3 Days in New York City: The Ultimate Guide for First-Timer’s

There is so much to do and see in New York City that figuring out what to prioritize during your first visit can feel daunting! Of course, you’ll want to check out the iconic landmarks and enjoy some delicious food, but with so many options, where do you even begin, especially when you only have 3 days in New York City?

This guide is a starting point to help you craft your perfect 3-day itinerary. We packed a LOT into our three days, but feel free to adjust and take things off if you prefer more downtime.

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Where to Stay

Since you’ll be hitting all the main tourist spots, staying in Midtown Manhattan is ideal so you can easily walk to sights or jump on a subway. You’re only here for three days so you don’t want to waste time commuting in and out of the city.

Getting Around

Make sure to pack good, comfortable walking shoes because you will be doing a LOT of walking around the city. Even though walking will be your main way to get around, don’t be afraid to take the subway. I know it can be a little scary to navigate if it’s your first time in the city, however your feet will thank you.

To figure out what subway you need to take, just put your destination in google map, then go to the public transit option. It will give you different options, including how far the station is and how long the subway ride will be. It is honestly laid out very well and tells you what signs to look for so you can verify you are going the correct way.

Day 1: Midtown Manhattan

We had an early flight to New York and arrived in the city by 11:00 a.m.! After dropping our bags at the hotel, we were ready to eat and explore. If you choose to come in the night before so you have a full day in the city, grab breakfast a Tompkins Square Bagels before exploring the city.

Lunch: Ellen’s Stardust Diner

Head to Ellen’s for lunch and a show. Ellen’s is a 50’s themed diner serving typical diner food – sandwiches and all day breakfast. What makes them popular and unique is the fact that all the servers are also singers – so you get to enjoy a variety of performances while eating! We were going more for the vibe so I didn’t expect much out of the food but it was actually really good! We shared the chicken sandwich and philly cheese steak & I recommend both of them.

Time’s Square

Head over to Time’s Square, just a 5 minute walk away. Time’s Square is an iconic spot with all the large digital billboards and bright lights. Take a few minutes to walk around and soak it in. Time’s Square is also home to a variety of shops you can browse, including: the M&M Store, Disney Store, Hersery’s Chocolate World, a variety of clothes stores & more!

Rockefeller Center

Another 5 minute walk and you’ll be at the Rockefeller Center. If you just type in “Rockefeller Center” it takes you to the Rockefeller Center fountain, and not where the Ice Skating Rink is during Christmas. To reach that area (just a few blocks down) put “The Channel Gardens” in your GPS and it will take you straight there. Other than just admiring the sights, there are a few things you can do in this area:

• Top of the Rock Observation Deck – one of the many observation decks in the city. We didn’t personal do this one (we did The Edge on day 3), however if you prefer this one its located in the Rockefeller Plaza.
• Rockefeller Center Tour – if you want to learn tour the building in the plaza and learn more about the history of them, this tour is for you!
• See a show at Radio City or take a guide tour of the Music Hall
• During the holiday season go Ice Skating and admire the Rockefeller Tree.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Just a few minutes away is the stunning St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Walk around the outside to admire the stunning architecture of the Cathedral, built in the 1860s. You can also take a self guided tour inside the cathedral for $20.

If you need a pick-me-up, Ralph’s Coffee stand is conveniently located right across the street from the Cathedral. Ralph’s is a popular coffee shop in NYC. The coffee was good, but in my opinion, it’s a bit overpriced. You can expect to pay around $10-$12 for a latte.

Magnolia Bakery

Before heading to Central Park stop by Magnolia Bakery for a little snack! Magnolia Bakery is known for their fluffy bread pudding, and honestly, it is worth the hype! If you’re not a fan of bananas they also have a variety of cupcakes, mini tarts, cheesecakes, cookies and more.

Central Park

Central Park is about 2.5 miles long and 0.5 miles wide, so don’t expect to explore the whole park in one day. We walked up to the MET (about half of the park) and was pretty tired by that time. A few things to explore in the park:

• Gapstow Bridge – stone bridge, that crosses the Pond. It is known for its appearances in many movies, specifically Home Alone 2.
• The Mall and Literary Walk – this walk is lined with towering American elm trees, giving it a magical feel. You will also find quite a few statues in this area and sometimes a few people selling art along the walk.
• Bethesda Terrace – this area is often referred to as “the heart of Central Park”. It is a large, two level plaza. The top level overlooks the Angel of the Waters Fountain and the lake. Take the grand staircase down to the lake where you can rent small row boats or enjoy the tile work in the Bethesda Arcade (under the terrace). The arcade has wonderful acoustics so you’ll often find musicians playing in this area.
• Bow Bridge – follow the path on the left side of the fountain to cross over Bow Bridge, a popular spot to take photos.
• Belvedere Castle – continue to the castle, where you can walk to the two levels for a beautiful overlook of the park.
• The MET – our last stop in central park is The MET, an iconic Art Museum in NYC. The MET has over 2 million pieces or art from over 5,000 years. Even if you don’t want to browse the museum, its still worth admiring the architecture and sitting on the iconic steps.

