Is the New York Pass 2024 worth it? We review prices and value here
One thing that New York City is famous for is being expensive, and for good reason. It’s an amazing place with some of the world’s most famous attractions, but unfortunately they are almost all pricey. In fact, things like the Empire State Building, Hop-on, hop-off double-decker bus, Circle Line harbor cruise, and Madam Tussauds are all between $40 and $80 EACH! The New York Pass can be a great way to save money and time if you are someone who wants to see the top attractions during a visit of only a few days.
Below we review the New York Pass in full and provide tips for getting the most out of it along with recommendations of who should NOT get the New York Pass. The short version is that the New York Pass can definitely save you money if you are able to plan ahead and start early. New York City also tends to be crowded, but there are great included attractions that are not crowded in the mornings, and others that are open until 10 PM each day. Read on for our advice and feel free to ask questions in the comments at the bottom.
Note: This article was last updated March, 2024. This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated (at no extra cost to you) if you make a purchase after clicking on my links, which helps keep this site going.
Price of the 2024 New York Pass
Adults (ages 13+)
- 1-day: $154
- 2-day: $214
- 3-day: $259
- 4-day: $299
- 5-day: $339
- 6-day: $359
- 7-day: $379
- 10-day: $399
Children (ages 4 – 12)
- 1-day: $114
- 2-day: $169
- 3-day: $199
- 4-day: $229
- 5-day: $264
- 6-day: $279
- 7-day: $289
- 10-day: $299
The attraction pass is good for one year so you can buy now and validate it anytime in the next 12 months.
EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for PriceOfTravel readers: Save 5% off all New York Passes using the link below and the promo code “GO5POT”. Look for “Have a promo code? Click here” in Review Your Order in the checkout process to enter the code. If a larger discount is available you’ll get the lowest price with the link.
Note: If you decide to purchase you can buy the New York Pass here at 5% off or the lowest available price.
As of 2024, the New York Pass is all online and downloadable instantly for free. You’ll download the New York Pass app and your purchase will activate the valid pass that you’ll show when you enter each attraction.
Most popular attractions included with the New York Pass
- Big Bus Hop-on, Hop-off Double Decker Bus Tour: $80
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum: $33
- Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry: $24
- Empire State Building: $51
- Edge (new open-air glass platform 100 stories high): $50
- Circle Line harbor cruise: Up to $49
- Museum of Modern Art (MOMA): $30
- Guggenheim Museum: $30
- American Museum of Natural History: $28
- Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum: $33
- Madame Tussauds + MARVEL Universe 4D: $48
- Madison Square Garden All Access Tour: $37
- Top of the Rock observation deck: $43
- One World Observatory – New observation deck on the 102nd floor: $48
- RiseNY – Simulated ride over New York’s rooftops and more: $42
Most of the other included attractions are at least a bit cheaper than those listed above, but these are the most popular (and expensive) ones that nearly everyone wants to visit. Interestingly, the New York Pass includes every one of the best attractions in the city. Most passes in other big cities don’t include at least one or two of the most popular sights, but this one is complete unless you want to do the Ground Zero Museum Workshop, which isn’t all that great anyway.
New for 2024: There are now FOUR observation decks included!
The Empire State Building and Top of the Rock observation decks have been included with the New York Pass for decades, but as of 2024 there are two new and very impressive observation decks in town and both of them are also included.
Edge, located in the new Hudson Yards complex might be the most impressive of all of them. It’s a huge glass deck on the 100th floor with views of all of Midtown Manhattan and the Hudson River, with only a glass retainer holding you back so you can get the best photos without all sorts of gates in the way.
One World Observatory is also new in the landmark building where the World Trade Center used to stand, so you’ll be passing by it for sure anyway.
These observation decks each cost around $45, which seems expensive, but isn’t so bad if you have the New York Pass and can literally do all of them in a day or two. Better still, all of them are open until at least 8 or 9 PM each evening, so it’s perfect to save at least one for after sunset. You’ll be tired and almost everything else will be closed for the day, but you don’t need much energy to hop on an elevator that takes you to an observation deck.
Recommended New York Pass attractions in brief
Hop-on, hop-off bus tour ($80)
New York is filled with famous sights and the best way to see most of the top sights in a short time is on the double-decker hop-on, hop-off bus. All two included routes (Downtown Loop and Uptown Loop) have convenient stops in or very near Times Square. I highly recommend taking the full Downtown Loop on your first full morning in town. The Downtown Loop is more interesting and runs more frequently (every 20 minutes compared to every 60 minutes). Both leave from the same place in Times Square, so you can easily jump on the next Uptown Loop after you finish Downtown. The Uptown Loop gives you a great tour of Central Park and Midtown Manhattan.
