Heading to New York City and trying to do it all – but still want to save on admission to all those world-class attractions? There are several sightseeing passes in New York geared towards tourists, that help visitors save on attraction admission while still getting the full New York City experience.
In this post, we compare four of the most popular New York sightseeing passes: The New York Pass, The Sightseeing Pass - Flex Pass, Go City (All-Inclusive and Explorer Pass), and The Sightseeing Pass - Day Pass, so you easily compare them and choose the best pass for your trip.
The purpose of this guide is to give you an at-a-glance comparison of the different New York sightseeing passes based on important factors. For example: how many attractions you can visit, validity, ease of use, benefits, savings, price ranges, and more.
Things to consider when choosing which pass to get:
Each New York sightseeing pass includes everything you need to visit attractions. Once you have the pass, you don’t need to pay for admission at any of the included attractions.
One of the important differences between the passes you’ll need to consider when choosing is either how many days you want to sightsee, or, how many attractions you want to visit.
The pass you end up choosing will largely depend on how long you plan on being in the city, how many attractions you want to visit, and how many attractions per day you plan to visit.
The unlimited attraction passes (The New York Pass & The Sightseeing Pass – Day Pass) encourage a more active sightseeing itinerary. The more attractions you visit, the more money you can save on admission as you pay a flat fee and can visit as many as you want.
Things to consider when choosing which pass to get:
Each New York sightseeing pass includes everything you need to visit attractions. Once you have the pass, you don’t need to pay for admission at any of the included attractions.
One of the important differences between the passes you’ll need to consider when choosing is either how many days you want to sightsee, or, how many attractions you want to visit.
The pass you end up choosing will largely depend on how long you plan on being in the city, how many attractions you want to visit, and how many attractions per day you plan to visit.
The unlimited attraction passes (The New York Pass & The Sightseeing Pass – Day Pass) encourage a more active sightseeing itinerary. The more attractions you visit, the more money you can save on admission as you pay a flat fee and can visit as many as you want.
The passes that let you choose how many attractions (Go City Explorer Pass & The Sightseeing Pass – Flex Pass) allow you to sightsee at your own pace.
With both Go City and Sightseeing Flex Pass, your pass is valid for 60 days after activation, which offers plenty of flexibility.
For all of the New York sightseeing pass options, how much you’ll save on admission tickets largely depends on which attractions you visit (more expensive attractions mean more savings) and how many attractions you visit if you’re using an “unlimited” pass (the more you visit, the more you’ll save).
All of the New York sightseeing passes are easy ways to save money when traveling to New York if you want to visit lots of popular attractions, go on tours, and see the sights.
Unlimited Passes – choose the number of days you want to go sightseeing
The New York Pass vs. The Sightseeing Pass - Day Pass
The New York Pass vs. The Sightseeing Pass - Day Pass
The New York Pass and The Sightseeing Pass – Day Pass are similar; they both offer unlimited admission to 100+ included attractions and up to 50% in savings.
Both offer skip-the-line privileges at select attractions, exclusive discounts at restaurants and other entertainment venues, a hop-on hop-off bus tour (operated by different companies), and popular NYC attractions, including Top of the Rock, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, and more.
Biggest differences?
- Generally, the cost of The New York Pass is less than The Sightseeing Pass.
- The New York Pass comes with a free guidebook, The Sightseeing Pass does not.
How many days can I buy passes for, and how long are they valid for?
The New York Pass is valid for the number of days you choose to go sightseeing. You can buy a 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10-day pass and use it for consecutive days. You can visit as many of the 105+ included attractions as you want while your pass is valid.
The Sightseeing Pass - Day Pass is valid for the number of days you choose to sightsee. You can buy a 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10-day pass and use it for consecutive days. You can visit as many of the 150+ included attractions as you want while your pass is valid.
Passes that let you choose how many attractions to visit
Go City Explorer Pass vs. The Sightseeing Pass – Flex Pass
Go City Explorer Pass vs. The Sightseeing Pass – Flex Pass
Go City Explorer Pass and The Sightseeing Pass - Flex Pass are similar in how they work; they both let you choose how many attractions you want to visit and then you can choose from any of the included attractions at a savings of up to 50%.
Biggest differences?
- Your Explorer pass with Go City is valid for 30 days, The Sightseeing Pass – Flex Pass is valid for only 7.
- With Go City you get a free guidebook, The Sightseeing Pass – Flex Pass does not offer this.
Both passes also offer skip-the-line privileges at select attractions, including a hop-on hop-off bus tour, and tons of popular New York attractions to choose from.
How many days can I buy passes for, and how long are they valid for?
Go City Explorer Pass lets you choose how many attractions you want to visit. You can buy a 3, 4, 5, 7, or 10-attraction pass. You can choose from any of the 100+ included attraction choices and your pass is valid for 60 days from first use. Each pass comes with a free online guidebook and has a free mobile app available.
The Sightseeing Pass – Flex Pass lets you choose how many attractions you want to visit. You can buy a 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10-attraction pass. You can choose from any of the 150+ included attraction choices and your pass is valid for 60 days from first use.
We hope you found this guide helpful for sightseeing in New York!
Planning your New York trip? With both Go City® New York and The New York Pass®, you can explore big-name landmarks, local hotspots, and epic tours, all on one pass, all for one price. Not only that, but you'll enjoy savings of up to 50%, compared to buying individual attraction tickets.
✈️ Buy Go City® New York All-Inclusive & Explorer Passes ✈️ Buy The New York Pass® ✈️
