Top of the Rock Review: Why I Chose This New York Observation Deck for Sunset

Top of the Rock
A must-do stop on any New York City trip
Top of the Rock I highly recommend booking a sunset time slot

While planning my New York trip,
the thing I debated the most
was which New York observation deck to visit.

Seriously.
SUMMIT One Vanderbilt, Edge,
the Empire State Building, and One World are all incredibly famous,
but the one I kept seeing recommended the most
was Top of the Rock. And now I get why.

The reason was actually pretty simple:

from here,
you get that classic New York skyline view with the Empire State Buildingright in front of you.

Especially if you go from daytime into sunset and then into the city lights,
you get two completely different moods
in one visit,
and that instantly made me think, okay, this one is definitely worth adding.

Since it’s inside Rockefeller Center, it’s also easy to fit into your New York City itinerary
without going out of your way.

And once you pay, you can enter right away with an e-ticketand
there’s no need to exchange it for a paper ticket,
which made the whole process really convenient.

I recommend saving it to your phone gallery in advance.

The discount coupon only applies if you access it through the link.

I compared a bunch of different booking platforms
to figure out the cheapest option,

and KKday and Klook gave the best discounts
when paying for multiple people together.
Also, both allowed cancellations up to 2 days in advance.
I don’t think MyRealTrip allowed cancellations.

That said, MyRealTrip hadby far
the most reviews—over 500—so it definitely felt like a well-tested option.

If the exchange rate is favorable, I’d recommend buying through Klook.

I used it for the first time on this trip and it worked out well.

And Trip.com had an interesting pass option too:
a New York all-in-one admission pass.Basically,
it’s a New York City passthat lets you visit major attractions around New York
freely within a set period.

They say it can save you around 50% compared to booking everything separately,
so if you plan it well, it could definitely be worth it.

It includes the Big Bus Tour, the Empire State Building,
Top of the Rock, the Statue of Liberty cruise, and really
all the core highlights, so that looked like a solid option too.

Take a look

if you’re planning a DIY New York trip.

Back to Top of the Rock tickets—
sunset hours are very popular,
so it can be hard to get tickets the day of or even the day before.
I definitely recommend booking ahead.

On one side, you get that iconic view
of New York with the Empire State Building
in the skyline,

and on the other side, you can look out toward Central Park
and Manhattan’s dense forest of skyscrapers, which I also loved.

The Beam is optional.

You can also add The Beam, which has been all over social media lately.
It lets you take photos while sitting on a high steel beam.
That’s available as an add-on option when booking.
I’m scared of heights, so I passed… very quickly.

But it’s inspired by
that famous New York photo of construction workers sitting on a steel beam
while Rockefeller Center was being built in the 1930s,so
if that sounds fun to you, it could be worth trying.

There are a few requirements, though.
You need to be at least 107 cm tall,
and if you’re 132 cm or taller, you can ride without a guardian.
The weight limit is 113 kg.

Within 1 hour after entering the observation deck, go to a staff member on the 69th floor
and show your e-ticket to use it.

It’s open daily from 8:00 a.m. to midnight,
and the last entry is at 11:10 p.m.

New York has so many observation decks
that it’s honestly hard to choose just one,
so here’s my quick take:

If you want the most classic, unmistakably New York skyline,
Top of the Rock.
Check Top of the Rock e-ticket details

If you want to see all the major New York attractions
on your own for less during a free-and-easy trip,

go for a New York City attraction pass package.

Discount coupons and links summary

The discount coupon only applies if you access it through the link.

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In the end,
this is where I got my favorite New York travel photos.
Next up: comparing DUMBO snap shoot prices and iPhone photo sessions