Discover New York

Depending on the sightseeing pass, you get free admission to dozens of attractions. The major New York passes cover famous attractions like observation decks (e.g. Empire State Building, Top of the Rock), museums (e.g. 9/11 Museum, MoMA) and tours.

Many passes also include additional services like hop-on/hop-off bus tours, boat tours or guided city walks. This way you can experience many of the city's highlights with a single pass, without having to buy each ticket individually.

Your city pass is only activated when you use it for the first time at an attraction. The validity period begins from this first day of use.

For time-based passes like the New York Pass, usage runs in consecutive calendar days (e.g. 1, 3 or 5 days in a row). For attraction-based passes like the Explorer Pass or New York CityPASS, you have a longer period from first use to visit all selected attractions (for example 30 days for the Explorer Pass or 9 days for the CityPASS).

Each attraction included in the pass can only be visited once per pass holder. Repeat visits to the same attraction are not possible with the same pass.

Exception: If your pass includes a hop-on/hop-off bus tour, you may use this as often as you like within the validity period (typically on the same day). Otherwise, only one entry per attraction is included.

None of the New York City passes entitle you to free use of public transportation like subway or city bus. Public transport rides are not included in the scope of services of the sightseeing passes.

Instead, many passes offer tourist transportation options. For example, hop-on/hop-off bus tours or ferries to popular destinations (such as to the Statue of Liberty) are often included in the pass. However, these do not replace regular public transport tickets.

No, the city passes do not serve as tickets for subway, bus or other public transportation. You still need a separate ticket (e.g. a MetroCard) for public transport in New York.

The passes focus on admission to attractions and tourist offerings. For city transport transfers – including travel to or from the airport – you must purchase a ticket independently.

No, none of the New York passes include transfer to or from airports. Neither rides on public transportation nor shuttle transfers to the airport are included in the pass.

You must therefore organize airport transfer separately. Use for example the airport trains, subway, taxis or shuttle services – these services are not part of the city passes.

Yes, many passes offer priority admission (Fast Track) at selected attractions. This allows you to skip queues, for example at popular attractions like the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock or the 9/11 Museum.

Which attractions allow fast-track entry depends on the respective pass. It's best to check in advance on the pass website or in the included guide which attractions your pass offers express entry for.

For children, all major New York passes offer discounted versions. Generally, child prices apply to age groups between approximately 3 and 12 years (the exact age varies by pass provider). Toddlers under 3 years often don't need a pass, as many attractions are free for them.

Special discounts for seniors, students or other groups are usually not available – the passes typically only distinguish between adult and child rates. However, it's worth checking whether children are free or cheaper at individual attractions depending on their age before buying a pass for them.

You buy New York passes online directly from the respective provider. After purchase, you receive the pass digitally – usually as a QR code via email or through an app. You can then simply save it on your smartphone or print it out.

No physical pickup is necessary. You download the pass and can use it immediately. On-site, you then just need to show the QR code or digital pass at attractions to gain admission.

Yes, most New York passes can be cancelled before travel, provided they have not yet been used. The New York Pass and Explorer Pass, for example, have a money-back guarantee of around 30 days from purchase (as long as the pass hasn't been activated). Within this period, you can cancel the purchase and get your money back.

The CityPASS can also be cancelled, but with different conditions – for example until shortly before travel, depending on where you bought it. Important: Once you have activated or used a pass, a refund is normally excluded. When in doubt, check the exact cancellation rules on your pass provider's website.

Nowadays, New York passes are provided digitally, so loss is hardly a problem. If you lose or delete your digital pass (QR code or email), you can re-download it from the confirmation email at any time or retrieve it again via the app.

If you still need help – for example because a printed voucher has gone missing – contact the provider's customer service. Since the passes are not personalized and digitally stored, they can usually help you easily or resend the pass.

A New York Pass is always intended for one person and should not be shared. There is no name on the passes, which means you can theoretically pass on or give away a purchased pass to someone else, as long as it has not yet been activated.

However, once the pass has been used or activated, it is effectively tied to one person. You cannot then transfer it to someone else or use it simultaneously with multiple people. Each person therefore needs their own pass per person and trip.