More about: New York Tourist Cards
Choosing the right tourist card to make the most of your visit to New York can make the difference between a good trip and an amazing one. To help you with this, here’s a comprehensive comparison of the different passes so you can find the one that’s perfect for you.
- New York Pass All Inclusive — from S$217
- Hellotickets New York Attraction Pass — from S$128
- New York CityPASS® — from S$213
- New York Explorer Pass — from S$109
1. New York Pass All Inclusive (formerly known as the New York Pass): to see it all and make the most of every minute of your trip
When purchasing the New York Pass All Inclusive (formerly known as the New York Pass), please note that it is a daily pass, and you pay according to the number of days’ validity you choose. During the validity period of the New York Pass All Inclusive, you can visit as many attractions as you like. Be careful, though, as these aren’t 24-hour days: from the moment you activate the pass, you have until midnight before it counts as a full day, and your pass will vanish like Cinderella’s carriage (or simply stop working at the attractions).
The New York Pass includes 100 attractions, amongst them New York’s most popular: the Manhattan Sightseeing Bus, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, a Manhattan cruise, the Statue of Liberty, Madame Tussauds, the Empire State Building and Top of the Rock. You can choose a validity period of between one and ten days for this card, but my advice is to avoid the one-day pass, as it’s unlikely to be good value for money.
More details: Everything you need to know about the New York Pass All Inclusive
What’s included
- Travel guide in Spanish
- Skip-the-line access to over 100 attractions and activities
- New York’s top attractions
Practical information
- Recommended if: you like to make the most of your trips and see lots of things in a single day
- Duration: one to ten days
- Price: from 217
- You’ll save up to: €450 (on a 7-day pass)
2. New York CityPASS® tourist card: to see the highlights of New York at your own pace
The New York CityPASS® tourist card includes two fixed attractions and a choice of three others from a range of options, making a total of five attractions, which you can visit within a maximum of 9 days from first use. It is the most popular tourist card amongst visitors to New York, as it includes admission to the city’s essential landmarks and its validity period is tailored to most trips.
Compared to buying individual tickets for each attraction, you can save up to €72 with this pass, as well as skipping the queue to buy tickets at every place you visit.
More details: Everything you need to know about the New York CityPASS® tourist pass
What’s included
- Tickets to the Empire State Building with an audio guide, allowing you to enter the building twice so you can enjoy the experience both by day and by night
- Tickets for the Museum of Natural History
- Tickets for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum (if this option is selected)
- Tickets to the Interepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (if this option is selected)
- Tickets for Top of the Rock (if this option is selected)
- Tickets for the Guggenheim Museum (if this option is selected)
- Ferry to the Statue of Liberty or a cruise around Manhattan (if this option is selected)
Practical information
- Recommended if: you’re staying in New York for less than ten days and want to see the main attractions
- Number of attractions: 5 (New York’s main attractions)
- Duration: 9 days from the moment of activation
- Price: from 213
- You’ll save up to: €72
3. New York City Explorer Pass: if you’re spending an extended period in New York
Buying the New York Explorer Pass is the perfect way to tailor your New York experience to your own preferences, as you can choose 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 attractions and pay according to the number you select. From the moment you activate the pass, you have a full month to visit the attractions you’ve chosen, so you can take your time exploring.
If you want to get the most out of the New York Explorer Pass, I recommend choosing attractions that cost €25 or more to maximise your savings. And again, if you want to save as much as possible, make a list of the places you want to visit and compare whether it works out cheaper to buy tickets separately.
More details: All the details about the New York Explorer Pass
What’s included
- Free choice from over 100 activities and attractions such as the Top of the Rock, the Empire State Building or The Ride.
- Valid for 30 days
- Skip-the-queue entry at some attractions
- Cruise
- Sightseeing bus
- Guided film and television tour
Practical information
- Recommended if: you know exactly which attractions you want to visit and you’ll be in New York for a couple of weeks
- Number of attractions: 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10
- Validity: 30 days from the date of activation
- Price: from 109
- You’ll save up to: €150 (on a 7-day pass)
4. Hellotickets New York Attraction Pass: if you want to guarantee entry to a viewing platform and two iconic attractions without any hassle
Buying the Hellotickets New York Attraction Pass is a straightforward way to cover the essentials without wasting time comparing options: it includes a total of 3 experiences (1 observation deck + 2 attractions) to choose from a carefully curated selection. For the observation decks, you can choose between the Empire State Building, The Edge, Top of the Rock or the One World Observatory, and round off your visit with classics such as MoMA, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, river cruises, the Intrepid, Madame Tussauds or a bike ride in Central Park.
The pass is 100% digital; it syncs with the app to manage bookings and timings. You don’t need to choose attractions at the time of purchase, and it’s valid for 30 days from first activation (each attraction can be visited once; some require advance booking).
What’s included
- 1 observation deck of your choice (Empire State Building, Edge, Top of the Rock or One World Observatory).
- 2 additional attractions from the selection (MoMA, 9/11 Museum, boat trips, Intrepid, Madame Tussauds, bike hire in Central Park, etc.).
- Digital pass with QR code and app to manage timetables, maps and bookings.
