100 Dumb US Laws (With Proof They Exist)
Sightseeing passes like The New York Pass and New York CityPASS operate on a simple principle: a single payment grants you access to multiple attractions with no extra fees. For instance, with the New York CityPASS, you can save over $110 on visiting five major landmarks compared to standard ticket prices. The more attractions you visit, the higher your savings will be.
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Table of Contents
- How The New York Pass and New York CityPass Work
- Comparison of The New York Pass, New York CityPass, and C3 Pass
- The New York Pass: Unlimited Attractions on One Ticket
- New York CityPASS: Five Attractions in 9 Days
- CityPASS C3 New York: Three Attractions in 9 Days
- Attractions Available with The New York Pass and CityPASS
How The New York Pass and New York CityPass Work
Both sightseeing passes function in a similar way. You purchase them in advance and either upload them to a mobile app or keep the QR code in your email. When visiting individual attractions, you don’t need to buy anything else; at some locations, you can even skip the ticket line, while others allow you to reserve a specific time slot.
The New York Pass and New York CityPass are sold in several variations, differing in validity period, the number of included attractions, and, of course, price.
The concept is similar to the America the Beautiful pass for US National Parks. However, while National Parks can be visited unlimited times throughout the year, with both New York passes, each attraction can be visited only once.
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Comparison of The New York Pass, New York CityPass, and C3 Pass
You can buy all these passes online several weeks in advance; there is no need to pick anything up physically. If your plans change, you can return an unused pass and receive a 100% refund of the amount paid.
The New York Pass New York CityPass New York C3 Savings Up to hundreds of dollars Up to 40% Up to 37% Validity Period 1–10 days 9 days 9 days Attractions Included 100+ 5 3 Money-Back Guarantee 365 days 365 days 365 days Best For You’ll be in New York for at least 4 days and want to see as much as possible. You’ll be in New York for at least 4 days, but you don’t want to just rush from one sight to another. You’re spending a maximum of 4 days in New York. Price -
The New York Pass: Unlimited Attractions on One Ticket
🎟️ Who Is The New York Pass Good For?
The New York Pass gives you the opportunity to visit an unlimited number of attractions during its validity period. Whatever you manage to visit, you see. It is sold with a validity of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, or 10 days, which determines the price. These are always consecutive days, and you can buy the pass well in advance since it only activates upon first use.
This Pass is the best solution for visitors who plan to spend at least 4 days in the city and want to see as much as possible. In that case, I recommend buying The New York Pass with 3-day validity, during which you can concentrate your tour of all the most interesting attractions. You will see everything and save tens of dollars. On the remaining days, you can enjoy a more relaxed schedule, so you won’t feel like you’re just chasing after sights.
To get the most out of the pass, use it for the first time in the morning on your first day. If you activate the pass in the evening, you essentially waste one day of validity. Each attraction can be visited only once.
I’ve found it useful to categorize the included attractions using a “traffic light” system: Green for the ones I absolutely must see, Red for those I have zero interest in, and Orange for places I’ll visit if I have spare time.
💵 How Much You Save With The New York Pass
This depends on how many and which attractions you visit. For The New York Pass to be worth it, I recommend visiting at least three different attractions each day.
🏷️ The New York Pass Prices 2026
To maximize your savings, I recommend using a Revolut or Wise card for payment. I last updated the prices on January 13, 2026.
Duration 1 Day 2 Days 3 Days 4 Days 5 Days 7 Days 10 Days Adult $169 $259 $339 $389 $444 $509 $569 Child (3–12) $129 $194 $254 $289 $334 $379 $429 -
New York CityPASS: Five Attractions in 9 Days
🎟️ Who Is New York CityPASS Good For?
If you don’t want to just rush around sights in New York but still want to see the highlights, CityPASS is a solid choice for you. It pays off if you spend at least four days in the city. The pass is valid for 9 consecutive days, with day one being the day you first use it.
💵 How Much You Save With New York CityPASS
CityPass New York will save you roughly 40% off the standard admission price; the exact amount depends on the attractions you choose. The selection includes all the top observation decks, a cruise around the Statue of Liberty, and popular museums.
🏷️ New York CityPASS Prices 2026
On the official website, the price for a New York CityPASS is $154 for an adult, and $129 for a child aged 6 to 17. The pass is valid for 9 days from first use.
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CityPASS C3 New York: Three Attractions in 9 Days
🎟️ Who Is The C3 Pass Good For?
If you are spending a maximum of 4 days in New York and want to see the very best, I recommend the CityPASS C3. You can visit any three attractions with it, and at some locations, you can even skip the ticket lines.
💵 How Much You Save With New York C3 Pass
If you want to visit the Empire State Building, Top of The Rock, and Edge, for example, the C3 Pass will save you approximately $54 compared to buying tickets separately.
🏷️ CityPass C3 New York Prices 2026
An adult pays $109 for the CityPASS C3, while the price for a child aged 6 to 12 is $86.
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Attractions Available with The New York Pass and CityPASS
The table below lists only the most interesting attractions on offer. You can find the complete list on the The New York Pass and CityPass websites.
Attractions marked 🟢 can be visited with the respective pass, while places marked 🔴 are not included. For attractions marked 🟡, you can choose three (C3) or five (CityPASS) to visit. Attraction prices were updated on January 13, 2026.
Attraction Standard Price The New York Pass New York CityPass New York C3 Pass Empire State Building Observatory $53.35 🟢 🟢 🟡 American Museum of Natural History $30 🟢 🟢 🟡 Top of the Rock $58.79 🟢 🟡 🟡 9/11 Memorial & Museum $36 🟢 🟡 🟡 Statue of Liberty Ferry $26 🟢 🟡 🟡 Intrepid Museum $38 🟢 🟡 🟡 Guggenheim Museum $30 🟢 🟡 🟡 Landmark Cruise by Circle Line $45 🟢 🟡 🟡 Edge $51.17 🟢 🔴 🟡 Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) $30 🟢 🔴 🟡 Big Bus 1-Day Hop-on Hop-off Tour $87 🟢 🔴 🔴 One World Observatory $62.60 🟢 🔴 🔴 Madame Tussauds Admission $50.07 🟢 🔴 🔴 Best of NYC Cruise by Circle Line $49 🟢 🔴 🔴 Central Park Bike Rental by Unlimited Biking $51.69 🟢 🔴 🔴 Harbor Lights Cruise by Circle Line $49 🟢 🔴 🔴 New York Yankees Game Tickets $66.20 🟢 🔴 🔴 Madison Square Garden All Access Tour $52.26 🟢 🔴 🔴 Liberty Super Express Cruise $29 🟢 🔴 🔴 Rockefeller Center Tour $29.40 🟢 🔴 🔴 RiseNY $43.55 🟢 🔴 🔴 St. Patrick’s Cathedral Tour $25 🟢 🔴 🔴 Food On Foot Tours $49 🟢 🔴 🔴 Museum of the City of New York $23 🟢 🔴 🔴 Marvel & DC Superheroes Tour $35 🟢 🔴 🔴 Yankee Stadium Tours $43.19 🟢 🔴 🔴 Luna Park at Coney Island $79 🟢 🔴 🔴
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