Which is the best pass to visit New York?
Save money on New York attractions with a pass. But which one should you choose? We break down all your options so you can pick the right pass for your trip.
All passes save you money
- Every pass in New York saves you money on attractions. That’s why they exist. The pass price is always lower than paying full price for each attraction separately. If that weren’t true, passes wouldn’t make sense. 😉
- As of June 2025, five passes are available: the New York City Pass, the New York City Explorer Pass, the Pass C3, the New York Pass, and the New York Essentials Pass. The names are similar, but each one is different. What they have in common: all of them offer significant savings on attraction prices.
The best pass for you depends on what you want to see
- Which pass should you buy? That depends entirely on you. Start by deciding which attractions, museums, and activities interest you. Once you know what you want to do, choose the pass that includes all of it.
- If you want to see New York’s top sights, the New York City Pass is a good choice. It includes 5 major attractions chosen from a list of 10. As of September 1, 2026, the list features the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, The Edge, a Circle Line cruise, and five major museums including the 9/11 Memorial & Museum, the Intrepid Museum, and the Guggenheim Museum. See the New York City Pass details.
- If you prefer to choose attractions as you go, pick the New York City Explorer Pass. You decide how many attractions you want to visit—from 2 to 10—then choose freely from nearly 80 included attractions on the list, which covers all the major sights. See the New York City Explorer Pass details.
- If you plan to visit only a few attractions, consider the Pass C3 or the New York Essentials Pass. Both include exactly 3 attractions. They compete with each other and differ in which activities they cover.