Is The New York CityPASS Worth It?

The New York CityPASS is one of the three major attraction passes in the Empire City and we’ve personally used this pass ourselves. In this review, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about using a CityPASS in New York including what we liked and didn’t like. This pass won’t be a good fit for everyone, but it saved us money and we’ll show you how to maximize it.

Disclosure: We received New York CityPASS and C3Pass tickets in order to share our opinion about this product but this is not a sponsored post.

Our CityPASS Experience

We’ve used attraction passes in cities all around the world including this exact pass in spring 2021. During this time, we were living in NYC because we wanted to make the best content possible and you can’t do that with one trip. CityPASS is a very popular company offering mainly US based options. We like their passes because they offer top attractions at a great price point.

Other reviews online often claim to have used this pass, but then source stock photos from various websites. So we found it extremely important to prove that we’ve actually used the pass and you’ll find our personal photos taken from every attraction we visited. This is our honest review after using both a C3 and CityPASS for New York City. Read more about us.

If you’re interested in this pass, you can also read our reviews for:

Denver CityPASS
San Francisco CityPASS
Seattle CityPASS

Why Consider A New York CityPASS?

Using a CityPASS in New York will give you immediate access to the top attractions including museums, observation decks, landmarks and boat cruises. This is the main reason most people buy a pass. We always like to compare it to buying in bulk because the more attractions you purchase, the more you’ll save.

An attraction pass can be used by first time visitors, returning visitors or those who live in the city but have yet to experience any of the touristy things. In fact, we used many of the New York attraction passes when we lived in NYC because we wanted to see the best attractions at a slower pace.

The New York CityPASS is an attraction based pass and this feature makes it unique. Your decision is much easier because you don’t have to choose between day or attraction based options offered by other companies. It’s preloaded with a 8 or 10 attractions and you have 9 days to visit them once your pass is activated, but it doesn’t have to be consecutive days.

Here are the 3 official New York passes for this company:

• New York CityPASS (we used this one)
• New York C3 Pass (we used this one)
• New York C-ALL

The main difference between these three passes is the amount of attractions on each one. A New York CityPASS has 5 attractions, the C3 Pass has 3 attractions and the C-All pass has 10 attractions. But you choose from a list of at least 8 attractions no matter which pass you buy.

You also have one year from the date of purchase to active your pass in New York. A pass is considered active once it has been scanned at the first attraction. Make sure you read this entire post because we’ll go over all 3 options in detail to help you pick the best one.

New York CityPASS Attractions

Depending on which pass you buy, you’ll be able to visit 3, 5 or 10 attractions from a list of 8 or 10 total attractions. The pass includes general admission to most of the attractions, but there are a few bonuses we’ll tell you about.

We created the map below to help you establish your bearings in the city so you can see the exact locations. The major attractions are spread out across Manhattan, but this map gives you an idea of how you could double up or even triple up attractions in a day.

With the CityPASS you can visit 5 attractions, but two of these are non-negotiable. Here’s the official list including what we decided to visit:

• Empire State Building (visited)
• American Museum of Natural History (visited)

You can then choose 3 more attractions:

• Top of the Rock (visited)
• Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty (paid out of pocket)
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum (visited)
• Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises (visited)
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum
• Guggenheim Museum (visited with C3)

With the C3 Pass in New York you can freely choose from the attractions below in addition to the ones listed above without having to visit the Empire State Building or the Natural History Museum:

• Edge at Hudson Yards (visited)
• The Museum of Modern Art (visited)

Travel Tip: Technically you can visit all 10 of the attractions listed with the C-All pass, but we think the regular CityPASS offers the best value. Keep reading to see why.

Now that you know what attractions are included on the pass, let’s take a closer look at each one individually:

1. Empire State Building

• Address: 20 W 34th St., New York, NY 10001
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: Typically 9:00am – 12:00am (with varied hours seasonally)
• Reservations: Required

Where better to start than with NYC’s centerpiece, the Empire State Building. Completed in 1931, this iconic structure spent almost 40 years as the world’s tallest building and today remains the beating heart of Midtown Manhattan.

