NewYork
3
Day Itinerary •
USA
Three days in New York City gives you the essential experience of the most extraordinary city on earth, from the iconic skyline views of Manhattan and the extraordinary Central Park to the world's finest museums, the legendary Brooklyn Bridge and the most extraordinary food scene in the United States. This route covers the heart of New York City. The extraordinary Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim on Museum Mile, the High Line elevated park above the Meatpacking District, the extraordinary Brooklyn Bridge walk and DUMBO neighborhood, the finest pizza in America and the most extraordinary skyline view from One World Observatory.
Best Time To Visit
April to June or September to November
Getting There
Fly into JFK, LaGuardia (LGA) or Newark (EWR)
Getting Around
Subway is fastest. Walk wherever possible.
Budget Per Day
Approx $150 to $280 per person per day
Difficulity
Easy, all walking and transit
DAY 1
MIDTOWN AND CENTRAL PARK
MORNING
CENTRAL PARK, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY URBAN PARK IN THE WORLD
Central Park is the most extraordinary urban park in the world, its extraordinary 843 acres of designed landscape by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in the heart of Manhattan giving a wilderness of lakes, meadows, bridges and woodland entirely surrounded by the most extraordinary skyline on earth. The Bethesda Fountain, the Conservatory Garden, the extraordinary Belvedere Castle and the Lake with its gondolas are all unmissable. Free. Transit: 15 min walk
MIDDAY
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, THE FINEST MUSEUM IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Fifth Avenue is the most extraordinary art museum in the Western Hemisphere, its extraordinary collection of over 1.5 million objects spanning 5,000 years of human civilization across 17 curatorial departments. The Egyptian Wing with the Temple of Dendur, the extraordinary European Paintings galleries with Vermeer, Rembrandt and Caravaggio, and the rooftop sculpture garden with extraordinary Central Park views are all unmissable. Entry approx $30. Transit: 10 min walk
AFTERNOON
EMPIRE STATE BUILDING AND MIDTOWN AT SUNSET
The Empire State Building is the most extraordinary Art Deco skyscraper in the world, its extraordinary 102-story tower completed in 1931 and still the most recognizable building in the New York City skyline. The 86th-floor observation deck at sunset gives the most extraordinary panoramic view of Manhattan, from the Hudson River to the East River and from the Bronx to Staten Island. Book tickets online in advance. Entry approx $44.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Conservatory Garden in the northeast corner of Central Park at 105th Street and Fifth Avenue is the finest hidden garden in New York City, its extraordinary formal Italian, French and English gardens entirely unknown to visitors who walk only the park's main paths. The wisteria pergola in May is extraordinary. Free. Open dawn to dusk. The most extraordinary hidden gem in Central Park.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Barney Greengrass, Upper West Side The finest bagels and smoked salmon in New York. Extraordinary lox, whitefish and strong coffee since 1908. | Lunch: Xi'an Famous Foods, Midtown The finest hand-ripped noodles in New York. Extraordinary spicy cumin lamb noodles. Multiple locations. | Dinner: Le Bernardin, Midtown The most extraordinary seafood restaurant in New York. Three Michelin stars. Book months ahead.
DAY 2
LOWER MANHATTAN AND BROOKLYN
MORNING
BROOKLYN BRIDGE WALK, THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY BRIDGE IN AMERICA
The Brooklyn Bridge is the most extraordinary suspension bridge in America, its extraordinary Gothic granite towers and steel cable web completed in 1883 in a feat of engineering that defined New York. The pedestrian walkway above the traffic lanes gives the most extraordinary view of Lower Manhattan and the East River from the center of the bridge. The walk from Manhattan to Brooklyn takes 30 minutes and is the finest free experience in New York City. Free. Transit: Subway A/C/2/3
MIDDAY
DUMBO AND THE BROOKLYN WATERFRONT
DUMBO, Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, is the most extraordinary neighborhood in Brooklyn, its extraordinary cobblestone streets of converted 19th-century warehouse buildings framing the most photographed view of the Manhattan Bridge in New York. The Jane's Carousel on the waterfront gives the most extraordinary close-up view of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan skyline. The extraordinary Time Out Market Brooklyn has the finest food hall in the borough. Free to explore. Transit: 10 min walk
AFTERNOON
HIGH LINE AND THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT
The High Line is the most extraordinary urban park in America, its extraordinary 1.45-mile elevated railway converted into a linear garden above the streets of West Chelsea with extraordinary views of Hudson Yards, the Hudson River and the New York skyline. The Meatpacking District below with its extraordinary Gansevoort Market and the Whitney Museum of American Art is the finest arts and dining neighborhood in Manhattan. High Line free, Whitney approx $25.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Jane's Carousel on the Brooklyn waterfront, a restored 1922 carousel in a glass pavilion designed by Jean Nouvel, gives the most extraordinary close-up view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline from the water's edge. Entry $3. Open Wednesday to Sunday. The most extraordinary three-dollar experience in New York City.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Balthazar Bakery, SoHo The finest French bakery in New York. Extraordinary croissants, pain au chocolat and strong coffee. | Lunch: Juliana's, Brooklyn The most celebrated thin-crust pizza in New York. Extraordinary coal-fired pie under the Brooklyn Bridge. | Dinner: The River Cafe, Brooklyn The most extraordinary waterfront dining in New York. Extraordinary Manhattan skyline views and local cuisine.
