Top of the Rock Tours and Tickets Compared
Six Top of the Rock tickets and tours sit on this page, priced from $29.40 to $326.64, split into three groups: Observation Deck Tickets, Guided Tours and VIP Experiences. I have ordered the groups by how close each one sits to simply getting onto the deck, starting with the two tickets that go straight up and ending with the VIP tour's rooftop garden and champagne toast. The guided tours in the middle vary on whether deck admission is actually included, which matters more than the headline price when you are deciding which one to book.
- Operators compared
- 11
- Bookable online
- 6
- Departure areas
- 3
- Cheapest online
- $29.4
Book online
Which Top of the Rock ticket gets you straight to the deck?
Two tickets here skip any guided walk and send you straight up. Top of the Rock Tickets: Observation Deck Admission starts at $45.73 and covers the Welcome Gallery, the orientation film and all three observation floors with free WiFi, with no extra narration included. Top of the Rock Ticket with App-Guided Tour starts at $75.99 and adds a Pintours smartphone guide that narrates Rockefeller Center and NBC Studios history as you move between floors, which stretches most visits to two or three hours instead of one. I would book the plain ticket first and only pay the difference for the app guide if the NBC Studios story specifically interests you.
★ Top pick Best value Observation Deck Tickets
Top of the Rock Tickets: Observation Deck Admission
Best value, all three floors
✓ Free cancellation available
Observation Deck Tickets
Top of the Rock Ticket with App-Guided Tour
Self-paced with narrated app guide
✓ Free cancellation available
Which guided Rockefeller Center tour fits your plan for the deck?
Three guided walks share the Rockefeller Center entrance but split on whether the observation deck comes with the ticket. Fifth Avenue Walking Tour with Top of the Rock Entry starts at $69 and always includes skip-the-line access to all three floors after a two-mile history walk down Fifth Avenue. Rockefeller Center Tour with Optional Top of the Rock starts at $39 and only adds the deck ticket if you select that option at booking. Rockefeller Center Art and Architecture Walking Tour starts at $29.40, the cheapest ticket on this page, and explicitly does not include deck admission at all. I would check which inclusion you actually need before picking by price alone.
Guided Tours
Fifth Avenue Walking Tour with Top of the Rock Entry
Fifth Avenue history plus deck entry
✓ Free cancellation available
Guided Tours
Rockefeller Center Tour with Optional Top of the Rock
Budget-friendly guided tour, deck optional
✓ Free cancellation available
Guided Tours
Rockefeller Center Art and Architecture Walking Tour
Cheapest guided option, no deck included
✓ Free cancellation available
Is the VIP Rockefeller Center tour worth its price?
VIP Rockefeller Center Tour with Top of the Rock Entry starts at $326.64 for a two-hour guided visit, several times the cost of standard admission. The price buys a secret rooftop garden closed to general visitors, priority elevator access to the same three observation floors, a private SKYLIFT ride above the top level, a private Beam Experience and a champagne toast at The Weather Room for guests 21 and over. The observation deck itself is identical to the standard ticket. I would save this one for an anniversary or a proposal rather than a routine visit, since the view alone does not justify the gap.
VIP Experiences
VIP Rockefeller Center Tour with Top of the Rock Entry
Guided VIP access with rooftop garden
✓ Free cancellation available
Check dates for the top pick
Top of the Rock Tickets: Observation Deck Admission: From $45.73 · 2 hours.
How do these 6 Top of the Rock tickets compare?
The table above lines up price, duration and category for every ticket on this page, checked on 2026-10-27. Price is the lowest published per-person fare, and duration is each operator's own run time, from 75 minutes for the shortest architecture walk to two to three hours for the self-paced app-guided ticket. Every option here is a timed, fixed-slot booking rather than a multi-day pass, so duration describes the visit itself, not a validity window. Two tickets, the architecture tour and the base Rockefeller Center walk, do not include deck admission by default, which the table flags separately from the ones that do.
| Tour or ticket | Duration | Best for | From | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top of the Rock Tickets: Observation Deck Admission Observation Deck Tickets 2 hours | 2 hours | Best value, all three floors | 45.73USD per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| Fifth Avenue Walking Tour with Top of the Rock Entry Guided Tours 2 hours | 2 hours | Fifth Avenue history plus deck entry | 69USD per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| Rockefeller Center Tour with Optional Top of the Rock Guided Tours 1.5 hours | 1.5 hours | Budget-friendly guided tour, deck optional | 39USD per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| Rockefeller Center Art and Architecture Walking Tour Guided Tours 75 minutes | 75 minutes | Cheapest guided option, no deck included | 29.4USD per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| Top of the Rock Ticket with App-Guided Tour Observation Deck Tickets 2 - 3 hours | 2 - 3 hours | Self-paced with narrated app guide | 75.99USD per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
| VIP Rockefeller Center Tour with Top of the Rock Entry VIP Experiences 2 hours | 2 hours | Guided VIP access with rooftop garden | 326.64USD per person | Check availabilityDetails → |
Prices checked: 2026-10-27 · prices may vary
Compare
Which Top of the Rock tour operators in New York can you actually book?
