 6 different routes are active and the launch of two new routes is planned:

- St. George, in 2020, which will connect Staten Island with the West Side of Manhattan to Battery Park City and Midtown West.

- Coney Island, in 2021, which will connect the communities of Coney Island and Bay Ridge to Wall Street / Pier 11.

Cost: Adult $ 2.75 single ride - Adult + Bike $ 3.75 one ride

For full details on routes, timetables, and prices, visit the official website: NYC Ferry


The Water Taxi in New York

One way to see the whole city from the water is to embark on one of the Yellow Water Taxis which allows you a 90-minute cruise if you decide to never get off or to take advantage of the 6 strategic landing/boarding points with a single ticket: the All-Day-PASS.

Embark/Disembark Points: Pier 79 W at 39th Street - The World Financial Center - Pier 11 and Slip A - Pier 1 at DUMBO in Brooklyn.

Cost: All-Day-PASS $ 37.00 adult and $ 31.00 child 3/12 years - Hours: - Pier 79, departures from 10:00 to 18:40 - World Financial Center, departures from 10:10 to 18:50 - Pier 11 - slip A, departures from 10:30 to 19:05 - Pier 1 - DUMBO, departures from 10:40 to 18:10.

All-Day-PASS in included in the Sightseeing PASS

Hop on Hop off Ferry

 
This is the system offered by CitySights NY with the SightseeingPASS.
For those wishing to choose to travel by boat, and not only by the famous double-decker buses, here is the Ferry which provides two boarding / disembarking stops:

- Pier 78, departures at 10am, 12noon, 2pm, 4pm.
- World Financial Center, departures at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, 4:30 pm
 
The complete boat tour lasts 90 minutes and you have the opportunity to admire all the most important attractions from the water: the Empire State Building, the brand new Hudson Yards center with The Vessel, the Statue of Liberty, the World Trade Center with the ONE Tower, Ellis Island, the Brooklyn Bridge and all of the New York Bay.

Cost: $ 36.00 adult and $ 26.00 child 3/11 years
 
The Hop on Hop Off Ferry is included in the FreeStyle ™ Cruise Pass which combines a Hop on Hop off day ferry + 1 or 3 attractions of choice among the most important.

List of Attractions / Museums / Tours
 
Attractions
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum
• Madame Tussauds Celebrity Ticket
• Ripley's Believe It or Not** (Includes LaserRace)
• Top of the Rock Observation Deck
• One World Observatory
• Statue of Liberty Ferry and Ellis Island 
• National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey 
• NFL Experience 
 
Tours
• Lincoln Center Tour
• The Radio City Stage Door Tour
• Rockefeller Center Tour
• Madison Square Garden All Access tour
• When Harry Met Seinfeld Tour (Make a reservation with On Location Tours at 212-683-2027)
• The TOUR 
•Go Airlink Airport Shuttle Share Ride (must call 877-599-8200- 24 hours in advance to book) 
 
Museums
• American Museum of Natural History*
• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)* 
• Cloisters Museum*
• Guggenheim Museum
• Metropolitan Museum of Art*
• Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum
• Museum of the City of New York
• El Museo del Barrio
• 9/11 Tribute Museum
• New York Historical Society
• Brooklyn Museum/Botanical Garden
• Whitney Museum of American Art
• Ground Zero Museum Workshop: 100 Images & Artifacts Tour
• MoMA PS1
 
Walking Tour (In English)
• Brooklyn Navy Yard Past, Present, Future Tour
• World War II of the BK Navy Yard Tour
• Inside Industry Tour of the BK Navy Yard 
• Bronx’s Little Italy and Arthur Avenue Tour 
• NYC Slavery and Underground Tour 
• Alternative New York Street Art Tour
• Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo Tour
• Highlights of Midtown Architectural Tour
• Soho, Little Italy, China Town Tour
• Highline, Chelsea, Meatpacking Tour
• Greenwich Village Tour
• Broadway Walking Tour• Lower Manhattan Walking Tour 
 
Cruises
• Twilight Cruise
Attention the Attractions may vary at any time.

New York Waterway

 
With the New York Waterway instead you have connections along the Hudson River and New Jersey. It is used mainly amongst commuters, but with its four piers, including Wall Street and the World Financial Center, it can be ideal for those who want to visit New Jersey and its river towns such as Hoboken (Great Panoramic Views, Historic City, Sinatra and The Cake Boss) is the best place to take photos of the iconic Manhattan Skyline. It is used in our Private Walking Tour: Hoboken, Sinatra and the Cake Boss.

Cost: $ 9 Adult - $ 6 kids 6/11 - Free 0/5 - Senior $ 8.25
 
For timetables and departure points visit the official New York Waterway website --

Traveling to New York? 3 Articles to learn how to get around the city

Read our  Top-3 Articles to learn how to get around New York City using Public Transportation.


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