America's Story: Liberty & Ellis Island Exclusive Tour
Hear the stories of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island and learn about the creation and symbolism of the Statue of Liberty. On this guided tour, your expert New Yorker will get your reserve-line ferry tickets and ride with you to Liberty Island and afterward, if you select our Comprehensive Tour, to Ellis Island for a tour of the landmarks around the island, such as the wall of honour. Once the tour ends, the exploration doesn't stop there as you can continue inside the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration to explore its multiple floors at your own pace. An audio guide is included to help. You’ll also have time to visit the Statue of Liberty Museum as your guide prepares you for what you’ll see inside. Our Liberty Express option offers a 2 hour guided tour across the water, and on Liberty Island, where you'll learn all about the Statue of Liberty and our expert guide will also give you facts and tips if you wanted to visit the museum on your own after the tour.
Reviews
Reviews and Rating (Tripadvisor)
5 stars
Reviews by Tripadvisor travelers
Sherpa16255664909, 12/16/2025 4:33:13 PM
Great tour! Our tour guide, Ken, was amazing! Knowledgeable, energetic, and had a great personality. I would recommend this tour to anyone coming to NYC. Great historical perspective of how immigrants came into the United States during the mass immigration influx of the 1800s and 1900s.
Ris101591, 12/16/2025 12:29:39 PM
Great tour, our guide was very mindful of the freezing weather but still gave a thorough history about both Lady Liberty and Ellis Island. Seeing and hearing the history of my family’s immigration from Italy was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Thanks for making it so special!
W6256IYjackies, 12/16/2025 12:26:53 PM
Emily Fish was the best tour guide we had in NYC. She is so knowledgeable about everything and I appreciated her sharing her family history at Ellis Island.
Culture19066486588, 12/16/2025 12:25:48 PM
Emily had amazing stories and exceptional rapport building with the tourists! Would love to recommend her to guide a tour in the future!
Mary_R, 12/15/2025 6:43:45 PM
Anthony was an amazing tour guide. His knowledge and personality made this tour fun and educational. We learned information about the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island that we would not have learned about doing a self tour or the express tour. There’s quite a bit of walking so wear comfy shoes.
ERICK844, 12/15/2025 4:30:29 PM
Our tour guide - Ken Cushman - was an excellent guide for both the Statue of Liberty Tour as well as Ellis Island. He is extremely knowledgeable and as he shares his wisdom - he inserts some well-timed humor into the knowledge he shares. He also was open to take your photo - multiple times - so you did not have to do selfies. If you are lucky to have Ken be your guide - you will be very lucky!!
Brian_D, 12/15/2025 3:12:43 PM
Jett was very knowledgable and kept everything moving. He answered every question and always added a little humor into the stories. Would recommend highly.
sophie s, 12/15/2025 2:06:44 PM
Such a good experience!! Didn’t take all day, but still learned a lot. We had Cecilia as our tour guide and she was fantastic!! very knowledgeable of the islands and super kind. Highly recommend!
Emily B, 12/15/2025 2:06:04 PM
Jeff was a terrific guide! Kept kids engaged, provided perfect balance of info. Seamless day! We really enjoyed the Dtayue of Liberty and the meet up point was easy.
Regis82, 12/15/2025 10:30:36 AM
Anthony (our tour guide) explained the history of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty really well and added a few jokes which made everyone laugh and gave everyone a good time. I really liked that he added his own personal story to the explanation of Ellis Islands History. He told us how his grandfather came to America hoping to build a better future for his wife and his baby.
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour. The tour departs promptly and if late, you will NOT be able to catch up and will miss the tour. There are no refunds for missing the tour.
- Please note the earliest time tour will have the least wait. Later tours will encounter longer wait times.
- Your ferry ticket includes access to both islands, although for afternoon tours, there may not be enough time to visit Ellis Island.
- Food available for purchase on the ferry, at the Statue of Liberty, and on Ellis Island
- Operates in all weather conditions. Please dress appropriately.
- Security screening will take place prior to entering the ferry. Visitors to the park are required to undergo airport-style security screening.
- Photographs are permitted, but tripods and monopods are prohibited.
- Children 3 and under free with paid adult ticket.
- Guides are wearing orange hats AND/OR blue shirts or jackets.
- Pedestal and crown access are not included in your tour. Guided tours are not allowed in the pedestal or crown at the Statue of Liberty
Departure point
Meet your guide on the steps outside of Castle Clinton's North Entrance. Castle Clinton is inside Battery Park on the southern tip of Manhattan. Your guide will have your entry tickets. Just show up and tell the guide your name. They will be wearing an orange hat and/or a blue jacket/shirt.Return details
Hear the stories of immigrants who passed through Ellis Island and learn about the creation and symbolism of the Statue of Liberty. On this guided tour, your expert New Yorker will get your reserve-line ferry tickets and ride with you to Liberty Island and afterward, if you select our Comprehensive Tour, to Ellis Island for a tour of the landmarks around the island, such as the wall of honour. Once the tour ends, the exploration doesn't stop there as you can continue inside the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration to explore its multiple floors at your own pace. An audio guide is included to help. You’ll also have time to visit the Statue of Liberty Museum as your guide prepares you for what you’ll see inside. Our Liberty Express option offers a 2 hour guided tour across the water, and on Liberty Island, where you'll learn all about the Statue of Liberty and our expert guide will also give you facts and tips if you wanted to visit the museum on your own after the tour.Redemption
More info here: https://www.exp1.com/new-york-tours/welcome-statue/ • Please meet your guide on the 3 steps outside of Castle Clinton's North Entrance. This is the entrance on facing the Manhattan buildings. Castle Clinton is inside Battery Park. • Your guide will have your tickets. Just tell the guide your name. • Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of the tour. The tour departs promptly and if late, you will NOT be able to catch up and will miss the tour. There are no refunds for missing the tour. • Security screening will take place prior to entering the ferry. Visitors to the park are required to undergo airport-style security screening. • DRIVING/PARKING - There is no on-site parking. Parking can be difficult. Please plan ahead to find an available garage that is close to the meeting location. Allocate additional time to find parking space and walking to the meeting location. We recommend taking public transport. • TAXI - Tell the taxi Battery Park. That will get you close to the meeting location. From there, you can walk south to Castle Clinton, which is the round brick building. Our staff will be OUTSIDE of the building. IMPORTANT: Tour end points vary depending on which tour option you choose. • The 4 Hour Comprehensive Tour includes a tour of Ellis Island and the tour finishes on Ellis Island. • The Express Tour doesn't include Ellis Island and the tour will finish at Liberty Island.24 hours before travel date - 100% refund
Less than 24 hours before travel date - 0% refund