The Best Of New York City In Only Three Days
Are you planning a visit to New York City – and want to know if it’s possible to explore it in only three days? Or are you simply looking for the best things to do during your stay? With this three day itinerary to New York City, I have tried to capture the best sights, experiences and foods for a first time visitor. Enjoy!
New York City was a huge bucketlist experience for me before my visit. I had seen it a million times on some of my favourite movies and tv-shows, and always dreamed of experiencing the buzzing energy, diversity and opportunities the city represents! My visit to NYC was all that and so much more. If you dream of visiting too, read along!
How many days should you spend in new york city?
The answer to this question is highly subjective and depends on what you plan to get out of your trip. You can easily spend weeks in New York City exploring the less touristy sights, diving deep into its history and museums and visiting areas outside of Manhattan. However, if you want to catch the best and most popular sights, three whole days in New York is a good amount of time to do so!
How to see the best of New York City in Only three Days
Seeing the best of New York City in only three whole days is definitely possible – and I am the living proof of it! This three day itinerary for NYC is for the busy traveller who want to make the most of a short stay. This means long days of exploring and a lot of walking! If you like a slower pace, you can always adapt the itinerary by skipping some activities or staying for longer than three days. Below is an overview of this three day itinerary for New York City:
Day 1: Midtown Manhatten, Rooftop Views And Bryant Park
On your first day in New York City, you want to experience the city as you have always imagined it: buzzling, chaotic and impressively huge! In my opinion, the best way to do this is to explore Midtown Manhatten, which entails everything from Times Square to the Empire State Building. Along the way, you will have plenty of opportunities to try some typical New York City foods!
Enjoy A Hearty Brunch At The Grey Dog – Flatiron
The best itineraries for exploring big cities always start with a great brunch. Do you agree? In this case, you should definitely check out The Grey Dog – Flatiron. This café had a great atmosphere, and the menu entails everything from breakfast bowls and classic breakfast plates to huge burgers and mexican food! I feel pretty certain in the statement that everyone will find something they like here.
The Flatiron Building
Seeing as you are right next to the building, why not walk by the Flatiron Building? This building has become famous for its appearance, which clearly stands out from the rest of the area. There is not much else to the sight, but nonetheless it is among the most photographed places in New York City.
Calling Harry Potter Fans: The Harry Potter New York Store
If you are a Harry Potter fan, you should definitely head to the Harry Potter store next. This several floor store has an impressive interior. It feels like you stepped right in to a Harry Potter museum!
Visit The Empire State Building
Next on your first day itinerary is the Empire State Building. Although many people suggest to see the city from the Rockerfeller Center, we really enjoyed going to the top of the Empire State Building instead. There is a large museum-like display at the bottom of the building, where you can learn about the history of the building, which was actually really impressive! And obviously, the view from the top was amazing too!
Note: You can easily expect to spend an hour or so in the Empire State Building, if you plan on enjoying most of what it has to offer. And if you arrive at a busy time, the lines can get quite long too!
Grand Central Station
After seeing the city from above, why not walk past Grand Central Station to experience the energy and diversity, that you have only ever seen on a movie screen? One of my favorite things to do in New York City is to chase movie scene locations, as movies were the reason I dreamed of visiting NYC in the first place!
Times Square
Finally – it is time for a visit at the famous Times Square. You simply cannot go to New York City without experiencing the pure chaos, noise and blinding lights of Times Square. As a matter of fact, I suggest you visit both during the day and at night, which will give the place a completely different feel!
Snack On A Real New York Pizza Slice At Joe’s
Right next to Times Square you will find one of the Joe’s Pizzas – a famous chain of pizza places in New York City. It often has a long line in front of it, but in my experience, the line moves pretty fast! Why not buy a couple of slices and share them with your travel companions, before heading on?
Visit The Rockerfeller Center
Another must-see in NYC is the Rockerfeller Center. If you visit during christmas, you will be able to ice skate in front of the impressive christmas tree! And during the summer, the area turns into a rollerskating rink, which is equally fun. Even if you don’t plan on going on any skates, you might want to walk by the Rockerfeller Center just to see it!
