New York Pass and other passes

Choosing the right New York Pass to make the most of your visit to New York can mean the difference between a good trip and a great one. To that end, here's a comprehensive comparison of the different passes to find the one that's perfect for you.

Buying a tourist card has several advantages, not least of which are saving money (they allow you to enter the main attractions at a flat or reduced rate) and saving time, as most attractions have a special queue for pass holders.

All passes give you access to its main monuments, buildings and points of interest. What varies between passes is their duration and the number of attractions you have access to.

Alex's Tip

It will be much easier to choose a pass if you make a list in advance of the attractions you want to visit.

Depending on what you prefer to pay

Before we go on, the most important thing to note is that there are two types of New York Pass: by number of days, and by number of attractions.

Depending on the type of traveller you are

Finding the perfect pass for you depends entirely on the type of trip you are making to New York. This is very important to avoid buying a pass that is too big for your stay in New York, or worse, too small. Depending on how long you're going to be in New York and the type of traveller you are, I recommend one New York Pass or another.

The New York CityPass includes three fixed attractions and a choice of three attractions, making a total of six attractions, which you can visit in up to 9 days from the first use. It is the most popular pass for visitors to New York, as it includes admission to the city's essential landmarks and is suitable for most trips.

Compared to buying individual tickets to each attraction, you can save up to €72 with this pass, as well as skip the line to buy admission at each site you visit. You can read more in depth about this card in my New York CityPASS article.

What's included

Your choice

Practical information

The New York Pass is a day pass, and you pay according to the number of days of validity you choose. Be careful, because they are not 24-hour days, but from the moment you activate the pass you have until midnight before it counts as a full day, and your pass goes away in the carriage like Cinderella (or simply stops working on the rides).

The New York Pass includes 100 attractions, including New York's most popular: Manhattan Sightseeing Bus, 9/11 Museum, Manhattan Cruise, Statue of Liberty, Madame Tussauds Museum, Empire State Building and Top of the Rock. You can choose between one and ten days for this pass, but my recommendation is to avoid the one-day pass as it will most likely not be worth it. You can read more in my article on the New York Pass.

What's included

Practical information about New York City

The New York Explorer Pass is perfect for personalising your New York experience as you can choose 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 attractions and pay according to the number of attractions you choose. From the moment you activate the pass, you have a full month to visit your chosen attractions, so you can take your trip at your leisure.

If you want to get the most out of the New York Explorer Pass, I recommend choosing attractions that cost €25 or more to maximise your savings. And again, if you want to save as much as possible, make a list of the places you want to visit and compare whether it's better to buy tickets separately. You can read more about the Explorer Pass here: New York Explorer Pass.

What's included

The most efficient combination of attractions:

Practical Info

Like New York Pass, the New York Sightseeing Pass works on a daily basis and each day is valid from activation until midnight. It has some differences like the other passes, such as including credit to spend at attractions and a free meal at a restaurant of your choice from a list of popular New York venues.

I've also written a handy guide you might be interested in about the New York Sightseeing Pass, how to use it, whether it's worth it or not, etc.

What's included

Practical Information

Flex Option

The New York Sightseeing Flex Pass allows you to pay per attraction rather than per day. Otherwise, it includes the same as the regular version, except for admission to the Empire State Building.

Practical info

Alex's Traveller Tip

Passes are activated simply by using them for the first time at an attraction.

Which passes include fast-track access?

All passes have fast-track access at selected attractions. The CityPass includes fast-track access at 5 of its 9 attractions, while the New York Pass has it at 11 out of 100 and the Sightseeing Pass (in its two versions) at 10 out of 115. However, the fact that they have fast-track access does not exempt you from going through security checks.

Which attractions are free for children?

I recommend that you check each site's specific policy first. In general, most children under the age of 3 get free admission to all New York attractions. If your children get free admission to most of the attractions you plan to visit, don't buy them a pass!

How do I activate my pass?

Generally, use it at any attraction included in the pass. From that first use, the time on the pass will start to count and at 12 midnight that same day you will be considered to have used the pass for one day, and so on.

Latest tips

Buying a New York Pass, in most cases, means organising your trip in a very specific way. Plan very well what you want to see, on what day, and at what time. If you are the type of person who travels in a more spontaneous and improvised way, I recommend that you don't buy a pass.

So far, the comparison between the different New York Pass that you can choose for your trip to New York. Now, let's eat up the Big Apple!