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Visit York Pass Review + Itinerary

I was really intrigued when I heard about the York Pass and wanted to try it out for our family of four. See if the York passis worth it, write a review and create our own dream itinerary for some action-packed days out in York.

If you are thinking about getting the York attraction pass well have a read, check out our pictures and calculations and see if it is worth it for you and your family.

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Table of Contents

What Is The York Pass?

In a nutshell, the York pass is an all in one attractions ticket for the city of York. Kind of like when you go to Disney World and you buy a ticket for a bunch of different places and then go to all the ones that you are most interested in.

The York Pass is not unlimited to everything unfortunately but does have a good list of places where on your York pass day, you can visit, to really get good value for money.

Why Are We Doing The York Pass?

We love York, yet it feels like we just don’t visit it enough or do York justice. We grew up in the seaside town of Bridlington, we now live even closer to York but have only been twice in almost two years and wanted to change this.

We were on a day out in York recently and went to Hole In The Wand , The York Walls and had a walk to The Shambles, and had an amazing day and said we better get a York Pass and really learn about this beautiful city and have even more fun.

Because we wanted to do the York pass for more than 2 days we opted for half term and then we can have some school holiday fun with the kids too.

York 3 Day Pass

You may be wondering if you should get the one day York pass, York 2 day pass or the 3 day York pass.

We are opting for the 3 day pass because its CHEAPER the more days you have, you can see more, as there is so much to see in York and the surrounding areas and we want it to feel like we have taken in a lot of York.

You can do the same or you can opt for 1 or 2 days. I don’t want to feel like I am forcing you into the 3 days lol.

But before you do opt for the 3 days, we recommend you look through the York pass attractions list below and see if you can actually get value for money out of them.

York Pass Attractions List

Here is a list of the attractions included so that you can see if there is enough going on that you would like, before you decide between 1,2,3 day ticket.

• Barley Hall
• Beningbrough Hall & Gardens
• Castle Howard 👍
• City Cruises York
• Clifford Tower
• Fairfax House
• Golden Tours York 👍
• Helmsley Walled Gardens
• Jorvik Viking Centre 👍
• Merchant Adventure’s Hall
• National Centre Of Bids Of Prey
• North Yorkshire Moors Railway 👍
• Scampston Walled Gardens
• Sightseeing Bus York
• The Bar Convent
• The York Dungeon 👍
• Treasurer’s House
• York Army Museum
• York Castle Museum 👍
• York Cocoa Works
• York Cold War Bunker
• York Mansion House
• York Minster 👍
• Yorkshire Air Force Museum
• Yorkshire Museum
• Van Gogh Experience

Note that I have put a thumbs up next to 7 of the York Pass attractions above. Those are all the attractions that are £15 or over and are the best options for you to get the most out of the pass.

Then those in bold are the ones we really want to do as part of our itinerary. Its nice to have a starting point and some firm ideas before you really get into planning what to do for your days in York.

Now these other few are what I call fillers. They are the cheap ones that are under £5 that are not listed above, that if you are nearby and have a free time slot then why not visit 😊

• Bedern Hall
• The City Walls Experience
• The National Railway Museum – Train Ride
• The Roman Baths

And now that you have looked through the list, is there enough to occupy yourself for 3 days or do you need less time?

How Much Is A York Pass?

The York pass price varies depending on a 1,2, or 3 day ticket. Its so much easier for me to explain with a screenshot.

Take a closer look and you can see that as a family of four, (2 adults and 2 kids) if you went for just one day it would cost you £188.00. This is still an excellent price because you could do 5 different things which would normally cost £200.00 and you have made a saving.

However, then compare two days. A 2 day pass is £240.00 , so already you are making a saving, but you have to ask yourself, is there enough for you and your family for it to be worth it for 2 days?

Then for a 3 day pass (the option we are going with) it will cost us £290.00 though we do have a £20 discount but that might not be on their website when you choose to book.

If you do the maths (after the discount) that is £22.50 a day each for a 3 day pass , £27.50 a day each for 2 days, and £47 each for just one day .

In other words, the more days you go, the cheaper it becomes. If you are looking for the cheapest York Pass, then it is the 3 day option.

Now it’s a case of matching up enough attractions that we like for that £22.50 a day option to be worth it!

How Does The York Pass Work?

The York pass works by giving you a pass that allows you access to the pass attractions list. You can then use the pass like a gift voucher for access into all the different places. You can visit as few or as many as you can manage within the time period.

