Sightseeing Around NYC With CityPASS

Hi lovelies! I recently went to New York to spend some time with my family, and I had a few extra days, so I decided – why not be a tourist again and go sightseeing? NYC & Company and CityPASS were kind enough to send over passes for the week. I haven’t been a tourist in NYC in years; I usually just go to the city to shop and check out food spots I’ve been wanting to try!

So how does it work? The CityPASS gets you into 6 attractions for $122 per adult. That gives you a 42% savings if you compare the individual prices per attraction. Three of the attractions are preset, and three give you options. The three preset tickets are to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History, and The Empire State Building Experience. The three option tickets are Top of the Rock observation Deck/Guggenheim Museum, Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island/Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, and 9/11 Memorial & Museum/Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

I split my CityPASS adventure into two days. On the first day, my mom and I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MoMA) and the American Museum of Natural History (MoNH). Those are two of my favorite museums I’ve ever been to, and reminds me of growing up in NY – my dad used to take me to a museum every month. I honestly could’ve spent the entire day just between the two museums, so allow enough time for them!

My mom and I wanted to go to the Empire State Building after lunch, but it started raining, so we decided to visit the Glossier Showroom and Taiyaki NYC (more on that later!). Fortunately, I went to the experience in December, so I can honestly recommend it; the views are absolutely amazing, especially at dusk. You can check out one of my older posts to see my thoughts on it.

The second day of sightseeing was reserved for Top of the Rock and the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise. Top of the Rock is probably one of the top three most popular attractions in NYC. That’s what it looks like on Instagram, anyway. It’s absolutely breathtaking! Due to its location, it has different views than the Empire State Building does. I would recommend doing Top of the Rock in the morning when there’s little to no wait and very little crowds for the best views and pictures.

Not too far away from 30 Rock is Pier 83 on 42nd street, where the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise is based. My parents (and my grandmother) actually used to go on the cruise long before my time to see NYC from the outside, and I finally got to see why. Seeing the city from another point of view is incredible, and you definitely see NYC in all its glory. You also see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island without having to fight crowds or wait in the heat. Pictures will be on my Instagram a little later on this summer!

I didn’t go on a food tour of NYC this trip, but I still had to make a few food stops. I went to Cha Cha Matcha for some matcha lemonade, and my mom got the matcha/passionfruit swirl soft-serve. They were both great! The flavors + the aesthetic make me wish we had one here in Florida. One day…

Another notable dessert stop is Taiyaki NYC. Taiyaki refers to the Japanese fish-shaped cake with filling, which is usually red bean paste or custard. Taiyaki NYC takes traditional teriyaki and uses it as the cone for amazing ice cream. I got the unicorn cone, which tastes even better than it looks. It’s about $7 and worth every penny!

My summer trip to New York flew by, but I had an incredible experience. If you would like to check out the Official Guide to New York City’s five boroughs, go to nycgo.com. And if you have any questions about where I’ve been or would like any recommendations, feel free to leave a comment, e-mail me, or contact me on social media!