Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    New York Aquarium

    2.9 (587 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    New York Aquarium Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - New York Aquarium

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Alisa J.

    The only aquarium in nyc. Was super busy and you don't really want to spend too much time in each place, but it was still super cool and I enjoyed everything I saw. Ticket is kind of expensive. Right next to Coney Island and the subway. Would definitely recommend if you want to do something less touristy.

    Monica P.

    We had a fantastic time at the New York Aquarium! Our 4 year old loved the underwater viewing, spineless exhibit and play area!

    November 11, 2025.
    Matteo R.

    Not sure why the New York Aquarium[1] has only 3 stars on Yelp, but I recently took my family there during a school break and we had a fantastic time. I had been to the New York Aquarium previously, but that was a long time ago, before the renovations following the devastation of Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and before the "Sharks!" tank and exhibit hall was built. At the time the aquarium was rather sad; I remember some of the tanks only had tiles on the floor. Well, I was pleasantly surprised as the aquarium is now pure awesomeness! All the different exhibits are really great. The "Ocean Wonders: Sharks!" exhibit is amazing, with a massive tank that hosts a lot of amazing creatures, not just sharks. The tunnel is great, and it has a smaller tunnel on the side which is great fun for kids. The Conservation Hall, the Spineless exhibit, and the PlayQuarium are all great. In the PlayQuarium kids have the chance to gently pet horseshoe crabs while learning about marine conservation. They let people in by family rather than by number, which is smart. The Sea Change exhibit tells the story of our changing climate and the effect it has on marine ecosystems and ocean life. The outdoor Sea Cliffs exhibit features sea lions, harbor seals, otters, and penguins. We also enjoyed the Sea Lion Celebration[2], which takes place outdoors in the Aquatheater. The MC was funny, the sea lions were awesome. The show is only 15 minutes, which is enough in my opinion, and it featured two sea lions and one harbor seal. The star of the show was Pickles the harbor seal! I was also pleasantly surprised by the cafeteria, which offered plenty of options and seating space both indoors and outdoors. The sandwich plus soup for $10 is a great deal. I also like that the aquarium offers many programs including school break camps, field trips, birthday parties, and even "Sharks After Dark" overnight sleepovers by the massive shark tank for families or groups. Also, reduced admission tickets are available on Wednesday afternoons--you can book them at 3pm the Monday before. If you live in Brooklyn, you may want to consider becoming a member. Membership will give you one year of admission to the Bronx Zoo, Central Park Zoo, Queens Zoo, Prospect Park Zoo, and the NY Aquarium. The Family Aquarium membership (2 adults, 4 children) is $165, and it pays for itself in just 2 visits for a family of 3. ----------------------------------- [1] The oldest continually operating aquarium in the United States. It was founded in Battery Park in Manhattan in 1896 and it moved to Coney Island in Brooklyn in 1957. [2] It takes place 3 times a day: 11am, 1:30pm, and 3:30pm.

    Nancy A.

    Haven't been to this aquarium since I was in public school before college days. I remember eating school lunch in the aquarium with my classmates and that was pretty much it. I did not remember anything at all about this aquarium. Now that I returned back for the first time, everything is so new to me like I was in school. It felt like a school field trip with the teachers. Very boring. I did not read any of the descriptions of any fish because who remembers all those species? I only remember sharks, jellyfish, and piranha. I don't know the other names of those fish but they were colorful and different in size. Some of them had Frankenstein heads! The piranha stood out and had very red eyes. They did not move at all and were all next to each other. Really cool! Also I saw the sea lions but they were mostly hiding in the water so it was hard to get pictures unless I'm recording the water the whole time. So all in all this aquarium was just very small and it took me literally 2 hours to finish the whole aquarium. Then I saw some reviews and pictures and realized I missed out on the jellyfish. I guess next time.

    Seahorse are in the tank
    Wilson C.

    Look at all these fish in the aquarium! Are you having fun in the aquarium? I love it!

