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.
For the 9/11 Memorial, is there a time I am supposed to schedule? I can’t tell by the pass website but trying to avoid surprises. Thanks!
Terri,
My understanding is that the 9/11 Memorial & Museum operates like the other included attractions in that you can just show up with a New York Pass and you’ll be allowed in. There is no FastTrack entry, so you do have to stand in the normal ticket queue, but after that you will be allowed in. The New York Pass website is updated regularly, and since there isn’t anything about it requiring reservations on the page, I think it’s just another attraction. If you are still unsure, could you let me know where you heard about a scheduling requirement? Thanks. -Roger
Hi Roger,
I rang Circle Line and the Landmark cruise is included. It appears as though it is the name. I think the Landmark cruise is the same as the Semi Circle cruise.
Thanks Danny
Danny,
That’s great to know. If the weather isn’t great then the semi-circle is probably the best choice. The full island cruise has about an hour where there isn’t much commentary. The scenery is interesting as long as the weather is pleasant, but if it’s not I’d just stick to the shorter ones. Have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger,
I just noticed that the New York Pass does not include the Circle Line Landmark Cruise. Is this correct?
Thanks Danny
Danny,
The New York Pass site says, “New York Pass grants you free admission to the 75-minute Liberty Cruise, 2-hour Semi Circle Cruise, 2-hour Harbor Lights Cruise, 3-hour Full Island Cruise or the 30-minute Beast Speedboat ride.” So it looks like the Landmark Cruise is the only one that it does NOT cover. But you CAN do the Full Island cruise or the shorter cruises AND ALSO the Circle Line Downtown, which covers some of the rest of the Landmark line. I’m not sure why they don’t include the Landmark route, but I can assure you that all of the Circle Line cruises are surprisingly enjoyable. I’ve done them about 5 times, including the Downtown one last year. They are by far the best way to get great views and photos of Manhattan and also the Statue of Liberty. -Roger
Hello I am visiting New York in middle of February for 4 days and 3 nights, I am wondering if the pass would be worth it I want to visit esb top of rock and statue liberty Times Square and Central Park I ain’t really too bothered about anything else and where would you recommend eating first time in nyc just want try take in much as possible
Louis,
If the only New York Pass attractions that interest you are Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, and the Statue of Liberty boat trip, I’d skip getting a pass. You can pay cash at those three things and you’ll save money overall. You’ll have to stand in the general ticket queues, but in February those shouldn’t be too bad.
As for where to eat, it’s tricky to make recommendations without knowing your tastes and budget. The one thing that I recommend to everyone is to try to eat AWAY from the Times Square neighborhood as much as possible. About half of the tourist hotels in NYC are in Times Square, so there are so many newcomers eating in the area that restaurants have no incentive to offer good quality and prices because people will come anyway. New York City is a dining paradise, as long as you go to places that locals frequent rather than the places that primarily rely on tourist traffic.
I used to live in Greenwich Village, on the west side for over a year and on the east side for almost as long, so I’m partial to many places down there. John’s on Bleeker Street has arguably the best pizza in Manhattan, but there are many great choices nearby. And the East Village has many great-value restaurants, particularly along 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenues.
Just avoid eating near Times Square, or along 57th Street for that matter. Look for crowds, which means a place is popular with locals, and you’ll get some great meals. Have a wonderful trip. -Roger
We are going to New York City the end of February and are worried about freezing. ..lol…is the circle line cruise heated or all outdoors? And what about TO T R OR ESB? Is there a way to stay warm?
Stacy,
There is a decent chance that the weather will be okay by the end of February. But if it is cold, you will still be fine and have a great time. The Circle Line has a large indoor area that is climate controlled, and also large outdoor decks. The boats are usually not very full in February so you’ll be able to go in and out as you please and have a seat in both areas. It’s really a great tour, even if you are indoors most of the time.
