New York, NYBy ArrivLast checked
Plan a trip to New York
A first trip is usually Manhattan plus one full day in Brooklyn. Three is the number. Pick three neighborhoods and walk them properly, because the city gives up almost nothing to somebody moving through it at speed.
- First-timers
- Weekend getaways
- Food trips
- Couples
Free to run, and you keep editing after. Add who's coming or a pace like “slow mornings” to shape the result.
New York at a glance
You want New York in 3 to 5 days, which is enough time to start with Central Park and let the rest fall in around it. Pick between West Village, Lower East Side, and Williamsburg for a base, and read the month notes before you book a flight. The three remaining stops fit in where they land. It all goes onto one map you can send to whoever is coming.
- How long
- 3–5 days
- When to go
- September to early November has the best weather and the fewest cancellations. October is the month. Late April through June runs a close second, while July and August are humid and January gets cold enough that you rebuild the plan around indoor stops.
- Getting around
- The subway runs 24 hours and beats a car everywhere, so buy an OMNY tap or use a contactless card. Budget more walking than you expect — a ten-block hop is faster on foot than waiting for a train.
What to build the plan around
- 1
Central Park
Enter at 72nd Street and cross east to west, since the Bethesda Terrace stretch is the one people picture.
- 2
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Pick two wings and leave, because trying to see all of it is how people burn an afternoon and remember nothing.
- 3
Brooklyn Bridge
Walk it Brooklyn to Manhattan for the skyline, starting from DUMBO around sunrise if you want to beat the crowd.
- 4
Grand Central Terminal
Worth ten minutes even without a train, so pair it with Bryant Park two blocks west.
Where to stay in New York
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- West Village
- Low-rise blocks and the best walking in Manhattan, though it is the priciest place to sleep. Browse stays in West Village
- Lower East Side
- Late food and bars, well connected by subway, and cheaper than anything uptown, which is the trade for hearing the street until two in the morning. Browse stays in Lower East Side
- Williamsburg
- A Brooklyn base with the Manhattan view built in, and one L stop from the East Village when you want back. Browse stays in Williamsburg
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More itineraries to copy
Each one opens as a map with every stop already placed.
New York planning questions
- How many days do you need in New York?
- Plan on 3 to 5 days, though how you split them matters more than the total. Three days covers the anchors at a fast clip. Five lets you give Brooklyn a whole day and eat well, because you are no longer sprinting to a reservation you booked six weeks ago.
- What is the best time to visit New York?
- September to early November has the best weather and the fewest cancellations. October is the month. Late April through June runs a close second, while July and August are humid and January gets cold enough that you rebuild the plan around indoor stops.
- Where should I stay in New York?
- Depends what you want to be able to reach on foot. West Village: Low-rise blocks and the best walking in Manhattan, though it is the priciest place to sleep. Lower East Side: Late food and bars, well connected by subway, and cheaper than anything uptown, which is the trade for hearing the street until two in the morning. Williamsburg: A Brooklyn base with the Manhattan view built in, and one L stop from the East Village when you want back. Nightly rate and walking distance pull against each other in all three, so you have to pick the version of that trade you mind least.
- How do you get around New York?
- The subway runs 24 hours and beats a car everywhere, so buy an OMNY tap or use a contactless card. Budget more walking than you expect — a ten-block hop is faster on foot than waiting for a train.
- What should I see first in New York?
- Start with Central Park, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Bridge. Schedule the first of those before anything else, because it is the one that suffers most from a late start. Enter at 72nd Street and cross east to west, since the Bethesda Terrace stretch is the one people picture.
- Is there a free New York itinerary I can copy?
- Yes, and reading it costs nothing. Arriv has a New York itinerary with every stop mapped and a day-by-day order to follow, which is enough to plan from without touching it. Duplicate it into a trip of your own and the dates, the places, and the order are all yours to change.