Most people say it takes a lifetime to see what New York is all about. It is absolutely true what they say. But that doesn’t mean you cannot experience what this great city has to offer in a handful of days. I will tell you the perfect way to visit New York in 4 days (and there is also a surprise bonus trip added). This itinerary is perfect for first time visitors when you are not sure what to see in a city which has so much to offer. So without much ado, let us begin our itinerary for New York in 4 days.
Where to stay
My mantra – if you are visiting a place for a short time, stay somewhere central. Since you have only 4 days in New York I suggest staying in Manhattan. However in the peak season NYC can get nasty expensive so other options to stay would be in New Jersey which is well connected (by the PATH) to NYC. I stayed in this Airbnb which was in Upper East side and was very central for my explorations.
If you are a first time Airbnb user then you can also use my link to score upto $40 off your first booking.
How to travel in New York
Using the subway is the quickest and most economical way to get around. Note there are a couple of options when it comes to which Metro cards to buy. The Unlimited Ride MetroCard costs $33 (+$1 card fee) and is valid for 7 days. If you are staying that long and will be extensively traveling in New York then you should go for it. This card is not valid for the AirTrain to JFK though.
The other option is to buy the Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard which essentially means that you top up the card (at kiosks on subway stations) with as much money as you think you would need. You can top up as many times as you want. The benefit of this card is you can just have the 1 card topped up for more than 1 travellers. Just swipe it twice/more. The cost of a single ride is $2.75 and $1 is the new card fee. You can also top it up for use in the AirTrain to JFK.
New York City Pass – To buy or not to buy
New York is an expensive city and many of its attractions can be quite expensive. I would advise to buy atleast one of the City Passes to save money. You can choose from Official CityPASS ($132) or C3 pass ($84) depending on how many attractions you are visiting. We chose the C3 and used it for the Empire State Building, The TOTR and the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Ferry. We paid $25 for MoMA and the entry to the American Museum of Natural History was Pay as you wish. This way we still saved $23 on the Official CityPASS.
4 days in New York itinerary
Day 1 – Grand Central, Central Park, Rockefeller Centre, Times Square
Depending on what time you are arriving and from where you are arriving, you either may not have enough time or may be jet lagged. So Day 1 can be kept light.
Grand Central station
Chances are that you might arrive in NYC through this station if you are arriving from mainland US. You may also land at Newark airport and then take the Airport shuttle to New York which drops you at the Grand Central station. We spend quite couple of hours here as we were too early to even leave our luggage at the Airbnb. Whatever your travel plan is, fit in the Grand Central into you itinerary,
Central Park
The behemoth green space is 2.5 miles long and 0.5 miles wide so visiting it needs a clear strategy. I suggest walking from somewhere near the north end of the Park and walk all the way to the south. That way you pass by the Gothic bridge, the Kennedy reservoir, the Obelisk, the Belvedre castle, the Bow bridge, Bethesda’s terrace and finally the Umpire Rock providing first glimpse of glittering NYC.
Central Park Near Kennedy reservoir The Obelisk Bethesda’s terrace Bethesda’s terrace From Umpire Rock
By now, you have reached the other end of Central Park and covered the most important sights in the Park itself. After a small break at the Umpire Rock, spotting skyscrapers and watching ice skaters, you can walk further on to Rockefeller centre which is another 1.6 mi.
Top of the Rock
To visit the TOTR you will have to buy timed entry tickets. If you are visiting in peak season make sure to buy these tickets before you arrive at the TOTR especially if you are vying for the sunset slot. We were visiting in lean season (end of January) so we got immediate slot availability. We didn’t go for the sunset slot though although it was also available.
You will need about 1-1.5 hr at the TOTR atleast mainly because of wait times for the lift going up and then down. Once at the top, don’t spend too much time at the lower floors as the view as well as the photo ops are limited due to the glass barriers. Go straight to the 70th floor for those amazing views.
Once done with the TOTR, spend some time at the Rockefeller Plaza. If you are coming during Christmas, this is the site of the famous Christmas tree. You will also get a good shot of the Radio City office. Spend some time here watching the ice skating performances or walk down iconic 5th Avenue and shop at your choicest shops.