Of course, you only have the days you paid for and not extra days, so its important that you have a plan of action ready to go.

Our York Attraction Pass Plan

We have now set a plan in motion. We have gone with a 3 day pass because we want to get the most out of York and the surrounding areas. In truth if there was a 4 day pass, we would have gladly gone with that.

We have made our outline of the places we would like to visit as part of the York visitor pass the most. Plus, we have looked at places that also cost the most to visit, because we want value for money.

After all, you don’t just want to be visiting the places that are less than £10 each as otherwise you might as well pay for the places separately and not just get the pass.

Then once you have a rough idea of where you want to go its time to pay for the pass and put the plan into action.

Our first outline of how to spend our days is as follows:

Sightseeing Bus – Operates every 15 minutes and will be fun to get a good view of the city as well as using it to get to certain attractions.

Dig – I saw this and thought the kids would love it. I am pre-booked for 10.30am because I wanted it early enough to be able to do this and then go to our next activity.

Cocoa Works – We are booked in for day 1 at 12.30pm . I kind of find this confusing as The Chocolate Story used to be on the attraction pass and isn’t now and they sound similar. They only had two spaces left this one or an hour earlier so this was the only time we could do. From their website it looks like they are very limited in time slots for York Pass holders, vs other bookings which seems unfair.

York Minster – The kids have been to Beverley Minster so I know they will love York so this was an absolute must see on our list of things to do in York. Brilliant that no pre-booking is needed.

Clifford’s Tower – I was going to do this on day 2 but its one of the stops on the sightseeing bus which we are going today, so it felt perfect to aim this for day 1.

Jorvik Centre – Then for final part of our first day we have the last slot which is 5pm for the Jorvik Centre. I decided to do it this way, because the Jorvik often has a crazy queue outside and didn’t want it to be near a time slot for something else and then it could end up like a pack of cards when you end up late for one thing and everything else follows.

We are also focusing on a longer day for Day 1, and then when we are more tired on day 2 and 3 there is not as much pressure on us. 

The City Cruise – A must do for our day 2 and we have pre-booked for 11am. You have to be there at 10.45am (15 minutes before) so it gives us amble time to get there with us waiting for our park and ride .

Golden Tours – This is on our agenda today to see how it compares to the sightseeing bus. What I find interesting here is for 2 days in York City Centre we have access to two different hop on and hop off buses so we can use one for one day and the other for the second day.

York Castle Museum – Another must and something we have not done before. We have the castle museum booked for 1pm and are really looking forward to it.

York Army Museum – We have pre-booked the army museum and even though it is pre-booked it is just pre-booked for the day so you can turn up any time. This is brilliant because you can slot it in between some of your pre-booked events.

Barley Hall – This is our last of the day and is pre-booked for 4pm. Something different than the usual places on the list for our pass and looking at the info on their website reminds me of the houses from The Beamish Museum which we loved.   

Okay we want a day away from York City Centre and to make use of the most expensive attractions on the ticket. Which is Castle Howard where you get access to both the house and the gardens and the steam railway and to visit Pickering train station from Harry Potter, head to Whitby and do the Captain Cook Museum and probably do the Whitby steps again.

Both are favourite options of ours and we are really struggling to decide. We have gone with Castle Howard because it includes the house and the garden, whilst we can do the steam train at a later date and then visit the other stops such as Goathland.

Planning Your York Pass Days Out

To be able to get good value for money into your York Pass and to fill up your days, there is a level of planning involved.

I must have spent about 5 evenings, sat on the recliner, TV on in the background, with my tablet out, scrolling through everywhere that was included and deciding where we wanted to go and didn’t want to go.

I have epilepsy so the Van Gough Museum didn’t seem like a good match.

Plus, we needed to consider what time to leave home at, as it’s a 55 minute drive to York + waiting time for the park and ride.

Once I had a plan of which places, I wanted to visit I started a Google Doc and created an outline for our days.

Then we paid for our 3 day York pass and went back through our preferred places and booked them all one by one. Then saved all the email notifications and we were then done and dusted and just had to pack our rucksacks for the day so we had plenty of water and we were all set.

Well, that was our plan, and, in the end, we ended up doing the itinerary that you see below. We have split the days up and if you follow the links you see, this will take you to the individual posts we wrote about each place.

