“Which New York attraction pass should I get” is a question we receive from our customers a lot and the simple answer is…well there is no simple answer! It all depends on your budget, the length of your stay and what you want to see, so the right pass for one trip might be the wrong one for another.
Not sure whether to go for the New York CityPASS or the New York Explorer Pass? Or need help choosing between the New York Sightseeing Day Pass or the New York Sightseeing FLEX Pass? Compare all five of the best New York passes available and the top attractions included with each one with our handy infographic below:
A great way to start deciding which New York sightseeing pass is for you is to decide which of the city’s dozens of attractions are absolute must-dos for your trip. For example, if you’re visiting for the first time, you’ll probably want to visit The Empire State Building, see the view from the Top of the Rock and visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island at the very least, so make sure the attraction pass you choose includes these three New York highlights. If you love museums, write down the ones you’d like to visit by order of importance and pick a pass which fulfils as many of your picks as possible.
Take a look at each New York sightseeing pass in more detail to see all the attractions included with each one:
- New York CityPASS
- New York Pass
- Go City: New York Explorer Pass
- The New York Sightseeing Pass - Day Pass
- The New York Sightseeing Pass - Flex Pass
How long do you need at each New York attraction?
Next, you should decide if it's feasible to see all the attractions you want to in the time you have in New York. Below is a rough guide of how long you may wish to spend at some of the attractions to give you an idea of how many you can fit into your trip.
- Empire State Building - 1 hour - 1 hour 30 minutes
- Top of the Rock - 1 hour
- Museum of Modern Art - 1 - 4 hours
- American Museum of Natural History - 1 hour - 2 hours 30 minutes
- Guggenheim Museum - 1 - 2 hours
- 9/11 Memorial Museum - 2 hours
- Radio City Music Hall Tour - 1 hour 30 minutes
- Madame Tussauds - 1 hour 30 minutes - 2 hours
- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Tour - 3 - 4 hours
As you don't want to feel rushed on your holiday, it's important to be realistic about how many attractions you can see, and don’t forget that some of them will need to be booked in advance. This should then have an effect on which New York sightseeing pass you purchase - there's no point buying a pass with more inclusions if you won't have time to get your money’s worth!
So...which travel style does each New York attraction pass suit?
Short weekend break, enough time to see the highlights...
Go for the New York CityPASS, which includes 5 of the most visited attractions in New York and has more than enough options to keep you entertained over 2-3 days. This is one of the best value cards and allows you to see 5 attractions out of a choice of 8, all of which are New York classics.
A set itinerary during a longer holiday…
Go for the Go City: New York Explorer Pass or the New York Sightseeing FLEX Pass. If you know exactly which attractions you want to (or have time to) visit and the total comes to around 6 or 7, one of these passes will likely be best for you. These cover all the main NYC attractions, including the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, MOMA, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and the Statue of Liberty, as well as plenty of other tours and experiences. Best of all, both passes lasts 60 days, making them perfect for anyone visiting NYC for a longer period but with limited time to sightsee.
The ultimate holiday with as many attractions as possible...
Go for The New York Pass or the New York Sightseeing Day Pass. These are the Godfathers of all the New York City passes because there are absolutely no limits on the number of attractions you can see on your card, just a time frame you must see them in (although you'd have to be superhuman to see them all in 2 days!). These are great passes to choose if you're staying centrally and you know you'll have plenty of time to check out all the amazing attractions New York has to offer.
The most important thing is to be realistic about how many attractions you will want to see and have the time for. Once you have figured this out, it should be easy to pick from the passes and you're bound to find one that fits your travel style. And the best part about these passes is that the New York Pass and Go City: New York Explorer Pass can be activated at any time within 2 years of purchase and the New York CityPASS and the New York Sightseeing FLEX Pass and Day Pass can be activated any time within 1 year of purchase, so they’re perfect for anyone who needs some flexibility with their plans.
New York Special Offers
Check out our special offers page to find the latest offers and discounts on our New York Sightseeing Passes and all our other New York attraction tickets, including Broadway shows, sports tickets, walking tours, and more!
As the UK’s No.1 attraction ticket provider, you can trust us to provide legitimate tickets at the best prices. With all our tickets being fulfilled digitally many of them are available instantly, so you can even buy them when you’re already on your holiday! But if you do buy them in advance, you can book with confidence knowing that all of our New York sightseeing passes and many of our other New York attractions can be cancelled with a full refund up to the date of travel*.
To browse all of these tickets, head to our New York destination page for the best-value New York attraction tickets!
*T&Cs apply. Check the product description of each ticket or pass for specific details on cancellations and refunds