Circle Line Cruise ($41 to $49)
You’ll see more than half of the famous sights from the hop-on, hop-off bus, and you’ll see all the rest on these excellent Circle Line Cruises. Combine the cruise with one lap on the HOHO bus and you’ll feel like you’ve seen most of New York City in one day.
Better still, they all spend 10 minutes right in front of the Statue of Liberty, so this is the best way to see it up close and to take the best photos. When I lived in NYC I would always take the Circle Line cruise with every visitor who came to town, so I’ve done it at least 6 or 7 times now. It’s a bit of a hassle getting to the dock, but once onboard it’s WAY better than anyone expects.
Empire State Building and Top of the Rock Observation Deck (about $50 each)
Manhattan looks impressive from the ground, and even more impressive from the observation decks on the tops of these buildings near Midtown. Do one during the day and the other at night for the best combination.
Madame Tussauds + MARVEL Universe 4D $48
If you’ve never been in one of these wax museums, you’ll honestly be amazed. You can be in and out in an hour or so, and since it’s included with the New York Pass and located in the heart of Times Square, it’s a quick thrill and excellent value. The attraction now includes a “4D” cinema experience featuring various characters from the Marvel Universe.
Here's a great way to build an itinerary for 2 or 3 days with a New York Pass
If you are like most others, your visit to New York City will be 4 days or fewer and the 2-day or 3-day New York Pass will be all the time you have. If this is the case you can maximize your time AND see the most memorable sights by starting with an itinerary like this.
Day 1: Hop-on, hop-off bus tour, Empire State Building (daytime), Madame Tussauds, and one other attraction of your choice
Day 2: Circle Line Cruise, 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Met Museum (or something else), and Top of the Rock observation deck at night.
Even if you only have two sightseeing days in New York City, you can do the attractions above quite easily in two days. Altogether they would cost around $350 for an adult, and a 2-day New York Pass is still under $200 (using a discount). If you have a third sightseeing day you can usually get a 3-day New York Pass for only a bit more because there are often promotional prices, and you’ll still have another full day to get value and see the things that interest you most.
The New York Pass includes a free smart phone app that is very helpful
Any visitor to New York City might consider downloading the free New York Pass app for iPhone or Android. It’s well organized and a very comprehensive look at the most popular sights in New York City, complete with a map and the opening hours for each. I used the app on a visit in late 2018 and it was a great helper for using my New York Pass, but honestly it’s probably worth a free download even if you don’t buy a New York Pass.
The advantage of the New York Pass
Not only are you very likely to save quite a bit of money if you plan your day well, but you’ll be skipping most of the longest lines at ticket booths, which means you’ll have time for at least one more sight per day than someone paying for each one separately.
And since New York City can be so expensive on a quick visit, locking in literally all of your sightseeing funds at once can help you worry less about the ever-mounting costs. It can be shocking and depressing when the day nears its end and you realize each person has spent $150 on admission fees. Once you download the New York Pass app, which you can do for free before buying, you’ll see that more and more attractions require an advance reservation. You can make most of those reservations in the app as well, so it saves time before you even get there..
The downside of the New York Pass
Of course the price itself seems like a lot of money all at once, so those on tight budgets might be ruled out altogether. Another thing to seriously consider before buying a New York Pass is that doing even 3 or 4 main sights in a day is going to be busy and probably frantic.
There are plenty of free and cheap things to do in New York City, so for many people they are better off visiting perhaps one major sight per day and then spending the rest of the day shopping or visiting neighborhoods or taking photos. A trip like that might be more memorable in the long run, and it will certainly be more unique than rushing from sight to sight. If you prefer a more relaxed sightseeing schedule, don’t buy the pass.
Who SHOULD get the New York Pass?
- Visitors who want to see the most things in a short time
- Anyone who already plans on going to many of the most expensive attractions
Who SHOULD NOT get the New York Pass?
- Backpackers or those on very tight budgets
- Those who’ll be staying in New York City for over a week and would prefer to see sights at a slow pace
Important advice: Start early and plan ahead
Once in a while I’ll get a message from someone who bought the New York Pass and didn’t feel like it was good value. I’ve noticed that these unfortunate visitors tend to make two major mistakes, and if you can avoid them you should be very happy with your purchase.
