4 days in New York City

Day by day

1. Day 1: Central Park and Metropolitan Museum of Art

   Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, then Empire State Building in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Central Park

      Allow 2–4 hours (free). Walk or cycle from Columbus Circle to Bethesda Terrace and Bow Bridge, then leave by the Met on Fifth Avenue.

   2. Late morning

      Metropolitan Museum of Art

      The roof garden opens in the warmer months with views over Central Park. New York State residents pay what they wish; other visitors pay fixed admission.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: New York pizza slice

      Slice shops all over the city; coal-oven pizzerias in Little Italy and Brooklyn serve whole pies.

   4. Afternoon

      Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

      Allow 1.5–2 hours (mid-priced). Look up from the centre of the rotunda before you start, then walk the full spiral to see the building and exhibitions together.

   5. Evening

      Empire State Building

      Late-evening visits are often quieter than sunset and show the city lights at their best.

2. Day 2: Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and Top of the Rock

   Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Top of the Rock and Times Square, then A Broadway show in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

      Ferries from Battery Park stop at Liberty Island, where the statue, a gift from France dedicated in 1886, has a museum and pedestal views, and at Ellis Island, whose immigration museum tells the story of the roughly 12 million people processed there between 1892 and 1954.

   2. Late morning

      Top of the Rock

      Allow 1 hour (mid-priced). Book a slot about 45 minutes before sunset to see the city in daylight, at dusk and after dark.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Bagel with lox

      Bagel shops across Manhattan and Brooklyn, and the appetizing stores of the Lower East Side.

   4. Afternoon

      Times Square

      The red steps above the TKTS booth make a free grandstand for the view.

   5. Evening

      A Broadway show

      Buy discounted same-day tickets at the TKTS booth in Times Square or through official digital lotteries and rush tickets.

3. Day 3: Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Grand Central Terminal

   Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Grand Central Terminal and Brooklyn Bridge, then East Village and Lower East Side in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

      Allow 2–3 hours (mid-priced). Go straight to the fifth floor for the most famous paintings before the crowds, then work downwards.

   2. Late morning

      Grand Central Terminal

      Below, the tiled vaults outside the Oyster Bar form a whispering gallery where a whisper carries across the arch.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Pastrami on rye

      Katz's Delicatessen on East Houston Street, in business since 1888, and other classic delis.

   4. Afternoon

      Brooklyn Bridge

      Allow 1 hour (free). Take the subway to Brooklyn and walk back towards Manhattan, so the skyline is in front of you; go early to avoid the crowds.

   5. Evening

      East Village and Lower East Side

      Dive bars, speakeasy-style cocktail bars and small live-music venues around Avenue A and Ludlow Street.

4. Day 4: Day trip to Beacon and Dia Beacon

   About 1 hour 30 minutes by train each way. Getting there: Metro-North Hudson line from Grand Central to Beacon.

   1. Morning

      Travel to Beacon and Dia Beacon

      About 1 hour 30 minutes by train (Metro-North Hudson line from Grand Central to Beacon); about 95 km.

   2. Day

      Beacon and Dia Beacon

      Dia Beacon, in a former Nabisco box-printing factory on the Hudson, displays large-scale minimalist and conceptual art by Richard Serra, Donald Judd and others. The town of Beacon has antique shops and cafés along Main Street, and the riverside train ride is part of the pleasure.

   3. Evening

      Back in New York City

      Dinner: try Hot dog.

Before you go

Reserve timed tickets for Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Empire State Building, Top of the Rock and A Broadway show before you travel; the rest of this plan needs no advance booking.

Where to stay for this itinerary

With 4 nights, Midtown keeps most of this route within easy reach. For a calmer or cheaper base, Upper West Side ($$$) suits families, quiet stays and culture. Compare every area.

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 19–25 hours of visiting over 4 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9.3 hours in December to 15.1 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

More or fewer days

• One day in New York City
• 2 days in New York City
• 3 days in New York City
• 5 days in New York City
• 7 days in New York City

Questions travellers ask