New York Pass and other passes

Choosing the right New York Pass to get the most out of your visit to New York can make the difference between a good trip and a great one. And 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, most notably saving money (they allow you to enter the main attractions at a flat or reduced rate) and saving time, as most attractions have a separate queue for holders of these passes.

All passes give you access to the main monuments, buildings and points of interest of New York City. 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 continue, the most important thing to keep in mind is that there are two types of New York Pass: by number of days, and by number of attractions.

It all depends on the type of traveler you are

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

The tourist card New York CityPass includes three fixed attractions and three to choose from several options, making a total of six attractions, which you can visit in a maximum of 9 days from the first use. It is the most popular pass among people visiting New York, as it includes tickets to the essential "landmarks" of the city and its duration is adjusted to most trips.

Compared to buying individual tickets to each attraction, you can save up to $ 85 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 article at New York CityPASS.

What's included

To choose

Practical information

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

The New York Pass includes 100 attractions, including New York's most popular attractions: 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 a duration of between one and ten days for this pass, but my recommendation is to avoid the single day pass, as it will most likely not work out for you. You can read more in my article about the New York Pass.

What's included

Practical information

The New York Explorer Pass is perfect for customizing your New York experience to the fullest, as you can choose 3, 4, 5, 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 the attractions you have chosen, 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 that you choose attractions that cost $ 25 or more to maximize savings. And again, if you want to save as much as possible, make a list of the places you want to visit and compare if it is better to buy the tickets separately. You can read more in detail about the Explorer Pass here: New York Explorer Pass.

What's included

The most efficient combination of attractions:

Practical information

Just like the New York Pass, the New York Sightseeing Pass works for days and each day is valid from activation until midnight. It has some differences like the rest of the passes, such as including credit to spend at the attractions and a free meal at the restaurant of your choice from a list of popular New York sites.

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 convenient or not, etc.

What it includes

Practical information

Flex Option

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

Practical information

Alex's Traveller Tip

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

Which passes include fast-track access?

All passes include fast-track access at select 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 passing the security checks.

Which attractions have free access for children?

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

How do I activate my pass?

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

Last tips

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

This is it for the comparison between the different New York Passes you can choose for your trip to New York. Now, go take a bite of the Big Apple!