In a nutshell
- The New York CityPass is, in our opinion, one of the best city passes in New York.
- You can easily buy the pass online at GetYourGuide.
- It’s always a bit cheaper there than on the official website, and you can cancel it for free up to 24 hours in advance.
- It gives you access to five top attractions for $154.
- With the pass, you can save roughly $60 compared to buying individual tickets.
- New: Use our New York CityPass calculator to find out in just a few clicks which pass is right for you.
How the New York CityPass Works
The New York CityPass is really straightforward. It’s perfect for anyone who wants to focus on the five absolute top highlights in New York.
- Two top highlights are always included: The pass always includes the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History.
- You choose three highlights yourself: You pick three more from six highlights (e.g., Top of the Rock OR the Guggenheim Museum).
So you’re buying a package for a total of five attractions.
Once you use the pass for the first time (i.e., scan it at the entrance), it gets activated. From that moment on, it’s valid for nine consecutive days. You don’t have to squeeze all five visits into two or three days — you can take your time and go at your own pace.
Really important: Make sure to reserve your time slots after purchasing! Even with the CityPass, you need to book a specific date and time at each attraction. It’s easy to do through the My CityPass app.
For a relaxed city trip to New York, the NYC CityPass will definitely set you up well.
Pass Calculator: Is the New York CityPass Worth It?
Whether the New York CityPass is worth it is very personal and depends on how long you’re staying and what you want to do.
With our pass calculator, you can easily figure out whether the CityPass makes sense for you — or whether a different pass might be a better fit.
Cost of the New York CityPass
The CityPass pricing is about as simple as it gets — there’s only one price.
| Adults | Reduced (ages 6–17) | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Attractions | $154 | $129 |
You’ll get the best price on GetYourGuide. The CityPass there is always a few dollars cheaper than on the official website. The exact price depends on the current USD to Euro exchange rate and can fluctuate slightly.
What's Included in the New York CityPass
Overview of all included attractions:
| Attraction | Regular price | Reservation | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Attractions | |||
| Empire State Building | $48 to $55 | required | second evening visit possible at no extra charge |
| American Museum of Natural History | $30 | ||
| 3 of the following attractions | |||
| Top of the Rock | $43 to $55 | recommended | |
| Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island | $28 | required | |
| 9/11 Museum & Memorial | $33 | required | |
| Circle Line Boat Tour | $30 to $45 | required | choice of 4 routes |
| Guggenheim Museum | $30 | recommended | |
| Intrepid Museum | $38 | recommended |
The New York CityPass includes a total of eight attractions, of which you can visit five with the pass:
- The Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History are fixed attractions
- From the remaining six attractions, you can choose three
Empire State Building
Regular price: $48 to $55
The Empire State Building is one of two fixed attractions in the New York CityPass. It gives you standard admission with a reserved time slot for the observation deck on the 86th floor.
Not included is the Express Pass, which lets you skip all the lines, and access to the upper observation deck on the 102nd floor. Honestly, neither of those is strictly necessary.
One special highlight: with the CityPass you can visit the Empire State Building a second time the same evening at no extra charge. That way you get the view once during the day and once at night — seriously one of the best things about this pass.
American Museum of Natural History
Regular price: $30
For a first-time visit to New York, the American Museum of Natural History might not be an absolute must-see.
That said, the museum is well worth a visit — especially if you’re in New York with kids.
Standout highlights include a life-size blue whale nearly 20 meters long, the world’s largest sapphire, and several dinosaur skeletons — including a complete T. rex.
Top of the Rock
Regular price: $43 to $55
In our opinion, Top of the Rock is one of the best observation decks in New York. The view of the Empire State Building from up there is absolutely unmatched.
With the New York CityPass, you get free standard admission to the observation terrace.
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
Regular price: $28
With the New York CityPass, you can take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty. Also included is admission to Ellis Island and its museum.
Not included is access to the Statue of Liberty itself — neither the pedestal nor the crown. In our opinion, that’s not something you absolutely need to do.
The ferry to the Statue of Liberty is the least expensive of all the attractions in the NYC CityPass. We’d actually recommend booking that separately and using the pass for pricier sights instead.
9/11 Museum & Memorial
Regular price: $33
The 9/11 Museum is absolutely worth visiting. The experience is very somber, but we highly recommend it — it’s one of those places that genuinely stays with you.
Admission is included with the CityPass. The Memorial itself is outdoors and is generally free to visit.
Boat Tour with Circle Line
Regular price: $30 to $45
A boat tour in New York is something we consider essential on every trip. Circle Line is the best-known operator, and with the CityPass you can choose one of the following cruises:
- Landmarks Cruise: A classic 90-minute boat tour where you’ll see many of New York’s most famous sights. This is the most expensive option without the CityPass and our personal top pick.
- Liberty Midtown Cruise: A 60-minute cruise on the Hudson River with great views of the Statue of Liberty.
- Liberty Midtown Express: A 50-minute boat ride to the Statue of Liberty and back.
- Statue at Sunset: A 60-minute cruise to the Statue of Liberty at sunset.
Guggenheim Museum
Regular price: $30
The Guggenheim Museum is a real standout for its architecture alone. The rotating art exhibitions are always top-notch too. For us, it’s one of the best museums in New York!
USS Intrepid
Regular price: $38
The USS Intrepid is a former aircraft carrier and now a large museum covering naval history, aviation, and space exploration. An absolute highlight for anyone into technology — and a seriously great choice with kids.