York Pass Itinerary Day 1

DIG – We visited the DIG as our first adventure on Day 1. We had a reserved booking slot for 10.30am and arrived slightly early and then was ready to go when it was our turn. We loved the experience of DIG, and it was one of our favourites from everything we did over the 3 days. We asked Jorge at the end of the York Passes and he named DIG as his favourite.

You have a talk first which is very interesting and makes you think a lot about yourself and what rubbish we produce. Then the kids get to have a good dig and see what they can find, this is then finished with a walk around the mini museum they have.

But what surprises people the most is that DIG is inside an old church.

Cocoa Works – This was our second stop of the day and after getting confused over its location, we had lost over an hour of our day and had to reschedule our trip to this place. They were very good about moving us from 12.30pm to 2pm.

At Cocoa Works you get a brief tour of the windows of where the chocolate is made here, then you get even more information about the chocolate once inside. Then you get what everyone is waiting for and that is the taste test.

This is no good if you don’t like dark chocolate (I do, but Dom and kids not so much) and then you start with the darkest options and then work your way down to milk chocolate and eventually the white chocolate.

Then you can visit the shop and buy the chocolate you want. We picked up some white hot chocolate powder to take with us for our trip to Primrose Valley.

Sightseeing Bus – Before going to the cocoa works we tried out the Red sightseeing bus. It was brilliant and you could hop on and off as much as you wanted in a 24 hour time slot.

We recommend that you do the full route and then use it as your quick transport to hop on and off for your various attractions. The full circuit lasts just over an hour and the tour guide on it was brilliant.

Plus, you can also use the sightseeing bus to get some good pictures of York and learn more about York. 

York Minster – It was then 3pm and we wanted to do the York Minster that day. As it was closing at 4pm it had to be done now if we were going to fit it in on the same day.

When you go inside York Minster you will love how beautiful it is and it feels very much like everyone is there to take photos and maybe light a candle and it can be difficult to get pictures of things when everyone is in there doing the same.

Jorvik – We then finished our York visitor pass with the Jorvik Centre and now VERY IMPORTANT make sure you do this as the attraction is closing for the day because it is much quieter and you will not be stuck queuing for an hour. We were the only ones in the line when we arrived compared to the 50+ people we have seen every other time we have walked past it. We got the 5pm slot and when you go to pre-book look at the last available option and book that.

Inside the Jorvik you will be wowed with all its amazing material of the Viking era. There is glass you walk over first, then you hop on the train which shares the history of the Vikings as you go around. Then you have a walk around and discover more things before you can get a viking coin.

And that was our day 1 of our York city pass. We were disappointed in ourselves that we got lost and could have fitted in something else on the same day, but at least we were back the next day!

York Pass Itinerary Day 2

York City Cruises – We started Day 2 of our York passes with a river cruise on the rive ouse. It was fun to see everything going on along the river and it was a chance to relax as when you are spending the day on your feet with kids going around museums it’s a nice break.

There is someone talking telling you about the York history and pointing things out to photo. But we felt we got better photo opportunities on the sightseeing bus.

It lasted just short of an hour, and you had the upstairs with no roof (it was cold when we went), the downstairs and a bar open for drinks and a much needed hot chocolate to warm us up!

Clifford’s Tower – Then our York passes headed over to Clifford’s Tower and we admired the amazing views from above. I mean wow, it is just amazing and also another chance to get a great view of the York Minster and the other highlights of York.

You could get lost up here for an hour taking selfies and admiring the views. And we were probably here for about 45 minutes and there is a lot of stairs to go up and down so no good if you are not good on steps.   

York Castle Museum – The York Castle Museum on the York Pass has to be Me & Dom’s personal favourite. It was so big and so much to do and we felt like we got lost inside. There is a Victorian era street with real smells, a toy area where the kids even did a sooty and sweep show for me, we played hungry hippos we saw the cells of Dick Turpin and learned a lot about the York history.

When we asked the kids what they loved the most from everything we did on the York family pass, Sofia said that York Castle Museum was her favourite. I reckon its because she got the chance to play with so many toys as we walked around!

Golden Tours – Then we had to make a decision it was 3.35pm and we could either go to Barley Hall like we had planned or jump on the Golden Tours and compare it to the red sightseeing bus that we had done the day before.

To our regret, we chose the Golden Tours. There was no guide, and it was pre-recorded with just the bus conductor. We also didn’t get a full service as even though it said last full service was 4.15pm it arrived at 4pm and we only got just under half of the service.

