You are planning a trip to New York and want to visit some of the most popular sights within a few days? You don't want to buy each ticket individually, but get everything from one source if possible and save money at the same time?
Then the New York CityPASS® is just right for you!
On this page you will learn everything about this classic New York pass:
How the New York CityPASS® works
The New York CityPASS® is one of the oldest sightseeing passes. It has been around for over 25 years. With this product you can visit five of the most popular attractions in New York. There are eight top attractions to choose from. The same company also offers other New York passes, but this page is only about New York CityPASS®.
You have up to nine days to take advantage of the five offers. The New York CityPASS® is a digital product that you can download to your phone. The pass is available and ready to use immediately after purchase.
Tip: There are two other products by the company CityPASS®: New York C-All™ Pass and New York C3® Pass.
1
Digital product
Buy New York CityPASS® online and then download it to your phone. It is ready to use immediately. You can make an appointment for each attraction.
2
Valid 9 days
After the first use, the New York CityPASS® is valid for nine days. During this time you can visit up to five attractions.
3
5 out of 8 attractions
Visit the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History and three other attractions. Show your digital CityPASS® at the box office.
Choice of eight attractions
- Empire State Building (Day & Night)
- American Museum of Natural History
- Top of the Rock
- Ferry to Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum
- Boat trip with Circle Line Cruises
- Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
- Guggenheim Museum
Long validity: The New York CityPASS® is valid for nine days from activation. These are consecutive calendar days. Up to five attractions can be visited during this period. Activation takes place on the first visit.
Digital ticket for the phone: The New York CityPASS® is a purely digital product that you can conveniently save on your phone. You can also print a QR code.
Price for the New York CityPASS®
- 146 (adults aged 18 and over)
- 124 (children and young people aged 6 - 17)
These are the regular prices on the CityPASS.com website. These are usually also valid on ticket websites like GetYourGuide or Tiqets.com. On the official website, there is an additional small booking fee.
New York CityPASS®: Attractions
The New York CityPASS® includes eight attractions - including two major viewing platforms, four popular museums and two boat rides. All attractions are listed in the table below.
Five of these attractions can be visited without additional tickets.
Attraction | New York CityPASS® | Price without New York CityPASS® |
Empire State Building AM/PM Experience (2 visits) | Free of charge | $78.38 |
American Museum of Natural History + a special exhibition or a film | Free of charge | $34.00 |
Top of the Rock Observation Deck | 3 out of 6 free of charge | $43.55 |
Ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island | 3 out of 6 free of charge | $25.00 |
9/11 Memorial & Museum | 3 out of 6 free of charge | $33.00 |
Circle Line Cruise (Landmarks Cruise or Liberty Midtown Cruise) | 3 out of 6 free of charge | $44.00 |
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum | 3 out of 6 free of charge | $36.00 |
Guggenheim Museum | 3 out of 6 free of charge | $30.00 |
Many attractions in New York are quite expensive. If you visit the expensive attractions, the New York CityPASS® will pay for itself quickly.
A special feature compared to other New York passes is that you can visit Empire State Building twice (during the day and in the evening). In addition, you can visit a special exhibition at American Museum of Natural History.
Additionally, you will receive discounts at some attractions. If you do not select the Intrepid Museum and the Guggenheim Museum as your choice attractions, you can still visit them at a discount. For the Intrepid Museum, you will receive $7 discount. For the Guggenheim Museum you will receive $5 discount. All offers and discounts can be found here.
These attractions are missing
The selection of attractions is very good, yet there are some attractions that are not included in CityPASS®:
- One World Observatory
- Edge
- Museum of Modern Art
- Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met)
- SUMMIT One Vanderbuilt
- Hop-on/hop-off bus
- Guided city tours
If you absolutely want to visit any of these attractions, you will have to buy individual tickets for them. However, many of these attractions are included in other New York passes.
In some cities, it is common to also use public transportation for free with a Sightseeing Pass. Unfortunately, this is not possible with the New York CityPASS® and is not covered by any other product.
Reservations required
Please note that reservations are required for most attractions.
After you have purchased the New York CityPASS®, you have to make the reservation. Each provider has a convenient online portal for this. The reservation alone does not activate the New York CityPASS®. The pass is activated only when you visit the first attraction.
