New York sightseeing passes: worth it or not, by the numbers
We compare 7 passes for New York, from USD 89 to USD 429 for one adult. We set each one against the gate prices of 14 attractions, read on their own pages in October 2026.
For our 5 first visit picks over 3 days, no pass reaches Worth it for 2 adults; the closest, New York C3, saves USD 30 (8% of the gate total).
Our 5 first visit picks
- Empire State Building Observation Deck
- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry
- Edge Observation Deck
- Intrepid Museum
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
2 adults, 3 days at a packed pace: USD 364 at the gate.
New York C3 comes first
Ranked 1 of 7 for this plan
Pass USD 222 still at the gate USD 112
USD 30 less than the gate, 8% of the gate total, for this plan
Prices checked October 2026. Every pass on this plan: the plans table.
- Passes
- 7
- One adult pays
- USD 89 to USD 429
- Attractions priced
- 14
- Prices checked
- October 2026
The 7 New York passes at a glance
Adult and child prices for one person, in USD, from each seller's page in October 2026. The last column counts the attractions each pass includes that carry a published gate price in our data.
| Pass | Type | Options | Adult | Child | Priced attractions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York CityPASS | Choice of attractions | 5 picks, valid 9 days | USD 149 | USD 129, child 6 to 17 | 8 of 9 |
| New York C3 | Choice of attractions | 3 picks, valid 9 days | USD 109 | USD 89, child 6 to 12 | 7 of 8 |
| New York C-All | Fixed bundle | Valid 9 days | USD 259 | USD 189, child 6 to 12 | 7 of 8 |
| Go City New York Essentials Pass | Choice of attractions | 3 picks, valid 30 days | USD 99 | USD 79, child 3 to 12 | 7 of 8 |
| Go City New York Explorer Pass | Choice of attractions | 2 to 10 picks, valid 30 days | USD 89 to USD 299 | USD 79 to USD 239, child 3 to 12 | 11 of 12 |
| Go City New York All-Inclusive Pass | All-inclusive by days | Valid 1 to 10 days | USD 169 to USD 429 | USD 129 to USD 324, child 3 to 12 | 11 of 12 |
| TopView Attraction Pass | All-inclusive by days | Valid 1 to 7 days | USD 129 to USD 319 | USD 99 to USD 289, child 4 to 12 | 6 of 6 |
Every pass against three plans
The same group for each plan: 2 adults, no children, a packed pace of up to 4 visits a day. The engine picks the option of each pass that fits, then sets it against the gate total. Rows follow the 5 things result: verdict first, then the saving.
2 things
Empire State Building Observation Deck and Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry. 2 adults, 3 days at a packed pace. At the gate: USD 144 for the group.
5 things
Empire State Building Observation Deck, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry, Edge Observation Deck, Intrepid Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2 adults, 3 days at a packed pace. At the gate: USD 364 for the group.
Everything: 14 things
Empire State Building Observation Deck, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry, Edge Observation Deck, Intrepid Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Big Bus New York Discover Ticket, TopView Downtown Hop On Hop Off 24 Hr Pass, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, Circle Line Landmarks Cruise, One World Observatory, Madame Tussauds New York, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art and Circle Line Liberty Cruise. 2 adults, 4 days at a packed pace. At the gate: USD 1,086 for the group.
| Pass | 2 things | 5 things | Everything: 14 things |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York C3 | Skip itUSD 78 more3 attractions | Close callsaves USD 303 attractions | Close callsaves USD 303 attractions |
| Go City New York Explorer Pass | Skip itUSD 34 more2 attractions | Close callsaves USD 143 attractions | Worth itsaves USD 17810 attractions |
| New York CityPASS | Skip itUSD 158 more5 attractions | Close callsaves USD 25 attractions | Close callsaves USD 885 attractions |
| Go City New York Essentials Pass | Skip itUSD 106 more3 attractions | Close callUSD 30 more3 attractions | Close callsaves USD 483 attractions |
| Go City New York All-Inclusive Pass | Skip itUSD 194 more1 day | Close callUSD 34 more1 day | Worth itsaves USD 2903 days |
| TopView Attraction Pass | Skip itUSD 258 more1 day | Skip itUSD 98 more1 day | Worth itsaves USD 1382 days |
| New York C-All | Skip itUSD 378 more11 attractions | Skip itUSD 218 more11 attractions | Close callUSD 42 more11 attractions |
Prices checked October 2026. US gate prices are before sales tax. Worth The Pass compares published prices on the date shown. Passes change what they include; check the seller's page before you buy.
4 pairs of passes side by side
Pairs a visitor is likely to weigh against each other, each against the same plans and with both inclusion lists in one table.
- New York CityPASS vs Go City New York Explorer Pass8 priced on both
- New York CityPASS vs New York C37 priced on both
- Go City New York All-Inclusive Pass vs TopView Attraction Pass5 priced on both
- New York C3 vs Go City New York Essentials Pass4 priced on both
Your own New York plan
Our 5 first visit picks are ticked to start: our choice for a first visit, not a visitor ranking. Change the ticks, the days, the adults and each child's age, and every pass gets its own verdict for the things you ticked.
