Best Statue of Liberty Tours

She has stood in New York Harbor since 1886, and getting close to her is easier than it looks and slower than you expect. You can walk her star-shaped base with a guide who knows which stories are true, spend the afternoon among the trunks and ledgers of Ellis Island, or skip the islands and circle past her copper robe in fifty minutes. Six ways to see the statue side by side, from the cheapest official ferry ticket to a small group of eight. What each one costs, and what the listings leave in the small print.

Book on Viator Book on GetYourGuide Compare all 6

Statue of Liberty tours at a glance

Two hours to most of a dayA guided visit to Liberty Island alone takes about two hours. Add Ellis Island and the security line, and plan on four to six
Outside the statue, not insideNo tour on either booking site includes the pedestal or the crown. Those tickets come only from the ferry company, in small numbers
Everyone meets in Battery ParkAll the guided tours start at the southern tip of Manhattan. The official ticket also sails from Liberty State Park in New Jersey, and the cruise leaves from Pier 16
Security before the boatEvery landing ticket means airport-style screening. On summer weekends the line alone can take an hour or more, guide or no guide

The harbor, photographed

What a day with Lady Liberty looks like

statue of liberty official website — The star fort at sunset

best statue of liberty tours — Liberty Island seen from the ferry

statue of liberty tours — The island from above, paths and pier

statue of liberty tickets — The flag plaza by the museum

statue of liberty new york tours — A ferry wake past Ellis Island

new york statue of liberty tours — Rain over the harbor and downtown

statue of liberty cruise — Against the Midtown towers at golden hour

liberty island ferry — Silhouette over the harbor cranes

statue city cruises — Floodlit after dark

new york statue tours — The torch under a starry sky

If you only have a minute

A Statue of Liberty tour: the answers before you book

If a friend asked us how to see the statue on their first trip to New York, this is what we would tell them over a bagel.

Ask us for one tour and we will send you to ExperienceFirst's guided visit to Liberty and Ellis Islands, from ~$59. A guide meets you at Castle Clinton, rides the ferry with you, walks you around the statue's base and, on the four-hour version, carries on to Ellis Island. Almost 15,000 travelers on Viator rate it 4.8 out of 5, the biggest review count of any statue tour we found. You can cancel free until the day before on both sites.

Rather watch every dollar? The official ferry ticket costs ~$31 and comes with free audio guides for both islands. Early riser? Walks sells the slot that catches the first boat of the day. Hate crowds? Babylon Tours caps its group at eight, from ~$166. Want downtown too? The Wall Street and 9/11 walk adds a ferry ticket for ~$39. Only have an hour? Circle Line's express cruise stops in front of her for ~$29 but never lands.

Not one of them takes you up the pedestal or into the crown, whatever an old web address says. See how the day runs and how long each option lasts, then read what the listings play down before you pay.

Our pick

The tour we would book: ExperienceFirst's Liberty and Ellis Island walk

It costs a little more than the ferry alone. In return someone else deals with the tickets, the boarding and the crowds, and tells you why the statue's feet are broken chains.

Guide in an orange cap facing his tour group on the Liberty Island plaza, the statue on its pedestal behind

Our pick

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour with Reserved Ferry, ExperienceFirst

4.8 / 5 from 14,914 reviews on Viator · 4.6 / 5 from 270 on GetYourGuide

Look for an orange cap on the steps outside the north entrance of Castle Clinton, the round sandstone fort in Battery Park. Your guide holds reserved tickets on the Statue City Cruises ferry, which saves you the box office line, though not the security screening that every visitor goes through. Once you are aboard, the commentary starts with the skyline sliding away behind you.

On Liberty Island the guide walks the group around the base of the statue, the old star fort it stands on, and the lawns with the best angles for photos. Guides are not allowed to lead inside the Statue of Liberty Museum, so you get free time there to see the original torch up close. Take the two-hour Express and you stop here. Take the four-hour version and you sail on to Ellis Island, where the guide shows you around outside and the immigration museum is yours to explore with the audio guide.