Eleven operators run Top of the Rock and Rockefeller Center tours across three groups: the attraction's own official tours, five small-group walking tour companies, and five hop-on hop-off bus operators, with Rockefeller Center itself leading on Google reviews at 202,769. The rule that splits them is format: the official tickets and ExperienceFirst's walking tour are the only two bookable here on GetYourGuide, while the bus and walking tour companies run their own separate bookings direct. I'd start with the official tickets for the deck itself and only add an outside operator if you want a wider city tour around it.
Click a column heading to re-sort.
| What they run | Book online | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExperienceFirst Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan | Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan | Supplies the Rockefeller Center tour with optional deck entry | 4.9 3,814 reviews | Rockefeller Center Tour with Optional Top of the Rock |
| Tours of NYC Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan | Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan | General NYC sightseeing and walking tours of Manhattan | 4.9 1,876 reviews | Direct only |
| New Yorker Tours Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan | Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan | Walking tour agency based in Ridgewood, Queens | 5.0 286 reviews | Direct only |
| Big Bus Tours New York Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators | Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators | Hop-on hop-off double-decker bus tours of Manhattan | 4.8 26,892 reviews | Direct only |
| USA Guided Tours Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators | Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators | Sightseeing and bus tours from Midtown Manhattan | 4.8 902 reviews | Direct only |
| Babylon Tours New York City Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan | Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan | Sightseeing tour agency based in Midtown East | 5.0 162 reviews | Direct only |
| Rockefeller Center Rockefeller Center's own official tours | Rockefeller Center's own official tours | Official operator of 4 Rockefeller Center tours and tickets | 4.7 202,769 reviews | Rockefeller Center Art and Architecture Walking TourTop of the Rock Ticket with App-Guided Tour |
| Urban Adventures New York City Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan | Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan | Small-group tour agency based in SoHo | 4.9 188 reviews | Direct only |
| InterviajesNY Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators | Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators | Spanish-language bus tours from Midtown Manhattan | 4.6 1,355 reviews | Direct only |
| TopView Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators | Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators | Large hop-on hop-off bus tour operator | 4.3 35,721 reviews | Direct only |
| City Sightseeing New York Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators | Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators | Sightseeing, boat and bus tour operator | 3.9 2,033 reviews | Direct only |
Google ratings and review counts as captured 28 October 2026; they change daily. They are Google's numbers, shown without stars or review markup.
What does a Top of the Rock ticket actually include, and what doesn't it?
Every option covers entry to the stops its own listing names, and nothing here bundles a second attraction outside Rockefeller Center. Standard admission and the app-guided ticket cover the Welcome Gallery, the orientation film and all three observation floors, with free WiFi. The guided walks add Fifth Avenue landmarks, Radio City Music Hall, or the Prometheus and Atlas statues, but only the Fifth Avenue tour and the VIP tour always include deck entry, while the Rockefeller Center walk makes it a selectable add-on and the architecture tour skips it entirely. Food and drink at The Weather Room, hotel pickup and gratuities are extra on every option that mentions them.
- Free cancellation available
- Secure booking
- No hidden fees: pay at GetYourGuide checkout
Which tour?
How do you choose between a ticket, a guided walk and the VIP tour?
Start from what you actually want out of the visit, not the price list. If the observation deck is the whole goal, the standard ticket gets you there for less than any guided option. If you want the story behind Fifth Avenue or Rockefeller Center on the way up, pick whichever guided walk fits your budget and confirm it includes deck entry before you book, since one of the three does not. The VIP tour only earns its price for an occasion, since the rooftop garden, SKYLIFT and champagne toast are the reason to pay more, not a better view. The app-guided ticket suits anyone who wants context without joining a scheduled group.
Cheapest way onto the deck
If getting onto the deck for the lowest price is the only goal, book Top of the Rock Tickets: Observation Deck Admission at $45.73, the cheapest option on this page that actually includes entry. The $29.40 Rockefeller Center Art and Architecture Walking Tour is cheaper but explicitly skips the deck, so it only works if the view is not the point.
