/ What Is The New York City Pass For
The New York City Pass is a pass that gives you access to 6 must-see monuments and museums in New York for a fixed price much lower than the total that you would pay if you had to buy each of the 6 entries at the normal price.In 2020, the New York City Pass costs around 122 while the total of 6 entries is around 150: this still represents nearly 30 savings per person!
Those Who Want To Take A Day Off From Sightseeing
Once the New York Pass has been activated, its valid for consecutive days only. If youre getting the 1, 2, or 3-day pass, visiting two to three attractions per day will ensure you get the best value from the pass. The 5, 7, and 10-day pass can still offer a good value if you decide to take a day off from sightseeing.
How Do The New York Passes Work
The New York passes are offered specifically for tourists. Maybe youve already seen something similar in other cities. These passes are often called City Cards as well.
You buy the passes for a certain amount and can then use them to visit different sights, museums and attractions.
Besides that, you can take part in numerous guided city tours for free and take various bus and boat rides.
There are two types of New York passes:
#1 Time-based passes
There are passes that are valid for a specific amount of time, e.g. for 3, 5 or 7 days. In this time, you can go to all of the sights, tours and attractions that are included in the pass.
#2 Attractions-based passes
The second variation is passes that can be used for a certain number of sights and attractions. So you buy these passes for 5, 7 or 10 attractions, for example, and are more flexible time-wise.
Today, youll simply get an email with a mobile pass after your purchase. You can then show this on your smartphone at all sights quite comfortably. You dont necessarily need internet while there either, as you can easily just save your pass and then show it offline as well.
Alternatively, theres also always the possibility of printing out the pass yourself. Anyone who doesnt have a smartphone or doesnt trust their battery-life can choose this option. In any case, theres no annoying pick up on-site.
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Round : Booking And Pick Up
It looks like another tight battle between New York Pass vs. Sightseeing Pass NYC because both offer mobile passes that you can simply save on your smartphone and show to at the ticket box at the attraction. The New York Pass offers also pickups from their New York collection desks. Open 7 days a week. If youd like you New York Pass delivered to your house, expect delivery fees starting at $30.
The Sightseeing Pass will send you an email confirmation with a link to your Pass which you can print out or add them to your Apple / Android Wallet and use your mobile phone as your ticket. Both passes are as simple as using your flight boarding card you either print it or show on your mobile phone.
Booking both passes is just as simple as well. You can purchase both the New York Pass and the Sightseeing Pass online before your trip. Since both passes offer a high convenience when it comes to booking and pick up, they both are getting one point.
New York Pass vs. Sightseeing Pass NYC5:4
How Much Do New York City Passes Cost Price Comparison
With each pass having its own unique selling points it becomes quite an uphill task to decide which pass you should purchase to explore the incredible highlights of the city. So it boils down to the monetary aspect i.e., weighing all your options and streamlining the one that is not just highly economic but also lets you visit the hotspots you wish to. Considering this in mind New York Pass becomes the choice of many visitors.
With a maximum saving of up to 70%, you will save a fortune with New York Pass and choose the places of your preference, as every new day unfolds, from 100+ attractions the pass has to offer. If you have One World Observatory to visit in your mind then you definitely should go for either Sightseeing Pass or Sightseeing Flex Pass. While the former one lets you buy the pass as per the number of days, the latter one lets you pick certain highlights to visit.
New York City Pass would be your go-to-choice if you can manage to spare some to marvel at the incredible hotspots during your stay in the Big Apple. New Explorer Pass is going to be the choice of the visitors who have already decided to visit a definite number of attractions. To assist you in your decision-making process we have categorized different passes as per their cost for visiting a fixed number of highlights or unlimited hotspots for a limited time.
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Everything You Need To Know About The Citypass New York Pass And Sightseeing Pass To Save Money On Nyc Attractions
I often get asked on if it is worth buying one of the discount passes for most attractions available in NYC. I know it can be a little overwhelming and I feel like they are always coming up with more and more passes so, to make your trip a little easier, here I am to help you understand and compare some of the main ones! Make sure to follow me on instagram and let me know which one is your favorite! You can follow me at and !
