5 reasons to book your New York visits in advance

In New York, you'll want to visit several museums and landmarks. Here are 5 reasons to book your tours before you leave home.

Planning a trip to New York soon? Book your tours and activities in advance. Here are five reasons why…

1/ Lock in your price

When you book through our Activities and Excursions in New York section, your price is fixed and guaranteed for your visit date. This protects you from the regular price increases that happen annually or twice a year. New York attractions adjust their prices to keep pace with inflation. The Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, and One World Observatory are good examples.
New York tourist passes also raise their prices twice a year. But if you’ve already booked your tickets and passes, your rate stays the same. That’s real savings.

Whether you exchange money at your bank or at a currency exchange office, you’ll pay fees. These come as commissions and/or a less favorable exchange rate than the official market rate. Banks have to make money somehow!
By booking your tours and activities in advance in your home currency, you reduce the amount of dollars you need to exchange. More savings in your pocket.

Booking your tours in advance gives you another advantage: you can often buy fast-track access that lets you skip the entrance line. Fast-track tickets are only sold in advance. Empire State Building tickets are a good example.
Tourist passes also save you time at the entrance by letting you reserve a specific time slot for your visit. Two passes are especially useful for this: the New York City Pass and the Pass New York C3. Both let you reserve a time slot for almost all the attractions they include. How does it work? We’ll send you detailed instructions right after you purchase your pass on our site.

As one of the world’s most visited cities, New York’s most popular attractions fill up fast. One World Observatory, the city’s tallest observation deck, and Summit One Vanderbilt, which recently opened, are prime examples. During school holidays, observation decks reach capacity quickly, and you may not be able to visit if crowds are heavy. The same goes for the Statue of Liberty: early morning slots are booked months in advance.
Book your musical tickets well ahead too. Tickets for major hits like The Lion King, Aladdin, and MJ The Michael Jackson Musical sell out quickly. If you want a specific show at a specific time, secure your seats early. See our guide to musicals now playing in New York.
Since January 2017, this is even more critical for helicopter tours in New York. New city regulations forced operators to cut flight numbers in half due to noise concerns from the heliport. Yet demand for tours remains high. If you want to experience a helicopter flight over New York, book well in advance. Find all your options on our helicopter tours in New York page.
The same applies to our guided tours of New York. Since our tours run in small groups, booking early ensures you get a spot.

When you book in advance, we receive a copy of your confirmation. If something goes wrong, we can step in and resend it to you. This happens regularly, especially if there’s a typo in your email address. We can also make free changes for you—for example, if you need to reschedule a tour. We’re here to help!
On our New York forum, you’ll find stories from people who received a replacement confirmation thanks to our support. Happy planning, and don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.