New York

If you’re planning a trip to New York City, The New York CityPASS may be a good option depending on what New York attractions you want to see, and how long you are staying in New York.  You get free admission into New York’s most popular attractions, so this may help save money too.  

Below I will share what New York attractions are offered in the pass, and what we were able to do in 4 days.   Hopefully this will help you decide whether it will be worth it or not!

The list of New York attractions that are offered in the pass are:

• The Empire State Building
• American Museum of Natural History
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Top of the Rock Observations Deck
• Guggenheim Museum
• Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
• Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum
• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

What passes to choose from

You can buy it online before you go, and there are two passes to choose from:

New York C3:  You can ONLY choose 3 attractions above.  This is the cheapest option.

New York CityPASS: The more expensive option, you can see a total of 6 attractions.

However!  3 of the attractions MUST be the Empire State Building, American Museum of Natural History, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  For your other 3 attractions, you must choose between:  

• Top of the Rock OR Guggenheim Museum
• Statue of Liberty OR Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise
• 9/11 Museum OR Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

So if you want to go into Top of the Rock AND the Guggenheim, for example, you can’t go to both using the New York CityPASS – you have to choose between the two.

Which New York attractions did I see in 4 days?

On my trip to New York, I chose to get the full New City CityPASS because a lot of the attractions on the list were places I wanted to visit.

I opted to get the full pass. We were in New York for 4 days, but did not manage to do all of the attractions.  

This is what New York CityPASS attractions we saw in 4 days:

• American Museum of Natural History
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
• Top of the Rock
• CircleLine Sightseeing Cruise (goes by the Statue of Liberty and under the Brooklyn Bridge)
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum

What to Expect at each New York CityPASS Attraction

The Empire State Building

We had originally planned to go up in the morning, since with this ticket you can then return the same day later at night.  This is the only attraction that we missed (we ran out of time).

We saw the Empire State Building quite a lot while we were walking around New York.  We also saw it from Top of the Rock, so I personally feel like we didn’t miss out.

American Museum of Natural History

There was a line to get into the museum, but since we had our Pass we got to skip the line.

This museum is huuuuuge, so if you plan to go make sure you reserve pretty much the whole day for this. We were there for FOUR hours, and only saw 2 out of 4 floors. They have a really cool dinosaur exhibit on the first floor, which took up a lot of our time.

The museum was featured in a few movies. If you’ve watched Night at The Museum, you will recognize a few exhibits.  There will probably be more people than usual taking photos if it too.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

 I made the mistake of trying to see this Museum on the same day as the Natural History Museum.  This museum is soooo gorgeous.  I loved the artwork, and they have a rooftop bar you can go to (which also has really great views of Central Park).

Again, definitely allow yourself plenty of time to wander around this museum, since it has so much to offer.  You could definitely spend an entire day here. 

Top of the Rock

In my opinion, the views from Top of the Rock are better than what they would be from the Empire State Building, because from Top of the Rock you can SEE the Empire State Building! You can also see Central Park, which is really cool.

With our passes, we still had to wait. I had originally planned to go up here to see the sunset, so we arrived at 5pm. They gave us a scheduled time we would be allowed to go up (at 7pm), and by the time we got up it was 8pm. The sun had already set, so I only got to see the views at night-time. It was still beautiful, but if you want to go up at a specific time, call ahead (or visit their box office) to book your time slot.

Guggenheim Museum

 This museum has impressive and modern art and architecture. Since the New York City Pass makes you choose between this attraction and the Top of Rock, we weren’t able to go into this one (unless if we paid admission to go in).

If you don’t have a lot of time, they have a route you can take so that you can see their permanent collection in an hour. But really though, why rush?

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

With the New York City Pass, you also have to choose between this attraction and the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise. We chose the Cruise, but from the boat we got really close to the Statue of Liberty.

On one Island is the Statue of Liberty and on Ellis Island there is an Immigration Museum. Allow about 5 hours if you want to visit both islands.  If you want to go into the crown, you will need to pay extra money.  

CircleLine Sightseeing Cruise

We choose this option (instead of the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island). This cruise departs multiple times a day, so it’s easy to fit into your schedule.   There is a wait to get on the boat, and the tour is about 2 hours long. 

I enjoyed this cruise since it gave us great skyline views of New York City.  We went by the Statue of Liberty, and got to go under the Brooklyn Bridge.

