Our Honest NY Sightseeing Pass Review: Is It Worth Buying In 2025?

Important update 19th June 2025: The Sightseeing Pass (entire company) has suspended operations indefinitely – here’s the announcement. We recommend CityPASS or Go City Pass as your best alternatives for New York – read our comparison of all NY attraction passes to learn more.

Thinking about buying a Sightseeing Pass for your NYC trip? We used the 3-Day Pass ourselves when we lived in the city, and in this New York Sightseeing Pass review we show you what’s included, how we used the pass, our genuine pros and cons, and whether it’s worth your money. No fluff, just facts based on our own real experiences (see our photos below for proof we actually used the pass).

Disclosure: We received New York Sightseeing Passes in order to share our opinion about this product but this is not a sponsored post and our honest opinions are based on our genuine first hand experiences.

Note: Our content is reader supported and contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you and it helps us keep this site running.

What Is The NY Sightseeing Pass?

Sightseeing Pass is one of three companies offering NYC attraction passes (the other two are CityPASS and Go City). You can buy either a day-based pass (unlimited attractions for a set number of consecutive days) or attraction-based pass (a set number of attractions to use over 60 days).

Both NY Sightseeing Pass options allow you to visit multiple attractions for one price, and the more attractions you tick off the more money you save. We like to think of it like buying in bulk.

There are more than 100+ attractions to choose between on both passes and we highly recommend taking a look through every single one of them because we’re sure you’ll find a few hidden gems.

We certainly wouldn’t have known about the likes of Spyscape, Rise or Fotografista – and we wouldn’t have paid for Madame Tussauds or gone all the way up to the NY Botanical Garden if we didn’t look at the full list ourselves.

Exclusive Discount: We’ve worked with all the pass companies in different cities around the world and we were so impressed with Sightseeing Pass as a company that we partnered with them to offer our readers this exclusive discount – 5% off any adult ticket and 10% off any child ticket – so you can save even more money (no promo code required). If Sightseeing Pass is running a sale, you’ll still get the extra discount!

Day Pass vs Flex Pass: Which Is Best For You?

Okay, let’s kick things off with a comparison between the types of attractions pass you can buy in New York.

Day Pass:

• Visit unlimited attractions over 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 10 consecutive days.
• Great for seeing and doing as much as possible.
• Best if you want to fill your days and try lesser-known spots.

Flex Pass:

• Choose 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, or 12 attractions to visit over 60 days.
• Perfect for a more relaxed pace or if you only want to see select, pricier attractions.
• Less pressure to cram everything in and can be more spontaneous.

Our experience: We used 3-Day Passes and our favorite aspect was guilt-free visits to lesser known attractions that we’d never have paid for or known about otherwise. The downside was feeling like we had to rush around to make the most of our money, but that was a trade-off we personally didn’t mind. If we wanted more flexibility, or to only see a handful of expensive attractions, we’d have gone for the Flex Pass.

Here’s a table highlighting the key differences:

Feature	NY Sightseeing Day Pass	NY Sightseeing Flex Pass
How it works	Unlimited attractions for set days	Fixed number of attractions
What you get	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 10 days	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, or 12 attractions
Number of attractions	115	121
Big Bus NY	Included	Included
Savings	Depends on attractions (we saved 50%+)	Depends on attractions
Best for	Seeing as much as possible in a few days	Spreading attractions out, flexibility
Pass activation	First use, valid for consecutive days	First use, valid for 60 days
Mobile pass	Yes	Yes

New for 2025: Sightseeing Pass have added “lite versions” of their traditional Day and Flex passes – the Economy Day Pass and Economy Flex Pass.

These two new pass versions don’t include major attractions like Empire State Building, Edge and Top of the Rock, but they do include all the lesser known attractions, walking tours, bus tours and niche activities – and they’re cheaper. We haven’t used them but they could be a good option if you’re visiting NYC on a tight budget and don’t mind skipping the observation decks.

What’s Included + What’s Missing?

One thing we loved about the New York Sightseeing Pass was having more attractions available than any other pass in the city. With well over 100+ to choose between, you will not be short of options no matter your travel style.

Top attractions included:

• Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, One World Observatory, Edge at Hudson Yards
• Big Bus Tours, Circle Line Cruises, Yankees Tickets, MoMA, Guggenheim and many more

Lesser visited attractions included:

• Rise NY, Fotografiska, Madame Tussauds, Bronx Zoo, NY Botanical Garden
• Walking tours, bike tours, adults only night tours, escape games and exclusive attractions

Special offers:

• Discounts on helicopter tours, Broadway Comedy Club, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and more

The bad news:

• 9/11 Museum is not included (but it’s free on Monday evenings and for NY residents)
• Statue of Liberty Ferry (not included with Flex Pass)
• The Met and Summit One Vanderbilt are not included on any NY pass

We don’t like that the 9/11 Museum isn’t included on either pass, but it’s easy to add into your NYC itinerary as a standalone attraction (our advice is to book a time slot in advance to avoid standing in long lines). And the passes more than make up for it with a huge amount of fun and unique activities you don’t see plastered across social media.

