If you subscribe to my email updates you will have seen that in last week’s email I asked you guys to send me any travel questions you have. One of the first emails to come through was from Bethan Jackson (thanks Bethan!) and she said:
I want to go to New York for a long weekend. Can you recommend a way to find cheap flights and some cool things to do while we’re there?
I was absolutely more than happy to put together a mini guide to New York City because it’s one of my favourite cities in the world. New York stole my heart and I’m desperate to go back. So here’s a guide for Bethan and anyone else who wants to visit New York for a 4-day trip – which I highly recommend because it’s awesome!
Booking your flights
If you’re a fellow Brit, New York might seem like a long way to go for a weekend trip but it’s easily do-able. There are so many flights to New York meaning they’re affordable and often at good times so you can minimize the amount of time you take off work.
You guys already know I love Skyscanner for finding cheap flights when you have flexible dates. When searching, make sure you select ‘Whole Month’ so you can see all the prices for every day.
I’d recommend looking for direct flights – for the price difference it’s not worth a stopover – and I’d also fly home overnight. This gives you a whole extra day in New York. The last time I did this I went straight into work after the flight so I got over the jetlag faster.
Travel Hack Tip: Don’t forget you might need an ESTA when going to New York. I actually didn’t know this the first time I went and I had to apply for one at the airport and it was so stressful! You can apply for your ESTA to the USA here. It only takes 5 minutes but I’d recommend doing it well ahead of time in case it takes a while to come through.
Booking your hotel
Last time I was in New York I stayed at the Grand Hyatt in mid-town Manhattan. Location-wise it was perfect as it’s connected to Grand Central Terminal (it doesn’t get much more central than this). The room was simple, modern and fairly stylish. It didn’t blow my socks off but if you’re looking for one of the best locations in the city then this is a great option.
Public transport in New York is so good so I really wouldn’t worry about your location too much.
Super cool option – Dream Downtown by Hyatt
There’s one in midtown and one in downtown but the downtown one looks amazing. Dream is a flagship hotel in downtown Manhattan with a modern theme. It features a roof-top lounge with club overlooking the skyline, an on-site restaurant, and an outdoor pool with private cabanas.
Boutique on a budget – CitizenM
I’m a big fan of CitizenM hotels. They’re the kind of place you’ll want to stay when you’re transitioning between hostels and boutique hotels. Eg. You want to stay in boutique hotels but can’t quite afford it! (That’s me!)
Budget Option – The Jane Hotel
This is a budget hotel with a hipster vibe and an interesting history as it once sheltered survivors from the Titanic. If you’re on a really tight budget you can opt for a private room but a shared bathroom.
Hostels – The Guardian have a great selection of hostels in New York that are definitely worth checking out.
What to do each day
I’d split each day into an area of New York; Uptown, Midtown, Downtown and Brooklyn.
If it’s your first time in New York you’ll want to spend the majority of your time in and around Manhattan because this is where the main attractions are and all those famous sites you’ve seen in the movies. If you’re arriving from the UK then you’ll probably be suffering with jetlag – which isn’t always a bad thing and often means you’ll be up early and will be first in line for all the attractions! Mini Travellers have a great post on things to do with jet lag in New York so check that out!
Uptown Manhattan
Uptown Manhattan is where you’ll find Central Park and ‘Museum Mile’.
Spend your day in Uptown Manhattan alternating between museums and chilling out in the park. Consider hiring a bike while you’re in Central Park. It’s so huge and a big will help you see as much as possible.
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
Entry into the museum is currently $30 but you can book a skip-the-line ticket with a tour included on Get Your Guide.
- Guggenheim Museum (my favourite)
Again, tickets are $30 or you can buy online via GYG for £24!
- Cooper-Hewitt National Design
- Whitney Museum of American Art
- American Museum of Natural History
- The Cloisters
If you’re planning to visit a lot of attractions then I highly recommend getting a New York City Pass. You pay between £35 and £105 and the pass gives you access to between 2 and 10 of the city’s top attractions. The pass lasts for 30 days and, if you plan to see a lot, you’ll save yourself a lot of money.