Price: from ~$59 per person on both sites
Duration: 2 hours (Liberty Island) or 4 hours (with Ellis Island)
Meets: Castle Clinton, Battery Park
Rating: 4.8 / 5 (Viator) · 4.6 / 5 (GetYourGuide)
Group: Up to 25 guests
Included: Ferry, both museums, a live guide outdoors
Ages: Child rate 4–12, under 4 free (Viator)
Cancellation: Free up to 24 hours, pay later on both

Viator GetYourGuide

How the day runs, step by step

The order below follows the listings and what recent guests describe. The four-hour version adds the second half:

In Battery Park

Meet the guide on the Castle Clinton steps, 15 minutes early
A short history of the fort, then the security screening

Across the harbor

Skyline commentary on the ferry deck
Guided walk around the statue's base and the star fort
Free time in the Statue of Liberty Museum and its original torch
On the 4-hour option, the ferry on to Ellis Island and a guided look outside
The immigration museum at your own pace, then the boat back

What the price covers

The ticket buys the guide, the ferry and both museums. Lunch, lockers and a tip for the guide are on you.

Included

Reserved round-trip ferry tickets
A live guide in Battery Park, on the boat and on the islands
Entry to the Statue of Liberty Museum
Ellis Island and its museum with an audio guide (4-hour option)

Not included

Pedestal or crown access
A guide inside either museum
A shortcut through security
Gratuities and lockers for big bags

Between us, before you go

The word "reserved" does a lot of work in this listing. It gets you past the ticket queue, but the airport-style screening is the same for everyone, and one recent guest counted close to three hours of lines on a busy day. Book the earliest start you can face. The operator itself says the first tour of the day waits least, and afternoon groups may run out of time for Ellis Island.

Leave suitcases and big backpacks at the hotel, because there are no lockers at the screening tent. Our guide to security and what to bring covers the rest.

Why it beats going alone

The free audio guide is good, and plenty of people manage without a human. What the audio cannot do is pick you up at the fort, keep your family together in a crowd of thousands, and answer the question your teenager asks halfway round. Reviewers keep naming their guides, which says more than any star rating. Our guide to choosing between the ferry ticket and a guided tour sets out the trade.

Who we would not send on it

Anyone set on climbing to the crown, who needs a separate ticket booked weeks ahead and is better off with the official ferry ticket and its audio guide. Travelers who wince at a group of 25, who will be happier with Babylon's eight-guest tour. And anyone with only an hour, for whom the express cruise makes more sense.

Book it if

It is your first visit, you want both islands in one booking, and you would rather listen to a storyteller than a headset.

Skip it if

You want to go inside the statue, a small group, the lowest price or just a photo from the water.

Ready to cross the harbor?

Same price on both sites, free cancellation until 24 hours before, and you can reserve now and pay later on either. Viator shows the far larger pile of reviews; GetYourGuide has the live calendar above.

Viator GetYourGuide

The day itself

How a Statue of Liberty visit plays out

Every option on this page comes down to two questions. Do you want to stand at her feet, or is a close look from the water enough? And which month, with harbor wind anywhere from a raw 39 °F to a sticky 85 °F?

Style · feet on the island

Land on Liberty Island

ExperienceFirst, Walks, Babylon Tours, the official ticket, the Wall Street combo

2–6 hsecurity, the official ferry, the museum, Ellis Island if you have time

The full experience, and the slow one. You stand under the statue, see the original torch and can walk the immigration halls on Ellis Island. Budget most of a day.

Style · from the deck

Cruise past her

Circle Line's express from Pier 16

50 minno screening, a guide on the microphone, a pause in front of the statue

Quick and cheap, with the Brooklyn Bridge thrown in. You get close-up photos but never set foot on the island, and several unhappy reviewers had not realized that.

