Why You Should Buy A New York Sightseeing Pass

The New York Sightseeing Pass is one of the four major attraction passes in the Empire City and we’ve personally used this pass ourselves. In this review, we’ll show you how to make the most of it including what we liked and didn’t like. While this pass won’t be a good fit for everyone, it’s our top recommendation for New York City and we have an exclusive discount for our readers.

If you read reviews about the NY Sightseeing Pass online, you’ll find either 1 star or 5 star reviews. The 1 star reviews are from customers who didn’t plan or read the fine print. The 5 stars reviews are from customers who properly planned and saved a bunch of money. Our review will show you how to make the most of your NY Sightseeing Pass so you can be one of the 5 star reviews.

Disclosure: We received New York Sightseeing Passes in order to share our opinion about this product but this is not a sponsored post.

Our Sightseeing Pass Experience

We’ve used attraction passes in cities all around the world including this exact pass in spring 2022. Prior to this trip, we’ve previously lived in the NYC and visited numerous times over the years. It’s one of favorite cities and it never gets old. Sightseeing Pass is a very popular company offering mainly US based options with a few international options as well. We like their passes because they offer numerous 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 a 3 DAY New York Sightseeing Pass. Read more about us.

Travel Tip: We try our best to keep prices and attraction options up to date, but they are subject to change at any given time. Use the official links we provide to confirm information before purchasing.

Why Consider A NY Sightseeing Pass?

Using a Sightseeing Pass in New York will give you immediate access to the top attractions including museums, observation decks, landmarks, boat cruises and walking tours. 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.

You can purchase a day based (DAY) pass or attraction based (FLEX) with NY Sightseeing. Depending on what you choose, you’ll have 1-10 days to visit as many attractions as possible or you can go a bit slower and visit 2-12 attractions over a period of 60 days. Your pass is considered activated once it has been scanned at the first attraction and you have 12 months to activate it from the date of purchase.

Here are the 2 official NY passes for this company:

• New York DAY Pass (we used this one)
• New York FLEX Pass

We created a graph so you could easily see the difference between these two passes:

The main difference between these two passes is the amount of attractions and length of time you have to use each pass.

You should use a NY Sightseeing DAY Pass if you want to visit numerous attractions over a 1-10 day period and validity depends on the amount of days purchased. The pass price increases the more days you add but you’ll also get more value for money. While there is no limit to the amount of attractions, you’ll be limited by days. It’s best for visitors who want to see and do as much as possible in a short period of time.

With our DAY pass, we visited 12 attractions over a period of 3 consecutive days. It was really fun and we covered a lot of ground, but we had to plan it out and make reservations for certain attractions. One downside to this pass is that it might make you feel rushed, but it’s the best way to save money in New York.

You should use a NY Sightseeing FLEX Pass if you only want to see some of the top sights. With this option, you’re limited to the amount of attractions but you’ll have 60 days to visit each one and it doesn’t have to be in consecutive order. This is a great option for people who know exactly what they want to see, those who want to slow down and visitors who have more time in the city. It won’t give you as much savings as a DAY pass, but you’ll have more flexibility.

New York Sightseeing Pass Attractions

Depending on which pass you buy, you’ll be able to visit 2-12 or an unlimited amount of attractions from a list of over 100 options. It can be overwhelming at first, but start with the attractions you really want to visit first. The pass includes general admission to most of the attractions, but there are a few bonuses we’ll tell you about.

Instead of listing the individual attractions because there are way too many, we’ll tell you the highlights of the pass.

1. Observation Decks

A strength of the NY Sightseeing Pass is that it includes 4 of the popular observation decks in the city with the exception of SUMMIT One Vanderbilt which is not available on any pass option. So you’ll have to purchase this attraction ticket separately if you want to visit.

>> Buy SUMMIT One tickets: Official Website | Get Your Guide | Viator | Tiqets

Here are the 4 observations decks included on the pass:

• Empire State Building (reservations required)
• Top of the Rock
• Edge at Hudson Yards
• One World Observatory

Most observation decks charge an extra fee for a sunset visit, but you won’t have to pay this additional $10-15 cost with a NY Sightseeing Pass. But the catch is you can’t make a reservation (unless visiting the Empire State Building). So if you’re traveling in the peak season of summer and you want to visit at sunset, you’ll need to be creative.

Lines will be long at sunset and you may not be able to get a spot so visit a few hours before sunset and enjoy the view for a bit longer. If you’re visiting in summer, you should arrive early in the day to make a reservation for the next available time slot. When we visited New York in April, we could walk right into One World Observatory and Top of the Rock in the morning as well as Edge for sunset.