    Cole D.

    Came here for 3 PM free Wednesday. It really lifted my spirits. The jellyfish are mesmerizing. The seals are so fun. They have many impressive creatures like sharks, Japanese crabs, and penguins. Every section has its own building. Some really impressive walls of animals and fish tanks, which was so cool to see.

    Carmen L.

    The New York Aquarium right next to Coney Island ! This is another attraction that you can't miss. It's good to drop by after a hot day outside. Check in was a breeze they scan your qr code if you purchase tickets online and if you didn't you can put has it outside the entrance. Lots of different aquatic animals to see. The big ones are the sea lions and sharks. They have a live sea lions show look for the hours. You are seated outside, there are no shades to cover you so make sure to make your sunglasses or cap. Sharks and jellyfish are also a hit ! There are also live performances to kids on shark superhero, I thought that was pretty awesome. You can probably spend half a day wondering around the aquarium. Lots of food options outside.

    Stingrays & Nurse Shark
    Chun M.

    The New York Aquarium is run by the Wildlife Conservation Society, a non-profit that also runs all the zoos in New York City. The aquarium has its origins at Battery Park in 1896 and was relocated to Coney Island, opening in 1957. Most of the original building architecture still looks to be from the mid 1950's. The last time I had been to visit the aquarium was over 20 years ago, when I went as a chaperone for my son's 2nd grade class. Before that, I went with my 3rd grade class! Back then, the teachers could bring entire classes onto the subway for an hour long ride down to Coney Island. I remember buying an inch thick book describing many species of fish and aquatic animals that I pored through, memorizing the descriptions and wondering if I could be a marine biologist one day. It has not changed or expanded very much, with the main building housing most of the marine life, the shark tank building and the sea lion stadium (which used to also be the dolphin stadium). The large tank on the right as you come in from the main entrance used to house the beluga whales and they could be seen from the open top on the 2nd floor. The last of them were eventually moved to the Georgia aquarium for breeding and their tank was converted to a reef tank, which now has a giant 6' green moray eel as a resident, along with a giant puffer fish and other coral reef dwellers. The outside Sea Cliffs exhibits have the harbor seals, sea lions, sea otters and African penguins swimming in their individual areas. There is an entrance by the gift shop that allows you to see them swimming from below the surface. The sea lions love to come right up to the window, nose to nose with the kids. When you come out the other side, you are right next to the entrance to Ocean Wonders: Sharks! There is a water tunnel walking under the smaller sharks and rays, but further on is the giant tank where the larger sandbar and sand tiger sharks patrol over the groupers and stingrays. You might even spot a few of the nurse sharks down at the bottom. There is also the newest exhibit: Spineless, showcasing aquatic invertebrates like jellyfish, sea anemone, cuttlefish, octopus, starfish, spider crabs and a family of sea horses. There is even a rare, 1 in 30 million orange American Lobster. Don't miss the sea lion show at the Aquatheater stadium. There are 3 shows a day starting at 11am. You'll meet the trio of California sea lions: Bruiser, Townsend & Clark (sounds like a law firm), as they go through their training. You might even see the elderly Osborn leisurely cruising around the tank as the young'uns are showing off their moves, jumping in & out of the water and waving to the crowd. Pro-Tip: If you come early on a Sunday morning, all the metered street parking is free along Surf Ave and the side streets. They fill up fast when the rides in Luna Park and restaurants open. We parked right next to the Cyclone roller coaster on W 10th St and walked a block over to the entrance on the boardwalk.

    Donna Z.

    Booked free Wednesday 3-4pm tickets on Monday at 3pm for free. I haven't been here in a decade and it's definitely a lot better than back then. For a free ticket, it was a great time for me and my friend who was visiting. There was even a seal show at 4pm which was unexpected (sit on the left side if possible). The only con about the free ticket is the first room you start in where the fish are is very busy and cramped and if you can't really go back if you leave it for the end. Otherwise, seeing the sharks, otters (my personal favorite), seals, and penguins were great. We thoroughly enjoyed our time and would definitely come back with the free tickets.

