New York City

New York | United States

New York City

Welcome to the busiest city in the United States. New York is the epicenter for culture, architecture, fashion, and dining – there’s plenty to experience for everyone. Remember, the city never sleeps so get ready for some days chock-full of exploring all it has to offer.

Length: 3 – 7 days; you’ll hit the biggest sites in the first 3 days, with but with additional days you can enjoy more of what the city has to offer. Consider pairing this trip with 3 Days in the Hudson River Valley.

Transportation: Walking/ Metro – This is a walking heavy trip, though we recommend you get a metro card first thing on landing from the airport or coming in by train – you’ll be using it. NYC’s metro is the best way to get around. You can also use taxis/lyfts/ubers for more difficult locations/connections.

Best Guide Book:

Best Walking Tour Groups:

Day 1 – Upper East Side

Day 2 – Midtown

Day 3 – Lower Manhattan

Day 4 – Artistic New York

Day 5 – Museum Day

Day 6 – Brooklyn

With more time:

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 – Upper East Side

Welcome to the Big Apple! With the next 3 days you’ll hit the most famous parts of NYC and with an additional 3 you’ll get to enjoy even more of what the city has to offer. The first 3 days are interchangeable as to which order you do them in (ie probably don’t do Central Park if it’s raining). The next 3 days are also interchangeable and you should pick the one that correlates most to your interest. We recommend pairing this itinerary with 3 Days in the Hudson River Valley.

If you’re coming from the airport you’re most likely flying into JFK, LaGuardia, or Newark. From LaGuardia, take a bus to the subway. JFK take the air train to LIRR. From Newark it’s most likely easiest to take a bus to the Port Authority or train. Depending on if its rush hour these may or may not be longer than grabbing a cab, but they’re certainly cheaper.

For lodging we recommend: The Library Hotel, The Lexington, Bryant Park Hotel, or Park Terrace Hotel. New York is expensive and that’s just something you have to accept. We recommend you try and stay somewhere in midtown for the easiest access to everything. Bryant Park is a nice area in which to stay, but we’ve also had luck around Penn Station. Of note, NYC is cracking down on AirBnbs so there is a potential risk associated with that choice. If you’re looking for something cheaper you can consider the Moxie, but we have to give it mixed reviews after our stay.

For your first day we recommend you begin with Central Park and the Upper East Side. Get yourself to 59th Street and Columbus Circle as your starting point. With over 800 acres of green, it’s one of the prettiest city parks in the world. Walk north through the park. Highlights include the famous Strawberry Fields, Loeb Boathouse, Bethesda Fountain, and Shakespeare Garden. If walking isn’t your thing, consider a Central Park Bike Tour instead (though then you’ll have to either walk or cab up to the Met afterwards). With additional time or inclination you can rent a row boat or visit the Central Park Zoo. Finish your meander along the reservoir as you head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Eight world-class museums are along 5th Avenue’s Museum Mile (and throughout your week we recommending giving a few a shot), but today we’ll focus on the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim. Start with the Met.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art can be overwhelmingly large. When you arrive, grab a map and decide where your personal interests lay. We recommend: Egyptian antiquities (some of the best in the world), impressionism, and knights and amour. Don’t forget to check out what the current rotating exhibit is – they’re usually great.

From the Met walk slightly further north to the nearby The Guggenheim. The Guggenheim has some of the greatest modern art pieces in the world and is housed in an incredibly cool architectural marvel of a building built by Frank Lloyd Wright.

After the Guggenheim, enjoy wandering back down 5th Avenue, marveling at the Upper East Side brownstones – imagine if you lived in one of those mansions! When you hit 59th Street, we recommend you continue wandering down 5th Avenue, enjoying the city’s most expensive shops and boutiques on 5th (don’t miss Tiffany’s, this locale made famous by Breakfast at Tiffany’s) and note St. Patrick’s Cathedral right in the middle of the hubbub before heading to dinner.

For dinner, we recommend picking one of our recommendations from NYC Restaurants Recs.

