This custom sightseeing tour on the Hudson River is designed for photographers and tourists alike. Travel on the same media boat that news photographers use to cover breaking stories, and view more than 40 iconic sights—including the New York City skyline—from unique vantage points. The captain’s narration provides a comprehensive overview of New York Harbor, with close-up views of landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty.

See major landmarks during a custom sightseeing tour on the Hudson River
Ride under the Brooklyn Bridge and see the Statue of Liberty from the water
Make multiple stops along the route and learn about each attraction
Use of tactical weather gear is included in the tour

What's Included

Local taxes
TripAdvisor Experiences brokerage fee
U.S. Coast Guard licensed Captain
Landing and facility fees

Tour-guide/Captain gratuities are not included

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

225 Liberty St, New York, NY 10281, USA
Departure Point: Departs from North Cove Marina at Brookfield Place Address for map apps is 225 Liberty Street, New York, NY Address: North Cove Marina 225 Liberty Street New York, NY 10280 Directions: From the corner of South End Avenue and Liberty Street, walk past the security barrier and down the ramp towards North Cove Marina. You will see three flag poles at the bottom of the walkway and a small park (Pumphouse Park) will be on your right hand side. Our boats pick you up at the first floating dock in the South East corner of the boat basin. There is a blue sign on the railing that reads 'New York Media Boat'. Please wait at the gate and our captains will greet you there.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Experience New York City from a new vantage point on an exclusive 12-person media boat tour, traditionally used by news photographers. Departing from North Cove Marina, your journey navigates the Hudson River under the guidance of a U.S. Coast Guard licensed captain.

This intimate tour offers unparalleled views of downtown and midtown Manhattan, showcasing iconic landmarks like the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and The Highline.

Crossing over to the New Jersey shoreline, you're treated to a panoramic view of the entire city skyline, followed by Battery Park, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and a ride under the Brooklyn Bridge, with Governors Island also in view.

Throughout, the captain provides insightful commentary about each landmark, enriching your understanding of the city's history and architecture. The tour concludes back at North Cove Marina, leaving you enriched with the knowledge and sights of New York from a new perspective.

Empire State Building (Pass By)

Chelsea Piers Sports & Entertainment Complex

2 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

New Jersey

2 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Financial District

2 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Battery Park City

2 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Statue of Liberty

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Ellis Island

3 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Brooklyn Bridge

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Hudson Yards

3 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Governors Island

2 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Our tours run with a minimum of 4 passengers
Stroller accessible
Minimum age is 4 years; minors must be accompanied by an adult.
Adult pricing applies to all passengers
Service animals allowed

Refunds will not be issued if tour/activity is missed due to your late arrival
Near public transportation
No high heels; flat shoes only
Recommended: Bring sunglasses and your camera!
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
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

Featured review

Eileen_B

This tour is an absolute blast! Couldn’t have been happier. I took my 12-year old son and he loved the rollercoaster ride, the information, and the views. Mark was a terrific guide and made sure that we came back in one piece (and dry)! Could not recommend this tour more highly, especially if you want something a tad more upbeat than just a regular boat ride.

Reviews

5.0

502 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 502 reviews

Excellent experience!

Mukhtar_A, Apr 2024

looking for something different something new something excited definitely recommend Especially to a group of friends, Captain Brian five star Service hands-down!!

Martin_C, Apr 2024

Absolutely brilliant trip…. Anyone visiting NYC should try it . Eric was informative & funny ( great driver too!)

Must do this!!

Gary_F, Apr 2024

Eric was an awesome guide. Real friendly and insightful narrative of the views and history. Exhilarating tour! Highly recommended!

Manhattan media boat

George_S, Mar 2024

We had so much fun , really enjoyed it , my daughter said she loved it!! It was perfect Weather , staff was really nice

Worth the money, worth the trip, worth the time!

