Go City New York Explorer Pass Review (2026): Is It Worth It + How Much You Can Save
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The Go City New York Explorer Pass is one of the best options if you want to see several top attractions in New York without overplanning your itinerary. It offers good value and flexibility, especially if you plan to visit at least 4–5 paid sights.
If you’re planning a sightseeing trip to New York and want to keep costs down while staying flexible, the Explorer Pass can be a very good choice. But when is it actually worth it, and how easy is it to use in real life?
We used the Go City New York Explorer Pass on our recent trip to New York with teens. In this guide, I explain exactly how the Explorer Pass works, share our real experience using it, break down how much you can save, and give practical tips to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your trip.
TIP: You can find the latest information about this pass on the Go City website, where you can also save 5% with our code FULLSUITCASE.
If you’re still planning your trip, also check our guides on where to stay in New York and how to plan your itinerary.
How the New York Explorer Pass Works
The Go City New York Explorer Pass is a flexible sightseeing pass that lets you choose a set number of attractions and visit them at your own pace.
To get started, go to the official website, select the Explorer Pass, and choose how many attractions you want (from 2 to 10). The more you include, the lower the price per attraction. Keep in mind that you have to decide this upfront — if you later want to visit more places, you’ll need to buy additional tickets separately.
Don’t forget to use our discount code FULLSUITCASE when booking.
After purchase, you receive your digital pass by email, along with instructions to download and import it into the Go City app.
You can (and should) buy the pass in advance. It only activates the first time you use it, and from that moment, you have 30 days to visit all your selected attractions. Buying in advance also makes it easier to plan your itinerary and reserve time slots where required.
Good to know: Non-activated passes can be refunded within 30 days of purchase.
For most New York attractions, you can simply show your QR code at the entrance, so there’s no need to choose everything ahead of time. However, some of the most popular sights and guided tours require advance reservations. You can check availability and book time slots in the Go City app. In most cases, you can change or cancel reservations up to 5-15 minutes before your scheduled time.
What’s Included
The Go City New York Explorer Pass includes 100+ New York attractions, tours, museums, and experiences, covering many of the city’s biggest highlights. Since there is no time pressure, you can easily build an itinerary that fits your interests and schedule.
Some of the most popular New York attractions included with the Explorer Pass are:
- Empire State Building
- Top of the Rock Observatory
- Edge
- One World Observatory
- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry
- American Museum of Natural History
- Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
- 9/11 Memorial and Museum
- Intrepid Museum
- Circle Line sightseeing cruises
- Hop-on hop-off bus and guided bus tours
- Bike rentals and guided bike tours
- Walking tours in neighborhoods like Brooklyn or Harlem
- New York Yankees game tickets
- Theme Parks and rides including LEGOLAND and Coney Island
- … and many more. The exact list of included attractions can change slightly. See the full attractions list and reservation details here.
These are among the most visited (and most expensive) attractions in New York, which is why the pass can offer very good value if you plan to visit several of them. The Explorer Pass also includes many smaller museums and niche experiences, which can be a good option if you have extra time or want to see more, but you’ll usually get the best value by focusing on the main sights and guided tours.
Good to know: The Go City New York Explorer Pass includes four of the five main observation decks in Manhattan: Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Edge, and One World Observatory. SUMMIT One Vanderbilt is not included, so you’ll need a separate ticket if you want to visit (and it’s best to book that in advance since it’s very popular).
READ ALSO: Best Observation Decks in New York
Best Value Attractions
To get the best value from the New York Explorer Pass, choose as many attractions as you realistically plan to visit — the more you include, the better the value per attraction. It’s also smart to focus on experiences with the highest regular ticket prices, but don’t choose something just because it’s expensive if it doesn’t interest you.
In most cases, the best value comes from:
- Observation decks: Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, Edge, and One World Observatory
- New York Yankees game tickets
- Hop-on Hop-off bus tours
- Bus tour of the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens
- Experiences like Mercer Labs, Madame Tussauds, and RiseNY
- Guided tours (such as Madison Square Garden, Central Park bike tours, and food tours)
- Circle Line sightseeing/sunset cruises or the “Beast” speedboat
- Top museums like American Museum of Natural History, Intrepid Museum, 9/11 Memorial & Museum, and MoMA
Below, you can see some real examples of how much you can save with the New York Explorer Pass.
How Much Can You Save
Note: Prices are approximate and based on 2026 rates.
If you use the New York Explorer Pass strategically and visit at least 5 attractions, you can save over $100 per person. With a 7–10 attraction pass, savings can reach around $250–450 per person (you can see examples of how the savings are calculated on the Go City website, and in the screenshots below).
But even if you skip the most expensive options and just focus on the top attractions and museums, the New York Explorer Pass is still worth it.
To give you a better idea, here’s a simple example including five of the most popular (not the most expensive) attractions in New York:
- Empire State Building ~$48
- Edge Observation Deck ~$48
- Circle Line NYC Landmarks Cruise ~$35
- 9/11 Memorial Museum ~$36
- MoMa ~$30
This adds up to about $195–200 in regular ticket prices, which is already about $20 more than the price of a 5-choice Explorer Pass (even before using our discount code). And if you include just one or two higher-priced attractions, like the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens bus tour (~$84) or a 2-day hop-on hop-off bus (~$81), you can save an additional $100 or more.
Of course, your actual savings will depend on the attractions you choose and how many you visit. If you only pick lower-priced activities or use fewer attractions than planned, the savings will be smaller.
Good to know: The Go City All-Inclusive Pass can sometimes offer even bigger savings, especially if you get it for 7–10 days and don’t mind planning full sightseeing days. However, if you prefer a more flexible schedule without time pressure or rushing from one attraction to another, the Explorer Pass is usually the better choice. For a quick overview of how these passes differ, see our NYC passes comparison table.
