If you have three days to vacation wherever you want, why not go to New York City? It’s a great place, and if you’re a first-timer, here’s a 3-day itinerary for you!
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Planning a trip to New York might seem like a lot of work, and, understandably, you’re feeling a bit lost. The city is one of the biggest touristic destinations in the United States. There are lots of places you can visit and even more activities to do, so prioritizing is going to be a bit hard.
So, why not take it a bit easier the first time around and check out our 3-day itinerary? It’s perfect if you just have a weekend. Of course, you don’t have to use it as an immutable law, but it can be useful if you need a starting point. Based on our suggestions, you can mix and match so you have the perfect 3 days in New York City.
Essential Travel Tips in New York City
Know the Boroughs
Start by getting familiar with the local language, and let’s talk a bit about the five boroughs. You’ll find that each has its unique character, culture, and attractions, so it’s worth it knowing a bit more.
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Manhattan: The more famous by far, and the most densely populated as well. You’ve probably heard about places there, like Times Square, Central Park, Wall Street, and Broadway.
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Brooklyn: If you’re looking for a more alternative vibe, you’ll love it here. It’s famous for its creative music and street art, and you can enjoy a full afternoon on Coney Island.
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Queens: The most diverse of the five and the food capital of New York City! You’ll find excellent restaurants at Chinatown, there’s also excellent Greek and Indian restaurants.
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The Bronx: A center for sports and the cradle of Hip-Hop! If you’re traveling with kids, then you can visit the Bronx Zoo and the New York Botanical Garden.
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Staten Island: Visit it to discover a quieter side of New York City, with fewer crowds and more nature. From there you can get a ferry to admire the Statue of Liberty.
NYC Explorer Pass
With the NYC Explorer Pass you can choose up to 10 attractions to visit, being cheaper than just buying regular tickets for each individually. It has its pros and cons, but if you’re going for more than a day and plan to visit some major attractions, it can help you spend a bit less. You don’t even have to decide in advance what attractions to use, there’s a list of over 90 attractions, and if you show it at the entrance, they’ll let you enter for free.
Navigating the City and Sidewalk Etiquette
If you want to go fast from one place to the other, just blend with the locals and take the metro, but for shorter trips, buses can help you too. Also, keep in mind that due to traffic, sometimes walking might be faster than both a bus and a cab.
If you’re going to walk, then be prepared for high traffic on the sidewalk. As a general rule, walk on the right side at a steady pace to avoid blocking others, don’t use the bike lanes if you’re not on a bike, and if you need to stop for a moment, move to the side.
Stay safe in New York City
For the tourist, New York City is pretty safe, if they follow some simple tips and general rules:
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Keep your valuables secure, use a crossbody bag and don’t leave your wallet in your back pocket.
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Avoid empty train cars, especially at night. Also, if you’re taking the metro at night, stay where the cameras can see you.
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Cross streets at designed crosswalks, as the traffic can be aggressive.
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Only buy tickets from official sources, this applies to main attractions and even trains.
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Stay Connected with an eSIM
Before you go, you need to make sure you can stay connected to the rest of the world! And Yoho Mobile’s free eSIM trial and get instant access to mobile data in over most countries. No SIM card, no contracts—just a quick setup and you’re online in minutes.
If you want to get your eSIM plan afterwards, use the code YOHO12 at checkout for a 12% discount!
3-Day Itinerary to New York City
Day 1: Classic NYC Icons & Midtown
To start strong, how about visiting Times Square? You’ve probably heard a lot about it if you like to see American television, but what’s there to see? Well, first of all, you have an overwhelming amount of bright lights and billboards, and there’s always so many people passing by.
Then you have the Broadway Theaters, the Times Square Museum and Visitor Center, so you can learn about the history of the place. There are many restaurants to choose from, but if you’re looking for something sweet, visit Junior’s for excellent New York-style cheesecake.
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Keeping up with the major buildings of Manhattan, there’s the Empire State Building. Did you know that it was the tallest building in the world when it was built in 1931? It’s 443m high after all. There’s an observation deck in the 86th floor, if you want a 360-degree view of the city, and one in the 102nd floor. If you want to know how it was built, there’s a virtual reality experience showing the whole process.
You’re probably hungry by this point, and we have the best suggestion for you. In Koreatown you’ll find excellent restaurants like Kang Ho Don Baekjeong, where you can grill your meat at the table, BCD Tofu House, known for its bibimbap and tofu stew, and Bonchon if you’re craving some good KFC (Korean fried chicken).
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It’s finally time to watch a show on Broadway! Even if you’re not particularly a fan of big spectacles or musicals, this is a unique experience that you won’t regret. If you plan the trip with enough time, you can catch extremely famous shows like Hamilton, Wicked, or The Phantom of the Opera. If you didn’t plan that, you still have a chance if you went earlier to the TKTS Booth in Times Square, where you can get same-day tickets at a reduced price.
Maybe you’re a bit hungry after the show, so you’re in luck, New York City never sleeps. It’s easy to find places to grab a bite at ungodly hours of the night, like Katz’s Delicatessen or Tom’s Restaurant. If you’re feeling more for pizza, then go for the classic Joe’s Pizza.
