Harbor Lights Cruise

There's lots of different Manhattan boat tours, but we found the two-hour Harbor Lights Cruise to be perfect for us last weekend. The vessel departs from Pier 83 and journeys south through New York Harbor and into the East River – a great way to see the NYC skyline on a glorious evening.

We sailed down the Hudson River (so you could see both Manhattan and Hoboken and Jersey City, New Jersey), cruised around Battery Park, snapped pics of the NYC skyline and the Brooklyn, Mahattan, and Williamsburg Bridges before looping around the Statue of Liberty at sunset...

ADDED TIP: Buy your tickets in advance online. Cruises sell out quickly, and you'll also avoid the long ticket line at the pier. Wait in line early to board (we were there at about 6:15 for a 7:00 departure) to get the best seats. We were happy to snag a spot in the open-air section of the boat, with our seats right along the windows/railing. If you can, sit on the RIGHT side of the boat (starboard) if you want to have prime viewing of the city lit up at twilight on the return journey. No matter where you sit, you'll have great views of the Statue of Liberty, as the boat circles it twice, both clockwise and counter-clockwise. Hope you enjoy the Harbor Lights Cruise as much as we did!