city-walks New York

New York Pass Review
with my Rating

This review will help you to find the best New York pass. Compare quickly with my rating and short overview. The details are listed in the comparison table, the review conclusion and the price comparison. If you also like to explore cities as much as I do, then visiting the sights is usually an expensive matter and requires some organizational effort. You should plan your visits well in advance, especially for a major city like New York. Famous tourist destinations such as the Empire State Building or the Statue of Liberty are very well attended. A sightseeing pass can help you to keep an eye on costs and to simplify the organization. With the passes presented here, you pay a flat rate for the admissions and can use a smartphone app to make reservations and to get information about the attractions. Find out more in the following sections:

My New York Pass Ratings:

New York Pass / All‑Inclusive Pass

overall rating 4.7 of 5:
 

New York Pass

In my opinion, this is the best New York Pass for active tourists. It allows you to visit many of the well-known sights in New York at a flat rate. My experiences and the potential cost savings, as well as the wealth and quality of the offer, justify a very good rating. The All-Inclusive Pass is almost identical to the New York Pass.

customer experience 4.5 of 5:
 

Like me, the majority of customers is very satisfied with the New York Pass. One point that is sometimes mentioned negatively is the need to collect the ticket for certain attractions at the venue. In this case it can happen that you need to wait for the next available time slot. Please note that the pass is activated when you collect the ticket, not upon entry!

price benefit 4.5 of 5:
 

If you are a fast-paced tourist, you can save some costs for admission already with the 2-day pass. The prerequisite for this is a little planning and a good selection of high-priced attractions. I have combined a hop-on hop-off bus with several observation platforms, and the costs for the pass were quickly covered by price savings.

offer 5 of 5:
 

With an offering of approximately 100 attractions, you have plenty of options to design your individual sightseeing program. And you do not have to miss out on the high-priced top attractions either. I think that only a few famous tourist attractions are missing, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

New York Explorer Pass

overall rating 4,5 of 5:
 

New York Explorer Pass

This is for me the best sightseeing pass for relaxed New York tourists. It allows you to visit a certain number of attractions without time pressure. The wide selection, the largely positive customer reports and the possible savings are the reasons for the very good rating from city-walks.

customer experience 4,5 of 5:
 

I and many customers praise the options with the pass, the easy handling and the possible cost savings for admission fees. However, they often point out that some planning is important for the selection of attractions, especially where a reservation is required. They also mention the necessary queuing for a time slot at some attractions. However, I did not have this problem in the low season.

price benefit 4,3 of 5:
 

With Explorer Pass, you do not have to hurry while visiting the attractions. However, the selection plays an important role in the possible savings through the pass. For example, if you want to combine a hop-on hop-off bus tour or a Circle Line cruise with the Empire State Building, Edge or Madame Tussauds, you can save quite a bit of money.

offer 4,8 von 5:
 

The included 90 attractions offer a wide selection and contain many well-known highlights in New York City. Among them you can find the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Top of the Rock ... I miss the Metropolitan Art Museum also in this offer.

New York CityPASS

overall rating 4,1 of 5:
 

New York City Pass

The CityPASS is the right choice for those who like to plan their visit to New York attractions in advance and have no problem with the predetermined attractions. I think that the limited offer of a maximum of 10 attractions is one weakness of the CityPASS. Especially the lack of a hop-on hop-off bus tour bothers me. Due to these points, the rating is not in the top range.

customer experience 4,6 of 5:
 

Most customers praise the app and website for reservations and the resulting travel planning options due to these tools. However, a few customers complain that last-minute reservations were not possible in some cases. The majority of customer reviews are positive about the possible savings and the customer service in the event of any problems. This is also in line with my impression.

price benefit 3,9 of 5:
 

With the New York CityPASS, you have up to 9 days to explore the city sights without time pressure. However, you should make the reservations early enough to be sure to get a ticket at the popular and majority pricey attractions. Doing so can save you a remarkable amount of money. Keep in mind that there is no high-priced hop-on-hop-off bus tour included, so the cost advantage is not as significant as with the Go City passes.

offer 3,8 of 5:
 

The offer with a maximum of 10 attractions for the C3 and C-All Pass is not very extensive. With the CityPASS, there are even only 8 attractions available, two of them are fixed. However, I believe the selection of attractions is of high quality: Empire State Building, Natural History Museum, Top of the Rock, Statue of Liberty... For my taste, a hop-on hop-off bus, One World Observatory and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are missing.