A New York CityPASS will allow you to visit the Empire State Building twice in 24 hours. This is a really nice perk because a second night visit is not allowed with any other pass. We visited once in the morning and then returned after the sun had set. The photo above is from our night visit and it will take 2-3 hours to visit if you want to explore all of the additional exhibits inside.

It’s important to note the pass will only give you access to the 86th floor. If you want to visit the 102nd floor, you’ll have to pay an additional fee of $35-38. But we don’t think the 102nd floor is worth visiting and you can read more in our guide below.

READ: Tips for visiting the Empire State Building

2. American Museum Of Natural History

• Address: 200 Central Park West, New York, NY 10024
• Location: Google Maps
• Hours: 10:00am – 5:30pm daily
• Reservations: Required

Located near Central Park, the American Museum of Natural History is home to 45 exhibition halls, 34 million specimens, a planetarium and a library. It’s an enormous complex and you should plan for at least 3-4 hours when visiting. We do think this history museum is very dated compared to others around the world, but it’s still a great experience. You can see a full list of exhibits here.

A New York pass will give you entry into all of the permanent exhibition halls plus one special exhibition. We chose to see a temporary exhibit about the Tyrannosaurus Rex. If you’ve seen Night at the Museum, it’s based on this very museum and kids will love it here.

Travel Tip: New York, New Jersey and Connecticut residents with valid ID, you pay what you wish for general admission.

3. Top Of The Rock

• Address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 9:00am – 12:00am daily
• Reservations: Recommended

Top of the Rock is the observation deck located at the top of Rockefeller Center. Along with the Empire State Building, it’s one of the two original observatories in the city. The Top of the Rock is our favorite observation deck in New York because the 70th floor is completely open featuring 360° panoramic views.

While reservations are only recommended, we think you should book reservations as soon as you know your travel dates. This is a popular spot and it can be very crowded. You can read our Top of the Rock vs. Empire State Building comparison if you’re having trouble deciding which one to visit.

READ: What to know for visiting Top of the Rock

4. Ferry Access To Statue Of Liberty

• Address: Castle Clinton in Battery Park
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 9:00am – 4:00pm
• Reservations: Required

Both the CityPASS and the C3 Pass include a ferry ride with Statue Cruises to Liberty Island and Ellis Island. The Statue of Liberty is one of the most iconic statues on earth making it one of the best things to do in NYC and it’s absolutely worth seeing up close. But to make the most of this attraction, it will require a little planning.

A ferry leaving from Lower Manhattan transports you to the Statue of Liberty grounds before continuing for a second stop at Ellis Island. You’ll walk through the Statue of Liberty Museum and receive an audioguide as part of your ticket. The Ellis Island Museum is not a compulsory part of the tour, but we highly recommend it because you’ll learn about how thousands of European immigrants landed in America via this tiny island in the upper New York bay.

These two landmarks can only be visited by taking a ferry from Castle Clinton in Battery Park, Manhattan or Liberty State Park in New Jersey. The reservation time on your ticket does not mean the time of your ferry. This time represents your entrance to the security building behind Castle Clinton before entering the staging area for the next available ferry. If you want crown or pedestal access, you’ll have to purchase separate tickets here.

Travel Tip: To visit both the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, you should take the first ferry of the day. It will take a few hours to get around both museums so this way you won’t be limited by boat schedules. If you only want to visit the Statue of Liberty, plan for 2-3 hours.

READ: How to get the ferry to the Statue of Liberty

5. 9/11 Memorial And Museum

• Address: 180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 9:00am – 7:00pm Wednesday to Monday, closed Tuesdays
• Reservations: Required

The New York City 9/11 Memorial and Museum is one of the best museums we’ve ever seen. It’s a very sobering reminder about the tragic events of September 11th, 2001. A memorial is located in the exact position where the Twin Towers once stood along side a fantastic museum showcasing a large collection of memorabilia, detailed timelines, video footage and a touching tribute to those who sadly lost their lives.

