New York CityPASS vs. New York Pass: Which is Better?

New York City is expensive. But that doesn’t miss you have to skip all the fun New York City attractions even if you’re on a tight budget.

Today I’m comparing the the top attraction passes to help you find the best sightseeing pass for New York.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to save money so you can enjoy your trip to NYC without going broke.

I’ve put together my best money-saving tips for visiting all the top attractions so you can check off everything on your New York City sightseeing bucket list.

So if you’re visiting NYC for the first-time and you want to check out the city’s most popular attractions, use these tips to help you see the best of what New York has to offer for cheap!

Related Posts:

• Visiting New York City for the first time? Avoid these costly mistakes
• 10 ways to visit New York City on a budget
• My honest New York Pass review: Is it worth it?

What are the top attractions in New York City?

According to TripAdvisor, here are the top 10 attractions that you must see in New York City:

1. The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET)
3. Central Park (FREE attraction)
4. Empire State Building
5. Top of the Rock
6. Statue of Liberty
7. Brooklyn Bridge (FREE attraction)
8. Manhattan Skyline (FREE attraction)
9. The High Line (FREE attraction)
10. Grand Central Terminal (FREE attraction)

The good news is that 5 of the top 10 attractions in New York City are free to do. YAY!

The bad news is that the combined cost of visiting the top 5 paid attractions in New York City comes to a whopping $183.89 per person. Ouch!

But since ALL these attractions are worth visiting, let’s find the cheapest way to see them so you can make the most of your trip to New York City.

Read Next: Best free skyline views in Manhattan

Does New York City offer FREE museum days?

Yes. Some museums in NYC open its doors free to the public on during certain hours.

But what about the top 5 paid attractions in NYC? Only The MET and the 9/11 Museum offer a discount.

The Metropolitan Museum – For New York State residents ONLY (including New York, New Jersey or Connecticut students), admission is pay what you wish. For visitors outside of New York State, there will be a mandatory admission fee.

I’m a visitor from outside of New York State, so this discount doesn’t apply to me. This means I have to find another way to save money if I want to visit The Met.

9/11 Memorial & Museum – Free admission Tuesday evening from 5:00pm to close. Tickets are distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Museum starting at 4:00pm on Tuesdays.

Visiting a museum during free hours can save you money, especially if you’re traveling on a tight budget. However, visiting during free hours is also the busiest time. This means you’ll be dealing with crowds and may not enjoy your experience as much if you had visited during a quieter time.

Staten Island Ferry – If you’re not interested in seeing the Statue of Liberty up close, but still want to snap a photo, consider riding the Staten Island Ferry. It’s free to the public, and it passes by the Statue of Liberty so you’ll be able to take a photo from the water on your way to Staten Island.

So with this in mind, what is the next cheapest way to visit the top 5 paid attractions in New York City?

New York City CityPASS

If you’re just planning on visiting NYC’s top 5 paid attractions, this travel pass will give you the most bang for your buck.

If you’re planning on visiting more paid attractions in the city, then you may want to consider the New York Pass or the New York Explorer Pass instead.

What is the New York CityPASS

✓ Pick from over 6 top-rated NYC attractions
✓ Valid for up to 9 days
✓ Save up to 44% compared to purchasing tickets at each attraction
✓ Fast-Track entry at many attractions

The New York CityPASS is a sightseeing card which gives you FREE entry into 6 popular NYC attractions including the Empire State Building, The Met, and ferry access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

CityPASS currently has a TrustScore rating of 9.6/10 on Trust Pilot, making it the one of the highest rated sightseeing passes.

With over 5,000 five-star customer reviews, it’s safe to say that the New York CityPASS can be an excellent option for travelers looking to save money on sightseeing.

How It Works

Simply purchase your pass online for one flat rate and download your pass instantly to your smartphone (or get it delivered).

Then you can skip the long ticket lines and scan your pass to enter any 6 out of the 9 attractions. No cash or tickets needed.

This can be a great option for those who want to take their time experiencing the best of what NYC has to offer while saving money. You can check out my full New York CityPASS review here.

Attractions Included with Your New York CityPASS

When you purchase the New York CityPASS, you’ll get FREE access to 6 of the city’s most popular attractions.

There are three attractions included with every pass. Then you’re allowed to pick an additional three attractions from a list of six options.

