New York City is one of the world’s most sought after travel destinations with around 60 million people visiting each year to enjoy its unique attractions, diverse neighborhoods and famous landmarks. We lived in New York in early 2021 and we’ve visited more times than we count, so we know the touristy areas in Manhattan and Brooklyn like the backs of our hands.
In this NYC travel guide we show you everything you need to know about planning a first trip to America’s most iconic city, based on our own experiences. But if you’re a serious planner like us, be sure to check out our popular NYC Guidebook which goes into far greater detail with itineraries, maps and more.
Neighborhoods
The first thing you need to know is that NYC has more than 300 neighborhoods located within 5 boroughs known as Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Staten Island. But don’t let that overwhelm you. Whether it’s your first, second or even fifth visit to New York, almost all of the top attractions and places you’ll want to visit are located in the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn.
- Manhattan: From southern tip at Battery Park up to around 90th street which cuts through Central Park in Upper East Side and Upper West Side, plus everything in between. Plan to spend at least 75% of your time in Manhattan on a first visit.
- Brooklyn: The immediate area around Brooklyn Bridge called Dumbo, as well as Williamsburg further to the north. Plan to spend around 25% of your time in Brooklyn on a first visit.
Our favorite neighborhoods to walk around in Manhattan include Midtown, SoHo, West Village, Financial District and the areas around southern Central Park. In Brooklyn, we love walking around both Dumbo and the northern part of Williamsburg.
Top Experiences
NYC is a tourist experience machine. It’s the reason we all love to visit. Movie locations, skylines, landmarks, museums, shows, you name it New York has it. But how do you prioritize what to do?
Well, when we visit a new place we start by determining which top experiences we absolutely have to try first time around. And we think there are some things you simply can’t miss on a first trip to New York City. The rest is down to your personal travel style, preferences and budget.
Here are the things we would prioritize above all else:
- Go up at least one observation deck
- Take a ferry to the Statue of Liberty
- Visit at least one famous museum
- Walk across Brooklyn Bridge at sunset
- Find the best spots in Central Park
- Try classic NYC foods like pizza and bagels
After those core activities and places to visit (which won’t break the bank), you can make up the rest of your itinerary with things like Broadway shows, exploring trendy neighborhoods, prioritizing meals out or mingling with locals in bars, visiting more museums or taking tours based on your timeframe and budget.
Need help planning your visit to NYC?
Our popular New York City travel guidebook will help you with planning every aspect of your trip, including airport links, the subway, top attractions, itinerary ideas, restaurants, hotels and map!
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Observation Decks
Did you know that you can stand on a handful of elevated observation decks high above New York’s iconic skyline? As travel photographers, we have to say that gazing down onto the sprawling NYC concrete jungle is one of our favorite things to do every time we’re in town. We’ve been up them all more than once, and we definitely have our favorites.
Here are the observation decks:
Now, we highly recommend you try at least one when you visit NYC for the first time. You can go up observation decks in many cities around the world, but none of them have a skyline as unique as New York. Technically, you could say that the Statue of Liberty Crown is also an observation deck, but it’s nowhere near as high as the others and it doesn’t have the same skyline views.
So which do we like most? Well, we think the old but gold Top of the Rock has the best view because you can see all of Manhattan, as well as Central Park. But we also really like Edge at Hudson Yards because it’s outdoors. They’re both amazing at sunset, so make sure you go up an hour before sunset to get settled in for the show.
Statue Of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is about as iconic as it gets in NYC. Now, you absolutely don’t have to go to Liberty Island if you don’t have the time or budget because you can just about see it from southern Manhattan and northwestern Brooklyn. But it’s so much better to get up close and personal with Lady Liberty. And an added bonus is that you also get to take a look around the excellent Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration as part of the same ticket price.
The only way to step onto Liberty Island from NYC is by taking a ferry from Battery Park in Manhattan. And only one official company runs the ferry. You buy a ticket for the ferry, not for entry to the statue or immigration museum. The ferry ticket includes entry to both islands.
We thought it was well worth the cheap price to stand underneath the Statue of Liberty, learn about its creation and history, look back at Manhattan’s skyline and learn about mass immigration through Ellis Island.