Both the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock are similar in that there are indoor areas and outdoor decks. Obviously you’ll see more clearly outdoors, and it’s rarely so cold that a few minutes outdoors will be a problem. As long as you are prepared with layers of clothes, the weather won’t be a problem and the crowds will be thin so you’ll be able to move quickly. Have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger
I have followed this advice page for a few months now. I get married on Christmas Eve and we are honeymooning from 27th to 4th January staying in times square for the ball drop (childhood dream for us both)
We are buying the pass and are really looking forward to our first visit to the city together. I haven’t managed to find any info on the helicopter trip, do you happen to know what I can search on the pass website to find info on this trip please? Also, we intend to take full advantage of the pass and see as much as we can during our time. Are there any places/tours that you’re aware of that won’t be operating during the festive period? We are slowly building our itinerary, we don’t want to rush it and miss key elements so are slowly ploughing through info and positioning our days to get the most out of them without tiring ourselves out for the evenings. I am really excited about going on “the ride” which looks an amazing bus tour, full of interactive play. That in itself is a huge saving when put against its stand alone price.
Look forward to hearing some top tips for winter, particularly new year travel from you.
Best wishes
Sarah and James
Sarah,
Here is the page about the 15% discount on the helicopter ride.
I agree that “The Ride” looks pretty amazing. The only thing I know about it is that the NY Pass seats fill up quickly so you’ll want to go to the box office in the morning. You might even have to try a couple times, so I’d do that as early in the trip as possible.
Aside from that, I don’t think you’ll have a problem doing what you want to during that period. Obviously NYC is very popular for New Years visits, but the majority of people only come into town for a couple days so the crowds at the beginning and end of your stay shouldn’t be bad. It will probably be cold, but hopefully not below freezing, at least during the day. Some of the walking tours might not be much fun on very cold days, so if you are going to do one of those it’s probably best to schedule it for a warmer day. The weather forecast there is pretty reliable, so you should know what to expect for your whole stay before you even arrive.
And I always say this, but I’m a big fan of the Circle Line boat tour, even when you have to stay on the indoor part of the boat. It should be great as long as it isn’t raining at the time, and it offers the best views of the Statue of Liberty. Most of the famous attractions in NYC are indoors, and the subway always moves quickly even if it’s cold or snowy outside, so you should be able to see everything on your list. I can’t really think of any other winter tips, but feel free to ask other questions if you have them. Congrats and have a great trip. -Roger
Hi Roger
We’re a mid 40’s couple from Australia and will be in NYC for 2 weeks in mid-Nov this year. We would like to walk around the city as much as possible, but obviously still want to see all the main attractions. The thing is, I don’t want our holiday to be manic as we still like to have some downtime each day. Rather than buying a 10 day pass, would you recommend a 5, or 7 day pass? I believe our hotel is very close to Times Square, which is fine, but wasn’t sure whether buying a pass and taking a (fairy) leisurely approach means we would save real $$.
Tina,
I know exactly what you mean about not wanting to feel rushed, and I could really go either way on this answer. On one hand, the 10-day New York Pass is only a bit more expensive than the 7-day version, and it usually has deeper discounts, so the price per day becomes quite low. With that in mind you shouldn’t feel so rushed, and you could even have a couple days where you do one or zero attractions and still get good value. If it were me, I think that’s the way I’d go.
On the other hand, it’s natural to feel like you have to squeeze out as much value as possible from these city cards, so getting a shorter pass would allow you to have more days where the pressure is totally off. If you are staying for about 14 days, then even with the 10-day pass you’d obviously have 4 days with no pressure to do structured sightseeing. If you buy the 10-day Pass at a big discount then hopefully you’d be able to space out your sightseeing on those days and still get good value.
So again, there isn’t a clear answer for this, and it mostly comes down to how you’d deal with the longer pass. New York City is huge and packed with worthwhile attractions, but still you’ll almost certainly be able to see the main famous ones in 5 days. Is it worth the extra money to allow yourself to do it all at a more leisurely pace? That’s up to you. Either way, I’m sure you’ll enjoy your visit and that the New York Pass will come in very handy. Good luck. -Roger
How does New York pass verify if a child is under 13 years old?
Beth,
I don’t work for New York Pass, but I have used them several times and also lived in New York so I try to answer questions about them. On this question I really have no idea, though I assume that child ages are on the honor system, which is the norm in the United States. They know that most US residents under the age of 16 won’t have a verified photo ID, so they really have no choice but to trust the parents. I hope that helps. -Roger
Hi Roger. I have read all the posts and answers, and they are very interesting. Congratulations!!
