New York City Attractions: Which ones are worth a visit, which ones should you skip?

Last Updated on January 12, 2026

New York City is one of those cities where you can spend days just running from one attraction to the next, and basically never run out of things to do. But what are best New York attractions, the ones that you MUST see? Most people don’t have time to see them all.I must admit that the first couple of times I visited New York I barely got to experience the city beyond its sights because I was trying to tick as many as possible off my list: the MoMA, the Met, the Statue Of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Guggenheim, the Empire State Building, the Flatiron Building, Central Park, Greenwich Village… The list is endless.

However, I realized that focusing on just the sights didn’t give me the chance to experience the city itself – I left the city having seen the things New York is famous for but not knowing anything about how the city itself ticks. Luckily I was able to rectify this over many consequent visits to the Big Apple, and whenever I advise first time visitors on what to do on a visit to New York, I make sure to recommend a good balance of attractions and city life / neighborhood exploration.

Of course you will want to visit the iconic New York attractions when you visit this amazing city – but you should choose wisely which ones you really have to see. Read on for what I think are the sights worth paying for and which ones I think you should skip in favor for some meandering, people watching and street cafe relaxation.

The Empire State Building or another observation deck – 100% worth it!

You should definitely do one observation deck, or even two. Seeing New York from above is something truly special and well spent money and I’d consider all of the observation decks among the best New York attractions. Now the question is: which observation deck in NYC is the best? I wrote a detailed article comparing all five, but in short: in my opinion, the Top Of The Rock is the best one. Not only do you get to see the Empire State Building (and it looks great in photos from above, doesn’t it?) but you also get to see Central Park from up here, and seeing how giant New York’s green lung actually is puts it in a completely new perspective.

View from Top Of The Rock

Skip the Hop-on hop-off tour; see a Broadway show instead!

If you ask me, you can skip them. Yes, you get to see a lot of the city while riding around in them, and go past some of the best New York attractions, yes – but you’ll be stuck in traffic a lot. And taking good photos while moving is nearly impossible. It is much better to walk in the city, especially Manhattan is very walkable.

There are some great audio guide apps for self-guided walking tours which I highly recommend! Save the money for the hop-on hop-off bus and invest in a Broadway show instead. If you have an interest in musicals or plays, you’ll definitely want to see at least one Broadway show while you’re visiting New York City. But even if you’re not a massive theater buff, you’ll enjoy seeing one of the best theater or musical productions in the entire world.

There’s something for everyone. Michael Jackson fans love the musical MJ, Moulin Rouge will wow everyone with its spectacular set design and performances, and Wicked is obviously a classic that deserves all the praise it’s getting. Families with kids will enjoy Harry Potter or The Lion King, and among the recent Tony Award winning musicals are The Outsiders and Operation Mincemeat – can’t go wrong with any of them. I recently decided to treat myself to Buena Vista Social Club and loved it even more than expected. 

The TodayTix app /website offers discount tickets for all the major plays and musical every day – for as little as $49 (the same price of the hop-on hop-off bus) – and it’s Broadway!

The museums – Guggenheim vs Met vs MoMA

If you are a fan of modern art, the MoMA is a museum you should definitely NOT miss – it is one of the top ten art museums in the world, if not even one of the top five! This is one of the best New York attractions, in my opinion. Admission is $30. You can, however, get a better deal and skip the crowds with the multi-attraction passes I mention further on. It’s also a relatively compact museum, which means you can see most of it in 2 hours.

The Metropolitan Museum Of Art is another iconic art museum in New York City, focusing on the old masters and ancient exhibits, ranging from famous American painters to European masters like Vermeer, Monet and Van Gogh. The Met is the place to see the classics, but there’s so much more to this museum: there’s a big ancient Egyptian section including temples and mummies, there is the Great Hall for Greek and Roman Art, there are the Arms and Armor galleries, there’s Medieval Art, there is a Islamic Art and Asian Art, including Japanese art and Chinese ceramics, as well as the Chinese scholar garden. There is a collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany’s stained glass, and there are entire rooms that resemble rooms in French noble villas from the 18th century. These are just a few of the different sections that make up this massive museum – it’s impossible to see it all in one day, but if you go, plan in at least four hours to see the most significant pieces of art.

There’s no free admission day/hours here (unless you’re a NYC resident), except for a few museum days every year (check their website to find out when they take place) and admission is also $30.

The Met Museum is not included in any of the sightseeing passes.

The Guggenheim is the third famous NYC museum, although more for the unique design of the building – the masterpiece of famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. As for the Guggenheim’s collection, however, I should mention that the permanent collection is rather small, and the main attraction is the current exhibit in the main rotunda. If whatever is on display in the main rotunda is not your cup of tea, you may regret paying the hefty $30 admission. If you want to visit mainly for the sake of seeing the interior of the building, I recommend visiting during one of the two “pay-what-you-wish” admission periods ($1 – $10 is the suggested donation). The pay-What-You-Wish hours are every Sunday and every Tuesday, from 4 pm to 5:30 pm.