Day 2: Trendy Neighborhoods & Downtown Landmarks
Good morning New York City, and where are you planning to start your day? How does the High Line sound? If you’re still exploring Manhattan, then you have to visit it.
This park is unique in style, built around an old railroad track with a total length of 1.65 miles. Alongside you can find public art installations, with sculptures, murals, and other pieces. As you walk alongside the native plants and trees, you’ll find that you have an incredible view of some of New York City’s landmarks. From there you can enjoy the sun reflecting over the Hudson River, the Statue of Liberty, the skyscrapers, and the people going in and out of Chelsea Market.
If you want to spend some time shopping like a New Yorker, then you can visit Hudson Yards. There are the most luxurious shopping centers in the whole city. If you like high-end brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Tiffany & Co., you can spend some time perusing their stores. For a weirdly futuristic experience, climb up The Vessel for a view of the area.
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If you want to walk around a bit more and get a better feeling of the city, then West Village and SoHo (South of Houston Street) are solid options. They both offer a unique blend of history, charm and culture, enriched with a modern flair that’s hard to miss. The artistic people will gravitate more towards the West Village, with its cafe culture and bohemian feel, like the Cafe Cluny and Minetta Tavern. While for the fashionistas, SoHo is irresistible, with its art galleries and nightlife.
If you’re looking for something to eat and an opportunity to learn more about the incredible cultural mix that characterizes New York City, there’s Chinatown and Little Italy for you. Both of these were originally immigrant neighborhoods, so you can expect to find a lot of authentic cuisine and culture all around, even after several generations. In Chinatown you have Joe’s Shanghai, famous for its soup dumplings and Xi’an Famous Foods for spicy authentic hand-pulled noodles. While in Little Italy, you have Lupa, inspired in Roma, Caffe Palermo famous for their desserts, and Rubirosa, where you’ll have the best Italian pizza.
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If you are not tired of seeing this wonderful city from all angles, then you can head to the One World Observatory, in the One World Trade Center. Interestingly, this is currently the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, so you can expect the views to be spectacular. And don’t worry for the long elevator ride, there’s the Skypod, a high-speed elevator that will take you from the ground to the 102nd floor in only 60 seconds.
For your final night in New York, why not go to a speakeasy? If you’re not American, you probably are not familiar with this term, but it’s what the secret bars were called when it was banned during the Prohibition era. Of course, people still distilled it and sold it, just out of the public’s view. And in New York City you can visit several of these bars! You can go to Please Don’t Tell, hidden behind a hot dog shop and Angel’s Share inside a Japanese restaurant. All of these keep the original 1920s vibe and offer both vintage and modern cocktails.
Day 3: Museums, Parks & Exploring Other Boroughs
You’ve spent enough time in Manhattan, but New York City has so much to offer, and there’s still space for activities in your 3-day itinerary. Let’s head to the Met to enjoy a world-class art collection. You’ll find over two million works there! Spanning all the way back to 3000 BCE. If you, as many kids, grew up admiring archaeologists, you’ll love the Egyptian Collection, one of the most extensive you can find, as well as their Greek and Roman art collections.
If you want to take a nice stroll and enjoy the sun and fresh air, then visit Central Park! Is the most famous park in all New York City for a reason. Inside its 843 acres you’ll find a lot of activities. If you feel like having a picnic, there’s plenty of open areas, and if you want to take an iconic photo, go for the Bethesda Terrace with its intricate mosaic. You even have a full zoo inside and if you want to enjoy a bit of history, go to the Carousel, which has been delighting visitors from 1871.
Finally, you can’t miss a NYC Ferry Ride! It’s a nice way to say goodbye to the city. From the water you’ll have a relaxed tour across the main boroughs and experience the iconic waterfront. Aside from the landmarks you’ve already visited, the ferry passes by Governors Island, Roosevelt Island and DUMBO, so have your camera ready.
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But alas, the 3 days have passed and you have to return home soon or hit the road to your next destination. Which begs the question, where should you have your last New Yorker meal? We have a few options for you, focusing on authentic experiences more than fine dining. If you want to visit a classic, then head to Peter Luger Steak House, a local favorite since 1887. If you want to keep things simple, then a farm-to-table restaurant is more your style, and Blue Hill is one of the best. Finally, for contemporary American cuisine, go to The Modern, inside the Museum of Modern Art.
Final Tips for Your 3-Day Itinerary to New York City
Customize your itinerary
As we already said, New York City has a lot to offer and our 3-day itinerary should be used more like a guideline. If you don’t find a suggestion appealing, you don’t have to follow it. We won’t get mad. Instead, you should prioritize your interests, identify your passions and choose accordingly. This goes for the neighborhood you’ll be staying in as well, choose the one whose vibe matches your own. Make this trip truly unique and memorable for you.
If you already know which restaurants you want to visit, then go ahead and make your reservations now. This way you won’t have to improvise if the place is full and you have to wait a long time. If you really love food, you can also join a specialized tour like a pizza tour in Brooklyn or a food crawl through Chinatown.
Be flexible
If you can, maybe don’t plan for the next days. You never know if you fell in love with this city and decide to stay for a little longer. Also, don’t set your plans in stone while you’re visiting. Allow the city to surprise you and leave time to explore and discover new places and activities most guides don’t cover.