New York Harbor's weather and crowds, month by month

How busy the boats get

Jan39°F high4 °C
Icy wind on deck, short lines after New Year
Feb42°F high6 °C
Quiet, except the Presidents' Day weekend
Mar50°F high10 °C
Spring break groups arrive late in the month
Apr62°F high17 °C
Mild, clear days and crown slots still findable
May72°F high22 °C
Green lawns, school trips on weekdays
Jun80°F high27 °C
Long days, the summer queues begin
Jul85°F high29 °C
Peak crowds, a hot climb inside the statue
Aug84°F high29 °C
Humid, an hour or more at security
Sep76°F high24 °C
Warm and calmer once Labor Day has passed
Oct65°F high18 °C
Crisp and clear, the best light for photos
Nov54°F high12 °C
Cool and quieter until Thanksgiving week
Dec44°F high7 °C
Holiday crowds, cold boats, early sunsets

Temperatures are typical daytime highs in Lower Manhattan; out on the water it feels several degrees colder, and the wind on Liberty Island rarely drops. The bars show roughly how crowded the ferries and security lines get. Highlighted months are the ones we would pick for mild weather and shorter queues. The year in detail.

How long each option keeps you busy

Guided time
Cruise
Longer option or on your own

ExperienceFirst guided tourExpress or with Ellis Island
2 h
Walks guided tourEarliest slot takes the first ferry
2 h
Babylon small groupBoth islands, eight guests at most
3 h
Official ferry ticketBattery Park or New Jersey
Wall Street, 9/11 and ferryStarts at 24 Broad Street
2 h
Circle Line expressPier 16, does not land
50 min

Lengths come from the listings. Dashed bars show the four-hour options, and the hours you spend on the islands without a guide; the official ticket's own advice is four to six hours for both islands. Add the security line on top for every landing.

Decide on the inside firstWant the pedestal or the crown? Book it with Statue City Cruises before anything else, because no tour can add it. How to get inside.
Take the earliest boat you canLines grow all morning, and departures after about 2 pm leave no time for Ellis Island.
Find the right meeting pointBattery Park is full of sellers and lookalike signs. Go by the exact spot in your confirmation, and ignore anyone who says the ferry is not running.
Pack lightNo lockers at the screening tent, so no luggage or big bags. Bring layers for the wind and ID. What to bring.

When to visit the statue: the hot and the quiet months, the holiday crowds, and why the first ferry of the day changes everything.

How to choose

How to pick the right Statue of Liberty tour

All five landing options ride the same ferry to the same island. What differs is who walks beside you, for how long, and how many strangers share the guide.

Guide or headset

Three tours give you a live guide on the islands. The official ticket relies on its free audio guide, and the Wall Street combo guides you downtown, then lets you go. Ticket or tour?

One island or two

The two-hour express options stop at Liberty Island. Ellis Island adds two hours and, for many visitors, the more moving half of the day. Is Ellis Island for you?

Where it starts

Guided tours meet around Castle Clinton or Bowling Green in Battery Park. The ticket can also start in Jersey City, and the cruise at Pier 16 by the Seaport. Which dock?

Who is coming

Children under 4 ride free on the official ticket, and the crown needs kids at least 42 inches tall. Strollers are fine on most tours. The statue with kids.

Group size

ExperienceFirst and Walks take up to 25 guests. Babylon Tours stops at eight, so you can hear the guide and ask questions, at almost three times the price.

Price

From ~$29 for the cruise and ~$31 for the official ticket to ~$166 for the small group, per person. Tours one and two cost ~$59 on both sites. Every price in one table.

The 6 options

Six ways to see the Statue of Liberty, side by side

We read every Statue of Liberty listing on both booking sites and kept the six we would book ourselves. Price, rating, operator and the catch for each, with a button for each site that sells it.

Three women at the pedestal railing looking up at the statue under a blue sky

Our pick

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour with Reserved Ferry, ExperienceFirst

A guide from the Castle Clinton steps to the ferry and around Liberty Island, free time in the statue museum, and on the longer option Ellis Island with a guided look outside before the museum on your own. Reserved ferry tickets are part of the deal.

Duration2 hours, or 4 with Ellis Island
OperatorExperienceFirst
RatingViator 4.8 (14,914) · GetYourGuide 4.6 (270)
MeetsCastle Clinton, Battery Park
StrengthsThe most reviewed statue tour, both islands, flexible length
Ideal forFirst-timers who want everything handled

Good to know: Reserved tickets skip the box office, not security, so lines can still run long. Groups reach 25, latecomers lose their place without a refund, and afternoon starts may not leave time for Ellis Island. About Ellis Island.