There’s no need to decide upfront which you want to see – simply choose when you get there. Here’s a full list of the attractions you can visit with your pass. (Prices and attractions current as of November 1, 2019)

1. Empire State Building (normally $54.87)
2. American Museum of Natural History (normally $28)
3. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (normally $32)
4. Top of the Rock Observation Deck (normally $41.37)   OR   Guggenheim Museum (normally $25)
5. Ferry access to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (normally $18.50)   OR   Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises (normally $37)
6. 9/11 Memorial Museum (normally $26)   OR   Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (normally $33)

How much does the New York CityPASS Cost?

The New York CityPASS costs $132 (adults) or $108 (children).

Remember, the cost of visiting the city’s top 5 paid attractions is $183.89 per person!

When you purchase the New York CityPASS, you’ll get FREE Fast-Track Entry to these 5 attractions, PLUS you’ll also get free entry to the American Museum of Natural History (normally $28).

You can click here to purchase your CityPASS from their official website.

This can add up to significant savings, especially if you’re visiting NYC with a group. I also like that the CityPASS gives you 9 full days to visit all six attractions.

This means there’s no need to rush and you can take your time visiting each attraction.

New York Explorer Pass

✓ Pick from over 90 New York City attractions
✓ Valid for 30 days
✓ Save up to 50% vs. paying for individual tickets
✓ Choose 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 top-rated NYC attractions to visit

The New York Explorer Pass is a multi-attraction Go City pass where you can choose to visit 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 top attractions all for ONE low price, including the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, and the Statue of Liberty.

Go City currently have a TrustScore rating of 8.5/10 on Trust Pilot, which makes it one of the highest rated sightseeing passes.

This flexible sightseeing pass can be a great option if you want explore New York City at your own pace while making huge savings on popular attractions.

How It Works

Simply buy your pass online – pick a 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10-choice Explorer pass for one flat rate. Then download your pass instantly to your smartphone or print it at home.

No cash or tickets are needed. Once you have your pass, you’re all set. Visit your top 3, 4, 5, or 7 attractions easily.

All you have to do is present your New York Explorer Pass be scanned at each attraction and you’re good to start your sightseeing adventure.

Attractions Included with Your New York Explorer Pass

The New York Explorer pass includes FREE admission to over 90 of the most popular things to do in NYC. It’s all you need to sightsee in the Big Apple.

Here are some of the best attractions available with your pass and their regular admission prices in parentheses. (Prices and attractions current as of November 1, 2019)

• Empire State Building (normally $44)
• Top of the Rock (normally $41)
• State of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry (normally $19)
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art (normally $32)
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum (normally $26)
• Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour (normally $55)
• Madame Tussauds New York (normally $37)
• American Museum of Natural History (normally $23)
• Circle Line NYC Landmarks Cruise (normally $43)
• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (normally $25)
• Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum and Space Shuttle (normally $33)
• Plus FREE entry to 79 other great attractions! Check out the full list of included attractions here.

How Much Does the New York Explorer Pass Cost?

The New York Explorer costs $156 (adults) or $117 (children) for the 5-Choice Pass, which is the most popular option.

Remember, the cost of visiting the city’s top 5 paid attractions is $183.89 per person! When you purchase the New York Explorer Pass, you’ll get FREE Fast-Track Entry to these 5 attractions.

You can click here to purchase your Explorer Pass from their official website.

The best part about the Explorer Pass is that you get to choose which attractions you want to visit.

If you don’t want to visit one of the top 5 paid NYC attractions, you can choose to visit something else. It’s up to you, which makes this a great money-saving option.

This can add up to significant savings, especially if you’re visiting NYC with a group. I also like that the Explorer Pass gives you 30 full days to visit all six attractions. This means there’s no need to rush and you can take your time visiting each attraction.

New York Pass

✓ Pick from over 100 NYC attractions
✓ Valid for up to 10 days
✓ Save up to 70% compared to purchasing tickets at each attraction
✓ Visit unlimited amount of NYC attractions each day

The New York Pass is an all-inclusive sightseeing card which gives you FREE entry to over 100+ top attractions and tours in NYC including the Empire State Building, the Top of the Rock, and 9/11 Memorial & Museum.

The New York Pass currently has a TrustScore rating of 8.2/10 on Trust Pilot, which makes it one of the highest rated sightseeing passes.

Over 3.5 million travelers have used the pass and 9 out of 10 customers recommend the New York Pass to their friends.

You can check out my full New York Pass review here.

How It Works

Simply buy your chosen pass for one flat rate and download your pass instantly on your smartphone using their App (or get it delivered). Then scan your pass to enter any of the 100+ attractions.

No cash or tickets are needed. And there’s no limit on how many attractions you can visit with your New York Pass. The New York Pass is available for purchase as a 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10-day pass.

