5 days in New York City
New York works best neighbourhood by neighbourhood — this plan groups the sights so you walk less and see more.
A free day-by-day plan you can copy, edit or make your own.
Day 1: Midtown Manhattan
Base yourself around Midtown Manhattan today — everything below is within easy reach.
Morning
Times Square
The illuminated commercial crossroads where Broadway meets Seventh Avenue.
Afternoon
Rockefeller Center
An Art Deco complex with a sunken plaza, winter ice rink and the Top of the Rock observation deck.
Dinner
Taverna Kyclades Astoria
Lively eatery specializing in fresh Greek seafood & sides that doesn't take reservations.
Day 2: Lower Manhattan & Tribeca
Base yourself around Lower Manhattan & Tribeca today — everything below is within easy reach.
Morning
Statue of Liberty
The 1886 monument on Liberty Island, reached by ferry from Battery Park.
Afternoon
9/11 Memorial & Museum
Two sunken pools on the footprints of the Twin Towers, with a museum below.
Day 3: Harlem & Upper Manhattan
Base yourself around Harlem & Upper Manhattan today — everything below is within easy reach.
Morning
The Met Cloisters
Medieval European art and reassembled cloisters in Fort Tryon Park, far uptown.
Afternoon
Apollo Theater
The 125th Street theatre that launched much of 20th-century Black American music.
Day 4: East Village & Lower East Side
Base yourself around East Village & Lower East Side today — everything below is within easy reach.
Morning
Lower East Side Tenement Museum
Restored immigrant apartments at 97 and 103 Orchard Street, seen on guided tours.
Afternoon
New Museum
A contemporary art museum in a stacked white box on the Bowery.
Day 5: Park Slope & Prospect Heights
Base yourself around Park Slope & Prospect Heights today — everything below is within easy reach.
Morning
Brooklyn Museum
The borough's main art museum, with Egyptian collections and feminist art.
Afternoon
Brooklyn Botanic Garden
A 21-hectare garden beside Prospect Park, known for its cherry blossom.
Good to know
- Book dinner before you arrive — the good tables go first in season.
- Lunch is quieter (and cheaper) than dinner at most places on this list.
- Start beaches and hikes before 10:00 to dodge the heat and the crowds.
Make it yours
Pick your dates, your pace and the things you actually like — we'll rebuild this plan around them and give you a link to share.
Build my own itinerary