Short Overview about the Passes:

Last updated:

Current Promotions:

  • Get now your All-Inclusive Pass or Explorer Pass from Go City and receive up to 20% off. Just use a promo code from city‑walks: Go City Promo Codes

Comparison Table Tourist Passes:

Sightseeing Pass: New York Pass / All‑Inclusive New York Explorer Pass New York CityPASS
Attractions included: around 100 around 90 8 - 10
Free admission to: all 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 attractions 3, 5 or 10 attractions
Within: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 days 60 days 9 days
Website of provider: New York Pass* Explorer Pass* CityPASS*
Empire State Building: ¹
Statue Of Liberty:
Hop-on Hop-off Bus:
Top of the Rock:
Edge: ²
One World Observatory:
9/11 Memorial & Museum:
Natural History Museum: ¹
Madame Tussauds:
Circle Line Cruise:
Madison Square Garden:
Digital or mobile pass:
Free cancellation:
Sold for: days: attractions: attractions:
Approx. prices: 1: $ 154.00
2: $ 214.00
3: $ 259.00
4: $ 299.00
5: $ 339.00
7: $ 379.00
10: $ 399.00
2: $ 84.00
3: $ 109.00
4: $ 144.00
5: $ 169.00
6: $ 194.00
7: $ 219.00
10: $ 289.00
C3 Ticket
3: $ 104.00
CityPASS
5: $ 146.00
C.All
10: $ 229.00
Links to promotions: Discount Prices ... Discount Prices ...
Ideal for: active tourists relaxed travelers flexible tourists

¹) The Empire State Building and the Natural History Museum are included with the CityPASS and cannot be changed.
²) Not included with CityPASS, only included with C3 and C.All tickets.

Review Conclusion:


Directly to the conclusion for:
New York Pass   
Explorer Pass   
CityPASS   


New York Pass / All‑Inclusive:

New York Pass

The New York Pass and the All-Inclusive Pass are almost identical. The provider Go City offers both passes on two different dedicated websites. The prices are typically at the same level. Therefore, the information on city-walks regarding the New York Pass also applies to the All-Inclusive Pass. Both are sightseeing passes for 1 to 10 days. Within the selected time frame, you can visit an unlimited number of the included attractions once.

With an offering of over 100 attractions, you have really a huge selection. This includes well-known destinations such as the Empire State Building and many other observation decks, Ellis Island with the Statue of Liberty, the Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour, Madame Tussauds, famous museums like the American Museum of Natural History or the Museum of Modern Art MoMA, many high-quality tours and activities. Unfortunately, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick Collection are not included in the attractions offering.

After ordering, you will receive an email with the mobile New York Pass. So, this solution is also perfect suitable for last-minute bookers. However, if you definitely want to visit the most popular attractions in New York, then you should consider a certain lead time and make a reservation wherever it is possible. On the following website, you will find all attractions with a reservation requirement for the Go City New York Pass. Unfortunately, there are also some popular New York destinations without reservation possibility. In this case, you usually have to pick up a ticket on site for a free time slot. These include, among others: Edge, Top of the Rock, One World Observatory...

Conclusion on the New York Pass:

  •   around 100 Attractions
  •   incl. Empire State Building
  •   incl. Edge & Top of the Rock
  •   incl. Hop-on Hop-off Bus
  •   incl. Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
  •   incl. Museum of Natural History
  •   Free Cancellation
  •   Digital Pass
  •   without Metropolitan Museum of Art
  •   partially without reservation possibility

Active Tip! The New York Pass and the All-Inclusive Pass offer the opportunity to visit many of the New York attractions in a short period of time. If you do not want to spend much time at the individual sights and a packed sightseeing itinerary is for you a part of a successful city trip, then this New York Pass is probably the best choice for you.

Buy it directly from the provider: New York Pass*    All‑Inclusive Pass*


Explorer Pass:

New York Explorer Pass

The Explorer Pass is another offer from Go City and an alternative to the New York Pass. This attraction pass is convenient if you want to visit the different attractions without time pressure. When you buy the Explorer Pass you choose the number of attractions and not the time period in days. You have the choice between 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 free attractions. You have 60 days time to visit the selected number of attractions.

The Explorer Pass gives you the option to choose from around 90 attractions. The selection of top attractions is almost equal to the New York Pass. Among them you will find well-known observation decks such as the Empire State Building, Edge, Top of the Rock and One World Observatory. Other popular included destinations are Ellis Island with the Statue of Liberty, the Natural History Museum, the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art MoMA. Of course, a Big Bus hop-on hop-off bus tour and many other guided tours are also part of the offer.

The Explorer Pass is online available directly from the provider. Directly after placing your order, you will receive an email containing details about your pass. Some attractions and tours are only available with a prior reservation. Therefore, it is advisable to order the Explorer Pass well in advance. This will increase your chances of avoiding issues with reservation availability. For more information, you can visit the Explorer Pass reservations web page. For all other attractions, you will get immediate entry on-site or receive tickets for the next available time slot.

Conclusion on the New York Explorer Pass:

  •   around 90 Attractions
  •   incl. Empire State Building
  •   incl. Edge & Top of the Rock
  •   incl. Hop-on Hop-off Bus
  •   incl. Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
  •   incl. Museum of Natural History
  •   Free Cancellation
  •   Digital Pass
  •   without Metropolitan Museum of Art
  •   partially without reservation possibility

Flexi Tip! If you plan to explore only some selected highlights in New York, then the Explorer Pass might be the right choice for you. You have sufficient time for your sightseeing itinerary and may choose from a wide range of options. This pass includes approximately 90 attractions, covering many popular destinations.

