Things to do in Upper East Side

Our most recommended things to do in Upper East Side

New York Explorer Pass: Top Attractions including Edge

New York Explorer Pass: Top Attractions including Edge

Explore iconic New York with Go City for one low pre-paid price. With a selection of over 90 must-see NYC attractions, museums, and tours, you can save up to 50%* compared to buying separate attraction tickets. Design your own New York adventure with access to the most popular attractions on one easy-to-use digital pass. Options include the Statue of Liberty Ferry, 9/11 Memorial, Empire State Building, EDGE, and many more. Pick between a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10-choice pass, browse the guide or Go City app to plan your itinerary and check entry requirements. Scanning your pass at the gate or ticket office of an attraction (or tour) for the first time will activate it. You then have 30 days to use the remaining choices purchased. Your pass also features special perks including gift shop discounts or a free audio guide at selected attractions, helping you make the most of your New York trip and save even more along the way. The New York attractions you can choose include:  Museums & Galleries • American Museum of Natural History • 9/11 Memorial & Museum • Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) • Intrepid Museum • Guggenheim Museum • The Whitney Museum of American Art • Fotografiska New York • Museum of Sex • Museum of the City of New York Experiences • Empire State Building • Top of the Rock • One World Observatory • Edge • Central Park Bike Rental • Rise NY • 9/11 Museum Workshop: Hands-on 9/11 Tour • SPYSCAPE • Madame Tussauds • Harlem Jazz Series • Surrey Bike Rental Governors Island • Brooklyn Bridge Bike Rental by Unlimited Biking • New York Yankees Game Tickets Tours & Cruises • Rockefeller Center Tour • Big Bus New York Hop-on Hop-off: 1-Day Classic Tour • Best of NYC Cruise: Circle Line Sightseeing • Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Ferry • The RIDE • Harbor Lights Cruise: Circle Line Sightseeing • NYC Landmarks Cruise: Circle Line Sightseeing • Central Park Bike Tour • Madison Square Garden All Access Tour • Radio City Music Hall Tour Experience • Greenwhich Village at Night Walking Tour • St Patrick's Cathedral Tour with Express Entry • Graffiti and Street Art Tour Walking Tour of Brooklyn • Secrets of the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Walking Tour • Broadway & Times Square Walking Tour • Central Park TV & Movies Walking Tour • Yankee Stadium Tour • Wall Street Walking Tour • Catacombs by Candlelight • Pride Walking Tour • NYC TV & Movie Bus Tour • Top of the Highline and Hudson Yards Tour • Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO Neighborhood Walking Tour • Chinatown Walking Tour • High Line - Chelsea - Meatpacking Tour • Little Italy Walking Tour • Greenwich Village Walking Tour • Best of Brooklyn Walking Tour in Williamsburg • Woodbury Common Bus Tour (Round Trip + VIP Coupon Booklet) • Harry Potter and the Fantastic Beasts Walking Tour Food and Drinks • Food on Foot Tours *Savings based on sample itineraries on Go City website.

New York: Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour by Open-top Bus

New York: Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Tour by Open-top Bus

Experience the perfect introduction to New York with a Hop on Hop off Big Bus tour. Relax on an open-top double decker sightseeing bus while listening to insightful and engaging digital commentary. The bus route takes you on a captivating journey through New York's rich history and vibrant modern life, as well as its many memorials and museums. Hop off at any stop to explore the city's most iconic sites, including the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge, Empire State Building, Broadway, and the One World Trade Center with its 360-degree view of the skyline. Pay tribute to the memory of those lost in the tragic event at the 9/11 Memorial just steps away. Explore Lower Manhattan on the Downtown tour, including popular neighborhoods including the Flatiron District, Battery Park, SoHo & NoHo, Greenwich Village & East Village, Chelsea, and the Financial District. Wander around Wall St. to see the famous Stock Exchange and Charging Bull. Eat your way through Little Italy and Chinatown, shop at the high-end boutiques in SoHo, or see the open-air observation deck at The Edge in Hudson Yards. Then make your way to the Upper East Side, home to some of New York’s most popular museums. Explore the Frick Collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met). The Uptown Loop takes you through Midtown, passing by Grand Central Terminal and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The Downtown Loop is a 90-minute circuit, while the Uptown Loop is 75 minutes. Many guests choose to ride a full loop to see the city before deciding where to hop off on the next loop around. Buses arrive every 10-15 minutes on the Downtown Loop and every 30 minutes on the Uptown Loop throughout the day.