Most reviewed operator
Rockefeller Center's own listing carries 202,769 Google reviews, more than any other place on this page, and it directly supplies all four of this site's official tickets and tours: the architecture walk, the standard deck ticket, the app-guided ticket and the VIP tour. I'd treat its own box office as the safest default if review volume is what you weigh most.
A guided story without the big bus crowds
ExperienceFirst runs the $39 Rockefeller Center Tour with Optional Top of the Rock, a small guided walk rather than a double-decker bus route. It's the only outside operator whose tour is bookable on GetYourGuide alongside the official tickets, so I'd pick it if you want a live guide without joining one of the large hop-on hop-off companies.
Widest sightseeing coverage beyond Rockefeller Center
TopView and Big Bus Tours New York are the two largest hop-on hop-off operators on this page, with 35,721 and 26,892 Google reviews, far more than any single walking tour company here. I'd pick one of these two if you want Rockefeller Center and Top of the Rock covered as one stop on a wider day of Manhattan sightseeing.
Best for Spanish-speaking visitors
InterviajesNY is the only operator on this page clearly run in Spanish, with 1,355 Google reviews at 4.6. I'd send Spanish-speaking travelers here first if touring in their own language matters more to them than which specific company runs the bus.
Operators
The operators, grouped by how they run their tours
Rockefeller Center's own official tours
Rockefeller Center
Official operator of 4 Rockefeller Center tours and tickets · Historical landmark
Rockefeller Center itself, not a third-party operator, runs all four of this site's core products: the $29.40 Rockefeller Center Art and Architecture Walking Tour, the $45.73 Top of the Rock Tickets, the $75.99 app-guided ticket and the $326.64 VIP tour. Its Google listing carries 202,769 reviews at 4.7, more than any other place on this page. I'd book directly through one of these four listings since no outside operator runs the deck itself.
45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111, United States
WebsiteGoogle MapsAlso bookable here: Rockefeller Center Art and Architecture Walking Tour →Also bookable here: Top of the Rock Ticket with App-Guided Tour →
Small-group walking tour companies in Manhattan
ExperienceFirst
Supplies the Rockefeller Center tour with optional deck entry · Tour operator
ExperienceFirst supplies the $39 Rockefeller Center Tour with Optional Top of the Rock, the lowest-priced guided walk on this page that still lets you add deck admission at booking. Its Google listing holds 3,814 reviews at 4.9, more reviews than any other walking tour company kept on this page. I'd pick ExperienceFirst if you want a guide on a budget and plan to decide about the deck ticket later rather than committing upfront.
WebsiteGoogle MapsAlso bookable here: Rockefeller Center Tour with Optional Top of the Rock →
Tours of NYC
General NYC sightseeing and walking tours of Manhattan · Tour operator
I'd treat it as a general Manhattan sightseeing option to pair with one of the four official Top of the Rock tickets, since its own listing centers on citywide walking tours rather than one single attraction.
119 Baxter St, New York, NY 10013, United States
New Yorker Tours
Walking tour agency based in Ridgewood, Queens · Tour agency
New Yorker Tours is based out in Ridgewood, Queens, with 286 Google reviews at a perfect 5.0, among the highest ratings of any operator on this page. Being based outside Manhattan is unusual for a company offering city walking tours, so I'd confirm the pickup or meeting point for your date before booking if a specific Midtown start matters to your schedule.
64-28 Palmetto St, Ridgewood, NY 11385, United States
Babylon Tours New York City
Sightseeing tour agency based in Midtown East · Sightseeing tour agency
Babylon Tours New York City is based at 245 E 58th St in Midtown East, with 162 Google reviews at a perfect 5.0, tied for the highest rating of any operator on this page. The review count is smaller than the bus operators here, so I'd check current availability directly before counting on this one for a specific date.
245 E 58th St #18a, New York, NY 10022, United States
Urban Adventures New York City
Small-group tour agency based in SoHo · Tour agency
Urban Adventures New York City runs out of Lafayette Street in SoHo with 188 Google reviews at 4.9, one of the higher ratings among the walking tour companies on this page. I'd consider this one if you prefer a smaller operator over the big hop-on hop-off bus brands, since its review count suggests a more boutique scale of tour.
148 Lafayette St 3rd floor, New York, NY 10013, United States
Hop-on hop-off and sightseeing bus operators
Big Bus Tours New York
Hop-on hop-off double-decker bus tours of Manhattan · Bus tour agency
I'd pick this one if you want to see Rockefeller Center and the Top of the Rock building as one stop on a wider day of hopping between several Manhattan landmarks, rather than a single ticket visit.