~$59per person

Viator GetYourGuide

Guide raising his hand to explain the statue to a small group at the foot of the pedestal

First ferry of the day

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour, Walks

A storyteller guide from Bowling Green through Battery Park and across to Liberty Island. The four-hour version adds time in the statue museum and the ferry to Ellis Island, where the official audio guide takes over. Book the earliest time and you ride the first boat out.

Duration2 hours, or 4 with Ellis Island
OperatorWalks
RatingGetYourGuide 4.6 (2,968) · Viator 4.7 (2,672)
Meets1 Bowling Green, by the glass subway elevator
StrengthsThe early slot, lively guides, good with kids
Ideal forEarly risers and families

Good to know: Ellis Island is audio guide only, and some guests felt misled about that. Groups go up to 25 despite "small group" in one web address, and a few could not find the yellow sign at the busy meeting point. The best time to go.

~$59per person

GetYourGuide Viator

Small group of travelers with their guide photographing the statue under a blue sky

Eight guests at most

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Small-Group Tour, Babylon Tours

Three hours with a guide and never more than eight people. A stroll past Castle Clinton and the SeaGlass Carousel, an hour on Liberty Island at the photo spots, then about seventy minutes on Ellis Island with a briefing and the Wall of Honor.

DurationAbout 3 hours
OperatorBabylon Tours
RatingViator 5.0 (58) · GetYourGuide 5.0 (10)
Meets"The Immigrants" statue, Battery Park
StrengthsTiny group, time for questions, both islands
Ideal forCouples and anyone who dislikes crowds

Good to know: Nearly three times the price of the big tours, and the review base is small. It needs two guests to run, the museum part is self-guided, and wheelchair users need the private option. Guide or no guide.

~$166per person

Viator GetYourGuide

White Statue City Cruises ferry with passengers on its top deck crossing the harbor

Best value

Official Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ticket, Statue City Cruises

The round trip on the only ferry allowed to land, entry to both museums, and audio guides in twelve languages, including a version for children. Leave from Battery Park or from Liberty State Park in New Jersey, and stay as long as you like.

DurationYour pace; allow 4–6 hours for both islands
OperatorStatue City Cruises
RatingGetYourGuide 4.6 (21,159) · Viator 4.3 (146)
DepartsBattery Park or Liberty State Park
StrengthsLowest price, no group, the New Jersey option
Ideal forBudgets, independent travelers, families on their own schedule

Good to know: No guide and no pedestal. Viator's ~$31 version cannot be refunded; GetYourGuide charges about $33 with free cancellation. Bought straight from the ferry company it costs a few dollars less again. What it all costs.

~$31per person

GetYourGuide Viator

Visitor standing at the edge of a 9/11 Memorial pool with glass towers and the Oculus behind

Downtown in one morning

Wall Street and 9/11 Memorial Walk with Statue of Liberty Ferry, ExperienceFirst

A two-hour guided walk past the Stock Exchange, Federal Hall, Trinity Church, the Charging Bull and the 9/11 Memorial pools, ending in Battery Park. From there you take the ferry to the statue, and Ellis Island if you like, on your own.

Duration2-hour walk, then the islands at your pace
OperatorExperienceFirst
RatingViator 4.7 (2,110) · GetYourGuide 4.6 (373)
MeetsOutside 24 Broad Street
StrengthsLower Manhattan's landmarks and the ferry for one price
Ideal forShort stays and teens

Good to know: On Viator, ~$39 is the walk alone, so pick the option with the statue. The islands are unguided, the 9/11 Museum is extra, and a few guests found their ferry tickets missing. Getting to the dock.

~$39per person

Viator GetYourGuide

Circle Line sightseeing boat passing in front of the statue on a clear spring day

One hour, no lines

Statue of Liberty Express Cruise from Pier 16, Circle Line

Fifty minutes from South Street Seaport, under the Brooklyn Bridge, past One World Trade Center and out to the statue, where the boat pauses for photos before turning back past Ellis Island. A live guide talks you through it.

