Difference between New York CityPASS and GoCity New York Explorer Pass

What is the difference between the New York CityPASS and the GoCity New York Explorer Pass? The main difference between these two New York discount passes is that you can choose from 80+ attractions and tours with the Explorer Pass, and with the CityPASS you can choose 5 attractions from a choice of 8. To make the comparison easier, below I explain to you all the differences between the CityPASS and Explorer Pass!

New York CityPASS vs. GoCity Explorer Pass

The New York CityPASS gives you access to 5 attractions. Of these 5, 2 attractions are fixed: the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History. You choose 3 more attractions from a list of 6, and you have 9 days to visit them.

With the GoCity Explorer Pass, you choose a specific number of attractions. There are passes for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 attractions. You can choose from a list of 80+ attractions and tours, and you have 60 days to visit them.

How do the passes work?

With both discount passes, you decide how many attractions you want to visit during your stay in New York. You can use your pass several times a day and also choose not to use it some days. You don’t have to pay anything extra at the attractions, just show your pass to get in. You can make a reservation for certain attractions. You can only visit each attraction once.

Once you have ordered either pass, you will receive an email with a QR code. It is possible to print it out, but you can also show the code on your phone. The pass activates once you visit the first attraction in New York.

What can you do with the passes?

With both the CityPASS and the Explorer Pass, you gain access to famous attractions in New York. For example, you can visit the Empire State Building, the island of the Statue of Liberty and several museums.

The big difference is that with the Explorer Pass, you have much more choice between attractions. The CityPASS gives you a choice of 8 attractions, while with the Explorer Pass there are more than 80!

In addition, the CityPASS already includes fixed attractions, so you’ll always visit the Empire State Building and the American Museum of Natural History. The additional 3 attractions are chosen from a list of 6 options:

• Top of the Rock
• The Guggenheim Museum
• The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
• One of the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
• 9/11 Museum
• Intrepid Museum

The 8 attractions of the New York CityPASS are also included in the Explorer Pass. Moreover, the Explorer Pass allows you to rent bikes for Central Park, take the Hop on Hop off bus and visit the Edge Observation Deck, among other things.

Pass prices

The fairest price comparison is between an Explorer Pass with 5 attractions and the CityPASS price, as this pass offers access to 5 attractions. But remember, the Explorer Pass offers more choices, including more expensive attractions such as the Hop on Hop off bus and bike rentals.

The price per attraction of the CityPASS: $29
The price per attraction of the Explorer Pass with 5 attractions: $32

Which pass should I choose?

The benefits of the New York CityPASS and the Go Explorer Pass are:

GoCity Explorer Pass

• With the Explorer Pass, you can choose from 80+ attractions and tours.
  
• Popular attractions such as the Hop on Hop off bus, Edge, One World and Madame Tussauds, as well as bike rental, are included in this pass.
• Reservations can/should be made for some attractions.

New York CityPASS

• For some it is an advantage, for others a disadvantage; all attractions require you to book a time slot. For Top of the Rock and Guggenheim Museum, it is not mandatory but recommended.
• With the CityPASS, you can visit the Empire State Building twice on the same day; once during the day and once in the evening.

Buy the New York Explorer Pass here