New York city passes compared

The short answer

Choose the pass by how you plan to sightsee, then check that the venues you want are on its list. The four passes on SkyGate work in three different ways: by days (The New York Pass), by a number of choices (the Go City New York Explorer Pass and New York CityPASS) or by a fixed recipe of one deck plus two (the Go City New York Essential Pass).[4][1][3][5]

Each pass is an entitlement: it lets you choose from a list. It does not mean you will visit every venue on that list, and XTOUR does not pin these passes to individual venues on its map unless an option names a fixed inclusion. XTOUR prints no prices, so whether a pass beats single tickets depends on the venues you will actually use; price the same venues as single tickets on SkyGate before deciding.

By days: The New York Pass

The New York Pass is the one to pick if you will sightsee hard on consecutive days. SkyGate sells it in eight options, for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 days, and says that once activated it is valid for the selected number of consecutive calendar days, regardless of the time of day. Its options describe access to over 100 attractions and experiences, and SkyGate's examples include the Empire State Building, Edge and Top of the Rock decks, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, MoMA and a one-day hop-on hop-off bus tour.[5] Go City, which runs it, describes this pass type as letting you choose a duration and visit as many of the included attractions as you like.[7][6]

By choices: Go City Explorer and New York CityPASS

The Go City New York Explorer Pass suits a slower trip. Its seven options are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 choices, each valid for 30 consecutive days after first use, according to SkyGate. SkyGate says the list holds over 90 experiences, and names the Empire State Building, Edge, One World Observatory, Top of the Rock, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry, the American Museum of Natural History, Madame Tussauds, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, a Circle Line cruise and a hop-on hop-off bus among them. SkyGate's listing says the Go City app shows the current attractions and is used to make reservations.[3]

New York CityPASS is a shorter, set menu of five attractions. SkyGate's single option includes admission to the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History, plus your choice of three from the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island ferry, Top of the Rock, a Circle Line cruise, the Intrepid Museum and the Guggenheim Museum, valid for nine days after first use. SkyGate's ticket types are adult from 18 and child 6 to 17, unlike the Go City passes, where adult starts at 13.[3][1]

CityPASS's own page, read the same day, describes the product differently: admission to your choice of 5 attractions from a list of 10 that also includes Edge and the Whitney Museum of American Art, with none fixed.[2] XTOUR does not know which description your voucher will follow, so check the inclusions on SkyGate before you buy. CityPASS also says most of its attractions require advance reservations.[2]

A fixed recipe: Go City Essential

The Go City New York Essential Pass is the simplest. Its one option is three choices: one observation deck from the Empire State Building, Edge, Top of the Rock or One World Observatory, plus two attractions or experiences from a curated list, valid for 30 consecutive days from first use. SkyGate's examples for the two extra choices include the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the American Museum of Natural History, MoMA, the Intrepid Museum, the Museum of Broadway, Mercer Labs and a Central Park bike rental.[4] Go City's own page describes the same structure.[6] In XTOUR's reading it fits a first visit built around one skyline view.

How to choose

• Two or three big days of sightseeing: The New York Pass, sized to the days you will use.[5]
• A week or more at an easy pace, with a known shortlist: the Go City New York Explorer Pass, sized to the number of venues.[3]
• One deck and two other sights: the Go City New York Essential Pass.[4]
• Five classic attractions within nine days: New York CityPASS, after checking which inclusions apply.[2][1]
• One or two venues only: in XTOUR's reading, skip the pass and compare single venues instead.

Before you book

• Count which venues you will really use and check each is on the pass's current list in the operator's app or site.[2][3]
• Validity starts at first use: a fixed run of calendar days for The New York Pass, 30 days for the Go City Explorer and Essential passes, nine days for CityPASS.[1][4][3][5]
• Expect to reserve times at many attractions even with a pass.[3][2]
• Child ages differ: 3 to 12 on the Go City passes, 6 to 17 on CityPASS.[1][3]