As a gift for my thirtieth birthday I was treated to a one day New York City Pass, giving us free access to over 50 of New York's most popular attractions.
With only 24 hours to make use of the pass we chose those we most wanted to visit and planned our route around the city.
Heading off early we collected our passes from the Planet Hollywood gift shop on Times Square and walked the 12 blocks to our first attraction of the day, the Empire State Building.
Empire State Building
After negotiating the elevators, there was a short wait until we were able to step out onto the observation deck.
The platform was very busy and you felt obliged to move on after a few moments peering over the side of the building.
We'd picked a very foggy day over New York so the views were limited but we were still able to pick out the city's famous landmarks of the Chrysler Building and the triangular shaped Flatiron Building.
New York Beast Speedboat Ride
Hailed as "Fast, Loud and Funny" the New York Beast speeds down the Hudson River from midtown down to the Statue of Liberty.
At first the speed and loud music make the ride different from the many tourist boats that cross the river and circle Liberty Island, but the novelty soon wore off for me and became more of an irritant.
The jet boat does get you close to the island and allows several minutes to capture that perfect picture of the Statue of Liberty.
Madame Tussaud's
Famous the world over for it's waxworks, I'd never actually been to one before an where better to start than New York.
From the foyer you are taken in the elevator to the top floor to make your way down past the many models.
The rooms are well laid out and there is plenty of space to get your opportunity for a photo next to your favourite celebrity with my personal favourite being film director, Steven Spielberg.
Planet Hollywood
The New York Pass also entitles you to money of a few eateries around the city, one of which was Planet Hollywood where I'd intended to have a birthday meal.
Being a movie geek I spent most of the time scanning the room at all the movie memorabilia. The food and service was excellent and I was roundly embarrassed when the restaurant DJ came over to our table to wish me a Happy Birthday over the microphone.
Top of the Rock
Following dinner we headed over to the Rockefeller Center for an evening at the Top of the Rock.
Having earlier witnessed the New York city skyline from the top of the Empire State Building, I approached the Top of the Rock expecting more crowds.
I was taken aback at the quietness up there and got to fully appreciate the city illuminated by office lights. You also get the perfect view of the Empire State Building, something you miss when at the top of the tallest building in the city.
The New York Pass
If you've only got a few days in New York and you want to visit some of the sights without paying for every attraction, then the pass is worth every penny.As long as you plan out your day/s you'll find that you save a considerable amount and you get to experience the tourist side of New York.
Have you been to New York? Have you ever bought a New York City Pass? Where did you go?