Things to Do in New York City
Ten stops running from a park so large it holds its own zoo and castle to a bridge that took 14 years and 27 lives to finish building.
New York City runs on scale, this list heads past what the quiz already covers toward a park considerably larger than most visitors expect, a bridge that was once the longest suspension bridge in the world, and a pizza rivalry that New Yorkers take far more seriously than the jokes suggest. Ten stops below, plus a quiz elsewhere on this site if you fancy testing what stuck.
Central Park
One of the most visited urban parks in the world, 843 acres holding a real zoo, a Renaissance-style castle, and several lakes, noticeably larger and more varied than most visitors expect walking in from the surrounding streets. Bethesda Terrace, with its ornately carved fountain, remains one of the most photographed spots in the whole park, particularly at golden hour.
Bike rentals run throughout the park, a good way to cover more ground than walking allows if you want to see multiple sections in a single visit.
Hours Daily, roughly 6am-1am
Address Central Park, New York, NY
Brooklyn Bridge
Completed in 1883 after 14 years of construction and the loss of at least 27 workers' lives, the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time, an engineering achievement that remains one of the city's most recognisable landmarks. A dedicated pedestrian walkway runs above the traffic lanes, sweeping views over the East River and Manhattan skyline the whole way across.
This gets busy at almost any hour, so an early morning crossing helps if you'd rather avoid the heaviest foot traffic.
Best time Early morning for fewer crowds; sunset for the best skyline light
Address Brooklyn Bridge, New York, NY
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
One of the largest art museums in the world, holding over two million objects spanning 5,000 years of human history, the Egyptian wing's actual ancient temple, relocated here piece by piece in the 1960s, remains one of the more striking single exhibits anywhere in the museum. The rooftop garden, open seasonally, offers sweeping views over Central Park alongside rotating contemporary art installations.
This is far too large to cover in a single visit, so pick a few specific wings rather than attempting the whole collection, most visitors leave having seen only a fraction of what's on display.
Hours Daily, roughly 10am-5pm, hours vary
Address 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY
The Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island
A gift from France in 1886, the statue's copper skin, now green from over a century of oxidation, runs remarkably thin, roughly the thickness of two stacked pennies despite the statue's massive scale. Ellis Island, a short ferry ride further, processed over 12 million immigrants between 1892 and 1954, the museum there covers this history in real depth for anyone with family connections to trace or simply an interest in the country's immigration story.
Crown access requires a separate, limited ticket booked well in advance, plan ahead specifically if climbing to the crown itself is the priority rather than just viewing the statue from the ferry.
Hours Daily, ferry departs roughly 8.30am-3.30pm
Address Liberty Island, New York, NY
Empire State Building
Completed in 1931 in just over a year, an astonishingly fast build for a structure this scale, the Empire State Building held the title of world's tallest building for nearly 40 years. Two observation decks run near the top, the 86th floor's open-air platform and the 102nd floor's fully enclosed deck, both offering sweeping views across all five boroughs on a clear day.
Book timed tickets ahead, this is one of the most visited attractions in the city and queues without a reservation can stretch long, particularly around sunset.
Hours Daily, roughly 10am-midnight
Address 20 W 34th St, New York, NY
The High Line
A former elevated freight railway, abandoned for decades before being converted into a 1.45-mile linear park running roughly 30 feet above street level through Manhattan's West Side. Wildflowers and native plantings line most of the walkway, an unusual green space given it sits directly above active city streets and buildings the whole way.
This works well as a walking route between neighbourhoods, more scenic than the equivalent sidewalk route below, time a visit for late afternoon when the light catches the surrounding architecture well.
Hours Daily, roughly 7am-11pm, hours vary seasonally
Address The High Line, New York, NY
New York's Pizza Rivalry
New York-style pizza, thin-crust and foldable, traces its roots to Italian immigrants who arrived in the early 1900s, and the city's pizzerias hold an ongoing rivalry over whose version reigns supreme. Lombardi's, widely credited as the first licensed pizzeria in the country, opened in 1905 and still operates today, though several other established names carry equally passionate followings among locals.
Order a slice folded in half, the traditional New York way to eat it on the go, try at least two or three different spots given how much the style varies from one pizzeria to the next.
Address Lombardi's, 32 Spring St, New York, NY
American Museum of Natural History
One of the largest natural history museums in the world, dinosaur fossils fill several halls, and a 94-foot blue whale model hangs suspended over the ocean life hall, one of the most recognisable single exhibits in the whole museum. The Rose Center for Earth and Space, a distinctive glass cube structure, houses a planetarium running regular shows on astronomy and space.
This works particularly well for kids, the scale and variety of hands-on exhibits hold attention far longer than a standard static museum visit.
Hours Daily, roughly 10am-5.30pm
Address 200 Central Park West, New York, NY
9/11 Memorial & Museum
Built on the site of the original World Trade Center towers, two enormous reflecting pools now sit in the exact footprints where the buildings once stood, water cascading down all four sides into a void that appears to have no visible bottom. The names of everyone who died in both the 2001 and 1993 attacks are inscribed around the pools' edges, and the museum below covers the full history of that day in real, careful depth.
This is a significant, sobering stop, so allow real time to walk the memorial grounds and engage with the museum exhibits rather than rushing through.
Hours Memorial daily, roughly 7.30am-9pm; museum hours vary
Address 180 Greenwich St, New York, NY
Times Square
One of the busiest pedestrian intersections in the world, enormous digital billboards run continuously across nearly every building surface, far brighter and more overwhelming in person than photos convey. The New Year's Eve ball drop, running continuously since 1907 with only a couple of wartime exceptions, remains one of the most-watched annual events in the country.
This is more of a passing-through spectacle than a lingering stop for most visitors, though a look at night pays off, when the lights are at their most striking.
Best time Evening for the full lit-up effect
Address Times Square, New York, NY
Best time to visit New York City
April through June and September through November cover the most comfortable weather for this list, mild enough for the outdoor and walking stops without summer's serious heat and humidity. For the full month-by-month breakdown, including when hotel prices actually drop, see our Best Time to Visit New York City guide.
Winter brings holiday window displays and ice skating to several spots on this list, consider it if a festive atmosphere appeals despite the colder weather.
Getting around New York City
The subway covers this entire list well, New York has one of the most extensive public transit systems in the country, a car generally works against you here given the traffic and limited parking. If you're mapping out exactly how to spend your time, our 24 Hours in New York City and 2 Day New York City Itinerary guides lay out an hour-by-hour and day-by-day plan.
Keeping an eye on costs? New York City on a Budget covers what's free and where the tourist markup actually is. And once your dates are set, Where to Stay & Eat in New York City breaks down the neighbourhoods.
Frequently asked questions
- Is New York City worth visiting beyond the usual highlights?
- Yes, easily, the High Line, Brooklyn Bridge, and the sheer scale of the Metropolitan Museum all offer a considerably deeper experience than a quick highlight-reel visit.
- How many days do you need in New York City?
- Five days gives a comfortable pace to cover Manhattan's major sights and at least a partial visit to one or two major museums.
- Is New York City expensive to visit?
- Yes, one of the pricier cities in the country, though the subway keeps transport affordable and several major museums or attractions in this list are free.
- What's the best New York City trip for kids?
- The American Museum of Natural History and Central Park both rank as the most reliably kid-friendly stops on this list.
That's ten decent slices of a city that runs on a scale most places simply can't match.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
