This 3-hour NYC Cruise Lets You Enjoy Fall Foliage Without Going to Upstate New York

With traces of leaves changing this week in New York state, now is the time to start planning fall foliage getaways. From the concrete jungle of New York City’s Manhattan, which usually involves renting cars or hopping on trains for weekend-long excursions to witness the colorful hues.

But for those short on time, City Experiences offers an efficient — and delightful — way to take in the seasonal colors, all in the three-hour cruise departing from Manhattan’s Chelsea Piers. 

On select days from mid-October through early November, the sightseeing company hosts its New York Fall Foliage Lunch Cruise through City Cruises.

“We’re taking the scenic route up the Hudson River and past George Washington Bridge, where you can see a dazzling kaleidoscope of colorful changing leaves from our expansive open-air rooftop deck,” the company described the experience.

The northbound route also passes by The Cloisters, Riverside Church, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Fort Washington Park, Riverside Park on the New York side, and Palisades Interstate Park on the New Jersey side. 

Accompanying the sites is a festive fall lunch buffet, along with apple cider and pumpkin pie. To truly turn up the atmosphere, a live DJ turns up the music for those who’d like a mid-day dance break.

Bookings are currently available for Oct. 18, 19, 24, 26, 29, and 31, and Nov. 2. Prices start at $68 for adults and $56 for children 4 to 12, with upgrades to guaranteed window seats available from $88. Boarding begins at 11:30 a.m. for the sailing that departs at noon from Pier 61 on a roundtrip route returning at 3 p.m. 

One recent guest on a City Cruise experience called it an “unforgettable experience” with “impressive views” and an “amazing staff,” who “treated us phenomenally, letting us know when we were approaching different spots so we could go up to take photos and get better views. He even changed our table to give us better views and, above all, surprised us by asking the live music group to play a special request for us.”