Duration50 minutes
OperatorCircle Line
RatingGetYourGuide 4.6 (5,849) · Viator 4.6 (2,884)
DepartsPier 16, South Street Seaport
StrengthsNo security, hourly boats, wheelchair accessible
Ideal forTight schedules and anyone happy with photos from the water

Good to know: It does not land, and that surprises a steady trickle of reviewers. Map apps put Pier 16 in the wrong place, latecomers can only rebook, and the deck gets crowded at the photo stop. Cruise or landing?

~$29per person

GetYourGuide Viator

A small heads-up. These are GetYourGuide and Viator affiliate links, so when you book through one we earn a little commission and you pay exactly the same. It keeps this guide going and never touches our ranking or the catches we point out.

Before you go

Eight things about Statue of Liberty tours that no listing puts in big letters

None of these sits at the top of a booking page, and each one decides whether you come home with good photos or with a story about a queue.

What you should know

No tour takes you inside the statue. Only the ferry company sells pedestal and crown reservations, there are few of them, and the crown books up weeks or months out. Some web addresses still say "pedestal"; the listings themselves say no. How to get in.
Reserved does not mean no line. Every visitor passes airport-style security before the boat. Your ticket time is when you may join that line, and on busy days it can take one to three hours.
Guides stop at the museum doors. Live guiding happens outdoors and on the ferry. Inside the statue museum and on Ellis Island you use the audio guide, even on a guided tour.
Battery Park has its hustlers. Street sellers tell visitors the official ferry is sold out or not running and sell them a cruise instead. The only official ticket office is inside Castle Clinton.
A cruise is not a visit. Circle Line and every other sightseeing boat only pass the island. Only the Statue City Cruises ferry lands. Which suits you.
Afternoons are short. Boats after about 2 pm leave too little time for Ellis Island, and the last ferries back leave in the late afternoon. Plan the timing.
Leave the suitcase behind. There are no lockers at the screening tents in Battery Park or Liberty State Park, and every listing bans luggage and large bags. What to bring.
Guides work for tips. Gratuities are not included on any of these tours, and in the United States a few dollars per person for a good guide is the norm.

Everything in one table

Six Statue of Liberty tours, catch included

The six options side by side, with the strength and the catch of each one in the same row.

Swipe the table sideways to see all columns →

Tour	Ideal for	Price	Length	Style	Operator and rating	Strength and catch	Book
ExperienceFirst guided tour (our pick)	First visits, both islands	~$59	2 or 4 h	Live guide outdoors, reserved ferry	ExperienceFirst Viator 4.8 (14,914) GetYourGuide 4.6 (270)	Huge review base, tickets handled. Groups of 25, security lines remain.	Viator GetYourGuide
Walks guided tour	The first boat out	~$59	2 or 4 h	Live guide, earliest boat	Walks GetYourGuide 4.6 (2,968) Viator 4.7 (2,672)	Early slot, strong storytellers. Ellis Island by audio guide only.	GetYourGuide Viator
Babylon small group	Avoiding the herd	~$166	About 3 h	Eight guests, both islands	Babylon Tours Viator 5.0 (58) GetYourGuide 5.0 (10)	Personal and unhurried. Pricey, few reviews.	Viator GetYourGuide
Official ferry ticket	Budgets and free spirits	~$31	4–6 h at your pace	Ferry, museums, audio guides	Statue City Cruises GetYourGuide 4.6 (21,159) Viator 4.3 (146)	Cheapest landing, New Jersey option. No guide; Viator's version is non-refundable.	GetYourGuide Viator
Wall Street, 9/11 and ferry	Seeing downtown too	~$39	2 h walk, then free	Guided walk, islands on your own	ExperienceFirst Viator 4.7 (2,110) GetYourGuide 4.6 (373)	Landmarks plus a ferry ticket. No guide on the islands.	Viator GetYourGuide
Circle Line express cruise	One free hour	~$29	50 min	Narrated cruise, no landing	Circle Line GetYourGuide 4.6 (5,849) Viator 4.6 (2,884)	No security, close photos. Never touches the island.	GetYourGuide Viator

About the numbers. Prices are per-person "from" rates in US dollars (the lower one when a tour is on both sites), and ratings are what each site showed when we compared. Dates, options and offers move them a little, so peek at both. The booking page has the final word.

