--- title: "Should You Visit Both Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building" date: 2026-10-28 canonical: https://ticketstopoftherock.com/top-of-the-rock-vs-empire-state-building/top-of-the-rock-and-empire-state-same-day/ --- **Empire state building and rockefeller center tickets** on the same trip is less a question of whether you can afford both and more a question of sequencing. Both decks sit in Midtown, a short subway or cab ride apart, which makes doing both in one visit genuinely realistic rather than a scheduling stretch. Here is what I would actually do: book Top of the Rock first, before you even lock in the Empire State Building, since Top of the Rock's sunset slots are the hardest to get on this entire site and the Empire State Building's own timed entry is a little more forgiving to slot in around it. If you have not booked either yet, [check current Top of the Rock prices](/) first, since that is the one I would secure before anything else on the itinerary. ## Is It Worth Visiting Both on the Same Trip? Yes, for most visitors with more than a day or two in New York. The two views are different enough that seeing both does not feel redundant the way visiting two similar museums might. Top of the Rock puts the Empire State Building in your photo, and the Empire State Building gives you the experience of standing on that same landmark, so each one answers a question the other cannot. My honest opinion is that this is one of the few "do both" recommendations on this site I make without much hesitation. The two decks complement each other more than they compete, and I think skipping one entirely leaves a gap in a first New York trip. ## How Much Time Should You Budget for Both? I would plan for roughly two to three hours total between the two, including travel, security and the actual time on each deck. A full visit to either observation deck typically runs 60 to 90 minutes once you count photo stops, and the walk or short subway ride between Rockefeller Center and the Empire State Building adds another 15 to 20 minutes each way. My honest advice is to not rush either one just to fit both into a single afternoon. If your trip is only a day or two long, I would rather you enjoy one deck properly than rush both and remember neither clearly. ## Which Deck Should You Visit First? I would book **Top of the Rock** first, mainly because its best time slot, sunset, sells out faster than anything else covered on this site. The Empire State Building's own timed entry tends to have a bit more flexibility across the day, which makes it easier to slot in second once your Top of the Rock reservation is locked. My honest sequencing tip is to treat the harder-to-book ticket as the anchor for your day and build everything else, including the second deck, around it rather than the other way around. ## Can You Do Both in a Single Day, or Should You Spread Them Over Your Trip? Both work, depending on how packed the rest of your day already is. A single day works well if you are not adding much else around the two decks, since the travel time between them is short enough to absorb. If your day already includes a full itinerary elsewhere in the city, I would spread the two decks across different days instead. I would lean toward spreading them out on a longer trip, mainly so you are not rushing between two of the best views in the city just to check a box on the same afternoon. My [one day Rockefeller Center itinerary](/rockefeller-center-tour/rockefeller-center-one-day-itinerary/) covers how to build a full day around Top of the Rock specifically, if that is the version of this trip you are planning. ## Does Buying Both Tickets Together Save Money? Sometimes, through a city sightseeing pass that bundles several Midtown attractions, including both decks, into one purchase. I would not assume a bundle is automatically cheaper than buying each ticket directly, since the math depends entirely on how many attractions in the bundle you will actually use. Compare the bundled price against each ticket's direct price before deciding. My honest advice is to only buy a bundle if you are confident you will use most of what is included, not just these two decks, since paying for attractions you skip erases any savings quickly. ![Simple map style graphic showing a walking route between rockefeller center and a midtown skyscraper, generic pin icons only, no prices or statistics](/images/blog/new-york-top-of-the-rock-and-empire-state-same-day-2.webp) ## What If You Can Only Pick One? If your trip genuinely only has room for one deck, I would default to **Top of the Rock**, for the same reason I lead with it across this site: it puts the Empire State Building itself in your shot, which gives you a specific, recognizable photo rather than a generic skyline. My [full head-to-head comparison](/top-of-the-rock-vs-empire-state-building/) goes through this exact tradeoff in more depth. I would only pick the Empire State Building instead if standing on a globally famous landmark, rather than photographing one, is what actually matters to you personally. Both are legitimate answers, and I would not try to talk you out of either. ## What's the Honest Downside of Doing Both? Cost adds up, since you are paying for two separate standard admissions rather than one, and the views do overlap in a general sense even though each has its own signature angle. I would be upfront that doing both is a meaningful spend for a short trip, not a minor add-on. My honest take is that the overlap matters less than people worry about going in. Each deck's signature view, the Empire State Building in frame from Top of the Rock, and the wide uninterrupted skyline from the Empire State Building itself, is distinct enough that most visitors who do both come away glad they did. ## Should You Book the Same Day of the Week or Different Days? Either works, but I would avoid stacking both decks onto a day that already includes a lot of walking elsewhere, since observation deck visits involve more standing and queuing than people expect going in. A quieter day with fewer other stops absorbs both decks more comfortably. My honest recommendation for a trip longer than three or four days is to put one deck early in your stay and the other toward the end, which also gives you a weather backup if one day turns out cloudy. ## Does the Order Matter for Photos? A little. I would do Top of the Rock at or near sunset, since that slot gives the strongest photo of the Empire State Building lit up across the park, and save the Empire State Building for a daytime or early evening slot when its own 360 degree skyline reads most clearly. Reversing the order still works, but you lose the specific golden hour composition Top of the Rock is known for. My honest opinion is that the order matters more for the quality of your photos than for the quality of the overall experience, so prioritize sunset at whichever deck gives you the shot you actually want. ## My Recommendation I would book both if your trip has room for it, starting with **Top of the Rock** since its sunset slots are the one booking bottleneck on this whole comparison. Add the Empire State Building on the same day if your schedule is light, or on a different day if it is not. If you can only manage one, Top of the Rock remains my pick for the photo it gives you of the other icon. My [citypass and combo ticket guide](/top-of-the-rock-tickets/top-of-the-rock-citypass-and-combo-tickets/) is worth a look if a bundled sightseeing pass already covers part of your trip. ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I visit Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building in the same day? Yes, both sit in Midtown a short ride apart. Plan for roughly two to three hours total, including travel and security, for both visits. ### Which deck should I book first? I would book Top of the Rock first, since its sunset slots sell out fastest. The Empire State Building's timed entry tends to be a bit more flexible to slot in afterward. ### Is it worth paying for both observation decks? Yes, for most visitors with more than a day or two in the city. Each deck gives a different signature view, so the two do not feel redundant. ### Does a city pass make visiting both cheaper? Sometimes, depending on how many other attractions in the bundle you will actually use. Compare the bundle price against buying each ticket directly before deciding. [Book Top of the Rock tickets](/top-of-the-rock-tickets/) first, then add the Empire State Building once your sunset slot is locked in.