Museums
New York is home to some of the world’s most respected museums. For us, they’re not quite as iconic as those in London, Paris or Rome, but there are still a bunch of fantastic museums you should consider checking out. It’s easy for us to choose a favorite; The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) is incredible. We lost 6 hours in there!
Here are some top museums to consider:
- The MET
- 9/11 Museum
- MoMA
- Natural History Museum
- Ellis Island Immigration
- Intrepid Sea, Air and Space
- Transit Museum
If you only visit one, go to The MET. It’s enormous, so you’ll need half a day. After that our favorite is the 9/11 Museum. It’s harrowing but the timeline room is amazing and they’ve done a superb job at making the significance of it all hit home.
You can go to natural history museums in a lot of places so maybe skip this one (we prefer the one in London anyway). Ellis Island is great, Intrepid works well if you’re traveling with kids, military or history buffs, and the transit museum is very unique to NYC.
Brooklyn Bridge
If you asked us what’s the single best thing to do in NYC? We’d say walking across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset and night. It’s free, it’s awesome and it has some of the best Lower Manhattan skyline views in the city. There’s a perpetual feel good buzz in the air and everyone’s taking fun photos of each other.
Our advice is to walk slowly from Manhattan to Brooklyn to see the sun disappear on the horizon behind a tiny Statue of Liberty. But once you get half way across stop and wait for darkness to take hold. Most people walk in the opposite direction, but you’re going this way so you can see Lower Manhattan lit up at night from Brooklyn Bridge Park and Old Pier 1.
Sunset is the busiest time to walk the pedestrian only path across the East River. Conversely, it’s quietest at dawn. If you’re interested in photography, we highly recommend you go to Pier 17 or walk across Brooklyn Bridge at sunrise. We got some amazing photos from our sunrise walk across the bridge with nobody else around.
Central Park
Without question, Central Park is the green space you should prioritize when you visit NYC. It’s not just a place locals walk the dog, run or take a bike ride. It’s got plenty of great tourist spots that you’ll have seen in famous movies over the decades. We’ve been so many times, but we always go back any time we’re in the city. It’s free, easy and photogenic, so what’s not to like?
Our favorite thing about Central Park is how it changes over the course of a year. We’ve seen cherry blossoms in spring, emerald greens in summer, stunning foliage in fall and a brilliant white snowy wonderland in winter. But the park is massive, so how do you know where to go?
Here’s the route you should follow:
- The Mall
- Bethesda Terrace
- Bow Bridge (don’t cross)
- Strawberry Fields
- The Ramble
- Belvedere Castle
Pizza + Bagels
Do you plan your trips around food? If so, you simply must try breakfast bagels and classic pizza slices when you visit NYC. Now, there are dozens of bagel joints and hundreds of pizza places, so how do you decide where to go? A lot will depend on where you book a hotel, so you’re not walking miles for a bagel after waking up. But we can give you a helping hand.
Our favorite pizza joints:
- Joe’s Pizza (Broadway)
- Rubirosa (Nolita)
- L’Industry (Williamsburg)
READ: Must visit pizza spots in NYC
Our favorite bagel spots:
- Liberty Bagels (Midtown)
- Best Bagel + Coffee (Midtown)
- Russ + Daughters (Lower East Side)
Where To Stay
One of the more challenging parts of planning a trip to NYC is figuring out where you’ll stay. There’s thousands of hotels so getting a room won’t be an issue. It’s more about finding the right area and then finding good value in that area. Remember, this is New York City so you can’t expect hotels in the more touristy areas to be cheap, especially during peak visiting times.
So far we’ve stayed at hotels around Central Park, Times Square, Bryant Park, Empire State Building, SoHo, Little Italy, the Financial District and Williamsburg. Each area had its own set of pros and cons based on things like budget, transport links and proximity to attractions.
For a first visit to NYC we recommend booking a hotel in Midtown, somewhere near Bryant Park. This area gives you a central location, good transport links and lots of hotel options. If you’re a return visitor looking for something a bit different, try SoHo, Greenwich Village or even Williamsburg instead. They’re more residential and foodie oriented.