Who went

Reviews from travelers who made the crossing

Eighteen travelers, some on a perfect blue day and some in the drizzle, on what won them over and what they would do differently.

★★★★★Liberty & Ellis guided tour

We nearly walked straight past the orange cap on the Castle Clinton steps because there were three other groups with flags right next to it. Glad we did not. Our guide stopped us at the base of the statue and asked if anyone had noticed her feet, and none of us had. A broken chain, half under the robe, right there in plain sight. That set the tone for the whole morning. On Ellis Island he left us at the museum door with a list of rooms not to miss, and the baggage room was the one that got me.

★★★★★50-minute statue cruise

Fifty minutes, two slow passes in front of her, and back at the Seaport in time for lunch. It did the job.

★★★★☆Official ferry ticket

The audio guide was far better than I expected, with a separate version for my son that he listened to twice. But we arrived at 11 on a Saturday in August and spent over an hour in the security line. Go first thing, or go midweek.

★★★★★First-ferry guided tour

We booked the earliest slot because our kids wake up at six anyway, and it was the best decision of the trip. The guide got us through the line and onto the first boat, and when we stepped off on Liberty Island there were maybe forty people on the whole thing. My daughter got her photo with nobody behind her. By the time we left for Ellis Island the ferry coming in was packed rail to rail, and the line back in Battery Park went round the corner. The guide was patient with a lot of questions from a nine-year-old.

★★★★★Small group of eight

Eight people, one guide, and no shuffling to the back of a crowd to hear. I asked about the copper and got a ten-minute answer.

★★★★☆Wall Street, 9/11 and ferry

The walk was excellent, especially the 9/11 pools, and our guide knew Wall Street history like a banker. The weak part came after. You are on your own for the ferry, and the line in Battery Park took us ninety minutes. Next time I would do the statue first thing and the walk another day.

★★★★★Liberty & Ellis guided tour

It drizzled the whole morning and our guide treated that as a bonus, because the island was half empty. She had us standing under the trees by the star fort while she told the Pulitzer story. The old torch in the museum is bigger than I imagined.

★★★★★Official ferry ticket

We left from the New Jersey side, parked a short walk from the dock and the security line was gone in fifteen minutes.

★★★★★Small group of eight

My grandmother came through Ellis Island as a girl, and I told our guide that while we waited for the ferry. With only six of us in the group he had time to help. On Ellis Island he walked me to the Wall of Honor and showed me how the panels are arranged, and twenty minutes later I was standing in front of a name I had only seen on a census form. The Liberty Island part was good, the history was clear and he knew every photo spot, but that moment on Ellis is what I will remember. Worth the higher price for us.

★★★★☆50-minute statue cruise

Fog rolled in just as we reached the statue and she turned into a grey outline. Great narration, but check the forecast first.

★★★★★Wall Street, 9/11 and ferry

I was worried my two teenagers would switch off on a walking tour, and the opposite happened. Our guide started at the Stock Exchange with a story about a stock trader and a buttonwood tree, and by Trinity Church my son was asking about Hamilton without being prompted. The 9/11 Memorial was quiet and heavy, and she gave us time there without filling the silence. After Battery Park we took the ferry on our own, which suited us because the kids wanted to spend ages in the statue museum. One long day, but the right order for a first visit downtown.

★★★★★First-ferry guided tour

Our guide had a theater background and it showed: he did the dedication speech of 1886 from the steps, in character. His Battery Park stories were the best part of the four hours. Ellis Island is audio guide only, which they tell you, and the audio is fine.

★★★★★Liberty & Ellis guided tour

Our guide knew more about Bartholdi than I do, and I grew up two hours from his hometown in Alsace.

★★★★☆First-ferry guided tour

Bowling Green was chaos at nine in the morning, with sellers everywhere, and it took us ten minutes to spot the yellow sign. Once we were with the group it was a very good tour. Arrive early and look for the glass elevator.