1. Start early in the day, around 9am if possible
Believe it or not, even New York City’s top attractions tend to be somewhat uncrowded in the morning, so getting an early start is essential. If you can leave your hotel by around 9am you’ll have time for two popular attractions before lunch, and then time for two or three more before dinner. You’ll still have the whole evening open for dinner and other fun, or you can visit the Empire State Building or Top of the Rock observation decks for amazing views as they are at least as impressive at night and you should plan on doing at least one of them after dark. But if you don’t get out until almost noon, you’ll feel rushed and behind schedule all day because every place you go will be crowded.
2. Plan your route ahead of time
Many of NYC’s top attractions are clustered together, so if you plan ahead you can see a few things in a short time on foot. The New York Pass comes with a free and handy smart phone app (you can download it before you even buy a NY Pass), and it has all the included attractions on one map, with the hours and description for each just one click away. If you plan your route before you leave in the morning you can see a lot, but if you only plan one thing at a time you’ll quickly get frustrated.
About the hop-on, hop-off sightseeing bus that is included
Even though they are officially “hop-on, hop-off” buses, it’s really not advisable to try to use them as transportation between attractions. While they do come about every 15 minutes in Manhattan, they can get crowded and there are many stops where almost no one ever gets off. This means that you might wait 15 or 20 minutes for the next bus and then find that you’ll have to stand on the bottom floor (instead of the open deck on top), and you might have to squeeze in.
My advice is to take each bus tour all the way around starting from one of the most popular stops, and then maybe ride it a bit more later if it looks to be convenient. That way you get the whole tour at once and if you use it again later it will just be a bonus. If you only need to go one or two stops to see your next attraction, it will be faster to walk. And if you need to go a longer distance you’ll find that the subway system is much faster and also very efficient. You’ll get more out of your New York Pass by moving quickly between attractions rather than waiting around for a tourist bus.
The bottom line
For the New York Pass, it’s actually a really good deal for many people. Honestly, the sights included are almost all very worth visiting, which isn’t true of the expensive sights in some other cities. For example when we investigated if the Paris Pass is worth it, the answer is no for most people. Our review of the London Pass shows that it’s actually very good value as long as you are interested in the famous attractions it includes rather than the many free museums.
On the other hand, New York City is a destination that many people will return to over and over, so you might consider pacing yourself on the major sights, only taking in a few on each trip. On this latest update in early 2024 we noticed that prices of MOST of the top attractions have gone up by around $5 each in the second half of 2023. The New York Pass price went up a bit as well, but it’s still now an even better deal for those who want to see the most famous attractions on their visit.
It might also be worth considering getting only the 1-day or 2-day New York Pass, even if you are in town for much longer, and just planning on fitting as many things as possible into those days. It would be a mistake to try to see 4 major sights every day you are in NYC, so be sure to schedule some time to just wander around and take the city itself in.
Buy your New York Pass
EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT for PriceOfTravel readers: Save 5% off all New York Passes using the link below and the promo code “GO5POT”. Look for “Have a promo code? Click here” in Review Your Order in the checkout process to enter the code. If a larger discount is available you’ll get the lowest price with the link.
Note: If you decide to purchase you can buy the New York Pass here at 5% off or the lowest available price.
Great reading all about city pass and it has made my mind up to get the pass,going to new York in may for 7 nights cant wait,thankyou.
hi rodger,
thanks for the reply. i really appreciate the great advice given.
the non day passes (things you can do for free?), is there anything you would recommend doing in particular? or any sites worth visit with some information about things to do?
i will be over on the 15th feb (next week), i heard the weather is getting rather nippy again? packing warm i assume for then? haha
thang
hi rodger,
i hope you are well. i said this article and it was really interesting what you wrote. i was wondering your opinion on purchasing a 3 day pass or a 7 day one if i am staying in new york for a week? im just trying to think i can squeeze all the main things in 3 days and then take it slow and relax for the rest of the days there?
what do you think?
thanks,
thang
Thang M,
If you think you might be able to squeeze all the expensive paid attractions into 3 days then you probably can. The key, as I always say, is to plan well and start those days early, like out of your hotel by 9am. If you do that you can certainly do 3 or 4 key attractions each day, keeping in mind that some of them like the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock are open well into the evening (and quite nice at night, so do one during the day and the other at night).
