13 Ferry Crossings in the USA to Build a Day Around

1.Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island with Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 18,683 reviews · 5 hours · from $19Our pick

Take a self-guided ferry trip to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, with multilingual audio tours and entry to both museums. See Lady Liberty’s original torch, trace immigrant arrivals at Ellis Island, and plan your own pace across roughly five hours. Departure options vary, so check your ticket carefully.

“transportation from Jersey city to the islands was very convenient, great views, plenty of parking.”

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2.Muir Woods and Sausalito (Return by Bus or Ferry)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 5,098 reviews · 5 to 8 hours (approx.) · from $91

Leave San Francisco by coach for a Golden Gate viewpoint, 90 minutes among Muir Woods’ coastal redwoods, and an hour in Sausalito. Choose a bus or ferry return, or upgrade to a guided bike ride across the bridge. Guides such as Don, Jerry, George, and Judith provide local stories along the way.

“Muir Woods was closed on the day of the tour, something the company knew beforehand but we didn't. Because of this, the tour went to another place called Armstrong Redwoods that was further away. This meant that the tour would end a lot later than the advertised time. We had the option to cancel and get a refund or accept the new schedule. The problem was that this information was given moments before the tour bus was going to leave, so we had JUST A FEW SECONDS to decide what option to take. It was very unprofessional of the company to not let us know about this as soon as…”

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3.Fort Sumter Admission and Self-Guided Tour with Roundtrip Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 3,343 reviews · 2 hours 15 minutes (approx.) · from $43

Ride a 30-minute ferry from Liberty Square or Patriots Point to Fort Sumter, hear a National Park Service ranger explain the Civil War’s opening battle, then explore the fort, museum, bookstore, and harbor views for about an hour. Expect stairs, changing tides, and no restroom on the island.

“Beautiful ferry ride in Charleston harbor. Even saw many dolphins. The one hour stay was just enough to take in the history.”

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4.Fort Sumter Entry Ticket with Roundtrip Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 2,879 reviews · 2 hours · from $43

Take a roughly 2-hour Fort Sumter ferry trip from Liberty Square or Patriot’s Point. A narrated cruise, National Park Ranger talks, harbor views, Civil War ruins, and time to browse the museum make this a strong choice for history-minded visitors.

“Trip to Ft. Sumpter was excellent, the short ferry ride was good. When you get there you can go through the museum and ask questions of the park rangers on site. The last tour of the day is also involved in the lowering of the flag ceremony when a little history lesson was given.”

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5.Alcatraz Ticket, Ferry, & Self-Guided App

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,460 reviews · 3 hours · from $79

Take the ferry from Pier 33 to Alcatraz, then explore the former prison at your own pace with a self-guided app and the cell house audio tour. See the cells linked to Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly, learn why escape was so difficult, and enjoy clear views of San Francisco Bay.

“The whole experience was great. Awesome how it’s been kept as it was.”

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6.Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Guided Tour with Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 2,189 reviews · 2 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $59

Meet your English-speaking guide at 1 Bowling Green, then ferry from Battery Park to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Choose a two-hour Statue of Liberty Express visit or a four-hour option with the Ellis Island Immigration Museum and audio guide. Guides such as Joseph, Joe, Charlie, and Christian add personal stories and practical help.

“Our tour guide Joseph was amazing and very knowledgable and made the trip very enjoyable. He looked after us throughout the tour, and told us some very interesting things. Thanks Joseph from Wendy & Jenny from London x”

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7.City Cruises Salem High Speed Ferry to/from Boston

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 727 reviews · 50 minutes (approx.) · from $42

Take a 50-minute high-speed catamaran between Boston and Salem, with outdoor decks, an indoor lounge, restrooms, and a snack bar. Guides such as Donald and Mikayla may add local stories along the route. Buy separate one-way tickets for a round trip.

“It was very easy to buy tickets and find the ship. Everyone was very friendly and helpful. The ship was fast and even though the water was choppy it was a nice way to get to Salem.”

