Hi, I am visiting New York for the first time in June with my husband and am trying to put together an itinerary but would really like advice as to what is do-able in a day. We want to get as much in as we can without collapsing in a heap at the end! This is what I have come up with so far:

Fri 26 June Approx check in at Hotel Distrikt 4pm – then wander towards TotR

Sat 27 June Either - "New York Shuttle - premium city tour (5.5 hours) or
(6-6.5 hours) allnewyorktours, then - Empire State

Sun 28 June Ellis island & 9-11 museum/monument, maybe show in evening (Should we plan anything else this day?)

Mon 29 June - 10 - 1.30pm Lower Eastside/Soho/Little Italy/ China Town (CityRover Walking tour), late lunch katz deli, then afternoon Tenement museum “Hard times” tour (Not sure whether to do Tenement museum in morning and wander round area by ourselves?)

Tues 30 June - 11am-12.30pm . nymediaboat.com/tours/ - harbour tour on RIB boat.
Possible for pm - 3pm - 6.30pm Brooklyn Bridge (CityRoverwalking tour), then eat in Brooklyn Heights Promenade in evening. Not sure whether to do Brooklyn walking tour or do by ourselves?

Wed 01 July AM. Central Park: Rickshaw 2 hour tour of park, then pm. Explore Highline/chelsea/meatpacking district.
This is our last evening so looking for something special to do. Maybe Evening dinner cruise? Any other suggestions

I would be so grateful for your opinions/ideas.

You are doing an awful lot of tours rather than just visiting some of the major sights of the city. An awful lot of looking at the outsides of buildings versus actually seeing the sights that make the city what it is.

If you do TOTR there is no reason to also do the Empire State. Repetitive and usually a long wait.

As for Ellis Island - that is part of the Statue of Liberty tours - and you must get tickets far (months) in advance from the web site of the National Park service. The ferry goes first to Liberty island, then Ellis island and eventually back to Manhattan. Expect the whole process to take at least 5 hours. And do realize that you must arrive about 45 minutes in advance to get on the ferry, there is airline type security and large bags or backpacks are not allowed.

Finally, you have missed out on all of the major museums:

Met
MoMa
Natural History

and th emany dozens of smaller, more specialized ones

As for central park - you really need to go on foot. Check the web site of the Central Park Conservancy to see if they offer any tours you would want. And for a map with key sights so you can pick what you want to see. The rickshaws are limited to the one road inside the park and you can see things only from a distance - and many not at all. The park is really the playground of the city and you should see all it's life/activities not just an very expensive ride around the park drive. there is also a small, select zoo if you want.

Cannot remember any dinner cruise - food is almost universally awful. What you should do is pick one residential neighborhood and explore - using outdoor cafes (there are hundreds) as a base - a drink at one, dinner at another, dessert at a third - checking out the shopping in between (in downtown area many store are open until 11 pm or later).

Thank you nytraveler. We have left out the museums on purpose as we are not great art lovers and we wanted to see more of New York. We have great history and science museums in London. However, we are open to suggestions if you think there are any that we really should be visiting. My husband loves architecture.

If we do Central Park on foot, do you think it would be too much to visit Brooklyn bridge etc on the same day?

Do you think we should add in a visit to the United Nations?

Many thanks

New York is a great walking city. For architecture see if you can get a copy of AIA Guide to NY from the library. It is a tome, but you can get an electronic version.

To me the UN tour is a snooze.

I would also skip a dinner cruise, the food is awful. Take the Staten Island Ferry after dark. Go right side out, left side back for great views of the Statue of Liberty and on the return to Manhattan with the lights getting brighter is absolutely spectacular and free.

If you are from London you will have no trouble negotiating NY.

And if you do change your mind MoMA is the best modern art museum in the world.

Well I'm a museum lover so I would do a bunch. But I reco that you check out the exhibits at several of the smaller ones - which might have things that interest you. Check out the web sites of the New York Historical society - which often has incredibly fascinating exhibits. Also the Museum of the City of New York has great exhibits that often feature local architecture.

And if that is an interest I would bag some of the basic tours and find one that focuses on the city's architecture - from the earliest Federal buildings to the earliest skyscrapers, the specifically famous deco ones like the Chrysler Building and some unique neighborhoods - including the west village and the lovely mansions along Riverside Drive.

As fas as museums I believe out Natural History/Space Center is far superior to the Natural History in London - you could spend days in there. Fantastic exhibits for dinos and human evolution - check the web site to see what you might like.

Thank you for all your ideas. I will relook at the itinerary. Any other tips/ideas would be greatly appreciated, especially re walking tours that may be slightly less intensive that the ones I have found.

a Foods of New York tour is great for learning about the neighborhood. Lots to eat and great stories. We have done several.
Never disappointed.

Thanks poolqueen, I will look into that.

Given the location of your hotel I would walk east on 42nd…. Bryant Park, Grand Central, etc If you take the cross town bus on 42nd you'll end up at the UN (eventually).* If you're not interested in museums maybe your husband would like to see the Guggenheim (at 88th and Fifth) from the outside - then you could walk thru Central Park… maybe emerging in the West '60's… so you could see Lincoln Center (that always get the architecture debate going)
Just remember when crossing the street to look to your LEFT -

*The UN was undergoing extensive renovation that last I paid attention… don't know if it's
completed yet.

Just remember when crossing the street to look to your LEFT -"

In NYC, you really have to look both ways. Many streets are one way, so the direction of traffic will vary based on the street and the direction of the walker.

ellenem…. true! Thanks for correcting me. My daily travels are mostly on two way streets… so that's the first thing that comes to mind. I remember being in London and seeing signs painted on the street in the front of the curb… Look Right.