As long as you prioritize the attractions you REALLY don’t want to miss into your first two NY Pass days, then you should be fine. You might end up missing one or two by the end of Day 3, but those will likely be cheaper ones that you could pay separately for if necessary. I’m a big fan of having extra non-pass days like you have in mind because New York City is so filled with great and free things to see and do. Have a great trip and let me know if you have other questions. -Roger
Hi Roger
I found the new york pass on expedia.com.au website i want to buy it there so i can get points since i book my hotels and airfares through that website as well. Do you know if its valid, real? I spoke to expedia and they said to speak to new york pass website. Ive emailed them and big bus tours, neither have replied. According to the information on expedia, it says you redeem your voucher for the new york pass at Big Bus Welcome Centre on 716 7th Avenue between 47th & 48th Street. I live in sydney australia.. any information would be much appreciated. Thanks Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn,
The Aussie version of the Expedia site is real and I’m sure their sale of the NY Pass is real as well. And picking up a New York Pass at the Big Bus Welcome Center is possible for all NY Pass purchases, so I see no reason to find that suspicious either. In other words, it all looks exactly as it should to me.
One other thing though, I assume Expedia has their own discount for the pass, but make sure it’s at least as good as the one offered on the official newyorkpass.com site. Those points are great if you get a good price, but if you are paying AU$55 more for each pass, it’s probably not worth it. Have a great trip (and I’m in Bali at the moment, by the way, so in your neck of the woods). -Roger
Hi Roger,
Great, great info. Thank you. I’m visiting NYC from 08/27 to 09/03.
About the pass, its probably the best time to buy it now I guess? Nice discount I see 🙂 .
Dennis,
Yes, as I just mentioned in another comment, the current 20% discount is the biggest discount of the year, and the normal price is probably going to go up in early February as well. In other words, if you think you want a New York Pass to use any time in the next 12 months, you definitely won’t get it cheaper or as cheap as this. -Roger
hello
We have just booked New York for a week and we are travelling in November 2016 and staying for 7 nights. I am thinking of buying the New York pass now for myself and my husband while the 20% discount is on. Do you think it is worth me doing this (will be putting on credit card) or will there be another 20% discount before November 2016 and if so how will I get to find out about the discount? Also do you know if the general price will increase between now and then?
Sorry, one last question – would you recommend the 3 or 5 day pass? We want to see all of the main attraction sites and also get discounts in restaurants / Macy’s etc.
thank you
Kelly,
The current 20% discount is the only one like this in the past 12 months, so I do think it’s a great time to buy if you are going to buy one. Also, they usually raise the normal price in early February, so this might really be like 25% off what you’d pay later. On the other hand, the New York Pass does run discounts of around 10% about twice per month, and sometimes up to 15% off the longest passes. The discounts usually last about 4 days and start again every two weeks or so. So if you don’t see a discount offered right now, just check back every few days and a new round will start.
As for the 3-day vs 5-day pass, it’s hard for me to confidently recommend one over another without knowing your preferences. Obviously the 5-day version is a better value on a per-day basis, and it allows you to slow down your sightseeing and still be able to do all of the top attractions. But if you really only want to do 5 or 6 of the included attractions, then the 3-day version will be enough and there’s no point in buying the longer one. Have a great trip with whatever you decide. -Roger
Hello,
travelling in May thinking of the 3 day pass or maybe 5 only there for 7 days. The circle line cruise which one is the best.
Liberty Cruise: 10:00 AM – 13:30 PM – 15:30 PM
Best of NYC Cruise: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – 14:00 PM
Hello Brooklyn Cruise: 14:30 PM
Landmark Cruise: 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM – 15:00 PM – 16:30 PM
Harbor Lights Cruise: 19:00 PM
Kevin,
I’m a big fan of the Circle Line cruises so I think the longer ones are better. I prefer the Best of NYC Cruise or at least the Landmark Cruise. The Liberty Cruise is new, I believe, and it really only goes to the statue and back. The others I mentioned go to the statue but also show you a LOT more in a short amount of time. Have a great trip. -Roger
hi Roger,my wife & myself are visiting New York middle of January for a Bruce Springsteen concert within a stay of 7 days & obviously want to visit & see as many of the attractions as possible what length of pass do you recommend for our stay & is it better to buy before traveling or as cheap etc to buy when we arrive
many thanks
Paul,
I think the 3-day New York Pass offers the best value for someone like you because there are often discounts (including right now) that make it only a bit more expensive than the 2-day pass. The 5-day Pass is also discounted and might be best if you really want to see many of the main (expensive) attractions that the New York Pass covers.
In either case you’d have 2 or 3 days WITHOUT the pass, which will allow you to see Central Park and Times Square and other places that are already free, plus some shopping and just wandering around in Greenwich Village and SoHo. With at least 3 days of a pass you can focus all of your expensive sightseeing into those days and you’ll be able to see pretty much everything that you want as long as you are well organized and start early on those days.
