New York Pass Calculator: CityPASS vs Go City (2026)
New York has three big sightseeing passes plus the option of just buying tickets as you go, and which one wins depends entirely on which attractions you actually want. Tick the ones on your list below and we'll price every option side by side.
1. Who's going, and for how long?
Days matter for unlimited passes; pick-a-number passes give you weeks.
2. What do you want to see?
Gate prices are our researched baselines (as of July 2026).
Prices per person in USD unless noted. Children priced at each operator's child rate where published; gate-price child tickets estimated at 80% of adult. Choice-slot menu rules are simplified; the linked booking pages have the exact menus.
How the New York passes actually work
How does New York CityPASS work?
It's a fixed bundle: the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History, plus your choice of three more from a short menu (Top of the Rock, Statue of Liberty ferry, 9/11 Museum, Circle Line, Intrepid, Guggenheim). You get 9 days to use it, and it's usually the cheapest way to do the classics.
What's the difference between the Go City Explorer Pass and the New York Pass?
The Explorer Pass is pick-a-number: 2 to 6 attractions from 100+ options, with 60 days to use them. The New York Pass is unlimited attractions for 1 to 5 consecutive days, which only pays off on genuinely packed days, usually three or more paid sights per day.
When is buying tickets separately better?
Short lists of one or two sights, or lists dominated by things no pass covers: Broadway shows, SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, helicopter tours, most food tours. The calculator adds uncovered picks to every scenario at gate price so the comparison stays honest.