The Guggenheim Museum 

What you might want to skip: The Statue Of Liberty

The ferry out to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty has some of the longest waiting lines – especially in the summer months. And the visit to both Liberty Island and Ellis Island is not a quick one. The tours stop at Liberty Island first, giving you the chance to see Miss Liberty up close and learn more about the history and the construction of this majestic sculpture. Then, the ferries bring visitors to Ellis Island, where you can visit the Immigration Museum. I personally love this museum and can spend hours in here, but if you’re pressed for time, you may want to skip the visit of these two islands (they’re part of the same tour). I’ve never managed to spend less than 4 hours visiting both islands, so only book Statue of Liberty tickets if you have half a day to spare. 

If you, however, just want to catch a glimpse of the lady, you might just settle for the Staten Island Ferry, which doesn’t stop at Liberty Island or Ellis Island but passes the Statue Of Liberty on its way to Staten Island and is completely free.

If you are planning to visit Liberty Island, note that you have to reserve a ticket in advance to be able to access the crown of the statue ($26.30 incl ferry). A ticket without crown access starts at $26. 

What other attractions in NYC to skip:

Any of the ‘attractions’ around Times Square. Did you really come to New York to spend time in a wax museum? If that’s your thing, sure go ahead, but you could do that in plenty of other cities as well.

New York has way more awesome stuff to offer than Madame Tussaud’s or Ripley’s Believe It Or Not. Those are museums that can be found in numerous cities – do you really want to waste your precious time in The Big Apple on them?

The Banksy Museum? There are several unauthorized, large-scale touring exhibitions and museums in major cities all around the world, and it’s not something that you need to do in New York City.

The Museum of Ice Cream? Same thing – in addition to New York City, it can be found in Chicago, Singapore, Miami, Shanghai and Boston. It’s also a stretch to declare this a “museum”, since this is more of an interactive, colorful, “instagrammable” experience rather than a traditional museums with educational value.  Several of them (San Francisco, for example), have already closed, showing that this kind of “Selfie Museum” may be a temporary trend. Think twice before spending over $40 on an hour of instagrammable photo opps (isn’t NYC instagrammable in itself?!)

Rise NYC: This is an interactive Experience right off of Times Square, so I’d already be wary. This museum describes itself as part immersive museum and part interactive flight (a 4D simulated flight in a special theater). The 4D Flying Theater Experience, which includes seats being lifted 30 feet into the air, is undoubtedly the highlight here, basically resembling a helicopter flight over the streets of Manhattan. The rest of the museum is made up of immersive galleries, showcasing classic New York areas and components that are “iconic New York” – think: Broadway, Wall Street, the Fashion District, the subway, TV shows that were filmed here. However, there’s often just props that are great for photos, but information is basic. 

Is it worth $50? If you ask me, it’s not. Unless you have one of the New York Sightseeing passes (see below) and you still have an attraction left over, I’d say skip it.

The best way to save money on the best New York attractions: An attractions pass

Get a multiple attractions pass! There are a number of different passes, what differs is the number of attractions that’s included, so depending on how many sights you’re planning to hit up, you can choose what’s best for you:

• NYC Attractions Pass with over 100 activities (US$129)
• NYC Attractions Pass with 85 attractions (starting from US$65)
• NYC City Pass (6 attractions at 40% off, starts at US$136)

The last pass, the NYC City Pass, is the most popular one, and includes the

1. 1. Empire State Building (plus night admission)
   2. the American Museum of Natural History (including the Hayden Planetarium Space Show or a giant-screen movie in 3D and 2
   3. the Metropolitan Museum of Art (general admission for three consecutive days at the Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters, plus audio guide on your first visit),
   4. the Guggenheim Museum OR Top of the Rock
   5. the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island (flex ticket for one Statue Cruises ferry ride to and from Liberty Island and Ellis Island and admission to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum) OR Circle Line Cruises (either a Landmark Cruise, Harbor Lights, the Liberty Cruise, or The BEAST Speedboat Ride)
   6. Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum (general admission and Space Shuttle Pavillion) OR 9/11 Memorial and Museum
      

These passes are all cheaper than paying each for each attraction individually, and often also include a hop-on hop-off bus (if you get it for free, you might as well take it – at least for some parts of your day). If you want to see New York’s iconic museums and one of the rooftops plus Ellis Island, buying a multi-attraction pass is definitely the most economic choice.

Note that prices vary depending on demand and time of your visit (high season / low season).