Day 2 – Midtown

Midtown is busy and crowded, but you can’t really miss it on a tour of New York. Start your day on the East Side, grabbing coffee and breakfast at the very pretty Bryant Park. Bryant park offers plenty of coffee kiosks, chess games, film screenings in the summer and ice skating and holiday markets in the winter all under the canopy of lovely trees (it’s come a far way from being known as “Needle Park” in the 1970s). Notice Le Carrousel which offers rides for kids. Grab a coffee and some breakfast at Joe Coffee Company kiosk or at Le Pain Quotidien or head a few blocks away to Moonstruck Diner. If you have additional time before your Library tour we recommend strolling up to Rockefeller Square or checking out the beautiful interior of Grand Central Terminal.

The Beux Arts New York City Public Library sits on one edge of the park and is well worth the hour long free tour led by a docent. Grab the 11am tour and enjoy seeing the amazing interior and learning all about its history.

After your tour of the library it’s probably time for lunch. Head back out to Bryant Park if you’re hungry and grab a bite at the Bryant Park Grill or Cafe (try and grab a seat outside if you can).

Next, make your way to the Empire State Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. There is an outside observatory deck at the top and you can marvel at the New York City skyline. Unbelievably touristy? Yes. A one time you-should-do-it? Probably. Enjoy your photo ops and the panoramic views.

After the Empire State Building head to NYC’s MOMA housing some of the best modern art in the world, including Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

Next head to 42nd street and Times Square. Feel momentarily blinded by the large digital billboards and overwhelmed by the sheer number of people. It’s an overwhelming but must-do NYC experience. Take some photos before heading to the Hell’s Kitchen district for dinner at Briciola (or another spot in Hell’s Kitchen) before your show.

You can’t visit NYC without going to a Broadway Show. There are limitless options, visit here for the extensive list. Tickets can be pricey and you can opt to wait in line for same-day discounts, but the lines can be lengthy and there’s no guarantee you’ll get your top pick. If you don’t feel like fully splurging, there are some great options off Broadway as well as comedy clubs, jazz clubs (like Birdland or one of these many options), and music venues.

Day 3 – Lower Manhattan

Start today with a boat ride and tour of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Pick up the boat run by Statue Cruises at Battery Park. The boat will take you first to Ellis Island which was the initial port of entry for all immigrants to the United States and allow you to explore the museum. Next you’ll hop back on the boat and head to the Statue of Liberty where you can choose with your ticket how close/far up the statue you want to go. You will then return back to Battery Park. Allow about 1/2 a day for this venture.

If you’re ambitious we recommend you hitting up both the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and then the Tenement Museum (in our experience each takes about 1 hour). However if that’s too much for your afternoon, pick one or the other.

If you’re ready for lunch try Inatteso Pizzabar, Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, or Blue Ribbon Sushi Bar (all generally nearby Battery Park or the 9/11 Memorial).

Walk up to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum (10 minute walk). A tragic period in United States history, the events of 9/11 changed the country forever and the memorial and museum on the site of the old Twin Towers detail the events and tragedy surrounding the terrorist attacks. It’s a powerful and moving site. Start by touring the outdoor pavilion and the pools which are in the exact site of the former Twin Towers, then head to the indoor museum. You can then get a really great view over Manhattan from the observatory deck of One World Trade Center.

Grab a drink at Ward III or Anotherroom as you head back up Manhattan and towards the Tenement Museum. Both of these bars are more or less on your way. The Tenement Museum is in total 1.8 miles away and you can get there by walking, subway, or cab.

The Tenement Museum, located in the Lower East Side, leads a number of very interesting tours through preserved 19th century tenements where you can experience life as the immigrants to New York did around the turn of the century.

For dinner consider staying in the Lower East Side, Little Italy or heading to the nearby East Village. Look at our list of restaurant recommendations to find something convenient, but a great option is The Ten Bells (right around the corner).

Day 4 – Artistic New York

If today is a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday we actually recommend a slight change to the below-mentioned itinerary. In that case, we would recommend starting with the High Line (begin in the Meatpaking District) and walk down to 34th and Chelsea Market. Then head over to Greenwich Village and catch the 2pm Literary Pub Crawl where you’ll learn about the history of the village. Finish with dinner in Greenwich Village at Minetta Tavern, Blue Hill, or Loring Place. However if it is NOT Fri-Sun, we recommend proceeding as below.