Intrepid Museum

 We didn’t go to this Museum, since we had decided to go to the 9/11 Museum instead. This museum is RIGHT next to where the CircleLine Sightseeing Cruise departs from.  If you’re in the area it would be easy to do the cruise and this museum in the same day.  Just like the other museums on this list, make sure you plan to be here for most of the day.

9/11 Memorial & Museum

Seeing the memorial itself is free and outside of the museum.  If you want to go inside of the museum, then you will need to use your pass.

The Memorial itself is very beautiful.  If you go in the evening, the pools are lit up.

We also went into the Museum, and it was honestly one of the most memorable aspects of the trip. I would highly recommend going. We were there for about 3 hours.   The exhibits were very powerful, and I got a bit emotional.  I still remember them to this day. 

Tips for the New York Attractions

If you are going for a short trip (2-4 days), I would recommend getting the New York C3 Pass. It’s all you will probably have time for. We were there for 4 days and went into 5 attractions. (read about what else we did in New York City!)

If you plan to go to a museum, make that as your ONLY planned activity that day. I had mistakenly planned to go to TWO museums in one day.  There is definitely not enough time to do two.  If you do, you will have to rush, which isn’t fun.

Even though the New York CityPASS says that you skip the lines, you will still need to wait. It did speed things up, but since New York is so busy it mostly just puts you in the faster line.

Don’t Rush!!  My biggest tip is to not rush.  Plan 1 New York attraction per day – MAYBE 2 at the most.  Experiencing New York in line-ups won’t give you that true, authentic feel of a city.  So if any of the New York Attractions offered in the New York CityPASS are places you really want to visit, weigh out your options and decide whether getting the pass will be worth it or not for you.  

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I hope my experiences and tips helped you with planning your trip to New York! Depending on what you are planning to see, the New York CityPASS may help you save some money.  

Have you been to New York, or any of these attractions?  Which one was your favourite, or what would you recommend doing there?  Let me know in the comments below! 🙂

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I spent a long weekend in New York, and while you are there you can definitely feel that “New York magic.” The yellow taxis, skyscrapers, different boroughs, and the overall energy makes New York feel like more than just another big city. While I did enjoy my trip, I made mistakes visiting New York that caused not-so-enjoyable moments. To help you out, here are the 8 mistakes I made visiting New York, and what I WISH I had known before going.

1. Can’t see everything

You’ve probably already heard this (I know I did before going) but you can’t see everything in one trip.  You just can’t.  New York is massive. You could live there your whole life and still not see everything.

Before I went on my trip, I wrote down all the places I wanted to see, and things I wanted to do.  But getting to each location took more time than planned, and visiting each place took A LOT longer than planned.  My original itinerary was so full compared to what we actually did, simply because we ran out of time.

Learn from my mistake:  When you go to New York, don’t try and jam everything into one visit, because you will end up feeling rushed.  Give yourself a lot of extra free time.  My sample itinerary of what you can do (realistically) in four days is here.

 

2. You will need to wait in lines to see popular attractions

Depending on where and when you go, you will run into lines. We went to the “Top of the Rock” at around 5pm expecting to be able to go up right away, but they told us to come back at 7pm.  When we came back at our starting time, we still had to wait in a line to go up. Once we got to the top, it was probably closer to 8pm, which was a lot longer than originally planned (and I didn’t get those sunset photos I had planned…oh well!). When we finally got to the top, it was a lot more relaxed and didn’t feel busy. The views of New York, even at night, were really beautiful.

 

3.  Don’t walk everywhere

There are all sorts of ways to explore New York:  walking, taxis, subway, Uber, and the Hop on / off bus (to name a few).  While we were there, we  ONLY walked!  By the end of the day our feet were killing us, and we were pretty tired.

Learn from my mistake: If I were to go back to New York, I would take advantage of Ubers, taxis, a bus, or the subway.  It will save time, and your feet!

 

4. Use offline maps 

Before I went to New York, I thought I could depend on wifi.  This was one of my mistakes visiting New York City.  Wifi was sometimes really hard to find.  Before going, make sure you either get a SIM card so that you can use data, or download an offline map of New York on GoogleMaps so that you can still navigate your way around the city.   

If there’s an area or restaurant you want to go to, make sure to save the location on your map so that you can find your way there.  

