How To Spend Four Days in NYC with the CityPass

Have you always wanted to visit New York City and visit all these famous attractions but realize how expensive they are when you accumulate the prices? The Same applies for those who have been to New York but couldn’t visit no more than 2 attractions because you went with a group of people or with children. What if I told you that there was a way that you can visit 3, 5 and even 10 attractions at a great price? Let me introduce to you the CityPass.

I recently booked a trip to New York City in December and I wanted to visit the Empire State Building, the 9/11 Museum, Lady Liberty and Top of the Rock and when I added the prices, I said “nah, I’m good”. I wanted to investigate online if there was a way that I could visit these attractions at an affordable price by using a coupon or a promo discount, or something. After searching, I came across this website where I could buy a pass for 5 popular attractions for $146.00. I started to think “wait, this can’t be legit, right?” but it was a real product that I’m happy to share with you all.

What is a CityPass?

The CityPass is a 3, 5, or 10 admission pass where you can choose any of the listed attractions and you get a great discount. The options are the C3, CityPass, and the C-All pass. What I like about all three of these options are, whichever option you choose, you still get a great discount. A big perk is if you purchase the pass before your travels, when you arrive, you walk right in without waiting in line. If you travel to New York City and decide to purchase the C3 pass, you will get three attractions of your choosing with an automatic 37% off discount for both Adults and Children. The CityPass saves you 40% for both Adults and Children for 5 attractions, and the C-All option saves you 43% for 10 attractions.

What Attractions Does The Pass Offer?

The CityPass offers the following 10 attractions:

• Empire State Building Observatory
• American Museum of Natural History
• Top of the Rock Observation Deck
• Ferry Access to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum
• Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
• Intrepid Museum
• Guggenheim Museum
• Edge at Hudson Yards
• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) 

What Attractions Can I Choose For The C3 Pass?

If you purchase the C3 pass, you have the option to choose 3 admissions to the following:

• Empire State Building Observatory
• Top of the Rock Observation Deck
• Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum
• Edge at Hudson Yards
• American Museum of Natural History
• Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
• MoMA 
• Intrepid Museum 
• Guggenheim Museum

If you purchase the Citypass, you automatically receive admissions to:

• Empire State Building
• American Museum of Natural History

And choose 3 attractions of your choice:

• Top of the Rock Observation Deck
• Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum
• Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
• Intrepid Museum
• Guggenheim Museum

If you purchase the C-All pass, you receive all the listed admission tickets.

What Are The Prices For Each Pass?

Let’s start with the financials. Below are the details of the three passes and I am including the regular Ticket Prices for both Adult and Children, the Discount percent, the new total and how much you save. 

The New York C3 Pass: 3 Attractions

Adult (18+) Reg. price: $165.00 | With 37% Discount = $104.00. (Savings: $61.00).

Child (6-17): Reg. price: $146.00 | With 37% Discount = $82.00 (Savings: $64.00).

New York CityPass: 5 ATTRACTIONS

Adult (18+) Reg. price $244.00 | With 40% Discount = $146.00 (Savings: $98.00).

Child (6-17): Reg. price: $237 | With 40% Discount = $124.00 (Savings: $113.00).

New York C-All: 10 ATTRACTIONS

Adult (18+) Reg. Price $385 | With 43% Discount = $219.00 (Savings: $166.00).

Child (6-17): Reg. Price $298.00 | With 43% Discount = $159.00 (Savings: $139.00).

Are Reservations Required?

The following Attractions require a reservation that you can make in the My CityPass app after purchasing the pass. It is best to make those reservations as soon as possible.

1. Empire State Building Observatory
2. American Museum of Natural History
3. Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
4. 9/11 Museum
5. Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
6. Intrepid Museum
7. Edge at Hudson Yards
8. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
9. Guggenheim Museum

Do I have to purchase a CityPass for Children Age 5 and under?

Depending on the attraction, kids age 5 and under do not require an admission ticket. I provided the list of the attractions below with details whether your child needs an admission ticket or not.

1. Empire State Building: 5 and under are Free.
2. American Museum of Natural History: Ages 3-12 $20.00 | Ages 2 and under free.
3. Top of the Rock Observation Deck: Ages 5 and under Free.
4. Ferry Access to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: Ages 4-12 $16 | Ages 3 and under free.
5. 9/11 Memorial and Museum: Ages 6 and under Free.
6. Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises: Ages 2 and under Free.
7. Intrepid Museum: Ages 4 and under are Free.
8. Guggenheim Museum: Ages 11 and under are Free.
9. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): Ages 16 and under Free.
10. Edge at Hudson Yards: Ages 5 and under Free.

Decision

After I did all of my research, I decided to invest in it and test it out for my trip. I had chosen my 5 attractions and created an itinerary to see how much I could fit in four days. 

After traveling to New York and testing the CityPass with the itinerary I created, I was able to do all the attractions in three days instead of four and had an extra day to explore and visit other attractions.

I am providing my exact itinerary if you want to follow it and I am also providing details of places I went to visit after the attractions. Keep in mind, this is a suggestion but you are free to decide what to do and how to spend your day in the city.