    My spirit animal
    Vivian G.

    As a Brooklyn native, I love that I now come back with my grandkids. This has always been a small aquarium, the only complaint I had was the seal "show" was so short, it took more time to get seated than anything. But the staff, top notch, fantastic! Kid friendly & entertaining

    Shark tunnel...
    Saasha G.

    Always a great experience at the aquarium . I have hd a membership with the zoo for a couple years and I always head to the aquarium with my family. I like that it's on Coney Island so you can take a stroll down the boardwalk, the sea lion show is great and they even have a touch tank for the kids.

    Wing L.

    Great attraction for all ages. It was a Shell-a-bration weekend. There were different activities and educational information. The activities were mostly coloring. It would have been nicer if there were more crafts other than coloring. The parade was cute. I love the shark exhibit but I wishes there were neon strip on the floor to guide you. It is pretty dark inside. There are plenty of picnic tables but no umbrella for shades. The sea loin show and penguin feeding were entertaining.

    One of a few sculptures made from found-materials in the waters
    kristin c.

    Need to get timed-entry tickets online. Can get up to 4 tickets free by going to their website on Mondays at 3pm for a visit on Wednesday 3 pm of the same week - huge savings. If by train, West 8th-NY Aquarium or Coney Island-Stillwell Ave. There is a lot for cars- $18-40 based on # hours. We lined up at the boardwalk entrance at least 1/2 hr before the 3pm entry time (there was a line already, and longer behind us). An employee walked by to remind everybody to be ready with timed tickets only. in the lobby, some visitors rushed thru the staff scanning tickets. Small aquarium, around 9 main areas, which was manageable for us with 3 hours there. Note where the entrance/exit doors of the bldgs are which help the flow of people traffic. There were times it got really crowded in the indoor areas so we just returned later to take our time to see the many interesting fish/sea life/animals. To the aquatheater first for the sea lion show (only 2 showtimes after 3pm). We were directed to fill up the next available seats. Show was informative, entertaining and wasn't too long (esp in the heat). I liked the Spineless exhibit esp the jellyfishes - mesmerizing. It's connected to the Playquarium- a fun area for kids, too bad it wasn't there yet when my kids were younger. There is a touch pool but it closed earlier so check the hours. The shark tunnel at the Ocean Wonders Shark exhibit, was new to us; was popular so there was a line to enter it. We remembered Sea Change with the underwater viewing areas, activities, esp the sea lions giving flying kisses, but was bare in there now. The water's green and cloudy too with algae bec. of mating season (divers can't clean the tanks). There's a cafe with indoor and outdoor seating, just got self-serve drinks there. Giftshops are by the Playquarium, and near the exit. A few restrooms available. After the aquarium, went back to the Coney Island boardwalk so not as hot. Then long train ride home but we got seats (Coney Island-Stillwell Ave is the first/last stop for the F line. Can catch D, N, Q trains too. )

    The sharks tunnel

    See all

    Photo of A. K.
    0
    45
    224

    12 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 7
    Love this 15
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alisa J.
    241
    1905
    6829

    1 month ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Monica P.
    0
    54
    198

    4 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 1

    26 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cole D.
    494
    1553
    2930

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 18
    Thanks 7
    Love this 17
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of New York A.

    New York A.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Royce L.
    715
    1737
    9265

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Eric V.
    9
    71
    95

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jaclyn C.
    1364
    1226
    1790

    3 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 2
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 16
    Thanks 0
    Love this 13
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 69
    Thanks 9
    Love this 70
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 10
    Thanks 1
    Love this 7
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Troy L.
    140
    448
    21892

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 15

    New York Aquarium Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - New York Aquarium

    Is there a time limit on how long you can be there?

    Now yes 2 hours

    Can you bring food into the ny aquarium?

