Visiting popular tourist attractions is alway a hit or miss for me – you never know if it’s a trap or actually worth it. But, I had seen enough fabulous Instagram posts of people visiting Top of the Rock in New York City to spend the $40 and check it out. Spoiler alert: I was impressed. We got some great content, and enjoyed the beautiful views before having breakfast in the area. So today I’ll be sharing everything you need to know for your visit (because some of it was really tricky).

Visiting Top of the Rock in New York City

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Buying Tickets

There are three main ticket options when planning your visit, you can check out the detailed information here–

CityPass – $126 and includes 6 different attractions. (This is actually the best deal if you’re planning an entire sightseeing tour)
VIP – $92.54 and includes expedited entry and priority access to the views. (I’m assuming this just means you get to cut to the front of the line when it gets busy)
Top of the Rock General Admission – $39.20. This is the ticket we opted for, and includes entry to the 3 viewing decks.

Pro Tip (1)– When we arrived we had already purchased our tickets via the Top of the Rock site. It was extremely unclear where to go. If you already have a ticket, upon entrance through the big gold doors, go straight to the elevator. If you booked using CityPass, you’ll need to wait in line to use the kiosk to exchange your ticket.

Pro Tip (2) – If you’re really into that photography/ Instagram game, I recommend booking the earliest ticket (8 AM) and trying to visit on a weekday. We had no one in our shots and it was so peaceful being able to check out the view!

Hours & Location

Hours: Daily from 8 AM to midnight, with the last elevator up at 11 PM.

Address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112

Note: There isn’t a time limit for how long you can stay, even though you have to book by time slot. That being said, if you’re planning your visit around an itinerary, I would plan to spend 45 minutes to an hour.

Getting to Top of the Rock

We asked for directions (which I always recommend for when being lost and confused). But enter through the main entrance to the Rockefeller Center, and head down the stairs to an underground plaza of sorts. Follow the signs for “Top of the Rock.” If you’ve booked the 8 am time slot (I recommend arriving at 7:50 AM) it won’t be clear where to wait. We were told to “wait in front of the gold doors,” which FYI there are many gold doors. Make sure you stand in front of the big gold doors that look imposing.

Tips for Visiting Top of The Rock

Tip 1 : Book early

We booked about 1 month in advance to get the optimal time slot. This isn’t something to leave until the last minute as things do get booked, especially if you’d like to be part of the first group of visitors at 8 AM.

Tip 2: Book the earliest time slot

This is a MUST if you’re looking to get some professional photos. If you’re not as photo-crazy, and don’t mind some crowds, this isn’t a must. But if you’re “doing it for the ‘gram” it’s 8 am or bust.

Tip 3: Go straight to the highest observatory deck.

When we booked, we had no idea that there were in fact 3 observatory decks.

Lower Deck – this is the first deck you come across after you go up the main elevator. We spent quite a bit of time there before realizing there were 2 more look out spots.
The mid and lower decks both have panes of glass in front of them, but the view is still amazing. Head to the highest deck to get the photos like what I have above. Personally I’d start there and work your way back down.