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8.Alcatraz, Ferry & Audio Tour w/ Night Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 617 reviews · 3 hours · from $78

Take the official ferry from Pier 33 to Alcatraz, then explore the prison, gardens, ruins, protest sites, and bay views at your own pace. Your ticket includes the official Cellhouse audio tour plus a companion guide for the ferry ride and island. Choose the night option for ranger introductions and limited evening access.

“such a fantastic trip. well worth the journey over and the narration around the prison was so interesting.”

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9.Muir Woods & Sausalito Tour with Ferry Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 515 reviews · 5 - 8 hours · from $91

Cross the Golden Gate Bridge by air-conditioned bus, walk among giant redwoods for 90 minutes, then enjoy an hour in Sausalito. Guides such as Doug, Don, Joe, and Heather have earned praise for local stories and calm driving. Choose the ferry back for more time in town and bay views.

“Going to Muir is a must do. Driver was a bit mono tone but the content was great.”

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10.Hilton Head to Savannah Round-Trip Ferry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 507 reviews · 8 hours (approx.) · from $88

Ride Vagabond Cruise’s Spirit from Harbour Town to Savannah in about 1 hour 45 minutes each way. Captain Keith and other captains provide commentary on the waterways, while the air-conditioned cabin, covered upper deck, onboard bar, and optional trolley tickets make this an easy day trip.

“It's a beautiful two hour boat ride to the Riverfront at the port of Savannah. They also sell trolley tickets on board and the trolley picks up right at the dock. If walking it's an easy stroll to the squares and Broughton St. Our captain was delightful and personable and greeted everyone who boarded. The boat is a two story cataraman with available drinks and snacks for purchase. We will definitely do this again as no need to worry about parking!”

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11.Electric Bike Rental w/ Map & Optional Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 425 reviews · 2 - 8 hours · from $37

Pick up an e-bike, helmet, lock, bag, and map at Unlimited Biking near Ghirardelli Square. Choose 2, 4, or day-long use, then ride to the Golden Gate Bridge, Sausalito, Fisherman’s Wharf, Union Square, North Beach, the Castro, or Mission Dolores at your own pace. A one-way ferry return is available.

“Fantastic!! Awesome, well maintained e-bikes and helmets. We had so much fun, can’t fault it!”

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12.Roundtrip Bimini Ferry with Hotel Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 400 reviews · 15 hours · from $289

You’ll leave Miami Beach early, ride a high-speed ferry for about two hours, and have roughly six hours to enjoy Bimini at your own pace. Hotel transfers, ferry fees, and return transport are included. Bring your passport, plan for customs, and consider motion-sickness medicine.

“Catastrophique, Je suis aller au point de rendez-vous à 4 h 30 j’ai patienter jusqu’à 6 h sans qu’aucun chauffeur ne vienne me chercher à l’adresse indiqué. J’ai contacté le prestataire de service sans réponse et le service client m’ont dit que je doit aller directement au ferry j’ai du prendre un uber à 60 dollars et quand je me suis présenter au terminal 21 on me dit que le ferry est fermer le samedi j’ai quand même patienter jusqu’à 9 h pour recevoir au final un mail de remboursement. C’est mon voyage de noce et sachez que vous avez tuer nos vacances je n’ai pas les mots j’espère que…”

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13.Wall Street Tour with 9/11 Memorial and Statue Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 367 reviews · 2 - 5 hours · from $39

Spend a morning with an English-speaking local guide exploring Wall Street, Federal Hall, Trinity Church, the 9/11 Memorial, Charging Bull, and Battery Park. Then take the ferry to Liberty Island, with time for the museum and Ellis Island on your own. Guides include Tim, Liz, James, and Paul K.

“Amazing tour of financial district. Justin VanVoorhis was our guide and he was so knowledgeable about the area and history of the places we stopped at.”

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