New York City

Manhattan Architecture Yacht Cruise

New York City, USA
Manhattan Architecture AIANY Yacht Tour
  • 2 hours 45 minutes
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Overview

Avoid the mobs of people sightseeing on land, and opt for this Manhattan architecture yacht cruise instead. From the teak deck of the boat, learn about New York City's architectural landmarks as you circumnavigate the island and listen to the 'Around Manhattan' narration provided by members of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). One beer or glass of wine is provided, as well as soda.
  • Go on a Manhattan architecture tour aboard a 1920s-style yacht
  • Travel by boat to see New York City sights from the water
  • Guide is from the NYC chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)
  • Enjoy one drink

What's Included

  • Narration by a member of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter
  • Each reservation will be assigned a private table. A 2 ticket purchase minimum is required
  • One complimentary beverage included
  • Gratuity is not included in the price of your cruise, but recommended.
  • Food selections available for purchase. If bringing food please keep to a light snack

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Classic Harbor Line
    62 Chelsea Piers Pier 62, New York, NY 10011, USA

    The boat departs from Chelsea Piers, at Pier 62, which is located at the northern end of the Chelsea Piers Complex. Our ticket booth is located on the water just steps from our dock. Please check in at the Classic Harbor Line ticket booth upon arrival.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

After meeting at the pier and boarding your 1920s-style yacht, enjoy a tour that circles Manhattan, showcasing historic sites while you're taught about the area's architectural gems at the same time. As you journey north, the boat passes under the George Washington Bridge, a landmark connection between Manhattan and New Jersey.

Access spectacular photo opportunities that you wouldn’t see from the mainland, including Roosevelt Island, the Chrysler Building, the State of Liberty, and the One World Trade Center. Whether you choose to view these landmarks from the boat's observation cabin or open bow, the experience gives you the flexibility to pick your favorite vantage point.

To enhance your cruise, enjoy a complimentary beer, glass of wine, or soda. Hungry travelers can purchase food selections on board.

The tour concludes at the starting point, leaving you well-placed to continue exploring the city’s highlights at your own pace.

One World Observatory (Pass By)

Woolworth Building (Pass By)

Statue of Liberty (Pass By)

Brooklyn Bridge (Pass By)

Lower East Side (Pass By)

Empire State Building (Pass By)

Chrysler Building (Pass By)

Upper West Side (Pass By)

George Washington Bridge (Pass By)

Roosevelt Island (Pass By)

Four Freedoms Park (Pass By)

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Guarantee of a full circumnavigation of Manhattan is not included. On rare occasions, the Spuyten Duyvil train bridge is inoperable and cannot open for us to pass through. This is often times not known until our tour is underway. River closures may also occur for a number of reasons. There are no refunds for tours that cannot fully circumnavigate. We will accommodate such cases with a tour that features a double backing of the route and further detail of the waterfront sites.
  • Service animals allowed
  • Near public transportation
  • Most travelers can participate
  • Service animals are permitted; Emotional Support animals and pets are not permitted
  • Please coordinate with the operator in advance if assistance is required for boarding or if you have any questions about general accessibility. Accessibility varies by boat
  • Not for children under 12 years due to this cruise being a heavily-narrated tour experience. We recommend families to join us on Statue & Skyline tours, day sails or any other minimally narrated day time event
  • This cruise is a heavily-narrated tour experience. It's for those seeking an informative, exciting, and content-rich trip. We require guest conversations to be kept to a reasonable level so that narration can be heard by all
  • Groups of 10 or more will be contacted by the operator in advance for an additional 10% group gratuity
  • Important note for Friday departures: the narration on this tour on select Friday departures will focus on Climate Change: Resiliency, Sustainable Architecture and the Future of NYC. Please reach out to the operator for questions on specific tour theme details
  • SPECIAL NOTE: During Climate Week, the week of September 17, 2023, we have added extra tours that focus on Climate Change in and around NYC. Please reach out to the operator directly with questions on these departure times
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 80 travelers

Cancellation Policy

This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

  • This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
  • This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

See more
Featured review
Lisa_K
Highlight of the trip. Fantastic overview of the city. Highly recommend as a first stop on any visit to NYC! Guide was informative and funny. Crew kept us hydrated. The boat is gorgeous; zero complaints. Leaves on time so don’t be late!

