What To Visit In New York In 3 Days

Great Option: Statue Of Liberty Cruise Statue Of Liberty Museum & Ellis Island Immigration Museum

If youre interested in Miss Liberty, get off in Lower Manhattan during the bus tour and use your New York Pass for a cruise to the Statue of Liberty. Enjoy the famous landmark, amazing city views and learn so much about her history at the new Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island. Take the ferry to Ellis Island for a visit to the exciting Ellis Island Immigration Museum.

The Hop on Hop off Bus will take you back from Lower Manhattan to Midtown after you are done with your visit to the Statue of Liberty.

Consider Buying A New York City Tourist Pass

As you start planning your trip to New York City youll begin to see admission fees to popular tourist sites will quickly add up. Fortunately, like most major tourist cities, New York offers some great tourist passes that can save you a lot of money on attractions.

There are a variety of tourist passes to choose from but the two passes that offer the best value are the New York Explorer Pass and The New York Pass.

The main difference between the two passes is that The New York Pass is day-based, meaning you buy the pass for a certain number of days, and can then visit as many of the 100+ available attractions as you want within your chosen number of days.

The New York Explorer Pass on the other hand, while valid for 30 days, limits you to a certain number of free attractions. So if you buy a two attraction pass, you can only visit two of the 85+ included attractions

Whether either pass is worth buying greatly depends on how many attractions you want to visit while in New York City.

Lets assume you visit the following attractions on your 3 days in New York City:

• The Met = $25
• Top of the Rock Observation Deck or Empire State Building = $38 or $42
• Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island = $19.25
• 9/11 Memorial Museum = $28
• Madame Tussauds = $37
• 2-Day Hop-On Hop-Off Bus = $69

New York City Itinerary: Day 2

Art Museums, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Times Square

Walking distance: 4 miles plus Central Park

Take Your Pick from Four Art Museums

There are a bunch of fabulous art museums in Manhattan. Spend the morning in the one that sounds the most interesting to you.

The Museum of Modern Art

The Modern Museum of Art has one of the worlds best collections of art from the 18th century to today. See The Starry Night by Van Gogh, The Persistence of Memory by Dali, and works of art by Matisse, Monet, and Picasso.

Hours: Daily 10:30 am to 5:30 pm open until 9 pm on Friday and the first Thursday of each monthCost: Adults $25, under 16 years old are freeFriday afternoon special:from 5:30 pm to 9 pm admission is free on FridayWebsite:www.moma.org

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met is enormous. Its so big that you can measure the size of this museum in acres . Come see one of the best collections of ancient art from all around the world.

Hours: Daily 10 am to 5:30 pm open until 9 pm Friday and SaturdayCost: Adults $25, children under 12 are free tickets are valid for 3 daysTravel Tip: Purchase your tickets online in advance to skip the line.

The Guggenheim Museum

This is another modern art museum. The building, which was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is also a work of modern art.

The Frick Collection

See world-class art by Vermeer, Renoir, and Rembrandt in a beautifully designed residence.

Lunch

Central Park

The Mall

Bow Bridge

Explore Midtown Manhattan

Times Square

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Rockefeller Centre Cool Place To See In New York With Friends

• National Historic Landmark

• Fantastic views
• Varied activities

Why its awesome: Built in the 1930s , the Rockefeller Centre is an extensive complex of buildings in Midtown Manhattan. There are 14 Art Deco buildings around a private street and square, along with five buildings that were added to the complex at later periods. A National Historic Landmark, the Rockefeller Centre is home to Radio City, offices, a cinema, restaurants, shops, an ice rink, and more. Its one of best places in New York to visit.

What to do there: Take a tour of the Rockefeller Centre, learning all about the interesting art and history as you explore the main buildings, squares, and gardens. Soak up stunning city vistas from the Top of the Rock Observation Deck and descend underground to the Concourse for some high-class shopping. The underground passageways connect all of the complexs buildings and there are many well-known brands to peruse as well as myriad places to eat and drink.

Enjoy a sense of tranquillity in the pretty Channel Gardens and look out for superb art installations around the centre. Theres a large mural in the lobby of 30 Rockefeller Plaza that depicts Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, a huge metal relief over the entrance to 50 Rockefeller Plaza, a statue of Atlas facing Fifth Avenue, and a golden statue of Prometheus in the sunken plaza. Take a tour of the Radio City Music Hall and visit the NBC Studiostheres lots to do at the Rockefeller Centre!

Visit The Unforgettable Oculus

Part shopping mall, part subway stop, part memorial, part bizarre marvel, the Oculus is nothing if not unforgettable.

What do you see when you look at it: a whale, a bird, something else entirely? And when you step insidedo you feel a bit swallowed?