Midtown Manhattan
While you’re in midtown Manhattan you’ll see some of the city’s most famous landmarks
- Grand Central Terminal
- New York Public Library
- Rockefeller Center
- St Patrick’s Cathedral
- Empire State Building – Aim to go up at sunset
- Times Square – Best after dark
Lower Manhattan
- 9/11 Memorial & Museum
- Take the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island
- Wall Street
- Walk along the High Line
Brooklyn
- Walk across Brooklyn Bridge
- Coney Island
- Brooklyn Flea Market
Tours to take
If you’re feeling like a lazy tourist or you want to see as much as possible, I’d recommend taking a tour. New York is such a huge city with so much to see and a tour or two will help you make the most of your trip.
Check out some New York tours here from Get Your Guide – a company I love as it’s so easy to prebook before you arrive.
Foodie Tour
You’ll probably have noticed I haven’t recommended one place to eat in New York and that’s because there’s so much choice I wouldn’t even know where to begin. There’s a great China Town and Little Italy food tour or take a walking tour that has food tastings along the way!
I’m always surprised by how much I love foodie tours. I always think I can recreate them myself just by visiting a few bars and cafes and restaurants but it’s never the same.
Movie Location Tour
One of my favourite things about New York was visiting all the familiar sights I’ve seen so many times in movies and TV shows. There’s a tour you can take and it’s hosted by an actor which takes you to the film locations from your favourite films and TV shows!
Getting around New York
DO NOT take an open-top bus tour in New York. The traffic is so heavy that you’d be able to get off and walk faster than the bus can drive. Plus, it’s really expensive and pretty boring.
Use public transport. The metro is really good!
If you’re flying into JFK, booking a convenient and stress-free Jfk shuttle transfer is a great way to get into Manhattan without dealing with confusing connections or rush-hour crowds.
Do you have any more tips to add to the New York mini guide?
Read more:
Life on the High Line, New York
Top 10 things to do in New York
Oh isn’t it just fabulous?! NYC is my favourite city in the world, I honestly don’t think I’d ever tire of it! This is a great little round up – I want to try and make it to Coney Island and see more of Greenwich Village, West Village & Brooklyen if I go back. If accommodation wasn’t so costly, I’d probably go every year so I’ll keep these more mid range hotels in mind for future trips!
I know, that’s the problem with big cities like New York, accommodation is so expensive. Air bnb might be worth checking out too.
As an American in London, when people hear my accent, they always like to tell me where they’ve been in the US and NYC is always on their list. And I’m so embarrassed to say I never have! As soon as we move back, this will be one of the first trips we take! Fantastic itinerary, too, by the way!
The US is so huge though! I have so many friends from the UK who have never been to London and I’m sure it’s the same in every country. We’ll travel half way across the world but not what’s on the doorstep!
Great guide Monica!
I have to say though, I disagree with one thing! For first time visitors I definitely recommend the open top bus tours – the tour guides are usually super funny and entertaining (they work for tips after all!). It shouldn’t be your main method of transport because the subway is wayyy quicker, but I think hopping on one for an afternoon and doing the loop is a great thing to do on a sunny day!
It’s an easy way to see less-tourist parts of the city like Uptown, Harlem, Queens, the uptown loop we did a few years ago was great 🙂 xx
It sounds like you had a great experience on the bus – it just goes to show that everything is different for everyone so thanks for sharing.
When I was there it was cold and snowy so we were all packed inside. The guide wasn’t very good and our ear pieces didn’t work. I ended up getting off and walking.
This guide is awesome! I will definitely refer back to it next time I’m in New York. I was there last year, but only for three days. Cannot wait to go back!
I can’t wait to go back some day too. Just writing this guide made me really excited!
Great advice, splitting your visit up by parts of town. It’s such a big city it would be difficult (and exhausting!) trying to run from Uptown to Downtown to Brooklyn all in a single day or two. New York will always be one of my favorite cities too!