NYC: Circle Line 2.5 Hour Best of NYC Boat Cruise

NYC: Circle Line 2.5 Hour Best of NYC Boat Cruise

The first, the original, the iconic Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises. Visitors’ #1 choice for sightseeing cruises in New York. With over 80 million passengers and counting, forget the rest and choose the best for your visit. Circle Line offers the largest fleet of sightseeing vessels with the largest boats. Comfortable seating with lots of legroom and outdoor and indoor space for the best views of the New York skyline. Prices are subject to increase closer to the travel date—book early to secure the best rate Enjoy a relaxing cruise of New York Harbor and Manhattan Island as you discover the secrets of the city. You will circle Manhattan, passing 3 rivers, 7 major bridges – including the world-famous Brooklyn Bridge – 5 boroughs, and more than 100 sights in New York’s legendary skyline. Get up close to the Statue of Liberty and see Manhattan just as the great explorers would have seen it at the end of their long ocean journeys. Tour the city by water and see the outer boroughs drift by. Fun and knowledgeable tour guides will bring the city that never sleeps to life, telling fascinating stories about the breathtaking sights as you sail. See it all as you marvel at the best that New York has to offer. Cruise highlights include close-up views of the Statue of Liberty, Randall’s Island, High Bridge, Columbia University, Harlem, Gracie Mansion, South Street Seaport, Brooklyn Bridge, Yankee Stadium, The Cloisters, Grant’s Tomb, and The Little Red Lighthouse.

New York Pass®: 105+ Attractions including Edge NYC

New York Pass®: 105+ Attractions including Edge NYC

Visit 105+ attractions with a single mobile pass and save up to 50% on all your sightseeing vs. buying individual tickets. Simply choose how many days you'll be in New York and get unlimited admission to many of the city's best attractions, tours, and experiences. Valid for the number of consecutive days that you've purchased. Buy online for instant mobile delivery. Get free admission to 105+ Attractions: • Empire State Building (86 Floor Observation Deck) • One World Observatory (102 Floor Observation Deck) • Hudson Yards: Edge Observatory ( 100 Floor Observation Deck) • Top of the Rock (70 Floor Observation Deck with 360 degree views) • Big Bus 1-Day Downtown & Uptown Hop-on Hop-off Tour • Statue of Liberty Ferry & Ellis Island Immigration Museum • NYC Cruise by Circle Line • Madame Tussauds New York • Central Park Bike Rental by Unlimited Biking • The RIDE Museums & Galleries: • 9/11 Memorial & Museum • Guggenheim Museum • American Museum of Natural History • MoMA - Museum of Modern Art • Intrepid Museum • Museum of Sex • Whitney Museum of American Art • Fotografiska New York • Museum of the City of New York • New York Historical Society • Museum of Arts and Design • Museum of Jewish Heritage • Skyscraper Museum • New York Hall of Science • Museum at Eldridge Street • International Center of Photography • MOMA PS 1 • Staten Island Museum • The Paley Center for Media • Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum Tours & Cruises • Central Park TV & Movie Sites Walking Tour • Rockefeller Center Tour • The Official Chinatown Walking Tour • How Money Was Made: Wall Street Walking Tour • Harbor Lights Cruise by Circle Line • The Official Little Italy Walking Tour • New York City News Media Tour • Brooklyn Bridge & DUMBO Neighborhood Walking Tour • Brooklyn Bridge Guided Bike Tour by Unlimited Biking • See 30+ Top New York Sights Walking Tour Family-friendly: • Central Park Bike Tour by Unlimited Biking • 9/11 Museum Workshop: Hands-On 9/11 Tour • Marvel & DC Superheroes Walking Tour • Yankee Stadium Tour • LEGOLAND® Discovery Center, New Jersey or Westchester • Staten Island Zoo • Staten Island Children’s Museum Hidden Gems: • New York Botanical Garden • Catacombs by Candlelight Tour • Harlem Jazz Series – Tuesday and Friday • Cathedral of St. John the Divine • Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden • ARTECHOUSE New York Activate your pass at the first attraction or tour you go to. Once activated, your pass records when and where you first used it and how long it will remain valid for. Your New York Pass is then valid for the number of consecutive days that you've purchased. Attractions and tours are subject to change. Check the digital guide for an up-to-date attraction line-up including opening times and instructions on how to access each attraction before you go. Some tours and attractions require advance reservations. * Savings based on sample itineraries on Go City website.

New York City: Private Central Park Pedicab Tour

New York City: Private Central Park Pedicab Tour

One of New York City's most celebrated sights, Central Park, is a vast green space plum in the heart of Manhattan. With this private pedicab tour you are guaranteed to see more of this oasis than possible on foot. As you travel you will be regaled in stories of the park's highlights, such as the Bethesda Fountain and Strawberry Fields, John Lennon's memorial. You knowledgable guide is bound to provide you with extra information you might miss if you were doing it alone. There will be more than fifty highlights throughout this experience, which include historical landmarks, movie locations, celebrity apartments, and much more. At the conclusion of your tour, you will be dropped off at either the Rockefeller Center, Times Square, or the Fifth Avenue Shops.