    Yes! I bought food and drinks for my kids. There's also a free water refill station which was useful!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - New York Aquarium

    The main attractions (as I see it) are the Shark building, the Spineless building, and the sea lion show.

    Mentioned in 104 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Zoos 900 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk - Coney Island Boardwalk

    Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk

    3.8(782 reviews)
    0.2 miConey Island

    Pretty views at the Coney Island Beach walk. Nathan's hotdogs & slushies were great! The night…read morescene here was more memorable than in the day. Not as busy for the rides & You don't see as much trash on the beach than you would in the day. Fun family spot.

    Coney Island Boardwalk Entertainment Edition…read moreBrooklyn, NY 11224 As you walk along the elevated pathway, there are many amenities along the along the 2.7 mile boardwalk. Out of all the attractions, these are the top three highlights I highly recommend seeing: 1) Coney Island Beach or Brighton Beach Both beaches are free to enter. Be sure to bring your own beach towel, lounge chair and bathing suit. Catch some sun rays or take a dip in the Atlantic Ocean. 2) Pat Auletta Steeplechase Pier Walk along the pier. This is the perfect fishing location for all anglers! If you don't feel like fishing, grab a seat and enjoy the soothing views of the ocean. 3)Nathan's Be sure to stop by the original Nathan's, home of the annual hot dog eating contest. Although it's not the best tasting hot dog, this is a historic location that everyone should visit at least once. Regretfully, a major disadvantage of this boardwalk are the non-cinematic appearances of an abandoned amphitheater and parachute tower. Aside from this, it's a cool place to spend an afternoon especially during the summer and spring seasons. #coneyisland #coneyislandboardwalk #coneyislandbeach #nathansfamous #nathansfamoushotdogs #riegelmann #riegelmannboardwalk #stillwellavenue #stillwellave #pataulettasteeplechasepier #patauletta #pataulettapier #nathansannualhotdogeatingcontest

    Photos
    Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk - Gift shop

    Gift shop

    Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk - View

    View

    Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk

    See all

    Cyclone Coaster

    Cyclone Coaster

    4.3(267 reviews)
    0.1 miConey Island

    At almost 100 years old, this ride is a classic. This is one of only two rides I rode today. The…read moreother one, the wonder wheel. The two most iconic rides on Coney Island. At 10 bucks, it's a tiny bit pricey, but still reasonable. On a Sunday afternoon in August, there was still only about a 10 minute wait. I was lucky, when it was my turn to board, I got the last car on the train. I really got whipped around!. It's a fun ride. For being an almost 100 year-old wooden coaster. The drops definitely get you. Yes, it is a bumpy ride, and, on the turns, throws you around and beats you up a tiny bit, but that's the fun of the ride! And hey, the seats are cushioned! (unlike the coaster at New York, New York in Vegas. That one throws you around and beats you up, but it shouldn't, because that one is a steel coaster that should've been designed better. But, hey, I digress...) I've always wanted to ride the cyclone, and I'm glad I finally did. It was a blast!

    97 years and counting! Protected by the government as a national landmark. It's one of the oldest…read morecoasters in America with its original aesthetic intact. It's $10 a ride but worth it. It's separate from the Luna park so be prepared to have extra cash. It's about a minute or so ride and four steep drops. Ride in the back for more g force! If you're visiting and roller coaster enthusiast, this must be your first choice before other rides. It's even open during autumn season. A Ny stable attraction.