Start today in Greenwich Village. In the 1960s Greenwich Village was a haven for beatniks, musicians, and starving artists. The Village developed its own personality and culture which continues to this day. Begin by visiting Washington Square Park and grab breakfast at Loring Place.

Take a walking tour of Greenwich Village. We recommend going with a guide for a more entertaining experience, however there are some self-led tours available as well including this one and this one or pick your type of self-led tour here. The Village Alliance offers free tours each Saturday from June through September, schedule here.

After you finish with Greenwich Village, head towards Chelsea which is NYC’s hot spot for galleries. Spend some time gallery hopping before heading to Chelsea Market for lunch. Fun to explore even without eating, this market hall houses a great variety of foods and goods and is very enjoyable to wander.

From Chelsea Market walk out onto the High Line. It’s great to take a tour of the High Line as well to get additional history of the city, but even if you don’t opt for a tour, the walk is lovely, running 20 blocks up to 34th street. Free tours are led by docents on Tuesdays at 5:30pm between September and October, 6:30 pm between April and August, and Saturdays at 10 am from April to October. Or the High Line and Chelsea Market is a great options of a tour during the day. Get off in Hudson Yards.

Grab a pre-dinner drinks at Porchlight, Gallow Green, or The Frying Pan.

For dinner consider a spot in Hell’s Kitchen from our NYC Restaurants Recs.

Tonight is a great night for a second evening show which you can head to after dinner.

Day 5 – Museum Day

Today start by heading to Upper Manhattan and Fort Tyron Park to the Metropolitan Museum’s Cloisters. This branch of the Met houses medieval European history and art and is located in French cloisters. Don’t miss their lovely herb garden and enjoy lunch at their cafe. After you finish take some time to enjoy the park which has lovely paths and beautiful views of the Hudson River and the Palisades.

From the cloisters pick your next museum. NYC is full of amazing museums and there isn’t time to see them all so this decision is dependent on your interests. Our particular favorites include the MOMA, American Museum of Natural History, The Frick Collection, Neue Galerie, and Met Breuer.

Enjoy your afternoon at your museum of choice. If your museum is near the park, here’s another opportunity to stroll through before dinner.

For dinner, pick one of our recommendations on the NYC Restaurants Recs page.

Day 6 – Brooklyn

Brooklyn is a great area adjacent to Manhattan and with enough time in NYC, shouldn’t be missed. Start by taking the train to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in Prospect Park. Enjoy the numerous and varied gardens which are lovely all times of year.

Next head to the DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) neighborhood with cute shops and good restaurants. If you enjoy art, not only will you love the stunning street art adorning buildings, but you can pop over to the A.I.R. Gallery, the first all-female art cooperative gallery in the US. If it’s a Sunday, consider a stop at Brooklyn Flea for vintage finds and crafts from local artisans. Consider lunch at The River Café. If it’s a beautiful day you may want to explore Brooklyn Bridge Park (spreading out directly below the Brooklyn Bridge on either side) before heading back across the bridge. And on that note, head to Jacques Torres Chocolate DUMBO to grab a hot chocolate or ice cream for the walk back.

Once you’ve had your fill, walk back across the Brooklyn Bridge which will offer incredible views of Lower Manhattan. It’s a fun walk and very easy.

From Lower Manhattan continue walking up to Chinatown. One of the largest Chinatown’s in the world, NYC’s Chinatown has a long history and continues to be filled with bakeries, restaurants, stores selling unusual ingredients, herbal pharmacies, and temples. Stop by Aji Ichiban which is a confectionery shop selling a large assortment of spices, fruits, nuts, fish, and unusual but tempting candy.

If you’re in the mood for a drink, stop at Apothéke, a bar that looks like a chemistry lab serving 250 cocktails called “prescriptions”. It’s an odd place but a fun stop.

Jing Fong is probably New York City’s best dim sum and traditional Cantonese restaurant. While you’re probably still full from lunch, head to Mei Li Wah Bakery to grab just one of their famous roast pork buns.

Unfortunately all good trips must come to an end. Catch your flight out tonight or tomorrow morning, or consider extending your trip by pairing it with 3 Days in the Hudson River Valley.

You might also be interested in