Things to Do in New York: Tours, Tickets & Day Trips
New York rewards a plan, because the queues are the enemy. Day one, downtown: the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island on the first ferry (reserve the ferry, from $25; pedestal and crown sell out weeks ahead), then the 9/11 Memorial and Museum and a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. Day two, Midtown: Grand Central, Summit One Vanderbilt or Top of the Rock at sunset (timed tickets from about $40), Times Square after dark and a Broadway show. Day three: Central Park by bike, the Met or the Museum of Natural History, then a Chinatown and Little Italy food tour (from $60) or a harbour cruise at golden hour. Four days is the sweet spot; with five, add Brooklyn or a day trip — Washington DC (from $95), Philadelphia and Amish Country (from $110) or the Woodbury Common outlets (from $48). Buy a subway OMNY tap and walk everywhere else.
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All experiences in New York — FAQ
What are the top 10 things to do in New York?
By traveller ratings: 1) the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, 2) Top of the Rock or Summit One Vanderbilt, 3) the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, 4) a Broadway show, 5) Central Park, 6) a harbour or sunset cruise, 7) the Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO, 8) the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 9) a Chinatown and Little Italy food tour, and 10) the High Line and Chelsea Market. A helicopter flight is the highest-rated splurge.
How many days do you need in New York?
Four days covers the icons without rushing: downtown and the Statue of Liberty, Midtown and a show, Central Park and a museum, and Brooklyn or a food tour. A fifth day is for a day trip to Washington DC, Philadelphia or the outlets. Three days works if you skip the museums; a weekend only scratches Midtown.
What can you do in New York for free?
The Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the High Line, the Brooklyn Bridge walk, the 9/11 Memorial plaza, Grand Central, the New York Public Library, Times Square, the Met (pay what you wish for New York State residents; otherwise from $30), the Museum of Natural History’s suggested-donation days, Governors Island in summer, and the Bronx Zoo on Wednesdays.
What are the best day trips from New York?
Washington DC (4 hours each way by coach, guided day tours from $95), Philadelphia and Amish Country (2 hours, from $110), the Woodbury Common outlets (1 hour, from $48), Sleepy Hollow and the Hudson Valley (1 hour by train, from $118 with a guide) and the Hamptons (2.5 hours). Niagara Falls is 7 hours by road — do it as a 2-day tour or a flight, not a day trip.