★★★★★Official ferry ticket

We are a family of five on a budget, so the official ticket was the obvious choice and I would choose it again. We took the 9 am boat, did Liberty Island with the audio guide at our own pace, ate sandwiches on the lawn facing Manhattan and then spent almost three hours on Ellis Island. My mother used the audio guide in a different language from the rest of us, which helped a lot. Nobody rushed us and nobody waited for us. The only thing I would change is the time of year: the boat back at four was so crowded we stood the whole way.

★★★★★50-minute statue cruise

My father uses a wheelchair, and this was the one boat trip in New York that worked without any fuss. The crew helped him aboard, the cabin was level, and he watched the statue go by from the window while we went out on deck.

★★★★★Wall Street, 9/11 and ferry

Wall Street, the Bull and the 9/11 pools before lunch, Lady Liberty after. Big day, fair price.

★★★★★Small group of eight

I nearly booked one of the big tours to save money and I am glad I did not. Eight is a very different number from twenty-five. Our guide could actually talk to us, walk at our pace, and change the plan when my partner wanted more time at the seawall for photos. She took us to a corner of the island I never would have found, with the statue and the downtown towers in one frame. On Ellis Island she gave a ten-minute briefing that made the Registry Room make sense before we walked in. Three hours went quickly.

Ticket in hand

Book ExperienceFirst for your day in the harbor

If this is your first time in New York and you want to see the statue properly, we would book ExperienceFirst's guided tour and take the four-hour version. A guide to meet you at the fort, the ferry sorted, the story of how a French sculptor's idea ended up on an old army fort, and Ellis Island's great hall before the afternoon crowds.

Nearly 15,000 travelers rate it 4.8 out of 5 on Viator. Both sites let you hold a place now, pay nearer the day and cancel free until 24 hours before. Pick the earliest start and pack light.

~$59

per person · 2 or 4 hours · from Battery Park

Viator GetYourGuide

✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
✓ Reserve now, pay later
✓ Reserved Statue City Cruises tickets
✓ Both museums included

Good to know

How the statue got here, and what you are looking at

Five minutes of reading, and the broken chains, the tablet and the empty torch balcony will make a lot more sense.

The Statue of Liberty was a present from the people of France, dedicated in New York Harbor in 1886 after more than a decade of fundraising on both sides of the Atlantic. She was meant to celebrate a friendship and the end of slavery in the United States. Within a few years she had become something else, the first thing millions of immigrants saw of America.

01A sculptor and an engineer

The French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi designed her face and robes, and the firm of Gustave Eiffel built the iron skeleton inside. The copper skin is thinner than two stacked coins, hammered by hand over wooden molds, and it turned from shiny brown to green over a few decades in the salt air.

02The pedestal nobody wanted to pay for

France paid for the statue; America was supposed to pay for the base, and the money stalled. A newspaper campaign run by Joseph Pulitzer finally raised it from small donations. The granite pedestal stands inside the walls of Fort Wood, an old star-shaped army fort, which is why the island looks like an eleven-pointed star from the air. Going up the pedestal today.

03The poem on the wall

In 1883 Emma Lazarus wrote "The New Colossus" to help raise money for the pedestal, imagining the statue as a "Mother of Exiles". Her poem was later fixed to the base on a bronze plaque, and it is the reason most people now read the statue as a welcome to newcomers.

The moment most visitors remember is not standing at her feet. It is the ferry rounding the island, when she turns from a postcard into something enormous.

04Ellis Island next door

From 1892 to 1954 Ellis Island was the main gateway for immigrants to the United States, and roughly twelve million people were questioned and examined in its halls. Today the main building is a museum, and the same ferry ticket gets you in. Adding Ellis Island to the day.

05Why the torch is closed

In 1916 saboteurs blew up a munitions depot across the water in New Jersey, and the Black Tom explosion damaged the statue's arm. The torch balcony has been closed to visitors ever since. The original torch, replaced in the 1980s, now stands in the Statue of Liberty Museum on the island, which opened in 2019.

06Up close, the details

Walk around the base and look for the things the postcards miss. A broken shackle and chain lie at her feet, half hidden by the robe. The tablet in her left hand carries the date of American independence in Roman numerals. And the crown's seven rays are often said to stand for the seven seas and seven continents. Things to spot with children.