When we looked at it was £5 more than the red bus and you got a guide on the red bus, it makes me realise that they are not on a level with each other.

That completed our two days doing the York city pass attractions and our next day would be an easier day at Castle Howard and would be nice that we didn’t have to rush about as much.

York Pass Itinerary Day 3

Castle Howard – For our day 3 we kept the visit York pass simple with a day trip to Castle Howard. We loved that you got a full day of the house and gardens for the price and it wasn’t a reduced service.

We did the house first (good bribery with kids be good in the house then you can have the playground lol) and it was a great wonder around and our first trip there since we did Christmas at Castle Howard.

After a good look around, we then took the kids to the café by the lake, then the playground for them to get rid of some of the I’m bored energy. The playground is quite big even on a busy day and they all had a great time. 

Then we went on the land train that they have, headed to the butchers to get some sausages for our camping trip and then headed home.

And that was our 3 day York pass and we now needed to figure out if the York pass is worth it and what the York pass value was for us.

Eating On The York Pass

This wasn’t a problem at Castle Howard but when you are on the other days and have to quickly go from one attraction to another, you simply don’t have time for a nice lunch.

Normally in York it would be more slow paced with a picnic in the park or a trip to Betty’s Tearooms but instead it’s a quick snack when you can fit it in.

Is The York Pass Worth It?

I know in truth this is all you want to know. Is the York pass worth it and did I feel like I got good value for money.

Well, the answer is YES but only if you get a 3 day pass, as for a 1 day pass it would be cheaper to pay for the attractions individually.

Let me explain.

York Pass Day 1 Attractions

• Sightseeing Bus £35  
• Dig £28.50  
• Cocoa works £30 (Was £50 when we visited)
• York Minster £32
• Jorvik Centre £43.00
• Total Cost Day 1 = £168.50

York Pass Day 2 Attractions

• City Cruises £41
• Golden Tours £40
• York Castle Museum £39
• Clifford’s Tower £25.90
• Total Cost Day 2 = £145.90

York Pass Day 3 Attractions

• Castle Howard £72
• Total Cost Day 3 = £72

Grand total £386.40

From a financial point of view, we would have paid £386.40 to visit these places without a York Pass . Yet with our York Pass they cost us £270.00 . This meant that we saved £116.40 or if you are more about percentages then think that with a York Pass it became 30% cheaper.

Well, worth it, but only if you like enough of the different places in York for it to be worthwhile to you.

But its also about being money savvy, as there are loads of activities included that are not worth a lot therefore, you would on a loss.

I recommend you investigate what is included and make a plan of action before buying your pass like we have done.

For regrets, we regret getting lost (obviously), doing the cocoa works as we felt it didn’t offer value for money just a pre-sell for buying their chocolates, and the golden tour bus. 

If we were to name our five favourites on the visit York pass it would be DIG, York Castle Museum, the red Sightseeing Bus, Castle Howard and The Jorvik Centre.

York City Pass Top Tips

The most important thing with a York City Pass is value for money and for it to be worth it. There is no point spending your day going to places that cost less than £5 each to get in. Aim for the high ticket items best you can such as The North York Moors Railway, Jovik Centre, Castle Howard and York Dungeons.

Have a backup plan. There are a lot of things you can do for your pass that don’t need pre-booking and that you can use as time fillers in between events. Such as The Roman Bath or York Minster.

Anything with a big queue do last . That way you are not having it go into the next attraction you have planned and hold you up. We planned it this way, with our trip to The Jorvik Centre.

Check out the York Pass Map as it will show you how close the attractions are to each other and then you can do those close together after each other, rather than having to power walk from one end of the city to the other.

A lot of places on the pass system are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays during term time. If going during this time check opening times online before booking the pass or look at a Wednesday – Friday pass.

York Pass Visitor Information

• How long is a York Pass valid for? The York pass is valid for the amount of days you booked from the point of using it for the first time. I.e. if you buy a 2 day York pass and start your first attraction at 9am on Monday morning, then it is valid until the end of Tuesday.
• Do you have to book attractions in York? Not all attractions will require a pre-book but York is very busy and we highly recommend booking any that will let you book ahead.
• York pass cost. The cost for a York pass varies for the amount of days you want. From £59 an adult for 1 day, £75 for 2 days, or £90 for 3 days. Plus, it is cheaper for the kids. We got our 3 day York attractions pass for £270 for our family of four.

