Early Access Statue of Liberty Tour with Ellis Island & Statue Pedestal
Tour Highlights:
Take an early ferry to Liberty Island and arrive often before the crowds!
Enjoy a guided tour of the Statue of Liberty, including special access to the statue pedestal.
Visit Ellis Island and follow in the footsteps of 12 million immigrants, taking their first step on the land of freedom.
Get more from your experience with an expert guide at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum – you’ll walk the Stairs of Separation, visit the Kissing Post and hear tales at the American Immigrant Wall of Honor to put a human context on your visit.
With small groups of 20 people or fewer your tour will be intimate, your guide easy to interact with.
Tour Description:
We’ll start our tour with a little context, visiting the sites around Battery Park. The memorials here rarely get the attention they deserve, from visitors rushing past to board the ferry. The stories they have to tell are well worth hearing though, so we’ll spare some time for the Castle Clinton National Monument, Pier A Harbor House, the American Merchant Mariner’s Memorial, the Sphere and New York Korean War Veteran’s Memorial.
Then it’s off to Liberty Island, with priority boarding to get us the best seats on the ferry – and since we leave so early you’ll arrive at the Statue before the crowds. Once there, you’ll enjoy stunning views back over the city and a guided tour that takes you right into the pedestal, getting you closer to Lady Liberty than a regular visit.
Here your guide will teach you a little about the city’s greatest icon. Gifted to the US by France and designed by their finest architects including Gustav Eiffel (whose Parisian Tower you may be familiar with), Lady Liberty wasn’t as warmly received as you would think. With your expert guide on hand, you’ll hear all about the struggle that got her on her feet and made her even more special to the people of New York.
Then it’s back on the ferry and on to Ellis Island, where you’ll follow in the footsteps of 12 million immigrants. With your expert guide on hand you’ll learn about the lengthy immigration process they went through, walking the Stairs of Separation to understand the island’s two very different names – ‘The Island of Hope’ and ‘The Island of Tears’. Together you’ll explore the museum’s impressive collection of interactive displays, asking all the questions you want of your expert guide. Our tour ends in Ellis Island, so you can stay a little longer if you’d like, or head back on the ferry with your guide.
With small groups of 20 people or fewer and early morning ferries to the islands, we ensure that your tour is peaceful and relaxed, removing the stress and frustrations of the average visit. And with an expert guide on hand you’re certain to learn a thing or two, getting more from your experience than you would have on your own.
Sites Visited:
Statue of Liberty Museum and Pedestal
Ellis Island Museum
Castle Clinton National Monument
Pier A Harbor House (from exterior)
American Merchant Mariner’s Memorial
The Sphere
New York Korean War Veterans Memorial
Inclusions:
Expert local tour guide
Fully guided Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Museum tour
Pedestal Tickets for Statue of Liberty
All ferry tickets between Battery Park, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
Priority ferry boarding from Battery Park – Statue of Liberty
Small groups of 20 people or fewer
Exclusions:
Statue of Liberty Crown
Gratuities
Hotel Pick-Up/Drop-Off
The ferry does not operate during heavy rain or other adverse weather conditions; when this occurs, an alternative option is provided.
Please arrive to the meeting location 30 minutes minimum before tour time.