Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island And 9/11 Memorial & Museum Tour

Your day starts early, at Battery Park. With priority boarding you’ll be one of the first people aboard one of the first boats to Liberty Island. Once docked, your guide will lead you on a tour of the island and on to the great lady of NYC – the Statue of Liberty. 

It’s back aboard the ferry then for the short ride to Ellis Island. Here you’ll be particularly grateful for your expert guide as they lead you through the immigration process undergone by 12 million new arrivals. Walk the Stairs of Separation and get a feel for how it must have felt for lovers and families as they awaited their fate – and the start of a new life in land of the free.

Your guide will walk you through the fantastic exhibits of the Ellis Island Museum, answering any questions you may have. This is where the first part of your tour ends, and with 2-2.5 hours before the next leg of our Lower Manhattan journey, you have plenty of time to spare. Spend a little while more on Ellis Island if you like, before hopping on the ferry back to Battery Park (included in the price) and getting lunch on your way to the meeting point for our afternoon activity – a complete 9/11 tour.

Rather than just visiting the memorial and museum, your guide gives you a full picture of what happened on that terrible day from a local perspective. Learn how it impacted the community (and the rest of the world), and how hard NYC fought to get back on its feet.

With that in mind, the tour starts not at the 9/11 Memorial itself, but at St. Peter’s Church followed by St. Paul’s Chapel. This is where people gathered after the attack to await news of their loved ones, to mourn, pray and offer support. The walls here are still covered in touching handmade memorials, reminding visitors that 9/11 wasn’t just a huge global and political event, but a crippling personal tragedy for thousands of New Yorkers.

Your guide will take you next to the official 9/11 Memorial and the two Memorial Pools, each one built in the footprint of one of the towers and inscribed with the names of victims. You’ll visit the Fireman’s Memorial and learn of the endless courage of those who worked around the clock for days to save the victims of the attack – often at the cost of their own lives. The Survivor Tree is another poignant site you may have missed on your own. Don’t worry, with your expert local guides on hand, you won’t miss a beat.

The last site on our tour, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, is wonderfully curated, with a artifacts salvaged from the attack and harrowing personal stories. It’s best to visit on your own, as the displays can be quite emotional, but there is a parting gift. Enjoy pre-reserved tickets so you don’t have to waste time waiting in lines here.

With all the details taken care of throughout the day, this Lower Manhattan Tour takes the hassle out of navigating NYC’s two busiest attractions. And with small groups and an expert local guide, you’re guaranteed to get so much more from these special experiences.