That’s exactly what I did on my first day in New York. I was all over the place! The public transport is really good but splitting the city up into sections makes it so much easier.
Your maths questions always make me realise how bad I am at math haha!! Anyway, I visited NYC back in 2013 and I am desperate to return. I’m planning on taking a trip with my little sister just for a few days so this is a really perfect guide! Amazing tips.
thelifeofastudenttraveller.blogspot.co.uk
Haha, I know. Sometimes it throws out a really tough maths sum doesn’t it!
I hope the guide comes in handy 🙂
Aaaaamazing guide! I’ve been to NYC a few times but this was still helpful for me! Thanks for sharing.
Happy travels 🙂
I’m so glad it was helpful 🙂
This is perfect! I’m currently planning my trip back to north America and have included a few days in New York.
You lucky thing. I hope you have an amazing trip!
This post just has me itching even more to go to nyc! Thank you for the tips.
I am so overdue a return visit to NYC – not been since the High Line opened which I’d love to see. It would be my first trip with my daughter so a different focus from shopping, sights and hidden bars!
I did almost all of the major sites in just one day. I’ve never been so exhausted! I’d love to go back and see it at a more leisurely pace and discover some of the less obvious attractions.
Ah I love NYC so much!! I’m lucky enough to go there a few times a year for work and I always try to stay an extra day or two to do a little shopping and exploring. I’d also add the Chelsea Market (close to the high line) and wandering through the shops in Soho. There’s just so much to do that there always has to be a “next time” in New York!
Jessica
http://www.thebellevoyage.com
Great summary of activities, Monica. We loved the Jane Carousel in Brooklyn and Eataly for a fun lunch option near Flatiron. Have you tried those?
Suze | LuxuryColumnist
Thank you so much for this! It’s exactly what I’ve needed as I’m currently trying to plan a 4-5 day trip to New York sometime soon! Can’t wait!
Hey Monica!
I’m off to New York again in just under 3 weeks *yaaaaay*. I just have a quick question in regards to budget as your travel style is very similar to mine (hence why I read the blog funnily enough), but what do you reckon I should budget money-wise for a 7 day trip? I’m on a pretty tight budget as I am moving house the week before (great timing), but wanted your recommendation how much spending money you would take for food, drink and souveniers (lord knows with the cupboard space in the new place I DON’T need any more clothes…). Attractions are paid for already; soccer match, train tickets to Philly for the day, dinner at The View and up the One World Observatory – so it’s mainly just adhoc things.
It would be marvellous to have the ’24 hour Millionaire’ budget but alas not yet :p
Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Ta,
Hannah
It would be great to visit New York with a millionaire’s budget. If only!
Luckily, NYC is surprisingly do-able on a budget, especially when you’re visiting in the summer and have your attractions and accommodation covered already. Sounds like you’ve got a great itinerary! You could basically spend as little as you’d like because there are so many budget places to eat and there’s loads of free things to do. You could have a good time on around $50 a day.
This surely is a very nicely put together itinerary for New York. We’d add exploring Time Square at night after watching a musical at broadway to complete this list 🙂
Can I ask as a first timer going to New York in October which district are Macy’s and Bloomingdales in and also the Broadway theatres
hi i am going to NYC in 6 days from Glasgow, UK. This will be my first visit – your guide is great and gave me a bit more structure on how to spend my days wisely.
Any other Tips for a 1st timer would be Amazing 🙂
Thank you
Have a great time Charlene! It’s such a great city. My only other tip is to make sure you have comfortable shoes – you’ll need them for lots of walking!
Great guide, I’m currently planning an itinerary for a trip next year (5 nights, 4 full days). Have changed the list so many times and still nowhere near finalised but I have 3 months left to plan…
Super guide, thanks. Only 10 more days until we set off on the QM2 for 5 days in NY and Independence Day. Very excited. Love the way you’ve split the guide into areas and your warning about open-top buses.