Which New York Attraction Pass Is Best for Families? (CityPASS vs Explorer Pass vs DIY)

Choosing whether to buy a New York attraction pass is one of the most common decisions families face when planning a trip. On paper, the idea is simple — pay once, access multiple attractions and save money. But once you start comparing options like CityPASS, Explorer Pass, and booking everything yourself, it quickly becomes less clear what actually offers the best value.

We looked at all of these options when planning our own trip to New York during the UK summer holidays. Having visited the city before as a couple, we understood the pace — but travelling with a child changed how we approached everything, particularly how much we could realistically fit into each day.

The biggest lesson? The “best” option isn’t about the pass itself — it’s about how your family wants to experience New York. This guide shares what we learned while planning our trip, with links to the exact places, tours, and tools we used or considered to make planning easier. Some links are affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only ever share experiences we’ve personally used and genuinely enjoyed, and hope these links help you plan a trip that feels exciting and manageable rather than overwhelming.

Start Here: How Families Actually Experience New York

Before comparing passes, it’s important to reset expectations slightly.

New York looks compact on a map, but in reality:

• getting between attractions takes time

• walking distances add up quickly

• queues and security checks are common

• children need breaks far more often than adults

On our trip, we found that trying to plan more than two or three main activities in a day quickly became tiring. The most enjoyable days were the ones where we balanced a couple of key experiences with time to explore, eat and slow the pace.

You can see how we structured this in 2 Day Itinerary in New York with School-Aged Kids, where grouping locations and pacing made a huge difference. This is what makes choosing a pass tricky — many of them are designed around doing more, not necessarily enjoying it more.

The Three Main Options (Explained Simply)

When comparing passes, there are really three approaches. New York CityPASS is a fixed-format sightseeing pass that includes entry to 5 attractions, combining two set experiences with a choice of three additional highlights.

It always includes:

• Empire State Building (with a bonus same-day evening visit)

• American Museum of Natural History (plus one special exhibition)

You then choose 3 from:

• Top of the Rock observation deck

• 9/11 Memorial & Museum

• Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island ferry

• Circle Line sightseeing cruise

• Intrepid Museum

• Guggenheim Museum

The pass is valid for 9 days, which gives families time to spread out visits without rushing, and it focuses on the main, well-known New York attractions rather than offering a huge list of options.

The New York Explorer Pass is a flexible sightseeing pass that lets you choose a set number of attractions (e.g. 2–10) from a large list of over 100 options, rather than following a fixed itinerary.

It includes a wide range of major attractions such as:

• Empire State Building

• Edge, Top of the Rock and One World Observatory

• Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island ferry

• 9/11 Museum

• American Museum of Natural History

• Intrepid Museum and Guggenheim

It also goes beyond the main sights, offering:

• sightseeing cruises and hop-on hop-off buses

• walking tours and food experiences

• bike hire in Central Park

• additional attractions like museums, shows and even sports events

The pass is valid for 30 days from first use, allowing families to spread activities out at their own pace. While many popular attractions still require advance booking, the key benefit is being able to choose what you do and when, rather than committing to a fixed list upfront.

The third option is to skip passes entirely and book everything individually, choosing only what you actually want to do.

The Key Insight Most Guides Miss

When we were planning, one thing became clear very quickly: Not all major attractions are included in passes. For us, this mattered because one of our top priorities was Summit One Vanderbilt — and it wasn’t included in the passes we looked at. That immediately changed the value calculation. If you’re already buying one of your main attractions separately, the savings from a pass start to reduce. We break this down in more detail in Best Observation Deck in New York for Families, as this was one of the standout experiences of our trip.

This is why the first step shouldn’t be choosing a pass — it should be deciding what you actually want to do. If you’re still building your list, What to Do in New York with School-Aged Kids will help you prioritise the best options for families.