Simply order online on the  Go City Website*


New York CityPASS:

New York City Pass

The provider City Pass offers 3 different products for New York City. All 3 products give you the opportunity to visit a certain number of attractions within 9 days. You simply choose whether you want to visit 3, 5, or all 10 attractions.
With the C3 Pass you can simply choose 3 out of the 10 available attractions. With the CityPass you can visit a total of 5 attractions. But 2 destinations are fixed: Empire State Building and American Museum of Natural History. The 3 other destinations can be chosen from a total of 6 attractions. With the Premium Pass C-All you may visit all 10 attractions. However, you will not have the burden of choice, since all 10 destinations are predefined. But the most significant sights are included: Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Guggenheim Museum ... Unfortunately, a hop-on hop-off bus tour is missing in the offer.
You can order the 3 sightseeing passes from CityPASS directly at the provider. On the following website, you will find an overview of the products* and can start your online order. After your order, you will receive an email with the ticket number and a barcode. You will need this number to make reservations at the various CityPASS attractions. A lot of the included attractions can only be visited with a reservation. To do this, you can install the CityPASS app or make your reservations directly on the website.

  •   incl. Empire State Building
  •   incl. Edge & Top of the Rock
  •   incl. Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
  •   incl. Museum of Natural History
  •   many reservation options
  •   Free Cancellation
  •   Digital Pass
  •   only 10 Attractions
  •   without Hop-on Hop-off Bus
  •   without One World Observatory
  •   without Metropolitan Kunstmuseum
  •   Edge only for C3 and C-All

The offering of CityPASS products is not very extensive. The C3 and C-All products include a total of 10 attractions, while the New York CityPASS only includes 8 attractions. However, these cover numerous well-known highlights in New York. Many of the included attractions require a reservation or it is recommended to make a reservation. This is an advantage for those who like to plan their sightseeing in advance. You have up to 9 days time to visit the attractions.

Order now directly at the provider:     CityPASS Website*

Tourist Pass Price Comparison with Attractions:

In this price comparison, you will receive a program proposal for some selected sightseeing passes with the most popular attractions. For each proposal, the prices at the attractions are compared directly with the tourist pass package price. So, you may get some ideas for your sightseeing program in New York and compare the costs for it at the same time.


Jump to the price comparison of:
New York Pass   
Explorer Pass   
CityPASS   


New York Pass 2 Days:

Many sights in New York City have quite long opening hours. This makes it easy to visit many attractions in one day with an New York Pass. This sightseeing program with 6 attractions for 2 days can be completed without significant time pressure. So you can already save a substantial amount with the 2-day pass.

On-Site Tickets
Pass Price
approx. $ 296.52 approx. $ 214.00

Savings compared to the on-site price: approx. $ 82.52


Explorer Pass 4 Attractions:

With the Go City Explorer Pass you will have no time pressure because you have 60 days to visit the attractions. You can visit the proposed destinations in 2 days and you will have enough time to enjoy it. If you want to take a hop-on hop-off bus in New York, then you have an interesting alternative to individual bookings with the Explorer Pass.

On-Site Tickets
Pass Price
approx. $ 206.06 approx. $ 144.00

Savings compared to the on-site price: approx. $ 62.06


New York CityPASS:

The New York CityPASS has 2 predetermined attractions and additionally you can choose another 3 out of 6 options. You have up to 9 days to visit all destinations. The Empire State Building entry has a special feature included. You can visit the observation deck 2 times in one day, once during the day and once at night. If you value this, the price advantage increases by about $20.

On-Site Tickets
Pass Price
approx. $ 191.43 approx. $ 146.00

Savings compared to the on-site price: approx. $ 45.43

New York City MetroCards and public transport:

Unfortunately, New York City passes usually do not include public transport. In order to use the dense network of subways and buses, you need to buy some tickets. MTA, the transport company responsible for public transport in New York City, offers various ticket options. The simplest solution is a Single Ride ticket. This costs around $3.25 and can only be purchased with cash at certain vending machines. As soon as you plan multiple trips, you should consider to buy a MetroCard. You can load an amount of money onto this card and the ticket price will be charged for every trip. This gives you around 10% discount compared to the Single Ride ticket. If you need more than 10 trips per person, then the 7-Day Unlimited MetroCard should be the best option. For around $34, this card allows you to use all MTA subways and buses in New York City within 7 days. The MetroCard is available at ticket machines in a lot of subway stations. The card costs $1 and can simply be loaded with a sum of money for individual trips or with a ticket for a certain time, such as the 7-Day Unlimited MetroCard. As I stayed several days in New York City, such a MetroCard was the ideal addition to a sightseeing pass.

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