This post explains how to use the Go City New York City Explorer Pass to save money on popular tours and attractions.
We also attempt to answer the question of whether it's worth the money or not. Additionally, we'll also provide details about how to save money on the passes themselves!
- How Does It Work?
- Top Attractions
- Is It Worth It?
- Groupon and Other Offers
- Other NYC Concession Passes
- Things to Do in NYC
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The Go City New York Explorer Pass is a service that allows you to pay one flat price for 3, 4, 5, 7, or 10 different attractions.
It's pretty straightforward. The more activities you choose, the more money you’ll potentially save.
Depending on which tours and attractions you choose, with this sightseeing pass, you should save somewhere around 30% off of retail prices, though you could potentially save up to as much as 50%.
Some of the attractions included with the Go City New York Explorer Pass include skip-the-line privileges, allowing you to avoid potentially long waits in a ticket line.
Listen to tour guides Lori and Katherine discuss these passes on an episode of our NYC Travel Tips podcast.
This podcast (a free digital guide) offers bite-sized audio clips with tips on how to plan your trip to NYC. You can get our podcasts on Apple, Google, or wherever you get your podcasts.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Here is a breakdown of how much you can expect to pay per activity or individual attraction with each level of this tourist pass.
The numbers in red are the average price per attraction/tour for each type of pass.
These prices are as of March 2024. Be sure to check their website to confirm prices. (TIP - they often offer deals)
- 2 Attraction Pass- $94 for adults and $74 for children
- [$47/attraction/adult and $37/attraction/child]
- 3 Attraction Pass- $139 for adults and $104 for children
- [$46.33/attraction/adult and $34.66/attraction/child]
- 4 Attraction Pass- $179 for adults and $149 for children
- [$44.75/attraction/adult and $37.25/attraction/child]
- 5 Attraction Pass- $214 for adults and $179 for children
- [$42.80/attraction/adult and $35.80/attraction/child]
- 6 Attraction Pass- $259 for adults and $209 for children
- [$43.16/attraction/adult and $34.83/attraction/child]
- 7 Attraction Pass- $304 for adults and $234 for children
- [$43.42/attraction/adult and $33.42/attraction/child]
- 10 Attraction Pass- $394 for adults and $324for children
- [$39.40/attraction/adult and $32.40/attraction/child]
Although this service is a great way to save money on popular activities, some of the 90+ attractions included may actually be cheaper without the pass.
To avoid any disappointment, you can either keep the pass on your mobile device or carry the hard copy in your pocket. You can use the pas by scanning your Go City App at each attraction.
How does it compare to other tourist passes?
When it comes to tourist attraction concession passes, the Go City New York Explorer Pass, and its competitor, the Sightseeing Flex Pass, are in the middle ground.
This is a great option if you know that you want to see at least 3 popular tours and attractions, but you don't want to feel like you are in a rush.
For a tour pass calculator, click here.
In comparison, an all-inclusive pass requires you to pay per day (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 10 days) for dozens of attractions.
This type of pass has even more savings potential than the Go City New York Explorer Pass, but you will need to keep busy to realize these savings.
It's also the riskiest type of pass as you could end up losing money if you don't use it correctly
Most passes include a similar list of popular items, but there are significant differences. Read our section on whether the Go City New York Explorer Pass is worth the money.
We have a whole post dedicated to the differences between all available tourist attraction passes available in NYC.
How Long is The Explorer Pass Valid?
Another advantage of the New York CityPass or New York Pass is that it is valid for a total of 30 days.
If you plan to visit NYC for a week or more, then this is an excellent benefit to explore the full list of sightseeing passes and consider which isn’t included in other passes.
While some of the tours they offer may require reservations, you’ll have pretty much an entire month to use the pass, so there shouldn’t be too many problems with that.
Are there any limitations?
Each location you choose to visit will count as one of the attractions on your pass – there are no multiple entries allowed.
There’s no risk in getting the Go City New York Explorer Pass.
Even if you decide not to use it, you can get a full refund for non-activated passes at any time within the first 30 days of purchase.
TOP ATTRACTIONS NYC EXPLORER PASS
Although there are more than 90 different activities included with the Go City New York Explorer Pass, some of them are undoubtedly better than others.
In this section, we’ll provide a list of the most popular attractions that give you the best bang for your buck, ensuring you’ll receive the biggest possible price cut.
All prices are current as of March 2024.
- Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus New York: Classic 1-Day Tour
- Regular Price: $80/Adults | $70/Children
- With Pass: $39.40/Adults | $32.40/Children
- Top of the Rock
- Regular Price: $40/Adults | $34/Children
- With Pass: $39.40/Adults | $32.40/Children
- Empire State Building
- Regular Price: $44/Adults | $38/Children
- With Pass: $39.40/Adults | $32.40/Children
- Edge Observation Deck
- Regular Price: $36/Adults | $31/Children
- With Pass: $39.40/Adults
- NYC Bus Tour of Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens
- Regular Price: $89/Adults | $65/Children
- With Pass: $39.40/Adults | $32.40/Children
- Clipper City Sailing Cruise (Available from Spring-Fall)
- Regular Price: $60/Adults | $30/Children
- With Pass: $39.40/Adults | $32.40/Children
- The RIDE
- Regular Price: $79 per person
- With Pass: $39.40/Adults
- Madame Tussauds
- Regular Price: $43.99 per person
- With Pass: $39.40/Adults
- Catacombs by Candlelight Tour
- Regular Price: $37/Adults | $30/Children
- With Pass: $39.40/Adults | $32.40/Children
As you can see, all of these attractions are typically much more expensive when you purchase individual tickets.