Insider tip: Check to see if you can visit any museum or attraction for free as a New York State resident so you don’t use up potentially free attractions if you buy a Flex Pass.

Sightseeing Pass Prices

It’s great talking about these amazing attractions, but how much is all this going to cost you?

Well firstly, it’s important to remember that prices change several times each year based on seasonality, but we update this guide regularly to reflect current pricing. We often see lower prices in off season months like January and February, whereas we typically see higher prices in the summer month even when “sales” are running.

Let’s take a look at two price tables – first for the Day Pass and second for the Flex Pass (correct at time of last update in June 2025).

Table 1 – Day Pass

Days	Adult Price	Child Price (3-12)
1 Day	$169	$124
2 Days	$219	$179
3 Days	$259	$215
4 Days	$299	$244
5 Days	$329	$274
6 Days	$359	$299
7 Days	$389	$310
10 Days	$429	$329

Here’s an example of what you’d need to do to break even with a 4-Day Pass:

Using our 5% discount on Day Pass adult tickets, you buy the 4-Day Pass for $284. Divide that by 4 days and you get $71, which means you only have to visit attractions to the combined amount of $71 each day to break even. So the key is to cram in the most expensive options which will end up costing well over $100 each day.

Heck, just visiting the Empire State Building in the middle of the day during the shoulder season costs $55, so you can easily break even and then some if you plan well.

Table 2 – Flex Pass

Attractions	Adult Price	Child Price (3-12)
2 Attractions	$95	$79
3 Attractions	$125	$105
4 Attractions	$159	$129
5 Attractions	$185	$145
6 Attractions	$199	$155
7 Attractions	$229	$179
10 Attractions	$299	$244
12 Attractions	$330	$265

Here’s an example of what you’d need to do to break even with a 7-Attractions Pass:

Using our 5% discount on Flex Pass adult tickets, you buy the 7-Attraction Pass for $217.50. Divide that by 7 attractions and you get $31, which means you have to visit 7 attractions that cost $31 to break even. And again, the key is to choose your attractions wisely. If you go for the 7 most expensive attractions, the average cost will be well over $31 and you’ll save a small fortune.

Even if you buy a 1-Day Pass or 2-Attraction Pass, you can save a ton of cash by picking the more expensive attractions to visit. Just remember, the more days or attractions you pay for, the more money you’ll save overall.

How We Used Our Day Pass

Okay, let’s take a closer look at our own 3 day itinerary using the NY Sightseeing Pass in the real world.

We visited 12 attractions in 3 consecutive days – it was so much fun and we covered a lot of ground, but we were only able to make it work because we planned it out and booked our timed entry reservations in advance.

Here’s the exact itinerary we followed, including how much each attraction would have cost us if we paid individually without using a pass (prices include taxes and processing fees at the time we did them):

Day 1

• One World Observatory – $52.91
• 9/11 Tribute Museum (closed in 2022) – $17.00
• Madame Tussauds – $42.45
• Escape Game New York – $48.98

Day 2

• Fotografiska NYC – $24.00
• Rise NY – $47.90
• SPYSCAPE – $53.35
• St Patrick’s Cathedral audio tour – $25.00

Day 3

• Top of the Rock – $53.35
• NY Botanical Garden – $35.00
• Bronx Zoo – $39.70
• Edge at Hudson Yards – $54.44

The total cost of our 3 day itinerary without a pass would have been $494.08 each for a total of almost $1,000. Now, a 3-Day NY Sightseeing Pass costs $246.05 each with our 5% discount, so we saved $248.03 per person for a total of nearly $500 – that’s 50%!

And bear in mind we didn’t include many of the more expensive attractions (like the Gray Line Guided NYC Premium Bus Tour valued at $109), so you could save even more than we did.

Here’s another easy way to look at it: The 4-Day Pass only costs $40 more than the 3-Day Pass, so we’d have broken even by visiting just one attraction on the fourth day – and that means the next two, three or four attractions would have effectively been free.

Our Pros And Cons

After using the pass ourselves, here are our pros and cons to buying a New York Sightseeing Pass:

Pros ✅:

• 100+ attractions, including top sights and hidden gems
• Easy to use the pass on our phones
• Exclusive offers and discounts
• Helpful customer service
• Big savings with 4+ attractions each day
• Reservations were easy to make online

Cons ❌:

• 9/11 Museum not included
• Statue of Liberty Ferry not on Flex Pass
• Not the cheapest for just 1-2 top attractions
• Some attractions require advance reservations
• Prices change based on seasonality

Our least favorite thing about using attraction passes like the New York Sightseeing Pass is not being able to reserve time slots at every single attraction. Some require time slots which we like, but others don’t allow reservations which means there’s a chance of waiting in a line.