723 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
USA Guided Tours
Sightseeing and bus tours from Midtown Manhattan · Sightseeing tour agency
USA Guided Tours operates from 770 7th Ave in Midtown with 902 Google reviews at 4.8, a strong rating for a company this size. It's categorized as both a sightseeing and bus tour agency, so I'd look at it for a broader guided day around Midtown if you want company beyond a single Rockefeller Center stop.
770 7th Ave, New York, NY 10019, United States
InterviajesNY
Spanish-language bus tours from Midtown Manhattan · Tour operator
InterviajesNY runs Spanish-language bus tours out of W 38th St in Midtown, with 1,355 Google reviews at 4.6. It's the only operator on this page clearly aimed at Spanish-speaking visitors, so I'd send Spanish-speaking travelers here first if a guided bus tour in their own language matters more than which specific company runs it.
307 W 38th St 16th Floor, New York, NY 10018, United States
TopView
Large hop-on hop-off bus tour operator · Sightseeing tour agency
TopView is a sightseeing bus operator at 2 E 42nd St near Grand Central, carrying 35,721 Google reviews, the most of any operator on this page besides Rockefeller Center itself. Its 4.3 rating sits below most of the other operators kept here, so I'd weigh its scale and review volume against that lower average score before choosing it over a smaller, higher-rated company.
2 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017, United States
City Sightseeing New York
Sightseeing, boat and bus tour operator · Sightseeing tour agency
City Sightseeing New York operates from 455 12th Ave on the far West Side, with 2,033 Google reviews at 3.9, the lowest rating of any operator kept on this page. Its categories span bus tours, boat tours and cruises, making it the most multi-format option here, but I'd compare its rating against the smaller walking tour companies before picking it on reputation alone.
455 12th Ave, New York, NY 10018, United States
How does booking a Top of the Rock ticket work?
Every ticket and tour on this page completes on GetYourGuide, which resells these products, and this site earns a commission when you book through one of these links. You pick a date and a time slot, pay on GetYourGuide's checkout and receive a mobile ticket that scans straight from your phone. Guided tours confirm a meeting point instead of an entrance gate, so check your confirmation email for exact details before your date. Cancellation terms are shown at checkout and vary by product, and prices on this page are checked as of 2026-10-27, so the live total may differ slightly by date and group size.
FAQs
Is there a Top of the Rock tour that doesn't include deck admission?
Yes, the Rockefeller Center Art and Architecture Walking Tour starts at $29.40 and explicitly does not include admission to the observation deck or any other Rockefeller Center attraction. It is a 75-minute walking tour of the complex's statues, gardens and murals at street level. Pair it with a separate Top of the Rock ticket if the view is also on your list.
How many people join the Rockefeller Center architecture tour?
Capacity is capped at 21 guests per tour, and it runs entirely on foot with no seating available. Each guest wears a headset so the live guide's commentary stays clear over street noise, even with other groups walking the same route nearby.
Is there a kids' version of the Rockefeller Center walking tour?
Yes, the Rockefeller Center Tour Jr. runs Saturday and Sunday mornings at 10:30am and is built for children ages 6 to 12 with their chaperones. It follows the same architecture tour route at a pace suited to younger visitors.
Can I add Top of the Rock entry to the Rockefeller Center walking tour after I book?
It is safer to choose that option at booking rather than wait. The Rockefeller Center Tour with Optional Top of the Rock only includes the observation deck ticket if you select it up front, and availability for a same-day add-on is not guaranteed.
Is the Fifth Avenue walking tour wheelchair accessible?
No. The Fifth Avenue Walking Tour with Top of the Rock Entry cannot accommodate wheelchairs, strollers or baby carriages over its two-mile route. Travelers who need step-free access should book standard Top of the Rock Tickets instead, which work fine with a stroller.
Is there a holiday edition of the VIP Rockefeller Center tour?
Yes, from December 4 to January 10 the VIP Rockefeller Center Tour with Top of the Rock Entry adds a close-up view of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and an official tree photo at the same price tier as the rest of the year.
Do I need my own smartphone for the app-guided Top of the Rock ticket?
Yes. The Top of the Rock Ticket with App-Guided Tour relies on the Pintours app running on your own phone, with access emailed before your visit. Download and test it the night before, charge your phone fully, and bring headphones if you prefer not to hold it to your ear.
Is a private option available for any of these tickets?
Yes, both the Top of the Rock Ticket with App-Guided Tour and the VIP Rockefeller Center Tour offer private or small-group options. The app-guided ticket's private option suits families who do not want to share the self-paced experience with other visitors.
Everything else, live
GetYourGuide's full list for Top of the Rock, with real-time dates and free cancellation on most options.
See every option on GetYourGuide →