New York occupies a privilged place at the top of many lists of places to visit in ones lifetime. A powerhouse of a city , New York is the one of the world's major commercial, financial and cultural centers. The city is a heaven for tourists too. From some of the tallest skyscrapers to the richest museums in the world, from stunning parks and vibrant neighbohoods to the biggest center of theatre, New York has it all. The best way to explore NYC as a tourist is to go for a New York City Pass. A single card allows you instant access to all the major attractions and museums in the city. It removes the hassle of queuing up and handling foreign currency and cards to purchase tickets at every attraction. With access to almost every attraction in NYC and savings of up to 40%, these city passes will help you save on money as well as time in New York City.

In thi guide, we will compare two of the most popular passes in New York - The New York Explorer Pass and the Freestyle New York City Pass.

Comparing the NYC Explorer Pass & Freestyle New York City Pass

The NYC Explorer Pass allows you to choose a select number of attractions to visit from a list of 77 attractions. The pass is available in four options. Each variant lets you choose a different number of attractions – 2, 3, 4 and 7 attractions. With potential savings of upto 50% on admission prices and 77 attractions to choose from, the NYC Explorer Pass is the perfect pass for your New York holiday.

Once you buy your Explorer pass, the pass will remain valid for one year. Only after its first usage will the pass get activated. After activation, the pass will expire in 30 days. In these 30 days, you can use your pass whenever you want to visit the selected number of attractions.

NYC Explorer Pass Attractions

What is the Freestyle New York City Pass?

Freestyle New York City Pass Attractions

What convenience factors do these cards bring?

1. Huge savings
These passes can help you save anywhere between 30-50% on the cost of tickets as opposed to buying a separate ticket for each attraction. These savings mean you can increase your budget for souvenirs, shopping or other experiences.

2. Convenience
The travel pass provides you instant access entry to all attractions without having to queue up to purchase tickets. The pass will help you skip these lines, providing you with more time to spend in actual sightseeing.

3. Save time
The priority access feature of these passes allow you to save time on purchasing individual tickets for each attraction. With only one pre-purchased card in hand, you can wander in to any attraction of your choice and not worry about standing in line and buying tickets.

4. Choice and flexibility
The pass offers an array of attractions and monuments to see, the entry fee of which is included in the pass. This allows you to choose your pace of visiting the attractions. The pass is also flexible and does not have any limitations on entry or timing.

5. Ideal for traveling with kids
Traveling with kids can be made a whole lot easier by making the trip more comfortable for them. A pass allows you to plan better and cut waiting in lines for hours, making sure your kids don’t get cranky!

What is the cost-benefit analysis of these cards?

The greatest benefit of buying a travel pass or tour card is the savings on cost of tickets. You will end up spending much lesser than what you would to purchase the tickets individually. A simple cost-benefit analysis of the cards will showcase the immense savings on cost. Here are a few examples:

Example 1:
3 Attractions NYC Explorer Pass: $79

Empire State Building Observatory: $37
Top of the Rock Observatory: $37
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Tickets : $30

Total: $104

This is a net saving of $25, a fantastic saving of 25% on priority tickets! With 4 or 7 attraction passes, your chances of increasing the saving percentage is even further. You can apply the same practice to determine your net savings for the Freestyle New York City Pass.

Save $8 on your first booking with Headout when you use promo code 'GONYC'!

How can I purchase these passes?

NYC Explorer Pass - 3, 4, 5 or 7 Attractions Pass

• NYC Explorer pass that lets you choose a select number of attractions from a list of 77 attractions.
• The NYC Explorer pass is available in 4 attraction combo options - 3, 4, 5 and 7.
• Save upto 50% on entrance tickets.
• The pass is valid for a month from its first usage.
• Additional discounts and special offers on shopping, dining and other activities.
• Tourists booklet available in English, German and Spanish.

Freestyle New York City Pass

• Explore NYC with the most tourist friendly pass of New York City.
• Choose either 3,5 or 7 attraction/activity tickets from a list of NYC's top 50 attractions.
• 3-day Unlimited All Around Town Hop-on Hop-Off Sightseeing bus across 4 routes.
• Save over 40% on individual ticket prices.
• One day Hop-on Hop-off Ferry Tickets.

Save $8 on your first booking with Headout when you use promo code 'GONYC'!

What are some handy tips for using these passes?

• Plan first. With tons of attractions to choose from in the city, it is best that you plan the attractions for which you'll be using the pass. Make sure that you use the pass in the most optimum manner to ensure highest savings.
• Prioritize attractions with higher entrance fees, it is the easiest way to save money and recover your costs.
• Do ensure that you have checked the timings of the attractions that you would like to visit. It would be quite a downer to visit an attraction only to know that it is closed.
• Use the hop-on-hop-off feature of the passes to get around the city. The advantages of it are two fold - free transportation as well as guided sightseeing.
• Certain museums have free entries on some days. Visit these museums on the free days to increase your savings. Try to avoid start using the pass on these days.