Similar to a credit card giving cash free entry to more than 90 New York tourist attractions. Passes can be purchased for one, two, three, five, seven or 10 days depending on your available time and tastes. There is no limit to the number of attractions you can visit during your ticket time-frame. The informative New York Pass app is a must for your visit. It contains a list of all the attractions, addresses, a bar code for access and you can create your own itinerary.
A one day pass in NYC will allow you to do four perhaps five tours. Our recent trip with three people managed four but could cover five with further planning. A good idea to get into walking mode before you arrive because there is heaps of ground to cover and remember a lot of other people are in the same sightseeing mode.
The first for us was the Empire State Building – Get in early it opens at 8 o’clock.
This iconic building gives 360 degree views around NYC Take in the stunning sights from 320 metres (1,050 ft) up on the Observation Deck. https://www.newyorkpass.com/new-york-attractions/empire-state-building
Second call was the Circle Line two & a half hour Best of NY guided sightseeing cruise that completely circled Manhattan.
Statue of Liberty
The only cruise line dedicated exclusively to sightseeing, with vessels featuring over-sized glass windows offering magnificent views of the Manhattan skyline, all year round. Take in over 101 city sights by water, including the Intrepid, the WW 2 naval aircraft carrier, Yankee Stadium, the Cloisters and a superb close-up of the Statue of Liberty. Our commentator Tom was extremely knowledgeable and answered questions as he described the headline sights. https://www.newyorkpass.com/new-york-attractions/circle-line-sight-seeing-cruises.html
NYC skyline from Hudson river
Third visit – the Catacombs by Candlelight – Dive into the deep history of NYC and discover what’s under the streets. And what does the late David Bowie have to do with the tour? One of the quirky activities on the New York Pass is to visit one of the newest activities in NYC and that is The Catacombs tour by Candlelight which is less than 12 months old. Tommy from Tommy’s Tours in the City spent a long time negotiating with the elders of the Irish Catholic Church to get permission to conduct the tours and now they are hugely successful. The tour revolves around the Nave of the church (the central aisle of a Basilica church) The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral is an historic landmark Catholic Church where you explore the final resting place of the devotedly departed in historic crypts. You get to view New York City’s underground tunnels and passageways as you explore the remarkable Catacombs. When ambling through the un-manicured cemetery our guide Leo says “This has nothing to do with the Catacombs but David Bowie lived in that top apartment of the building directly overlooking the cemetery, his wife still lives there.”
Catacombs
Our one hour tour had at least 30 participants and Leo’s amiable commentary was both interesting and educational. He guided the group well as we congregated together in vaults, corridors and the Basilica interior and climbed to the 1868 Henry Erben pipe organ which has nearly 2500 pipes.
The grounds have been home to important Catholic New Yorkers for over 200 years and is Manhattan’s only Catholic cemetery. Leo explains that the space in front of us is the site of a family crypt that, when finished, will hold the bodies of six to nine people and it can be purchased for a cool $US7 million. The baptism scene from the movie the Godfather was filmed inside the Cathedral. https://www.newyorkpass.com/new-york-attractions/catacombs-by-candlelight-tour.html
Catacombs
There are three group departures for the Catacombs by Candlelight tours leaving at 11am, 1pm and 3pm daily.
The final call for the day was the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) – Located in Midtown Manhattan the museum has played an important part in developing and collecting modernistic art and is one of the biggest and most influential museums of modern art in the world. It includes works of architecture, design, drawing, painting sculpture photography, prints, over 300,000 books, film and electronic media. www.newyorkpass.com/MOMA
To get around your selected attractions use The Big Bus – The Hop on Hop off Big Bus tour is valid for one day with your New York Pass. Various routes can be taken with more than 35 stops. They feature talkative and knowledgeable guides and offer free WI Fi.
Guide Leo
The New York Pass can be purchased on line before you leave your home country. Select your pass and download instantly using the app. Plan your time in the city by choosing one of the New York Pass selected itineraries or create your own itinerary on the New York Pass app.
Armed with the top value New York Pass it’s off to do battle with your fellow sightseers and capture the magical memories of the attractions of your choice while saving you many dollars.
All information regarding the New York Pass is here:
https://www.newyorkpass.com
In New York stay at the Beacon Hotel www.beaconhotel.com
Written by John Savage who recently visited New York City
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