The New York City pass is perfect to save money and time. Several companies offer city passes to visit New York. Here is our comparison and some practical information to remember before buying a city pass for New York.
Why buy (or not buy) a pass to visit New York?
The New York City pass is usually worth it if it’s your first trip to New York and if you want to visit the city’s must-sees. Before booking the New York City pass, deciding which places you would like to visit is essential. Read our article to know which site to see: TOP 40 things to do in New York.
If you have already been to New York, the New York City pass is not always a good deal. For example, this purchase is unfitting if you have already visited some places included in the pass. In this case, booking the tickets per unit will be easier.
Make a list of places you want to visit, then compare it with those included before deciding.
How does the city pass work in New York?
Each city pass works differently. The pass’s price, validity period, and the number of visits or the places included in the pass vary from one pass to another (see the comparison below).
Comparison: which New York City pass to choose?
There are several New York City passes. They almost work the same way but do not offer the same conditions. So, no city pass would suit everyone. Here are 3 city passes you can compare to choose the one fitting your needs.
New York SightSeeing Pass: Pros, Cons, Where to Buy
Validity: from 1 to 10 days. So you can choose the duration that suits you best.
Unlimited visits. Some city passes limit the number of possible visits, but this is not true with the New York SightSeeing Pass. It is a definite advantage that will allow you to visit as many places as possible without limiting your choice of visits.
Broad choice of places. The New York SightSeeing Pass includes more than 100 places, from great New York must-sees to more unusual sites. It is undoubtedly the most complete New York City pass.
Hop-on hop-off bus included. Among the other advantages of the New York SightSeeing Pass is the possibility of taking the hop-on hop-off buses. If you like to discover the city this way, it is ideal.
Who is the New York SightSeeing Pass for? This city pass to visit New York is interesting for those who wish to see as many places as possible in a limited time and those who do not know yet which places to visit. It is ideal if you would like to visit many things on the same day or if you want to avoid counting visits and planning too far in advance.
Go City Explorer NYC: pros, cons, where to buy it
Validity: 60 days. Thanks to this long validity period, this pass offers excellent flexibility.
Number of visits: from 3, 5 to 7 visits. You can choose the number of visits you would like to make.
Wide choice of places. The New York Pass from Go City includes many places to visit, with more than 90 attractions.
Who is the Go City New York pass for? This city pass is perfect for visiting New York at your own pace, as it offers excellent flexibility (the validity period is quite long). As the number of visits cannot exceed 10, this city pass is perfect for those who already know what they want to visit in New York.
Good to know. This Go City City Pass is also available in an “all-inclusive” formula. It is valid at all 90 attractions for 2 to 7 days. See here the all-inclusive formula.
New York CityPASS: pros, cons, where to buy it
Validity: 9 days. With the New York CityPASS, the pass’s validity is 9 days.
8 places, but only 5 possible visits. You can choose from:
- Empire State Building, Museum of Natural History, Top of the Rock
- Guggenheim Museum, Statue of Liberty (with Ellis Island)
- Sightseeing Cruise, 9/11 Memorial OR the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
So you can visit the Empire State Building and the Museum of Natural History. However, if you visit the 9/11 Memorial, you can no longer see the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
Skip-the-line tickets. It is the main advantage of this pass! With the New York CityPASS, tickets are skip-the-line.
Who is the New York CityPASS for? This city pass to visit New York is best for those who wish to see the sites the pass offers and take advantage of skip-the-line tickets.
Which city pass should you choose to visit New York?
1/Â Go City Explorer. Go City Pass is the best option to keep flexibility, have a wide choice, and know what you will visit in New York. This pass includes only 7 visits maximum, but the choice of places is complete and could be enough for a first trip to New York. And as the pass’s validity is extended, you have more flexibility.
2/ CityPASS. If you want to take advantage of skip-the-line tickets to places such as the Empire State Building or the Top of the Rock, the New York CityPASS could be interesting. There are only 5 visits included, but if you plan on visiting them, that’s perfect.
3/Â SightSeeing Pass. If you want to make as many visits as possible without limit, the New York SightSeeing Pass is the best. With this pass, you can, for example, visit many must-see places in just 3 days. Therefore, make all the visits in a few days while taking advantage of reduced entry prices.
It is impossible to say which is the best New York City pass because it depends on what you want to do during your trip to New York. The best thing is to define the places to visit, then choose the pass that suits you best.