Truthfully, this is only a problem if you’re like us and prefer to have everything planned out in advance – and you can take steps to avoid this. We used our Sightseeing Passes when we were in New York in April so we had no issues with lines at any attraction. We also didn’t try turning up at an observation deck one hour before sunset. Be smart and you’ll have a good trip!

Timed Entry Reservations

This is a review, not a how-to guide, so we’re not going to give you step by step instructions on exactly how to use New York Sightseeing Pass (although you absolutely should read all the fine print).

But there’s one important thing we have to make clear about using any pass in NYC – you must reserve timed entry slots at certain attractions like the Empire State Building, premium guided bus tours, Bronx Zoo or the various walking tours.

We strongly recommend looking through this attractions list to see if reservations are required, recommended or not required. Our advice is to book any that are required or recommended.

Here’s another way we booked timed entry reservations for specific attractions:

• Head over to the official website
• Select either DAY or FLEX Pass (whichever you bought)
• Click on attractions
• Find each attraction you plan to visit and see if it has a timed entry requirement
• Follow the instructions provided to book your time slot (see our screenshot below)

Our Top Tips

After using attraction passes all around the world and two different passes in NYC specifically, here are our top tips to remember if you buy a Sightseeing Pass:

• Seasonality: We lived in New York during the winter and despite being ice cold, all the same attractions were open for business – just without the crowds. Summer is a completely different proposition, with crowds likely at most attractions.
• Avoiding crowds: There will be long lines at attractions if you visit New York in peak season. It’s inevitable. The key is to plan your itinerary to visit major attractions early in the morning and visit lesser known spots around lunch time or in the afternoon. Have a back up plan if you can’t get into an attraction.
• Weather: Look at weather reports when you arrive into NYC and plan accordingly. Trust us, you don’t want to go up any of the observation decks when heavy rain is forecast. Best case you won’t be able to see anything, worst case they might temporarily close for safety reasons.
• Indoors/Outdoors: Consider planning your itinerary around being indoors or outdoors at certain times of day depending on the weather and conditions outside. On hot days avoid 12-4pm outside, whereas on cold days prioritize being outside 12-4pm when it’s warmest.
• Logistics: One of our best pieces of advice for using the Day Pass is to visit attractions that are close together. We saved tons of time and squeezed in 4 attractions each day because we planned our itinerary well.

Is The New York Sightseeing Pass Worth It?

In our honest opinion, we think the NY Sightseeing Pass is a fantastic way to save money – but the passes only work if you’re organized, choose the right attractions, plan an effective itinerary and actually turn up to each attraction. We saved $248 each, so for us it was well worth the investment.

The passes aren’t worth buying if you’re not a planner by nature or you prefer to be spontaneous when you travel. And if you’d rather just do one or two of the most famous attractions, the NY CityPASS might be a better option for you (which we explain below).

We think the Sightseeing Pass excels when it comes to family travel because it has lots of kid-friendly attractions, and we also have our 10% discount for child tickets which makes it even more appealing for families visiting NYC.

If you read reviews about this pass online you’ll either see 1 star or 5 star reviews. The 1 star reviews were left by people who didn’t plan well and the 5 star reviews were left by people who did. It’s that simple. Be a 5 star person and you’ll save money with this pass!

Sightseeing Pass vs Other Options

Let’s finish by quickly comparing Sightseeing Pass to the other pass companies for seeing attractions in New York.

From our research, the Go City Pass and New York Pass (same company) are almost identical to the Sightseeing Pass but with fewer attractions available. However, they do include the 9/11 Museum, so if that’s a top priority for you, it might be worth pricing those passes up too.

But CityPASS does offer something totally different – a set list of non-negotiable popular attractions at a lower price point. We’ve also used this pass and while it did save us more money overall, we found it limiting due to the lack of attraction options. Here’s our NY CityPASS review to learn more.

If you want to keep researching this topic before committing to anything, we highly recommend reading our detailed comparison of the 8 NY passes next to learn more about the other pass options.

Oh, and remember you can just book individual attractions through official websites if you don’t want to deal with passes at all.

Next Steps

We hope our review helps you decide if the Sightseeing Pass is right for your New York City adventure, but please let us know if you have any other questions in the comments box a little further below.

Still figuring out your plans for NYC?

• Follow our 4 day NYC itinerary
• Here are the top things to do in NYC
• These are the best places to stay in NYC

Finally, we recommend reading our ultimate first timers New York City travel guide for helpful tips and advice.

Happy Travels,

Mark & Kristen

Enjoy this review? Pin it for later!

All Rights Reserved © Where Are Those Morgans, LLC. Republishing this article and/or any of its contents (text, photography, maps, graphics, etc.) in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.