Visiting the 9/11 Museum in NYC is a harrowing experience and it will leave you feeling emotionally drained, but it’s one attraction we highly recommend. We’ve visited multiple times now and still learn new things. The second half of the museum displays an extremely detailed timeline of events and you should expect to spend about 2 hours inside.

This museum is located in Lower Manhattan just northwest of the Financial District. It’s a very walkable area with plenty of other attractions to see. Check out our guide featuring the best things to do in Lower Manhattan if you book this attraction.

Travel Tip: Don’t forget to stop at the large memorial pools dedicated to those who lost their lives. If you notice a white rose near an individual name, this rose means its their birthday.

6. Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises

• Address: 83 North River Piers West 43rd Street and, 12th Ave, New York, NY 10036
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:30am – 6:00pm depending on cruise
• Reservations: Required

We enjoyed our Circle Line Cruise because we could see New York City’s most iconic landmarks from a different perspective on the water with detailed narration. With a CityPASS ticket, you can choose from a Landmarks Cruise (1.5 hours), Liberty Midtown Cruise (1.0 hour) or a Liberty Super Express (50 mins). All Circle Line Cruises depart from Pier 83 in Midtown Manhattan, directly to the west of Times Square and just North of Hudson Yards.

For our trip, we chose the best of NYC cruise which is no longer offered, but any option is still a good choice. Make sure you read the full cruise descriptions to see the sights you want. On board, you can sit on the outside top deck or in the lower level which has indoor seating. A full snack bar also serves food and we found the lines were much quieter the second half of the trip.

Travel Tip: If you visit NYC in winter, you might be tempted to head straight out for an open air seat, but keep in mind it will be much colder once the boat is moving.

7. Intrepid

• Address: Pier 86, W 46th St, New York, NY 10036
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:00am – 5:00pm Monday to Friday, 10:00am – 6:00pm Saturday and Sunday
• Reservations: Required

The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is a National Historic Landmark docked on the banks of the Hudson River. It’s a unique experience because you’ll board an aircraft carrier featuring numerous exhibits about the space shuttle Enterprise, a guided missile submarine and the world’s fastest jets. For a complete list of exhibits, click here.

We recommend arriving early in the day to explore as much as possible and you should plan for at least 2-3 hours. The Intrepid is located at Pier 86 very close to Circle Line Cruises and northwest of Times Square in Midtown. Passes include general admission and the submarine Growler.

Travel Tip: The Intrepid was featured in the movie National Treasure and Ben Gates jumps from the Aircraft Carrier deck.

8. Guggenheim Museum

• Address: 1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:30am – 5:00pm daily
• Reservations: Recommended

Instantly recognizable for its unique exterior, the Guggenheim is art museum featuring a large collection of impressionist, modern and contemporary art. The building itself is almost as famous as the artwork inside because it’s one of the eight Frank Lloyd Wright buildings designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

We enjoyed seeing the famous works by painters such as Manet, Picasso and Cezanne. Another highlight is the spiral winding atrium walkway because it’s incredibly fun to photograph. An enormous projector will be playing documentary style movies so you can easily take a break in between exhibits. The Guggenheim is located 5 blocks northeast of the Met Museum between 88th and 89th streets along 5th Ave. Your pass will give you general admission to the permanent collection plus special exhibits and a free digital guide.

Travel Tip: Check movie times and grab a bench when a spot is free as you climb the spiral walkway.

9. Edge At Hudson Yards

• Address: 30 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 9:00am – 10:00pm daily (subject to change)
• Reservations: Required

Edge at Hudson Yards is the highest outdoor sky deck in the western hemisphere. It’s amazing to visit at sunset because it gives you sweeping views of Manhattan and the Hudson River. This is the only observation deck in New York located in the western part of Manhattan.

There is no time limit to how long you can stay at Edge, but most visitors stay about 60 minutes. We’ve been up Edge multiple times now and it never gets old. Even if you can’t visit at sunset, you’ll still be amazed at the views. The entrance to the observation deck is on the 4th floor of the Hudson Yards shopping mall.

