Day Trips From New York: Where You Can Go in a Day
Day Trips From New York: Where You Can Go in a Day
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If you're spending several days in NYC or you already know the city, it's time to take some day trips near New York, places you can reach on a 1-day excursion.
Keep reading to find out what those places are, how to get there, and their biggest attractions.
Day trips near New York
The area around New York is home to major US cities like Washington, Philadelphia and Boston. There are also charming small towns like Sleepy Hollow and famous outlets like Woodbury Common.
You can get to all of them by train, by bus, by car, or comfortably on a guided tour.
Washington DC
Going to Washington from New York for the day is doable. In our guide to Washington's top sights we explain how to get there and which landmarks you shouldn't miss.
The US capital is packed with monuments, free museums, and the buildings where the country is governed. If you're a movie buff, it's a pilgrimage: you'll get déjà vu on every corner of Washington.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is one of the easiest day trips to reach, since the city is just two hours from New York (less if traffic is kind to you).
It was the first capital of the United States, and the Declaration of Independence was signed there. It's the city of Benjamin Franklin, the Phillies, the cheesesteak, and the heart of Amish culture in the United States.
Read our guide to visiting Philadelphia from New York to plan your getaway.
Boston
Another of the most popular day trips from New York is Boston. The most European city on the US East Coast is about 4 hours away.
Boston is known as a college town (Harvard, Cambridge, MIT), for its Red Sox, and for the beautiful New England coastline.
Find out more about those must-see spots in Boston and the different ways to get there from New York.
If you want to extend your trip, you can also visit Salem and other New England towns like Nantucket (yes, the whaling port from Moby Dick) and Martha's Vineyard, the small island where many US presidents have gone to unwind.
Sleepy Hollow
The town of the headless horseman is real: Sleepy Hollow. Its old houses, church, and cemetery inspired the famous story by Washington Irving.
This town, just 50 minutes from Grand Central Station, dates back to the days when New York was a Dutch colony. Just look at the names and epitaphs on the headstones in its old cemetery.
Sleepy Hollow is one of the easiest day trips from Manhattan thanks to the short distance. It's also a chance to see how the Rockefellers lived, since they built Kykuit there, the mansion from which they ran their empire for 4 generations.
The Hamptons
Two and a half hours from New York City are the Hamptons, a cluster of towns on the east end of Long Island with exclusive beach resorts on the Atlantic coast.
Artists, politicians, and millionaires retreat there to escape the noise of the city. It's one of the ideal trips from New York to do with a rental car.
Check out other road trips from New York.
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
If you love shopping while traveling, you'll definitely want to visit Woodbury Common Premium Outlets.
The outlet has more than 200 stores with up to 70% off all year round. Among them: Banana Republic, Adidas, Nike, Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, DKNY, Zegna, Max Mara, GAP, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and Versace.
Niagara Falls
If you've dreamed of seeing Niagara Falls, it's easy to do once you're in New York.
It's not as quick a trip as the others (about eight hours by car and around 10 by train), but it's worth it.
If you're short on time, we recommend this one-day tour to Niagara Falls from New York. You'll leave at 11 at night and arrive at 7 am in Niagara Falls for breakfast and a ride on the Maid of the Mist boat, which takes you right to the base of the falls. It's a thrill!