From here its quiet a long walk to our next stop, Bryant Park, or your hotel, depending if you needed a change or grab a jacket as the sunset. I suggest hopping on the bus or subway because at this point you will b ready to sit down.

Bryant Park

We visited NYC during the winter months, so the Winter Village was already in full swing. We stopped by Bryant Park for dinner and sampled a variety of foods from the market. If the Winter Village isn’t around when you visit, there’s still plenty to do at Bryant Park. They have several restaurants open year-round and a few that operate only in the spring. The park also hosts a variety of events throughout the year, so be sure to check out their events page to see what’s happening during your visit.

Day 2: Brooklyn & The Statue of Liberty

Liberty Bagels

Grab breakfast at Liberty Bagels. They can get pretty busy so if you want to skip the crowd, order online before walking over. I had their asiago and rainbow bagel (we went two days) with bacon scallion cream cheese and they were both sooo good!

Grand Central Station

After breakfast, head to Grand Central Station. Its a 23 minute walk from Liberty Bagels, which isn’t bad but considering you’ll be doing a lot of walking later in the day, you may want to hope on a subway. Grand Central Station is an architectural wonder, so take a walk through it to appreciate its beauty.

Be sure to look up at the vaulted ceilings to admire the murals of constellations painted on them. If you haven’t had breakfast yet, the lower level offers plenty of dining options and coffee shops.

Chrysler Building

On your way to the Ferry you’ll pass the Chrysler Building. While you can’t go inside, it is an iconic NYC skyscrapers and is worth admiring from the outside.

East 34 Ferry

Take the East 34 Ferry and head to Dumbo to enjoy Brooklyn, Its a 22 minute walk from Grand Central Station, so you may want to hop on a subway/train. The ferry runs around every 20 minutes and tickets are $4.50 per person. You can buy your tickets in person at a ticket kiosk or download the NYC Ferry app if you want to purchase them ahead of time. The ferry ride takes around 30 minutes and will make 3 stops before reaching dumbo.

Brooklyn Bridge Lookout/Park

As soon as you step off the ferry, head straight to the Brooklyn Bridge Lookout for a stunning photo opportunity of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge. While you can explore Brooklyn Bridge Park, the views are generally similar throughout. If you look to the left, you’ll even catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty in the background.

Butler or Almondine Bakery

If you are in need of a pick-me-up or snack, head to Butler or Almondine. Both serve coffee and pastry, but Butler also serves sandwiches and such if you need more than a snack. Butler also has more seating if you are looking to hangout for a bit. Almondine is better if you want a sweet treat and are just looking for something to take with you.

Dumbo

Head over to Washington Street to DUMBO, just a 3 minute walk down the street, to get the iconic view of the Manhattan Bridge. On a clear day you can actually see the Empire State Building through the bridge.

Pebble Beach

Not far from there is the pebble beach which gives you another view of both bridges and the Manhattan Skyline.

Brooklyn Flea

If you happen to be visiting Brooklyn on the weekend, you can wander around the Brooklyn Flea. The Brooklyn Flea is a flea market with hundreds of top vendors that sell a variety of furniture, vintage clothing, collectibles and antiques. They are open from 10:00am – 5:00pm every weekend from April – December. You can find the Brooklyn Flea under the Dumbo Arch, 80 Pearl St.

Walk the Brooklyn Bridge

Now it’s time to walk the Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan! The bridge spans 1.1 miles and typically takes 30 to 45 minutes to walk, depending on your pace. If this seems like too much, you can walk just a portion of the bridge, to the first arch, then turn back around. We considered this, but by the time you walk to the arch and turn back to go to the ferry, it’ll end up being more or less the same distance as if you just walked the whole bridge.

It’s an easy walk, though it can get pretty crowded at times. One of the best parts is that the pedestrian walkway is elevated above the cars, so it doesn’t feel like they’re right on top of you. Take your time to admire the architecture of the bridge, the East River, and the stunning views of the Manhattan skyline.

Statue of Liberty

Once you finish walking the Brooklyn Bridge hop on a subway over to The Battery to visit the Statue of Liberty. On busier days I’d suggest buying tickets for the ferry ahead of time, however we visited on a Friday and were able to buy tickets 15 minutes before boarding. If you want to take a ferry to the Island so you can get off and explore, make sure you buy tickets through the Statue City Cruises, which is is the only authorized ticket seller for Statue of Liberty National Monument and Ellis Island. If you are short on time and just want to take a boat ride around the Statue and see a few other sights, checkout this boat tour.