Ricardo_B, Nov 2023

This boat tour for me is actually one of a kind, the reason for that is because I've been on a few and all and some are cheap and short and some are long and pricey. This ones falls right in between. Boats moves at a decent speed. About an hour and affordable. Our tour guide Erik or Eric was super knowledgeable and I learned quite a few things. Certainly not in middle school will be returning back in the summer time. Hope they're around!!

Great way to see Manhattan

Ben_G, Oct 2023

We had a great time touring Manhattan and the surrounding landmarks. Sherry was a knowledgeable guide and a very skilled pilot. It was a reasonably warm October day and so we didn’t need any additional warm clothing, however it was still offered to us regardless. The way the boat drives meant that we didn’t get wet at all and at most got a couple of drops flying over our heads! It feels nice to have the wind flowing through your hair, just remember to hold your phone and any other belongings tight. Would highly recommend as an alternative way to see Manhattan!

Nice

Marco_C, Oct 2023

It was fun experiencing the speed boat on the waves; all the different angles of the sights was nice to take pictures and memories!

Brilliant excursion

Lisa_P, Sep 2023

Absolutely brilliant excursion. Captain sherry was amazing and made the trip so interesting. Would definitely recommend.

Amazing

Lee_I, Sep 2023

Amazing experience. Best one on the water by a country wide mile! Our guide Mark was awesome and great fun. We even hit some waves and doughnuts as an added extra!

ROLLERCOASTER + INFORMATIVE

Eileen_B, Sep 2023

A fun way to see NYC

Paul_D, Aug 2023

We did the 1 hour adventure tour today. A wonderful NYC experience, the boat was excellent, piloted by a great captain who was also very knowledgeable and we learned some interesting facts during the tour. We have done a number of tourist activities in NYC but this is now our favourite. Plus you don’t get wet which is a plus even though the boat does some nice speeds, super fun.

Terrific, fast-paced tour from the water around Manhattan!

Daniel_G, Aug 2023

The Media Boat Tour has now been a highlight of our visits to New York for the past several years. Before this visit, I'd previously taken the tour with my son (then aged 14) and my daughter (then aged 11). On this visit, I took the tour with my daughter (now 12), and even though it was her second time, it was one of her favorite parts of our time in Manhattan. Captain Shawn was a fantastic pilot and guide, zipping us around The East River and Hudson River and pointing out many interesting sights along the way. When we got out into open water, he was able to pick up speed and cross wakes from other boats, letting us catch some air, which was delightful for all the passengers. The boat itself is a former Navy SEAL Zodiac, incredibly safe and virtually indestructible. We'll be back again!

Amazing

Karen_S, Aug 2023

We had such a great time. I would definitely do it again. The weather was beautiful, amazing sights and our tour guide was very knowledgeable and personable.

Great ride

Kevin_B, Aug 2023

Captain Sherri was amazing Fun. Energetic Informative. Great time. Highly recommended We saw and learned so much of our American history.

Best part of our trip to NY!!

Teresa_M, Jul 2023

Fantastic experience! Our operator was sensational. He made the ride fun, entertaining, educational, and memorable. I’d definitely recommend booking this!!!!

A definite fun time

Stefanie_H, Jul 2023

We had an absolute blast! So great to see the sites with a small group of people, and have some adventure at the same time. It was my son’s favorite part of our trip to NY!

Went with my two boys 13...

Ryan_H, Jul 2023

Went with my two boys 13 & 18 we all had a good time. Highly recommend, we started are vacation picking points along they way to get closer too.

It was so good and the...

elliesse_H, Jul 2023

It was so good and the driver was so lovely! Definitely worth the money we paid for it. Even in bad weather it was amazing

A great way to experience NY

Scott_G, Jul 2023

I have been on this tour multiple times and it is great! I took the kids this time and they loved it!

Iconic experience- loved it!

Tracey_Y, Jul 2023

The whole experience was first class. The pre-flight team are friendly and engaging. The flight itself was amazing. 10/10. Great value for money. Still buzzing from seeing so many iconic places. Thank you!

...