New York gate prices
Prices for one visitor from each attraction's own ticket page, in USD, checked October 2026. A price the page does not publish stays out of every total. US gate prices are before sales tax.
| Attraction | Adult | Child | In these passes | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Empire State Building Observation DeckFirst visit pick | USD 46from, before tax | USD 40, child 6 to 12 | CityPASS, C3, C-All, Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Empire State Building Observation Deck (opens in a new tab) |
| Edge Observation DeckFirst visit pick | USD 42from, plus fees | Child price not published | CityPASS, C3, C-All, Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer, Go City All-Inclusive and TopView | Tickets for Edge Observation Deck (opens in a new tab) |
| Intrepid MuseumFirst visit pick | USD 38 | USD 28, child 5 to 12; free under 5 | CityPASS, C3, C-All, Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer, Go City All-Inclusive and TopView | Tickets for Intrepid Museum (opens in a new tab) |
| The Metropolitan Museum of ArtFirst visit pick | USD 30 | Free under 13; other child prices not published | In no pass | Tickets for The Metropolitan Museum of Art (opens in a new tab) |
| Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferryFirst visit pick | USD 26 | USD 17, child 4 to 12; free under 4 | CityPASS, C3, C-All, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry (opens in a new tab) |
| Big Bus New York Discover Ticket | USD 62from, online price | USD 52, child 3 to 12 | Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Big Bus New York Discover Ticket (opens in a new tab) |
| TopView Downtown Hop On Hop Off 24 Hr Pass | USD 55from, online price | Child price not published | TopView | Tickets for TopView Downtown Hop On Hop Off 24 Hr Pass (opens in a new tab) |
| SUMMIT One Vanderbilt | USD 44from, plus fees | Child price not published | In no pass | Tickets for SUMMIT One Vanderbilt (opens in a new tab) |
| Circle Line Landmarks Cruise | USD 39varies by date | USD 31, child 3 to 12; free under 3 | CityPASS, Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Circle Line Landmarks Cruise (opens in a new tab) |
| One World Observatory | USD 39from, plus fees, before tax | Child price not published | Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer, Go City All-Inclusive and TopView | Tickets for One World Observatory (opens in a new tab) |
| Madame Tussauds New York | USD 34from, online price | Child price not published | Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer, Go City All-Inclusive and TopView | Tickets for Madame Tussauds New York (opens in a new tab) |
| Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum | USD 30 | Free under 12; other child prices not published | CityPASS, C3, C-All, Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer, Go City All-Inclusive and TopView | Tickets for Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (opens in a new tab) |
| Whitney Museum of American Art | USD 30 | Free for every child, under 26 | CityPASS, C3, C-All, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Whitney Museum of American Art (opens in a new tab) |
| Circle Line Liberty Cruise | USD 28varies by date | USD 21, child 3 to 12; free under 3 | CityPASS, C3, C-All, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for Circle Line Liberty Cruise (opens in a new tab) |
| 9/11 Memorial & Museum | Price not published | Free under 7; other child prices not published | CityPASS, C3, C-All, Go City Essentials, Go City Explorer and Go City All-Inclusive | Tickets for 9/11 Memorial & Museum (opens in a new tab) |
Worth The Pass may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never changes the math or the ranking.
Questions about New York passes
What is the cheapest sightseeing pass in New York?
The lowest adult price among the 7 passes we compare is Go City New York Explorer Pass at USD 89 for the 2 attractions option. The highest is Go City New York All-Inclusive Pass at USD 429 for 10 days. Prices checked October 2026. A low price pays off only when the pass covers enough of your own plan.
Is a sightseeing pass worth it in New York?
For Empire State Building Observation Deck, Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry, Edge Observation Deck, Intrepid Museum and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, with 2 adults, 3 days at a packed pace, the gate total is USD 364. No pass comes out Worth it for this plan. 5 passes land within 10% of the gate total; the closest is New York C3, which saves USD 30 (8% of the gate total). A different list can change the answer, so tick your own in the calculator on this page.
Which New York attractions are not in any pass?
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt and The Metropolitan Museum of Art are in none of the 7 passes we compare, so you pay at the gate whichever pass you buy. Adult gate prices: SUMMIT One Vanderbilt USD 44 and The Metropolitan Museum of Art USD 30.
Do New York sightseeing passes have child prices?
All 7 passes publish a reduced price for children: New York CityPASS (child 6 to 17), New York C3 (child 6 to 12), New York C-All (child 6 to 12), Go City New York Essentials Pass (child 3 to 12), Go City New York Explorer Pass (child 3 to 12), Go City New York All-Inclusive Pass (child 3 to 12) and TopView Attraction Pass (child 4 to 12). Enter each child's age in the calculator to see the band that applies.
Which New York passes include transport or a sightseeing bus?
Go City New York Explorer Pass, Go City New York All-Inclusive Pass and TopView Attraction Pass include a hop-on hop-off bus.
When were the New York prices checked?
We read every New York pass and gate price on the seller's and the attraction's own pages in October 2026: 7 passes and 15 attractions, from 31 source pages. Each price on this page is in USD.