Reviews

5.0
768 reviews
Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
0
0
0
0
0
Reviews by Viator travelers.
Showing 1-10 of 768 reviews
Freezing beyond belief
Polly_H, Apr 2024
The boat did not have enough seats and we were forced to sit outside. It was freezing cold and unacceptable I would have rather gotten my money back had I known I am waiting to hear about the credit I am to receive. The woman promised to get back to me and I have heard nothing. We missed truly hearing what the architect shared and the experience should have been wonderful and am very disappointed and upset.
Fantastic intro to NYC
Lisa_K, Apr 2024
Highlight of the trip. Fantastic overview of the city. Highly recommend as a first stop on any visit to NYC! Guide was informative and funny. Crew kept us hydrated. The boat is gorgeous; zero complaints. Leaves on time so don’t be late!
I would go again!
Mark_C, Apr 2024
Great staff, and learned so much about the skyline of New York! I highly recommend! Comfortable seating and 360 views.
Completely worth it!
Jamianne_B, Apr 2024
Amazing time! Our guide was so knowledgeable! The cruise was so relaxing and drinks were perfect. Made me have a different perspective on this crazy busy City.
Enthralled but disappointed with lack of diversity.
Arthur_S, Apr 2024
Comfortable, interesting cruise. The guide was excellent but maybe work on the jokes! One major issue I had was the lack of including female architects. I heard one female name mentioned during the entire cruise. This person wasn’t even mentioned as being an architect, only a repair/upgrade consultant! I brought my 14 yr old daughter who is quite interested in architecture design. She was clearly disappointed when not one female architect was mentioned. The narration clearly needs a more diverse and inclusive discussion of female architects and architects of color.
Great time on the rivers
Edith_C, Apr 2024
This was a very comprehensive tour, circumnavigating Manhattan. It was comfortable, as you were seated at tables on the boat, and the architect who “narrated” the tour was very knowledgeable. The activity was a good value. It probably makes the tour more enriching if you have some knowledge of architecture and famous architects.
We loved it!
mysensibleshoes, Apr 2024
Gorgeous boat, super friendly and helpful staff, informative narration, and an overall wonderful day! Loved how you really got to see so much of the city!
Falling in love again
Allison_R, Apr 2024
Saw NYC like never before Cloisters, Piers galore, Ellis Island …. Made me want to live in NYC again
Spectacular way to see and learn about Manhattan
Karen_D, Apr 2024
The tour was exceptional from the very beginning. The converted yacht is beautiful all by itself, well maintained and perfectly suited for the tour through the narrow channels. The idea of just going all around Manhattan Island for the views was attractive to me. What was a great surprise was the detailed knowledge and fascinating anecdotes that the speaker gave. The guide who was a retired, professional architect who spent his career in NYC was inspiring. He knew and loved the City and the topic.
Do it!
lizksmith2, Apr 2024
We had an amazing AIA narrator, he gave us two full hours of New York history. It is also a lovely boat. We boated very close to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and so many iconic bridges (18 ish) and buildings. You will enjoy this!
A great way to learn about NYC!
Megan_C, Apr 2024
A great experience! The yacht was beautiful, the options for drinks and snacks were excellent, and the details covered about NYC were informative and interesting throughout. Doug was fantastic!
Wonderful experience
Jennie_S, Apr 2024
The weather was perfect. We were fortunate enough to have a small group. We were able to move about comfortably. Our guide was knowledgeable and the staff were friendly.
New York’s buildings and monuments old and new
Judy_W, Apr 2024
For about the same price as a Broadway show ticket we saw New York’s old and new buildings from a very pleasant boat ride around the entire island. Great commentary from a very knowledgeable architect historian. We enjoyed snacks and drinks along the way.
Do it!
Tracy_B, Apr 2024
This tour was amazing! Besides just cruising in the water and taking in the beautiful views....the boat was beautiful, the staff was fantastic, the speaker was so knowledgeable and a working architect and shared so much info abt the city, history and architecture of NY. My 18 year old son loved too.
Great time. Spectacular views of Manhattan and surrounding islands. Very informative and enjoyable.
triumph1978, Apr 2024
We had a truly wonderful time on the Manhattan Architecture Yacht Cruise. The views were spectacular. The guides were very well informed and were able to explain everything we were seeing along the tour. The boat was beautiful and very well maintained. The drinks, champagne and snacks were a perfect addition. Lovely way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Comfortable and Informative NYC Cruise
William_P, Mar 2024
Great commentary on Manhattan architecture and history snippets while we cruised around the island. Viewed major water landmarks. Lovely boat with helpful crew.
The incredible knowledge...
sheila_m, Mar 2024
The incredible knowledge on all things in the area. Our guide was fabulous as well as entertaining. We would rate this the number one historical tour with total comfort for adults. It is a bargain for what you receive.
Nice tour
Shirley_P, Mar 2024
Host narrator was excellent. Knowledgeable and experienced. Seating at table KK was bad. Couldn’t see through the bar and bartender out the opposite window, so I had to stand up most of the tour to see what the host was speaking about.
Awesome experience
Bambie_L, Mar 2024
What a wonderful, informative, intimate experience! We learned so much about the boroughs and history of NYC. So calm and relaxing.
Outstanding Look at All Sides of Manhattan and Nearby Islands with Awesome Guide
Kim_J, Mar 2024
Professional architect guide was terrific. Made all the difference. How great to circumnavigate Manhattan and receive so much information on architecture, history, geology. Wonderful, comfortable boat and extremely friendly staff. We highly recommend this tour.
...
Likely to Sell Out

From $116.00

-You will not receive a refund if you cancel.

Compare Similar Experiences

1 / 3
Current
Likely to Sell Out
No Photo
Manhattan Architecture Yacht Cruise

764

2 hours 45 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$116.00
Likely to Sell Out
No Photo
New York City Sunset Cruise on a Yacht

202

1 hour 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$94.00
Likely to Sell Out
No Photo
Manhattan Evening Jazz Cruise

89

1 hour 30 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$108.00
No Photo
Art Deco and Architecture Tour in New York City with Expert Guide

0

2 hours 15 minutes
Free Cancellation
From
$139.00

Explore Similar Things to Do