Where to Sail to a Landmark: the 14 Best Island Ferry Tickets

1.Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island with Ferry

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

Board a Statue City Cruises ferry from Liberty State Park in Jersey City and explore Liberty Island and Ellis Island at your own pace. Your $19 ticket includes round-trip transport, multilingual audio guides, the Statue of Liberty Museum, and the Ellis Island National Immigration Museum. Plan on four to six hours, plus airport-style security.

“It was so gorgeous on top! Dont think anything needs to be improved!!”

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

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

Meet at Pier 33 for a ferry to Alcatraz Island, then explore the cell blocks, prison corridors, outside grounds, and San Francisco views with a self-guided app. The official ticket and ferry are included, but there is no live guide. You can stay on the island as long as you wish and return on a later ferry.

“We were a party of 6 celebrating a milestone birthday… Alcatraz was at the top of the birthday girls bucket list, so it had to be done!! What a fabulous experience from start to finish, everyone of the staff members we encountered were friendly, energetic and amazing!! They even sung “happy birthday “ it was everything we hoped for and more! We had a fabulous time and would definitely recommend a visit.”

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

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

Meet at 1 Bowling Green, then cross New York Harbor to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Your English-speaking guide handles ferry entry and adds stories about Lady Liberty and immigration. Choose a two-hour Statue of Liberty visit or a four-hour option with Ellis Island, its museum, and audio guide. Crown and pedestal access is not included.

“The guide Joe was awesome. It was well worth the money. He knew the history. He knew how the system works. Felt at ease immediately.”

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4.Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Guided Prison Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1,792 reviews · 4 hours · from $79

Take the ferry from Cape Town’s Nelson Mandela Gateway to Robben Island, then tour the island by bus and walk through the prison with a former political inmate. The four-hour shared experience includes return ferry tickets, an English-speaking guide, and Nelson Mandela’s cell. Bring identification and a coat for the boat.

“Guides were great, the whole experience was so interesting”

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5.Robben Island Ferry Tour with 1-Way Hotel Pickup

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 1,380 reviews · 5 hours · from $71

You’ll be collected from central Cape Town, taken to the Nelson Mandela Gateway, and ferried 45 minutes to Robben Island. A bus tour covers the island, followed by the prison visit and Mandela’s cell. Former prisoners, including guides such as Tom and Sipho, may explain life inside the prison. Return transport ends at the V&A Waterfront.

“Definitely a 5 star... and something that I believe everyone that visits Cape Town needs to experience. We are grateful for our guide which has shared such an intimate and difficult experience with us.”

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6.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 cellhouse and island at your own pace. Your ticket includes the official Cellhouse audio tour plus a separate companion guide covering Indigenous history, gardens, protests, families, and island life. Choose the night option for evening ferry service and ranger introductions.

“This was s brilliant tour and experience. Very well organized, I loved the self tour guide- such a good stories told by prople who were actually the prisoners there. I highly recommend it is definitely worth the money!!!”

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7.Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Townships Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 400 reviews · from $89

Spend the morning touring District Six, Langa, Bonteheuwel, and Gugulethu with Sam’s Cultural Tours. Walk through Langa with a local guide, visit a school, shebeen, healer, and beer brewer, then take the ferry to Robben Island for a prison tour led by a former inmate. Hotel pickup is included, but you make your own way home.

“The Township tour was excellent. Sam gave detailed history of township..”

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8.Robben Island Ferry with Prison Ticket and Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 324 reviews · 3h 30m · from $90

Take the ferry from Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront to Robben Island, then tour the island by bus and walk through the maximum-security prison. An ex-prisoner leads the prison visit, sharing firsthand memories of detention, including the conditions faced by inmates and Mandela’s former cell. The 210-minute tour is in English and wheelchair accessible.

“The information was very good and gave us a good understanding and insight into the conditions”

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9.Hop-On Hop-Off Bus with Ferry & Alcatraz Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 324 reviews · 2 days · from $159

See San Francisco by open-top bus, cross the Golden Gate Bridge, stop at Chinatown, Haight-Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, and more. Your package also includes a timed ferry to Alcatraz and its excellent self-guided audio tour. Live guides may add local stories, with commentary offered in several languages.

“Amazing day in board. Plenty of stops. Loads of information.”

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10.Statue of Liberty Ellis Island Ferry Ticket with Upgrade Options

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 291 reviews · 4 to 5 hours (approx.) · from $49

Start at Battery Park, pass airport-style security, and ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Choose basic audio tours, a local guide, or an added Wall Street and 9/11 Memorial walk. Guides such as LeAnn, Nina, Vivian, Sami, and Cesar have led past departures, but the exact guide varies.

“Cesar was a great guide. He provided us with some historical information. We didn’t had to do any lines to get through”

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11.Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour with Ferry

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 243 reviews · 2 - 4 hours · from $69

Meet your English-speaking guide at Castle Clinton, then ride to Liberty Island for a guided look at the Statue of Liberty and its museum. The 4-hour option adds a guided orientation on Ellis Island and time for its immigration museum, audio guide included. Guides such as James, Charly, Jay, and Owen are praised for lively stories and sharp historical detail.

“Our guide Jay, was very passionate about all he talked about. Extremely interesting to listen to, as well as knowledgeable on all aspects of the tour. He was also helpful and would answer any questions posed. Libby & Baden Australia”

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12.Robben Island Ferry Ticket and Guided Prison Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · 160 reviews · from $69

Travel by shared ferry from Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront to Robben Island, then tour the island by bus and visit Nelson Mandela’s cell with a former political prisoner. Allow about four hours. You must arrange your own transport to the Nelson Mandela Gateway, and the experience is for international visitors.

“The museum guide is an ex-prisoner, which adds a lot to an already extremely interesting tour of the jail facility”

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13.San Francisco Combo: Ferry Building Food Tour and Alcatraz

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 152 reviews · 1 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $181

Start at 10 a.m. with a 90-minute Ferry Building food tour led by a local guide such as Rebecca, Tori, Carol, or Travis. Taste bread, cheese, chocolate, Vietnamese food, and more, then walk to Pier 33 for the ferry to Alcatraz. Your island visit is self-guided, with an audio tour in 10 languages.

“Our guide, Rebecca, was so welcoming and was very informative. I loved getting to try foods that I've never had before. Even my picky husband liked all the food we tried, even the fruit! Thank you for broadening our horizons! We will remember this experience forever!”

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14.Alcatraz Inside Access Ferry and Audio Tour with Night Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 138 reviews · 2 to 4 hours (approx.) · from $90

Take the ferry from Pier 33 to Alcatraz Island, then explore the former prison, gardens, ruins, and Bay views at your own pace. Your visit includes official admission, the Cellhouse audio tour, and a companion audio guide from the ferry ride through your return. Choose a daytime or night departure, but allow three hours and dress warmly.

“I was a amazing experience that I don't think I'll ever get the chance to do again. I 100% recommend this on anyone's bucket list! Definitely make sure you have good shoes. There's a lot to explore.”

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