From Manhattan: Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn Half-Day Tour

From Manhattan: Bronx, Queens and Brooklyn Half-Day Tour

Take an alternative tour of New York and head to the boroughs of the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn to discover the secret delights of New York City. This half-day tour is an excellent opportunity for a unique insight into these lesser-known neighborhoods. Mini-bus transportation makes it easy and efficient to get around the city’s busy streets. Aboard the bus you will cross Grand Central’s bridge, with a view of Grand Central Station, continue to the Upper East Side, one of the most affluent and elegant neighborhoods in the city before going to Spanish Harlem on the way to the Bronx. See Yankee Stadium, the home ballpark of the New York Yankees baseball team, the Grand Concourse, and pass in front of the Bronx Museum of the Arts. Stop at Arthur Avenue in the Bronx, where you'll have an authentic Italian-American experience. Visit Italian restaurants, delis, bakeries, cafes and shops. Next, pass by Randall’s Island and through Queens. Finally reach Brooklyn, where you'll visit Greenpoint and Williamsburg. Lastly, return to Manhattan through the legendary Brooklyn Bridge.

NYC: The Frick Collection Entry Ticket

NYC: The Frick Collection Entry Ticket

The Frick Collection, your home for art from the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century, reopens to the public on April 17, 2025, following the multi-year renovation and enhancement of its historic Fifth Avenue home. Open since 1935, the museum offers visitors intimate encounters with one of the world’s foremost collections of European fine and decorative arts. Founded by Henry Clay Frick, the collection features celebrated works by Bellini, Fragonard, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and more. The reopening of the Frick invites visitors to experience the museum’s collection anew, with its iconic masterworks reinstalled in restored galleries on the first floor and smaller-scale paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects on view throughout its newly opened second floor.

New York City: 24 or 48-hour Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

New York City: 24 or 48-hour Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

Experience the heartbeat of New York City in an immersive and flexible way with a hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tour. Be at the crossroads of bustling streets, surrounded by iconic landmarks that have graced the silver screen and captured imaginations worldwide. Begin your day in the bustling energy of Downtown, where towering skyscrapers create a modern marvel against the skyline. See not just the well-trodden paths but also dive deeper into the heart of the city. Next, Uptown beckons with its unique charm. Stroll through the iconic Central Park, an urban oasis that offers a serene contrast to the bustling streets. Discover Harlem’s rich cultural heritage and vibrant soul. Hop on and off the bus at your leisure, curating your own NYC experience based on your interests – from Times Square's dazzling lights to the Museum Mile's artistic haven. Add an educational layer to your adventure through engaging narration available in 11 languages.

NYC: Central Park Celebrity Homes & Film Spots Pedicab Tour

NYC: Central Park Celebrity Homes & Film Spots Pedicab Tour

Act like a celebrity for the day on a pedicab tour of Central Park. See the homes of some of New York's most famous celebrities and visit filming locations from your favorite TV shows and movies, including "John Wick" and "Gossip Girl." Meet your driver on 6th Avenue, home to some of New York's most notable buildings, then set out for Central Park. Wrap up during winter with the blankets provided and use your informational booklet to spot the homes of your favorite stars. See over 45 filming locations throughout the tour, including the Plaza Hotel from "Home Alone 2", the terrace featured in "John Wick" and "Sex and the City," the fountain from "Friends," and more. Ride through the Upper East Side, home to Serena van der Woodsen and Chuck Bass in "Gossip Girl." You will also drive past the homes of famous actors, athletes, Fortune 500 CEOs, and many more. Sit back and relax as you pass the apartments of Lady Gaga, Trump, Madonna, and Tiger Woods.

New York City: Tour of Manhattan, Bronx, Queens & Brooklyn

New York City: Tour of Manhattan, Bronx, Queens & Brooklyn

After meeting up with your guide, venture out of Manhattan and into the Bronx to admire Yankee Stadium, home of the New York Yankees. Then continue through the Bronx streets, filled with graffiti and artistic murals where you will learn more about the famous street art and its history. Following the Bronx, enter Queens and stop at the Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, where the NY Mets baseball stadium "Citi Field" is located. Pass the National Tennis Center where the U.S. Open tennis matches occur, as well as the "Uni-Sphere," which appeared in the movie "Men in Black." Continue the tour in Brooklyn. Arrive at the Brooklyn Waterfront, which will provide you with an amazing panorama of Manhattan’s world-famous skyline and local restaurants to grab a bite to eat. Before the end of the tour, the Brooklyn neighborhood of Williamsburg is on the agenda. This neighborhood is home to the largest concentration of Hasidic Jews in New York.

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Frequently asked questions about Upper East Side

Other Sightseeing Options in Upper East Side

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What people are saying about Upper East Side

Overall rating

4.466695 out of 5 stars
4.5
4.466695 out of 5 stars
(26,182 reviews)
5 out of 5 stars

Should’ve checked my small backpack-style purse and hoodie, because the museum proctors were pestering everyone about items we were carrying. Understandable, given the value of the art and the possibility of mischief or accidents by visitors. Museum should probably just adopt and enforce a check-your-stuff rule.

5 out of 5 stars

Explorer Pass NYC highly recommended. Everything runs smoothly. We were thrilled and saved money with the pass.

5 out of 5 stars

Really good value card with great range of attractions to choose from. Made the trip much more convenient.

5 out of 5 stars

Johny was a great tour guide and we had a lovely time on our tour!

5 out of 5 stars

Wonderful fun -- great guide who was funny and knowledgable.