1886The statue is dedicated

305 ftFrom the ground to the torch

162 stepsFrom the pedestal to the crown

12 millionImmigrants through Ellis Island

Would a free look from the water do instead? Our guide to free and cheap statue views covers the Staten Island Ferry and the best shoreline spots.

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions about Statue of Liberty tours

Fourteen questions we hear again and again, with the full answer.

How much does a Statue of Liberty tour cost?

The six options on this page run from ~$29 per person for Circle Line's express cruise and ~$31 for the official ferry ticket to ~$166 for Babylon's small group. Our pick, ExperienceFirst's guided tour, starts at ~$59 on both sites. Every price and extra is in our cost guide.

Which Statue of Liberty tour is the best?

For most first-timers, ExperienceFirst's guided tour of Liberty and Ellis Islands, rated 4.8 from almost 15,000 Viator reviews. For the lowest price take the official ticket with its audio guide, for a small group Babylon Tours, and for the first ferry of the day the early Walks slot.

Is this the official Statue of Liberty website?

No. Liberty Tours NYC is an independent comparison. The statue is run by the National Park Service, and Statue City Cruises is the only company allowed to ferry visitors to the islands. We don't sell tickets; you book with the operator through GetYourGuide or Viator.

Do any tours include the pedestal or the crown?

No. Every tour we found on GetYourGuide and Viator excludes them, even where the web address says otherwise. Pedestal and crown tickets are sold only by Statue City Cruises in limited numbers, and crown tickets often sell out weeks or months ahead. How to get inside.

Is a guided tour better than the ferry ticket?

It depends on how you like to travel. The ticket comes with good free audio guides and lets you set your own pace. A guide handles tickets and boarding, keeps a family together and brings the stories to life outdoors, but cannot enter the museums or skip security. Ticket or tour?

Can you skip the security line?

No. Every visitor to Liberty and Ellis Islands goes through airport-style screening, whatever their ticket says. Reserved or timed tickets save you the box office queue only. Take the earliest ferry you can, when the line is shortest. Security and bags.

How long do you need for the Statue of Liberty?

About two hours for a guided visit to Liberty Island alone, four hours if you add Ellis Island with a tour, and four to six on your own with the official ticket. Add the security line, which can take an hour or more on summer weekends.

Should I add Ellis Island?

If you have the time, yes. The ferry stops there anyway, entry is included, and many visitors find the immigration museum the more moving half of the day. Take a boat before about 1 pm, or you will not have time for both islands. About Ellis Island.

Where do the tours leave from?

The guided tours meet in Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan, around Castle Clinton or Bowling Green. The official ticket can also leave from Liberty State Park in Jersey City, and the Circle Line cruise from Pier 16 at South Street Seaport. Which dock to choose.

Does a harbor cruise stop at the Statue of Liberty?

It stops in front of her, not at her. Circle Line, NY Waterway and the other sightseeing boats pause for photos and turn back without landing. Only the Statue City Cruises ferry, used by every landing tour, lets you step onto the island. Cruise or landing?

Can I bring bags and food?

Small bags yes, luggage no. There are no lockers at the screening tents, and every listing bans large bags. Lockers on Liberty Island take quarters, and the crown allows no bags at all, only a phone, a camera, medicine and water in a plastic bottle.

Is the Statue of Liberty good for kids?

Very. Children love the ferry, the audio tours have a family version, and under-4s ride free on the official ticket. The crown requires children to be at least 42 inches tall. The two-hour express options suit short attention spans. The statue with kids.

Can I cancel for free?

Yes, up to 24 hours before, on every tour on this page, with one exception. The official ticket sold through Viator is non-refundable and cannot be changed; the same ticket on GetYourGuide costs a little more but cancels free until the day before.

When is the best time to visit?

April, May, September and October bring mild weather and shorter queues. Whatever the month, the first ferry of the morning beats any afternoon slot. Summer means heat and the longest lines, winter a cold wind on deck. Month by month.

Read before you travel

Guides to the Statue of Liberty

Ten questions that keep coming up, each with the long answer instead of the short one.