All Nyc Sightseeing Passes Listed
Find the most important information on all NYC Passes below. In terms of popularity, the Sightseeing Day Pass, New York Pass, Sightseeing Flex Pass, and Explorer Pass lead the list. Other available passes include CityPass, FreeSyle, Go Select, Turbopass, and C3 Pass. Just because some passes are more popular than others, however, does not necessarily mean that these are the best passes for you, too. Each pass has different strengths and weaknesses.
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What Are Current Mask Rules In Nyc
Optional for some areas and required for others.
Most of the places I went in NYC had signs that said Masks are mandatory for unvaccinated people and optional for fully vaccinated individuals, however, I saw about 80%-90% of people wearing masks at all times indoors anyway. There were a few shops and businesses that required them to be worn for entry, but the majority said optional providing you are fully vaccinated.
NYCs official health authority states this for current mask rules:
If you are unvaccinated, you must wear a mask covering:
Whenever you are in a public space, indoors or outdoors, and cannot maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others. Examples include walking on a busy street, shopping in stores, going to the doctor, dining at a restaurant , going to your place of worship, being in a shared office or attending a gathering.
When riding public transportation .
When around someone who is sick, or if you need to leave home while sick.
Once you are fully vaccinated , you do not need to wear a mask outdoors or when gathering with friends and family at home or in other private settings. However, masks are still required:
When riding public transportation .
When in a school or health care setting.
In certain group residential facilities, such as nursing homes and homeless shelters.
When in a store, restaurant or other public space where the owner or operator requires masks.
At work, if required by your employer.
In Conclusion:
How Does It Work
The New York Pass can be used in two ways: either by downloading the mobile pass with their app, or getting a physical pass which you can collect on arrival in New York or have delivered to your house.
After you activate the pass, you can take it to any included attraction and present it to the cashier in order to receive free admission.
Some activities will require reservations to be made ahead of time, but most of the services included can be enjoyed simply by walking up to the ticket counter and showing your pass.
In addition to this, youll also enjoy skip-the-line privileges at certain locations, which could save you a lot of valuable time!
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New York Without A Pass
Does there absolutely have to be a New York Pass? Of course not! You can also discover the best attractions in New York without a pass.
If you dont plan on visiting a lot of ticketed attractions, wed suggest that you do without a pass. You can also jump the line for the ticket desk at most attractions, even without a pass, by booking your tickets online ahead of time. Wed definitely recommend doing that.
You do always save some money with the passes, but with just a few sights, the savings usually arent so high anymore. Its better then to stay flexible and forgo a pass.
In the following table, weve shown you an overview of which ticket you can buy beforehand online, also without using any of the passes.
/ What Does The New York City Pass Include
The New York City Pass includes must-see monuments and museums on your first visit to New York, with certain tours to choose from. Heres whats included:
- The Empire State Building Observatory, with audio guide.
- The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island OR a Circle Line cruise.
- The Top of the Rock Observatory OR the Guggenheim Museum.
- The National Museum of September 11, 2001 OR the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.
- The American Museum of Natural History.
- Le Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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New York Explorer Pass Prices
New York City Explorer Pass prices start at $94. The more attractions you choose, the higher will be your savings compared to regular ticket prices. Due to its low price offer, there are no further New York Explorer Pass discounts, meaning that an Explorer Pass promo code isnt even necessary anymore!
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Which New York Pass Is Suitable For Whom
Now we of course want to answer the question of all questions: which New York pass is the best?
Needless to say, we cant give the ultimate answer here, since a different New York pass is the best option for each person.
So weve put together three different types of travelers and our recommendation for the best New York Pass for each type of traveller.
These are the types of travelers:
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Why New York Pass Is Worth Buying
NEW YORK PASS is suitable for you because of so many reasons. They include:-
- It has no daily limit to the amount of attractions you can visit per day
- It has a 300 page guidebook with opening hours, maps and directions to all New York City attractions and tours.
- You can save money with the more attractions you visit
- Has unlimited free entry to 90 + attractions with additional discounts
- It is the only Pass that includes all Hop-on Hop-off buses for the duration of your sightseeing.
Pass Comparison New York At One Glance
Its important to understand a key difference: Some passes are attraction-based, meaning you choose the number of attractions beforehand, while others are day-based, meaning that you choose the number of days beforehand. Besides the type and validity, other differences can be found when it comes to inclusions, advantages, pricing, and discounts.