Friends Experience

This one really depends on if you are a Friends fan or not. Me and my wife personally love friends so it made sense to go to the Friends Experience. It’s kind of like a museum/recreation of the set of friends, which was pretty cool to experience!

Day 3: West Side Manhattan

Angelina Bakery

Stop in to Angelina Bakery for a quick coffee and pastry for breakfast. You honestly can’t go wrong with any of their pastries but my personal favorites were the strawberry croissant and pesto and tomato focaccia!

Edge/Vessel

From there, head over to The Edge, just an 18-minute walk away. Be sure to buy your tickets online in advance, as they tend to sell out! If you go early in the morning, you’ll avoid long lines for the elevator and get to the top quickly. While there are many observation decks to choose from in NYC, I personally loved the view from The Edge. They have a glass section with glass flooring (if you are brave enough to walk over), angled glass walls, and a bar and cafe inside.

The Vessel is located in Hudson Yards, right across from the Edge. You can also go inside here for different views, but we personally skipped going inside and just admired the design of the outside.

High Line

Hudson Yards is located right next to the High Line, a walkway/park built an on old railroad track. Its elevated above the street and the whole park is 1.45 miles long. Take your time walking along it, enjoying the city views and art installations.

Chelsea Market

After about 20 minutes, follow the signs to Chelsea Market downstairs. Chelsea Market offers a variety of fun shops and restaurants to explore. If you haven’t tried it at one of their other locations, you absolutely have to stop by Los Tacos No. 1. Everything is made fresh and authentically right in front of you. The line can get pretty long, but don’t let that deter you—it moves quickly, and the tacos are totally worth it!

Afterward, grab a few treats at Doughnuttery. They offer a wild variety of flavored sugars to add, but honestly, I’d stick with the plain sugar next time—they’re perfect just like that!

Little Island/Peir 57 Roof Top

Just a quick 5-minute walk up the street is Little Island, a 2.4-acre park located on the Hudson River. The park features over 350 plant species, multiple trails, and several overlooks with stunning views of the city skyline. It’s also the perfect spot to sit down and take a little break if you need one!

Fabrique Cafe

If you are in need of a coffee break, Fabrique Cafe is the perfect spot to grab one before grabbing lunch. Their coffees are delicious and they have a handful of pastries to choose from.

Pizza

For lunch try one of the popular pizza places in the West Village. We tried Joe’s, John’s and Bleecker Street Pizza to see which was best. We all liked Bleecker Street Pizza the best, but Joe’s a close second. Bleecker’s overall had the best flavor and the perfect amount of crunch on the crust. If you choose to go to Joe’s (still a great choice) just note that they only take cash but there is an ATM at the entrance. John’s was just okay but compared to the other two, was nothing special.

Washington Square Park

After lunch, head to Washington Square Park to snap a photo under the iconic Washington Square Arch. The park is quite expansive, so take a stroll through it and enjoy the greenery and the large fountain, where you can even dip your feet in. The park is usually buzzing with activity—artists, performers, dancers, and drum circles often gather here, offering plenty of entertainment.

Union Square

Just a 10 minute walk away is Union Square, where you can browse their large farmer’s market on Mondays, Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays. The market features fresh produce, baked goods, flowers, and artisanal products. There is also plenty of shopping in this area if you want to stop in a few places.

Madison Square Park

If you visit on a day when the farmer’s market isn’t at Union Square, you can skip it and head to Madison Square Park instead. Here, you can take a stroll through the beautiful park and enjoy views of iconic New York buildings like the Flatiron Building and the MetLife Tower. The park often features a variety of art installations or sculptures scattered throughout, offering plenty to admire.

Macy’s Herald Square

Since we visited during Christmas, we mainly stopped by to admire the festive decorations but decided to check out the inside as well. We weren’t really looking to shop (limited luggage space!), so the interior wasn’t particularly special for us. However, if you’re planning to shop, this Macy’s truly has it all, and I’m sure you’d find everything you’re looking for.

James Gibney & Sons

For dinner grab some food at James Gibney & Sons, an Irish pub. Its a casual restaurant serving pub food with some Irish twist. We shared the smash burger, bang bang shrimp, and buffalo wings and they were all delicious! My only complaint is the two cocktails we got were honestly not good at all, now it is a place more known for its beer so maybe it was our fault for ordering a cocktail. If you visit around the holidays, the restaurant is decorated for Christmas, which is actually the main reason we went.

Is 3 days in New York City enough?

As I hope this guide showed you, you can surprisingly see a lot of New York City’s highlights in just 3 days! Of course, with more time, you’d be able to explore additional spots, venture to areas outside the city, or visit more museums at a relaxed pace. While the three days will be fast-paced, you can still enjoy NYC’s highlights and leave inspired for a return visit!

Wondering how much 3 Day in New York City cost? Check out this price down, where I tell exactly how much we spent on our trip!