Cost Breakdown for the New York CityPass
The New York CityPass can definitely save you a good chunk of money. How much depends on which attractions you choose.
The maximum savings based on our sample calculation:
| without New York CityPass | with New York CityPass | |
|---|---|---|
| New York CityPass | - | $154 |
| Empire State Building | $52 | free |
| American Museum of Natural History | $30 | free |
| Top of the Rock | $50 | free |
| 9/11 Museum & Memorial | $33 | free |
| Circle Line Boat Tour | $45 | free |
| Total | $210 | $154 |
In our sample calculation, we used an average price for the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock, since regular admission prices vary by day and time. For the boat tour, we used the price of the Landmarks Cruise.
With our calculation, you save $56 with the New York CityPass. Even if you skip the American Museum of Natural History, you’re still saving $26.
On top of that, you get the free second evening visit to the Empire State Building — and you don’t have to deal with buying individual tickets for every stop.
Our Review of the New York CityPass
The New York CityPass is a genuinely well-rounded pass we’d recommend without hesitation:
- Included attractions: Only true highlights are included — the kind that are especially appealing for first-timers in New York.
- Value for money: You’ll definitely save with the NYC CityPass. Savings can be as much as $60.
- Ease of use: Super easy. You have the pass right on your smartphone, and reserving time slots via the app or online takes just a couple of minutes.
The pass doesn’t really have any significant downsides. A few well-known attractions are missing that come with other New York city cards.
But the New York CityPass is genuinely easy to budget for, and in virtually every scenario you’ll come out with solid savings. That’s not always the case with other city passes.
Buy the New York CityPass
We recommend buying the New York CityPass on GetYourGuide. It’s always a bit cheaper there than on the official website, and you can cancel for free up to 24 hours before your trip.
New York CityPass with Kids
The New York CityPass is also an excellent choice if you’re traveling to New York with kids. Other New York passes often aren’t worth it in that case — they’re more expensive and include way too many attractions you’d never realistically get through with children.
The NYC CityPass includes the perfect mix of classic highlights that appeal to both parents and kids (Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, boat tour), as well as attractions that kids in particular will love (Museum of Natural History, Intrepid Museum).
The New York CityPass is available for children ages 6 and up at a discounted rate of $129.
If you have younger children, keep in mind that some attractions also charge admission for kids under 6, which you’ll need to pay separately.
In the table below, we’ve listed the regular admission prices for all attractions so you can plan your visit with the CityPass as efficiently as possible:
| Attraction | Regular price | Discounted |
|---|---|---|
| Empire State Building | $48 - $55 | $42 - $48 (ages 6 to 12) Free (ages 5 and under) |
| American Museum of Natural History | $30 | $18 (ages 3 to 12) Free (ages 2 and under) |
| Top of the Rock | $43 - $55 | $34 - $48 (ages 6 to 12) Free (ages 5 and under) |
| Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island | $28 | $16.50 (ages 4 to 12) Free (ages 3 and under) |
| 9/11 Museum & Memorial | $33 | $27 (ages 13 to 17) $21 (ages 7 to 12) Free (ages 6 and under) |
| Landmarks Cruise with Circle Line | $45 | $37 (ages 3 to 12) Free (ages 2 and under) |
| Guggenheim Museum | $30 | Free (ages 11 and under) |
| Intrepid Museum | $38 | $28 (ages 5 to 12) Free (ages 4 and under) |
Frequently Asked Questions About the New York CityPass
How can I pay for the New York CityPass?
You can pay online with all major credit cards or through PayPal.
If you use PayPal, you can also have the purchase amount debited directly from your checking account.
How do I get the CityPass after buying it?
Directly after your purchase, you’ll receive your pass by email. You then have two options:
Either print it out yourself, or simply show the QR code on your smartphone at each attraction. We only had the pass on our phones and can highly recommend that approach — super convenient.
When should I buy the New York CityPass?
That doesn’t really matter. You can technically buy the pass once you’re already in New York — you’ll receive it immediately after ordering and can use it right away.
That said, we recommend buying it before your trip so you don’t lose any time once you arrive. You can purchase the pass up to a year before your first use.
The pass’s validity begins as soon as you visit the first attraction. From that moment on, you have nine days to visit all the remaining attractions.
Are the passes cheaper if you buy them on-site?
No, they aren’t. You can pick up the CityPass at most of the included attractions, but the on-site price is usually a bit higher.
Do I need to book time slots in advance for individual attractions?
For most attractions, it’s absolutely necessary to reserve a time slot in advance.
The easiest way to do this is through the My CityPass app. With just a few clicks, you can lock in your preferred time. If you’d rather not use the app, you can also book through the CityPass website.
Can I visit attractions multiple times with the New York CityPass?
That’s only possible at the Empire State Building. With the CityPass, you can visit twice on the same day — once during the day and once at night, for example. For all other attractions, the pass is valid for one visit only.
Can I use public transportation with the New York CityPass?
No, that is unfortunately not possible. The New York CityPass is not valid as a subway or bus ticket.
Our tip: For getting around on public transit, your best bet is a MetroCard. You can find all the details in our in-depth article: Taking the Subway in New York and Everything You Need to Know About the MetroCard.
Note: Our article about the New York CityPass is updated regularly. That said, things can sometimes change unexpectedly. It’s best to double-check the terms and included attractions before you make your final decision to purchase. Thanks!