We were too jetlagged and tired to do anything else so we called it a day and retired to our Airbnb. However you can move onto Times Square to ‘square’ off your New York highlights on Day 1.
Day 2 – Statue of Liberty, 9/11 Memorial, Wall Street, Brooklyn
Today is packed so start early. Take the subway to Battery Park from where the ferry leaves for Liberty Island and Ellis Island. Statue Cruise is the only authorised cruise boat tour to take you to the Liberty and Ellis Islands. The free Staten Ferry goes past the Liberty Island providing a view of the Lady without you getting down on the island. The Statue Cruise leaves from both New York and New Jersey. Check their departure schedules here.
Liberty and Ellis Island
If you have bought the City Pass then this will allow you access to the Liberty and Ellis Island and upto the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. If you wish to climb to the Crown then you need to buy separate tickets and they sellout ahead of time.
You will have atleast 45 mins between two boats leaving which should be enough time to visit each of these islands (45 mins each). If you are climbing upto the Crown then add another 45 mins.
NYC skyline from the Ferry Immigration hall – Ellis Park Ellis Island
9/11 Memorial and Oculus
Once you are back at Battery Park, walk down to the new World Trade Centre and visit the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Just beside it is the Oculus which is a shopping centre cum train station. Here you could also take a break for lunch.
The tree which survived the bombing A personal tribute at the 9/11 memrial The new WTC The Oculus
Wall Street
Just 0.5 mi from the 9/11 memorial site is the famous Charging Bull of Wall Street. Get ready to get in line to click your photo with the bull (we found that quite civil actually).
Brooklyn and DUMBO
The last stop for the day is the Brooklyn bridge and it would be great to time it with the setting sun. Take the subway to the Brooklyn bridge and then walk the bridge towards Brooklyn. You will get great views of New York from here. And for the iconic shot of the Manhattan bridge from DUMBO, look for 45 Washington St, Brooklyn, NY 11201, United States on Google maps. From here walk round to Jane’s carousel to see another stunning view of both the Manhattan and the Brooklyn bridge. You have already walked a thousand miles today so its time to relax here.
That is a wrap on Day 2.
Brooklyn bridge view from DUMBO Manhattan bridge view from DUMBO
Day 3 – Museums and Empire State Building
If you are in New York then it is must to visit at least couple of its iconic museums. You can choose from
- American Museum of Natural History – famous for its Dino fossils
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art (nicknamed MoMA) – mind bogglig modern art, Munch, Warhol, Van Gogh among others
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art (nicknamed The Met) – the 3rd biggest art museum in the world
- Guggenheim Museum – a UNESCO site in itself
We visited the American Museum of Natural History (pay as you wish) and the MoMA ($25) and weren’t disappointed at all.
The next and last stop for the day is the Empire State Building. If you have visited the TOTR in daylight then I recommend to visit this after sundown or vice versa. Accordingly you can either visit the Empire State in the morning and then the museums.
There are no timed entry tickets for the Empire State so it is much quicker to go up and down the lifts. Again go straight for the 86th which is the open air viewing platform.
Pro Tips: Most museums in NYC are either Pay As You Wish or free on certain dates. The MoMA is free on Friday evenings but then be prepared to stand in very long queues.
Day 4 – Washington DC or NYC suggested
On Day 4, you can take a day trip to the country’s capital or spend some more time in NYC exploring other neighborhoods.
Suggested additional things to do in New York in 4 days
- Watch a Broadway show. For some discounts search for 2for1 tickets
- Take a walk around SoHo and experience the amazing food culture there
- Head out to Chelsea Market to check out the local food market scene. Add a walk around Greenwich village
- Depending on the weather go to Highline which is a beautiful green patch in the middle of NYC
- Visit more Museums in a city which has the 2nd most number of museums in the world
So thats a wrap on what to see and do in New York in 4 days. If you wish to share your feedback or comments please do so in the Comments below.
For post on a day trip to Washington DC see here,
Till then, Happy Travels.