I have some questions. We will be visiting New York next week, from 14 to 18 Sept. We will buy the New York Pass for 3 days.
The attractions that we will be visiting are:
* Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
* 911 Memorial and Museum
* 911 Tribute Center
* One World Observatory
* Intrepid sea, air and space museum
* American Museum of Natural History
* Madame Tussauds
* Circle Line Cruise (Full Island Cruise)
* Top of the Rock
* MOMA
1.- I have checked the official pages and some of them require reservation (or preferable), what do you think? Is it necesary?
2.- What about some parts / areas of the attractions that “probably” are not included? I don’t know and that’s why I am asking. For example at the Intrepid Museum, the area with the Space Shuttle and the Concorde airplane. Or at the American Museum of Natural History, the planetarium, IMAEX or 3D projections. Are they included with the NY Pass?
Thanks for your answer and help!!!!
By the way. I know that the One World Observatory is not included with the NY Pass.
And I want to clarify, If I need to do a reservation on some attractions, how can I do it?, because I can´t find the area at the corresponding web site, indicating that I am a NY Pass holder.
Thanks again!
Alejandro,
1. I’m not really sure about which places say they require reservations. I’ve been to most of the attractions on your list using a New York Pass and in all cases I just walked up and looked for the entry queue or in some cases they have a special NY Pass queue. Maybe the Circle Line cruise recommends reservations because there are a fixed number of seats on each boat, but in my experience (and I’ve done the Circle Line about 5 or 6 times because I love it), there is always room. In other words, the boat might hold, say, 600 people, and maybe on the busiest days of the year they get more than that so they have to put the overflow on the next cruise. But the last time I did it was in late August last year and the boat was maybe half full. The cruises are popular, but the boats are big.
The same is sort of true on the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferries. They go every 15 minutes or so and those do fill up, but you can just get in line and go on the next one after the full ones. Since you are outside of July and August, the crowds should be down a bit, so it won’t take too long. But still, for that one I recommend going as early in the day as possible because the line builds all day and if you get there early you can just go right on board.
2. I’m not sure about those additional things that are normally extra fees once you are inside the main attraction. In my past research and experience they are NOT included with the normal New York Pass entry. I’m pretty sure the IMAX thing requires a separate admission, as you’d expect, but I’m not 100% sure.
What I’d recommend if you have a smart phone would be to download the free New York Pass app (iPhone and Android) and go through the attractions on that. It gives you all the hours and details and everything you need, and it’s very handy once you are in NYC as well. Have a great trip and let me know if you have other questions.
-Roger
Thank you very much Roger!!! Very professional and clear!!
Hi Roger,
I’m planning on visiting New York City for the long weekend, and have gotten the New York pass for 2 days (Sept 6 & 7th).
Here’s what I have planned. Can you please advise on the feasibility and any recommendations you may have?
Day 1
– Empire State Building
– New York Skyride
– Hop on Hop off Tour
– Times Square sightseeing
– Planet Hollywood
– The Ride
– Madam Tussauds Wax Museum
Day 2
– New York Water Taxi to Battery Park
– Statue of Liberty?. Ferry from Battery Park. Pick up ticket early
– 9/11 Memorial
– 2 hour Circle Line Harbour Cruise
– Central Park
– Top of the Rock Observation Deck at end of the day
Thanks.
Rahul,
I think your plan looks really well thought out. You’ve done a great job of bunching the attractions together so you can do them efficiently.
The only thing I’ll mention is that if you are feeling a bit tired on the second day you might actually skip the Statue of Liberty visit. Unless you’ve reserved a spot to go up into the statue, then there isn’t much to see or do on the island itself. And honestly, most people seem to be mainly interested in getting good views of the statue and some nice photos. You’ll get excellent views on the Circle Line boat, so if that is your main goal you could substitute something else for the island visit. There are a few included New York Pass attractions near the Fulton Fish Market area, which is a short walk from the Wall Street area, and it’s a nice place with some good food options as well. Have a great trip. -Roger