City Passes in New York City

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Welcoming over 10 million visitors every year, New York City bears the title of America's most bucket-listed city. Across its five diverse boroughs, the City That Never Sleeps mixes dozens of cultures with striking architecture, a buzzing arts scene, world-class museums and sports stadiums, and endless attractions — not to mention its iconic skyline.

But with a near endless list of potential things to do in the Big Apple, from boat rides down the Hudson to soaking up the view on the Empire State Building, to taking a food tour through Little Italy and Chinatown, the question for many visitors is: How can I fit it all in?

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Authors

Ioannis Pelegrinis

Evan Bryce

That's where city attraction passes come in. By pre-purchasing one of these New York City attraction passes, you not only save yourself the hassle of long lines at popular attractions but also score significant discounts to the city's quintessential landmarks. For visitors looking to get the most out of their time, a New York City tourist pass should not be overlooked.

Here is everything you need to know about New York City Attraction Passes, your gateway to many sightseeing tours in New York City.

What are city attraction passes and what do they include?

There are a few different types of New York City attraction passes available. While these three passes offer different attractions and benefit levels, they all operate under a similar premise. These NYC attraction passes are designed exclusively for tourists who are looking to experience the many attractions and sights that the city has to offer.

By pre-purchasing a New York City attraction pass, you'll get access to top tourist sights in all five boroughs at a greatly discounted rate, as well as welcome special benefits such as priority access and discounts on food, drinks and souvenirs throughout the city.

The New York Pass

As one of the most popular attraction passes in NYC, the New York Pass allows you to visit for over 100 amazing attractions in the city. From the Empire State Building and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, you can save up to 70% compared to buying tickets separately.

Additionally, you can purchase a New York Pass with unlimited access to all of the listed attractions for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 days, for maximum flexibility.

New York CityPASS

This is the most straightforward tourist pass for The Big Apple. The New York City CityPASS allows you to visit five of the city's top attractions over a period of 9 days.

This includes the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History, and your choice of three more activities out of the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, and the Guggenheim Museum.

GoCity New York City Explorer Pass

For the traveler who wants to see it all, GoCity's flexible and customizable New York City Explorer Pass is your ticket to over 80 incredible attractions and experiences in the Big Apple.

In addition to quintessential NYC experiences, like the Top of the Rock Observatory, Statue of Liberty and the Freedom Tower Observation Deck, you can check out some lesser-known gems like the Whitney Museum, Brooklyn Bridge Bike Tours, ARTECHOUSE and more.

You can choose from either 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 activities, depending on how much time and money you want to invest in your New York City getaway. Alternatively, there is an Unlimited Pass, which offers access to all attractions for up to 10 days.

The New York Sightseeing Pass

This flexible pass allows you to choose from over 100 attractions across all five boroughs, valid for a period of 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10 days. The list includes well-known landmarks, such as the Top of the Rock and Metropolitan Museum of Art, Central Park Zoo, National 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and One World Observatory.

However, it also grants you access to lesser-known gems and activities, such as the Madison Square Garden All Access Tour, the Radio City Music Hall Stage Door Tour, Central Park Bike Rental, the Big Bus New York Essential Ticket, and the Spirits On Foot Beer, Spirits & Wine Crawl.

Additionally, the NYC Sightseeing Pass comes with a complimentary guidebook, featuring detailed descriptions of each attraction and insider knowledge about the city. Plus, you'll also get special discounts (typically 20%-25%) at over 100 different food and retail outlets, such as The Cauldron NYC, The Standard Biergarten, the Greenwich Village Comedy Club, and the Hard Rock Café Times Square, to name a few.

How does a New York City attraction pass work? How to use it?

Each of the aforementioned passes can be purchased either online or at the main attraction locations. To use the pass, simply show your pass at any of the participating attractions for admission.

If purchasing online, you'll receive an email containing a voucher. You can either show your digitally voucher, print it out, or exchange it for a hard-copy ticket at a redemption outlet, usually found in tourist hotspots and inside main attractions.

Typically, you do not need to choose a specific day or time slot when initially buying the New York City tourist passes. However, once purchased, it is recommended to book your entry to individual attractions ahead of time.

This is particularly important for popular tours that can sell out, and timed-entry attractions, like observation decks. Reserving in advance will also help you minimize wait times and allow you to see multiple actions in one day.

The duration of your pass will depend on the type of pass you purchased. They are either limited to a number of days or a number of attractions, as indicated in the product description.