Practical information
- Recommended if: you want a package with one guaranteed observation deck and two other iconic attractions, to enjoy it at your own pace over 2–5 days, and to save money compared to individual tickets with easy management via the app.
- You don’t choose when you buy: you decide as you go via the app. Some attractions require advance booking.
- Validity: 30 days from the moment of activation
- You’ll save up to: €70
- Approximate price: from €81
We compare all tourist cards
- The New York Pass All-Inclusive: 1–10 Days
- From S$217
- For action-packed trips
- 1- to 10-day passes
- Over 100 attractions – see as much as you can
- The best bit: You can see it all if you make the most of your time
- The downside: you’ll need to plan your trip very carefully
- Book
- New York CityPASS® Tourist Card - Visit 5 attractions in 9 days
- From S$213
- The middle-of-the-road option
- Valid for 9 days
- 5 attractions (2 fixed and 3 to choose from 6 options)
- The best bit: it covers the essentials
- The downside: lots of activities are left out
- Book
- Go City: New York City Explorer Pass - Choose 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 attractions
- From S$109
- For those who like to take it easy
- Valid for 60 days
- Choose between 2 and 10 attractions from over 100 options
- The best bit: you only pay for what you want to see
- The downside: it’s only worth it if you’re staying in NYC for a while
- Book
- Hellotickets New York Attraction Pass
- From 128
- For those who like to play it safe
- Valid for 30 days
- One observation deck + 2 attractions
- The best bit: you’ll see the city’s main highlights
- The downside: you’ll be left wanting more
- Book
Why it’s worth buying a tourist card in New York
Buying a tourist pass has several advantages, chief among them saving money (they allow you to enter the main attractions at a flat rate or a reduced price) and saving time, as most attractions have a dedicated queue for pass holders.
All passes give you access to the city’s main monuments, buildings and attractions. What varies between passes is their duration and the number of attractions you can visit. It’ll be much easier to choose a pass if you make a list in advance of the attractions you want to visit.
What do tourist cards usually include?
- Access to a sightseeing bus tour of New York’s main areas
- A ferry to Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty
- Tickets for the Top of the Rock, the Empire State Building or the One World Observatory
- Tickets for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum
- Tickets for the Natural History Museum
- Tickets for MoMA
- Tickets for the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
- Tickets for the Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Tickets for Madame Tussauds New York
How to choose between the four passes?
Depending on what you’d prefer to pay
Before you carry on, the most important thing to bear in mind is that there are two types of New York Pass: by number of days, and by number of attractions.
- Attraction-based passes: You pay only for the number of attractions you want to visit.
- Day-based passes: You pay per day and, during those days, you can make the most of New York with unlimited access to attractions.
Depending on the type of traveller you are
Finding the perfect pass for you depends entirely on the sort of trip you’re planning to take to New York. This is very important, as it will help you avoid buying a pass that’s too big for your stay in New York – or, worse still, one that doesn’t cover everything you want to see. Depending on how long you’ll be in New York and the sort of traveller you are, I’ll recommend one tourist card or another.
Right, but… which pass should I buy?
- New York Pass All Inclusive If you’re an all-round traveller who doesn’t want to miss a thing and doesn’t mind going all out during your trip, make the most of this ‘all-you-can-do’ attractions pass.
- New York CityPASS® If it’s your first time in New York and you’re staying for less than ten days. It includes the city’s main attractions, is easy to use, and you’ll save money and time compared to buying individual tickets for each place.
- New York Explorer Pass If you’re staying in New York for more than ten days. This pass is perfect for exploring the city to the full. You can choose up to ten attractions from a list of ninety, and the pass is valid for up to 30 days from the moment you activate it.
- Hellotickets New York Attraction Pass If your stay won’t be very long but you don’t want to miss out on the city’s must-see attractions. Choose your favourite observation deck and two attractions of your choice.
What you need to know before booking your tourist card
Which passes include fast-track access?
All passes offer fast-track access at certain attractions. The New York CityPASS® includes fast-track access at 5 of its 9 attractions, whilst the New York Pass offers it at 11 out of 100. However, having fast-track access does not exempt you from going through security checks.
Which attractions offer free entry for children?
I’d recommend checking each venue’s specific policy first. Generally speaking, most children under the age of 3 can enter all New York attractions for free. If your children get in for free at most of the attractions you’re planning to visit, don’t buy them a pass!
How do I buy my pass?
You can buy any of the passes conveniently online and receive all the relevant information by email. There are usually two options: have the pass sent to your home or collect it from one of the designated tourist offices in New York.
How do I activate my card?
Generally, by using it at any attraction included on the card. From that first use, the pass’s validity period begins, and at midnight on the same day, it will be considered that you’ve used the pass for one day, and so on.
Final tips
Buying a tourist card usually means organising your trip in a very specific way. You need to plan carefully what you want to see, on which day, and at what time. If you’re the sort of person who travels more spontaneously and on the spur of the moment, I’d advise against buying a tourist pass.
That concludes our comparison of the different tourist passes you can choose from for your trip to New York. Now, let’s take on the Big Apple!