Comparison of New York Discount Passes 2026

Below you can find a comparison of New York discount passes. There are two types of discount passes: attraction passes for a limited number of attractions and day passes for a limited number of days. Both types are offered by various companies, meaning there’s a wide range of choices. The New York discount passes in the table below are the most popular ones, based on my experience, they are also the best passes for New York.

The Best New York Passes in Comparison

I try out these passes on a regular basis; I use a pass to visit attractions and take tours almost once a month. This means that my experiences are always recent and the information in the table is up-to-date.

Two well-known passes are the New York Pass and the New York CityPASS, but there are more options that may further suit your specific needs and wishes. The best tourist passes for New York are presented in the following New York pass comparison:

	New York Pass	New York Explorer Pass	New York Essentials Pass	Go City All-Inclusive New York Pass	New York CityPASS
Eric's rating
Pass type	day pass	attraction pass	attraction pass	day pass	attraction pass
Valid for how many days	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10	30	30	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10	9
Attractions to visit	unlimited	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10	3	unlimited	5
Participating attractions	105+	105+	13	105+	8
Mobile pass	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Physical pass	✖	✖	✖	✖	✖
	Buy the New York Pass here	Buy the Explorer Pass here	Buy the New York Essentials Pass here	Buy the Go City All-Inclusive here	Buy the New York CityPASS here
ERIC'S DISCOUNT	Up to 34% discount with ERIC5NYP	Up to 34% discount with ERICNYC5	Up to 14% discount with ERICNYC5	Up to 34% discount with ERICNYC5
Average price per day	5 days: $68 per day	-	-	5 days: $68 per day	-
	10 days: $41 per day	-	-	10 days: $41 per day	-
Average price per attraction	-	5 attractions: $34 per attraction	3 attractions: $30 per attraction	-	5 attractions: $33 per attraction
	-	10 attractions: $28 per attraction	-	-	-
Extra kids discount	up until 12 years	up until 12 years	up until 12 years	up until 12 years	up until 17 years
	Read more about the New York Pass	Read more about the Explorer Pass	Read more about the New York Essentials Pass	Read more about the Go City All-Inclusive New York Pass	Read more about the CityPASS

Why buy a tourist pass for New York?

I recommend that everyone visiting New York get a discount pass. These attraction passes offer several benefits:

• You’ll save a lot of money compared to buying separate tickets.
• You’ll be able to enter various sights quicker.
• You’ll enjoy the ease of having just one pass, rather than numerous different tickets.

A discount pass gives you access to almost all of the top sights and activities, such as the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, the 9/11 Museum and the Hop-on Hop-off bus.

Compare the included attractions

Not every pass includes the same attractions. The table below provides a clear overview of the most popular attractions included in the various passes. Of course, this is not an exhaustive list. Some passes even let you visit more than 100 attractions and tours!

	New York Pass	New York Explorer Pass	New York Essentials Pass	Go City All-Inclusive New York Pass	New York CityPASS
Hop on Hop off bus	2 days	2 days (one of the choices)	✖	2 days	✖
Empire State Building	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Top of the Rock	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
One World Observatory	✔	✔	✔	✔	✖
Edge Observation Deck	✔	✔	✔	✔	✖
SUMMIT	✖	✖	✖	✖	✖
Statue of Liberty	✔	✔	✖	✔	✔
9/11 Museum	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Airport transfer	✖	✖	✖	✖	✖
Lunch option	✔	✔	✖	✔	✖
	Buy the New York Pass here	Buy the Explorer Pass here	Buy the New York Essentials Pass here	Buy the Go City All-Inclusive here	Buy the New York CityPASS here
ERIC'S DISCOUNT	Up to 34% discount with ERIC5NYP	Up to 34% discount with ERICNYC5	Up to 14% discount with ERICNYC5	Up to 34% discount with ERICNYC5
	Read more about the New York Pass	Read more about the Explorer Pass	Read more about the New York Essentials Pass	Read more about the Go City All-Inclusive New York Pass	Read more about the CityPASS

How the New York passes work: day pass or attraction pass?

When choosing a New York discount pass, you’ll usually decide between a day pass and an attraction pass:

• Day pass: These passes offer unlimited entry to included attractions for a set number of days, making them ideal for busy sightseeing schedules.
• Attraction pass: This type of pass lets you select a set number of attractions and visit them over a longer period. Perfect if you prefer a more relaxed pace.

How to choose the best pass for New York

You might be wondering which pass to choose for New York. There are many factors that may influence your choice of discount pass, such as the sights you would like to see, how long you’ll be in New York, how much you want to do and with whom you are going. The tables above show you the most important differences at a glance and will help you choose the best pass for New York.

Still can’t choose which pass to get after looking at the information? Try Eric’s Pass Picker or send me an email at eric@newyork.co.uk, and I’ll give you my personal advice.

The best New York tourist pass for first-time visitors

If it’s your first time in New York and you want to see and do as much as possible, I recommend buying the New York Pass. With this NY tourist pass, you don’t have to be picky, as you can explore the city without limits during the chosen number of days.

Are you a first-time visitor who prefers a calmer pace? Then choose the Go City Explorer Pass. With this pass, you can visit exactly the highlights you’ve always wanted to see for less.

The best pass for your choice of New York attractions

Have you already prepared your trip well, and do you know exactly what your schedule will look like? Then you can choose a discount pass that perfectly matches the sights you want to visit. The Explorer Pass is a good option for this, as you can buy this pass for the exact number of attractions you want to go to.

The best New York pass for families

When you’re travelling with kids, you probably don’t want to plan your days too full, and at the same time, you want to be flexible. The Explorer Pass is a great option in that situation. You can choose the number of attractions you want to visit, but you can decide in New York which ones to use the pass for and when to visit them when you’re in New York.

About Eric »

Hey there, I'm Eric!

I'm a true New York fan with over 20 years of experience visiting and living in NYC. Here on my website, I share all my tips and valuable information to help you make the most of your trip. I personally test and regularly re-test everything on my site to ensure that what I write is useful, honest, and always up-to-date.

If you have questions, are unsure about something, or want me to check your itinerary, please email me at eric@newyork.co.uk. You can also follow me on Facebook or Instagram to get daily updates from New York.

Read more about NewYork.co.uk and Eric

Eric’s Tip: “All passes also offer an extra kids discount for children up to 12 years, and the CityPASS even up to 17 years. So whichever pass you choose, it will always be cheaper for children.”

Discount pass and 7-day OMNY metro card

You cannot use your discount pass on public transport; you’ll need a separate card for this. The most convenient way of getting around in New York is the subway – it goes almost everywhere and there are always quick and regular services available.

You can buy your 7-day OMNY metro card before coming to New York so that you can use it straight away upon arrival. If you plan on buying an OMNY card in addition to a New York Pass or Explorer Pass, go to my site to do this easily and all in one go.

Buy your discount pass with New York 7-day OMNY card here

Last updated 04/2026