CityPass Itinerary

day 1: 9/11 Memorial and Museum | Ferry ride to Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

Morning

Take an uber or the subway to Lower Manhattan where you will begin with your first Citypass admission ticket to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. You can choose to visit the 9/11 Memorial before or after the museum. The museum details the history of the horrific attack of the Twin Towers, displays artifacts that were left after the attack like the survivors’ stairs, which was the stairs that many survivors used to exit the attack, exhibits, and more. There are two permanent exhibits: The Historical Exhibition where you will see the 9/11 artifacts, images, archival audio and video recordings of the events. It is split into three parts: The Historical Exhibition, which shows what was occurring before, during, and after the attacks, and the Memorial Exhibition of the individuals who lost their lives in the attack of the twin towers, pentagon, and in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. 

Afternoon

After the 9/11 museum, take a break and dine for lunch, or grab a slice of pizza down at Hank’s Pizza located on 110 Cedar St. After lunch, head to your next attraction, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Here, you will need to ride the ferry at Battery Park to arrive at Liberty Island and Ellis Island. The admission ticket includes one Statue City Cruise ferry ride from Liberty Island and Ellis Island and admission to the Statue of Liberty Museum and Ellis Island Immigration. 

*Disclosure: Crown Tickets and Pedestal Access are not included in the admission ticket.*

Evening

After arriving back in Manhattan, take a walk to Wall Street and visit the Charging Bull, Trinity Church, or the Brooklyn Bridge at night. 

day 2: Obeservation day | Empire State Building | Top of the Rock observation Deck

Morning

Head to the Empire State Building Observatory. With the CityPass, you have access to the 86th Floor Observatory and entry to the 2nd floor museum. You can see the city in the morning and take in the beautiful skyline. 

Afternoon

Take a break and explore a neighborhood. I suggest visiting Greenwich Village and if you are a Sex and the City and Friends fan, you can visit Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment located at 60 Perry St. as well as visit the exterior building shot of Friends located on 90 Bedford St. After that, head on to the iconic Washington Square Park. 

Evening

Visit the Rockefeller Center and use your fourth admission ticket to the Top of the Rock Observation to see the City during sunset or at night. What I love about the Top of the Rock is the views of the skyline where you can see the Empire State Building, Central Park, and even One World Trade Center. After visiting the Top of the Rock, explore the rest of Rockefeller Center. Visit the famous Rink at Rockefeller, Radio City Music Hall, and if you’re in the mood for shopping, explore stores on 5th Avenue, Park Avenue and Madison Avenue. 

Day 3: American Museum of Natural History

Morning

Visit the American Museum of Natural History, which is the last admission pass. There are many galleries and with the admission ticket, you have access to these galleries, plus a choice of one ticketed exhibit, the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium, and choose between giant-screen film or the Hayden Planetarium Space Show. 

Afternoon

Take a stroll through the famous Central Park and enjoy the beautiful scenery and attractions the park offers. Visit Bethesda Terrace and the fountain and see Central Park Lake and take in the beautiful structure of the terrace. Also, visit the famous Bow Bridge and take aesthetic pictures. 

Evening

Visit the famous Plaza Hotel and if you are a first time visitor, take 7th Avenue and walk to Times Squares and explore the area.

Day 4: Free Day

Take this day to explore other places in NYC. Here are some ideas that you can visit in Manhattan:

• New York Public Library
• Chrysler Building
• High Line
• Grand Central Terminal
• Uptown
• Summit One Vanderbilt
• Macy’s
• Chinatown and Little Italy
• Metropolitan Museum of Art
• SoHo
• West Village
• Yankee Stadium
• Union Square
• Catch a Broadway show
• The Vessel
• Madison Square Garden
• Trinity Cemetery to visit Alexander Hamilton’s resting site.

Or visit other Boroughs like Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, or Staten Island. 

I used this additional day to explore the area I stayed in, which was Chelsea. I walked to the Flatiron building down the street and visited Madison Square Park. I had lunch at Dos Caminos Mexican restaurant and later had dinner at Eataly’s La Pizza & La Pasta which was a 10/10.

If you are a Harry Potter fan like me, visit the massive Harry Potter Store right next to the Flatiron building. The store has a collection of merchandise, books, toys, confectionery, and it also has a Butterbeer Bar! I had to restrain myself from buying lot’s of merch, but I bought a Harry Potter black spirit Jersey and it’s my favorite long sleeve shirt.

If you are someone who loves High-End Fashion and want to visit New York City and visit places relating to fashion, I recommend you purchase this beautifully detailed book by Megan Hess called New York: Through a Fashion Eye. In this aesthetically pleasing book, Megan writes her recommendations on what to do, where to stay, and where to eat in Manhattan.

Conclusion

was the CityPass worth it? in my opinion, Definitely, yes. I paid $148 instead of $250 for 5 attractions, fit them all in three days, spent a decent amount inside the attractions, and we had a great time. I strongly recommend this pass to anyone who wants to visit New York City and has plans to visit the attractions. Whether you’re staying for four days, or two days, or ten days, this pass will help you save money and visit many attractions. Also, the CityPass isn’t just for New York, but it’s available to purchase if you want to visit the following cities:

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Denver
• Houston
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• San Antonio
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• SoCal
• Tampa Bay
• Toronto

I would definitely purchase this pass if I ever go back to New York City and also purchase this pass to visit attractions in my home city of Houston. If you want to learn more and are interested in purchasing this pass, visit www.CityPass.com.