Real Cost Comparison (What You Actually Pay)

Looking at current pricing for adult and children in 2026:

• Explorer Pass (5 attractions): around £123 adult, £102 child

• CityPASS (5 attractions): around £134 adult, £104 child

The difference between them is relatively small. If you booked similar attractions individually, you would likely spend somewhere in the region of £140–£180 per person, depending on what you choose. So yes, passes can save money — but only if you fully use them. And that’s where the reality of travelling with kids comes in.

Where CityPASS Works Well

CityPASS is the easiest option to understand. It focuses on a shortlist of well-known attractions and removes the need to overthink your choices, you have 9 days to use the pass. For families visiting New York for the first time, this can work well. It covers the main highlights and helps you avoid decision fatigue. However, it is less flexible. If your priorities don’t align with what’s included, or if you want to swap in newer experiences like Summit, it becomes less useful.

Where Explorer Pass Works Better

The Explorer Pass is more adaptable, but it’s important to understand what that actually means in practice. You can choose attractions that suit your child’s interests and spread them out across your trip, rather than committing to a fixed schedule upfront. This is particularly useful in New York, where plans often change depending on energy levels, weather, or how the day unfolds.

Do You Need to Book Time Slots?

Yes — for many major attractions, regardless of the pass. Flexibility here refers to how you pace your trip, not avoiding planning altogether. You will still need to book time slots for many major attractions, but the key difference is that you’re not trying to fit everything into a short timeframe. Instead, you can decide day by day what to do, adjust your plans if needed, and avoid the pressure of packing multiple attractions into a single day. For families, this tends to feel more realistic and manageable, especially when travelling with children who may not want a fully structured schedule.

Why We Chose DIY (And Why Many Families Do)

In the end, we chose to book everything individually.

The reasons were simple:

• we wanted full flexibility

• we didn’t want to feel rushed

• we prioritised specific attractions (like Summit)

This approach also allowed us to enjoy the city itself, not just the attractions. Some of our best moments weren’t ticketed experiences at all — they were walking through Central Park, exploring different areas, or stopping somewhere unplanned.

If you're planning your trip, How to Plan a Trip to New York with Kids from the UK explains how to balance activities, budget and pacing.

The Practical Reality: Getting Around Matters Too

Another factor that often gets overlooked is how much time you spend moving around the city.

Even well-planned days involve:

• subway journeys

• walking between locations

• navigating crowds

We found the subway particularly confusing at first, and even ended up going in the wrong direction more than once.

You can read more about that in Getting Around New York City with Kids: Subway, Walking and Taxis, which explains why planning your routes is just as important as choosing your attractions. This is another reason why trying to “maximise” a pass can become difficult in practice.

So, Which Option Is Best for Families?

It really comes down to your travel style. If you want a simple, structured trip focused on the main highlights, CityPASS works well. If you want flexibility and the ability to adapt your plans, the Explorer Pass is usually the better fit. If you prefer a slower pace and want to prioritise specific experiences, booking individually is often the most enjoyable option. For most UK families travelling with school-aged children, we found that flexibility and pacing mattered more than squeezing in extra attractions.

Final Planning Insight for Parents

New York is one of those destinations where it’s easy to focus on ticking off landmarks. But the reality is, the city itself is a huge part of the experience. If you build your trip around getting maximum value from a pass, you may end up rushing through it. If you build it around what your family will actually enjoy, you’re far more likely to come home feeling like you experienced it properly.

If you're planning your trip, these guides will help you build a realistic and enjoyable itinerary:

• How to Plan a Trip to New York with Kids from the UK

• What to Do in New York with School-Aged Kids

Or explore our full USA Travel Hub if you’re combining New York with a wider trip

Planning a Family Trip to the USA

If you’re planning a family trip to the United States, we’ve created a collection of practical guides based on our own experiences travelling there with a child. In our USA Travel Hub, you’ll find advice on everything from ESTA requirements and travel insurance to driving, healthcare and managing jet lag with kids, alongside destination guides for places we’ve explored including New York, Colorado, South Dakota and Florida. It’s a useful starting point for parents researching how to plan a smooth and enjoyable family trip to the USA.