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Is It Worth Buying A Sightseeing Pass For New York
Most visitors are going to see 5-8 attractions within 7 days. In case you are planning on going to visit 3 attractions per day, youll need the New York Pass for 2, or 3 days which costs you $149 for two days and with a discount of $40 you only pay $159 for three days.
The Sightseeing Pass NYC costs you for two days $159 and for three days $223 So it is a little bit more expensive.
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Select Colleges And Universities
Current CUNY faculty, staff, and students receive free admission from October 1, 2020, through September 30, 2021. To receive a complimentary ticket, and purchase companions tickets if needed, check in at the Ticketing Desk onsite with a valid ID advance timed-entry tickets are not required.
Students currently enrolled full-time at the following schools receive one free admission per MoMA visit with valid college ID at the Ticketing Desk. Free admission is not available to staff.*
The following students receive one free admission:
- CUNY Schools
- Columbia University in the City of New York
- Cooper Union
*Staff from the following colleges receive one free admission:
- The New School
- CUNY Schools
- The Rockefeller University
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Which Pass Duration Should I Get
The New York Pass is available for purchase as a 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, or 10-day pass.
Its intended to be used on consecutive calendar days and will become activated once you visit your first attraction. To save time and hassle, I recommend buying your New York Pass before your trip. Then you can plan your itinerary and activate your pass anytime in the next 12 months.
You can to purchase your New York Pass from their official website.
This means if youre using the 3-day pass card , Day 1 starts when the card is first activated. If you active the card on Monday, it will be active for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The pass will expire on the last day at midnight.
To maximize your time and get the best value from your pass, I recommend starting early in the day for sightseeing. This lets you get a full days worth of sightseeing when you activate your pass.
PRO TIP: You can buy the New York Pass on sale now and activate it anytime in the next 12 months. This can help you save money and plan your sightseeing itinerary ahead of time.
The Downside Of The New York Pass
Of course the price itself seems like a lot of money all at once, so those on tight budgets might be ruled out altogether. Another thing to seriously consider before buying a New York Pass is that doing even 3 or 4 main sights in a day is going to be busy and probably frantic.
There are plenty of free and cheap things to do in New York City, so for many people they are better off visiting perhaps one major sight per day and then spending the rest of the day shopping or visiting neighborhoods or taking photos. A trip like that might be more memorable in the long run, and it will certainly be more unique than rushing from sight to sight. If you prefer a more relaxed sightseeing schedule, don’t buy the pass.
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Scanning Excelsior Pass And Excelsior Pass Plus
The following questions outline scanning information for organizations using the NYS Excelsior Pass Scanner app.
Is my organization required to use the NYS Excelsior Pass Scanner app?
Participation in Excelsior Pass and/or Excelsior Pass Plus is free and voluntary. If your organization chooses to participate, you can use the NYS Excelsior Pass Scanner app to scan an individuals Excelsior Pass and/or Excelsior Pass Plus and/or SMART Health Card Pass from a trusted issuer.
What do I do when scanning someones Excelsior Pass or Excelsior Pass Plus?
When scanning an individual Pass you are required to verify the identity for adults aged 18+ with a photo ID that includes the individuals name and date of birth.
In accordance with State reopening guidelines, if no photo ID is available or the Excelsior Pass and/or Excelsior Pass Plus and/or SMART Health Card issued by a trusted issuer does not match a photo ID, entry should be denied.
Adults can hold an Excelsior Pass and/or Excelsior Pass Plus for children under 18 years old.
What do I do if something is wrong with the Excelsior Pass or Excelsior Pass Plus Ive attempted to scan?
If an Excelsior Pass and/or Excelsior Pass Plus is invalid, please share with the individual the reason for which it is invalid, as it appears within the NYS Excelsior Pass Scanner app. If an Excelsior Pass and/or Excelsior Pass Plus is expired, please let the individual know and ask them to confirm that they are sharing the correct one.
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Compare Prices On Official Websites & Online Travel Agencies
Booking and buying passes online via official websites or any reliable travel agency has numerous perks. All you have to do is visit the website, book the ticket for the day you wish to start marveling at the major attractions of New York City and make an online payment.
Doing this will not only assure you a good discount but also give an assurance of a refund if you pay some amount for travel insurance. So if you are unable to use the card due to any reason you can get the cashback without any hassle. Moreover, you will also be able to make a comparison of all the available deals on TourScanner and find the one that suits you the best.
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