New York City in 1 Day
In one day, the best way to soak up Manhattan is to start early and mix together a bit of both downtown and Midtown. So grab New York’s breakfast of champions—coffee and a bagel—and prepare yourself for the morning rush hour on a subway to Battery Park. From this southernmost tip of the island, you’ll see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Head up Broadway past Bowling Green and the famous Charging Bull statue on your way to Wall Street. Turn right at the 1846 Gothic Revival–style Trinity Church to view giant George Washington at Federal Hall, across from the New York Stock Exchange. Stroll north, then take a left on Liberty Street to the World Trade Center site, home to the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum and the 104-story One World Trade Center. If time and budget allow, make your way to the top of the latter for a bird’s-eye view of Manhattan (advance ticket reservations are recommended).
Take the subway uptown to spend the afternoon browsing the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Take a quick stroll through nearby Central Park afterward, and then walk downtown to 42nd Street, passing through Times Square—best experienced after dark. If you time it right, you might even be able to catch a Broadway show.
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New York City in 5 Days
Five days in New York is enough to explore much of the city’s culture and sights, along with a few culinary highlights. The first step is to set up your credit card or smartphone for contactless payment so you can tap on to the subway or bus—once you hit $34 in fares in 7 days, the rest of your rides will be free. This will help you get around the city easily. (Also consider a NYC CityPASS, www.citypass.com, for ticket deals and express access to several major attractions.)
Day 1: Lower Manhattan, SoHo, and Chelsea
Building on four centuries of history, Lower Manhattan is a prime starting point for your trip. Kick off Day 1 with a visit to Battery Park, Wall Street, the Seaport, and One World Trade Center, along with a stop at the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum. If you get there early enough, you might have time to hop on a ferry and visit either Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty, or Ellis Island, the entryway for immigrants coming to America from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. If you’re not able to visit these sites, you’ll still be able to glimpse them from Manhattan’s southernmost tip.
Afterward, drift north toward Canal Street to discover SoHo and its unique cast-iron architecture and shops, and continue your walk even farther uptown into the West Village, or Chelsea (a subway ride might be in order here) to walk the High Line at sunset. Have dinner and then, if you’re big on nightlife, explore the nearby Meatpacking District’s bars and clubs.
Day 2: Grand Central, 5th Avenue, Rockefeller Center, and Times Square
Start Day 2 at Grand Central Terminal, one of NYC’s most majestic spaces, where you can gaze up at the ceiling’s sparkling constellations and down at the throngs of commuters whizzing through. Head north on 5th Avenue to check out Rockefeller Center (if it’s winter, that’ll include the ice-skating rink), and pop into the NBC Experience Store. On a clear day, visit the Top of the Rock observation deck for a perfect view of the Empire State Building and beyond (or head south to 34th Street to visit the ESB’s fantastic visitor experience and observation decks yourself).
Head to MoMA to check out one of the world’s great modern art museums; must-see exhibits include Andy Warhol’s soup cans and The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh. After you get your art fill, veer southwest toward Times Square to join travelers (and some locals) who converge on the “crossroads of the world” to bask in Broadway’s bright lights.
Day 3: Brooklyn Bridge, Chinatown, Lower East Side, and the East Village
For Day 3, take the subway or NYC Ferry over to Brooklyn and head to Brooklyn Bridge Park to view the famous bridge and picturesque Lower Manhattan skyline. There you can walk across the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan, where you’ll end up in Chinatown, with its tasty eateries. Cross Canal Street and walk east past the regal Manhattan Bridge Arch into the Lower East Side. The Tenement Museum is among the city’s most interesting historical experiences, so plan an hour or two there (reserve your tickets in advance).
Then stroll north through the East Village and Alphabet City, with a break in Tompkins Square Park for eclectic downtown people-watching.
Day 4: Museum Mile, Central Park, and the Upper West Side
Infuse some of NYC’s best art and history into Day 4 at one of several truly great institutions along the Museum Mile on the Upper East Side. You can invest a couple of hours (or the whole day) exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Guggenheim, Frick Collection, El Museo del Barrio, Museum of the City of New York, and other history and art institutions. You can also start (or end) your museum-hopping across the park, at the Upper West Side’s American Museum of Natural History. Regardless of where you start, make sure you explore Central Park and its sights like Bethesda Terrace and the Carousel.
As you exit the park on the west side, walk to Broadway for a taste of some of the Upper West Side’s authentic delicatessen delights, and top off the evening in Harlem for a show at the historic Apollo Theater or smaller live-jazz clubs.
Day 5: Union Square, Washington Square Park, West Village
On Day 5, start at Union Square, home to a greenmarket (and seasonal holiday crafts market) and surrounded by stores big and small. Don’t miss the “18 miles of books” (new and used) for sale at the Strand on Broadway, a local literary institution. Stroll down to Washington Square Park to see the famous marble arch and central fountain, hear buskers playing their hearts out, and watch NYU students hanging out between classes.
Walk toward Bleecker Street, and wander along the winding lanes of the West Village. On Christopher Street, visit the Stonewall National Monument and registered city landmark, where the LGBTQ+ civil rights movement began, plus other famous watering holes frequented by artistic luminaries throughout the decades.