READ: How to visit Edge at Hudson Yards

10. MoMA

• Address: 1 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
• Location: Google maps
• Hours: 10:30am – 5:30pm Sunday to Friday, 10:30am – 7:00pm Saturday
• Reservations: Required

New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is home to one of the largest collections of modern art in the world. If you like modern art, this is the place to lose yourself for a half day taking in the works of Dali, Cezanne, Kahlo, Matisse, Monet, Warhol, Pollock and Picasso to name just a few.

We really enjoyed visiting the MoMA because we saw numerous works by famous artists we learned about growing up. It was pretty cool to finally stand in front of paintings such as The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh (floor 5). With a CityPASS, you ‘ll also receive free entry into MoMA PS1 on Long Island within 14 days.

Travel Tip: Ticket lines are typically longest in the morning at opening time so visit in the afternoon to avoid the large crowds. You should plan to spend 3-5 hours inside the museum.

How Much Does The New York CityPASS Cost?

Our experience with CityPASS has shown us these passes are often very cost effective so we’ll show you how much they cost including how much you can save with each pass.

Here are the prices you’d pay if visiting each attraction individually using same day box office prices for adults:

• Empire State Building – $56.00 (sunset visit)
• American Museum of Natural History – $28.00
• Top of the Rock – $55.00 (sunset visit)
• Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty – $25.00
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum – $33.00
• Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises – $38.00 (Saturday visit)
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum – $36.00
• Guggenheim Museum – $30.00

And here are the prices for additional attractions on the C3 pass:

• Edge at Hudson Yards – $45.00 (sunset visit)
• The Museum of Modern Art – $28.00

New York CityPASS example:

The New York CityPASS is currently priced at $146.00 for adults and $124.00 for children (ages 6-17).

And here’s how we used it:

Empire State Building ($56.00) + American Museum of Natural History ($28.00) + Top of the Rock ($55.00) + 9/11 Memorial & Museum ($33.00) + Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises ($38.00) = $210.00

• Attraction price (no CityPASS) = $198.00
• CityPASS price = $146.00
• Savings = $52.00

You’ll save 32% on the top 5 attractions!

>> Buy a New York CityPASS here

Travel Tip: Our calculation above only includes 1 visit to the Empire State Building when in reality you actually get two! So if you calculated two visits ($101.00), you’d actually save $255.00 – this is a 55% savings!

New York C3 Pass example:

The C3 Pass in New York is currently priced at $104.00 for adults and $82.00 for children (ages 6-12).

And here’s how we used it:

Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises ($38.00) + Edge at Hudson Yards ($45.00) + MoMA ($28.00) = $111.00

• Attraction price (no CityPASS) = $111.00
• C3 Pass price = $104.00
• Savings = $7.00

You’ll save 6% on the top 3 attractions!

>> Buy a New York C3 Pass here

Tips For Making Timed Entry Reservations

Most of the attractions on the New York CityPASS require reservations. Top of the Rock and the Guggenheim are the only two attractions that recommend reservations, but we highly suggest you make reservations for these as well. Making a reservation is very easy to do and you can do this on the official CityPASS website. The ease of booking reservations is one of the reasons we like this company so much.

All you have to do is visit the official website, head to the reservation page, input your pass numbers, find the attraction, hit the dark blue button that says ‘Reserve Time’ and select the time you’d like to visit. A confirmation email with your reservation information will be sent to the same email you used to originally purchase CityPASS tickets.

Reservations work on a on a timed entry system meaning you won’t have to wait in lines at each attraction. Even if you bought individual tickets to each attraction, you’d still have to book advanced time slots. These reservations systems are put in place to handle large tourist volumes at the most popular sites, particularly around sunset.

All you’ll need to do is show your CityPASS for New York along with your reservation confirmation. Please keep in mind reservation requirements may change so always verify what’s required for each individual attraction prior to your trip.

