I to am doing this tour with the add in but I am leaving in the 23rd, My first of 10 JY tour was similar to this was minus the Canadian part.

I have been on on the helo flight over the Statue of Liberty and YES!! Well worth doing in my opinion. I did queue for cheap theatre seats and this was well worth doing I saw Beauty and the beast starring Donny Osmond!!!!..

While I am there for the add on,I want to go to Ellis Island, spend time perhaps doing a walking tour or buggy ride in Central Park, take in a show, shop!!!,also re visit and see what they have done re 9/11 and the museum etc. Ride in a yellow taxi, there are lots of museums, I will post a website link I use might give you some ideas...

If you get time I recommend going to the revolving restaurant it's well worth doing I did it at night, views are amazing and the food was good to.

Have fun,

Cindy

If your on a iPad there are loads of apps you can down load that are very helpful, if not try these.

Www.nycgo.com

Www.nyctourist.com

Www.nyc.gov

Cindy

I visited New York over the Xmas holiday in 2009 so can offer some advice regarding tickets for Top of the Rock and Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island.

I bought tickets on the day for Top of the Rock with no problems at all. You can buy a day ticket, a night ticket or a combined day/night ticket if I remember correctly.

Regarding the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island I would recommend that you buy tickets in advance of your trip as the queues for people buying on the day can be very long. In addition, if you want to get up as far as the crown you will definitely need to book in advance as there is only room for about 12 people at any one time, and therefore only a small number of tickets are sold for access to the crown each day.

Top of the Rock is brilliant; on a clear day you get great views looking south towards the Empire State Building and onwards to the Statue of Liberty, whilst looking north you get great views over Central Park.

Statue of Liberty is wonderful whilst Ellis Island sums up the melting pot that is New York, telling as it does the story of how immigrants first arrived in the city many years ago. It's well worth stopping at Ellis Island on your way back to Manhattan; just leave enough time (maybe a couple of hours) to do it justice before you get the ferry back to Manhattan.

Hope this helps and have a great time.

Cheers

Mike

Gulliver is absolutely right about the Staten Island Ferry; I also did this when I was in NY in 2009 and you do get great FREE views of the statue and the Manhattan skyline when you use that ferry. It just depends if you want to see the statue really close-up and go inside, and of course have the opportunity to visit Ellis Island.

If you're not too concerned about getting on to Liberty Island to see the statue at close quarters, and don't want to stop at Ellis Island, then the Staten Island ferry is the best free ride in the city.

So you can pay your money (or not!) and take your pick.

All the best

Mike

Jan

If your on a iPad there are loads of apps you can down load that are very helpful, if not try these.

Www.nycgo.com

Www.nyctourist.com

Www.nyc.gov

Cindy

Thanks very much for these web links ... They'll be most helpful

Hi Jan,

I visited New York over the Xmas holiday in 2009 so can offer some advice regarding tickets for Top of the Rock and Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island.

I bought tickets on the day for Top of the Rock with no problems at all. You can buy a day ticket, a night ticket or a combined day/night ticket if I remember correctly.

Regarding the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island I would recommend that you buy tickets in advance of your trip as the queues for people buying on the day can be very long. In addition, if you want to get up as far as the crown you will definitely need to book in advance as there is only room for about 12 people at any one time, and therefore only a small number of tickets are sold for access to the crown each day.

Top of the Rock is brilliant; on a clear day you get great views looking south towards the Empire State Building and onwards to the Statue of Liberty, whilst looking north you get great views over Central Park.

Statue of Liberty is wonderful whilst Ellis Island sums up the melting pot that is New York, telling as it does the story of how immigrants first arrived in the city many years ago. It's well worth stopping at Ellis Island on your way back to Manhattan; just leave enough time (maybe a couple of hours) to do it justice before you get the ferry back to Manhattan.

Hope this helps and have a great time.

Cheers

Mike

Thanks for all that information Mike ... Really useful .. Will help me plan

Thanks that's a great tip. Does anyone know where the hotels in relation to the ferry terminal?

I looked up hotel on google maps. It looks about 5 - 10 minute walk to battery park and Staten Island ferry... Which is great. Fairly certain that Staten Island ferry doesn't stop at Statue of Liberty but you should get good views. If you want to stop at Island then you can book ferry that will stop at both Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ... Hop on hop off type of thing (approx $18) This also goes from battery park ( slightly different location from Staten Island ferry) Hotel Also looks to be walking distance of 9/11 memorial and a slightly longer but do-able walk to Brooklyn bridge ( pedestrian walkway has great views back to manhattan) metros close by hotel.