Walk By St. Patricks Cathedral
Close to Rockerfeller Center you will find St. Patricks Cathedral. I stumbled upon it randomly on my last visit and was completely surprised by how much this gothic building stands out from its surroundings! If you want, you can enter the church to experience the impressively tall ceilings and glass panels.
Walk The High Line
Next, take the metro to the Vessel, where you will be able to enter the High Line. The High Line is a 2,4 km pedestrian path raised above the busy streets. It is made on an old railroad, and has been turned into a park with many great sights to see along the way! It is the perfect place to catch some fresh air and peace from the buzzling city below. Also, it will naturally lead you to your next location: Chelsea Market.
Explore Chelsea Market
Chelsea Market is a huge food and retail market filled with fun things to explore, taste and try! It is placed in an old factory building and has a beautiful interior. Also, it is the perfect place to stock up on snakcs or try a few different cuisines if you are in need of some fuel!
Evening Activity: Visit A Rooftop Bar Or Restaurant
A great way to get the full New York City experience is to visit a rooftop bar, where you can enjoy the views of the skyline! We actually had a rooftop bar at the hotel we were staying at: Hotel Hendricks. I was impressed to find that there was a straight view to the Empire State Building from the entire terrace! Admittedly, the drinks were a little expensive. But I guess you pay for the views too!
Evening Activity: Enjoy Free Activities And A Drink At Bryant Park
If you are looking for some fun activities for your first night in New York City, why not head to Bryant Park? This centrally located park has a restaurant and bar area, and plenty of free activities such as board- and garden games!
Day 2: Brooklyn, Lower Manhattan & A Broadway Show
On your second day in New York City, it is time to head to Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan! These areas are a little less crowded than Midtown Manhatten, and gives you the opportunity to see some of New York Citys other facets. Also, this second day itinerary includes a visit to a broadway show, which is an absolute must for the real New York City experience!
Take A Stroll Around Brooklyn
In the morning, take the metro to Downtown Brooklyn and start exploring the area. I personally loved wandering around Brooklyn, as it felt so much less busy and stressful than midtown did. If you are interested in second-hand shopping and flea markets, these often take place in Brooklyn during the weekend.
Also, Brooklyn has some great photo spots for the Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge! For example, you can search on Google Maps for “Dumbo – Manhattan Bridge View”, which is one of the most iconic!
Take In The Views From Brooklyn Bridge Park
Next, head towards the waterfront of Brooklyn and take a stroll through Brooklyn Bridge Park. This large park offers a promenade with stunning views of the skyline of Manhattan. Also, there are many nice sights along the way, such as flower beds, piers, fountains and lookout points for Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan Bridge!
Enjoy Brunch Or a Coffee At Timeout Market
By now, you should be ready for a coffee, snack or a nice brunch. Next stop on the itinerary is the Timeout Market, which is a famous food hall located right by the waterfront in Brooklyn. Inside, you will find everything from bagels to pancakes and bariastas. If you arrive closer to lunch, there are plenty of lunch options too!
Walk Across The Famous Brooklyn Bridge
Once you have fuelled up, it is time to walk across Brooklyn Bridge – a true bucketlist experience in New York City. The walk across is about 2 km and will take you around 30 minutes, depending on how many times you stop for photos.
Sightseeing In The Financial District
When you have placed your feet back on Manhattan ground, head towards Battery Park through the Financial District. This area of New York is known as the home of New York Stock Exchange and the Wall Street, and is filled with business suits, fancy buildings and a fast pace of life. One of the most visited sights and photo spots is The Charging Bull, which is meant to symbolize the hard work and determination of the American people.
Visit The Battery (And Potentially The Statue Of Liberty)
Next on the itinerary is a stroll through The Battery, which is a park at the most southern part of Manhattan. In the park, you will find beautiful paths, great areas to relax, several monuments, and a view point for the Statue of Liberty!
Depending on how much time you have, you can also visit the Statue of Liberty up close. One of the quickest options is take the free ferry to Staten Island, which will take you around an hour to return. Alternatively, you can book on to a one-hour Statue of Liberty Cruise.
If you want to visit the Island of the Statue of Liberty itself, you might want to save it for day three of this itinerary, where you will have more time to explore your interests.