NYC Itinerary
Planning your first time NYC itinerary can be difficult because there’s so much to see and do with very little time. Start with the basics. Are you a traveler who prioritizes attractions, food or neighborhoods? How many days do you have? And how quickly do you want to explore?
We think 4 days is the perfect amount of time for a first trip to New York City. This timeframe strikes a good balance between total costs, how much you can do and the pace you’ll need to do it all at. With fewer days you’ll be cutting attractions and going faster, whereas with more time it begins to get very expensive.
Here’s how we would spend 4 days in NYC:
- Day 1 – Central Park, The MET, Fifth Avenue, Grand Central Terminal, Top of the Rock sunset.
- Day 2 – Empire State Building, Washington Square Park, Chelsea Market, The High Line, Edge sunset.
- Day 3 – Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Financial District, 9/11, Tribeca, SoHo, Little Italy.
- Day 4 – Dumbo sunrise, Williamsburg, back to Brooklyn Bridge Park, walk Brooklyn Bridge sunset.
That covers 3 days in Manhattan (upper, midtown and lower) and one day in Brooklyn. There’s obviously a lot more you’d do in between, but that’s a solid baseline to build from. It’s got a nice blend of activities and neighborhoods, but you could always go heavier on attractions.
Airports
Whether arriving domestically or internationally, you’ll fly into one of three major airports servicing New York City: JFK, Newark or La Guardia. We’re yet to fly through La Guardia, we’ve been through Newark a few times and we’ve been through JFK a million times. Well, at least it feels that way!
JFK – Largest airport, 6 passenger terminals, major hub for American, Delta and JetBlue. Taxis and ride shares cost around $65 one-way into Manhattan. We usually take the AirTrain from JFK to Jamaica Station and then hop on the LIRR into Penn Station because it’s quick and affordable.
Newark – Second largest airport, located in New Jersey, hub for United. Taxis and ride shares cost around $60 one-way into Manhattan. We take the AirTrain and then an Amtrak into Penn Station. Again, it’s quicker and cheaper.
La Guardia – Smallest airport but newer and nicer, mostly domestic flights, closer to Manhattan. Taxis and ride shares cost around $35 one-way, or you can take a bus and subway combination for just $2.75. It’s the Q70 bus and subway line 7 westbound.
Getting Around
The best piece of advice we can give you for a first visit to NYC is to walk as much as you can. Forget looking good, instead go with a comfortable pair of shoes and clock up thousands of steps each day exploring cool neighborhoods in Manhattan and Brooklyn. It’s by far the best way to see the city.
With that said, there are some instances when you’ll need to jump on a subway. Even the detailed 4 day NYC itinerary in our guidebook – which we created to have the fewest amount of subway rides as possible – has a handful of subway journeys that are unavoidable.
The good news is the NYC subway network is extensive, cheap and has lots of trains. The bad news is it can be a bit sketchy at times. We’ve never had any issues, but it’s definitely wise to keep your belongings close and try not to attract any attention.
Personally, we’d avoid taxis and ride shares for getting from point A to point B in New York. They’re more expensive and they will take longer because of traffic. You’re better off taking the subway.
- Here’s a NYC subway map.
Expenses
Okay, onto the major pain point, how much is this trip going to cost you? Well, we’re going to give you that annoying answer you never want to hear – it depends. Because truthfully it does depend, on which hotel you book, which attractions you do, where you decide to eat, how many beers you have in a rooftop bar etc etc. In essence, New York is going to be as expensive as you make it.
Let’s start with hotels because they will be your biggest expense if you take flights out of the equation. Hotels in NYC are not cheap. We’ve never booked a hotel in New York and thought “wow, that was actually pretty reasonable.” But that’s because we tend to stay in the most popular or upscale neighborhoods. You can get cheaper rates if you stay in hotels with lower guest ratings in less desirable parts of town, or if you visit in the off-season.
Once your hotel is booked, the rest is down to you. The hotel is essential, but everything else is desirable. You can eat at cheaper places quite easily, you can do a lot of really cool free activities and you can use the subway to get around. On the flip side of the coin, you could dine at Michelin star restaurants, take a luxury helicopter tour over NYC and take Ubers all across the city.