 

5. Have Reliable Airport Transportation

When we arrived in New York, we landed at JFK airport and at the last minute decided to take the subway to our apartment. It was actually pretty easy and saved ~ a lot ~ of money.  To learn about the different options and instructions on how to get from the airport to your hotel, Check out this really helpful post here.

However, one of the biggest mistakes visiting New York City (that I made) was getting back to the Airport from New York. 

First, it was hard to find an available taxi.  When we finally saw one that was free (the light on top of the taxi was on which meant is was available), I raised my hand the air and it pulled over for us. Success!! Or so I thought. We sat in the cab, and while we were in the taxi I told him we would like to go to Airport. Well, he refused. He probably wasn’t allowed to do this, since we were already sitting in the cab, but we got out and tried to find another way there.

We ended up taking the subway to get to airport.  If I were to go back to New York I wouldn’t do it again. Construction was happening on one of lines, which changed the routes and made it more complicated. Luckily, there were a few helpful people on the Subway that told us where to go!  We also had to do a transfer in a really sketchy area and it didn’t feel safe there at ALL (there was a person there walking around literally screaming at everyone at the top of their lungs).  If I was a solo female traveler in New York, I would have been even more scared during this situation.

Learn from my mistake:  Long story short, if I were to go back to New York I would book a taxi, car service or Uber in advance so that I knew I had a reliable (and SAFE!) way back to the airport.

 

6. Bathrooms are hard to find

If you find a bathroom, use it! There were so many times where I would be walking for ages just so I could find a bathroom.

 

7. Don’t stand out as a tourist

It can be easy to stand out as a tourist, whether it be by taking photos or just looking at the tall buildings.  For whatever reason, they just know.  I think I know why a lot of locals wear headphones!  Sticking out as a tourist can cause people to approach you on the street.  This happened to me by the Empire State Building and at Central Park. 

To prevent them from approaching, avoid eye contact with them, look confident, and walk quickly with a purpose.  If they approach you just say a firm no and keep on walking.

 

8. Don’t Stay In Times Square

Before the trip, I thought I had to stay close to Times Square so that I would be safe (since it’s busy, surely no one would rob me, right?!). I wanted to stay right IN Times Square, but the hotels were way too expensive for my budget. and I am SO glad we didn’t.

We stayed in an apartment in the Hells Kitchen District. This was still located pretty close to Times Square (because that meant I wouldn’t get robbed, right?!), but it was more local. It was lovely. On almost every corner there were flower shops, tons of restaurants, and it wasn’t overwhelming busy (but still felt safe).

To get back to our apartment each evening, we happened to walk through Times Square. The first night it was planned, but after that it just seemed to happen by chance. On the second night it was annoying to walk through, and by the third night we avoided it altogether.

As a tourist, Times Square is great to experience, take pictures, and see the performers on the street. But that’s about it.  The lines for the restaurants are out the door, and the shops are extremely crowded. I couldn’t imagine fighting through the crowds every night to get back to my hotel.

It’s so much nicer to stay (and eat!) in a more local area. And it doesn’t even have to be close to Times Square to feel safe.

 

 

 

Would I go back to New York?

The opportunity to explore someone new, sometimes only happens once.  My trip to New York was a great learning experience.  The mistakes visiting New York  helped me with planning my future trips, and how to make the most of them.

I would love to go back to New York, but next time I’d do it differently.  I won’t feel like I HAVE to do all of the main tourist attractions, so that I can experience and enjoy New York’s local hangouts.

Have you traveled to New York before?  I would love to know what your experience was like, and if there’s anything you wish you would have known before you went.

 

 

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There are so many places to see, and so many things to do in New York you could live there your whole life and still not see it all.  If it is your first time going, it can be overwhelming to choose what to do.  We went to New York in 4 days in early October. It was the perfect weather to walk around in without getting too hot (or cold).  Below is an example of a New York 4 day itinerary.

Itinerary at a Glance

Day 1
Circleline Boat Tour of New York
Rockefeller Centre “Top of the Rock”
St. Patrick’s Cathedral
Times Square

Day 2
Walk over Brooklyn Bridge
Madison Square Garden
Wall Street
9/11 Museum and Memorial

Day 3
Natural History Museum
Central Park

Day 4
Broadway Show

Where to Stay

I stayed at an AirBnB in the Hells Kitchen district.  It was a busy area day and night, and felt safe.  It was close to A LOT of restaurants, and about a 20 minute walk to Central Park, Times Square and the Rockefeller Plaza.