DAY 3
BROOKLYN AND LOWER MANHATTAN
MORNING
WILLIAMSBURG AND SMORGASBURG FOOD MARKET
Williamsburg is the most extraordinary neighborhood in Brooklyn, its extraordinary Bedford Avenue of independent boutiques, coffee roasters and galleries giving the finest example of the creative economy that has defined Brooklyn for two decades. The Smorgasburg food market on the Williamsburg waterfront every Saturday is the most extraordinary outdoor food market in America, its 80-plus vendors of extraordinary artisan food from ramen to lobster rolls overlooking the East River and the Manhattan skyline. Free entry. Transit: Subway L train
MIDDAY
ONE WORLD OBSERVATORY, THE HIGHEST VIEW IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE
One World Observatory at the top of One World Trade Center gives the most extraordinary panoramic view in the Western Hemisphere, its extraordinary 100th-floor observation deck at 1,250 feet giving a 360-degree view over New York City, New Jersey, Long Island and on clear days Connecticut. The Sky Portal immersive floor experience and the extraordinary story of the building's construction after September 11 are unmissable. Entry approx $44. Transit: Subway A/C/E/2/3
AFTERNOON
9/11 MEMORIAL AND THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT
9/11 MEMORIAL AND THE FINANCIAL DISTRICT 1.5 hours The National September 11 Memorial and Museum is the most important memorial in New York City, its extraordinary twin reflecting pools in the footprints of the original towers creating a space of extraordinary solemnity and beauty at the heart of downtown Manhattan. The names of all 2,977 victims inscribed in bronze around the pools are extraordinary in their emotional impact. The Financial District's Wall Street, Trinity Church and the Charging Bull are all within walking distance. Memorial free, museum approx $33.
💎 HIDDEN GEM
The extraordinary Staten Island Ferry gives the most extraordinary free experience in New York, its 25-minute crossing of New York Harbor giving face-on views of the Statue of Liberty, the extraordinary Manhattan skyline receding and the New York Bay in a journey entirely free of charge. Runs 24 hours a day. The most extraordinary free ride in America.
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Breakfast: Devocion, Williamsburg The most extraordinary coffee roaster in New York. Extraordinary Colombian single-origin espresso and pastries. | Lunch: Smorgasburg market, Williamsburg The finest outdoor food market in America. 80 artisan vendors on the waterfront. Free entry on Saturdays. | Dinner: Fraunces Tavern, Financial District The oldest restaurant in New York, serving since 1762. Local oysters, craft beer and extraordinary history.
DAY 4
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
DAY 5
MORNING
MIDDAY
AFTERNOON
💎 HIDDEN GEM
🍽 WHERE TO EAT
Where To Stay
Midtown Manhattan The Pod 51 or citizenM Bowery for great value. Approx $130 to $220 per night. Lower Manhattan or SoHo The Beekman or 11 Howard for extraordinary character. Approx $200 to $350 per night. Brooklyn 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge for extraordinary Manhattan skyline views. Approx $250 to $400 per night.
Top Tips
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is pay-what-you-wish for NY state residents. For visitors, the $30 entry is extraordinary value.
2. Central Park at dawn before the joggers arrive is the most extraordinary version of the park. Completely free.
3. The NYC subway runs 24 hours a day and is the finest way to move around the city. Tap your bank card directly.
4. Book Empire State Building tickets online in advance and go at sunset for the most extraordinary skyline light.
5. Smorgasburg food market in Williamsburg on Saturdays is the finest outdoor food market in America. Free entry.
6. The Staten Island Ferry gives the most extraordinary free view of the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan skyline.
Total Budget
$150 to $280/day