When the New York Explorer Pass Is Worth It (and When It’s Not)
The New York Explorer Pass is a great option for many travelers, but it’s not the best fit for every type of trip. Here’s a quick way to see if it’s worth it for your trip:
Worth it for:
- First-time visitors who want to see the main attractions, including observation decks, museums, and bus or boat tours
- Trips of 3–5 days or more with enough time for sightseeing
- Anyone planning to visit at least 4–5 top attractions
- Travelers who prefer a flexible and relaxed pace without planning every detail in advance
- Families or groups looking to reduce overall ticket costs
Not ideal for:
- Short visits (1–2 days) or travelers who only want to visit 1–3 attractions (in this case, the 3-choice Essentials Pass is usually a better fit)
- Travelers who are mostly interested in free sights or lower-cost museums
- Fast-paced travelers staying for 5-10 days and planning full sightseeing days (the All-Inclusive Pass is often better in this case)
Our Experience
How we chose our pass
We used the Go City Explorer Pass on a recent trip to New York with our teens, focusing mostly on the more expensive attractions (from the ones they were actually excited about). We chose two observation decks and experiences like RiseNY and Mercer Labs, where regular tickets cost about $46–57.
Even though we spent almost a week in NYC, we opted for a 4-choice Explorer Pass. If we had focused on more traditional sights, we could have easily used a 7-choice pass or more. However, many of the things our teens wanted to do (like Broadway shows, sports games, and SUMMIT One Vanderbilt) were not included with any sightseeing passes. In addition, some attractions simply made more sense to book separately for us. For example, kids were free at MoMA, and the Vessel tickets were cheaper when bought individually.
Even using the pass for just four attractions (and not the most expensive ones), we saved over $50 per person — over $250 for our family of five.
How it worked
Booking time slots for observation decks was very easy. Some reservations only opened about 10 days in advance, but there were plenty of available times. We especially liked that you can cancel or reschedule up to a few minutes before your visit (with most regular tickets, you can change or cancel up to 24 hours in advance). Since we traveled to NYC in late fall and the weather was unpredictable, this last-minute flexibility was really useful, especially for observation decks.
Another thing we appreciated was how easy it was to adjust plans on the go. For example, when we found ourselves near Times Square during heavy rain, we decided to use our pass to visit RiseNY right there.
Using the pass couldn’t be simpler. You get a QR code in the app (one per person) and in most cases, you just scan it at the entrance and walk in.
Overall, the New York Explorer Pass worked really well for us. It helped us save money while keeping our itinerary flexible.
Tips to Get the Most Value
Here are our top tips to get the most out of the New York Explorer Pass:
- Choose the right number of attractions. Be realistic about what you’ll actually see and how you’ll use the pass. If you have time for extra activities, choose a pass with one or two more attractions than your must-sees so you can add something last-minute.
- Focus on higher-priced attractions. This is where the biggest savings come from, so prioritize observation decks, guided tours, and premium experiences. If you are visiting cheaper attractions like, for example, the Vessel, or Museum of Arts and Design, it’s often better to get separate tickets.
- Use the pass for places where you’re fine with standard access. For example, the Explorer Pass includes the ferry to the Statue of Liberty, but not Crown or Pedestal access, which can only be booked directly. At the Empire State Building, the pass covers the main observation deck (86th floor), but if you also want to visit the 102nd floor, it’s better to get a separate ticket that includes both levels.
- Book observation decks early. Time slots can fill up quickly, especially during peak travel seasons.
- Don’t overpack your days. Leave room for flexibility and adjust your plans as you go. It also helps to group nearby attractions to save time. See our New York Itinerary (up to 7 days) for ideas on how to plan your time.
READ ALSO: Best Ways to Visit the Statue of Liberty
Explorer Pass vs Other NYC Passes
If you’re wondering how the New York Explorer Pass compares to other attraction passes, here’s a quick overview:
- Explorer Pass – best for flexibility; choose a set number of attractions and visit them anytime within 30 days.
- Essentials Pass – similar idea, but limited to a small selection of top attractions (good for short visits).
- CityPASS – includes a fixed list of major sights; simple and good value, but less flexible.
- All-Inclusive Pass – best if you want to see as much as possible in a few days and don’t mind a packed schedule.
For more details, see our New York City passes comparison guide.
Is the Go City New York Explorer Pass Worth It?
For most visitors, the New York Explorer Pass is one of the easiest ways to save money on top attractions while keeping your itinerary flexible. It’s also a much more relaxed option than the day-based All-Inclusive Pass, without the pressure to constantly rush around to “get your money’s worth.”
If you’re planning to visit at least 4–5 major sights and want the freedom to adjust your plans as you go, it’s definitely worth it. Focus on higher-priced attractions, and the savings add up quickly. If you also include guided (bus) tours, boat tours, or go for 7–10 attractions, it becomes an excellent value.
If you’re planning to visit several top attractions and want flexibility, the Go City Explorer Pass is one of the easiest ways to save money in New York. You can check the latest prices and get 5% off with our code FULLSUITCASE on the official Go City website here.
However, if you only plan to visit a couple of attractions, want guaranteed sunset time slots at observation decks (often not included with passes), or prefer a fully packed sightseeing schedule, you might be better off with individual tickets or a different pass.
More NYC Travel Guides & Tips
Planning a trip to New York City? These guides cover top attractions, itineraries, and practical tips to help you plan your visit:
- Top sights & experiences:
- Itineraries:
- Practical tips:
- Complete guide: NYC Travel Page
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