Even if you’re only interested in a few of these activities, it may still be worth picking up the Go City New York Explorer Pass for the price cut.
Here are a few more attractions you may want to consider.
- The TOUR: VR Downtown Experience
- Brooklyn Bridge Bike Tour
- Spyscape: Spy Museum
- Central Park Bike Tour
- One World Observatory
- Circle Line Cruises
Some of these attractions could be cheaper with other tourist passes/deals. There may also be some price changes over time, but in most cases that will only increase the price cut.
If you want to get the best possible deal, please make sure to read our full post covering New York tourist passes and compare each service.
IS THE EXPLORER PASS WORTH IT?
As a reminder, when using the Go City New York Explorer Pass, the lowest price you can expect to pay per attraction is $24.90 for adults and $19.90 for children (unless they are running special offers).
It will become quickly obvious that there are some tours and attractions included in the Go City New York Explorer Pass that simply won’t be worth it and you will likely be better off paying for them separately.
Nevertheless, some might feel that the convenience of the pass makes it worthwhile to spend a little extra on certain services, and this is what the tourist pass companies are banking on.
That said, the following attractions are much cheaper on their own or through other concessionary services, so you’d be better off not using the Go City New York Explorer Pass for admission to these locations.
- The Statue of Liberty
- $23.50/Adults | $12/Children
- Cheaper without a pass
- 9/11 Memorial Museum
- $35/Adults | $20/Children
- Free on Tuesday evenings
- 10% off with CitySights
- American Museum of Natural History
- $23/Adults | $13/Children
- Almost no price difference
- 10% off with CitySights
- Explorer Pass does not include add-ons
- pay-what-you-wish admission available
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- $25/Adults | Free for kids 12 and under
- Only slightly cheaper for adults with the pass
- LEGOLAND Discovery Center
- $27.95 before 4 pm | $20 after 4 pm
- Not much cheaper with the pass
- New York Botanical Garden
- $30/Adults | $15/Children on weekdays
- New York residents can get in for $15
- Only a bit cheaper with the pass
- The Museum of Modern Art
- $25/Adults | Free for kids 16 and under
- Free admission on Friday from 5:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Other Factors to Consider
In addition to these activities, it’s also worth noting that there are many walking tours included with the Go City New York Explorer Pass.
We offer several pay-what-you-wish New York walking tours which are an excellent alternative that won’t cost as much, so it doesn’t make any sense to use the pass for these services.
You may also want to keep in mind that the Go City New York Explorer Pass only provides general admission for a majority of the attractions, NYC cruise, and various hop-on hop-off bus tours included.
Some attractions offer premium experiences that you will need to pay additional for.
Several of the locations featured on this pass offer their own price cuts for seniors, students, and active-duty military.
There are also quite a few attractions that offer free or very cheap tickets at redemption or meetup points for children, so it will be important to consider where you want to go and what they charge for kids before purchasing a pass for your young ones.
Where can you buy the New York City Explorer Pass?
You can purchase the New York City Explorer Pass online or at onsite kiosks, and it provides access to attractions such as the Top of the Rock observation deck, Ellis Island, and sightseeing cruises.
Does the New York City Explorer Pass include public transportation?
No, the New York City Explorer Pass does not typically include public transportation. It focuses on providing access to attractions and sightseeing cruises.
What's the difference between New York City Explorer Pass and the New York CityPASS?
The New York City Explorer Pass offers a wider selection of attractions to choose from and does not require you to pick specific attractions, unlike the New York CityPASS.
It provides flexibility in exploring various options according to your preferences.
How to Save Money on the Go City New York Explorer Pass
In addition to the offers you can get with this service, there are also usually at least a few different ways to save money on the purchase of a Go City New York Explorer Pass.
1. Look into Group Offers
Groupon usually has some form of a offer for the Explorer Pass. This also goes for Living Social.
2. Check for Frequent Sales
During the off-season or non-busy periods, Go City New York Explorer Pass will typically offer sales on their passes.
These offers typically range from 20% - 50% off, so there's a lot of potential to save a decent chunk of money on the pass.
If you plan to travel to New York City during the offseason, this could be a great opportunity to significantly cut your costs.
3. Check Costco
Although they are not currently offering any deals on the Go City New York Explorer Pass, Costco has sold this product in the past, and there's always a chance they will do so again.
If you're already a Costco member, this could be a great way to use your membership to save money on travel expenses.
4. Children's Offer
Depending on which level of pass you get, you can save anywhere from $14 - $54 on Go City New York Explorer Passes for your children.
That said, it should be noted that many of the activities and attractions they offer are already free or cost no entrance fee for kids.
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