READ: Best observation decks in New York City

2. Museums

You’ll find some of the world’s best museums in New York City. And there’s a very long list of museums included on the NY Sightseeing Pass which makes it a good option for any type of visitor. Here are a few of the top museums included on this pass:

• American Museum of Natural History
• Modern Museum of Art (MoMA)
• Guggenheim
• Museum of Broadway
• Whitney Museum of American Art
• Madame Tussauds
• Intrepid

Unfortunately, the 9/11 Museum is no longer included on the NY Sightseeing Pass, but active or retired US military can visit for free. Additionally, all visitors can receive free entry on Mondays from 5:30 to 7:00pm so plan accordingly because it’s open until 8:00pm. But you can book a 9/11 walking tour with this pass.

>> Buy 9/11 Museum tickets: Official Website | Get Your Guide | Viator | Tiqets

We like this pass because in addition to the museums we list above you can also visit lesser known options such as the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Museum of the City of New York, Museum at Eldridge Street, Fotografiska New York and the Museum of Jewish Heritage. Check the full list of attractions if you have a specific museum in mind.

Travel Tip: If you’re a New York State resident, you can visit some museums for free with valid ID. Check official websites to verify so you use the pass to visit attractions you can’t get in for free.

3. Top Attractions

In addition to the observation decks and museums, you’ll also have access to world famous New York attractions with this pass. We’ve visited most of the attractions below so you can’t really go wrong with any of them. The popular sights include:

• Circle Line Landmarks Cruise
• Statue of Liberty Ferry (DAY pass only)
• Big Bus New York
• NY Aquarium
• Bronx Zoo
• Rise NY
• SPYSCAPE
• New York Botanical Garden
• The Rink at Rockefeller Center (seasonal)
• Luna Park in Coney Island

It’s very important to note, if you want to visit the Statue of Liberty, this attraction is available only on the NY Sightseeing DAY pass.

Travel Tip: At most New York attractions, weekdays are quieter than weekends and mornings are less busy compared to evenings. Sunset is always the busiest time.

For those visitors who love walking tours or bike rentals, you’ll have many to choose from if you buy this pass. Here are your options:

• 9/11 Ground Zero Walking Tour
• Best of Brooklyn Walking Tour
• Brooklyn Bridge All Day Bike Rental
• Central Park All Day Bike Rental 
• Hush Tours – Hello Brooklyn
• Various Inside Out Tours

Most of the walking tours will require a reservation, but all you need to do is email the company running the tour to reserve a spot.

4. Special Add Ons

Last but not least, another reason we like the NYC Sightseeing Pass is the special offers and add ons. So not only will this save you money on the top attractions, but you can use if for discounts in shops, restaurants and experiences. Here are some of the special offers:

• Discount on Charm Manhattan Helicopter Tour
• 20% off Broadway Comedy Club
• BOGO Draft pours at Bronx Brewery
• Discounts and free souvenirs in museum stores
• 15% off entire purchase at I LOVE NY shops
• Discounts in Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s

To see the full list of special offers and add ons, click here to visit the official website.

READ: Best helicopter tours in New York City

Our NY Sightseeing Pass Itinerary

Our experience with Sightseeing Pass has shown us they are very cost effective and we’ll show you how much we saved by using the exact itinerary we followed.

This example uses the 3 DAY pass, but you can save even more with additional days depending on how much you want to see. The 9/11 Tribute Museum is no longer open, but you can just substitute this for another attraction.

Here’s what we visited each day using same day box office prices for adults (with taxes and processing fees):

Day 1

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

Day 2

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

Day 3

• Top of the Rock – $53.35 (morning visit)
• NY Botanical Garden – $35.00
• Bronx Zoo – $39.70 (afternoon visit)
• Edge at Hudson Yards – $54.44 (sunset visit)

The total cost of this 3 day itinerary is $494.08.

• Attraction price (no Sightseeing Pass) = $494.08
• NY Sightseeing 3 DAY price with our discount = $246.05
• Savings = $248.03

We saved 50% on 12 attractions!

And as we mentioned earlier in this guide, this is our favorite New York pass. So we’ve teamed up with Sightseeing Pass to offer our readers a 5-10% discount on all passes. You’ll receive 5% off adult passes and 10% off children passes with all the links found in this guide.

>> Buy a NY Sightseeing DAY Pass here

Let’s also compare it to the FLEX pass:

The total cost of this 3 day itinerary is $494.08.

• Attraction price (no Sightseeing Pass) = $494.08
• NY Sightseeing 12 attraction FLEX price with our discount = $312.55
• Savings = $181.53

We would have saved 36% on 12 attractions!

