Our guide Makayla was fantastic! So informative and interesting. Highly recommend if you want to learn more about the NYC skyline and surrounding areas and if you love history!
About Activity
What's Included
Includes
- $15 to Shop, Drink or Eat
- Tour through all three Observatory levels (floors 100 - 102)
- Tour led by a Certified Tour Guide
- Guided Entry to the Observatory
- Skip all the Lines
- 1 customized lanyard and 1 commemorative gift
Excludes
Itinerary
The Mastercard VIP Tour extends beyond exclusive access. Enjoy an 60-90-minute informative tour led by a certified guide, providing you with in-depth knowledge and insights into the Observatory's wonders. This comprehensive experience grants you full access to the Observatory, allowing you to explore and immerse yourself in its awe-inspiring ambiance.
Language Offered
Additional Info
Cancellation Policy
Reviews
Michaela was an amazing tour guide for us today. The VIP tour was so worth the money. Just the 4 of us and Michaela was so engaging and informative. We all had an amazing time. In addition we each got a 15 dollar voucher each to spend in the coffee shop or gift shop. I learned so much about the history of NY- can't recommend it more highly- a must do in NY and this from someone who has been up the Empire State and Top of the Rock!
We opted for a guided tour with fixed timed entry and we thoroughly the whole experience. Our guide was Kyle and there were only 4 of us in the group, which was great for us. We were given head sets to wear and it meant that we could hear our guide over the noise of groups or families and also when Kyle stood back for us to get the best views, we could be looking at what he was talking about without having to turn to listen to him. They worked really well and Kyle was an excellent guide. He knew his subject and was clearly enthusiastic about his subject. He made sure we were in the right place for the best views and encouraged us to ask questions, even though his commentary was so comprehensive, we didn’t really need to ask anything. The views were wonderful on the day – it was clear and sunny and three floors offered different aspects all around. Once we parted company from Kyle, we still had priority lift access and there were other presentations available that you could just sit and watch. The Skyline Concierges were friendly, approachable and also very knowledgeable and once we had finished looking at the skyline, we went to the shop, where we had $15 each to spend, as part of our ticket price. The shop was not huge but had an excellent range on offer and was reasonably priced – even more so, when we had our complimentary $15. We really came away from the experience, feeling we had seen and heard so much and would recommend both the OWO and the VIP Tour. It was an excellent visit.
This tour was exceptional, and our Tour Guide, Micaela, knew everything about the city and made a world of difference. Visiting the observatory of the World Trade Center was phenomenal, and the views are breathtaking, but having a tour guide provide the history of what we were looking at was worth every penny. Without all the background information, we would have just looked at beautiful scenery. This was an exceptional tour and I highly recommend it.
5 of us had tickets for a private tour of the Freedom Tower on a Sunday in March. We arrived on the subway at the Oculus Mall. Upon walking outside, we were amazed at the sheer size of the Freedom Tower. We proceeded to the guest services desk to check in for our tour. As it happened, only the 5 of us were on the tour. Our tour guide whisked us off to the elevator while giving us info and facts about the tower. Three levators were very fast. Once we arrived at the top, we were ushered in to watch a quick 1-2 minute movie. I won’t ruin if for others. As soon as the movie ended, we moved over to another room to see the magnificent views. At each stop, our tour guide pointed out landmarks and gave us historical facts. It was very interesting!!! In all we spent about 2 hours in the tower and had a great time!!!
Excellent tour. Our guide Ben was super informative and provided so much historical information about NYC that made the VIP experience well worth it.
We had an amazing experience with our very knowledgeable and fantastic guide. She was articulate and explained the history, pre construction, during and the future for the site. The experience in the lift with the displays was great up and down and the interactive displays throughout were great and interesting. The $15 voucher each was good and used in the cafe and shop for souvenirs. The view from the 102nd floor was incredible, we had a clear day and this really added value to our trip up. The points of interest were explained to us and we were able to see all of the skyscrapers, UN, NJ and the surrounding boroughs and bridges easily. We had the tour for approximately an hour and then left to continue at our leisure at the top. The memorial section on the ground was also very special and well managed and security was present. The only confusion we had was that the 9/11 museum was not included in the observatory ticket. This is a must do activity in NYC.
Ben R had so much info, and gave me the info I needed and info I didn't know I needed. I was the only one on this time slotted tour and had his completed attention. He was patient with and listened when I spoke.
My experience on the tour was perfect — a super friendly person and a true gentleman who knew all the areas very well and made a great effort to explain in detail all the views of the building, its surroundings, and the ongoing projects. I recommend him without a second’s hesitation.
The fully guided VIP Tour is a semi-private tour that provides a wealth of information about the former towers, memorial, the construction of post-911 buildings, and plans for future buildings. We learned so many details about the planning, architecture, construction and emotional elements. Luckily, we had a gorgeous clear day with expansive views. The aerial architectural tour at the top was a great overview of notable locations around the city and surrounding areas. Our guide was local and shared his decades of knowledge and experience. Highly recommend it!