Before you Go

Since I knew in advance that I wanted to see the main sites of New York, I opted to get a New York CITYPass

This was a great way to see a lot of sites, save money, and skip a lot of lines.

Day 1: Boat Tour, Times Square and Top of the Rock

Morning: We arrived in New York at 9:30 AM. After a quick nap, we took the Circleline Boat Tour of New York to start the day. It gave us a good orientation of New York and where everything was.  We got to see the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the iconic views of New York.  Their tours leave multiple times during the day, so it can fit into any schedule.

Afternoon: We went St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and walked through Time’s Square.

Evening: The Rockefeller Plaza and “Top of the Rock!”  I would recommend the Top of the Rock  (compared to going up the Empire State Building) because then you can see the Empire State Building and really great views of Central Park.

Tip: You can not go up to the Top of the Rock at whatever time you want.  We arrived at around 5pm and they told us to come back at 7pm, so we had time to eat supper.

Suggested Reading: 8 mistakes I made visiting New York City: what I WISH I had known!

Day 2 in New York: Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, 9/11 Memorial & Museum

Morning: After breakfast, we walked from our apartment located in the Hell’s Kitchen district to the start point of the Brooklyn Bridge. If you don’t mind walking forever, then go for it. We saw the New York Public Library, Madison Square Garden and the Flatiron Building on our walk to the Bridge.

In your New York 4 day itinerary, I would recommend taking the subway, bus or Uber to the closest stop.  It will save you SO much time and energy. 

Walking over the Brooklyn Bridge was definitely one of my favourite things to do during my New York 4 day itinerary.  It had incredible views of both Brooklyn and New York.  When we got to the other side, we had some ice cream, pizza, and walked around the Brooklyn harbour front.

Afternoon: After the Brooklyn Bridge, we walked to Wall Street. We took a picture with the Bull on Wall Street, and walked along the waterfront. It has a nice park with some vendors, and a view of the Statue of Liberty.

Evening: Within walking distance from the waterfront is the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. I would highly recommend going. The museum was very emotional and informative. We went in the museum when it was still light outside, and when we were finished it was dark and the Memorial was lit up and very beautiful.

Day 3 in New York: Museums and Central Park

Morning: There are so many museums in New York, that it can difficult to decide which one to go to.  We chose the Natural History Museum, and since this museum is located right next to Central Park we decided to walk around Central Park as well. 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is also located next to Central Park, which we made a brief stop at (there are beautiful views of Central Park from their rooftop patio!).

Tip:  There definitely isn’t enough time to do two museums AND Central Park in one day, so limit yourself to one museum a day. 

Afternoon/Evening: I could have spent an entire day in Central Park!  It is so big and beautiful.  Look at the park benches when you go – they have different messages on each one!

Day 4: Broadway show

Our flight was at 7pm that night.  This gave us enough time to go to see a matinee Broadway show! Since we had come to New York with only backpacks, we brought them into the theatre with us which didn’t cause any issues.  If you have more luggage, I would recommend having your accommodation store your bags.

Another option would be to see a Broadway Show the night before, and spend a leisurely day exploring the city until it’s time to leave for the airport! The options are endless.

Which Broadway show you want to see is entirely up to you and what your preferences are. We saw Aladdin and it was amazing. I live in a small town, so experiencing a Broadway show was truly spectacular!

How to book your tickets: We booked our tickets online in advance, but same day discounted tickets are also available at a TKTS Ticket Booth.

Tips

• Take the subway, bus or an Uber if you need to get to point A to point B to save your feet.  We walked everywhere, but by the end of the day we were exhausted. If you are primarily seeing the main tourist attractions, a Hop on Hop off Bus may be easier to use.

• Don’t try and schedule too many activities in one day.  There is SO MUCH to do in New York, you won’t get it all done and will be rushed.  We were in the Natural History museum for four hours and only saw two of the four floors!  So take your time, and only plan 1-2 activities a day. 

• Make sure you have a reliable way to get to the airport.  Our taxi driver refused to drive us to the airport, which he probably wasn’t supposed to do.  To get to the airport, we ended up taking the subway which was complicated due to construction.  Next time I go I will book a ride to the airport so that I know I have a reliable way back.

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Have you been to New York? Let me know what your favourite things to do are!