10 fall foliage leaf-peeping cruises you possibly can take from NYC this fall

You don’t need a car to see the fall foliage in New York – you can take a boat! A number of NYC leaf peeping boat trips depart right from Manhattan and sail up the Hudson River to fulfill your fall dreams of beautiful leaves.

RECOMMENDED: Where can you see fall foliage in NYC?

This October we have the Circle Line: Full-Day Boat Tour to Bear Mountainwhich, as the name suggests, took us 50 miles north of Pier 83 to Bear Mountain and gave us three hours to hike trails and visit museums and its animal sanctuary before going back down the river. It was a wonderful opportunity to escape the city for the day without a car or train and get some fresh air. Better still, the cruise celebrates the Oktoberfest with bratwurst, pork schnitzel, German potato salad, Bavarian pretzels from Prop & Peller and Sam Adams Oktoberfest beer and Warsteiner lager and a live Oompa band. It was a great time getting into party mode as we anticipated our hike, see the beauty of the Palisades and Hudson Valley, listen to the captain, point out sights, and then relax on the way back to NYC. The cruise runs Saturdays and Sundays through October 31st and starts at $ 69 per person, which is really worth it.

Photo: Courtesy Circle Line

Here are some other fall foliage cruises to consider this fall:

This three and a half hour cruise departs from West 39th Street at 11:30 AM and takes you through Sandy Hook Bay, under the Verrazano Bridge, and along New York Harbor. You will also see the banks of Hastings-on-the-Hudson, Tarrytown, Ossining, Croton Point, Haverstraw, and Stony Point and travel north to West Point. A brunch buffet with apple salad, tortellini salad, fingerling potato salad with Haricot Vert, butternut squash bisque, smoked salmon, flank steak, southwest grilled chicken with mango salsa and various pastries is served on deck. This cruise is also narrated so that you can learn all about the sights that you will pass along the way. The cruise is available on Saturdays and Sundays through October 31st. Tickets are $ 119 per person.

Photo: Courtesy of Seastreak

Don’t have a whole day to admire the changing colors? Reserve a seat on the Classic Harbor Line brunch cruise departing from Pier 62 for a shorter route, and leave just enough time to admire the gold, red, and rust-red leaves of the stockade. From October 15 to November 14, these two and a half hour cruises make the perfect getaway on the Hudson:

• Manhattan ii: Grand Palisade Fall Foliage Cruise ($ 88- $ 106 per adult and $ 64 per child 3-14 years old)
• Full moon: Fall Foliage Full Moon Cruise from Chelsea Piers ($ 88- $ 106 / adult and $ 64 / child 3-14)
• Kingston: Fall Foliage Cruise aboard Kingston ($ 88-106 / adult and $ 64 / child 3-14)
• Adirondack: Fall Foliage Schooner Sail (3.5 hours; $ 88-106 / adult, $ 64 / child 5-14)

We recommend taking a weekend brunch cruise with a three-course, fixed-price meal (including New York bakery pastries, salmon and salmon, the chef’s autumn salad with roasted vegetables, oven-roasted ham, and more) in the yacht’s glass observatory Manhattan and Manhattan II over two and a half hours. It starts on Saturdays and Sundays, and tickets cost $ 124-142 per adult and $ 72 per child aged 3-14.

The premium, two-hour Fall Foliage Lunch Cruise on Friday and Saturday offers a multi-course menu of homemade soups such as a seasoned butternut pumpkin soup or a cauliflower soup with ham and Manchego cheese. A roasted pumpkin and candied walnut salad with Chef’s maple vinaigrette and various tea sandwiches are also on the menu. Each booking group sits at a private table, which is separated by clear partitions, with the possibility of sliding glass windows throughout the ship. Tickets are $ 96-132 per adult and $ 72 per child 3-14 years old.

Your ticket for a ride on the Classic Harbor Line also includes an autumn hot cocoa as well as a well-curated selection of beer, wine, champagne, and soft drinks.

Photo: Dennis Cahlo, courtesy Classic Harbor Line

Go from Pier 61 to the Bateaux New York Fall Foliage Lunch Cruise on October 20th or on New York Fall Foliage Lunch Cruise Saturdays through October (October 16 and 23) for a three-hour cruise on the Hudson River with a freshly prepared buffet (jumbo shrimp cocktail starter, salad, honey sesame chicken, oven-roasted flounder, baked ziti and more ) paired with seasonal cocktails, onboard entertainment with a live DJ, interactive games, a rooftop lounge, and unlimited coffee and tea. Tickets for the cruise are $ 78.90 or $ 103.90 per person for a window table and $ 99.85 or $ 129.85 per person for the Bateaux Cruise.

Photo: Courtesy City Cruises by Hornblower

You’ll need to travel across the river to Weehawken, New Jersey to board Majestic Harbor Cruises’ three-hour leaf-peeping cruise. But if you’re looking for an Instagram-worthy daytime party, this is the option for you. A DJ puts on live music while you enjoy a buffet lunch (of salad, penne rigate, baked tilapia, and chicken francaise) as you head north to the picturesque cliffs of the Palisades. Wine and cocktails from the cash bar only sweeten the view. Tickets start at $ 59 per adult and $ 29.50 per child.

Photo: Shutterstock

And if you really want to let off steam this fall, you might want some more fall fun like a Hudson Valley Leaf Peeping Tour by helicopter or a trip to one of these best fall day trips.