Its a bizarre place, but however strange, also an emotionally charged one: the Oculus is built right on Ground Zero, and, in addition to its other purposes, functions as a somewhat subtle memorial to 9/11.

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Cheap Eats In New York City

New York City has some of the best food in the world. While I would love to list all of the best restaurants, the truth is there are too many to name, and theyre always changing. Moreover, I cant always afford to eat at them

In my itinerary, we visit all of the best neighborhoods for New York foodies, but there are plenty of equally delicious alternatives to NYCs prime restaurants.

Many of NYCs staple foods are very inexpensive, and frankly, you cant visit New York and not get a piece of pizza or bagel:

Bagels A bagel with cream cheese is usually $1.50$2.00. Wonderful bagels can be found at Ess-a-Bagel, Murrays Bagels, and Lennys Bagels.

Pizza A single-topping slice is usually $2.50$3.50, but many pizzerias are offering plain cheese slices for only $1.00. One of the most popular dollar joints is Two Bros. Pizza, with seven locations in Manhattan and one in Brooklyn.

Chinatown street food Food carts on Canal Street sell steamed, grilled, and fried Chinese food for $1$2. Neighborhood bakeries have savory and sweet pastries for 80 cents, and dumpling stands offer five dumplings or pork buns for $1.00. Enjoying these treats in bustling Columbus Park is a unique cultural experience in itself.

If you prefer to dine in a restaurant, many along Mott, Pell, and Bayard Streets offer dim sum and noodle entrees for $6$10.

Harlem soul food Jacob Restaurant and Mannas feature big buffets of soul food and salads , sold by weight: $4.95$6.50 per pound.

Suzanne R’s City Tips

• Regular Farmer’s Markets are great for exploring and even better for scoring a fresh, local lunch on the cheap.
• You’ll see many New Yorkers crossing against the lights, but if you must do so, please use care . Watch out for errant cyclists too.
• It is standard in New York to tip 20 percent at restaurants. Please do so.
• If you rent a bike, don’t try to navigate the most heavily trafficked areas. Instead ride along one of the rivers or through Central Park.
• Before buying a Metro card do a quick estimate of rides you anticipate taking. If it’s 13 or more, you’ll save with the 7-day pass.
• You’ll eat far better at restaurants off the tourist track. Step off Times Square into Hell’s Kitchen, or out of Little Italy into Soho or the Lower East Side.
• The subway is incredibly efficient, but if you only have one or two stops to go, consider walking. You’ll see more, and save fare.

Day 1

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Sunset On The High Line

Take the A or C train uptown from Fulton Street Station to 14th Street and 8th Avenue.

Walk to 10th Avenue where you will find the 14th Street entrance to the High Line, an old elevated train track that was converted into a free, urban park with incredible views of the Hudson River waterfront.

The High Line is narrow but long and runs to 33rd Street. There are exits every two blocks and wooden lounge chairs to sit back and watch the sunset.

The buildings along the High Line have an interesting history as well which you can learn about on our High Line self-guided walking tour and our audio tour.

Of course, you can always join our pay-what-you-wish High Line/Chelsea tour as well.

Finish up with food from one of the dozens of food shops at the Chelsea Market on 9th Avenue and 16th Street.

Am Empire State Building

Breeze right on up to the top of the Empire State Building. There will be no lines. Wait a couple of hours to visit the Empire State Building and youll be waiting a couple of hours in line!

As you are in the middle of Manhattan Island, you get great views of the entire island from the observation deck, which his what makes Empire State Building different to Top of the Rock and the Freedom Tower views.

Its definitely worth visiting all of them for their unique perspectives.

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Famous New York City Attractions

On your first day in New York City, youll get to see some well-known attractions. Your day starts at the American Museum of Natural History, where youll learn about wildlife, science, and more. Next, youll visit beautiful Central Park to explore the iconic urban green space. Your next stop is the stunning New York Public library.

Having taken in the shelves of books and amazing architecture, head to Grand Central Station to view another renowned New York landmark. The afternoon will be spent touring Radio City Music Hall and visiting Rockefeller Center, where you can go up to the observation deck for 360-degree views of Manhattan. Youll end your day in the illuminated Times Square, shopping and grabbing dinner and drinks.

Staten Island Ferry Brooklyn

If you are looking to stay outside of Manhattan in a quieter neighborhood, The William Vale in Brooklyn is a good choice. If you want the royal treatment this is the perfect place to stay. Close to the subway, this hotel is beautiful. With a rooftop pool, amazing restaurant and stunning rooms. Check our full breakdown of Brooklyn Hotels.

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Day 3 In New York City: Brooklyn

Today, were going to Brooklyn, baby. Brooklyn is a huge borough, by the way, so you cant expect to see all of it in one day.