You can click here to purchase your New York Pass from their official website.

It’s intended to be used on consecutive calendar days and will become activated once you visit your first attraction.

To save time and hassle, I recommend buying your New York Pass before your trip. Then you can plan your itinerary and activate your pass anytime in the next 12 months.

This tourism pass is the most popular with visitors to New York City because it has the potential to save you A LOT of money.

By visiting just three attractions per day, you can save 70% vs. paying at the gate. Visiting two attractions per day can save you nearly 50% off the regular ticket price.

Attractions Included with Your New York Pass

The New York Pass includes FREE admission to over 100 of the most popular things to do in NYC. It’s your ultimate sightseeing pass for the big city.

Here are some of the best attractions available with your pass and their regular admission prices in parentheses. (Prices and attractions current as of November 1, 2019)

• Empire State Building (normally $44)
• Top of the Rock (normally $41)
• State of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry (normally $19)
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art (normally $32)
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum (normally $26)
• Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour (normally $55)
• Hop-On Hop-Off Water Taxi (normally $37)
• Brooklyn Bridge Bike Tour (normally $45)
• Madame Tussauds New York (normally $37)
• American Museum of Natural History (normally $23)
• Circle Line NYC Landmarks Cruise (normally $43)
• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (normally $25)
• Plus FREE entry to 88 other great attractions! Check out the full list of included attractions here.

How Much Does the New York Pass Cost?

The New York Pass costs $274 (adult) or $199 (children) for a 3-day pass, which is the most popular option.

Yes, this is more expensive than paying regular admission to the city’s top 5 paid attractions. However, with the 3-day New York Pass, you get can visit as many attractions as you wish.

Let’s say you follow this sample itinerary to see all the New York attractions:

Day One –  Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour, the Empire State Building, and Madame Tussauds.

Day Two – 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and Food on Foot Tours.

Day Three – Statue of Liberty, The Ride, and Central Park Bike Tours.

The total gate price for visiting these attractions comes to $411. Buying the 3-day New York Pass only costs $274. This means you’ll save over 50% by using the New York Pass. That’s huge!

The best part about the New York Pass is that you can visit an unlimited amount of attractions for ONE flat rate.

Plus, you’ll get Fast-Track entry at some of the city’s most popular attractions so you can skip the long ticket lines and enjoy more time sightseeing.

This can be an excellent option for first-time visitors who are interested in visiting a lot of attractions.

Which New York Pass is right for you?

Each of these tourism passes have been designed to help you save time, money and eliminate stress when sightseeing in a busy city like New York.

Which pass you decide to get will depend on which attractions you want to visit and how long you’re staying in New York.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the different passes:

New York CityPASS

• Great for those who want to visit the top 6 paid attractions in New York City.
• You have 9 full days to visit the 6 attractions. This is a good option for those who don’t want to feel rushed when visiting each attraction.
• You’ll save 44% off admission vs. paying at the gate.

New York Explorer Pass

• Great for those who want flexibility to visit ANY attraction. Choose to visit 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10-attractions based on the pass you purchase.
• You can choose from over 90 top attractions in New York City. There’s no need to decide up front which attractions you want to visit.
• You have 30 full days to visit your choice of attractions. This is a good option for those who want to take their time sightseeing.
• You’ll save up to 50% off admission vs. paying at the gate.

New York Pass

• Great for those want to visit all the major attractions in New York City. You can visit an UNLIMITED number of attractions based on the pass duration you choose to purchase. The New York Pass is available for purchase as a 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10-day pass.
• You can choose from over 100 top attractions in NYC. There’s no need to decide up front which attractions you want to visit.
• You’ll save up to 70% off admission vs. paying at the gate. This can be a great option for those who want to visit NYC’s most expensive attractions.

Final Note

As you can see, there are many ways to save money when visiting the top paid attractions in New York City.

If you’re planning on visiting just a couple of paid attractions, then you can probably skip the tourism passes.

But if you’re planning on visiting 3 or more paid tourist attractions, then you’ll get the most bang for your buck by purchasing a tourism pass. This is because you’ll enjoy the extra perks of:

• Saving money (up to 70% vs. paying at the gate, depending on which pass you choose)
• Saving time (get Fast-Track entry and skip the long ticket lines)
• Stress-free sightseeing (you don’t need to worry about dealing with tickets or cash)

If you find yourself on a really tight budget, then I recommend choosing ONE paid attraction that you want to splurge on. Then you can enjoy checking out the free things do in the city. There is plenty of fun to be had on any budget in New York City.

Happy travels!

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