New York C3 Pass

If you want to find out more about the C3 Pass for New York, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ll show you how to use the C3 Pass, which attractions are included, and which are not. We also go into all the advantages and disadvantages.

At the end, we answer the most common questions and show you alternatives to the New York C3 Pass.

💡 How does the New York C3 Pass work?

The New York C3 Pass gives you access to three attractions. There are 11 to choose from, and you don’t have to decide which ones in advance.

You receive the pass in digital form, so there is no need to collect it in New York, and you can start exploring straight away.

On site, you show your C3 Pass at the entrance to the attractions to gain access. Your pass is activated the first time you use it. You then have nine days to visit all your chosen attractions.

Please note that you must make a reservation in advance for some attractions. You can find information on which attractions require this here.

🗽Which attractions are included?

The New York C3 Pass has focused on the observation decks, museums, and boat trips.

It does not include city tours and sightseeing tours by bus.

In the following sections, we will show you exactly which attractions are included in the C3 Pass.

🌃 Observation decks

The viewing platforms are one of the highlights of a visit to New York, as they give you a breathtaking view of the skyline, whether by day or night. With the C3 Pass, you have the opportunity to visit three of the most famous platforms:

• Empire State Building (regular admission price: 48 dollars)
• Top of the Rock (regular admission price: 44 dollars)
• Edge at Hudson Yards (regular admission price: 44 dollars)

You must book in advance for the Empire State Building, which you can do via the CityPASS reservation page. You will receive the corresponding link after purchasing the C3 Pass.

Please note: Tickets at sunset time are not included.

No reservation is necessary at the Top of the Rock. Go to the Rockefeller Center entrance, and you will usually be allocated a time slot for your visit within 15 minutes to four hours. However, there is a risk that, at certain times, all tickets may be sold out, in which case you should try again at a later time.

Note that the C3 Pass does not include SUMMIT One Vanderbilt or the One World Observatory.

Our tip: If you are interested in exploring the observation deck of One World Trade Center (it is called “One World Observatory”) with a City Pass, the New York Pass, the Explorer Pass, the Sightseeing Pass NYC, or the Sightseeing FLEX Pass are interesting for you.

If you intend to visit different attractions with your group or use the same attractions at different times, we recommend that you book individually for each person. The reservation is valid for all tickets booked together.

🖼️ Museums with the C3 Pass

The C3 Pass has a focus on museums, so five of its eleven attractions are well-known representatives:

These museums are included:

• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) (regular price: $30)
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum (regular price: $30)
• American Museum of Natural History (regular price: $28)
• Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum (regular price: $33)
• Guggenheim Museum (regular price: $30)

🚢 Boat trips

Two boat tours are included in the C3 Pass: the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and a boat trip with the Circle Line provider.

There are two different Circle Line boat tours to choose from: the express ferry to the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Midtown Cruise. You can take one of these two with the C3 Pass.

You need a reservation for all boat trips.

📅 Reservations with the pass

For some attractions, a timed ticket is required in addition to the C3 Pass. Specifically, for these:

• Circle Line Cruises (regular price: $41)
• 9/11 Memorial & Museum (regular price: $30)
• American Museum of Natural History (regular price: $28)
• Empire State Building (regular price: $48)
• Guggenheim Museum (regular price: $30)
• Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum (regular price: $33)
• Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry (Ticket price: $24.50)

Reservations are best made on the CityPASS.com website or the “My CityPASS” app. After purchase, you will receive a link to this page.

If there are no times available on your preferred date, it is best to try another day.

If you would like to change the date of your reserved visit, it is necessary to cancel your existing reservation at least one day in advance. You can then make a new booking. Please note that reservations for the current day or previous dates can no longer be canceled.

🫰How much does the C3 Pass cost?

The New York C3 Pass costs 96 dollars for adults; the pass for children costs 74 dollars.

The age limit for children is 6 to 17 years.

The purchase is risk-free. You can return the C3 Pass free of charge up to 365 days after purchase and receive a refund. However, you must not have used the pass yet. Furthermore, all reservations made at the attractions must have been canceled. You can also do this via the C3 Pass reservation page or in the C3 Pass app.

💻 Does the C3 Pass pay for itself?

The C3 Pass only pays off if you visit the higher-priced attractions. At best, you save just under 29%.

However, if you do not do this, the C3 Pass is not worthwhile. You actually pay more than the individual tickets for the attractions would have cost:

📲 Purchase, download, and free app

You don’t have to decide which attractions you want to visit with the C3 Pass at the time of purchase. After purchasing the C3 Pass, you will receive an email with QR codes for each person named in the order.

At the top of the email is a red link labeled “Make reservations,” which you can use to make all the reservations you need for your visits.

You then have a choice. You can save the passes on your device and print them out, use the free C3 Pass app, or store the passes in the Wallet app on your smartphone.

Downloading the passes does not activate them. You can find out more about how and when the passes become active in the next section.

🚀 Activation of the C3 Pass in New York

When you show your C3 Pass at an attraction in New York for the first time, and it is scanned, the pass is activated. This happens automatically without any additional effort on your part.

Once activated, you then have nine days to visit the attractions in New York.

🚨 Disadvantages of the C3 Pass

Although the C3 Pass offers some advantages, we don’t want to withhold the disadvantages from you.

• Limited choice: Compared to the other passes, the C3 Pass offers the smallest selection of attractions. Furthermore, it does not include city tours, guided tours, or bike hire.
• Missing attractions: Some of the most popular attractions, such as Summit One Vanderbilt or One World Observatory, are not included in the C3 Pass.
• Reservations: You will need an additional reservation for almost all attractions.
• No fast track entry: There are separate entrances for pass holders, but no special fast lane tickets that skip all queues.
• Limit: You can visit a maximum of three attractions with the C3 Pass.
• Calculate carefully beforehand: if you only choose cheaper attractions, the C3 Pass is not worth it

👉 New York C3 Pass alternatives

There are several alternatives to the C3 Pass that work very similarly and are better.

The Explorer Pass from Go City and the Sightseeing FLEX Pass each offer a much larger selection, with over 90 attractions.

The best way to see this is in our New York Pass comparison, in which we have compared the passes.

🔎 Conclusion: Who is the pass suitable for?

The C3 Pass is suitable for all visitors who know exactly which attractions they want to visit before traveling. The three attractions should be as expensive as possible, such as the viewing platforms.

Only then are savings possible.

☝️FAQ