Pin York City Pass For Later!

Well, that’s a wrap, do you have any questions then do ask below and if you want to refer back, to this later for planning your day out in York then don’t forget to pin it to your travel board or days out board on Pinterest.

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Visit York Pass Attractions

A number of attractions require pre-booking, please check before your visit. Further information can be found on the individual attraction pages. During busy periods, such as school holidays and weekends, we would strongly recommend pre-booking where necessary. Further payment is not required for pre-booking.

Barley Hall

Bedern Hall

Beningbrough

Captain Cook Museum Whitby

Castle Howard

City Cruises York

Clifford’s Tower

DIG: An Archaeological Adventure

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Golden Tours York

JORVIK Viking Centre

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

National Centre for Birds of Prey

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Scampston Walled Garden

The Bar Convent

The City Walls Experience

The Roman Bath Museum York

The York Dungeon

The Yorkshire Arboretum

Treasurer’s House

Van Gogh Immersive Experience

York Army Museum

York Castle Museum

York City Sightseeing

York Cocoa Works

York Cold War Bunker

York Mansion House

York Minster

Yorkshire Allied Air Forces Memorial Museum

Yorkshire Museum

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MANHATTAN BY SAIL

There are numerous ways to see New York City but none more elegant and relaxing than by sail.

Manhattan by Sail offers two beautiful and historic schooners, the 158-foot Clipper City and the 82-foot Shearwater, for a cruise tailored entirely to your preferences. Taking in the marvels of Manhattan, Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty from the peaceful deck of one of these schooners is a timeless and memorable experience. These yachts’ crews are some of the most knowledgeable on the waters of New York, and though they’ll customize an itinerary according to your requests, with 30 years of experience, they do have several suggestions for a very special experience.

SUNSET / CITY LIGHTS SAIL

Watch the sun fall behind the Statue of Liberty and dusk creep across Manhattan while you float through New York Harbor.

As you dine on deck and the schooner passes peacefully up the darkening Hudson, you can watch Manhattan’s impressive array of lights come into bloom.

FALL FOLIAGE SAIL

Throughout fall, the banks of the Hudson farther upstream flare into colors of gold, red and yellow as autumn sweeps across the region.

Take the Shearwater schooner for a day and witness this stunning natural wonder while exploring the famous river.

FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS

Last year, six barges anchored in the Hudson River illuminated New York’s West Side with the most impressive of fireworks displays.

On the Shearwater, your captain will seek the finest vantage point from which to witness this breathtaking Independence Day celebration.

Claire Chirouze Ulloa

+1 212 619 0907

[email protected]

www.manhattanbysail.com

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• 1 Check into the Mark Hotel
• 2 Schedule a Shopping Spree at Bergdorf Goodman
• 3 Lunch at Eleven Madison Park
• 4 Take a Helicopter Tour
• 5 See a Broadway Show
• 6 Enjoy a Late Dinner at Le Coucou
• 7 Cap the Night Off at Attaboy

7 Luxurious Experiences in New York Worth the Splurge

With its lavish hotels , award-winning restaurants , legendary cocktail bars , high-end department stores, and wealth of cultural attractions , New York is a city made for jetsetters. What would you do in the Big Apple if money was no object? We have some ideas.

An avid Italophile, Laura is always on the hunt for the next great travel trends, luxury hotels, best places to eat and drink, and hidden gems. Her writing has appeared in dozens of publications. She also co-wrote "New York: Hidden Bars and Restaurants," an award-winning guide to the city's speakeasy scene.

See recent posts by Laura Itzkowitz

Check into the Mark Hotel

In a city where every hotel seems to out-luxe the other, one stands out from the rest. The Mark Hotel , on the Upper East Side, is a bastion of class, with a chic design by Jacques Grange featuring graphic black-and-white striped marble floors in the lobby, a restaurant by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, a swanky cocktail bar, a Frédéric Fekkai salon, serene rooms, and a private sailboat for spins around the Hudson River and New York Harbor. For the ultimate power move, splurge on the 12,000 square-foot Penthouse Suite. With five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a massive living room, two wet bars, and a spacious terrace overlooking Central Park, it's the largest hotel suite in America—and all of it can be yours for a cool $75,000 per night.

