The New York Sightseeing FLEX Pass is one of the most popular New York passes and I have used it nine times in my over twenty visits. If you want to visit the top sights in New York and save up to 40% on the entrance fee, you should definitely read on!
A lot has changed in the last few months, so I’ve completely updated this article. If you still have questions, always feel free to contact me directly at steffen@loving-newyork.com !
In this article I will answer any questions you may have about the FLEX Pass and explain what makes it so great!
Note: One reason why the Sightseeing Passes pay off so quickly is the increase in ticket prices since Covid-19. Many of the attractions have really increased their prices, such as the Empire State Building, which now has ticket prices of up to $98 per person!
A quick explanation of the New York Sightseeing FLEX Pass
- The FLEX pass offers over 100 attractions for you to choose from, of which you can visit 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 or 12 attractions.
- You can flexibly spread your activities over all days of your visit.
- You can visit any attraction only once with the New York Pass.
- With the purchase of a FLEX Pass, everything is paid for, so you do not have to pay anything extra at each attraction.
- To use the pass, show it at the ticket counter of your desired attraction and in return you will receive your admission ticket.
- Two important notes:
For the Empire State Building, you will also need a free time ticket, which is available via this link.
The ferry to the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island is not included in the FLEX Pass (you can see my alternatives here).
Do you like to keep your plans flexible and explore the city without a tight schedule? Then the Sightseeing FLEX Pass is just the right New York discount pass for you!
What is the New York Sightseeing FLEX Pass?
The Sightseeing FLEX Pass is a discount pass for over 100 attractions in New York that is valid for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10 or 12 attractions. Once paid, it gives you free admission to the attractions, museums, guided tours, and boat and bus tours that are included in the pass. You won’t need to buy tickets for the individual attractions and you can save a lot of money overall!
Like the Go New York Explorer Pass, the FLEX Pass is an attraction-based pass, meaning that you decide on the number of attractions you want to visit. You don’t have to decide which attractions in advance so you can choose when and what to see after purchase. The FLEX pass is valid for 60 days after its first activation!
My tip: if you are not quite sure how many attractions to pay for, choose a smaller amount. There should be no sightseeing stress!
How does the FLEX Pass work?
When you buy the Sightseeing FLEX Pass, you first choose the number of attractions you want to visit in New York City and pay a fixed price. Be sure to use my discount code LNYOffer when purchasing to save even more!
Once in New York City, just show your FLEX pass to the ticket booth of the attraction you want to see and you’ll receive your admission ticket. If makes no difference if you have the pass printed out or on your phone!
Only a few attractions require you to reserve an additional time slot in advance. This is the case for the Empire State Building (do so at this link if you bought your FLEX Pass) and the American Museum of Natural History, as well as the walking tours. The necessity to book a time slot in advance for certain attractions applies to all New York City Sightseeing Passes..
Here’s how to best use your FLEX Pass in New York City:
Step 1: After purchasing, you will receive your FLEX Passes with your individual numbers by email. Click on “View my passes >” in the email.
Step 2: Now you can see all your passes and choose whether you want to print them or download them directly to your smartphone. I recommend the latter.
Step 3: Have fun in New York!
Which attractions are included in the FLEX Pass?
With the Sightseeing FLEX Pass, you can choose from around 100 attractions and sights to see. These include world-famous attractions such as the Empire State Building, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, the Top of the Rock, Edge Hudson Yards, and the One World Observatory.
The newest observation deck, Summit One Vanderbilt, is not included with any of the New York Passes.
Top sights to see with the FLEX Pass
If you’re interested in New York’s most popular museums, you’re well equipped with the Sightseeing FLEX Pass. Around 30 museums are included in the program, including the popular ones like the American Museum of Natural History and the Museum of Modern Art, also known as MoMA.
Check out the full list of attractions included in the New York Sightseeing FLEX Pass here.
Boat tours included with the FLEX Pass
Have you ever experienced New York City from the water? It’s a brilliant experience! Included in the FLEX Pass are some of the most popular boat and ship tours:
- Circle Line Landmarks Cruise
- Circle Line Liberty Cruise
- Circle Line Liberty Super Express Downtown
- City Cruises – Alive After Five
- Freedom Liberty boat tour
- Manhattan By Sail – Shearwater Statue Sail
🔥 My tip: find out which option is the best for you by calculating your cost here with my free tool!