You do not have to reserve all the attractions, but you can. We recommend that you always make a reservation. This is the only way to guarantee your visit. You also shorten the waiting time at the attractions.
Here you will find an overview of all services subject to reservation: Reservations with the New York CityPASS®.
What we like about the New York CityPASS®
The New York CityPASS® is one of the best products for sightseeing in New York. There are several arguments in favor of the New York CityPASS®:
Very good selection of attractions
With New York CityPASS® you can visit many places of interest. The selection is very good. In the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History you even enjoy special services.
Long validity
New York CityPASS® is valid for nine days after activation. That should be enough for most visitors.
Digital product
Quickly and conveniently load the New York CityPASS® onto your phone. No need to pick it up anywhere, you can use it immediately after purchase.
Good value for money
With the New York CityPASS® you get a lot for your money. Since many of the top attractions are very expensive, the New York CityPASS® pays for itself quickly. If you mainly visit the more expensive attractions, you can save a lot of money with this product.
Preferential admission through reservations
You can reserve a time slot for all participating attractions. The booking is conveniently made online. With a time slot ticket, you will receive priority admission in each case. This shortens the waiting times at the attractions.
What we like less
The New York CityPASS® is a good product, but not perfect. There are some drawbacks that we like less:
No public transport
The New York CityPASS® does not entitle the holder to use public transport.
Some attractions missing
Since CityPASS® includes only eight attractions, it is missing some important sights and tourist attractions.
Other New York passes have much more to offer: for example. The New York Pass, New York Explorer Pass and Sightseeing Pass.
You are allowed to visit only five attractions
You can only visit five of the eight attractions. Other New York passes allow significantly more visits. After all, the CityPASS® offers discounts to the Intrepid Museum and the Guggenheim Museum.
You do not have the free choice
The CityPASS® is only worth it if you want to visit the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History.
Reservations required
You have to make your own effort to reserve the time slots. However, this has the advantage that waiting times are avoided.
There is a reservation fee (CityPASS.com)
There is a booking fee of $2 per pass when purchasing on CityPASS.com. You can avoid this fee by purchasing the pass on GetYourGuide or Tiqets.com.
Is the CityPASS® worth it?
Our opinion: Yes, the New York CityPASS® is worthwhile for many visitors. The pass is suitable if you are interested in at least five of the eight attractions. You can take up to nine days for this.
Waiting times are largely avoided, as a time slot can be reserved for all attractions. In addition, it is very convenient to be able to simply download the pass to your own phone.
One drawback is that there are only eight attractions to choose from. Other New York passes have much more to offer.
New York CityPASS®
Conclusion
We think that New York CityPASS® is worth the money, because most of the attractions in New York are very expensive. You can save a lot of money by choosing the most expensive attractions.
Where can you buy the CityPASS®?
The New York CityPASS® is available through the official CityPASS.com website as well as some ticket websites.
The most convenient way to buy is at CityPASS.com. There you can get the New York Pass directly from the supplier. You can print a QR code or save it on your phone. Also, if you buy the pass at Tiqets.com or GetYourGuide, you can conveniently download it to your cell phone as a digital pass afterwards.
Questions & Answers
How does the New York CityPASS® work?
The New York CityPASS® is available online and can be used immediately after purchase. Download the digital New York CityPASS® to your phone and show the QR code at participating attractions. Within nine days, you can visit five of eight attractions.
Is the New York CityPASS® worth it?
Yes, from our point of view, New York CityPASS® is worth it for many visitors. It is most worthwhile if you choose the five most expensive attractions.
Does the New York CityPASS® grant fast admission?
Yes! You can reserve a time slot for each attraction to avoid waiting.
Can I use public transportation with the New York CityPASS®?
Unfortunately, no. No New York Pass entitles you to free use of public transport.
How do I reach CityPASS® customer service?
You can reach the customer service of CityPASS® via a contact form or by phone at +1 (208) 787-4300.
Can I cancel the purchase free of charge?
Yes, when you buy New York CityPASS® from CityPASS.com, you get a money-back guarantee for up to 365 days from the date of purchase. If you buy New York CityPASS® from Tiqets.com or GetYourGuide, you can usually cancel your purchase for free until just before departure.