Also, the New York Pass is ONLY available online, although you can buy it online and pick it up in NYC once you get there to save time or shipping costs. The thing is, the attractions that charge high prices for walk-up tickets won’t let the New York Pass sell a walk-up version to compete with them. So they allow the discount on the all-inclusive attraction ticket for people who book ahead, but not people already doing their sightseeing. Have a great trip, and do the Circle Line Cruise early during your pass because it’s a great highlight and it will help you get oriented. Bon voyage and enjoy The Boss. -Roger
Hi Roger,i took on-board your advice in reply to my question & purchased 2,3 day passes,which you rightly mentioned would leave us time to visit other attractions which are free ETC, also I was wondering with your knowledge & experience of NEW YORK is it difficult,far to travel down to Asbury Park on public transport don’t fancy trying to drive lol, being a BOSS fan i would love to visit the stone pony & surrounding area
many thanks once again
Paul,
I’m happy the New York Pass will work out for you. Fortunately, it isn’t too difficult to get down to Asbury Park from NYC as long as you set aside most of a day. You’ll need to take a short train ride from Penn Station in NYC to the main station in Newark. From there you’ll take another train toward Asbury Park, which should take about 90 minutes. You might have to change trains in Long Branch, which is a larger town a bit north of Asbury Park. I’m sure the New Jersey train website will have all the details. Have a great trip. -Roger
Though NY is one of the most expensive cities, I think the fees mentioned here for NY Pass is worth it.
Hi Roger,
My fiancee and I are visiting New York City for the first time ever from Dec. 12- Dec 16th. We’re debating buying the pass or not especially since it’s discounted 20% today. We want to visit typical tourist places specifically the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Statue of Liberty (I’ve been reading your comments about the cruise option rather than the ferry to go into the statue; I’m considering just the cruise), Times Square, 9/11 Memorial and Wall Street. I’ve been reading your recommendation to not rely on the HopOn/Off Bus as transportation but I was wondering if you have any recommendations on transportation. I’ve heard the Subways are fast but do they travel to these places? Also, I’m staying about 2 miles away from Times Square. Do you have any suggestions on how to plan our days (knowing the places we want to visit). Side note: We have a concert to attend at the Beacon Theater on the evening of the 15th.
Thank you so much for having this wonderful resource and keeping up-to-date with it all!
Ariela,
Sorry I didn’t get to this question while the 20% off discount was still going, but they now have a $30 off discount, which is about 15% off. And they will have another discount that might be the 20% one shortly after that, before you leave for sure. I’m hoping you bought the New York Pass with the discount because it really does sound like it will be ideal for the sort of visit you have in mind. As you’ve seen, the pass covers most of the pricey attractions on your list, and I definitely recommend the Circle Line Cruise for close up views of the Statue of Liberty instead of the Statue of Liberty ferry itself. As I’ve mentioned, there really isn’t much to see or do on the island, unless you book a special visit inside the thing way in advance, and the views aren’t nearly as good as from the Circle Line. The ferry includes a stop at Ellis Island, and that is interesting to many people, but to be honest it’s quite dry and many people are bored pretty quickly. Also, the Circle Line is really a great experience even without the Statue views.
For transportation between attractions you’ll definitely want to use the subway, and it goes pretty much everywhere. You have to walk a couple of long blocks from the subway to reach the Circle Line departure point, but it’s an easy walk and a taxi wouldn’t cost too much if you preferred. Admittedly, the subway can feel a bit intimidating at first because all the locals are rushing and they all know exactly where they are going, but there are many other tourists going the places you are going, and the locals are very used to it, and will often help with directions. And once you successfully use the subway once, especially involving a transfer along the way, you’ll feel like a master. Another thing to mention is that the subway is very safe, day and night, in the areas where you’ll be going. I might not want to ride at 4am, but even at midnight you’ll find the platforms and carriages to be quite crowded, and there is safety in numbers.
As for planning your days, I’d recommend getting the New York Pass smartphone app, which is free and a NY Pass isn’t required to download it. It has all of the included attractions on a map, and each of the hours of operation are right there. My main tip for getting the best value is to start early, especially on your first few days. If you can leave your hotel by 9am you can see or do 2 things before the queues start to get long, and then you’ll have the rest of the day to do 1, 2, or 3 more things. Some people can’t get out of their hotel until almost noon, and by then the top attractions are pretty crowded and it can be frustrating. Oh my! I didn’t know Mariah Carey was at the Beacon Theater. That place is right off a subway hub in a very busy neighborhood, so it’s easy to find and safe to reach at night. As always, let me know if you have other questions. -Roger