Rather, Im going to give you some suggestions on how to spend a perfect Saturday in Brooklyn if you have never been here before.

Brooklyn used to be known mostly for its seedy reputation and East Coast rappers like Jay-Z and Notorious B.I.G. Nowadays, its one of the trendiest and most ultra-hipster places to visit in New York City.

With its historic neighborhoods, awesome food and art scene, and all around coolness, there is really so much to soak up in Brooklyn.

If you are staying in Manhattan, I suggest starting your morning with a walk to Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge. This is one of the best things to do in New York, as the steel-wired bridge is actually quite impressive, and you get awesome views of Manhattan the whole way down.

For another view of the bridge, walk over to DUMBO and then continue your walk on the Brooklyn Bridge Park waterfront and to Brooklyn Heights, a wealthy, brick building and tree-lined neighborhood. If you want to know more about the bridges history and the area around, check out this amazing Brooklyn Bridge walking tour.

For the better half of the day, you can explore a couple of different neighborhoods, like Williamsburg at the center of Brooklyn, Bushwick, and Redhook.

Now, these neighborhoods are the poster children for Brooklyns widespread urban renewal and inspiration for the show, Girls.

Days In New York Itinerary: How To Plan The Perfect Nyc Trip

Posted on Last updated: January 26, 2022

Planning the perfect first time trip to NYC begins with one very important question: Should you map out a New York City itinerary for 3, 4 or 5 days? Well, were here to show you why 4 days is the magic number. We have condensed the very best things to do in New York City into an action packed, fun filled and unforgettable 4 day itinerary.

After heavily exploring New York City for 3 non-stop months in early 2021, we have crafted the perfect 4 days itinerary blueprint for first time visitors to one of the worlds greatest cities.

If you follow this itinerary exactly, you will see all of the top rated paid attractions, walk around the cool and edgy neighborhoods and of course hit the best free things to do in NYC.

Remember, you can always use this example itinerary as a starting point and tailor it to suit your travel style and preferences.

Lets break the iconic landmarks and neighborhoods of New York City up into 4 memorable days!

*Please note this post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one of them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you! We recommend only products we use and as always, all ideas or opinions expressed in this post are entirely ours. Thank you for the support and happy travels!*

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One World Trade Center And World Trade Center Memorial

One World Trade Center is an office building with an observation deck located in lower Manhattan. The building is the tallest in the US and the seventh-tallest in the world. One World Trade Center is the rebuild of the World Trade Center complex, or Twin Towers, destroyed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Along with appreciating this stunning piece of architecture, make sure you visit the World Trade Center Memorial and 9/11 Museum. The memorial is located at the site of the old World Trade Center, and pays homage to victims of the September 11 attack. The 9/11 Museum features a range of artifacts and covers stories relating to the tragic event.

Bryant Park & The New York Public Library

From Grand Central Terminal, take a 6-minute walk or the 7 train over to the quaint greenspace, Bryant Park. If you happen to be visiting NYC during the Fall/Winter, Bryant Park hosts the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park that includes an ice skating rink, a Christmas Market, a Christmas tree, and a lot of good and Instagrammable food!

Bryant Park is also known for always hosting free events. From exercise classes, movies, etc, there is always something going on. To see

Right next to Bryant Park is the New York Public Library! Funny story, I once sat atop one of those lions because I thought I was cool ! Founded in 1895, the New York Public Library has been serving New Yorkers with free books, information, and education all while being an architectural masterpiece!

New York Insider Tip: If you love libraries, you might also want to check out the Morgan Library and Museum. I really consider Morgan Library a hidden gem of NYC and it is really beautiful!

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How To Get Around New York City

New York City is very large. This itinerary only has you visiting two of the five boroughs , but even with that in mind you will still have quite a bit of ground to cover. For example, from Midtown to Downtown, where youll find Wall St, youre looking at about a four-mile distance.

Whilst we have laid out this three-day itinerary in a way that has you visiting attractions that are closer to each other, you are likely not going to want to walk everywhere.

The good news is that New York City has a variety of options for helping you get around. Ill quickly cover the ones we suggest for this itinerary. We also have a detailed guide to getting around New York City, which you might find helpful in planning.

World Trade Center Station

Ok, I appreciate including a train station might seem a bit odd. In fact, Ive included two on this itinerary!

The World Trade Center Station is a pretty epic building, and I think youll agree, well worth a visit. The centerpiece is the Oculus, a magnificent white ribbed construction that gave me the impression of being inside a giant futuristic whale.

Its a great spot for some photos, and I think worth a few minutes of your time at least. Its also only a short walk from the 9/11 Memorial Museum, on the way to the next stop on this itinerary.

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