New York Itinerary: 3 Days Through the City’s Best
New York Itinerary: 3 Days Through the City’s Best
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What should you do in New York in 3 days? So little time and so much to see, it becomes a really tough call.
To help you out, I put together a three-day route through New York's most important attractions, focusing on architectural landmarks, parks and museums (click each link and you'll find the details for every attraction).
Clicking the links for each attraction will give you details, hours, how to get there and prices:
Day 1: Fifth Avenue
We'll build the first day around Fifth Avenue, one of the most famous streets in the city and home to many of Manhattan's iconic sights:
Morning
On this 3-day New York itinerary, the first thing I recommend is seeing the city from above at its most classic viewpoint, the Empire State observatory.
To save time (the Empire State is always packed with tourists), it's a good idea to buy your tickets online, so you go straight to the elevator line.
Another way to save time and money is buying a tourist discount pass that already includes admission to the Empire State, for example the City Pass, the only pass that lets you visit the Empire State twice in the same day so you can see the city by day and by night 😃.
When you come down from the observatory, walk north along Fifth Avenue and head to 42nd Street to see one of New York's classic architectural landmarks: Grand Central Terminal.
If you're making good time, you can take the official Grand Central guided tour (it lasts about 40 minutes), so you don't miss a single detail of this wonderful building full of history and surprises. It's an audio tour that's also included with the Go City Pass.
This is the moment to check out The Summit, New York's newest observation deck, at the top of One Vanderbilt, a recently opened Manhattan skyscraper right next to Grand Central. This viewpoint is much more than a Manhattan observatory: there are interactive exhibits and hypnotic mirror installations.
Afternoon
Head back to Fifth Avenue and continue north until you reach St. Patrick's Cathedral, with Rockefeller Center right across from it.
If you want a feast of viewpoints, take the chance to go up to Top of the Rock, the Rockefeller Center observation deck.
Another recommended stop for this day is the MoMA, the museum with the most important modern and contemporary art collection in the world. You won't see it all in a few hours, since there are more than 100,000 works on display. My advice is to plan what interests you and go straight to it.
And to end the day in style, book a Broadway musical (here are my tips for finding cheaper tickets) and afterward walk to Times Square to soak up all that neon and rest on its famous red steps.
Day 2: Parks
Today we'll focus on the attractions around two of New York's most famous parks: Central Park and the High Line:
Morning
Start the day walking through Central Park. The park is huge, you won't see all of it, it's worth many visits.
On the east side of the park you'll find one of the largest museums in the world: the Met. It's worth visiting. But if you're after contemporary art, go to the Solomon R. Guggenheim.
Walk up to the building and step into the lobby, where you'll get to enjoy the last great project by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright (and if you can handle another round of museum, go for it, the collection is magnificent).
Afternoon
Now we'll switch neighborhoods completely to walk the length of the High Line, the only park in the world built on an abandoned elevated rail line.
You'll be steps away from the Whitney Museum and Little Island, the new New York park built over the Hudson River. Pick whichever appeals to you most.
If you enjoy art, the Whitney is a must, since it brings together the work of contemporary American artists (admission is also included with the Go City Pass).
If there's time, you can explore the new Hudson Yards neighborhood, with attractions you've surely heard about, like the infinite staircase sculpture, The Vessel, or Edge, the highest open-air observation deck in New York.
Day 3: Lower Manhattan
You can't leave New York without visiting its most famous statue, so you'll spend this day in Lower Manhattan, where the city's settlement began:
Morning
Buy tickets as early as possible to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, where you'll spend at least 4 hours.
If you want to go up to the crown, you need to buy your tickets well in advance (you'll find all the instructions at the Statue of Liberty link).
If you're happy just getting to the island and seeing the Statue up close without going inside the monument, the tourist discount passes come in handy again (Go City or City Pass), since they include the ferry ride to both islands.
If seeing it from a distance is enough for you, hop on the free Staten Island Ferry, which passes just a few meters from Liberty Island. Plus, you'll get spectacular views of the Manhattan skyline.
Afternoon
After lunch, head to the World Trade Center. There you'll see how New York rebuilt itself after the Twin Towers attack.
There's plenty to see at the WTC, including a visit to the 9/11 Memorial, which is free.
If you want to go deeper into the history of 9/11, you should visit the 9/11 Museum.
Then there's the observation deck at One World Trade Center, since 2014 the tallest skyscraper in New York and the fourth tallest in the world (to save time, buy your tickets online).
When you leave 1WTC, step into Calatrava's Oculus, the new station that connects Manhattan with New Jersey. Its bold architecture won't leave you indifferent.
Inside the station you can shop at the new Westfield World Trade Center Mall.
If you still have energy, wander over to the streets of New York's Financial District, better known as Wall Street.
And that's how we wrap up this 3-day tour of New York… Now all that's left is getting home to plan the next trip 😉
Tips for visiting New York in 3 days
- The subway is the fastest way to get between the city's attractions. Learn how to use it in the New York Subway guide.
- Discount tourist passes will save you time (they include priority access to many attractions) and money on tickets.
- If you've already seen some of these attractions, swap them out for other New York sights.
- Manhattan is just one of the city's 5 boroughs. If you want to see the highlights of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, you can take the Contrasts of New York tour.
- If you still haven't decided where to stay in New York, this guide will help you pick the most strategic spot for staying close to the attractions.
More itineraries
Besides this suggested 3-day New York route, these other New York itineraries may come in handy: