Empire State Building Ticket + NYC Guided Walking Tour
About this tour
This combines a small-group walking tour of New York with a ticket to the Empire State Building's 86th-floor observatory. A local guide walks you past more than 30 of the city's landmarks, from Wall Street and the Charging Bull up through Chinatown, Little Italy, the Flatiron, Times Square, and Rockefeller Center. When the walk wraps up, you head to the open-air deck on the 86th floor for the wraparound city view that shows up in so many films and shows.
Highlights
- 360-degree views of New York from one of the world's most famous observation decks
- The Empire State Building's Art Deco design and its long-standing spot on the skyline
- Exhibits covering the tower's construction, history, and cultural impact
- Observation decks on the 86th and 102nd floors for city panoramas
- The tower's lighting system that shifts the skyline's colors through the year
- An Art Deco tower finished in 1931 that held the title of world's tallest building for nearly 40 years
- On a clear day the view stretches across the Hudson and East rivers and into neighboring states
Places You Will Visit
Included / Excluded
- Guided walking tour
- 30+ top New York sights
- Small-group size
- Empire State Building 86th-floor ticket
Good to Know Before You Visit the Empire State Building
Your ticket covers the 86th-floor observatory, but the climb there is part of the visit. You'll come in through the restored Art Deco lobby, with its marble walls, geometric patterns, and the well-known ceiling mural of the tower itself. Past that, a set of exhibits walks you through how the skyscraper was built in the 1930s and how it has turned up in film and pop culture over the decades, with historical photos, scale models, and multimedia displays along the way.
The 86th-floor deck sits 1,050 feet (320 meters) up and is open-air, with sweeping views over Manhattan, Central Park, the Hudson River, and beyond. There's a separate, higher 102nd-floor observatory with floor-to-ceiling glass if you'd like to add it. The building is in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The simplest way in is by subway: take the B, D, F, M, N, Q, R, or W train to 34th Street - Herald Square, a short walk from the entrance, and several bus lines stop nearby too. It's typically open 365 days a year, from 09:00 to 00:00, though hours can change.
Weather in New York
Local time 7:53 PM, UTC-04:00
Available Days / Times
- Monday : 10:00
- Tuesday : 10:00
- Wednesday : 10:00
- Thursday : 10:00
- Friday : 10:00
- Saturday : 10:00
- Sunday : 10:00
Last updated: Oct 22, 2026
Important Information
- Timed online entry helps you skip the long ticket lines at one of NYC's busiest attractions
- The 86th-floor open-air deck is included; the higher 102nd-floor observatory needs a ticket upgrade
- 86th floor is open-air with classic skyline views; the 102nd is smaller with floor-to-ceiling glass from higher up
- All visitors pass through airport-style security before the elevators
- Sunset is the busiest slot; early morning or late evening are quieter, and an express pass skips the lines
- Some tickets add sunrise visits with breakfast, skip-the-line entry, or combos with other NYC attractions
- No outside food or drink
- All bags are subject to search
- Smoking is prohibited throughout the building
- Follow posted signs and instructions from security staff
- No disruptive behavior
FAQs
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