>> Buy a NY Sightseeing FLEX Pass

Our Exclusive Discount

We wrote this review because we were impressed by how much money we saved using a NY Sightseeing Pass. And when we like a product, we always try to offer discounts for our readers to help you save money.

In this next section, we created a graph to show you the difference between the normal prices and our discount for both the DAY and FLEX passes. You’ll always save 5-10% on all passes through our links.

Here are the current DAY pass prices:

By looking at the graph we can instantly conclude, you’ll save on attractions the more days you purchase. The average price per day will decrease as you add more attractions and our discount will always yield the best price. DAY passes are good for first time visitors who want to see it all or families traveling with children.

>> Ready to purchase? Click here for the DAY pass discount!

Travel Tip: The age range for a New York Sightseeing child pass is 3-12 years. Some attractions may offer free admission for young children (ages will vary) so we highly recommend you price out each pass depending on your child’s age to see if will save you money.

Here are the current FLEX pass prices:

By looking at this graph we can conclude, you’ll save the most with more attractions. The average price decreases as you add more attractions and our discount always yields the lowest price. FLEX passes are good for returning visitors who’ve already seen many of the top sights, visitors who want to take their time or those who want to visit several museums.

>> Ready to purchase? Click here for the FLEX pass discount!

Travel Tip: Winter is often the best time to purchase passes because prices will be cheaper, but our discounted links will always save you 5-10%. Summer is peak time which means prices will be at their highest.

How To Make Timed Reservations

No matter which NY Sightseeing Pass you purchase, you’ll be required to make reservations at some attractions. We highly recommend you do this or you’ll risk not be able to visit.

Here are instructions for booking timed entry reservations for specific attractions:

• Head over to the official website
• Select either DAY or FLEX Pass
• Navigate to attractions
• Find each attraction you want to visit and see if it has a timed entry requirement
• Follow the instructions provided online to book your time slot (see image below)

Reservations work 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 reservation 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 Sightseeing Pass 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 NYC attraction pass comparison, but we’ll cover the highlights quickly.

Besides the NY Sightseeing Pass, there are 3 other options:

• New York CityPASS
• Go City New York
• The New York Pass

CityPASS offers an attraction based option, The New York Pass offers a day based option while Go City offers both attraction and day based options very similar to the Sightseeing Pass.

New York CityPASS

We’ve personally used this exact pass in NYC, Seattle, Denver and San Francisco. This company offers passes in major cities across the US and it’s a good option if you only want to see 3-5 of the top attractions in the city.

The major difference between a CityPASS and a Sightseeing Pass is the amount of attractions you can visit. You’ll be more limited by the amount of attractions you can visit with this pass and 2 of them are non-negotiable. You can read our review for more detailed information.

>> Buy a New York CityPASS here

READ: New York CityPASS review

Go City New York

We’ve used this pass in major cities around the world including Rome, London and Paris. It’s almost identical to the New York Sightseeing Pass with a day (All-Inclusive) and attraction (Explorer) based option plus 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: Go City Rome Explorer Pass review

The New York Pass

This pass is owned by Go City and it’s 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

The Morgan Conclusion

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

After using the Sightseeing Pass in New York ourselves, we saved $496.06 over the course of 3 days and we think it’s completely worth it if you want to visit the top attractions! Out of all the attraction passes we’ve used around the world, this pass offered the biggest savings. It’s our favorite option out of the NY passes because it offers the most attractions and flexibility.

Like all things that save you money, there is a catch when using a New York Sightseeing Pass. The main purpose of this pass is to save you money by bundling attractions and you’ll have to put in the work to get the most of the pass. Figure out what attraction you want to visit and then work out what attractions require reservations.

One of the major benefits of the Sightseeing Pass is that you won’t have to pay an additional fee to visit the observation decks at sunset which can really help you save some money. But keep in mind you can only make reservations for the Empire State Building so you’ll have to plan well if you visit in peak season or you may have to contend with long lines.

We had no issues turning up to attractions and receiving immediate entry into to Edge, One World Observatory and Top of the Rock in April 2022. If you plan to visit in summer, you might have to visit outside of peak hours or plan for extra time due to lines if you can’t make a reservation for a specific attraction.

For DAY pass users, we don’t recommend using Big Bus as your means of transportation around the city because you’ll be limited by bus schedules and traffic. You should use the subway to make the most of your time. Walking tours, bike rentals or boat tours would be another good option. However, if you have a FLEX pass, Big Bus will count at one of your attractions and you should look at the bus routes to maximize your time.

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We hope this review of the New York Sightseeing Pass helps with planning your trip to NYC!

Please let us know if you have any questions about this pass in the comments below and don’t forget to use our exclusive discount to see the top attractions!

Happy Travels,

Mark and Kristen

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