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Reading time: 3 minutesBuy the New York CityPASS here
The New York CityPASS gives us access to six top attractions and saves up to 0% on normal entrance rates. If you want to see the main highlights of New York and you enjoy visiting museums then this pass is an option. The pass is valid for 9 days so it gives a reasonable amount of time to visit each attraction. For ages 12 to 17 years old, the pass is worthwhile as for this age bracket the cheaper option of the child pass still applies.
On the CityPASS website, it claims you can save up to 0% at the top 6 attractions. This is in comparison to regular ticket kiosk prices. It’s important to check other passholders experience to see the overall advantages and disadvantages of the New York CityPASS.
Rating:
The New York CityPASS is a positive choice for those visiting New York for the first time. As the attractions offered are limited, it does mean you spend less time researching the main places to visit. In our opinion, the site also offers complete transparency with the FAQ and additional information offered. It’s a simple pass to use and it doesn’t overwhelm you with unlimited choices. The company also offers a smaller pass if you only want to visit 3 attractions in New York called the C3. With the CityPASS, you can skip the line at the 9/11 Museum to save time. It’s also possible to visit the Empire State Building twice in one day. These two features are reasons to consider buying the pass for your trip.
However, we find that this pass is more outdated; it focuses more on cultural experiences rather than entertainment. This means it has a relatively small target audience. If you’re a big museum enthusiast then this pass might be for you, but others might not find it so worthwhile. Overall, you can get your money’s worth from this pass but it can also limit your itinerary for New York. If you would like to ‘add’ an extra attraction to your pass which isn’t included, this isn’t possible. However, if you would like your planning to be a bit more flexible with the attractions you would like to visit. It might be worthwhile looking at more flexible attraction passes with a wider selection of options.
Below an itinerary and savings table.
| Top of the Rock | $44 |
| The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum | $36 |
| Circle Line Harbor Lights Cruise | $44 |
| 2x Empire State Building | $67 |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art + Audio Guide | $32 |
| American Museum of Natural History + Hayden Planetarium Space Show | $33 |
| Total cost separate tickets: | $256 |
| New York CityPASS | $129 |
| Savings per person: | $127 |
| Discount on ticket prices per person: | -50% |
On Trustpilot, CityPASS rates as excellent by pass holders; it covers all of the key attractions that NYC travellers would like to see. This is in comparison to other unlimited day passes which offer variety but which are difficult to make the most out of. The pass has been described as enjoyable since you can choose what you want to see along with expedited entry at most included New York attractions. The CityPASS allows those travelling to New York for the first time to identify the key attractions to visit, rather than spending time researching.
Several pass holders discuss the importance of selecting the correct currency when purchasing the pass directly from the CityPASS site. If the correct currency isn’t selected, you’ll pay automatically in USD which incurs a conversion fee. Others people felt the pass’ 9 consecutive days of use could be more flexible.
The CityPASS is reviewed positively as good for saving money and time. We can see from the reviews it mostly works as promised, it is an easy option if you are planning on seeing the attractions CityPASS offers. It’s also a good option for visiting museums which you may not have originally known about. The CityPASS is reviewed as that which gives you hassle-free entry; it includes must-see attractions and it offers good value for the main attractions.
A portion of pass holders feel the ‘skip the line’ benefit is not a big advantage when buying the pass; it’s required to wait in line or visit attractions at scheduled times. This means it’s not as flexible with planning compared to other attraction passes.
Directly on the New York CityPASS site, the pass rates very positively with the reviews overall. The pass is still considered as good value and very convenient to use. A big advantage of the CityPASS is the opportunity to visit the Empire State Building twice in one day. Ultimately, the majority of pass holders felt the pass saved them money and allowed them to see the main highlights of New York.
Those who travelled in busier seasons felt the pass was not beneficial when entering attractions, they still had to queue at some point. However, this is due to a higher number of visitors with passes to be scanned alongside those queuing for an individual ticket at the kiosk. Also, a number of reviews state each attraction has a different procedure for scanning the passes to enter. This varied the queuing time between attractions with the pass.