5 tips to make the most of your New York Explorer Pass

The New York Explorer Pass is a New York sightseeing pass that lets you visit major attractions, museums, landmarks and sights across the city at a flat rate—much cheaper than buying individual tickets. Here are 5 tips to get the most out of your Explorer Pass:

1/ Show Your Explorer Pass on Your Smartphone

• As soon as you complete payment on the New York Explorer Pass booking page, a confirmation page displays your pass instantly. You can download it and display it on your smartphone—no need to print it. The bonus: your pass is always with you since it’s stored on your phone.
• On my last trip to New York, I kept the pass page open in my browser and simply showed the barcode at each entrance. It couldn’t be simpler.

2/ Take Advantage of Explorer Pass Fast-Track Entry

Beyond the savings on regular admission prices, the New York Explorer Pass also gives you priority access at certain attractions. Don’t miss out. Here are the 6 places where you can use this benefit:

• The Statue of Liberty ferry: you must reserve your ferry time in advance. The advantage: you have a reserved slot and only wait for security and boarding—no line at the ticket window. Full details come with your pass.
• Empire State Building entry: reserve your time slot ahead to skip the main line and use the dedicated fast-track queue. You’ll receive special instructions by email after purchase, with access to a page reserved for Explorer Pass holders who book through our site.
• The American Museum of Natural History: use the dedicated pass-holder line to speed up entry.
• Top of the Rock entry: pass holders have their own line, saving significant time compared to regular visitors. You can also visit the day before or a few days ahead to present your pass and pick up a ticket for a specific date and time.
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum entry: pass holders can enter faster here too. Head to the VIP ticket windows.

3/ Enjoy the Flexibility of the Explorer Pass

• Unlike the New York City Pass, a competing pass that locks you into 5 specific attractions, the New York Explorer Pass only requires you to choose upfront how many attractions you want to visit. After that? You’re free. You don’t need to reserve most attractions in advance—just show up whenever you like.
• For example: if you planned to visit the Guggenheim Museum but decide you’d rather see Madame Tussauds instead, go ahead. You can change your mind at the last moment and adjust your visits as you wish. Each attraction only counts against your total when you present your pass.
• Note: there are a few exceptions. Check the list of attractions requiring advance reservations on our New York Explorer Pass page.

4/ Book Guided Tours in Advance

• The New York Explorer Pass includes a range of guided tours and excursions in English.
• Important: for these activities, you must reserve in advance because the tour operator needs to plan for your group.
• Once you’ve purchased your Explorer Pass, book any activities that require reservations right away. If you’re unsure which ones do, leave a comment below or contact us via the contact form.

5/ Visit Different Attractions if You’re Traveling with Others

• You want to visit the Spyscape spy museum but your travel companion prefers the Whitney Museum of Art? No problem. With the Explorer Pass, each person can visit whatever they choose, completely independently. In this case, I recommend making separate bookings so each person has their own pass.
• To book, go to the New York Explorer Pass booking page.