New York 4-Day In-Depth Itinerary
New York · 4 days · 23 places
Day 1 · From Grand Central to Times Square Midtown
- 1. Grand Central Terminal Wikipedia
Best time: Any time · Admission: Free — See the constellation ceiling and the clock in the Main Concourse / Try the Whispering Gallery outside the Oyster Bar - 2. New York Public Library
Best time: Morning · Admission: Free — The Rose Main Reading Room is the highlight — keep quiet / Free guided tours are offered - 3. Bryant Park
Bryant Park is a 9.6-acre (3.9 ha), privately managed public park in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Wikipedia
Best time: Lunch or winter evenings · Admission: Free — Free ice rink and holiday market in winter / Right behind the library - 4. St. Patrick's Cathedral
Best time: Morning · Admission: Free — A Gothic cathedral on Fifth Avenue / Be quiet during Mass - 5. Rockefeller Center
Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acres (8.9 ha) between 48th Street and 51st Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Wikipedia
Best time: Evening (tree season) · Admission: Free (deck and rink paid) — The giant Christmas tree stands late November to early January / Top of the Rock is in the same complex - 6. Top of the Rock
Best time: Sunset · Admission: Paid · timed tickets — Views of both the Empire State Building and Central Park / Sunset slots cost more and sell out early - 7. Times Square
Times Square is one of the world's busiest pedestrian intersections, tourist destinations, and entertainment hubs. Wikipedia
Best time: Night · Admission: Free — Costumed characters expect tips for photos / The TKTS booth sells same-day discount show tickets
Day 2 · From the Statue of Liberty to the Brooklyn Bridge Lower Manhattan & DUMBO
- 1. Statue of Liberty Wikipedia
Best time: First morning boat · Admission: Ferry paid (pedestal/crown reserved separately) — Only the official Statue City Cruises tickets land on the island — avoid street sellers / Crown tickets can sell out months ahead - 2. Charging Bull Wikipedia
Best time: Early morning · Admission: Free — Long photo lines by day — go early / Walk on to Wall Street and the Stock Exchange - 3. 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Best time: Morning · Admission: Memorial free · museum paid — Victims' names line the two memorial pools — visit respectfully / Timed museum tickets save waiting - 4. One World Observatory
Best time: Sunset · Admission: Paid — The observatory atop New York's tallest building / The elevator ride has its own time-lapse show - 5. Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is a cable-stayed suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Wikipedia
Best time: Sunrise or sunset · Admission: Free — Walk from Brooklyn toward Manhattan to face the skyline / Stay out of the bike lane - 6. DUMBO (Washington Street)
Best time: Early morning · Admission: Free — The famous shot of the Manhattan Bridge framed by buildings / Crowded with photographers on weekends
Day 3 · Museum Mile and Central Park Upper East & West Side
- 1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, colloquially referred to as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum in New York City. Wikipedia
Best time: At opening, or Friday/Saturday evening · Admission: Paid (pay-what-you-wish for NY State residents only) — Closed one weekday — check first / The Temple of Dendur is a favourite; the roof garden is seasonal - 2. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
The Solomon R. Wikipedia
Best time: Afternoon · Admission: Paid — The spiral ramp building is itself the masterpiece / Closed some days — check first - 3. Central Park
Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. Wikipedia
Best time: Morning or afternoon · Admission: Free — Bow Bridge, Bethesda Fountain and Strawberry Fields are the classics / Rent a bike for a loop - 4. American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Wikipedia
Best time: At opening · Admission: Paid — The dinosaur halls and blue whale model are favourites / On Central Park West — pair with a park walk
Day 4 · From MoMA to the High Line and the Empire State at night Midtown, Chelsea & Greenwich Village
- 1. The Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. Wikipedia
Best time: Morning or a late-opening evening · Admission: Paid · book online — Van Gogh's Starry Night (5th floor) draws the biggest crowd / Take a break in the sculpture garden - 2. Vessel
Best time: Afternoon · Admission: Free to view · climbing paid (timed) — A honeycomb of stairs — climbing needs a timed ticket / At Hudson Yards, the north end of the High Line - 3. The High Line
Best time: Sunset · Admission: Free — An elevated rail line turned park, running up to Hudson Yards / Few water fountains and restrooms - 4. Chelsea Market
Chelsea Market is a food hall, shopping mall, office building and television production facility located in the Chelsea neighborhood of the borough of Manhattan, in New York City. Wikipedia
Best time: Lunch · Admission: Free to browse — A food hall in a former biscuit factory / Connects directly to the High Line - 5. Washington Square Park
Washington Square Park is a 9.75-acre (3.95 ha) public park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. Wikipedia
Best time: Afternoon · Admission: Free — Arch, fountain and plenty of street performers / A starting point for Greenwich Village - 6. Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story, supertall skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States. Wikipedia
Best time: Sunset or late night · Admission: Paid · book online — The 86th floor is an open-air deck — windy / Open late, when lines are shorter
Sources
These courses are compiled from public sources. Hours, prices, and closing days can change — check official info before you go.