Lunch At Katz’s Delicatessen
Katz’ Delicatessen is a must visit on your trip to New York City. This deli has some of the greatest pastrami sandwiches you will ever find. Before ordering, they even let you taste the different types of meats to choose from, and I honestly thought they were all so delicious!
Visit The World Trade Center
Once you have enjoyed some lunch and relaxed your legs for a bit, it is time to head to the World Trade Center Memorial – also known as Ground Zero. If you have the time, I suggest to visit both the reflecting pools outside and the memorial museum.
Evening Activity: Enjoy A Real Broadway Show
A visit to New York City cannot be complete without experiencing a real broadway show. Although these are often expensive and should be booked in advance, it was honestly one of the highlights of my visit to experience the quality and effort put into the show we watched. Often, the entire threater is dedicated to that one show and decorated inside to match the theme, which I found so impressive.
Day 3: Central park, Museums Or Shopping & A Great Evening
On your third and final day in New York City, it is time to explore Central Park! Also, I made some flexibility in this itinerary, which means you can spend half of your day on what interests you the most – be it shopping, museums or fun activities! Read along to find out more.
Spend Your Morning Exploring Central Park
Central Park is just one of those iconic New York City areas that you want to tick off from your bucketlist during your visit. Personally, it was one of my favourite parts of the city, and I would have loved to spend longer there. If you are a nature person like me, I think you will enjoy a bite of fresh air in the busy city too!
Central Park covers a huge area and there is so much to explore. Start from the bottom of the park and walk on the paths that call out your name towards The Lake. Don’t forget to walk on The Mall and Liberty Walk, stop by Bethesda Fountain & Terrace and get a look at the iconic Bow Bridge.
Depending on how early you started your day, you can enjoy as little or as much of the park as your want! And if you are looking for a place to eat a great breakfast, I heard that Loeb Boathouse in Central Park is a great place.
Activity Option 1: Go Shopping
As mentioned, the third day of this New York City itinerary allows a focus on what you want the most. One of the best things to do in New York City is to go shopping in the many amazing, huge stores they have. If you love shopping, you might even have come to New York partly for this reason. If this is the case, why not spend the middle of your day on a small shopping spree?
Activity Option 2: Enjoy Some of New Yorks Fun And Different Experiences
If you want to experience som fun and different activities while in New York, the city has plenty to offer too! Since I am a fan of both Harry Potter and Friends, I was happy to hear that New York City has designated museums and experiences for these. For example, you can walk around the film sets of the Friends appartments, or do virtual reality games in Hogwarts!
These are just a few examples, and there are so many opportunities in New York City. Why not search around according to your interests?
Activity Option 3: Visit Some of New York Cities Greatest Museums
Finally, if museums are your thing, there are a ton of great museums and galleries in New York City! If you want an overview, this article makes a great introduction to some of the most popular ones.
Stroll Around West Village, NoHo And Soho For The Best Snacks And Cutest Streets
For your last afternoon in New York City, is suggest taking the metro to West Village and roaming around the streets in the area. This area of Manhattan was actually my favourite, as there were so many cute, small residential streets. It was more calm, there was more greenery, and we found a lot of small shops and cafés, where we wanted to stop.
In this area, you will find the building used as the front of the appartment in Friends – and the appartment that Carries Bradshaw lived in in Sex & The City! You might also have seen videos of epic chocolate filled croissants at Lafayette Grand Bakery and the best cookies at Levain Bakery. Well guess what? They are located in Noho, just a small stroll away!
Washington Square Park
In the same area, you will also find Washington Square Park – a luscious park filled with playgrounds, artists and areas to relax. If you need a rest, why not buy a coffee and a snack and spend an hour or two in the park?
Enjoy Your Last Evening In Lower Manhatten
Some of the most atmospheric restaurants in New York City is placed in lower Manhattan around SoHo and Little Italy. For you last evening in the city, why not book a table at one of these? If you choose one of the most popular italian restaurants such as Rubirosa or Osteria Morini, you are in for a romantic evening filled with delicious foods! Whichever cousine and atmosphere you prefer, I garantuee you will find it somewhere in the area.
I hope this three day itinerary for New York City has helped you on your way to seeing the best of the city with limited amount of time! Remember: even if we don’t get to see it all, it is still worth the trip and the memories. At least I think so. So book that trip!