Explore More: See hotel details | See all New York City, NY hotels

Schedule a Shopping Spree at Bergdorf Goodman

After dropping your bags, hop into the Mark’s adorable pedicab bound for  Bergdorf Goodman , Fifth Avenue's most venerable shopping mecca. Here, you'll find a curated selection from fashion's biggest luxury labels including Chanel, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Versace, and Yves Saint Laurent. Unlike Bloomingdale’s and Barney’s, Bergdorf only has one location—on the site of a former Vanderbilt mansion—and is so legendary that it became the subject of a documentary called Scatter My Ashes at Bergdorf’s , which features commentary by Vogue editor Anna Wintour, Michael Kors, Karl Lagerfeld, Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs, and more fashion royalty. Bonus: Mark Hotel guests are granted 24/7 access to the store, so if you want to go before it opens, you can.

RELATED: Where to Shop in NYC: 11 Great Stores We Love

Lunch at Eleven Madison Park

After a morning of shopping, surely you’ll need some sustenance. What better place to wine and dine in this city than Eleven Madison Park ? Though it fell to number four on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list this year, the temple to gastronomy is still ranked as the best restaurant in North America (and a facelift in 2017 renewed its shine). Charismatic co-owner Will Guidara is the host with the most, while Chef/owner Daniel Humm serves a sublime ten-course tasting menu that fuses classic French techniques with New York flavors and flair.

Take a Helicopter Tour

After an epic lunch, get ready to see the city from new heights—literally. Take a cab or an Uber downtown to the launch pad for Liberty Helicopter Tours . Flights range from 12 to 20 minutes and can accommodate up to five people (excluding the pilot). Don’t forget your camera—you’ll want to shoot plenty of photos as you soar above the Hudson River, pass by the Statue of Liberty, and enjoy a bird’s eye view of the city’s most famous landmarks. For the ultimate afternoon, you can even combine your helicopter tour with a harbor cruise, which takes in the skyline from the water's perspective.

RELATED: 8 Experiential Gift Ideas in NYC for the Person Who Has It All

See a Broadway Show

If you can’t get tickets to “Hamilton,” don’t fret. There are plenty of other great shows running on Broadway , and attending a play is one of the most quintessential New York things you can do. Aside from Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash-hit, the most popular shows right now are “Dear Evan Hansen,” which won six Tony Awards including Best Musical, “The Lion King,” “Frozen,” and “Aladdin”—not to mention the highly anticipated adaptation of “King Kong,” which arrived on Broadway last month. The reviews are mixed, but that might just be even more reason to see it and judge for yourself.

Images Courtesy of Le Coucou/Ditte Isager

Enjoy a Late Dinner at Le Coucou

After the show, head downtown to grab a bite at Le Coucou , which finally earned a coveted Michelin star in the guide’s newest edition. Since it opened in Soho in 2016, the chic restaurant designed by Roman and Williams has been one of New York’s hottest tables. Chef Daniel Rose puts his experience at the helm of Spring in Paris to good use here, turning out French classics like pike quenelles, dover sole, and chicken with foie gras.

RELATED: 10 Michelin-Starred Restaurants in the U.S. You Might Not Know About

Cap the Night Off at Attaboy

If you still have enough energy for a night cap, it's worth the ten-minute walk east from Le Coucou to grab a stool at Attaboy. The legendary speakeasy is a favorite among New York’s top bartenders, who often head here when their own bars close for the night. Located in the former Milk & Honey space, Attaboy was founded by two of legendary bartender Sasha Petraske’s protégés, Sam Ross and Michael McIlroy. The tiny, seating-room-only bar is barely the size of a subway car, but its bartenders have a repertoire of hundreds of cocktails. Don't worry about not finding a menu—just tell them what you like and they’ll shake up an expertly crafted drink.

RELATED: The Perfect Night Out in NYC

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Here are the best-rated Priority Pass lounges in 2024

P riority Pass has revealed its best-rated airport lounges around the world — and you're definitely going to want to tick off a few of them on future trips.

Pulled together as part of the Priority Pass Excellence Awards, this roundup features the highest-rated lounges across the Priority Pass network , their rankings decided by 379,966 member ratings and reviews.

Related: 11 credit cards that offer Priority Pass airport lounge access

Each lounge is judged on a range of criteria, including quality of facilities, customer service, food and beverage selection, and overall satisfaction, with the awards recognizing best-in-class lounges both regionally and globally.

