Your NYC Itinerary for 3, 5, and 7 Day Trips
New York City doesn’t slow down for anyone, which makes it perfect for every kind of traveler. Whether you’ve got a long weekend or a full week to spare, there’s always something worth checking out in NYC. Planning your time well can help you actually enjoy the chaos rather than get swept up in it. This itinerary breaks it down by trip length, with flexibility for changing interests and energy levels.
3-7 Day New York City Itinerary
Day 1: Manhattan Must-Sees
Morning: Central Park & Midtown Manhattan
Start your NYC adventure with a walk through Central Park. Hit up Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, and Strawberry Fields. Then walk south to Midtown for Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and if you’re up for it, Top of the Rock.
Bethesda Terrace
Address: Mid-Park at 72nd St, New York, NY 10023
Website: centralparknyc.org
Top of the Rock
Address: 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10112
Tour Hours: Daily; 10am, 10:30am, 11am, 12pm, 12:30pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 5pm and 7pm
Contact form
Phone: 1.877.692.7625
Website: rockefellercenter.com
Tickets: Top of the Rock
Afternoon: Museum or Broadway Show
Choose between The Met for centuries of art or MoMA for modern and contemporary work. If that’s not your thing, catch a Broadway matinee.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028
Hours: Thurs–Tues: 10am–5pm; Closed Wed
Email: communications@metmuseum.org
Phone: 212-535-7710
Website: metmuseum.org
Tickets to the Met Museum
Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
Address: 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019
Hours: Mon–Thurs & Sat–Sun: 10:30am–5:30pm; Fri: 10:30am–8:30pm
Website: moma.org
Tickets: MoMA Tickets
Broadway Shows
Address: Multiple theatre locations across Times Square and Midtown
Hours: Show times vary
Email: info@broadway.org
Phone: 212-912-9770
Website: broadway.com
Evening: Dinner in Hell’s Kitchen
Wrap up the day with dinner in Hell’s Kitchen. There’s a good range—from ramen and tapas to diners and burger joints.
Location: West Side of Midtown Manhattan bordered by 34th Street to the south, 59th Street to the north, Eighth Avenue to the east, and the Hudson River to the west.
Check local listings for the best restaurants in Hell’s Kitchen
Day 2: Lower Manhattan – History, Skyscrapers, and Food
Morning: Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
Start your day with a ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Leave from Battery Park and spend a couple hours walking through immigration history.
Statue Cruises
Address: Battery Park, New York, NY 10004
First Ferry: 8:30am
Email: info@statuecruises.com
Phone: 877-523-9849
Website: statuecruises.com
Tickets: Ferry Tickets
Afternoon: Financial District & 9/11 Memorial
Walk through Wall Street, the Charging Bull, and end at the 9/11 Memorial. The museum offers a detailed look at the events of 9/11 and their impact.
9/11 Memorial & Museum
Address: 180 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10007
Hours: Daily 9am–8pm
Email: info@911memorial.org
Phone: 212-312-8800
Website: 911memorial.org
Purchase museum tickets here
Evening: Dinner in Chinatown or Little Italy
Choose between dumplings, noodles, and dim sum in Chinatown or pasta and cannoli in Little Italy. Both neighborhoods are walkable and packed with food options.
Chinatown NYC
Area: Centered around Canal Street, Manhattan, NY 10013
Website: chinatown.nyc
Little Italy NYC
Area: Mulberry St between Canal St and Broome St
Website: nyctourism.com
Day 3: A Day Out in Brooklyn
Morning: Walk the Brooklyn Bridge
Start from Manhattan and cross the bridge into Brooklyn on foot. You’ll get skyline views and it’s a good way to start the day with movement.
Brooklyn Bridge
Entrances: Centre St & Park Row or Brooklyn Bridge Blvd
Website: nyc.gov
Afternoon: DUMBO & Brooklyn Heights
Once in Brooklyn, head to DUMBO for lunch and photos under the bridge. Then take a walk along the Brooklyn Heights Promenade.
DUMBO
Area: Between Manhattan Bridge and Brooklyn Bridge waterfront
Website: dumbo.nyc
Brooklyn Heights Promenade
Access: Montague St or Pierrepont Pl
Website: nycgovparks.org
Evening: Sunset at Time Out Market
Grab dinner at Time Out Market Brooklyn. They’ve got multiple food vendors and a rooftop with a skyline view. You can head back to Manhattan via ferry or by subway.
Time Out Market
Address: 55 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Email: infonyc@timeoutmarket.com
Hours: Mon–Sun: 8am–10pm
Website: timeoutmarket.com
Day 4: Museum Mile & Upper Manhattan
Morning: Guggenheim Museum
Kick off Day 4 with a visit to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. The building alone is a draw, with its spiraling ramp and unique layout.
Guggenheim Museum
Address: 1071 5th Ave, New York, NY 10128
Hours: every day, 10:30 am–5:30 pm
Email: visitorinfo@guggenheim.org
Phone: 212-423-3500
Website: guggenheim.org
Purchase tickets here
Afternoon: Harlem & Soul Food Lunch
Walk or take the subway up to Harlem. Visit the historic Apollo Theater, then grab lunch at Sylvia’s or Melba’s.