    Photos
    Cyclone Coaster
    Cyclone Coaster
    Cyclone Coaster

    See all

    Happy Vacations

    Happy Vacations

    2.7(3 reviews)
    2.0 miBath Beach, Bensonhurst

    2 stars for service. 4 stars for the places we visited on…read morethe tour. Touring with a Chinese traveling agency has its ups & downs. At first it may seem cheap. I had low expectations because I knew what I was walking into & boy was there a major catch. I went on a 4 day trip to Canada with my mom, sister & boyfriend. When you book the tour, you pay for tickets for the seats, their deal was buy 3 tickets, get 1 free BUT after you get on the bus, you find out that you have to pay couple hundred more for tickets for places that we had to visit. Initially our trip was suppose to start on Thursday but we got a call asking if we can move it to Friday. We were fine with that since there was no school. Day 1: If you lived in Flushing, there's a meeting place there by the church & if you lived in Chinatown, there's a meeting place in front of their office. We got there super early searching for a coach bus which is what we expected to get on. Turns out we had to get on those small shuttle buses. If you google "small shuttle buses," you'll be disappointed if you were expecting a big coach bus. It took us to Chinatown where they picked up the rest of the people. We were furious because we didn't pay to travel on a shuttle bus. Everyone paid to travel on a coach bus. They told us that we will change buses the next day. Okay fine. We started traveling to Albany where we made a pit stop at McDonald's for bathroom & food. Then we continued our way to Ausable Chasm. Here we hiked and the scenery was beautiful which ultimately led to a rafting ride. Our stop after crossing the border to Canada was Chinatown in Montreal. Here we stop by to walk around & grabbed dinner on our own & met back at the bus at a certain time. After dinner, the tour guide brought us to our first hotel which was at Hilton Garden Inn. This hotel was amazing which included a gym & a swimming pool. We didn't know that we should have bought something for breakfast for the next day. Day 2: Early morning, we were so hungry but we packed our bags & continue on with our tour. We visited St. Joseph Oratory of Mount Royal. The church was really nice especially when you go all the way up but my boyfriend & I somehow took one too many pictures with the amazing view that we ended up getting separated with the tour. We ended up being the last ones back into the bus. Next stop was at Montreal Olympic Stadium where our tour guide took responsibility to get our group into the place first over all the other dozen tour groups that were there. Another place with an amazing view looking over Montreal. Next we finally found a place to get breakfast before we went into the Montreal Biodome. We can view the animals so much closer than how we view the animals here in NYC. A lot of the exhibits didn't have a glass that separated you from the animals. Next was another couple hours to Ottawa. We were brought to a very touristy place but they had really good hot dog & poutine. After staying at this place, our tour drove us another couple hours to the Thousand Islands. Here was the place where we were going to change our bus to a coach bus! On the coach bus there were another half of the group. After changing buses, we took a boat tour that showed us the Thousand Islands. It took us across the border & back via water. We stayed at Sheraton hotel (another nice place) Day 3: CN Tower, Downtown Toronto with the glass floors. Oh man, Ripley's Aquarium was right next to it & I wish that it was included in the tour because we don't have big aquariums like that in NYC. We had another relaxing boat ride after this. After that we went to Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls. Here we watched a dumb movie which I regretted paying for about the Niagara Falls & had lunch inside the tower. The restaurant spins very slowly so it was a really cool experience to eat & see the view change. We were then taken to the Maid of the Mist where we got to skip the super long line. This event was probably one of the best on this tour. After we can walk around & visit places on our own & had to meet back at a certain time. We had to cross the border after this which took quite a while due to traffic. We were brought to our hotel called Quality Inn in Batavia, NY. This hotel was complete crap compare to the first two places. If they were aiming for low quality, they got it down. I visited the Walmart supercenter at night since it was opened 24 hours & bought some food & snacks for the long trip back home. Day 4: On our last day we went to Corning Glass Museum where everything is literally made of glass. After that we were taken to a crappy buffet place in the middle of nowhere. I've tried better buffets in NYC for this price. The food was stale & disgusting. The bathroom was so filthy. After this, it was time to go home with a couple pit stops along the way.