Other Pass Options

Before we get to our conclusion, it’s worth mentioning there are three other New York attraction passes. We’ve explained the differences in detail in our New York City Pass comparison, but we’ll cover the highlights quickly.

Besides the New York CityPASS, there are 3 other NYC attraction passes:

• New York Sightseeing Pass
• Go City New York
• The New York Pass

The major difference between these passes and the CityPASS is that they all offer both an attraction based and day based option. Day based passes are best for visitors who want to visit many of the top attractions.

New York Sightseeing Pass

We’ve personally used this exact pass in NYC and this company offers passes in major cities across the US. It’s our top recommendation for NY because it offers 100+ attractions, lots of flexibility and a great value for money.

You can choose either a day (DAY) or an attraction (FLEX) based option and prices go up incrementally the more you add. We loved using this pass and could average about 3-4 attractions per day. We’ve also teamed up with Sightseeing pass to offer you a 5-10% discount, just click the link below.

>> Buy a NY Sightseeing Pass here

READ: New York Sightseeing Pass Review

Go City New York

We’ve used this pass in major cities around the world in Rome, London and Paris. It’s almost identical to the New York Sightseeing Pass with a day (All-Inclusive) and attraction (Explorer) based option with a similar number of attractions offered.

We prefer the NY Sightseeing Pass when compared to the Go City Pass in NYC, but this company can be a great option when traveling outside of the US. Head over to official website here for more information.

>> Buy a Go City New York Pass here

READ: Our Go City Rome Explorer Pass review

The New York Pass

This pass is owned by Go City and is essentially the exact same as Go City’s All-Inclusive version. The prices and attractions are almost identical, but there is no attraction based pass available. Head over to official website here for more information.

>> Buy The New York Pass here

So why choose the CityPASS over the competition?

Here are pros:

• CityPASS is often cheapest per attraction (if visiting only 3-5)
• Ability to visit attractions over 9 days

Here are cons:

• Limited amount of attractions on the pass
• Have to visit the Empire State Building and the Natural History Museum

How To Buy Your New York CityPASS

Buying your New York CityPASS is easy:

• Head to the official website
• Choose between a CityPASS or a C3 Pass
• Select the amount of adult or child passes
• Hit the big red button to add the passes to your cart
• Checkout and enjoy your fun filled trip to New York

You can also purchase a pass from Get Your Guide. The prices are exactly the same as the official website and you can read the previous customer reviews.

The Morgan Conclusion

Now that you know how the pass works and what attractions are included, you’re probably wondering if the CityPASS in New York is worth the hassle.

So after using the CityPASS in New York ourselves, we saved over $100 and we think it’s completely worth it if you want to visit the top attractions! Keep in mind the pass is only valid for 9 days after visiting your first attraction, but this won’t be a problem for most visitors.

One of the major benefits of the CityPASS is that you won’t have to pay an additional fee to visit the observation decks (Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, and Edge) at sunset which can really help you save some money. To get the most out of the pass, plan to visit the observation decks and then chose some of the other more expensive attractions.

If you’re visiting with kids, you might need to do a little more research because some attractions offer free entry for young children (ages vary). But every attraction charges an admission fee for older children. Price out each pass depending on your child’s age similar to our example above because it might just be worth getting adult passes if they have free entry.

We think the NY CityPASS offers more savings over the C3 Pass because you can see 5 top attractions at a competitive price point. If you’re considering the C-All pass with 10 attractions, we’d recommend the NY Sightseeing Pass instead because you’ll have so many more attractions to choose from. Plus you can choose a day based pass for more flexibility.

The Metropolitan of Art is no longer included on any of the NY passes, but it’s still worth visiting. New York State residents and NY, NJ, and CT students can pay what they want for admission with valid ID. Children under 12 can also visit for free.

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Want more New York content? Head over to our New York Travel Guides to explore the Finger Lakes, Adirondacks and the best of NYC.

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We hope our New York CityPASS review helps you decide if this is the attraction pass for you!

Please let us know if you have any questions about this pass or New York in the comments below.

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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