"We have a shared ethos with our partners to deliver the best airport experience to our members and the winners of this year's Priority Pass Excellence Awards have proven that they truly elevate every customer journey into something special," said Christopher Evans, president of Collinson International.

Here's a rundown of the lounges that received the best ratings for 2024.

Global and Europe

Winner: vienna lounge, terminal 1, vienna airport (vie) in austria.

The Vienna Lounge was refurbished in 2022 and is likely the slickest Priority Pass lounge we've ever visited, so it's no surprise that it received the best ratings in Europe and globally from visitors. It features hip art nouveau stylings, a beautiful Viennese cafe and top-tier food and drinks. And that's before we even mention the airy outdoor terrace with runway views and the artwork displayed throughout the lounge, which includes various works from renowned Austrian painter Gustav Klimt.

"The Vienna Lounge is all about symbolising impressive Vienna elegance and Austrian cuisine for travellers," said Julian Jäger, joint CEO and chief operating officer of Vienna Airport, in reaction to the win. "To be named Global Lounge of The Year amongst 1,500 other lounges and travel experiences is an outstanding confirmation of the quality of our services."

Highly commended (Europe): Marco Polo Club, Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) in Italy

The Save SPA-partnered Priority Lounge, Marco Polo Club, was also highly commended and recognized for its selection of hot and cold snacks, beverages, shower facilities, and other amenities. It's a worthwhile stop-off point if you're visiting Venice soon.

The Asia-Pacific region

Winner: chase sapphire lounge by the club, terminal 1, hong kong international airport (hkg).

This stylish Chase Sapphire Lounge covers 12,000 square feet and opened in October 2022. It features separate spaces for those traveling for business and pleasure, with dedicated areas for work and relaxation. Along with self-serve food and drink options, the lounge has an impressive array of signature cocktails, curated wines and made-to-order dishes.

Highly commended: Oriental Club Lounge, Terminal 2, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)

This lounge haven in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is a perfect backdrop for travelers wanting to relax and enjoy freshly prepared (and delicious) Taiwanese delicacies during work downtime. You'll find a classy environment with grade-A service, food and drinks, and other amenities.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Winner: advantage vip lounge, curitiba afonso pena international airport (cwb) in brazil.

Priority Pass' standout offering in Brazil, the Advantage VIP Lounge, garnered great reviews for its excellent gastronomy experiences — which, along with regionally inspired menus, include delicious gluten-free options and frequent theme days that pay ode to Curitiba.

Highly commended: Macondo Lounge, Barranquilla Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport (BAQ) in Colombia

Also recognized was the Macondo Lounge in Colombia, which prides itself on its fully stocked selection of newspapers and magazines, friendly service and diverse seating areas.

The Middle East and Africa

Winner: petra lounge, amman queen alia international airport (amm) in jordan.

The Petra Lounge was ranked highly thanks to its warm and inviting front-of-house staff, great food and vast seating area decorated in modern Middle Eastern-influenced details that reference the region's rich culture.

Highly commended: Primeclass Lounge, Muscat International Airport (MCT) in Oman

The highly regarded Primeclass Lounge is not only a favorite of Priority Pass members but was also referenced in glowing terms repeatedly by members of the Priority Pass team when TPG recently asked for recommendations. The lounge features a sprawling open buffet, a gaming zone, a cinema, a spa and a kids play zone.

North America

Winner: vip lounge aguascalientes, aguascalientes international airport (agu) in mexico.

The VIP Lounge Aguascalientes topped the ratings across North America thanks to its vibrant food and drink services and comfortable, pet-friendly space.

Highly commended: Escape Lounge, South Terminal A, Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) in New York

Finally, the Escape Lounge at Syracuse Hancock International Airport also received a worthwhile nod, thanks, in part, to its highly praised seasonal menus, which are changed frequently throughout the year.

Credit cards that offer Priority Pass Select memberships

These are multiple credit cards through which you can get a Priority Pass Select membership.

These include not only premium travel cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , The Platinum Card® from American Express (enrollment required) and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — which even includes two guests — but also hotel credit cards like the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (enrollment required).

Bottom line

Priority Pass has just revealed the winners of its newly established Priority Pass Excellence Awards, which take into account ratings and reviews of lounges across its entire global network. For 2024, the standout Lounge of the Year award goes to the Vienna Lounge at Vienna Airport after it topped the global and European rankings.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a first-time or frequent traveler
• Best travel credit cards
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.