    I would put negative stars if I could. I booked a tour through take tours booking agent for me and…read more3 family members and ended up with be taken by Happy Vacation tour line. We chose a Friday for our Niagara Falls / DC tour so that it would go to upstate NY and make its way to Howes Cave ,close to Albany where I live. We confirmed prior to purchase that we could join the tour their, just 40 minutes from our house. Suddenly we were informed that they will not be going to Howes Cave because of the July 4th Holiday weekend (our Tour was for July 5th, Friday), and we had to get up at 2:45AM to leave by 3:30am to make it to grab our bus in Chinatown by 7:30am. We get there, and if you are not that familiar with Chinatown, well you had better know that it is one of the most filthy places you can go in the United States, its gross.. and its a shame that they cannot live a clean life. So we get shuffled from the first meeting point to a second meeting point, then they have us hanging around for 30 minutes, then ask us if we care that the tour has to be reversed in order..and we didn't really know how we felt and just wanted to be cooperative and helpful so we said, sure.. whatever you need. So they then shuffle us to a different street.. and have us hang out for a while then board this terrible bus that is literally falling apart.. has missing grills, rusted spots that were just partially sanded and repaired... dirty, etc.. Get on.. its completely humid and hot inside.. bus driver has the bright idea of not turning on the bus to cool it down for all of its passengers. He is absurdly obese, and has not moved from his seat the entire day, until the buffet at dinner! He apparently does not care for his own health or safety or that of his passengers. Because of an irregular pattern in a section of the highway and his weight, he began bouncing up and down in the chair..and it began squeaking excessively ..and all I could think of that it sounds like a movie sound of a couple having nooky upstairs :) ..passengers were quietly cracking up. The bus driver proceeds to say frustratingly to the tour guide, that this bus is falling apart and began to confirm when we will arrive at the hotel and how long are we there so that he can have a bus swapped out. Ok.. i've gotten ahead of myself... We were supposed to leave by 8am, we did not get out of their until 8:45am and it was hot and muggy . With only had a few chinese people on the bus from which I learned speak english for the most part & the tour is not in our country's language, English, its also in mandarin. The tour guide, Justin, has no passion, could care less to connect to the passengers and rapidly blares out quick statements about this or that in English and Mandarin like a drone, opposed to asking the handful of Chinese if they are fluent in english and mind the tour be in english as its simply more efficient and Justin was completely overwhelmed with all the apparent confusion with the tour operator and overbooking (although our bus only had 29 guest). The microphone hardly worked and he mic checked literally, at least 60-80 times through July 5ths day of the tour.. static .. feedback.. squelching.. instead of simply talking to the group with his own voice which would have been perfectly manageable. He proceeds to start to sell us tickets to upcoming non inclusive parts of the tour.. and thats neat for being organized, but there is more to it. We join the DC cruise, he says $23/ each , find out on the cruise that it was $20 to the general public. The cruise was terrible by the way.. the cruise ship, 149 passenger indoor a/c , was nice.. guides again did not connect at all with the passengers.. just rattled off a bunch of facts in english and again in mandarin . So we end up at this buffet tonight and are told $16 a person including drink and tip (keep in mind its a buffet! - no one serves you). I am in line and I notice that its $12.85 on the sign in front of me. The two girls ahead noticed the same thing and wanted to pay the normal price and not the inflated price. The manager defended his sudden inflated price until I jumped in and had to threaten to call the authorities. These Chinese restaurant managers and operators along with the chinese tour operators are trying to scam their own people and innocent tour attendees which is despicable. They should be ashamed of themselves. Even worse was the food. A complete filthy mess. -- fruit in huge chunks and no flavor and barely edible -- sushi was dry old and tasted terrible -- ice cream spewed liquid chocolate and terrible vanilla ice cream. Just plain dirty. -- I could not bring myself to eat any meat or seafood but others at my table felt sick to eat anymore than the lite they had. Just go somewhere else and eat less and higher quality. This is just day 1.. and our family is having a good time anyway.. but there is no way I would ever choose these sleazy, underhanded hustlers for a tour

    Photos
    Happy Vacations
    Happy Vacations
    Happy Vacations

    See all

    New York Aquarium - zoos - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...