Tour to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island & One World Observatory

This is one of our favorite tours we have taken in New York City and we want to share it with you. The tour includes all of the top spots in Lower Manhattan and is a great way to explore the city. This combo ticket is available throughout the year and allows you to save up to 30% on regular, individually-purchased, ticket prices!

UPDATE 2022: This tour isn’t available anymore. Here you find the best Statue of Liberty Tours right now.

Included in the tour:

• Professional Guide
• Impression of Battery Park
• Round trip ferry to and from the Statue of Liberty
• Tickets to Statue of Liberty Pedestal
• Tickets to the One World Observatory

Not Included:

• Food & Drink
• Transfer from Battery Park to the afternoon meeting point

The Tour & Spots Included in Detail

• 1. Battery Park, ferry to the Statue of Liberty and tickets to tour the first level

You meet your guide in the morning at Battery Park which is where you will take the ferry from to the Statue of Liberty. With the priority ticket for the ferry included in the price, you will have little or no wait. For more on the Statue of Liberty, you can find our article here.

Once you arrive, you go up 215 stairs to the first level which gives you great views of the southern tip of Manhattan, Ellis Island, and the port of Manhattan. Your guide will give you many interesting facts as well as explain the history of the Statue of Liberty, while you take in the view.

• 2. Tour on Ellis Island

You reach your next stop in just a few minutes: the ferry takes you from Liberty Island over to Ellis Island. The island is full of history and even I (I have to admit I am not a big fan of museums) was very impressed with this site.

The tour includes tickets to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. You will have about 2.5 hours to take it all in.

• 3. Return to Battery Park via Ferry

After enjoying the views of Manhattan from the water, you will have time to grab some lunch once you return to Battery Park.

One good option I can recommend is Pier A Harbor House, located directly in Battery Park from where you can look back on the islands you just visited one more time.

You are free to use your time as you wish until 3:00 pm – that’s when the guided tour continues.

• 4. Guided tour through Lower Manhattan with St. Paul’s Chapel & the 9/11 Memorial and Ground Zero

The guide will give you interesting information regarding lower Manhattan and the Financial District for everything from St. Paul’s Chapel to the American Express Eleven Tears Memorial and the former World Financial Center.

You subsequently visit the National 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero, which is very moving. The memorial evokes many emotions due to its meaning and its beauty. You will learn about the story behind the two reflecting pools, the survivor tree, the Fireman’s Memorial and One World Trade Center. You can find more information about the National 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero here.

• 5. Observation platform One World Observatory at One World Trade Center

The tour ends with a true highlight: the One World Observatory observation platform. This is the highest viewing platform in New York and gives you a spectacular view of the city. Your priority ticket will also allow you to bypass the queues and get on the elevators that take you to the 102nd floor straight away!

We checked it out and the view from the top is truly amazing.

The bottom line

As you can see, this tour has a lot to offer: a friendly, informative guide takes you across to the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island with the express tickets for the ferry after which you begin a tour of many sights in Lower Manhattan. Also included are the tickets for theOne World Observatory viewing platform. And the best part no queues to wait anywhere! You also save a significant amount of money by buying the tickets for the attractions together as you can see below.

These are the highlights of the tour:

• Tickets for the ferry and the Statue of Liberty included
• Tickets for Ellis Island Immigration Museum included
• Guided tour through Lower Manhattan
• Ticket for viewing platform One World Observatory included
• Duration: in total 8.5 hours

Start and times of tour

The tour starts in Battery Park located at the southern tip of Manhattan. You can get there with the subway line – get off at “Whitehall” station. Or you can take or to “Bowling Green” station.

The tour is available:

• June – September : 8:30am
• October – March: 9:00am