Here’s what an average couple might spend each day:
- Hotel – $300
- Food – $100
- Attractions – $100
- Subway – $10
NYC Passes
One way to keep expenses down is to buy a New York attractions pass. Instead of paying for each individual attraction like Top of the Rock, 9/11 and the Statue of Liberty, you pay one price for a pass that gets you entry to all attractions but at a cheaper price overall.
They do work and they can save you money, but only if you’re organized and smart about which attractions you choose. Typically, the more attractions you visit, the more money you save. We’ve used attraction passes in cities all over the world including London, Rome, Paris and of course NYC. In New York, we’ve used these passes to basically see and do everything you can as a tourist.
Here are the four passes:
1. Sightseeing Pass – This is our favorite pass to use in NYC. We got 3 day passes and ticked off so many attractions. Clicking the words Sightseeing Pass above will automatically apply our exclusive 5% discount on adult tickets and 10% discount on child tickets. And we’ve written a review of the NY Sightseeing Pass so you can learn more.
2. CityPASS – Our second favorite pass. No day passes available, but we used our passes to see the top attractions in NYC at discounted rates. We’ve also written a review of the NY CityPASS.
3. Go City – Similar to Sightseeing Pass with lots of options, offering a day and attractions based pass. Worth checking prices for any deals.
4. New York Pass – Basically the exact same thing as the Go City Pass (same parent company). Again, it’s worth checking for deals.
- Bonus: You can also head over to Tiqets and input code “WATM10NOW” for 10% off any individual attraction in NYC.
These passes work best if you plan to see and do lots of things when you arrive. If you’re not sure how bothered you’ll be about ticking off attractions, don’t get a pass. And you can still use the Tiqets discount code if you decide to visit just one attraction at any point.
Know Before You Go
What do you need to be aware of before visiting NYC for the first time? Well, it’s much like any other city but there are some nuances, so let’s take a look at four things to consider.
Tipping – Yes, you have to tip, this is America after all! If you’re coming from abroad, it’s important to know that tax will be added and tipping is essentially mandatory because wait staff depend on tips. So if a meal costs $20, you’re looking at closer to $26.
Reservations – If you visit New York in peak season, we highly recommend you book restaurants in advance so you don’t miss out. There’s enough places to eat so you won’t go hungry, but if you’ve picked a place out, book it just in case.
Times Square – Yes, you should walk through Times Square because it’s a rite of passage in NYC. We don’t like it, but it’s certainly not as bad as everyone makes out. Just don’t spend too long there, be very careful with your belongings and don’t let anyone take photos with you otherwise you have to pay.
Nights – You’ll be fine most places at night, but we suggest avoiding train stations and bus stations. Stick to built up and well lit areas, consider a ride share instead of the subway if you’re alone, always know where you are with a map and stay alert.
Best Time To Visit
We’ve been to NYC in all four seasons, and we lived there for 4 months during the winter of 2021. There’s pros and cons to each season, so determining the best time for you to visit really depends on what you prioritize when you travel. Do you prefer cheaper prices or fewer crowds? Do you mind cold weather?
Spring – Nice balance between hotel costs, crowds and weather. Earlier in spring you’ll get better deals and less crowded attractions. Flowers bloom in gardens around the city in late April and May (including cherry blossoms), but rain is more frequent.
Summer – Busiest time of year to visit, highest hotel occupancy rates and prices, busy restaurants and jam-packed attractions. But the weather is warm, everything is open and it has a great atmosphere.
Fall – The balance between hotel costs, crowds and weather returns. September is a fantastic month to visit NYC, but later in fall temperatures begin to plummet so you’ll need to pack accordingly. The fall foliage colors in Central Park peak around the end of October or beginning of November.
Winter – Temperatures are very cold and it can snow. But crowds are minimal and hotel prices are incredibly affordable. So it’s a trade off. December is a different beast because NYC is a popular place to visit in the build up to the holidays.
Our NYC Photos
We hope this NYC travel guide helps with planning your visit to the Big Apple!
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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