Hop-on hop-off buses & bus tours
The popular hop-on hop-off buses are also covered by the FLEX Pass. With the burgundy buses from market leader BIG BUS, you can take both the Uptown and Downtown tours within 48 hours, and both together count as one attraction. Each additional bus tour counts as an additional attraction. More information and the routes can be found here.
Tours & guided city walks
The Sightseeing FLEX Pass includes several great guided tours. You’ll be on the road with a New York local and learn more about the respective districts and sights of New York City. In total, you have about 30 tours to choose from with the pass. In addition to the classic walking tours, there are also delicious food tours, bike tours, and special tours on certain topics.
🔥 My tip: The Graffiti & Street Art Tour through Brooklyn is incredibly interesting!
How much does the Sightseeing FLEX Pass cost?
Here you can find all prices for the New York FLEX Pass with our coupon code “LNYOffer”:
|
Sightseeing FLEX Pass for |
Price Adult |
Price Children |
|---|---|---|
|
$ 97 |
$ 88 |
|
|
$ 141 |
$ 108 |
|
|
$ 176 |
$ 149 |
|
|
$ 203 |
$ 170 |
|
|
$ 233 |
$ 185 |
|
|
$ 272 |
$ 211 |
|
|
$ 369 |
$ 303 |
|
|
$ 423 |
$ 348 |
To find the best option for your stay in New York City, you need to roughly estimate how many of the attractions you would like to visit. After visiting just three attractions the FLEX Pass pays off, with 10 attractions you save even more, and with 12 you really have the full ‘must-see’ New York program covered.
With our discount code “LNYOffer” you can get up to a 42% discount on the FLEX Sightseeing Pass!
Is the Sightseeing Flex Pass worth purchasing?
In my experience, the FLEX Pass pays for itself after visiting just a few attractions. If you are in New York City for the first time and want to see the most important sights, the Sightseeing FLEX Pass is often the best choice.
Travel Plan #1: FLEX Pass with 10 attractions
In this itinerary, I’ve put together the most popular attractions and tours that you can see with the FLEX Pass. The great thing about this is that you can spread them out over your travel days in a very flexible way.
|
Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour 2 Days |
|
|
Circle Line Landmarks Cruise |
$44 |
|
American Museum of Natural History |
$30 |
|
SoHo, Little Italy & Chinatown Walking Tour |
$39 |
|
$46 |
|
|
Madame Tussauds |
$48 |
|
Clipper City Daytime Statue Sail |
$60 |
|
FLEX Pass for 10 Attractions |
|
Travel Plan #2: FLEX Pass with 5 attractions
Even if you only want to see a few selected highlights, the Sightseeing FLEX Pass pays for itself very quickly.
|
1-Hour Central Park Pedicab Tour |
$50 |
|
Clipper City – City Lights Sail |
$80 |
|
$51 |
|
|
FLEX Pass for 5 Attractions |
|
Travel Plan #3: Ultimate summer experience
As soon as it’s warm, we see the return of the wonderful sailing tours on the Hudson River that take you all the way to the Statue of Liberty. That’s why one of the best of these tours ended up on my summer itinerary; and with only 4 attractions, you’d save 57% with the FLEX Pass!
|
Clipper City – City Lights Sail |
$80 |
|
$51 |
|
|
FLEX Pass for 4 Attractions |
|
My experience with the New York Sightseeing Flex Pass
Having used the FLEX Pass fairly often, I can tell you with conviction that the FLEX version is the best attraction-based discount pass.
The biggest advantage with the Sightseeing FLEX Pass is that there are never days where sightseeing stress arises because you have enough time available and can reschedule flexibly. If you don’t want to go to the One World Observatory on a specific day as planned, it’s no matter as you can do the visit another day.
If you want to spread the attraction visits over several days and spend a day without sightseeing in between, the Sightseeing FLEX Pass is ideal.
The only downside is that the boat tour to the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, with stops on the island, is not included (here are some alternatives). Personally, I don’t really mind this because I like Circle Line’s Statue of Liberty boat tour, which is included in the FLEX Pass, better. It doesn’t stop at the island, but just before it, so you can get the perfect photo op of Miss Liberty.
My conclusion
For those who want to explore many top sights without a tight plan and also want to use guided tours and bus tours, the Sightseeing FLEX Pass is the best attraction-based pass.
With this pass, you must only determine the number of attractions you wish to visit and can then decide spontaneously without the pressure of a timed schedule what you want to do and when.
It is the perfect pass for flexible sightseeing without stress!