Apollo Theater
Address: 253 W 125th St, New York, NY 10027
Website: apollotheater.org
Contact form
Sylvia’s Restaurant
Address: 328 Lenox Avenue (Malcolm X Blvd.), New York, NY 10027
Hours: Sun. – Tues.: 11:00 am – 8:00 pm; Wed. – Sat.: 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Phone: 212-996-0660
Website: sylviasrestaurant.com
Contact form
Melba’s
Address: 300 W 114th St, New York, NY 10026
Phone: 212-864-7777
Website: melbasrestaurant.com
Contact form
Evening: Jazz or Uptown Bar Crawl
Catch a set and enjoy dinner at Minton’s Playhouse or stroll through uptown bars. It’s a more relaxed night after a packed few days.
Minton’s Playhouse
Address: 206 West 118th Street, NY 10026 (Right off Saint Nicholas Avenue)
Hours: Thursday – Friday 5pm – 12am (Happy Hour 5pm – 7pm) Saturday 6pm – 3am. Sunday 5pm – 12am.
Email: info@mintonsnyc.com
Website: mintonsnyc.com
Day 5: Art, Books & Chelsea
Morning: The Whitney Museum
Head to the Meatpacking District to visit the Whitney Museum of American Art. The rooftop views and exhibits rotate often enough that there’s usually something new to catch.
Whitney Museum of American Art
Address: 99 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014
Hours: Mon, Wed, Thurs, Sun: 10:30am–6pm; Fri–Sat: 10:30am–10pm; Closed Tues
Website: whitney.org
Email: info@whitney.org
Purchase tickets here
Afternoon: The High Line & Chelsea Market
Walk the High Line—a converted elevated rail line turned public park—then grab lunch at Chelsea Market. You can snack your way through tacos, doughnuts, and lobster rolls.
The High Line
Entrances: Gansevoort St to 34th St, Manhattan
Website: thehighline.org
Email:Â info@thehighline.org
Chelsea Market
Address: 75 9th Ave, (between 15th & 16th St.) New York, NY 10011
Hours: Monday to Sunday 7AM – 10PM
Phone: 212-652-2121
Website: chelseamarket.com
Evening: Bookstore + West Village Dinner
Stop by Three Lives & Company, one of the coziest independent bookstores in the city. Follow that with dinner in the West Village—think small plates or wine bars.
Three Lives & Company
Address: 154 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014
Hours: Sunday: Noon – 7 pm; Monday-Saturday: 10 am – 7 pm
Website: threelives.com
Email: info@threelives.com
Day 6: Culture & Comedy
Morning: Museum of the City of New York
Learn about NYC’s own history at this often overlooked museum on the Upper East Side.
Museum of the City of New York
Address: 1220 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029
Hours: Mon-Fri 10 AM – 5 PM; Sat – Sun 10 AM-6 PM
Website: mcny.org
Purchase your tickets here
Afternoon: Roosevelt Island Tram & Midtown Wander
Take the tram to Roosevelt Island for skyline photos, then meander through Midtown—Grand Central, NY Public Library, or Bryant Park are easy stops.
Roosevelt Island Tramway
Entrance: E 59th St & 2nd Ave
Phone:Â 212-756-8739
Website: rioc.ny.gov/302/Tram
Evening: Comedy Show in Greenwich Village
Wrap the day with a comedy show at the Comedy Cellar or a nearby venue. Get there early—it fills up fast.
Comedy Cellar
Entrances: 117 MacDougal St. and 130 W 3rd St. New York, NY 10012
Website: comedycellar.com
Contact form
Make your reservations here
Day 7: Markets & Last Bites
Morning: Union Square Greenmarket
Grab coffee and walk through the Union Square Greenmarket. It’s one of the city’s best farmer’s markets and a great way to stock up on local snacks or gifts.
Union Square Greenmarket
Location: Union Square Park, Manhattan
Website: grownyc.org
Contact form
Afternoon: SoHo or Nolita Shopping
If you’re still in town for a few more hours, shop in SoHo or Nolita. Nolita and Soho, short for ‘South of Houston Street’, are both located in Lower Manhattan. You’ll find everything from secondhand denim to local boutiques.
Evening: An Italian Dinner In NYC
Depending on how much time you have left, finish your trip with a classy dinner or pasta making class at one of Eataly’s New York locations for a final bite.
Eataly NYC Downtown
Address: 101 Liberty St Fl 3, New York, NY 10007
Eataly SoHo
Address: 200 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012-4079
Eataly Flatiron
Address: 200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010
Website: eataly.com
Contact for more info here
New York doesn’t ask you to do everything—it just asks you to start somewhere. This itinerary maps out a route that’s doable without being rushed, with space built in for detours or spontaneous plans. Whether you only get three days or stretch your stay to a full week, there’s no right way to approach this city. It unfolds differently depending on where you walk, what you eat, and how much you’re open to the pace. Either way, it keeps moving—and you’ll find your rhythm somewhere in it.
If your traveling solo, we’ve created a solo traveler’s guide just for you!
More…
- https://www.overhereny.com/the-ultimate-new-york-city-itinerary/
- https://loving-newyork.com/new-york-travel-guide/
- https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Articles-lsJJagtNU0bs-4_days_nyc_itinerary.html
- https://practicalwanderlust.com/new-york-city-itinerary/
- https://www.overhereny.com/what-to-see-in-new-york-city-20-must-visit-spots-in-nyc/