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Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island: Reserved Ferry & Museum Access

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Duration3h–5h

GroupUp to 25

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Two islands, one morning—without the wait

You skip the admission lines with reserved ferry tickets and spend your morning with a local history expert on Liberty Island, then explore Ellis Island's immigration museum at your own pace with an audio guide. The whole experience takes four hours if you do both islands, or two and a half if you choose the Express option and stay only at the Statue. Return to Battery Park whenever you finish.

3h–5h

Step-by-step itinerary

Meet at Castle Clinton National Monument
Tour Liberty Island with guide
Visit Statue of Liberty Museum self-guided
Tour Ellis Island with guide
Explore Ellis Island Museum with audio guide

The Experience

Twelve million people walked through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954, and the ferry line to get there now can stretch just as long. Reserved ferry access cuts that part out entirely. You meet your guide at Castle Clinton National Monument in Battery Park fifteen minutes before departure, and from there the boat leaves on schedule—no scanning admission tickets at the dock, no shuffling through the general queue that forms by mid-morning. The guide wears an orange hat or blue jacket, so spotting them is straightforward.

Liberty Island comes first. Your guide walks you around the monument itself, pointing out the engineering details most people miss—how the iron framework was designed, the copper's color shift over time, why Gustave Eiffel's name matters here. You get time in the Statue of Liberty Museum on your own (guides aren't permitted inside), and the skyline views from the grounds are the kind you'll recognize in every photo you've ever seen of New York. If you book the Express Tour, your day ends here; you can linger as long as you want before heading back on any ferry you choose.

The Comprehensive 4-Hour tour continues to Ellis Island. Your guide gives you context before you enter the Immigration Museum—facts about the processing, the families, the routes they took—and then you move through at your own pace with an included audio guide. The Great Hall is where the weight of it hits: the scale of the space, the names on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor, the personal stories embedded in the architecture. You return to Battery Park whenever you're ready, no fixed time, no rushing.

Weather doesn't stop it. Dress for the conditions—the ferry is exposed, and the islands have no shelter once you're there. Security screening happens before boarding, same as an airport. Tripods and monopods aren't allowed, but handheld cameras and phones are fine. Food is available for purchase on the ferry and at both islands, though prices are what you'd expect in a tourist location. If you arrive late, the tour departs without you; there's no catching up and no refund, so the fifteen-minute buffer matters.

What’s included

Reserved ferry tickets that bypass general admission lines, guided tour of Liberty Island with a local NYC history expert, access to the Statue of Liberty Museum (self-guided), ferry transport to Ellis Island, access to the Immigration Museum with included audio guide (Comprehensive tour only), skyline views, and return ferry to Battery Park. Security screening is required before boarding.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by ExperienceFirst

Is this one for you?Right for travelers who want both islands without spending the morning in line, and who don't mind exploring the museums on their own after the guide's introduction. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early—the ferry leaves on time, and late arrivals don't board.