New York itinerary — 2 days
Day 1 — New York
7 stops · ≈ 8 h 43 minA world-famous 102-story Art Deco skyscraper on Fifth Avenue, completed in 1931 in just 410 days. Its open-air 86th-floor observation deck offers iconic 360-degree vistas across Manhattan and up to six states, while the enclosed 102nd-floor deck looks out through floor-to-ceiling windows. The gilded Art Deco lobby and museum galleries explain its heritage.
A beloved green haven framed by Midtown Manhattan skyscrapers, situated right behind the historic New York Public Library. Designed in a formal French style with London plane trees, thousands of movable green chairs, an open-air reading room, and outdoor chess tables. During winter, the central lawn transforms into a free ice-skating rink and holiday market.
The crossing of Broadway and Seventh Avenue that welcomes about 50 million guests a year: giant billboards, the red TKTS steps, the Duffy statue and endless show queues. This is where the ball drops on December 31 — a tradition since 1907. The square never sleeps, and the screens never go dark.
Perched atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan, this three-tier Art Deco observation deck occupies the 67th, 69th and 70th floors. The open-air 70th-floor summit has no metal wire or obstructing frames, providing pristine panoramic photo angles. It is famed for the ultimate postcard view of the Empire State Building to the south and the vast expanse of Central Park to the north, with timed admissions throughout the day.
An Art Deco complex from the 1930s: 19 buildings, the promenade with the Prometheus statue, the Top of the Rock observation deck on the 67th floor and the winter rink under the tree that has been raised since 1933. NBC and Radio City Music Hall work here — the heart of Midtown, built on Rockefeller oil money.
One of the world's most influential and comprehensive museums of modern art, situated in Midtown Manhattan. Founded in 1929, MoMA holds an unparalleled collection of painting, sculpture, photography, film, and design. Masterpieces on display include Vincent van Gogh's 'The Starry Night', Picasso's 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon', Salvador Dalí's 'The Persistence of Memory', and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden.
The green heart of Manhattan — 341 hectares between Harlem and Midtown: lakes, the Sheep Meadow lawn, Belvedere Castle, the Delacorte open-air theatre and dozens of movie locations. Conceived in 1858 as one of the first US parks built for public access, it changes completely with every season.
Reserve
7If you have time left — worth it too.
A legendary seaside district of Brooklyn: a sandy beach, the 1923 wooden boardwalk, the 1920 Wonder Wheel and Luna Park rides. The beach and boardwalk are free; the rides are paid. Nathan's Famous has been selling hot dogs here since 1916, and the Mermaid Parade takes over the streets each June. The subway terminates at Stillwell Avenue nearby. Summer days are packed; evenings are calmer, with the sunset falling straight into the ocean.
Established in 1891 in the Bronx, this world-renowned 250-acre botanical garden is a living museum of more than one million plants. Its crown jewel is the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, a Victorian-style crystal palace housing tropical rainforest and arid desert biomes. Visitors can also wander through 50 specialty gardens, an internationally acclaimed rose collection, and the ancient Thain Family Forest along the Bronx River.
A 52-acre urban botanical haven established in 1910 adjacent to Prospect Park in Brooklyn. BBG is world-renowned for its Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden with a wooden Shinto torii gate and koi pond, the Cranford Rose Garden boasting thousands of fragrant bushes, and the climate-controlled Steinhardt Conservatory. Each spring, the Cherry Esplanade becomes a sea of pink blossoms during the celebrated cherry blossom season.
The observation deck occupying the 100th to 102nd floors of One World Trade Center, the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere. High-speed SkyPod elevators whisk visitors up 102 stories in 47 seconds, transforming into an immersive virtual time-lapse of Manhattan's 500-year evolution. At roughly 1,250 feet, floor-to-ceiling panoramic windows offer breathtaking 360-degree vistas over New York Harbor.
An innovative 2.3-kilometre elevated linear public park on Manhattan West Side, built on a historic viaduct of the former West Side Line freight railroad. Soaring nine metres above street level, it stretches from the Meatpacking District to Hudson Yards. The park integrates preserved steel rails with naturalistic plantings, rotating contemporary art installations, and Hudson River views.
A colossal neoclassical copper sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, recognized worldwide as an icon of freedom and democracy. Designed by sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi with a framework engineered by Gustave Eiffel, it was a gift from France. Ferries depart from Battery Park, offering stunning skyline views of Lower Manhattan and access to the pedestal.
The largest art museum in the Americas, founded in 1870 on Fifth Avenue alongside Central Park. The Met holds over 1.5 million works spanning 5,000 years of world culture: from the sandstone Temple of Dendur (c. 15 BC) framed by floor-to-ceiling glass to European masterworks by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Van Gogh, and Monet. The Cantor Roof Garden features outdoor sculptures overlooking the Manhattan skyline and Central Park canopy.
- Purchase a MetroCard for convenient subway and bus access.
- Always check the schedule for subways and buses, as they can vary on weekends.
- Consider walking between attractions as many are close to each other.
- Use rideshare apps for quicker travel during off-peak hours.
- Stay aware of your surroundings, especially in crowded areas.