Wow, wow, wow! What an amazing experience! Had tour guide Emma all to myself for well over an hour today and she was simply incredible! Her warmth, friendliness and knowledge of all things New York was absolutely second to none. Engaging, charming and easy to converse with - no question was too dumb and I had the best time at the top of the observatory. I learned so much about the creation, history and expansion of New York (who knew that bridge caissons could be so interesting?) that I can go home happy in the knowledge that I know more than I did 4 days ago. Would throughly recommend a visit to the One World Observatory, even if you don’t manage to get Emma to give you the low-down
Fantastic guided tour. Our tour guide Michael was excellent! He gave us so many facts and historical info not only about the Observatory, but the buildings around it. We recommend this tour in order to get the complete info of the place.
I would say it's good to scratch off your bucket list, but that's about it. The best thing is the view of course and that's about it. I did the guided tour and my tour guide was great, but you really don't need the tour. The cafe has ridiculous price. They gave me a $15 voucher as part of my tour and it still wasn't enough to cover the $9 fruit salad and $6.50 water. That's criminal and when I went to go sit down and eat my $9 fruit salad there are no chairs in the cafe. Just insane.
The location where to meet is inside 117 West Street. You have to go down the escalator inside the building. When you're at the bottom, let the ticket agents know you're with a Viator Tour. It isn't very clear, adding extra stress when it shouldn't be. Ben was our tour guide. Super energetic and knowledgeable - highly recommend for kids 12 and up. It will keep their attention and is the right amount of time after you've had a chance to take in the site at your own pace, enjoy the cafe while overlooking NYC and the five boroughs—a lovely way to spend the morning or afternoon.
I had the VIP tour and I can’t speak highly enough of it. Our guide, Michaela, was excellent…friendly, informative and nothing was too much. Would definitely recommend the experience.
Great personal guided tour with Phillip. Once thru security, the tour began with information. Proceeded straight into an elevator with amazing graphics! Stepping into the observation room, Phillip guided us around the full view while pointing out landmarks and providing us with intriguing history about NYC. Highly recommend the VIP tour.
Amazing place to visit while you are in New York City. It’s a beautiful memorial as well. The tour was great and there is a lot of history here too
We opted for the VIP tour of the Observatory and it was well worth the money. You're whisked up to the 102nd floor in a private elevator. There were only 8 in our group which made for a much better experience. The Tour guide had certainly done his homework and was full of extremely interesting information about the tower and all of the surrounding area. We were lucky weatherwise with sunshine and clear blue skies. You could see forever which was just fantastic. This is certainly an experience to be missed when visiting New York.
Travelling to the observatory of the One World Observatory was terrific. My tour guide met us at the reception desk, and I was made to feel welcome from the outset. After going through the security desk, the tour begins. It starts with a history of the city and skyscrapers generally before we enter the magic lift, which takes us from ground zero to the 102nd floor. Amazing! Now, the rest of the tour was excellent. I was taken around the observation deck with the guide, and she pointed out all the exciting sights across the skyline. It was brilliant, and she was so friendly. Afterwards, I got the opportunity to take some photos of my own. If you're visiting NYC, the One World Observatory is a must. It's the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and it's undoubtedly one of the greatest, with the most spectacular views.
Absolutely amazing experience with our guide Chris. Was beyond my expectations and the great thing about it was that the journey took you through the building and surroundings of NY rather than a detailed conversation focussing on 911. Perfectly balanced and very informative.
Absolutely first class. We were invited on this tour and it didn’t disappoint. Philip was our guide and his passion for his work, on top of his knowledge of the building, the trade centre’s sad past and landmarks around NYC were brilliant. The journey through time on the lift is fantastic. I’d recommend the tour to anyone visiting the observatory.
We booked the Mastercard tour and it was well worth it. Made it a much better experience having a guide explain the sights. The view is spectacular. Christopher was a great guide. Very enthusiastic. I will never forget the moment the curtains lifted.
The tour itself was a great experience. Our tour guide, Phillip, was very passionate and knowledgeable. He gave us so much history and insight in a relatively short period of time ---- very well-done. Truly learned new things about NYC and its development! The great part about this tour is that you skip the lines and are in a small group. You are also able to stay in the observatory for as long as you like after the tour is over. The vouchers are nice to have as well -- I'm sure most people will easily find something in the gift shop they would like and/or use it on food/drink. My only criticism though is the "commemorative gift," which was embarrassingly nothing more than a cheap thin credit card holder. It's ridiculous that they advertise this as such. In any case, overall this was worth it and a great experience in terms of getting a great, efficient tour out of it!
I really enjoyed my visit to One World Observatory. I booked the MasterCard VIP tour, which included a free gift (sadly a bit poor - but that's a MasterCard problem!) and a guided tour in a small group. Our tour guide Greg was very good. He engaged with the group, explained operational procedures well and had a good sense of humour. Throughout the tour, he spoke passionately when showing us points of interest and he told some wonderful stories about particular buildings / areas which I did not know before. I used my $15 credit easily in the gift shop where the staff member was efficient, polite and helpful. In fact, every staff member I spoke to or observed were incredibly polite. The views were incredible (even on a cloudy day) and I liked that once the guided tour was completed, you were free to stay as long as you wanted to wander between the floors and see the view from as many angles as you wish. It is a place which is suitable for people of all ages and interests. It's an absolute must see!
Monday through Friday 9 am to 7 pm EST
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